Photos Are Arriving!!

Some of you have been busy baking

We have already started to receive cake photos

Which has left us wishing it was possible to taste them

• 

 

• Your cake must have at least two layers
• Your sponge cakes can be any flavour and any colour
• You can fill you sandwich cake with any filling you like
• We would like you to decorate the top of your cake

 

 

Please send a photo of your cake so it can be featured in the The Great Bloggers’ Bake-Off Round-Up to:

crushedcaramel@gmail.com

(If you have any questions at all – please feel free to post your questions in the comments of any of our posts and we will try to get back to you as quickly as possible.)

Of course you can bake at any time convenient to yourself. We include all the photos we receive early in the GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE-OFF on Sunday 24th March 2019.

The Great Bloggers’ Bake-Off is this Sunday, March 24. It’s open to EVERYONE, no matter what your baking skills. Come one, come all. Come and jun in on the fun.

Many of the traditional Irish desserts are made with fruit.  These fruits come mostly from the orchards or people’s gardens, or even those that are found in the wild.  Puddings and custards are also very popular and are widely used in Irish desserts as well.  This dessert is a delicious blending of both.  Not so long ago, most of the traditional Irish recipes were passed down from one generation to the next orally, through their stories and shared family experiences.  The same basic recipe will vary from one family to the next, since every family always adds their own special secret ingredient to make a dish really stand out.  Luckily today, many of these treasured heirlooms are found in cookbooks everywhere.  This was our St. Patrick’s Day dessert, served along with the rest of our traditional Irish fare.  An Irish Celebration

Apple Custard Pie

 

 

The Filling

4-5 apples, peeled and chopped

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp ground cloves

 

The Crust

1 stick of butter, cold, cubed

2 TBSP sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 egg

1 tsp salt

5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream

 

The Custard

1 egg

1 TBSP sugar

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

 

 

Place the flour, butter, salt and sugar into the food processor and blend until it is crumbly.  Then add the egg and the cream and continue to blend until the dough forms into a ball.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using.

 

Preheat the oven to 350* F

 

Cut the apples and mix together with the sugar and the cloves.

Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface and fit it into a tart pan, then press it firmly into the pan.  Add the filling and spread evenly.   Cut the remaining dough into thin strips and layer it across the top of the fruit mixture in a criss-cross.  Make an egg wash with one egg and a dash of cream and brush the crust and the edges of the tart with the egg wash.  Place the tart into the oven to bake for about 30 minutes, or until the apples are almost done.  Then remove the pie and add the custard filling by pouring it into the open areas of the tart, making sure to evenly distribute the liquid to cover the whole tart.  Place the tart back into the oven and continue to bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until the dough is lightly golden and the liquid has set.

Once the pie is done, let it cool for at least 30 minutes or so before cutting it.  It is best when served warm, with a bit of ice cream on the side.

 

 

 

 

Though roasted peppers have not always played a prominent role in Irish cooking, onions certainly do and have always been a staple to the foods of Ireland.  With foods from around the world now readily available to most restaurants and locations, it is no surprise that more and more non-traditional foods are being introduced and featured along with the traditional foods everywhere.  Ireland is certainly no exception to experimenting with new foods and new taste combinations, and like chefs everywhere, new creations abound.   This roasted pepper and onion tart is one such creation that is served regularly at Lovin Catering, in Dublin.  I found this delicious recipe in one of my old Irish cookbooks while I was planning my St. Paddy’s Day feast.  An Irish Celebration  I was a bit surprised to find a recipe with roasted peppers in an Irish cookbook, but pleasantly so.

Lovin Catering, as it is now known, was formerly called The Gallic Kitchen.  It was bought out from the original owner by the former manager of the Gallic Kitchen, Kevin Doyle and his wife Natasha, in 2014.  It is a gourmet cottage that offers “sophisticated yet simple food”, located in the town of Abbeyleix, Dublin.  Their motto is that they serve “good, honest food from scratch with a diverse menu that offers something for everyone”.  Though I’ve never been to Ireland, and therefore have never been to Lovin Catering, based on this recipe alone, I know I will just love it when I do get a chance to visit.

This tart is delicious, warm comfort food.   I could eat this everyday and be a very happy camper.

Roasted Pepper and Onion Tart

1 red bell pepper, roasted, with skin and seeds removed

1 yellow or orange pepper, roasted, with skin and seeds removed Roasting Peppers

2 TBSP olive oil

1 onion, sliced thick

dash of sugar

basic dough Chicken Pot Pie

1/4 fresh basil, chopped

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 eggs

salt & pepper to taste

(the butter was for my dough)

 

Preheat the oven to 400* F

 

While the peppers are resting, slice and cook the onion in olive oil with the sugar, until the onions are soft and translucent.  Once the peppers have cooled, remove the skins and the seeds and slice into thick strips.  Mix the onions with the peppers.

Roll out the dough to fit your tart pan and press it firmly into the pan.  Add the pepper and onion mixture to the dough, making sure to spread it evenly overt the dough.  Combine the eggs, cream salt & pepper and basil and mix well.  Then carefully pour the egg mixture over the peppers and onions, making sure to evenly cover the vegetables.  Bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden and the egg mixture is completely set and does not jiggle when moved.

The finished tart is a delectable treat to be enjoyed either on its own or as a compliment to your meal.

 

 

 

Let the Baking Begin …… I can’t wait to see all the fabulous cakes coming our way for the Great Bloggers’ Bake-Off.

All bakers are welcome, from the novice to the advanced pastry chef. Show us all your baked goods and tell us your stories. It’s going to be a fun, fun day.

Saint Patrick’s Day?  Why do we celebrate?  What is the significance?  Why is everything green? These are all great questions.

Patrick was born in Britain to Welch parents who had been “Romanized” or accepted Christianity, in the 5th century.   His Latin name was Patricius.  When he was 16, Patrick was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave.  He managed to escape the shackles of slavery, and in so doing, became the voice of the oppressed Irish people.  Patrick, or Padraig as he was known by the Irish, is known as the person who brought Christianity to the Irish, around 432 A.D.  Before his death, he was responsible for the construction of many churches, monasteries and schools all throughout the land.  Patrick was canonized as a Saint by the Catholic Church around the 17th century.  The first recorded celebration of St. Patrick was held in 1631, when the Church established a Feast Day in his honor.  This original celebration of the day is nothing at all like what it has become today.

St. Patrick’s Day, as we now know it, actually started in the United States, in areas that had large populations of Irish immigrants.  The first “modern” St. Patrick’s Day celebration was held in Boston, MA in 1737, followed by New York’s celebration in 1762, and it grew from there.  Originally, Ireland did not celebrate the day how it is celebrated now, however, they have adopted the American customs and traditions, and today celebrate as we do here, mainly for the tourists’ sake.

There are many legends associated with St. Patrick.  Two of the more widely known legends are that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland by throwing them all into the sea, and that he used the shamrock as the symbol for the Holy Trinity, because of its three leaflets on a single stem.  Today, there are still no snakes in Ireland other than those that have been imported over.   Leprechauns and all their mischief, as well as the wearing of the green, are both also famously associated with this day of revelry.   The leprechauns are fictional, magical creatures who are known for their mischievous ways.  In today’s culture, you always see them dressed in green.  Wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day is supposed to make you invisible to the leprechauns, which allows you to go about your business without being pinched by them.  But green was not always the color worn to honor St. Patrick and St. Patrick’s day.  Origianally, blue, and specifically a dark blue, was worn, to represent the blue skies of Ireland.  The green was adopted later, after Patrick become canonized by the Church, because of the green shamrock and its reference to the Holy Trinity.

People with an Irtish heritage, even if only for a day, often celebrate the day with green beer and corned beef and cabbage.  I don’t drink beer (now wine is a completely different story), so that one is out for me, and I am not a huge corned beef and cabbage fan either, so I often make something totally different.  I do have a lot of Irish blood in me, and therefore I choose to make other traditional Irish dishes to celebrate and honor the day.  This year, it was curried lamb over rice, with roasted vegetables, a roasted pepper and onion tart, cheese and onion soda bread A New Twist to the Tradition and I ended the meal with an apple custard pie.

Some of my Irish cookbooks that helped me plan my menu for the day.

I know, curried lamb is not something you would normally think of when thinking of traditional Irish food, however, it is.  Lamb and mutton dishes are very popular all throughout the UK, Ireland, Wales, Australia and New Zealand (all at one time were Bristish or British colonies).  In the days of the Raj, many Irish men, (as well as military men from these other countries) served in the British military in India, where they devloped a taste for the different curried dishes of India.  When they returned back to the UK and its provinces, they brought back the spices of India to recreate their favorite curried at home.

Curried Lamb

I love curry, and often make my own curried blends.

2 oz almond meal (I used my almond meal from Living Tree Community Foods More Treats from Living Tree Community Foods)

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

2 lbs lamb, cubed

2 TBSP ginger

salt to taste

1 onion, peeled and sliced in thin rings

2 tsp sugar

2 TBSP garlic

1-2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp each, cardamon, cloves, cumin, tumeric, curry, cayenne pepper – add more of each or any combination thereof if you like a stronger, more pronounced curry flavor

1 TBSP lemon juice

butter and olive oil for cooking

fried onions, optional for topping

tomatoes or tomato chutney, optional

 

Mix the almond meal and the heavy whipping cream together in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let rest for at least 15 minutes.

Cut the lamb into cubes, about 2 inches in size, and marinate with the ginger and the salt.  Make sure everything is well incorporated together.  Let marinate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Slice the onion into thin rings and cook in a hot skillet with a combination of both butter and olive oil and the sugar, for about 7 minutes, then add the spices, and continue to cook until the onions are completely cooked.

Once the onions are cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside.  In the same pan, adding more oil/butter as needed, cook the meat until it is completely browned on all sides.

Once the meat is cooked, add the onions and the almond cream mixture and mix together well.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

After the curry is cooked, add the lemon juice and mix thoroughly before serving over rice.

I topped my lamb curry with fried onions and tomatoes.  Because lamb is a red meat, and I had a heavier sauce, I chose to serve it with delicious, fruity red blend of malbec and mertlot to really enhance the dish and bring out all the flavors.

 

 

 

 

Get Ready …. The Great Blogger’s Bake-Off is Coming

Shrimp scampi has been a favorite dish for shrimp lovers for many decades  It is such an easy dish to prepare, but it is a true classic, loved by everyone.  The traditional way of preparing the dish is to saute the crustaceans in garlic, olive oil, butter, wine, and parsley.  That’s it.  But with any dish, there are always many variations, none of which are wrong, and all are delicious.  Some people add bread crumbs, and/or tomatoes.  I have tried and loved many of these different variations.   Shrimp scampi is almost always served with pasta, although it can also be served with rice or over bread, or even over steamed vegetables.

In the United States, we use the term “scampi” for shrimp prepared in the traditional way.  However, scampi are actually small lobster-like crustaceans with a pinkish shell, called langoustines or langostinos.  They are also known as Nephrons or Dublin Bay prawns.  In Italy and the rest of Europe, scampi is made with the langoustines.  When the Italian immigrants came to America, they adapted the recipe, using Italian cooking techniques and American ingredients.

Classic Shrimp Scampi

This is all you need to make a classic shrimp scampi.

1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 TBSP butter

2-3 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste

2 TBSP lemon juice

1/4 cup Peruvian peppers, optional

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped or about 1-2 TBSP dried parsley

 

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet.  When the skillet is hot, add the shrimp and cook until they are pink and cooked through on all sides.

Once the shrimp is cooked, add the white wine, lemon juice, the red pepper flakes and salt & pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 1-3 minutes, or until the wine reduces by about 1/2.

At the very end of the cooking process, add the parsley and Peruvian peppers (if using) and serve over your choice of pasta, rice, bread or vegetables.

I served my shrimp scampi with some stuffed mushrooms, my garlic cheese bread, and a dry white wine.  Simple and delicious!