Quick Meal!!?

           I left supper in the hands of my 2 teenagers yesterday and came home to find them making ‘Beef Casserole’ with striploin steaks! I was not subtle in my response, I freaked. I banished them from the kitchen for 15 minutes while I listened to The Archers and collected my thoughts.

          The steak was unlabeled, my fault and how were they to know.

So we had this stir-fry instead. And the vegetables they had started became the basis of a ragu for lasagne tonight.

           Next time I’ll leave more detailed instructions.

Beef Stir-fry With Noodles

This is a basic stir-fry; swap the beef for any lean quick frying meat, tofu, cashew nuts or prawns. The carrots can also be swapped for whatever vegetable is around, peppers, mushrooms, bean sprouts or bamboo shoots. I like to add some Sichuan pepper instead of the chilli. About a teaspoonful crushed is enough.

If you do not want to get chilli oil onto your fingers use a fork to hold the chilli steady while you chop it.

This is a starting point, experiment, find what suits you, enjoy!

1 large onion

3 cloves of garlic

2 cm ginger

1 chilli

1 large carrot

2 striploin steaks

4tbs vegetable oil

1-2 sheets of Chinese noodles

3tbs soy sauce

1 level tsp corn flour

100ml approx water

3 scallions

small bunch of coriander

Peel and slice the onion finely. Peel and slice the garlic. Peel and cut the ginger into narrow strips. Slice the chilli.

Peel the carrot and cut it into 3cm x 0.5cm strips.

Trim the fat from the meat and cut it into short narrow strips.

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet and drain well. Keep them warm.

Mix 2 tablespoons of soy sauce with the corn flour and water in a cup or jug.

Slice the scallions and chop the coriander and reserve for the garnish at the end.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or frying pan over a high heat till shimmering.

Add the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli to the hot oil. Stir-fry till softening. Keep them moving to reduce the risk of burning. Remove the onion etc to a warm bowl and add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the wok and let it heat up again. When hot add the strips of meat and leave them for a minute before turning them with the spatula. Add the carrots and stir-fry them with the meat.

Return the onions etc to the wok and mix well with the beef and carrots.

Give the soy sauce mixture a stir and pour it into the wok keep stirring and mixing while it cooks and thickens. If it is too thick add more boiling water, too thin let it boil and reduce for a minute or two.

Taste and add the remaining soy sauce or more if it needs it and some pepper.

Add the noodles to the wok and mix well leave for a minute to heat through.

Sprinkle with the chopped scallions and coriander and then serve.

Serves 2-4, this will serve 2 as a good main course or 4 as part or a meal with other elements. It served the 3 of us perfectly.

Panna Cotta

A touch of sweet dessert.

This needs to chill, but if you use chilled ramekins it will set sooner. I use this quantity to make 6 small ones. It would make 4 generous helpings. I tweeted a version of this recipe last night, I hope it went down well.

1 vanilla pod split in half length ways

400ml cream

2 sheets gelatine (Lidl, about 4g)

3tsp caster sugar

Heat the cream together with the split vanilla pod to boiling and turn off the heat. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, while you soak the gelatine in some cold water.

Take the gelatine out and put it into a small pot with some of the cream and heat it very gently until the gelatine has melted. Add the sugar to this some and stir till dissolved. Add more of the cream to the sugar and gelatine and then pour it all back on to the cream and vanilla mixture. 

Line ramekins with cling film and strain the mixture in to them. The seeds will sink to the bottom.

Leave them to set in a cold place.

Rinse the vanilla pod and leave it to dry, when it is dry put it into a jar of sugar and it will flavour the sugar.

Makes 4-6.

Low ‘carb’ eating! My thoughts & tips

      This time last year I was about 4.5 kgs heavier than I am now, that’s about 10lb in old money. We had had a very cold spell and I didn’t feel comfortable driving in the snow and ice. So for three weeks I stayed in, worried and comfort ate.

     I love baking bread and eating it. I have a ‘light hand’ as they say with pastry, so I made some pies and quiches. I baked some cakes too. I also hate waste and would finish things up rather than put them in the bin.

     My clothes started to feel tight and the weighing scales wasn’t lying as the weight crept up.

     My daughter was feeling unwell and thought she might be wheat/dairy intolerant. So she went on a wheat and dairy free diet, while waiting for blood test results to come back. Her blood test did not show any wheat or dairy allergies.

     This got me thinking too, so I decided to use lent as my starting point, I would give up wheat in solidarity with her and sugar to cut down on my carbohydrate intake. This covered not having biscuits, cake or scones when out for a coffee with friends. At home I stopped eating rice and spuds with my meals.

     By the end of lent I was feeling better and the weight was coming down. Over the Summer I was no angel and would lapse into eating wheat for a day or two, but I kept an eye on the scales and if it crept up too far I’d stop again.

     I found being busy over the Summer really helped. Only eating meals with no snacks in between, broke my constant need to have food around me.

     I didn’t let myself feel deprived, if there was something yummy around I’d have a taste, generally at the end of a meal when I was full so I would not be tempted to go back for more.

     The most interesting thing I found was that when it came to my Summer cholesterol test, my total cholesterol had gone down. Admittedly I had been taking a garlic supplement and a plant sterol in tablet form for about a month before the fasting blood test.

     I kept up the low wheat & low carbohydrate diet through the Autumn and into the winter.

December was very busy with my part time job becoming almost full time in the run up to Christmas. This was a Godsend in that I didn’t have time to bake and make like last year.

      I enjoyed Christmas, but was cautious not to over indulge in all the goodies that were around. As they say moderation in all things!

Here is a typical days eating for me.

Breakfast: 2 streaky rashers, a tomato & 1 piece of black pudding all grilled. Tea or coffee.

Lunch: Half an avocado, smoked mackerel pâté, celery, cucumber, a handful of walnuts. Water & tea.

Dinner: Salad, lamb & vegetable curry, small helping of brown rice, cheese, a piece of fruit. Wine & water.

     If I come in from work really hungry I might have some olives, salami or peanuts before dinner and skip the cheese and fruit afterwards. If I need a chocolate fix I eat 4-5 squares of Green & Blacks 85% cocoa solids with a cup of tea or coffee.

      I am lucky that even though there are biscuits and chocolate in the house I don’t feel the need to eat them. This is not true for everyone.

      While I do not seem to have bad breath (at least no one has commented) on this diet I do sometimes get constipated. Then I increase the amount of salad, in particular avocado and beetroot I am eating and have extra water during the day. I always bring a bottle of water to work to drink on the way home, as I do not have time to drink much during the day.

      

     The main thing that is missing from this diet is Crunch!

The crunch of hot buttered toast, crisp biscuit, crisps and crackers to go with cheese. Yes I miss these, but I have discovered mini poppadoms and tortilla chips for dips and cheese. There is no substitute for toast though!

     Pizza and pasta are now a treat once in a while, but I do savour them and I find I can’t eat as much pasta as I use to. 50g of dried pasta is enough of a portion for me when it is cooked and served with a sauce.

      The key has been to try to stick to the three meals a day and no snacking.

Choosing foods that I can eat rather than obsessing about what I can’t eat.

Using cheaper cuts of meat such as stewing beef, lap/ breast of lamb, chicken drumsticks and thighs, as these all have loads of flavour and you notice you are eating them.

Basing meals on vegetables and salads that are in season and adding meat or fish to compliment them.

      And don’t be a martyr, enjoy your food! It has never been so easily available and relatively cheap.

May 2012 be the year of good eating!

Christmas Food!

Christmas Food! 

Mince pies.

Mince pies

These are my favourite Christmas food! When I was growing up we had the first mince pies after my sisters birthday in November.

They were also a big part of the after carol service tea party in our parish.

Every household had there own recipe and only homemade are the best!
The flaky pastry is worth making for mince pies, but if time is short bought pastry is as good.

For extra indulgence lift the lid on a warm mince pie and a splodge of brandy butter!

1 jar of best mincemeat
250g plain flour
185g butter very cold
150-160 ml cold water

1 egg beaten

Sift the flour in to a bowl, cut the butter into small cubes about 1 cm square and stir gently into the flour.

Pour in the cold water and mix to a stiff dough with a knife. Shape into a rough rectangle and wrap and leave to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Remove from the fridge and put onto a floured surface and roll out into a 1 cm thick rectangle with a floured rolling pin. Fold the pastry in three and turn so that the 3 layers are towards you and roll out again, fold in 3 again, turn, roll and fold again. Wrap and leave in the fridge for an hour.

Set the oven to GM7, 220˚C, 425˚F .
Cut the pastry in a two thirds piece and a one third piece and roll out the two thirds piece until it is about 3 mm thick. Cut into rounds with an 8.5 cm scone cutter and use these to line 24 bun tins.
Gather up the scraps of pastry into layers and set aside. Roll out the other third of the pastry and cut out 24 stars or snowflakes.
Into each of the pastry cases put about 1 teaspoon of mincemeat depending on how deep the bun tins are. It does tend to bubble up and out if there is too much. Dampen the edges of the pastry and top each one with a star or snowflake.

Paint the tops with beaten egg and bake for about 15 minutes. Makes about 24.

Spinach & smoked Salmon Roulade

My Mum used to make a version of this, but I don’t have her recipe. I adapted a spinach roulade recipe I found in Rose Elliott’s Classic Vegetarian book. It is another great way to stretch a small amount of smoked salmon.

375-400g fresh spinach

30g butter                          

pepper

nutmeg                                   

50g grated Parmesan

3 eggs separated                 

pinch of salt

150-200g cream cheese

1 gherkin finely chopped                 

1tbs chopped dill

2 scallions finely chopped                 

lemon juice

salt                                            

100g smoked salmon slices

Lemon wedges & salad to serve

Set the oven to 200˚C, GM 6.

Line a Swiss roll tin 23cm X 32cm with baking parchment.

Wash and spin the spinach to remove most of the water. Put the spinach in a pot over a very low heat until it wilts. Empty the spinach into a sieve to drain, press down on it with the back of a spoon to remove most of the moisture.

Let the spinach cool, while you put the butter, a few grinds of pepper, a pinch of salt, some grated nutmeg, the Parmesan and the egg yolks in to a food processor or blender. Add the spinach and blend to a puree.

Put the egg whites into a clean bowl and add a pinch of salt. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff.

Fold the puree into the egg whites and pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake in the hot oven for 15- 20 minutes until firm and beginning to colour.

When done turn the spinach ‘cake’ out onto a clean piece of parchment and carefully remove the backing paper.

Loosely lay the baking paper on top of the cake and roll up.

Leave to cool.

In a bowl whisk together the cream cheese, gherkin, dill and scallions. Taste the mixture and season with salt and lemon juice.

If it is very thick thin it with some cream or yogurt.

Unroll the cooled spinach cake and spread it with the cream cheese mixture, leaving a 1cm strip at one of the short ends.

Cover the cream cheese mixture with the smoked salmon slices. Carefully roll up again and wrap in cling-film and chill until needed. Slice and serve with some salad.         Serve with salad and wedges of lemon.

Talking Turkey!

This monster bird is a regular feature of most Christmas tables, but it is best on the day and for sandwiches the next day.

Then it should be dealt with firmly! Strip the meat off the bones and cut the meat into bite sized pieces. Freeze the in meal sized bags or ice cream tubs, for use in pies and curries.

The bones make great stock, which can also be frozen. I use one litre ice cream tubs or 500ml cream pots. It is great for soups and risotto.

Stock

1 roast turkey carcass

2 ½ litres water

1 carrot

2 onion

2 sticks of celery

3 cloves of garlic

a handful of parsley stalks

1 bay leaf

1 level tsp salt

pepper

Put the broken up turkey carcass into a large saucepan.

Put the water into the kettle and bring to the boil.

Peel and chop the carrot into 1 cm pieces and add to the pan.

Peel and chop the onion and add to the pan.

Chop the celery and add to the pan.

With the flat of the knife squash the garlic cloves and remove the skin and add the garlic to the pan.

Squeeze and twist the parsley stalks together and add to the pan.

Put the bay leaf, salt and pepper into the pan.

If you want a darker colour to your stock add the onion skin.

Put the saucepan onto the hob and pour the boiling water from the kettle over the contents of the pan.

Turn the heat up and bring the pan to the boil.

When the pan is boiling turn the heat down so that the contents boils slowly at a simmer. Put the lid on, but leave a small gap to let some of the steam out.

Boiling the stock fast will make it cloudy.

Simmer for at least one and a half to two hours.

When it has simmered for three quarters of its time taste the stock, if it tastes OK, take it off the heat. If it still tastes a bit weak give it another half an hour or up to an hour more. Leave the stock to cool for 30 minutes and then strain the liquid off the bones through a sieve.

You can use the stock straight away or leave it to cool completely and pour it into containers to freeze. Make sure you label the containers with the type of stock when you freeze it.

May I wish all the viewers of this blog a Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year!

Christmas Leftovers!

Just a short post about Christmas leftovers! 

We all love Christmas food on Christmas day! But after that it gets a bit boring? So here are three recipes I tried out at a cooking demonstration today. They seem to have gone down well with the group. Sorry there are no photos I always find it is too busy to take photographs at these events.

Smoked Salmon with Yogurt Pancakes

      This is a great way to stretch a small amount of smoked salmon around a large group. The yogurt in the little pancakes gives them a nice tang, as if they have been made with some sourdough starter.  

Pancakes

150g self raising flour

½ tsp salt

1 egg

150g yogurt

150ml milk

butter for frying

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the salt.

Break the egg into the flour and start to whisk gently drawing more and more flour in until thick. Then add in the yogurt a spoonful at a time and whisk again.

When all of the yogurt is added in, whisk in most of the milk to make a thick batter.

Or put all the ingredients into a blender starting with half the milk, then the yogurt and the egg and blend till smooth. It will need to be thinned with the rest of the milk.

Make the pancakes by spooning 1dsp of batter onto the frying pan together to make a small pancake. Cook till dry on top and then flip over and cook until golden on the other side.

Add some more butter and continue to make the pancakes.

You can do 5-6 at a time on a large pan, keeping the earlier ones warm in a low oven until the rest are cooked.

1 shallot

½ tub sour cream

a bunch of dill

2dsp capers

lemons

smoked salmon

Very finely dice the shallot, chop the dill and capers and add them to the sour cream. Taste the sour cream mixture and season with pepper and lemon juice.

Top each pancake with a blob of sour steam and a twist of smoked salmon. Serve with lemon wedges and a grind of black pepper.

Cashew Nut & Brussels sprout Stir-fry

      This is great for unexpected vegetarians and is a different way to enjoy these seasonal mini cabbages.

1 large onion

2 cloves of garlic

2.5cm piece of ginger

1 chilli (optional)

1 red or yellow pepper

6-8 button mushrooms

10-12 Brussels sprouts

2tbs sunflower oil

2tbs soy sauce

1 tsp nam pla

50ml water

pepper

100g cashew nuts*

2 scallions

2tbs chopped coriander

Peel, halve and slice the onion thinly.

Peel and slice the garlic.

Peel the ginger and cut into small matchsticks.

Cut the chilli in half and remove the seeds and membrane slice very finely.

Cut the pepper open and remove the seeds and membrane, slice it into 1cm wide strips.

Slice the mushrooms.

Peel and finely slice the Brussels sprouts

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. When the oil shimmers add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens.

Add the pepper, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms.

Stir-fry for a minute or two and add the soy sauce, nam pla and water. Cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat down to low. Leave to cook for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile toast the cashews on a dry frying pan over a medium to high heat.

Finley slice the scallions at an angle and mix with the coriander.

Take the lid off the vegetables taste and season with pepper and  add the cashews and stir them through. Sprinkle on coriander and scallions and serve with rice or noodles.

*If you are using salted roasted cashews rinse them in a sieve under the tap to remove the salt, then dry them with kitchen paper before heating then through on the dry pan.

Christmas pudding Sundaes

      The diet starts in the New Year!

Left over Christmas pudding

Butter

3tbs mixed nuts

1tbs oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1tbs sugar

Good vanilla ice cream

Whiskey

Dates

Whipped cream

Crumble the Christmas pudding into dessert spoonful sized chunks.

Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the pudding in a single layer. Toss and fry until hot through and beginning to take on some colour.

In another pan gently fry the nuts in the oil. When they start to take on a colour add the sugar and cinnamon stir round until beginning to caramelise and turn out onto a sheet of baking parchment to cool.

Put a scoop of ice cream into the bottom of a glass dish and add a layer of hot pudding, a dessert spoonful of whiskey and then some more ice cream and a some cinnamon toasted nuts. Decorate with whipped cream and a date or two.

Happy Christmas to one and all, and a peaceful New Year!

Creating "Bubbles"! An adventure in cake decorating

Cake decorating!

I work part time in the cookware shop where I teach cookery classes.

I’m fine with the regular cookware for doing regular home cooking and baking. I’ve iced birthday cakes for my children and a Christmas cake or two, but I am by no manner or means an expert on this subject. So I have been on a very steep learning curve for the past while learning about all the different cake decorating techniques. I am very lucky to work with people who are very patient and knowledgeable in the subject of the art of cake decorating.

          The shop runs several classes for cake decorating, so I though I would give the basic one a try. It was a really lovely way to start. 
          The first week we just learned how to make butter icing and how to put the icing tips into the icing bags.

Some of the icing flowers.

         Our instructor showed us how to coat a cake in butter icing, by giving it a thin ‘crumb coating’ of icing and letting it harden in the fridge, before putting on a second layer to smooth over neatly. She then decorated the top showing us how to make dots, shells and stars. Then we had a go with some icing in a bag with a star nozzle on to biscuits.

         The next week we had to bring our own cake and icing. We split the cake filled it and covered it with icing. Mine looked really crumby, because I’d used a round chocolate cake!

"Crumb" coated!

         We then learned to make basic flowers and leaves. I was glad it was half term and had the girls about to eat up the cake.

I had fun at home finishing it.

         The last lesson we had to bring a cake fully iced with smooth butter cream, six cupcakes with flat tops and loads of icing.

Didn't quite manage the flat tops.

        I decided having done a round cake the first time I would try a square one this time. They are harder to ice and get sharp edges neat. Mine wasn’t level either! I didn’t have time to do another as I was away for the next day before the class. The cake and cupcakes even had to travel with me in the car! Thank goodness it is Autumn time and not blazing summer!

And now no one will ever know!

         We learned four more flowers and how to do the big swirl on top of the cupcakes. (Start at the edge and spiral in!)  We also practiced doing some writing.

Then we were let loose to decorate our cakes as we wished. I had seen the template for the fish in our instruction book and really liked it. I also liked the way the leaves are made with the leaf tip. I could see “Bubbles“ swimming through the leafy fronds of seaweed above the coral.

Bubbles Swims

So I urge anyone out there to give icing a go, it is fun and you can be as creative as you like. And better still you can eat the results! You can’t do that after a painting or pottery class!

Happy Halloween!

I’ve been doing more baking and learning to ice cakes at a Wilton class in Brennan’s in Cork http://www.brenco.ie/cookschool.html . I’ve also tutored a couple of back to basics classes and a bread baking demonstration at Brennan’s too.

One thing I discovered was a new respect for fresh yeast, which I hadn’t used for some time. I also found a Canadian extra strong flour with which I made the thinnest pizza bases I’ve ever made. I was a bit slow with the camera and they got eaten before I had a chance to record them.

The poppy seed loaves were a big hit with the family particularly as I'd made some crab apple jelly.

Tea brack is an old family favourite for Halloween and a great thing to have in store for callers in at this time of year. The muesli flapjacks are also great to put into a school lunch box for days when extra energy is needed for sports or just to make it home. Sometimes I just use a mixture of porridge and seeds instead of muesli for people who don’t like dried fruit.

The back to basics class were treated to a pot of colcannon as the class was just before Halloween too.

White bread loaves topped with poppy seeds.

White Bread Dough

150 ml boiling water

250 ml cold water                                     

20g fresh yeast or 2 level tsp dried yeast

1 tsp sugar                                             

2 tsp salt                                            

700 g strong white flour

4tbs oil

Mix together the boiling and cold water to make hand hot water.

Mix the yeast and sugar in a cup and pour in some of the warm water, stir and leave in a warm place to froth, for about 10 minutes. Add the salt to the rest of the water and keep warm.

Weigh out the flour and sift it into a bowl.

The yeast is ready when it has a head like a pint of stout, pour the yeast into the flour and rinse out the cup with some of the warm water and pour into the flour. Add the rest of the water and 3 tablespoons of oil.

Flours vary in the amount of water they need, you may need more or less.

Mix the water in and knead the dough, either in a mixer with a dough hook or by hand. Keep kneading until the dough is smooth and springy. This could take up to 10 minutes by hand or about 5 in a mixer.

Pour in a tablespoon of oil to the bowl, put the dough back into the bowl and smear it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic and leave to rise. The time taken to rise depends on temperature, one and a half to two hours somewhere warm or all day somewhere cooler.

When the dough has doubled in size and has a domed top it is ready to use.

Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes.

Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.

Grease the inside of two 1kg loaf tins. (22cmx11cmx6.5cm)

Cut the dough into two pieces and put them into the greased loaf tins.

Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour till coming to the top of the tins.

Put the oven on to heat up to 220˚C, GM 7

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle on poppy or sesame seeds. With a sharp knife cut a line down the centre of the loaf about 1cm into the dough.

Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes and then turn the heat down to 180˚C, GM 4 for another 20 minutes.

Remove the loaves from the tin and put them onto the oven rack to crisp the out side of the loaves for 5-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Licking lips!

Milk Loaves/Rolls

You can replace 2/3rds of the water with milk and the oil with 50g of butter, rubbed into the flour before you add the yeast and liquid. Instead of making two loaves after the first proofing divide the dough into 12-18 balls of dough and put them on a greased roasting tin. Let them rise for 20-30 minutes and bake for 20-30 minutes in the hot oven.

Tea Brack

375g mixed dried fruit

200g brown sugar

225ml hot strong tea

275g self raising flour

1 egg

Put the mixed dried fruit and sugar into a large bowl and cover with the tea. Stir well and leave over night.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C, GM4. Grease and line a 1kg loaf tin.

Sift the flour into the bowl with the soaked fruit and stir well add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour*.

When done, turn the brack out onto a wire rack to cool.

When cold serve sliced and buttered.

*To test for doneness push a skewer into the centre of the brack and if it comes out clean the brack is ready. If the skewer is sticky with batter leave in the oven for another 5-10 minutes and test again.

Colcannon                                                              

600g potatoes

1 bunch or bag of curly kale

1 bunch of scallions

100 ml milk

70g butter

salt and pepper

Peel and wash the potatoes. Put them in a pot and cover with water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and cook until a knife goes into the centre of a potato easily.

Meanwhile wash the kale and remove the central stalks, cut the leaves into narrow ribbons. Put these into the top of a steamer and put 2 cm of water into the bottom and bring to the boil and steam for 4-5 minutes. Or steam them over the potatoes.

Cut the roots off the scallions and cut them into half centimetre lengths. Put these into a small saucepan with the milk a pinch of salt and some pepper.

Bring to the boil.

When the potatoes are cooked drain off the water and mash them in the pot with half the butter and some pepper. Beat in the milk and scallions and then add the kale, stir it in well.

Pile the colcannon on to a plate and shape into a mountain, make a hollow in the top and put in the rest of the butter.

For good luck coins are added to colcannon, but do wrap them in foil first.

 

Muesli Flapjacks.

 Muesli Flapjacks

6dsp sunflower oil

3dsp golden syrup

110g soft brown sugar

225g muesli

2dsp sunflower seeds

Set the oven to GM 4/350˚F/180˚C.

Line a Swiss roll tin with baking parchment.

Put the oil, syrup and the sugar into a saucepan and warm on a low heat.

Mix with a wooden spoon and when the sugar has melted add the muesli and sunflower seeds. Mix them in well and pour the contents of the saucepan on to the Swiss roll tin. Spread the mixture out well and smooth down with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. When they are done the edges will have darkened a bit, take the tin out of the oven and mark the flapjacks into squares and leave to cool in the tin. When they are cold take them out of the tin and break into pieces along the marked lines.

 

Afternoon Tea!

We did an afternoon tea party for our daughter’s birthday last week and it got me thinking about the in between meals of morning coffee and afternoon tea. They seem to have all but disappeared from peoples socialising.

    

    My Mother regularly met up with friends for coffee or tea and something to eat.

Coffee mornings quite often happened as fund raising ‘Bring & Buy Sales’, every one was required to bring some items of baking, brick-a-brack, flowers, plants or garden produce, pay a small entrance fee to cover coffee and a piece of cake or scone. And then buy some items to bring home. They were on in the mornings when children were in school and the mothers could get together for a good chat and a catch up on the latest gossip.

    The funds raised went to support everything from the local school or parish to the latest humanitarian disaster on another continent. Few men seemed to attend these gatherings and those that did were retired husbands of women involved or elderly fathers of others.

They quite often happened in people’s houses and if the weather was good the tables and chairs were put out side and the garden became the children’s playground. There was a feeling of being let in on something grownup when they happened in the holidays and we children got to go along.

    It was at a sale like this that I first came across globe artichokes. I bought two and my Mum gallantly cooked them and we ate them hot with butter. I think she thought them too much hard work to ever want to grow them, but we do now.

The food at coffee mornings always seemed to be sweet fruit scones with jam and cream, biscuits, jam tarts, tray bakes and sponge cakes. Chocolate sponge with chocolate icing and topped with half walnuts and half glacé cherries around the edge. Coffee cake with coffee butter icing and walnuts on top too. Sponge flans with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Fruit cakes were there too some with split almonds in a pattern over the top of the cake.

As for the coffee let’s not go there, this was in the days when no one had a coffee machine at home and cafétieres were still on the continent. The coffee was mostly percolated or sometimes it was made from Irel coffee concentrate. It was only when I was living away from home that I discovered how good real coffee could be.

    Afternoon tea parties were different there was always a savoury element that had to partaken of before we moved on to the sweet stuff. Sometimes

It was plain bread and butter, but more often it was sandwiches without their crusts cut into dainty triangles or squares. Sometimes brown scones were split and topped with tinned salmon and hardboiled egg or if money was no object some smoked salmon and black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

The cakes were pretty much the same as at the coffee mornings though meringues and chocolate éclairs sometimes appeared.

The tea was always served in cups with saucers quite often china ones.

    For out tea party we had three sorts of sandwiches ham, cheese and cucumber. Crusts removed and cut small.

Plain scones were served with plum cheese made by the birthday girl and whipped cream.

As the first blackberries were ripe an apple and blackberry pie was a must. The left over pastry was used to make a few jam tarts, which are delicious with a blob of whipped cream on top.

No birthday is complete without a cake and the birthday girl’s sister did her proud with a simple chocolate cake covered in chocolate butter icing and chocolate shavings.