Shamrock Cookies



Five lessons learned while making cute little shamrock cookies:

1.  Despite rolling dough between wax paper for ease of removal, note there will be no ease of removal.



2.  "Chill dough until it is firm enough to roll" means waaaaay longer than an hour.

3.  Sprinkles go on before baking, else the effect will be similar to trying to stack grapes on a hill.

4.  "Cook 9 minutes" = too long.

5.  Even if the cookies on the plate never quite measure up to the cookies in my imagination, I am still a sucker for cute little seasonal cookie cutters (only $2!!  At Ross!!). 

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Chicken Tarragon

This is a lovely clean dish, easy to make & tasty enough for a dinner party

6 Chicken drumsticks

1 Onion, I omit this as I am intolerant, just use extra garlic

1 head of garlic

2 - 4 Carrots chopped into rounds

Potatoes cut small if in season use new potaotoe's

1 - 2 Tsp Tarragon

Fry light or little oil

1 pint Chicken stock

Ground black pepper

Salt if you wish

On the hob, brown chicken in a little fry light or oil. Add garlic (& onion) & sweat down. Add carrot, tarragon then stock. Stir well then add potatoe's. Stir in. A few twists of black pepper & salt if you wish (I omit salt).

Cover pan & simmer on a very low heat for 40 - 60 mins but keep checking sauce, do not let it run dry.

Serve on its own or with salad or extra veg.

Peach & Plum Muffins

The markets in the summer here are full of lovely fresh fruits. Some of my favorites are peach & plum, both of which I have in my garden but we have had disappointing peaches for the last two years, so I buy lovely big juicy ones from the markets.

Here is a recipe for a lovely muffin combining both fruits.
A light alternative to serve with coffee, on a hot afternoon.

3 – 4 Plums chopped
2 Peaches chopped
1 Peach sliced
75g Butter or margarine
100g Caster sugar
225g Plain flour
3 Tsp Baking powder
225 ml Buttermilk, made with milk & lemon juice
1 Tsp Vanilla essence
1 Tsp Vanilla sugar
Toss chopped plums in vanilla sugar.
Cream caster sugar & butter together. Add flour & baking powder & fold in, don’t beat it.
Make a well & add milk & vanilla essence, fold in enough to just moisten the flour.
Add the fruit, fold in keep flour lumps.
Spoon mixture into muffin cases & add a slice of peach on top.
Bake in a pre heated oven 200c 25 minuets or 20 minuets for a fan oven
Until golden & risen, I test with a tooth pick.

Malko Praskova Keyk or Peach Muffins Gorgeous

These are my favourite Muffins, I just wish I could have used my own grown peaches but this year I have lost the crop to a fungal disease :-(
Cook these Muffins one day before you need them to develope the soft Muffin texture & for the flavour to come out.
These are my favorite Muffins, I just wish I could have used my own grown peaches but this year I have lost the crop to a fungal disease :-(

Cook these Muffins one day before you need them to develope the soft Muffin texture & for the flavour to come out.

Pre heat oven at 200c or 180c fan

2 – 3 Peaches Chopped.
75g Butter or margarine
225g Milk with a dash of lemon juice
100g Caster sugar
225g Flour
3 Tsp Baking powder
1 Tsp Vanilla essence
Pinch of salt
Cream together sugar & butter.
Mix in flour & baking powder.
Make a well & add milk, fold in, don’t beat it.
Add peaches & vanilla essence, fold in.
Spoon mixture into muffin cases, bake for 20 – 25 minuets until golden & risen, test with a tooth pick.

Upside Down Plum Cake

In the summer we have lots of plum tree's. Different varieties & sizes but all sweet. I tend to make lots of jam with the smaller variety both red & white but also preserve them for the winter.
I have used some of my preserved plums & homemade jam for this recipe but you can use the larger variety plum & either plum or mixed fruit jam.



 For the base

30g Butter softened

30g Demerara sugar

2 tbsp Plum jam

Plums halved & stones removed

For the cake

100g Butter softened

100g Caster sugar

3 Eggs

100g SR Flour

1 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tbsp Milk

Preheat oven 180c or 160c fan

Sauce..... Beat butter, sugar & jam together & spread over the bottom of a cake tin. Add the plums.

Beat together butter & sugar then add one egg at a time with a little flour & beat well.

Sift remaining flour, baking powder & cinnamon & fold in well. Spoon mixture over the plums.

Bake for 45 - 50 mins untill well risen

Serve hot with Mascarpone cheese, cream or custard

Baked Cinnamon Bananas with Strawberry Sauce

Mmmm, tonight we have the perfect dessert for this time of year.
Why is it perfect, you ask?
OK, you didn't really ask.  But humor me.
1. Spring is coming, so strawberries are starting to show up at the grocery store.
2. Yet it's still chilly enough outside that making an oven-baked dessert is not a bad warm-up strategy.
3.  You can use any frozen strawberries you happen to have if the fresh ones haven't yet appeared in your part of the world.
4.  Bathing suit season is not far off.  And certain people have perhaps over-indulged in the baking department this winter.
Sorry, bathroom scale.
BAKED BANANAS WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE
2 firm bananas
1 t. lemon juice
cinnamon, to sprinkle
2 c. strawberries, sliced
2-4 t. sugar, to taste
1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375.  Peel bananas and slice lengthwise.  Put on parchment-covered baking sheet (or non-stick baking sheet).  Brush lemon juice on cut sides of bananas.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the sauce:  put sliced strawberries in bowl with sugar and vanilla.  (If you're using frozen whole berries, you can just smush 'em up a bit with a pastry blender at this point.)  Put about half a cup of strawberry mixture in blender and whirl them around, then add back to the rest of the sliced berries.  When bananas come out of the oven, top with sauce.

Anything healthy-ish going on in your kitchen?

Kavarma, a Traditional Bulgarian dish

Kavarma is a traditional Bulgarian meal & must be tried when you are here. Every region has its own recipe so you will come across different types of Kavarma in different restaurants let alone regions. It can be served with rice or with potatoes & vegetables.
Its delicious & can be made with other meats but this recipe uses pork. You will find restaurants here will have Pork, Chicken & veal.
You will need.....
3/4 kg Pork
Dash of  sun flower oil
4-5 Leeks
Garlic
Onion I have omited this here as I am intolerant but add with leeks & Garlic
Mushrooms
1 tbsp Tomato paste
1 tsp Red pepper
1 tsp pepper1/3 cup wine
1/2 cup water
Chop meat & remove excess fat, fry in a little oil. Remove & put aside in dish
Fry the leeks in the oil add a salt to taste, tomato paste & Peppers. Pour in white wine & water. Put meat back into sauce & stew on a low heat until the sauce has reduced but don't let it dry out.

Serve with rice or with potatoes & vegetables.
Enjoy........