A Feast of Blackberries - The Great British Blackberry Recipe Round Up

A huge thank you to all the lovely cooks, bakers and bloggers who joined The Great British Blackberry Recipe Round Up.  There are so many delicious recipes and they are really varied, everything from Spiced Blackberry Pulled Pork to Blackberry Lollipops and of course cakes, desserts and preserves.  Don't take my word for it, here they all are below:


1. Blackberry Frozen Yogurt and Granola Breakfast Pops - Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary
2. Blackberry and Clotted Cream Ripple - Sudden Lunch
3. Blackberry and Apple Swirl Buns - Mint Custard
4. Blackberry Gin - Mint Custard


5. Blackberry Pear Crisp - A Palatable Pastime
6.Wild Blackberry Jam - I'd much rather bake than
7. Bramble Blackwells - Foodie Quine
8. Spiced Blackberry Jam - Farmersgirl Kitchen


9. Peach and Blackberry Galette with Lavender and Thyme Honey - A Girl and her Home
10. Blackberry and Oat Muffins - Rough Measures
11. Blackberry and Lemon Bake - Food Jam


12. Blackforest Chocolate Brownies - Sew White
13. Summer Burst Berry Cake - Belleau Kitchen
14. Simple Seasonal Blackberry Cake - Lancashire Food


15. Autumnal Blackberry and Lavender Cobbler - Lancashire Food
16. Blackberries and Rose Geranium Crumble - Lancashire Food
17. Bramble and Vanilla Cordial - Farmersgirl Kitchen
18. Baked Nectarines and Blackberry Surprise - The Peachicks Bakery


19. Summer Fruit Traybake - Sew White
20. Blackberry and Hazelnut Polenta Cake - Mainly Baking
21. Blackberry Lollipops - The Hedgecombers


22. Apple and Blackberry Chia Seed Preserve - Nutricious Deliciousness
23. Blackberry and Apple Pie - Chez Maximka
24. Spiced Blackberry Pulled Pork - De Tout Coeur Limousin


25. Double Blackberry Chocolate Gallette - Tin and Thyme
26. Blackberry, Garlic and Bay - De Tout Coeur Limousin
27. Blackberry and Apple Geranium Swirl -Lancashire Food
28. Self-Saucing Blackberry and Apple Pudding - Tales from the Kitchen Shed


29. Blackberry and Apple Cupcakes - Tin and Thyme
30. Blackberry, Lemon and White Chocolate Scones - Baking Queen 74
31.Blackberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake Cups - The Veg Space
32. Blackberry and Hazelnut Flapjacks - Chardonnay and Samphire


33. Blackberry and Apple Cake - Eco-Gites of Lenault
34. Blackberry Fairy Cake Buns (Muffins) - Lavender and Lovage
35. Blackberry, Elderberry and Damson Jelly - JibberJabber UK
I hope this inspires you to make some of these recipes, do let me know if you do.

Labels: Blackberry, Bramble, brownies, cake, cupcakes, dessert, flapjacks, gallette, ice cream, jam, Muffins, Pie, Pulled Pork, Scones, The Great British Blackberry Recipe Round-Up, vinegar

posted by Janice @ 19:26 15 Comments

Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

When I was asked by Dr. Oetker  to bake one of their Chocolate Indulgence recipes. I chose these Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins.  I love to bake muffins, they are easy to make and just the right size for a sweet treat with a cup of tea or coffee, I also often serve muffins instead of dessert and they are always welcomed.


Dr. Oetker has a great range of products and tools to help you make a great chocolatey bake. They have several varieties of cooking chocolate, chocolate decorations and powders that make it so simple to make a tasty chocolatey bake.  There are also lots of great recipes on the website to help inspire you. 





The muffins were very easy to make, you do need to make two different mixtures, one with the cream cheese the other with melted chocolate, then you swirl the two together to get the marbled effect. I liked that they are not too sweet and there is a definite cheesecake flavour.  There are many more delicious recipes on the Dr. Oetker website for you to try. 


I couldn't resist using up the remaining cream cheese to make some Cream Cheese Frosting and decorating the muffins with Dr. Oetker Chocolate Hearts and Dr. Oetker Chocolate and Silver Pearls I took them into work to share them with my colleagues who were duly grateful!

Labels: baking, Cheesecake, chocolate, Dr. Oetker, Easter, Muffins

posted by Janice @ 06:30 8 Comments

Sweet Potato,Ginger and Lemongrass Muffins

I was challenged by Knorr to come up with a creative recipe using their Knorr Flavour Pots which have just won Product of the Year.  You may have seen my Butternut Chicken Thai-Style which used the  Ginger and Lemongrass Flavour Pot and the Garlic Flavour Pot and the Lentil and Vegetable Soup which used the Garden Herbs Flavour Pot.

Knorr Flavour Pots have just collected first prize in the Sauce and Seasoning category for this year’s Product of the Year awards. Knorr Flavour Pots allow you to easily infuse your cooking with the flavour of fresh herbs and spices but with the handy convenience of dried. The range features nine different tantalising flavours, including Mixed Herbs, Three Peppercorn, Curry, Garlic, Mixed Chillies, Garden Herbs, Ginger & Lemongrass, Paprika, and Mexican.  In order to inspire some creative recipes Knorr sent me a box full of vegetables, tins and packets.

Amongst the vegetables was a nice big sweet potato, you can see it at the front, it nearly went into the chicken dish, but then I suddenly thought that it would be interesting to see if the Ginger and Lemongrass Flavour Pot would work in a sweet potato muffin, I got quite excited by the idea.

The ingredients of the Ginger and Lemongrass Flavour Pot are water, ginger spirit vinegar, glucose syrup, green pepper, salt, palm oil, garlic, sugar, basil, citrus fibre, cayenne pepper, coriander leaves, cardamom, onion powder, Kaffir lime leaves, aniseed, gelling agent (xanthan gum), natural lemongrass flavouring, natural chili flavouring.  A few things in there that wouldn't normally be in a sweet muffin, but I thought I'd have a go anyway.



Sweet Potato, Ginger and Lemongrass Muffins
makes 12

150g plain flour
150g wholemeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 Knorr Ginger and Lemongrass Flavour Pot
450g  Sweet Potato (cooked and mashed)
125g soft light brown sugar
2 eggs
250ml orange juice
1 medium carrot, grated

1.Preheat the oven to 200C, grease a muffin tin  or line with papers.
2. In a medium bowl combine the plain flour, wholemeal flower, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
3. In a large bowl mash sweet potatoes.  Add brown sugar, eggs, orange juice carrot and the contents of the Ginger and Lemongrass Flavour Pot, mix together until well blended.
4. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined and blended, don't over mix.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, filling the cups to the top.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

You can leave the muffins plain or make a water icing with icing sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over the top. 

The Sweet Potato, Ginger and Lemongrass Muffins were absolutely delicious and, unlike many muffins, they actually got better the next day!  There was no hint of savoury flavour and the flavours of lemongrass and ginger came through really well and the sweet potato kept them really moist and moreish.  I didn't intend for them to Valentine's Day Muffins, but they would make a very fine treat for anyone who likes a touch of spice.


Love is in the Air is the theme for Treat Petite this month, the blog event run each month by Cakeyboi and The Baking Explorer, hosted this month by The Baking Explorer


Over at Bangers and Mash Towers, Vanesther is sitting in the Temple, well sort of, she is looking for entries to The Spice Trail that fit the bill of 'Temple Food', spicy foods that are good for you, but also comforting.  I think these Sweet Potato, Ginger and Lemongrass Muffins definitely qualify as Temple Food.

Labels: Knorr, Knorr Flavour Pot, Lemongrass and Ginger, Muffins, Sweet Potato, Valentine's Day

posted by Janice @ 20:09 32 Comments

Blackcurrant Jam Swirl Muffins

Sometimes only a sweet treat will do and if I don't have any goodies in the house, I often make muffins using a simple recipe and varying the flavourings depending on my mood or, more likely, what I have to hand.
I had some visitors coming so mixed up this batch of muffins using Duerr's Blackcurrant Jam.  Dueerr's jam isn't just for spreading on your bread, it's great for baking too.  Check out the recipes on the Duerr's website to see lots of other treats you can make.

Blackcurrant Jam Swirl Muffins (makes 10-12)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Duerr's Blackcurrant Jam

1. Heat the oven to 200C.  Line your muffin tin with paper cases.
2. In a large bowl, beat milk, oil and egg with a whisk until well mixed.  Stir in flour, sugar baking powder and salt all at once just until the flour is moistened, the batter will be lumpy.  Fold in the blackcurrant jam. Divide evenly between the paper cases.
3. Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

The muffins were delicious with ripples of jam running through the muffins and even better...there is only one bowl to wash up!
 
Thanks to Erin for providing me with some Duerr's jam to bake with, I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own.

Labels: baking, blackcurrant muffins, Duerr's Jam, jam, Muffins

posted by Janice @ 19:00 4 Comments

Spiced Rhubarb and Lemon Muffins

It's still Rhubarb Central here! This time I'm bringing you some Spiced Rhubarb and Lemon Muffins.  This is a classic combination with the spices including cinnamon and little pieces of crystallised ginger.  I decided to make these when I saw the Recipes for Life Challenge at Vanesther's Bangers and Mash blog. The rules of the Recipes for Life call for a trio of ingredients, and this month they are rhubarb with lemon and spice. A monthly winner  will be picked and the best of the recipes will be included in a new charity cookbook to be published by SWALLOW later this year.

 

Spice Rhubarb and Lemon Muffins
150g light brown sugar
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon extract (or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
100ml milk
100g finely diced rhubarb
175g wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch salt
50g chopped ccrystallised ginger
grated zest of half a lemon

1.  Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Line you muffin tin with paper cases.
3. Place 125g of the sugar, oil, egg cinnamon extract and milk.  Mix together and add the rhubarb.   

  

Wet ingredients

4. Sift your dry ingredients into the bowl, add the wet ingredients and stir until combined but don't over mix or your muffins will be heavy.

Dry ingredients

5. Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling about 3/4 full. 
6. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the remaining sugar (I forgot to do this!)
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
8. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Cakey, fruity gingeryness!

What I really liked about these muffins was that they were really moist, the acidity of the rhubarb and the lemon took the edge off the sweetness and the combination of ginger and cinnamon worked really well with the fruit.  Best of all were the little nuggets of intense crystallised ginger.

Labels: Bangers and Mash, Cinnamon, Ginger, lemon, Muffins, Recipes for Life, rhubarb, Swallows

posted by Janice @ 21:41 7 Comments

The Vegetarian Pantry - a cookbook review

Although I'm not a vegetarian, far from it, I have always enjoyed meatless meals. The Vegetarian Pantry by Chloe Coker and Jane Montgomery aims to teach you how to create stunning dishes using the best of fresh produce and a well stocked kitchen pantry.  I have a number recipes bookmarked already.

Chloe Coker grew up in a vegetarian household and is passionate about encouraging people to cook with and enjoy local, seasonal food. Previously a lawyer in the city, she turned her passion into a profession and retrained as a chef at Leiths School of Food and Wine.
Jane Montgomery had a previous career in advertising but turned her creative flair to her love of food and trained with Chloe at Leiths School of Food and Wine. Since then she has spent time cheffing and cooking for private clients as well as teaching classes. In 2010 Chloe and Jane launched Citycook, www.citycook.co.uk a boutique teaching and catering company specialising in bespoke events.

Introduction
The introduction tells you a bit about Chloe and Jane and their inspiration for writing the book. This is followed by some sound advice on staying healthy as a vegetarian with details of key nutrients required and how to get them in a vegetarian diet. The authors also, helpfully, describe the requirements for a well-stocked vegetarian pantry and how to store your ingredients.

Breakfast and Brunch includes Quick Cornbread, Saffron and Pepper Frittata with roasted garlic aioli, which would make a great lunch or even main meal, as would Herby Chickpea Pancakes with Halloumi and roasted corn and red pepper salsa. For the sweeter toothed breakfaster how about French Toast stuffed with bananas or Honey and Apricot breakfast muffins?

Small Bites is a chapter of snack, starters, tapas or mezze ideal if you like to entertain. Choose from Lemon and Mushroom risotto balls, Vegetable Dumplings with dipping sauce or indulge in Samosas with lemon and garlic dip. There are some great buschetta toppings and one recipe I've particularly bookmarked: Breadcrumbed Halloumi goujons!

Dips, Salsas and Sauces provides some recipes to help your vegetarian dishes along. I liked the look of Sweet Potato hummus with breadsticks, there are four punchy pesos: roasted beetroot pesto, watercress pesto, mushroom and walnut pesto and a ricotta and herb pesto. The three fresh salsas look great too: apple, celery and mint salsa, Carrot, orange and mint salsa and Asian cucumber salsa. The chapter is rounded off with a Spicy Tomato Ketchup and a Sweet Chilli Jam recipe.

Soups and Salads promises us light refreshing summer dishes and warming winter comfort food. There are both hot and cold soups and some interesting salads including Beetroot Quinoa and green bean salad with spicy ginger dressing and shallot crisps, I bookmarked the Winter salad of pearl barley, mushrooms and walnuts as I love the nutty taste of pearl barley. There is also an Italian tear and share bread and a Soda Bread recipe to accompany your soup or salad.

And so we move on to Main Dishes, possibly the most visually appealing is the Carrot and Leek Tarte Tatin with the caramelised vegetables atop a layer of light puff pastry. The Beetroot Risotto is a glorious deep pink and the Individual Baked Cheesecakes with salted honey walnuts are worthy of a special dinner party. I have to say I found this chapter the weakest in the book, there are a number of one-pot dishes which look rather uninspired alongside the delicious ones I have mentioned.

We all love Sweet Treats and there are some real crackers in this chapter. Always on the lookout for rhubarb recipes, I will be trying the Rhubarb, Orange and Vanilla Fool with shortbread cookies. Plum Frangipane Tart with ginger cream also sounds good and, as a sucker for all things almondy, Poached Amaretto Peaches with Amaretti cookie creme fraiche is on my list for the summer. There are few baked sweet treats too including Orange, almond drizzle cake, Chocolate Orange Brownies and Pistachio, white chocolate and Cranberry Biscotti.

Who is it for?
This is a book for an established vegetarian who is looking for some inspiration and new ideas particularly for entertaining. It would also appeal to adventurous non-vegetarians with good cooking skills who would like to try something different.


Pros
The book is well laid out with large clear photographs to tempt you to try the recipes. The recipes themselves are well written and easy to follow with symbols indicating where they are suitable for vegans and those recipes which are gluten-free which I thought was an excellent idea.

Cons
I felt that the recipes were aimed at summer eating and most of the recipes that are "comfort food" were a little predictable and would already be in the repertoire of most vegetarians. Nor do I think this is the best book for new vegetarians as it features a lot of bits and pieces rather than main meals.

As my featured recipe, I chose to make these Honey and Apricot Breakfast Muffins which are easy to make and incredibly soft, moist and delicious. They also kept very well in an airtight cake tin which is a bonus. 

Honey and Apricot Breakfast Muffins
200g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
21/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
50g chopped dried apricots
50g pecan nuts chopped
100g porridge oats
50g sultanas
2 bananas (preferably soft)
2 unpeeled apples, grated
2 eggs
5 tbsp veg oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp honey
6 tablespoons milk
100g light brown sugar

12 hole muffin tin filled with muffin cases (my mix made about 17-18, but I think it depends on your paper cases and how full you fill them!)


Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl.  Add the bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and mixed spice and stir to combine.  Add the dried apricots, pecans and oats to the flour mixture together with the sultanas and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.  Add the apples, eggs, oil, vanilla extract, honey and milk and stir to combine.  Add the sugar and stir gain.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour int he wet ingredients and gently stir from the centre, gradually drawing in the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter.

Fill the muffin cases two thirds full and top with chopped pecans for added texture.  Bake in the top half of the preheated oven for approximately 30-40 minutes until the muffins are well risen, golden and springy to touch.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack then serve with cups of hot coffee. These muffins are best eaten fresh but will keep in an airtight container for 3 or 4 days.


I'm entering these moist, fruity and delicious muffins for Tea Time Treats.  The Tea Time challenge hosted by Karen at Lavender and Lovage and Kate at What Kate Baked.  Kate is hosting this month and the theme is "Fairy Cakes, Cup Cakes and Muffins". 

Labels: Apricot, cookery book review, Muffins, Peters and Small, Ryland, Tea Time Treats, The Vegetarian Pantry, vegetarian

posted by Janice @ 20:29 3 Comments

Choc-ful Christmas Muffins!

Muffins are such great little cakes, they are easy to make and you can pack them full of delicious things.  Muffins also make great gifts and are always appreciated at bake sales and Christmas Fairs. These muffins are full of Christmassy flavours: cranberries, orange, cinnamon, nuts and chocolate.

Choc-ful Christmas Muffins

150g chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
50g caster sugar
200g caster sugar
450g plain flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
170g butter or margarine
2 eggs, lightly beaten
250ml milk
100g chopped pecans or walnuts
50g chopped chocolate (white, milk or dark)
1 tbsp grated orange rind

1. Mix the chopped cranberries with the 50g caster sugar, set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and the 200g caster sugar.
3. Cut in the butter or margarine and rub in until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.
4. Combine the eggs with the milk and stir into the flour mixture until just moistened, do not over mix.
5. Gently fold in nuts, orange peel, cranberries and chopped chocolate.
6. Fill paper-lined muffin tins two thirds full.
7. Bake at 190C for 20-25 minutes.

Makes about 18 Muffins.


Baking is so much easier when you have the right equipment, so when I was asked to review some items from the Dunelm Mill Christmas Collection I chose items that would make baking and giving muffins so much easier and would also make great gifts for friends and relatives who like to bake.

I couldn't resist this gorgeous Red Mason Cash 'Let them Eat Cake' baking bowl with it's crown and 'Let them Eat Cake' embossed in the side!  It cheers me up just looking at it.

Then there is this Holly and Berries Collection Oval Platter, perfect for presenting any kind of Christmas fare but particularly good for cakes and muffins.

Transporting muffins can be a bit precarious, even more so when they are decorated, so this Portable Muffin Set  is ideal and would be a welcome gift to anyone who bakes.

It's so cool, the carrying handle folds flat and the 'doors' slide round to open and close, you also get a 12 cup round muffin tin (on the bottom) and if you use both layers you can carry 24 muffins secured in their little cups. If you have muffins or cupcakes which are decorated and sit up high you might just want to use the one layer.

Let's go!

The final item I chose was a bit of fun, a Novelty Santa apron which really appealed to me.

No, that's not going to work, you really can't get the full effect of this cute apron - cue Santa...

What is it they say?  Hat is model's own - hee hee!  I will be modelling this little number on Christmas day and offering my guests Christmas cakes, cookies and muffins on my holly decorated platter. Apologies for the dodgy pink slipper boots!

And these muffins really are 'Choc-ful' of deliciousness,  so I'm entering them for Christmas Tea Time Treats, the challenge run by Karen at Lavender and Lovage and Kate at What Kate Baked.  This month Kate is hosting and the theme is Chocolate.

Fortunately, this bake also contains 'Cinnamon' which is the ingredient to be combined with Chocolate for the We Should Cocoa blog challenge run, and hosted this month, by Choclette at Chocolate Log Blog and Chele at Chocolate Teapot.


There are loads more great Dunelm Mill Christmas Gifts for Cooks and essential  Dunelm Mill cooking and baking equipment in Christmas Cook and Dine

I received these products for review from Dunelm Mill, I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.

Labels: chocolate, Christmas Muffins, Cinnamon, cranberries, Dunelm Mill, Holly and Berries Oval Platter, Mason Cash, Muffins, Novelty Santa Apron, orange, Porable Muffin Set, Tea Time Treats, We should Cocoa

posted by Janice @ 20:51 10 Comments

Cookies, Cookies and More Cookies - a Review

Madeleine Cookies

Taste Test!

Labels: Book Reviews, buns, cakes, cookies, Great British Bake Off, madeleines, Muffins

posted by Janice @ 21:55 11 Comments