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

From Pies to Puddings: The February Slow Cooked Challenge Round Up

 I'm always amazed by the variety of dishes that are entered to the Slow Cooked Challenge and as there was no particular theme this month, we have everything from pies to puddings with a side order of focaccia.  Thanks to all the cooks who entered this month, it's such a pleasure to visit your web sites and blogs to see what you have made.


1. Onions and Paper Buffalo Pie
2. Family Friends Food 5-grain and Onion Soup with Cheese Brulee
3. Baking Queen 73 Slow Cooker Spinach and Feta Focaccia
4. Searching for Spice Slow Cooked Pork in Peanut Sauce



5. How to Cook Good Food Game Pie
6. Belleau Kitchen Slow Cooker Brisket with Caramelised Onions
7. Chardonnay and Samphire  Leek, Sweet Potato and Aubergine Curry
8. Baking in Franglais Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
9. Cloud of Cookmorphosis Easy Peasy Delicious (Asian Style) Duck Confit

The new challenge will be open very soon, February doesn't give much turnaround time with it's meagre 28 days, so please bear with me.



If you would like to find out more about the Slow Cooked Challenge then please visit the page which has all the details.

Labels: Brisket, Buffalo, curry, Duck Confit, Feburary Round Up, Focaccia, Game Pie, Pie, Pork, Rice Pudding, Slow Cooked Challenge, Soup

posted by Janice @ 09:26 8 Comments

Speedy Beef and Vegetable Pie - for Random Recipes #45

This month we are rifling through our magazine cuttings for Random Recipes, the challenge run by Dominic at Belleau Kitchen.  I have all but given up buying magazines as I can find recipes on the internet with so much more ease.  However, a couple of weeks ago I had a little time to kill in the supermarket and so was drawn to browse through the cooking magazines.  Eat in is a new magazine for me and I was drawn to the Comfort Food on a Budget.  This mag has been sitting around on the dining room table, so I picked it up and it opened at this Speedy Beef and Vegetable Pie.



Speedy Beef and Vegetable Pie
Serves 4-6
1 tbsp veg or olive oil
1 onion chopped
500g beef mince
500g frozen mixed vegetables (I didn't have any so used diced carrots)
25g onion gravy powder (didn't have any of that either,  substitute tbsp flour and beef stock cube)
320g sheet puff pastry
Milk for brushing (I used a beaten egg)

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ Gas 7.  Grease a 20cm square ovenproof dish (more deviation from me!).  Heat the oil in a saucepan over a high heat. Saute the onion for 3 minutes or until softened.  Add the mince and cook for 3 minutes or until browned.
2. Add the vegetables, gravy powder and 125mil hot water. (If using flour add a tbsp of flour and cook, stirring for 3 minutes to cook out the starch, crumble in the stock cube then add the water.) Cook stirring for 3 minutes or until the sauce is thick. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish and set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes but longer if you can.
3. Place the pastry sheet over the mince to cover. Tuck the overhanging pastry inwards to form a border around the inside edge of the dish. Score the top of the pastry with a sharp knife.  Brush with milk.  Bake for 15 minutes or until browned.  Serve the pie with herbed mash or vegetables.  I served my pie with slow cooked Braised Red Cabbage.

The pie was excellent, it always surprises me what seems to hit the mark on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, but this pie was definitely a hit!

Labels: Beef, pastry, Pie, Random Recipes

posted by Janice @ 07:00 13 Comments

Mince and Cheese Pies and a PIE review

The pie is ubiquitous in every culture, whether it's sweet or savoury, large or small, open or closed, enclosing a filling with some kind of pastry or dough is a classic form of cooking and baking.

Dean Brettschneider has captured the joy of pies in this book dedicated to this ultimate convenience and comfort food.

About the Author
Dean Brettschneider is a professional baker, patissier and entrepreneur.  Arguably one of the world's best bakers, Dean is a truly a global baker.  He was based in Shanghai for several years and now resides in Denmark and New Zealand, where he heads up his global baking empire.

About the Book
The book starts with a History of the Humble Pie starting with pie pastry made with flour and water by the Greeks and ending up with the gourmet pies made by patisserie chefs. 

The Ingredients section is a useful reference for later recipes and the section on equipment, usefully includes Your Hands beside mixing bowls and sieves!

The first recipe chapter is all about Meat Pies and it was the very first recipe (and the cover recipe) which I couldn't resist: Mince and Cheese Pies. I have also bookmarked Spanish Chicken Pie, Steak Caramelised Onion and Red Pepper Mustard Pies and Coriander Chicken and Yoghurt Curry Pie.

Seafood Pies includes a delicious sounding Fish Pie with Leek and Chorizo and Salmon, Wild Rocket and Orzo Pie.

There is a chapter on Vegetarian Pies standouts include Tomato and Thyme Tarte Tatin and Gooey Leek, Potato and Vintage Cheddar Pie.

What is a pie?  The chapter Not-quite-a-pie stretches the boundaries of pie-dom to sausage rolls, empanadas and whoopie pies! This includes Cornish Pasties, Chunky Chicken and Apricot Spinach Pastry Plaits, Spicy Gingerbread, Cointreau and Choclate Eccles Cakes and the superb sounding Date, Apricot, Orange and Cardamom Flapjack Shortcake Tart.

Sweet Pies  are a favourite with most of us, stretch your repertoire to include Pear and Fennel Tart Tatin , Dark Chocolate Banoffee Slab, Lemon Olive oil and Blueberry Tart and possibly my favourite sweet recipe in this book: Caramel Macadamia Oaty Tart.

The book ends with a chapter of Basic Recipes, so many different sweet and savoury pastry recipes to add pizazz to your pies.  There are also a range of filling recipes and a section on Techniques such as lining a pie dish, tart tin or flan ring with pastry, baking blind and decorating.

Pros
There are some really interesting pie fillings and inspirational pastry recipes in this book. Every pie recipe has a full colour photograph and a few have step by step instructions  e.g raised pork pies. The recipes are well laid out and I found them simple to follow. The pastry recipes in the basic recipes chapter are really original.  I didn't have time to make my own puff pastry but I love the sound of Gingerbread Crust Sweet Pastry and Chilli Polenta Pie Crust.

Cons
About half the book is devoted to sweet pies, now I know they are pies, but I would have preferred more savoury pies and some of the 'pie' interpretations were rather wide e.g. Orange Blossom and White Chocolate Cheesecake 'Pie' and Gingernut Lemon Meringue Pie in a Glass! 

The Verdict
 Well if you love pies, then this is the book for you!  If you even just like pies then it would be well worth owning a copy of this book, many of the recipes could be adapted to create new pies once you have mastered the basic techniques. This book has earned a place on my bookshelf anyway.



Mince and Cheese Pies
Makes 4 individual lunch sized pies
Pastry
1 quantity of Butter Puff Pastry (I used ready made butter puff pastry)
Filling
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
 1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
500g lean beef mince
30g standard plain flour
175ml beef stock, ready-made is fine
125ml lager
2tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp Marmite (optional)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 ts dried mixed herbs
salt and peeper, to taste
200g tasty cheese or Cheddar, grated
1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp water for egg wash
2 tbsp black or white sesame seeds for the topping

1. Make the Butter Puff Pastry the day before and store wrapped in the refrigerator.  Cut off a quarter of the pastry block and set it aside for the pie lids.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger piece of pastry to a square, approximately 4 mm think. Cut the square into quarters.  Line each individual pie dish, ensuring the pastry is firmly presssed against he sides and leaving some hanging over the edge of the dishes.  Roll out the smaller piece of pastry to a square into quarters, cover with clingfilm and set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan, then add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is golden.  Add the beef mince and cook until well browned, stirring occasionally to prevent large lumps of meat forming.  Stir in the flour and cook for approximately 30 seconds.  Gradually add the beef stock and beer, then bring to the boil.  Add the tomato puree or paste and Marmite (if using), balsamic vinegar, mixed herbs and salt and pepper to taste.  Lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

 I didn't have any Marmite and felt that the mince was rather anaemic looking without it, so added a tbsp of soy sauce, it was a triumph and the mince was delicious.

Fill each pastry lined dish almost up to the top with the mince filling then add a small handful of grated tasty cheese or Cheddar (I used Scottish Mature Cheddar).

Brush the edge of the pastry bases with water and place the lids on top. Seal edges and trim off any excess pastry with a sharp knife.  Brush the tops o the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Rest for 1-2 hours (or longer) before baking. 

I didn't have any sesame seeds, the pies were fine without them.

Bake in a preheated 220C (gas 7) oven for 25-30 minutes or until pastry is crisp and golden-brown in colour.  Allow to cool in the dishes for 10 minutes then remove from dishes and place on a cooling rack.  Serve with your favourite tomato sauce and a crisp green salad or a bowl of French Fries.  


 I served my pies with grilled tomatoes and broccoli, they were super delicious, the tasty mince, crispy pastry and gooey cheese, what a flavour sensation!

Pie by Dean Brettschneider
Photographs by Aaron McLean
Published by Jacqui Small LLP
RRP £25

Many thanks to Aurum Publishing Group for supplying me with a copy of Pies by Dean Brettschneider, I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.

Labels: book review, cheese, cookbook review, Dean Brettschneider, Mince, Mince and Cheese Pies, pastry, Pie

posted by Janice @ 09:30 7 Comments

Salad Lunch with Pie!

I made a trip out to our local Farm Shop, Kilnford Barns to stock up on some of their Galloway Beef, Blackface Lamb and Outdoor Reared Pork all locally produced.  While I was there I spied this pie in the Deli, it's ham, chicken and stuffing, as I'd been out all day I thought it would be ideal for our supper with some simple salads.  This piece was around £6.00 however,  it served three people.  It's a heavy little pie, because it is stuffed with lots of meat and is quite filling  so overall it was good value and really very delicious.

I got a new food processor recently and it is brilliant for making your own coleslaw.  This one has sliced white cabbage, sliced fennel and  grated carrots dressed with a well seasoned mix of mayonnaise and greek yogurt and topped with some roughly chopped pistaschio nuts.

The hot potato salad with spring onions and mint was featured on Lavender and Lovage and was easy to make and delicious.
My basil plant has finally produced leaves big enough to pick. They are still pretty small but another week and I will be wondering what to do with them all!  Simply sliced tomatoes, seasoned with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar, dressed with olive oil and topped with basil leaves.

The salad leaves came from my little salad trough, which has done better than ever before due to the huge quantity of water coming from the sky and the muggy temperatures.

Labels: coleslaw, Kilnford Barns, leaves, Pie, potato salad, tomato

posted by Janice @ 21:06 4 Comments

Turkey and Peppadew Pie

Use just over half of the pastry to line the base of the tin (these are the same 17cm tins used in the Rhubarb Bakewell)


Gently fry an onion in a little oil, let it cool slightly and mix with 400g raw turkey mince and season with salt & pepper.  Fill the base of the pie with half the minced turkey mix, cover with a layer of Peppadew Piquante Peppers and then put the rest of the mince mixture on top.

Cover with remaining pastry and  brush with beaten egg. Bake for 30- 40 minutes at 180C until the pastry is golden brown.  Serve warm with new potatoes and green vegetables or cold with salad.  This is the perfect picnic pie as the filling holds together really well when cold.

Labels: Bake, British Turkey, Peppadew Peppers, picnic, Pie, rhubarb, Turkey

posted by Janice @ 20:31 4 Comments

Mince Beef Pie - A Family Heritage

My Mum in the 1960's

Gran in the 1930's

Great Grandfather

Granny and Grandpa

and his dad, my grandfather, was a butcher with his own business.

It is so simple and so delicious and every now and again I trot out this recipe again, it never fails.



Bake at 200C for 40 minutes until golden brown.

I served my pie with mashed potatoes and red cabbage baked with apple and red wine vinegar.

Labels: Beef, family, mashed potato, Mince, Pie, puff pastry, red cabbage

posted by Janice @ 20:40 8 Comments

Ham and Parsley Puff Pie

Remember I kept back half the ham from my 'overspilling casserole'?  Well, I made it into a pie.




I served it with  roast potatoes, carrots dressed with butter and honey.  I probably should have used either the parsley or the mustard rather than both as the flavours were fighting each other.  Otherwise, it was very delicious.

Labels: ham, Pie, puff pastry, white sauce

posted by Janice @ 20:56 11 Comments

Gammon and Sweetcorn Pie

Another recipe from the Good Housekeeping 7 Fab Family meals for £33. The recipe on the website is for Gammon and Sweetcorn Parcels, but I decided it would be easier to make a big pie. The flavour of the leek with the parsley sauce, gammon and sweetcorn is really delicious. I used ready rolled shortcrust pastry because I didn't have time to make my own (lazy moo!).

Labels: Gammon, Good Housekeeping, Pie

posted by Janice @ 21:43 3 Comments