The perfect apple crumble

 As I have mentioned many MANY times before my husband has such a terrible sweet tooth, you name it, if it has sugar in he will eat it, he has even been known to dessert hunt in the early hours in the morning, rummaging in the fridge Nigella style! Thankfully for my husband he has a super speedy metabolism, and no matter how much cake and pudding he consumes he never gains an onze. My husbands favourite dessert is usually anything to do with apples, he is a total pomme junkie! When he wants me to make him a dessert he has a particular strategy, he mentions either his mothers or grandmothers desserts, this is so that subliminally it gets in my head, and being the super competitive person I am, I then make it my life's mission to test recipe after recipe until I come up with what I consider the holy grail classic!

 Now here is the science to this recipe, bake the crumble or crisp topping (depending on which part of the world you are from) separately, guaranteed crumble perfection, crisp crumble and soft fruit! You can adapt the fruit to your preference of course but I think half the quantity of tart cooking apples to half firm super sweet apples makes for the ultimate flavour and texture sensation.
 It is not very often my husband is silent, but there was no time for talking whilst he wolfed down this pudding!

For the filling:
250g of pink lady apples, peeled, cored and sliced
250g of Bramley apples, peeled, cored and sliced
100g caster sugar
100g brown sugar
1 tsp almond extract
The zest of an orange
The juice of half an orange
The juice of a lemon
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of  freshly grated nutmeg
50g butter

For the crumble:
75g rolled oats
250g of flour
150g of butter
75g caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp Maldon salt

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees c
Butter a 20cm by 15cm pie dish. (Zest the orange first as a juiced orange is impossible to zest. Peel, core and slice the apples place them in a bowl and toss them immediately in the citrus juices. Add all of the rest of filling ingredients apart from the butter and then toss well so the flavouring are well distributed. Place a sheet of grease proof, then tin foil over the baking dish and then bake the apples for 25-30 minutes until some of the apples are soft and some are broken down.
 Meanwhile to make the crumble: add the butter, flour and sugar into a bowl and rub the fat into the dry ingredients using your finger tips, this process should continue until it begins to resemble rough sand.

 Finally add the salt, cinnamon and oats, give the crumble a final toss, I like to pinch the dough to make larger chunks of crumble but the is purely preference. Decant the crumble into a lined baking sheet and then cook for 20 - 25 minutes at the same temperature as the filling, be aware that you must toss the crumble topping for even coloration. Once the crumble topping and fruit filling are ready, decant the crumble on top of the fruit, sprinkle a tablespoon of Demerara sugar onto the crumble top for added crunch! If cooking this from cooled I suggest it will need 20-25 minutes to heat through, but is you are cooking this immediately it will only take ten minutes! Serve with custard, it's the law!

Lemon and poppy seed cake

 I hate to quote the words of the Fresh Prince of Bel air but...... this is a story all about how I became unhealthily obsessed with a cake. For those of you who know me personally will know that I do not do cake, I know it is hard to believe because I make them all the bloomin' time, but I assure you if I had an enormous piece of chocolate cake and a plate of cheese and crackers in front of me I would take the cheese and crackers every single time. However once in a while something comes along that makes you a believer, brings meaning to the word "cake" and makes you long so hard for the crumbly goodness that you are willing to make a cake pilgrimage for over an hour just to have one sweet indulgent moment, and in that moment I understand all my husbands cake-a-betic needs. 
 This cake was originally made in a Leeds based Deli called "Salts", I have to admit that I didn't actually buy it for myself, but as the minutes ticked by and I swear the cake began to talk to me, I tore off a small crumb, not too much because this was after all someone else's cake, I flicked the crumb into my mouth and it was like an LSD moment, the whole world danced and spun around me and all I could see was a lemony hue of cakey loveliness, that was when I decided I didn't much like the person I had bought the cake for anyway and I wolfed it down, besides the love affair with Salts Lemon drizzle cake lasted longer and brought me more happiness anyway. The thing is, it is almost sticky, moist, tart but not to tart, just how it should be. When I met my husband I introduced him to my other love of my life and despite my husband not being the biggest fan of citrus he absolutely adored it. Then a couple of years ago the world came crashing down on me and life  stopped making sense, SALTS HAS CEASED! So that was it, do I live with my love as a distant memory or do I figure out this recipe once and for all? It has taken countless batches of lemon cake, sometimes I wanted to throw the towel in but i'm glad I didn't because this recipe is the S***! Lemon Lovers enjoy!

Lemon Drizzle Cake

150g softened butter
200g caster sugar
100g golden marzipan
100g ground almonds
2 tsp of lemon extract
1 tsp of almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
the zest of two large unwaxed lemons
150g self raising flour
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
For the topping:
200g icing sugar
Juice of two lemons
1 tsp of lemon extract
2 tsp of poppy seeds


Preheat the oven to 180 degrees c. Either grease and line a 20cm by 20cm cake tin or use a silicone mould as shown.
Cream together the softened butter and sugar, this can be done with a hand whisk. Add the vanilla and marzipan, the whisks will break down the marzipan but you will need a little patience, add the eggs whisking in one at a time, add the almonds, salt, poppy seeds, lemon extract, vanilla extract and almond extract. Finally sieve in the flour and baking powder and fold in until just combined. Decant the mixture into your chosen baking tin and cook for 25-30 minutes or until you can insert a skewer into the middle and it comes out clean, set aside and allow to cool.
Meanwhile mix the lemon juice, extract and icing sugar together until smooth, spoon onto the cooled cake and then top with the poppy seeds.

Jamie's chocolate and chestnut torte (done my way)

I saw this recipe in a Jamie Oliver Magazine and thought the combination of chestnut and chocolate sounded amazing, I thought it would be a great alternative to the usual christmas pudding. I tried out the recipe but didn't think it was quite right, it was a little too sweet and the filling was not thick enough, the original recipe called for 300g of sweetened chestnut puree but only 300g of dark chocolate and 300ml of double cream, which meant that it was very sweet and did not have a lovely bitter chocolate flavour, what's more is that a tin of sweetened chestnut puree is exactly 250g, I felt it was a little pointless to get another tin for 50g extra.
 I also wanted to make the recipe easier, the original recipe called for a sweet chocolate pastry base that is not super crisp, I thought a biscuit base would be far more suited and much easier for those who want to wow people with minimum fuss. I have to say that the filling was lovely and bitter which meant it was not as sickly as the original recipe. I think it was a great idea of Jamie's but had a few little glitches that I feel I have ironed out. Great recipe for Christmas day and will happily stay in the fridge for up to a week.

For the filling:
600g dark chocolate
600ml double cream
250g of sweetened chestnut spread

For the base:
300g Oreo biscuits crushed until very fine
100g butter





Top with four tablespoons of crushed honey comb


 Firstly grease and line the bottom of a 9 inch spring form cake tin. Blend the Oreo biscuits in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs, melt the butter and add it to the crumbs, mix well until it is the texture of damp sand, push it into the tin until it creates a flat biscuit base. Place the tin into the fridge for half an hour to firm up the base.
 For the filling melt the chocolate either in a microwave on medium for 2-4 minutes stirring occasionally or over a bain marie. Whisk the cream and chestnut puree together until it is ad the soft peak stage, add the melted chocolate and mix until fully incorporated, decant the filling into the spring form cake tin, give it a sharp tap to eliminate air bubbles and place in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. To finish sprinkle with crushed honeycomb.

Cardamom, white chocolate and salted cashew nut cookies

I had to blog about these cookies, partly to show that baking with children does not have to be as difficult as people think and partly in protest against pointless cupcake packet mixes for kids, I just think opening a packet teaches your children absolutely nothing about ingredients or food, what's worst is that you have no idea what is in those packets.
 Every once in a while I have no problem with my son having a little treat especially when I know what has gone into it, what's more is that my son absolutely loves to bake with his mum, when I show him his apron he gets so excited that I think he may actually take off like a rocket. 
 Regular readers will know that I'm not about to hang up my gourmet apron, just because they are cookies it doesn't mean to say that they have to be conventional or boring, I have to put my little gourmet twist on everything! 
  My son adores white chocolate and I think that cardamom and white chocolate are the best of friends also it's a little nod to my Swedish family who like me are cardamom crazy, the salted cashew nuts help to balance the sweetness and add texture to the cookie!
 I have to say they were absolutely fantastic, I think my son has great potential, Jamie Oliver in the making possibly? Get ready Jamie we are coming for you! 

You will need:
125g of salted butter
100g of light brown sugar
125g of caster sugar
1 egg
200g of white chocolate
75g of salted cashew nuts
1/2 tsp of maldon sea salt
1 tsp of vanilla bean paste
1 1/2 tsp of freshly ground cardamom seeds 
225g of self-raising flour


First preheat the oven to 180 degrees c.
Cream together the butter and sugars, this can be done in a machine or in a bowl with a hand whisk, once combined add the egg and vanilla, once the egg has been incorporated add the flour, cardamom powder and salt and mix until just combined.

 Lastly chop the white chocolate into chunks and roughly chop the nuts, add this to the cookie batter and mix until well distributed.
Divide the dough into 10 balls, this will make huge cookies, if you want something more delicate then divide the batter into twenty balls.
place the cookie balls onto a line baking tray, do cook any more than four at a time as they do spread out quite a lot. Bake for ten minutes. Allow to cool a little, I know it's hard, but patience is a virtue in this case.

Coconut cake

 I wanted to make a celebration cake for a few reasons, I have made it to celebrate 
my first birthday of blogging(I know I thought I would never get there), I have also made it passed my target of over 10,000 views (thank you regulars readers!), also because my wonderful husband has FINALLY finished his long awaited first album, which ironically is call "Ett" meaning one in Swedish! It only seemed that such achievements deserve a double celebration, (however small my achievement may be, there is always reason for cake)! For those of you who read regularly you will know that I am usually the face behind the lens, I prefer to let the food do the talking, but because it is a special occasion my husband insisted I step out of the shadows and show that there is a head attached to these typing hands! No longer am I an illusive blogger, I am Annika Wardale, food junkie and all round babbler!   

The image that you see is my light as a feather coconut cake, the best part is that it is fat free! Yes you heard right, it most certainly is not calorie free, so do not 
expect to eat six slices and lose the pounds, it ain't going to happen, but I suppose it is half way between virtuous living and gluttony! So here is my light as a feather coconut cake in honour of my hubby and my first year of blogging! Happy birthday  Annika's Apron, skål! 

You will need:

For the sponge:

100g of plain flour

100g of corn flour

1 tbsp of baking powder

6 eggs

250g caster sugar

2 tsp of vanilla extract

60ml of coconut flavoured liqueur 

1 tsp coconut extract or essence

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees c. Grease and line two eight inch cake tins with grease proof paper or baking parchment! Make sure to line the sides too. 

Whisk the eggs and sugar together until it has turned pale and thick, it will double in volume and create a ribbon effect as the mixture falls back on its self. Sieve together the flours and baking powder into a bowl and set to one side. Whisk the extracts into the voluminous egg mixture followed by the dry ingredients, only mix until just combined, finally add the liqueur and give the batter one final mix. Divide the batter between two tins and bake in the oven for 35-40 mins or until you can insert a skewer and it comes out clean.

For the frosting:(7 minute frosting)

You will need:

Five egg whites

200g of caster sugar

60ml of coconut liqueur

1 tsp of vanilla bean paste

This particular icing is done using a double boiler or Bain Marie, this basically is a bowl sat over a pan of simmering water, take care now to let the bowl touch the water! 
 Place the eggs and the sugar in the bowl and begin to whisk the ingredients with an electric whisk until the mixture has reached firm peaks, this should take 7 minutes, when the frosting is thick and glossy and can hold a firm peak whisk in the vanilla and liqueur. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Finishing touches:

1 cup of freshly grated coconut (you can buy this frozen, just make sure it is well dried) 

100ml of coconut liqueur 

To assemble:

Place one of the sponges onto a cake platter and pour 50ml of the coconut liqueur onto 

the sponge to moisten it, then spread a quarter of the frosting onto the sponge.
 Top with the second sponge and pour the remaining 50ml of coconut liqueur onto the second sponge, spread a scant amount of the frosting all around the cake, this is called a crumb coat, then apply a thicker coating of the frosting, the crumb coat will help the second layer to adhere to the cake and leave a smooth finish. 
Finish with the cup of freshly grated coconut, the coconut will be a little wet so dry it well on kitchen paper, then sprinkle it onto the top of the cake and press in onto the sides.

The Cornish Pasty

 

When I told my Husband that I wanted to blog about the infamous Cornish pasty his response of "oh you're brave" was only to be expected, this is because a. I'm not Cornish, b. I'm not even fully British, c. I have a tendency to play about with recipes and make them my own. 

 As a cook it is all too easy to recreate something to suit your own palate, but with a dish like the Cornish pasty that is sheer simplicity itself why would you bother, sometimes the simplest recipes are the hardest to accomplish because there is not a myriad of flavours to hide behind, every element has to be perfect because each imperfection is very apparent, and why on earth would a tamper with a recipe that dates back as early as the 13th century? I'd have to be mad!

 There are three things I love about food, obviously I love the process of cooking, and of course I love to taste food, but one of my most enjoyable aspects of food is the history of it, I love knowing that I am cooking a recipe that has not only been made for hundreds of years, but I love the history of why it was created. 

The shape of the infamous pasty has been directly influenced by the people who consumed it, it was a popular snack for miners, the shape and size made it suitable to carry whilst the pastry insulated it's contents and made it durable enough to survive, but the crimped edge would be used as a handle, it meant that a mining worker could hold the pasty and dispose of the edge due to the high levels of arsenic in many of the tin mines.

 I know that my crimping technique leaves a lot to be desired but I hope that I have done the integrity of the pasty justice, and that I will not receive a huge back lash from the Cornish pasty aficionados. Sometimes the simple things in life are the best, this is most definitely the case of the Cornish pasty.

You will need:

(for the pastry)

75g of butter

75g of lard

375g of bread flour (this allows the pastry to be more durable because of the gluten in the flour)

1/4 tsp of sea salt

150ml of ice cold water

Firstly start by rubbing the fats and the flour between your fingers and thumb, mix together in a large bowl, when the mixture resembles coarse sand add the salt and ice cold water, mix until it begins to adhere into a dough, place to one side for later.

For the filling:

400g of skirt beef

150g of peeled and thinly sliced potato

100g of peeled and thinly sliced turnip

75g of peeled and thinly sliced white onion

generous seasoning of salt and pepper SEE NOTE

1 egg for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees c

Split the dough into three separate balls and roll each ball into a round roughly 3mm thick and 20cm in diameter.

 On one side of the circle start by place a few slices of onion, potato, generous seasoning of salt and pepper, turnip, then a third of the beef, season again, then onion, potato, seasoning, then turnip, brush egg wash on all around the edges, and on the half of pastry without the filling, fold the pastry circle in half and either crimp by twisting the edge over itself to create a rope effect, or if your are a novice you can use a fork to seal the edges by pressing it down to nip the pastry together. 

 Place each pasty onto a baking tray line with greaseproof paper. Cut a small line in the top of the pasty to allow the steam to escape and brush liberally with egg wash. Cook on the middle shelf of the oven for an hour. Controversially I like my Cornish pasty served with sauteed cabbage, Sorry but I do!

NOTE: BE OVER THE TOP WITH THE SEASONING OTHERWISE IT WILL BE BLAND!