Busy in the kitchen.

Okay, I have been busy in the kitchen today.
Least was making four small pork pies, rather than one large pie.
I also made lime cheese, instead of lemon cheese, I made a basic change to the recipe, and it worked.
The last was a chocolate lime cake.
My reason for trying this out was...I have noticed that the two combined  are a preferred combination.
More tomorrow, but my "creation" seems to hit the mark.

Well, the chocolate lime cake has been well received.  As the recipe that I adapted to make it is an old family recipe, you'll understand why I am not sharing.
What I will say, is if you have an idea for something different, recipe wise, check out the functions of the ingredients and make sure your cake will be balanced, and all ingredients are working together.

Anyone want to suggest a possible "challenge" for this week?

Goosnargh cakes

Well, this was suggested to me by Angela Lawson.
I had heard about Goosnargh cakes previously, and remember thinking that I would like to try to make them for myself.  A good start.
However, that's where the trail went cool.  I couldn't find an exact recipe for Goosnargh cakes, what I did find was a very sketchy recipe, almost as vague as some of the recipes in my Grandma Sharp's recipe book.  Some of these were just a list of ingredients and an oven temperature and time.  This recipe wasn't much clearer.
I have managed to make some though.  They are a variation on a basic shortbread recipe, with less sugar mixed in, but sprinkled liberally with sugar before baking.  They do have ground coriander and caraway seeds as well, the recipe doesn't give amounts though, so that was purely guesswork.
The resultant biscuits are very good, and I would probably use more of the caraway and coriander when I make them next.
I might have made them a shade too thin though, another thing to rectify next time I make them.
This is definitely one recipe I will use again.

Next suggestion, please. 😃

Challenge of the week

As you can probably guess by the blog title, this blog is where I try out a recipe, new to me, and blog about it.
In a past post, I tried chocolate scones out.  They didn't work as well as I thought they might.
Anyway, that's the idea.
Where do you, the reader come in?
You could suggest a recipe, within reason, and if I know that the results will be eaten, I'll give it a try, and report on it.
I have been trying out "new" to me recipes, just not blogging about them.
So, if you think of a recipe, suggest it, or a possible "variation on a recipe".

This week.....seed cake!

A while back I bought some caraway seeds, to make Rye bread for someone very special.  However, even though my attempt at Rye Bread was seriously well received, I haven't had a use for the caraway seeds lately.
So.....I was browsing and found a recipe for seed cake. I knew this was a recipe dating back at least to Victorian times, maybe further back.  So I thought I would give it a try.
It's a simple recipe....
A basic Madeira cake recipe, with just a teaspoon/ or 5grams of caraway seeds.
Bake for an hour at 140 degrees Celsius in a fan oven.
But.....it really is a very nice cake, something that I possibly wouldn't have even tried if I didn't have the caraway seeds, but I am so glad I tried out this rarely used recipe.
What would I recommend?  Try it, you will be pleasantly surprised, but remember.....do not over do the caraway seeds!

Chicken Dhansak

This weekend's challenge was Chicken Dhansak.
I found the recipe on BBC Good Food.  It's the Mary Berry recipe.
The fiddliest part of the recipe was splitting the cardamom pods to get the seeds out, and the grinding them in the mortar and pestle.
I don't know if other Dhansak recipes have honey in them, but this does.  It made the chilli less fierce.
A lovely spicy, sweet dish, that is also quite dry.
Any changes if I make it again?  Only remember to start around 3 hours before I want to eat, as once everything is combined, it then has one and a half to two hours in the oven.
I might also try it with moong Dahl in place of standard red lentils.

Vanilla Slices

I have been trying out recipes, just not blogging about them.
I really like Vanilla Slices, undecided it would be a good challenge.  The actual challenge is the creme patisserie, and it did challenge me.
I ended up making it twice. The first time I followed the instructions in the recipe, it went "grainy", so I ditched it and started again.  This time I used the recipe from the back of the book, it was different, but made a beautiful creamy creme patisserie.
I then assembled the slices. I had 20 small ones, so I shared them with my neighbour, as there are only so many Vanilla Slices you can eat, even if they are small.
So, that's another first.

Italian Sausage and Onion Tart

The recipe that I tried out this week was simple.
You need sausages, 2 red onions, a soft cheese, I used ricotta, hard cheese, a couple of tablespoons of milk, 3 large eggs and some filo pastry. Plus oil/ butter.
You put the sausages in a pan to fry gently with the onions, cut into wedges. For around 15 minutes, remembering to turn the sausages and onions.
Whilst that is going on layer a rectangular baking dish with the filo pastry, oiling/buttering between the layers of pastry. Scrunch up the over hanging pastry, then bake at 160 degrees in a fan oven for 10 minutes. The pastry should be dry.
While the pastry is cooking, and sausages gently frying, mix the other ingredients together.
When the sausages are ready place into the pastry case and pour the egg mixture in. Then bake for around 30 minutes. It should be golden in colour and set.
I think this would make a great dish for a winter buffet type party.