a quick trifle for Jubilee weekend

The mood took me to make a trifle over Jubilee weekend.    I haven't made a trifle in years.  It was just a simple one - swiss roll to line the dish (family heirloom of course!), the middle was then filled with raspberries and a raspberry jelly poured over it.  When set I poured over cooled custard, and when that had set I topped it with some vegan elmlea that I had left over from making vegan icecream.  A few strawberries and choc drops to finish.  
Unfortunately because the custard wasn't dairy free I couldn't share it with the family - so had to eat it all myself!  (over a few days)!

 

Experimenting in the kitchen

Something a bit different from me.    A few week ago I made these little buns for a change.  Piping some buttercream around the top and this adding some strawberry jam in the middle.

At the time, my daughter said they would be nice with lemon curd in them ...........

 

...... so having bought some lemon curd, I was feeling a tad bored one evening this week, and knocked up this lemon curd variety, using my little tabletop bun maker and a one egg sponge mix.    I added a drop of lemon flavouring to the sponge mix, as well as the buttercream, and then just added the lemon curd (I probably should have warmed it slightly so it filled the centre better, but they were made just for me.    The buttercream is a bit wonky too - but as I said they were just made for me.

I actually got 8 buns for the mix, but I ate one before I took the photo.   I didn't get to eat all of them, as I had visits from my daughter and my son and his eldest daughter, who all approved of the taste!!!!

I think they will be made again - they make a change from normal fairy cakes.

Scones and Bread Pudding

I originally wanted to make plain scones for my little Isolation VE Day Street Party tea, but couldn't get any clotted cream (and I really fancied scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream).    I finally got some cream on my shopping delivery this week, so yesterday I made scones.  I can report they were scrumptious - warm from the oven!

I also had some bread crusts saved up in the freezer with a view to making a bread pudding, which I haven't had for ages.  So whilst the oven was on I made the bread pudding too, having defrosted the crusts and soaked them in water overnight.     As you can see it made a huge pudding.   It is a recipe that has been handed down through the family - originally just sort of word of mouth, although I have now written down vague instructions on how to make it.   My mum used to make it and so did my Nana (my dad's mum) and I call it Nana's Old Fashioned Bread Pudding as I am sure it was her recipe originally.   It is very moist and has grated carrot and apple in it.

The bread pudding in the tin

a portion of the pudding

I eat it on its own, but you could have it with custard, or even cream  (especially clotted cream if you want to be indulgent!

Homemade Bread

I was so behind with the blog last week, that I had forgotten I had made some home-made bread - so better late than never I am making a record of the fact as it was delicious!

Shortbread

Now for something completely different and a second post for me today.   A friend on Facebook posted the recipe for some shortbread, and it was so like one my Mum used to make that I thought I would make some - as it is years since I made any.  I halved the recipe as I didn't want to make too much - it made 16 slices (yes ok there are only 15 in the picture - but I ate one with a cuppa - well it had to be taste tested didn't it!)

It was quite good - not quite the same as my Mum's - mine was more "toffee" flavoured as I used golden caster sugar -whereas she would have used white.   This recipe used cornflour as well as flour as my mum did, but in this recipe the butter is melted rather than rubbed in - easy peasy (and actually how I make my crumble topping - ever since my daughter melted the butter by mistake when making an apple crumble some years ago ).

Good old fashioned baking!

meat and veg pie

A bit of old fashioned baking the other day.  I decided to cook up some mince for tea, and I tend to batch cook when I did this - so I ended up cooking a batch of mince and various  mixed vegetables.  I had a portion for my dinner, but whilst it was cooking I knocked up a quick batch of pastry and made a meat and veg pie from the remaining mince - that will do me 8 meals over the next few weeks!

Of course there was some pastry leftover - so I made a few jam tarts - they may not look fancy but remind me of the ones my mum used to make.    There was also still a bit of pastry left, so I made a handful of cheese straws!   (Waste not, want not.   My husband was always pleased when I made any pastry as he knew he would get jam tarts with the leftover pastry, but I would never set out to make jam tarts!  )

little jam tarts and some cheese straws

Cheese Scones (and a crafty tip).

Six made with madeleine mould and 2 freehand

A pal posted some photos of some cheese scones she had made on FB the other day ....  and you know what it is like .... you suddenly get the urge to make some!

I couldn't get over the height of her scones, as mine normally turn out like biscuits on the rare occasion I make them.    Well she gave me the tip for making them:

a) She used her Bero recipe
b) She used Dariole moulds

So I followed her tips.  My old Bero book didn't have the recipe, but I found it on line, and confess I put all the cheese in the scones and added extra for the tops.   I didn't have dariole moulds, but I had a six-space silicone madeleine mould (so my scones have slightly fluted edges).   Obviously I had enough mixture to make 8 rather than six, so I shaped the remaining mixture into "Dariole" shapes!

Ready to eat!

The were scrumptious!

There is a further story, as another pal saw my photos, and she ended up making some as well!    We seem to have started something!

Let me know if you end up making cheese scones - lol!