Tag Archives: winter

Winter spice pear cake

Winter pear spice cake
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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
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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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Warmly spiced roasted pineapple

At this time of year I am often seduced into buying a pineapple as they always look so exotic and cost so little for their size. I take it home and arrange it carefully in the fruit bowl where it sits being admired until it is way past it’s best. I think it’s laziness on my part as it always seems such a faff to prepare it. But I vow to change my ways and have now devised a great no-fuss way of cutting it up. Then to keep things simple I love to roast it with a few warm spices and a splash of orange and serve it warm. Any leftovers also also good eaten straight out of the fridge with a spoonful of yogurt.

Warmly spiced roasted pineapple
Print Recipe
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25-30mins
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25-30mins
Warmly spiced roasted pineapple
Print Recipe
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25-30mins
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25-30mins
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/Gas 5. Using a large sharp knife cut the top and base from the pineapple. Stand it upright and slice down the skin all round to remove it, following the curve of the fruit..
  2. Cut diagonal shallow v shapes from the flesh from top to bottom, following the lines of the brown eyes to remove them.
  3. Cut the pineapple in half through the core, then into quarters the same way.
  4. Cut the pineapple into thick slices and put in a large shallow ovenproof dish. Pare thin strips of peel from one of the oranges.
  5. Squeeze the juice from both oranges and pour over the pineapple. Tuck the cinnamon and star anise around the fruit and sprinkle with sugar.
  6. Bake for 20-25 mins, shaking the dish halfway through, until the fruit is tinged brown at the edges. Serve warm or cold as it is or with coconut ice cream or generous spoonsful of clotted cream.
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