Dough days-teachers report

The sun streaming through the kitchen window seemed like a good omen as our very first Cook Club guests arrived for a day of kneading, shaping and baking bread.

With ovens turned to the hottest setting the day, we started with a simple olive oil dough to be turned into fougasse and rolls. Amid clouds of flour they then made a loaf with their own choice of flours – wholewheat from our local Burcott mill, rye flour, nuts seeds and dried apricots all came into play.

As neither pupils had made much bread before they loved it all-from the smell and feel of the fresh yeast as we rubbed it into the flour, the changing texture of the dough as it was kneaded and the wonderful aromas that filled the whole house as the bread baked.

We finished the session with an enriched sweet dough which we turned into a cinnamon swirl. Lunch was pissaladiere made with our first simple olive oil dough and then it was all too soon time to go home laden with bags full of breads to share with family and friends. Our next Cook and Dine course is fully booked but there are still places for the next pastry day and our Autumn courses starting in October.

Gorgeous bakes today with @cadogancooks! Take a look at the cookery school www.marycadogan.co.uk

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Bramble kitchen Autumn classes

 

Here at Bramble Kitchen we are busy getting ready to welcome our first guests for our Spring Cook Club workshops. All very exciting but we are also planning and plotting for the Autumn when we will be expanding our range of courses including making edible gifts, Christmas baking with a twist, seasonal preserving and pickling  and our very popular Cook and Dine sessions. Click here to find out more and call or  drop us an email to chat about any of the courses.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

Break an egg

 

Shakshuka

I was first introduced to this dish when I tried Ottolenghi’s version in his fantastic book Plenty. Its a North African dish that is traditionally served for breakfast but I love it at any time of the day- and I can promise you it’s especially good as a late night feast or restorative brekkie after a night on the town. Once you’ve tried it you can make it your own by adding whatever takes your fancy or for using up what you have in the fridge or store cupboard. A little crumbled feta on top, a chopped courgette or a few sliced mushrooms added with the peppers, even a bit of sliced cooking chorizo(not traditional I agree, but very good) are all good additions. Feeling the pinch post Christmas this is a paupers supper but with its huge hit of flavour and exuberant colours it doesn’t feel like any kind of penance.

I like to make the sauce in quantity so I can freeze some for when the shakshuka urge creeps up on me. Serve it with good bread or toasted pittas as you will need it for scooping up every last bit of the sauce and runny egg.

Shakshuka
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
2 20 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Servings Prep Time
2 20 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Shakshuka
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
2 20 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Servings Prep Time
2 20 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Instructions
  1. Quarter and seed the peppers, then put under a hot grill, skin sides up. Grill until the skins are blackened, then transfer to a food bag and leave until cool enough to handle. Peel off the skins and cut the flesh into thin strips.
  2. Heat the oil in a large wide pan. Add the onions and fry gently for 5 mins until softened. Add the peppers and cook for a couple of minutes more. Stir in the spices and cook briefly.
  3. Tip in the tin of tomatoes, then half fill the tin with water and add to the pan along with the puree, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 mins, then add the cherry tomatoes, then cook for 5 mins more.
  4. Make four gaps in the sauce and break an egg into each gap. Cover the pan and cook the eggs for 3-4 mins until cooked to your liking. Scatter with coriander and serve with warm pittas or flat breads.
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Winter spice pear cake

Winter pear spice cake
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8-12 20mins
Cook Time
45-55 mins
Servings Prep Time
8-12 20mins
Cook Time
45-55 mins
Winter pear spice cake
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8-12 20mins
Cook Time
45-55 mins
Servings Prep Time
8-12 20mins
Cook Time
45-55 mins
Ingredients
FOR THE PEARS
FOR THE CAKE
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Butter and line the base of a 20cm square cake tin. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/Gas 4. Peel and quarter the pears, then cut out the cores and cut the pears into large pieces. Melt the butter in a pan, add the pears, sugar and spices and cook for 2-3 mins until the pears are just softened and the sauce is syrupy. Leave to cool while you make the cake.
  2. Put the butter and sugar into a mixer or food processor and work until the mixture has lightened in colour, about 2 mins.(or you can do this by hand using a wooden spoon)
  3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the ground almonds and sift in the flour, baking powder and spices. Fold everything together lightly, then fold in the pecans.
  4. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Arrange the pears evenly over the top, then pour over the sauce from the pan. Bake for 45-55 mins until the cake is risen and golden, and springs back when gently pressed.
  5. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. Dust the top with icing sugar to serve. The cake will keep for 2-3 days wrapped in foil.
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The answer is pie – Part 2 – The Glorious Pie

Chicken and Leek pie
Print Recipe
Who can resist a good pie?- and this is a very good one. If you have made your own pastry that's all to the good, but if not, it will still be a thing of beauty and everyone will love you for it. Poaching the chicken is a really good wheeze as it not only gives you really tender meat but the stock is sublime. You will have too much so plenty leftover to make a wintry soup, sauce or base for risotto.
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Chicken and Leek pie
Print Recipe
Who can resist a good pie?- and this is a very good one. If you have made your own pastry that's all to the good, but if not, it will still be a thing of beauty and everyone will love you for it. Poaching the chicken is a really good wheeze as it not only gives you really tender meat but the stock is sublime. You will have too much so plenty leftover to make a wintry soup, sauce or base for risotto.
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
5-6 depending on greed 30 mins
Cook Time
2 hours
Ingredients
Servings: depending on greed
Instructions
  1. Put the chicken in a heavy pan with the carrots, celery, onion, bay, rosemary, peppercorns and salt. Pour over cold water to come halfway up the chicken. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover tightly and cook for 1-1/4 hours until the chicken is very tender.
  2. Remove the chicken from the pot, then strain the stock. Measure 450ml of the stock (the rest can be cooled, then kept in the fridge for up to 2 days for another dish, or frozen)
  3. Remove all the meat from the chicken and cut into bite sized chunks.
  4. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6. Put a baking sheet in the oven. Heat the butter in a large pan, add the leeks and cook gently for 2-3 mins until slightly softened. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually add the stock, stirring all the time until the sauce is thickened and smooth.
  5. Simmer for 2 mins, then remove from the heat and stir in the mustard, crème fraiche, tarragon and lemon juice and zest. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Stir in the chicken, then transfer to a 11/5 litre deep pie dish. Put a pie funnel in the centre of the pie, if you have one.
  6. Roll out the pastry to about 5cm all round than the top of the pie dish. Cut a strip all round the rolled out pastry, about 2cm wide.
  7. Brush the rim of the pie dish with a little beaten egg, then press the pastry strip onto it.
  8. Brush the pastry strip with egg, then lift up the main piece of pastry to cover the pie. Press the edges firmly to seal the pie, then pinch the edges all round between your fingers.
  9. Make a hole in the centre of the pastry with the tip of a knife, then brush the pastry all over with egg. Use the trimmings to decorate the pie as you wish, then brush the trimmings with egg. Bake for 25-35 mins, until the pastry is crisp and deep golden. Serve with a good seasonal green veg such as buttered cabbage, kale or broccoli. A pile of carrots or some roasted sweet potato chips on the side are also good.
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The answer is pie – Part 1: the crust

In these dark drear days of January the answer is pie
I haven’t made puff pastry since college days, too complicated, too specialist,cba(can’t be arsed) but rough puff is a different matter. So easy to make, so satisfying, so silky to the touch. And a pie topped with home made pastry is a thing to celebrate- and we have much to celebrate at the moment. My step-daughter Zoe gave birth to a plumptious baby girl last week (hurrah) and when asked what she needed from us when we next visit top of the list was food, particularly the kind you can eat one-handed as greedy little Martha needs constant feeding.
So a pie it is. Chicken and leek I reckon. The filling can be scooped up with a fork and the pastry, well if you cook it well it will be crisp enough to be hand-held.
Before you start make sure your butter is nice and cold. Best to weigh it first, then return the weighed portion to the fridge for an hour if time allows. Well chilled butter is less at risk of melting during handling which can be a messy business. Once made, the pastry can be used straight away in pretty much any recipe that calls for puff pastry, or wrap it in cling film and it will keep in the fridge for several days or freeze to use later. So get this made and tomorrow I’ll give you the recipe for the pie.
If you would love a hands-on session I still have a place or two available on my pastry making workshop this spring which will also cover choux and sweet shortcrust. http://www.marycadogan.co.uk/workshops/ The sessions will be held in the light and airy kitchen of my cottage kitchen in the heart of Somerset and will be very relaxed and informal There is also a breadmaking workshop if you’ve always wanted to master a good loaf. Both are full morning sessions with lunch and plenty of good things to take home.

Rough puff pastry

150g chilled butter
200g plain flour
2 tsp lemon juice
About 120ml cold water

1 Cut the butter into fingernail sized pieces. Tip the flour into a mixing bowl and add a little salt. Add the butter and use a round ended knife to evenly distribute it through the flour.img_2510 img_2511
2 Add the lemon juice and water and mix with the knife to soft lumpy dough.img_2512 Add an extra tbsp of water if needed.img_2520 Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a square.img_2521
3 Roll the dough out into an oblong about 36cm x 12 cm. Fold the bottom third up and the top third down to form a square. img_2522 img_2524Seal the edges with a rolling pin, img_2527then give the dough a quarter turn and repeat the rolling and folding. Chill for 20 mins.
4 Repeat the rolling and folding twice more(6 times in all), then chill for a further 20 mins.img_2531
Your pastry is now ready to use.

New Year-new project

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Now that our Bramble cottage kitchen is almost finished my thoughts have turned to welcoming fellow cooks here to share my recipes, tips and secrets accumulated over my many years as a food writer and teacher. Over the four years that we ran our Tasting France cookery school in the Charente my favourite moments were when I was able to show guests that kitchen skills that they thought were beyond them were totally within their reach, and could bring enormous pleasure, not just in the sense of achievement they brought but also in sharing the results with others. it could be anything from making a decent loaf of bread to mastering a perfect souffle. Next Spring we will be opening our kitchen and home for a short series of workshops that aim to inspire and offer extra confidence and pleasure in your cooking.
Our Cook and Dine sessions add something extra to the day and will offer you the opportunity to invite a friend or partner to share what we have cooked with a glass of wine or two in our candlelit salon.
For more details, dates and costings visit our workshops page http://www.marycadogan.co.uk/workshops/
We look forward to welcoming you to Bramble Kitchen
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Whole orange and almond cake

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Those of you who know me even slightly will know that I love baking. Funnily enough I don’t eat much cake but I just love the process of making one, from the weighing out of the ingredients, the mixing and folding, the amazing alchemy that goes on in the oven as the cake rises and browns, then the finishing it off in a cloud of icing sugar. And of course when friends come over a home made cake is a real treat to share over a cup of tea and plenty of news and gossip. This weekend I am hosting a Macmillan coffee morning, of course to raise money for a worthwhile cause but also as an excuse to bake my heart out. This whole orange and almond cake is a real winner, and has the bonus of being gluten and dairy free so even the pickiest eaters can enjoy a slice. It’s simple to make, stays moist for days and freezes perfectly, even cut into slices. It’s a big cake and will happily double as a dessert with berries and a scoop of cream(preferably clotted, I say!)
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Whole orange and almond cake
It really helps if you have a kitchenaid or other tabletop mixer, or failing that a hand held electric whisk as it is crucial to whisk the eggs and sugar until they are thick and light and this will take at least 5 mins, or a bit longer.
Cuts into 12 good slices

3 untreated oranges
3 large free range eggs
300g caster sugar
300g ground almonds
few drops almond extract
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
few drops almond extract
handful flaked almonds

1 Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/Gas 3. Oil and line the base of a 22cm round cake tin. Put 2 of the oranges into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 mins, then drain and re-cover with water(this will reduce the bitterness of the oranges). Bring back to the boil and simmer for 30 mins;drain and cool.
2 Coarsely chop the whole oranges, removing the pips. Blitz the whole oranges in a food processor to a fairly fine pulp.
3 Whisk the eggs and 200g of the sugar in a tabletop or handheld electric mixer until the mixture is light, pale and leaves a trail when the whisk blades are lifted.
4 Carefully fold in the orange pulp, the ground almonds and the baking powder, then add the alomnd extract and fold together lightly. The whisk blades are perfect for this job.
5 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.Scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for about 50mins to 1 hour until the cake is firm to the touch and golden brown. Meanwhile make the syrup.
6 Put the remaining 100g of sugar in a small pan with the juice from the remaining orange. Bring to the boil, stirring, then boil for 2-3 mins until it forms a light syrup. When the cake is cooked pour the syrup evenly over the cake and leave to cool in the tin completely.
7 Take care when turning the cake out of the tin as it is quite fragile. You can dust the edges of the cake with icing sugar for a final flourish.
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If you only make one dessert this summer….

IMG_1762It’s got to be Norwegian cloud cake. I’ve made it twice now for lunchtime guests and it’s gone down a storm. Not surprising really as the layers of rich sponge baked with meringue and sandwiched with lightly whipped cream and summer fruits is a real crowd pleaser. And anyone who knows my recipes will trust that when I say it is simple to make I am not kidding. The sponge is a bung-it-all-in-a bowl-and-beat one, the meringue, ok the meringue takes a bit of care, but only a little bit, the rest is a cinch. I always make the spongy meringues the day before and sandwich them together a couple of hours ahead of serving to give all the componant parts time to get to know each other. Then you can just get on with having fun with your friends and forget about it till serving time. If you can’t fit all the fruit in the centre just serve it on the side for spooning over. And I know we are told not to be a show off but once in a while it feels good.

Norwegian cloud cake
Serves 8

FOR THE CAKE
100g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
100g caster sugar
100g softened butter
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk
FOR THE MERINGUE
4 egg whites
100g each caster and icing sugar
2 tbsp flaked almonds
50g white chocolate,optional
FOR THE FILLING
500g summer berries
1 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 tbsp vodka, optional
300ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/Gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking paper and draw a rectangle on each, 10cm x 22cm. Turn the paper over and fix to the baking sheets with a little butter on each corner.
2 Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, add the remaining cake ingredients and beat for 2-3 mins until light and fluffy. Spread half the mixture evenly over each rectangle.
3 To make the meringue whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until it forms stiff peaks, Continue whisking while added the sugars to make a stiff heavy meringue. Spread half the meringue over each cake mixture, spreading it over the edges to enclose it. Smooth one meringue flat and form swirls and peaks with the other. Sprinkle the almonds over the peaks.
4 Bake the cakes for 30 minutes until the meringue is golden and crisp. Leave to cool on the baking sheets.
5 Break up the chocolate if using and melt in a small bowl over hot water or in the microwave. Drizzle over the almondy meringue Jackson Pollock style.
5 Tip the berries into a bowl, halving or slicing any that are large, and sprinkle with sugar, and vodka if using. Stir well, then leave to macerate until the juices flow, about 1 hour.
6 To assemble the cake whip the cream with the vanilla to stiff peaks. Set a sieve over a bowl and strain the berries, reserving the juices. Invert the flat meringue cake onto a wire rack, peel off the paper and put on a flat plate meringue side down. Spread with cream and then cover with berries. Invert the other cake, peel off the paper and put on the cake meringue side up. Dust with icing sugar and serve cut into thick slices with the reserved juices in a small jug for pouring over.
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Summer frittata

For the last few weeks we’ve been getting our eggs from a smallholder in the village- and very good they are,too. It’s weird because knowing that the hens are having a good life just a couple of fields away, pecking around, tucking into all sorts of kitchen scraps, gossiping with each other(maybe) and generally enjoying the good life makes the eggs seem much more precious and somehow more real than if I grabbed a dozen from the supermarket shelves. I was going to make a simple omelette last night for supper but then I suddenly remembered a recipe for an oven baked frittata given to me by my neighbour Nicole when we lived in France. She made it for our annual village picnic and passed it down the table for us all to try. And very good it was, too. I have to admit I have messed around with it a bit but it’s no worse for that. I have courgettes and herbs in my garden, cherry tomatoes from the farmers market and I’ve added a few sliced cooked new potatoes because everything’s better with a bit of spud(you can take the girl out of Ireland etc)
This recipe serves 2-3 but if you want to double it go ahead as it’s just as nice the next day and makes perfect picnic food.

Nicole’s picnic frittata

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2 small courgettes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cornflour
150ml milk
6 eggs, beaten
150ml single cream
75g mature cheddar, grated
3-4 cooked sliced new potatoes
150g cherry tomatoes, quartered
handful fresh summer herbs, such as basil, chives, tarragon, parsley
salt and pepper

1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Line a 20x30cm oblong tin with baking paper. Dice the courgettes and cook in the oil for a few minutes until just softened and starting to colour.
2 Blend the cornflour with a little of the milk in a jug, then add the rest of the milk, the eggs, cream and cheese. Season well with salt and pepper then pour into the tin. Scatter over the potatoes,courgettes, tomatoes and herbs.
3 Bake for 20-25 mins until golden on top and firm to the touch. Cool for 10 mins before cutting into squares, or leave to cool and eat at room temperature.