Grannymar

Last week Nancy asked for a sugar rush, so here goes….

Chestnut Meringue Cake
Preheat oven to 180ºC

8 egg whites
1lb caster sugar

For the filling
14oz unsweetened chestnut puree
3ozs dark chocolate, melted in 1 tsp water
3ozs dark brown sugar
½ pint cream whipped
Icing sugar to sprinkle

Cover two baking sheets with parchment and mark into 12in rounds – I often use an oval shape.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then add the caster sugar one spoon at a time.  Continue whisking after each addition.  Spoon the mixture onto the prepared trays to fill the circle or oval shapes.
Bake for 20 minutes or until light brown.  Cool.

Beat the chestnut purée, melted chocolate and brown sugar in a bowl and, when smooth, fold in the whipped cream.  Remove the meringue from the paper and place one layer on a serving plate.  Spread with the chestnut filling, then put the other on top.  Sprinkle on icing sugar and serve chilled.
Serves 8-10

A few weeks ago Marianna Paulson, also known as Auntie Stress tempted my taste buds with these ginger biscuits made with grated root ginger.  They are just right for this time of year.

Marianna’s Ginger Biscuits
Preheat oven to 180°°C

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses/treacle or golden syrup
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
Sugar for tossing

Sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves & ground ginger into a bowl.
Cream butter and sugar and add egg, molasses/treacle or golden syrup & grated ginger, I did this in food processor. Add the flour to the creamed mixture and pulse to mix thoroughly.
Chill dough in the fridge to for 30 minutes.

Form dough into small balls and toss in white sugar.   Marianna suggested putting the sugar in a food bag and tossing the dough balls a few at a time, it is faster and cleaner.
Place on greased cookie sheet and press each one with a fork. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Check after 10 minutes, under-bake slightly, then leave on cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Try not to eat them before they are cold. 

Red-Onion Relish

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound of red onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of sherry, port or red wine

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat for 1 minute, then add olive oil.  When oil is hot add sliced onion.  Stir the onion to coat in the oil and reduce the heat slightly.  Place a layer of greaseproof on top of the onion (this prevents the moisture evaporating and reduces the cooking time) and cook 15 minutes or until very soft, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar, cider vinegar, alcohol and salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes longer. Transfer onion relish to medium bowl; cover and keep warm.
This makes enough for four.

* I like to double the quantity and save any unused relish in a sterilised screw-top jar, for adding to sandwiches, or serving with cheese when I have guests.

This is my hat tip to the day that is in it.  When I was a child Halloween celebrations consisted of a dish of mixed nuts, extra fruit, Tea Brack with a ring in it, and these pin-wheel biscuits.

Chocolate Orange Pinwheels
Preheat the oven to 200ºC
100g butter, chilled and cubed
225g plain flour
150g caster sugar
1 egg, size 3, beaten
2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Sieve the flout into a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.  Stir in the sugar and egg and mix to form a dough.  Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
Divide the dough in two.  Knead the orange rind into one half and the cocoa into the other.  Wrap separately in greaseproof paper or film wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the orange dough in a rectangle 9 x 11 inches approx.  Roll the chocolate dough to the same size and place on top of the orange dough.  Roll both together from the long edge to form a sausage.  Wrap and chill again for a further 30 minutes – this makes it easier to slice the pinwheels.
Lightly grease two baking sheets and cut the dough into 24 circles.  Place on the prepared baking sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until pale golden.  Transfer to a cooling rack and leave until cold (if you can! ).

Ginger Crunchies
Preheat Oven to 180ºC

100g butter
50g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
5 pieces of stem ginger, drained & finely chopped

I use the food processor for these.

Whizz the butter and sugar for 1 minute then add the sieved flour and ground ginger and half the chopped stem ginger and whizz again to form a ball.
Place teaspoon sized balls of the dough, well spaced apart, on greased baking sheets.  Flatten each biscuit with a wet fork, the place a piece of the remaining chopped ginger on top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until pale golden.  Leave the biscuits to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack until cold.
Store in an airtight tin.

The weather forecast promises a drop in temperatures this week and with that my mind turns to open fires and warming soup.

Squash and Apple Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1lb squash, quartered, deseeded and roasted
2 baking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
2 sprigs fresh sage
1pint vegetables stock
½ pint dry cider*
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 200ºC
Wash the squash, then quarter, deseed and place on a baking tray. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast until the flesh is tender, remove from the oven and allow to cool a little. (This can be prepared in advance)  Remove the flesh, discard the skin, and set aside.

Heat the remainder of the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and the garlic. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the squash, chopped apples and sage.  Cook for another 2 minutes, season well and add the stock and the cider. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the ingredients are tender.  Liquidise and serve piping hot with wheaten or crusty bread.

*Apple juice can be used as an alternative to cider.

Mars Bars Squares

3ozs Butter or Margarine
3 Mars Bars sliced
3 Beakers Rice Krispies
Chocolate to cover

Melt Mars bars with the butter or margarine over a bowl of hot not boiling water.  Remove from the heat and add rice Krispies and mix well with a fork.  Press into a greased 13in X 9in tin and level out.

Melt the chocolate and pour over Krispies.  Leave to cool and set.  Cut into squares.

Quick Veg Soup

1 each - potato, carrot, courgette and onion grated.

Sauté in a little oil.  Add zest of 1 orange, vegetable stock and some red lentils.  Cook until tender.

Serve with wheaten bread or fresh crusty roll.

This Traybake recipe takes me way back to my school days,   It was one I regularly pulled together for something to eat with the cuppa after a meal.  The amazing thing was that the mixture filled the tin when warm and soft.  Once cool and cut into squares…. one square had mysteriously disappeared!

Marshmallow Squares
2ozs Margarine
8ozs Marshmallows
8ozs soft toffee
½ tsp Vanilla essence
6ozs Rice Krispies

Melt the margarine, toffee and marshmallows together in a pan over a medium heat and add the essence stirring to prevent sticking.  Pour over the rice Krispies and mix well.  Press into a greased13in X 9in tin.  Cool and cut into squares.

Leek and Potato Soup

3ozs Butter
1 lb Leeks washed trimmed & peeled
2 sticks celery chopped
1 lb Potatoes peeled & chopped
2 pints Chicken stock
¼ tsp Curry powder (mild or medium)
¼ tsp Nutmeg
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp Black Pepper
Salt
Melt butter and sauté leeks, celery and potato for 8-10 minutes (do not brown).  Pour in stock and bring to the boil.  Add curry powder, nutmeg, sugar and seasoning.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Puree or liquidise