Tag: Recipes

Categories
Desserts Recipes

Cherry, Mascarpone & Biscotti Dessert

Here’s a Valentine’s Day dessert that you will love. Layers of bittersweet cherries, creamy mascarpone cheese and crumbled almond biscotti combine in a bowl of deliciousness that is both smooth and crunchy.

In fact, don’t just keep it for Valentine’s Day – this is so good it will wow your dinner guests any day of the year.

Servings

This will make 4 individual desserts like the one shown above.

Timings

20 mins to prepare the 3 component layers in advance, then a further 5 mins to combine.

You Will Need

  • 180g cherries, chopped into quarters with stones removed
  • 2 tsp icing sugar
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 150g mascarpone cheese
  • 150g greek yoghurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g almond biscotti
  • glass tumblers to serve

Method

  1. Put the cherries in a bowl with 1 tsp icing sugar and the lemon juice. Give it a good stir so that all the cherries are coated in sugary juice. Set aside for 10 mins to soak, while you prepare the rest.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix together the mascarpone, yoghurt, the other tsp icing sugar and vanilla. I used an electric mixer to make sure the thick mascarpone was integrated with the thinner yoghurt.
  3. Put the biscotti in a bag and crush it to rough crumbs with a rolling pin. This is fun, so give it a good bash and take out all your frustrations!
  4. Steps 1 – 3 can be done well in advance of serving. My photo above shows the three component parts, ready to be layered.
  5. The next steps should be taken no more than 2 hours before serving. This is so that the crushed biscotti retains its crunch and does not go soggy. Noone wants soggy biscotti.
  6. Put half the crushed biscotti in a layer across the bottom of each of the glasses. Top with a layer of half of the mascarpone mix, then half the cherries.
  7. Follow this with one further layer of the remaining biscotti, the mascarpone, and finally the cherries on top.
  8. Serve. The layering means that as you dig down into the glass with your spoon, you mix it up and get a taste of all the parts together.

Customise It!

I am a fan of the classic taste combination of cherry and almond, hence this recipe. However, you can experiment with other types of biscuits – amaretti or biscoff would work well. Equally, you could substitute other fruit for the cherries – maybe raspberries and blueberries, or a mix of both.

Time for a Valentine’s themed track on our ADK Spotify Playlist. Here is some early Simple Minds with Love Song.

Categories
Recipes Snacks

Smoked Paprika Popcorn

This week I’ve been looking to make a snack to enjoy while watching this weekend’s Superbowl. I always stay up for the game, even though it starts at around 11.30pm UK time, and continues into the early hours.

This year’s should be a particularly good match-up – the Philadelphia Eagles have had an outstanding season, but will face their toughest challenge yet against the Kansas City Chiefs. Even though the Chiefs have the talented Patrick Mahomes as quarterback, I’m predicting that the Eagles will be just too strong overall, and will take home the trophy. We shall soon see if I am right!

As it’s Superbowl weekend, I’m keen that my snack should follow an American theme. I also want it to be savoury, that can be enjoyed alongside a cold drink while watching the game.

This has led me to popcorn, a classic American snack. It’s a food that sometimes gets a bad press online, typically for being served smothered in refined sugar and hydrogenated fats, in large cardboard buckets and consumed in dark multiplex cinemas. Even in the home, microwave-ready popcorn also comes in for some criticism with concerns over chemicals used in its packaging.

However, as I am sure my lovely American foodie followers will point out, popping corn, prepared properly, is essentially a healthy snack! As a grain, it is high in fibre, low in calories and a good source of antioxidants.

So why not have a go at making some? It is inexpensive, quick and easy. I bought a 500g bag of popping corn in Sainsbury’s for £1.45, meaning the portion size below costs about 15p (or 18 cents) to make.

The smoked paprika drizzle ingredients are minimal, and cooking it from scratch means that you are in complete control over what and how much is added. This means it can be enjoyed as a relatively healthy snack. It is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.

Will you be following the Superbowl? Feel free to leave any comments you wish at the foot of this post. Enjoy the popcorn, and enjoy the game!

Servings

This will make around 50g of popcorn, enough for two people as a Superbowl snack. If you’re expecting guests, especially hungry, or if the game goes into Overtime, just make extra!

Timings

10 mins to make in total (see, I told you it was quick).

You Will Need

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 50g popping maize corn
  • sea salt flakes
  • half to 1 tsp smoked paprika

Method

  1. Put a heat under a heavy pan with tight-fitting lid. Add in 1 tbsp of the oil and the golden corn. Spread the corn in a single layer across the bottom of the pan (see photo above).
  2. After a minute, pick up the pan and hold down the lid. Give it a good shake to ensure all the corn is coated in the oil. I actually do this a few times during the cooking process. Just make sure to keep that lid tight on the pan while doing so!
  3. After another few minutes, it will all start kicking off. The corn will begin to pop and bits will be pinging off the lid and walls of the pan. A drop of moisture inside each corn kernel causes it to explode when heated, making it jump around (hence the reason for the tight fitting lid).
  4. There are usually a few kernels that don’t pop, and the ones that have popped will toast nicely in the hot pan. After a few minutes the popping will slow down, and you can remove the pan from the heat.
  5. Pause for a moment to enjoy the delicious aroma of cooked and popped corn that will just have filled your kitchen.
  6. Tip the popcorn into a large sharing bowl and, while it is still warm, drizzle over the second tbsp of oil. Sprinkle over the sea salt and the smoked paprika. Give it a good stir so that all the corn gets coated.
  7. Finally, taste and add further seasalt or paprika, if required.
  8. Take the bowl (which should resemble my main photo at the top of this post) with your cold drink of choice, and retire to the TV room to enjoy the Superbowl.

Next track for the ADK Spotify Playlist is also Superbowl-inspired. It’s Rihanna’s turn to headline the Half Time Show this year. With no rain forecast for Arizona this Sunday, I wonder if she will still be bringing along her Umbrella? Let’s hope so!

Categories
Bakes Recipes

Lemon Drizzle Slices

After 2 flights, 26 hours in the air, 4 movies and at least 7 in-flight meals or snacks, I am now back home in the UK from my Australian trip.

I’ve also swapped a daily high temperature of around 30C in the Australian summer, for one of around 8C in the UK winter. If that sounds low in comparison, it is positively tropical given what friends and family have told me about the freezing weather here over December and January. Touch wood, we seem to have missed the worst of a very cold UK winter.

It’s good to be back in the ADK kitchen researching new dishes and listening to some new bands over the speakers on Spotify. There’s lots of exciting recipes and stuff to come over my next few posts, so stay tuned.

The first creation since my return is the Lemon Drizzle Slices shown above. I made these as a thankyou for our lovely neighbours who have been keeping an eye on our house while we have been away. Sweet and tangy, the cakes went down particularly well along with a glass of prosecco, sat in a warm living room sharing a few holiday snaps cast to the TV screen. Fancy having a go?

Servings

This will make 16 slices.

Timings

10 minutes to prepare, 15 – 20 mins in the oven. 5 mins to drizzle the lemon and another 5 mins to add the icing.

You Will Need

  • 70g softened butter
  • 120g caster sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 140g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • zest of a lemon
  • 1 tbsp lemon curd
  • 2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
  • 30g granulated sugar
  • juice of a lemon
  • 70g icing sugar
  • 1 – 2 tbsp water

Method

  1. Grease a traybake pan 20cm x 20cm and line with baking paper.
  2. Heat the oven to 180C.
  3. Cream the softened butter and caster sugar with a mixer. Add in the eggs and whisk again.
  4. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the mixture. Add in the zest, lemon curd and milk. Stir to combine so there are no dry ingredients showing.
  5. Tip the mixture into the tin and place in the oven once it’s up to temperature. Bake for 15 – 20 mins, until the cake has risen and is golden. Pierce the middle with a skewer and, if there is no wet mixture on the skewer, it is done.
  6. Leave the cake in the tin, and pierce it all over in about 15 – 20 places to make tiny little holes. Mix the lemon juice and granulated sugar, then gently pour it over the cake, so that it seeps down into the holes. Take it slow as, if you pour too fast, it will flow off to the sides.
  7. Leave the soaked cake to cool completely, then remove it from the tin.
  8. Mix the icing sugar and water together, then spread over the cake. Leave it aside to set (I find placing it in the fridge helps the setting process).
  9. Once the icing is set, cut into slices and serve.

Customise it!

This recipe is already customised, to be fair, so there’s not too much more to suggest. It’s based on one by Paul Hollywood (thanks Paul), to which I have made a few tweaks – the main one being to use only one third the amount of icing that he does. I can only assume he likes his icing laid on nice and thick!

If you don’t want to make the icing, that’s ok – the cake is also fine to serve without it (see my photo below).

I’ve been discovering some great new music since my return, so will be featuring this on the ADK Playlist over the next few posts. Here’s the first: The WAEVE is the new venture by Graham Coxon (out of Blur) and Rose Elinor Dougall. They’ve just released their first album, and I love the bass guitar line on this track, called Kill Me Again. Stick with it – it kicks in after the first verse.

Categories
Bakes Recipes

The Perfect Lamington

During my travels here in Australia, I have become quite partial to the Lamington. Typically enjoyed with a coffee, it seems to be something of a national treasure, and is on sale in bakeries and cafes everywhere we go.

Essentially it is a square-shaped sponge cake, coated in chocolate icing with a generous sprinkling of desiccated coconut. A simple, and unbeatable combination!

The story goes that it was invented in Queensland, Australia in around 1900 by the chef to the State Governor, Lord Lamington. I understand that New Zealanders have also laid claim to it’s creation, but the Aussies seem to be having none of that!

There are some variations. The ones in my main photo introduce another ingredient – a layer of raspberry jam in the middle – which works really well. There is even a bakery in Sydney that has developed glamingtons, with flavours including strawberry, salted caramel and peanut butter. The original choc and coconut combo remains the most popular, however.

Australia Day (the national holiday) is coming up on 26 January, and one of the ways that people will be celebrating is by baking and eating Lamingtons. These ones, adorned with national flags, I spotted in a bakery today in Brighton, a resort just down the coast from Melbourne.

Here is another variation for Australia Day – a Lamington style Victoria sponge filled with fresh cream.

Can’t be bad!

Fancy joining in?

Servings

This will make around 16 cakes.

Timings

20 mins to prep, 20 mins in the oven. Once cooled, 10 mins to coat in the icing.

You Will Need:

  • metal baking tray, 24cm square (or equivalent)
  • 125g sugar
  • 50g butter, softened, plus 1 tbsp for the icing
  • 2 eggs
  • 120g self-raising flour
  • 85g desiccated coconut
  • 2 tbsp cocoa
  • 150g icing sugar
  • 3 tbsp boiling water
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • some smooth raspberry jam (optional)

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180C.
  2. Grease and line the metal baking tray with baking paper.
  3. Cream the sugar and softened butter together in a mixer. Whisk in the eggs and combine, then add in the self-raising flour.
  4. Pour the batter into the baking tray and spread out evenly with a knife or spatula. Bake for 20 mins.
  5. Cool on a baking tray, then cut into squares.
  6. If you wish to add a layer of jam, do so at this stage – slice each square and spread it in, making a jam sandwich.
  7. For the chocolate coating, mix the cocoa, icing sugar, boiling water and tbsp butter. Give it a good stir so it forms a nice, thick sauce.
  8. Put the desiccated coconut in a separate bowl, alongside.
  9. One at a time, place each sponge square on a fork and dunk it in the choc sauce. Use a spoon to coat the top and sides, then set it in the coconut, gently turning it over so that all sides are coated.
  10. Leave on a wire rack and allow 10 – 15 mins to set, before serving.

Customise it!

As indicated above, bakers across Australia have come up with a number of very creative variations. If, like me, this is the first time you’ve made Lamingtons, I would stick to the basic recipe. With all the dunking in choc sauce and coconut, this has the potential to become quite messy. My advice is to learn to walk before you run!

I mentioned earlier that we had visited Brighton today. For my final photo, I will share with you this shot from Brighton Beach, looking back towards the Melbourne city skyline. I liked the contrast between the small town seaside resort, with a line of little coloured beach huts on the right, and the mighty CBD behind. It was another hot one today, reaching 30C, and we joined the many people cooling off in the sea.

Time to add another Australian band to the ADK Playlist. I discovered The Presets, an electronic duo from Sydney, on a visit to Melbourne’s Australian Centre for the Moving Image. This track is called My People.

Categories
Sides

Chargrilled Sweet Veg with Feta & Balsamic

Christmas in Australia feels very different from the UK, coming in the middle of the summer. With temperature in the mid-20s C, the only ice you’ll need to deal with is the type that clinks in your martini glass as you relax on the sun deck. It’s more a case of barefoot on warm sand, than Jack Frost nipping at your toes. One definite advantage is having the barbecue as a cooking option while entertaining over the holiday period.

This dish is intended to be served as a vegetable side to a seasonal main, like turkey, fish or ham, and alongside roast potatoes. My photo below shows my prepped and skewered veg from the first time I made this. Since then, as you will see from the ingredients list below, I have added a few further types of veg.

My next photo shows the skewers cooking, alongside some meaty mains. The veg will soften and caramelise on the grill, the edges gently charring over the flame.

Once chargrilled, the sharpness of the feta cheese will complement the sweetness of the veg, with the balsamic vinegar giving just the right amount of sourness in the dressing. See my main photo above for the end result.

Servings

Alongside a seasonal roasted main like turkey, fish or ham, and roasted potatoes, this will serve as an extra side veg dish for up to 8 people.

Timings

15 mins prep, 20 mins grilling time.

You Will Need

  • 1 red, 1 green and 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 aubergine
  • 2 red onions
  • 2 courgettes
  • 1 butternut squash
  • oil to drizzle
  • 400g feta cheese
  • a good sprinkle of balsamic vinegar
  • 9 – 10 barbecue skewers
  • a bottle of craft beer to drink while bbq-ing (of course!)

Method

  1. Soak the skewers in cold water for about 10 mins. This will help stop them burning while cooking.
  2. While the skewers are soaking, cut the peppers and aubergine into pieces roughly 1-2cm square.
  3. Cut the courgettes into discs around 0.5 – 1 cm thick.
  4. Cut each of the red onions into 8 segments, so that each segment is still joined to the root end. This will help the onion layers hold together while cooking on the skewer.
  5. Peel the squash and discard the seeds and pith. Cut into cubes with sides roughly 1 – 2cm in size.
  6. Thread all the veg pieces on to wooden skewers and drizzle the oil over.
  7. Cut the feta into 1cm sided cubes, and set aside till the veg has cooked.
  8. Fire up the barbecue and, when it’s nice and hot, lay the skewers on the grill. Turn every so often until the veg has softened and the edges are nicely charred – likely to be around 20 mins.
  9. Remove from the grill. Scrape all the veg off into a warmed bowl, using a fork.
  10. Add the feta cubes and the balsamic, and give it a good stir so the ingredients are mixed well. See my main photo above for the end result.
  11. Serve alongside the rest of your meal.

Customise it!

Don’t have access to a barbecue? Or is it just a UK summer and too cold outside? Understood – I’ve been there lots of times! Not to worry – roast the veg in the oven at 180c for 30 mins, then mix with the feta and balsamic.

Talking of the weather, this post seems an appropriate time to add this Aussie classic to the ADK Playlist: Crowded House with Weather With You.

Whatever you’re cooking and wherever you are, have a great Christmas!

Categories
Mains Recipes

Parmesan Kohlrabi Steaks

Kohlrabi is a great vegetable to cook with. It has a texture that’s been described as a cross between a turnip and a water chestnut, which sounds about right.

Quite often you will see it in recipes that treat it like the poor relation – consigned to the margins of a meal, as a side dish, or have it grated into a salad along with other ingredients.

I felt it deserved its place in the spotlight, so this dish sees it firmly centre stage (or should that be centre plate?) as the star attraction. The crisp, juicy and crunchy texture it retains when cooked makes it suitable as a main, especially for anyone on a vegetarian, vegan or plant-based diet. I hope you will find it lives up to its billing!

It is actually quite simple to make. Cut a large disc-shaped slice of the kohlrabi that is about 1 – 2cm in thickness from the widest point (the equator, if you know what I mean). Trim off the peel, then cut it into about 6 pieces. Go for irregular shapes – you want each steak to be individual and the whole dish not to look uniform. Also, work in a number of angles and corners – these will crisp and caramelise as they roast.

Briefly place the steaks in a shallow pan with a little oil. Fry each steak on both sides for about 2 – 3 mins, then transfer to a roasting dish and place in the oven, heated to 180C. Let them roast for 30 mins, flipping them over half-way through.

Remove the dish from the oven and grate 40g of parmesan cheese (or vegan alternative if desired) over the steaks. Place back in the oven for a further 10 mins and let the cheese melt. The steaks will be browning up nicely as the photo below shows (I couldn’t resist a sneak peek in the oven to see how they were doing).

When complete, remove and serve with your choice of accompaniment. In my main photo you can see that I served this with savoury rice and steamed carrots. I served 3 steaks in one serving, making this a meal for 2.

If you like, you can make more servings, or have it again on another occasion, as you will only have used a fraction of that beautiful kohlrabi.

This is an exciting weekend for me, as I am setting off on my travels, spending the next couple of months in Australia, with some time in the Middle-East en route. I’ll be blogging here and tweeting (@differentkitch) along the way, so do please follow me on my journey. I welcome any comments and suggestions on places to visit and eat, food and drink I should try. This lovely track about global travel – Ramblin’ Man from Lemon Jelly – seems particularly appropriate today!

Categories
Mains Recipes

Sweet Potato, Kale and Chorizo Hash

This is a great midweek meal when the nights are closing in, and a dish that I find irresistible! I love the smell and crackle of the chorizo as it sizzles in the pan, and the vivid, contrasting colours. The bright orange of the sweet potato, and freshly picked green kale from the garden, combine to make this autumn on a plate.

Servings

This is a meal for two.

Timings

15 – 20 mins to prepare.

You Will Need

  • 400g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
  • 20g butter
  • about 80g fresh kale (for me this was 8 or 9 leaves)
  • 1 onion
  • 1 red pepper
  • 100g chorizo
  • 400g can of chopped tomatoes

Method

  1. Put the sweet potato chunks in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer for 15 mins.
  2. Chop the kale leaves into strips and place in a steamer over the saucepan. They will soften in the steam from the sweet potatoes as they cook.
  3. Separately, in a frying pan, add the onion and red pepper, chopped, along with slices of the chorizo. There is no need to add any oil or spices, as the chorizo will provide all the oil and flavouring you need.
  4. After 5 mins, add the chopped tomatoes to the frying pan and stir in.
  5. When the sweet potato has cooked, drain it and mash with the butter. Add it to the frying pan, along with the steamed kale.
  6. Give it all a good stir in the frying pan and turn up the heat. Turn the mixture over a few times with a broad spatula – you should try to get some parts of the hash crisped and browned. Serve when it has reached a level of charred-ness that suits your tastes!

Customise It!

Stick to the core of sweet potato, kale and chorizo, but beyond this add in other veg you like. Garden peas or sweetcorn would be fine, for example.

You can use any good chorizo sausage. The one I used is a British-made variety from the Cotswold Curer (see photo). I picked this up at Warwick Food Market when I was in the West Midlands for the Commonwealth Games, back in the summer.

Whatever chorizo you use, remember this is a hash – switch up the heat, get that spatula in there and make sections of it nice and crisp by flipping over and over.

Just like my favourite track from Hot Chip – the latest addition to the ADK Spotify Playlist:

Categories
Bakes Desserts Recipes

Coffee and Walnut Cake

It’s a great pleasure to introduce our latest guest post this week on A Different Kitchen. My good friend, and master baker, Kelvin, shares with us his recipe for Coffee and Walnut Cake. He has treated me to a slice of this and I can confirm it is delicious, with a creamy coffee coating and a walnut crunch.

Hi, this is a cake that I have made a few times now. It has always been very popular with my family, and I have developed it to take account of their feedback. In particular, I have added more coffee cream filling to coat the top and sides of the cake (not just the middle), and more walnuts. This latest version was well-received at my wife’s birthday party recently. My little 3 year-old grand-daughter liked it a lot, having a second slice and asking for me to make her next birthday cake. A satisfied customer indeed!

Timings

15 mins to prepare, and around 40 mins to bake.

Servings

I used a 24cm diameter size baking tin, enough for around 16 generous slices.

You Will Need

For the Cake

  • 225g softened butter
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 275g self-raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon (tsp) baking powder
  • 4 tablespoons (tbs) milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 80g walnuts (chopped)
  • 1 tbs instant coffee granules with 1 tbs boiled water

For the Filling

  • 150g softened butter
  • 400g icing sugar (sifted through a mesh sieve)
  • 4tsp milk
  • 2tsp instant coffee granules with 2tsp boiled water
  • 50g walnuts halved for decorating the top of the cake.

Method

For the Cake

  1. Grease cake tin with a thin layer of butter and pre-heat a fan oven to 160C.
  2. Beat the eggs well in a cake bowl until fluffy. Add butter, sugar, finely chopped walnuts, flour, baking powder, milk and vanilla essence. Dissolve the coffee granules in the boiled water, and add to the bowl once cooled. Mix well.
  3. Spread mixture evenly into the cake tin.
  4. Bake until ready in oven for 30/40 mins. Check to make sure it is no longer moist inside.

For the Filling

  1. Beat softened butter and gently add filtered icing sugar (and when all icing sugar added) add milk. Dissolve the coffee granules in 2tsp water, and add when cooled. Beat together until smooth.
  2. After the cake has cooled, cut it into half. Inside one half thinly spread filling. Place other half on top and cover with the remainder of the filling and around the sides (as shown in the photo).  
  3. Finish by decorating halved walnuts over icing on top of cake.
  4. Keep in the fridge to harden the icing.
  5. Take out of the fridge 30 mins before serving.
  6. Slices can be frozen to retain freshness.

My choice of musical track for adding to Kevin’s ADK Playlist is The Sounds of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel. I particularly like this version, recorded live. The wonderful harmonies, the lyrics and the simple accompaniment on acoustic guitar combine to make this a favourite song of mine.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Root Veg Curry

Continuing the recent theme of cooking with autumn vegetables, this dish brings together a variety of seasonal root veg in a subtle yet spicy curry that is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. My meal, shown in the photo, used celeriac, mooli (or white radish), kohl rabi, carrot and parsnip, though other veg are available!

Servings

This will make enough to serve four.

Timings

10 mins to peel and chop the root veg, and 30 mins to roast. The rest of the prep can be done while the veg is roasting. Allow 10 mins more to combine and finalise.

You Will Need

  • a baking tray full of root vegetables, peeled and chopped into chunks. I used celeriac, mooli (white radish), kohl rabi, carrot and parsnip
  • oil to drizzle
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 fresh chilli, or 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp nigella seeds
  • 500g passata
  • bunch of fresh coriander
  • 400ml can of coconut milk
  • rice to serve

Method

  1. Drizzle oil over the tray of chunked root veg and roast in the oven at 180C for 30 mins.
  2. While the veg is roasting, heat some oil in a saucepan and toss in the garlic and spices until sizzling. Then add in the onion.
  3. After a few minutes, add in the passata, Hold the bunch of coriander over the pan and, with scissors, cut in a generous amount.
  4. Let the passata and coriander cook for a few minutes.
  5. Add in the coconut milk and stir to combine. Cook for a further 5 – 10 mins. It will reduce slightly to give a thick, spicy sauce.
  6. When the root veg is roasted, scrape it into the saucepan and stir in.
  7. Serve with boiled rice.

Customise it!

Lots of scope to vary the veg. Butternut and other squash will work well in the roasting tray, also some chestnut mushrooms or peppers. Adjust the strength of the chilli and spices to suit your taste.

For musical choice, I have gone for a favourite track of mine, which also serves as an homage to the good people at our local community farm who harvest these lovely root vegetables from the soil – Can You Dig It by The Mock Turtles.

Categories
Breakfast Desserts Recipes Snacks

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

A feature of autumn is having lots of weird coloured and wonderful shaped pumpkins and squashes on our vegetable stalls. This recipe uses one of these to bring sweetness and moist texture to a set of freshly baked muffins. I recently made these on Halloween (as my photo shows!), but they are just as enjoyable for an autumn-themed breakfast, dessert or a snack with tea or coffee.

Servings

This will make 12 muffins.

Timings

10 mins to chop the squash, and 30 mins to roast it. The rest of the prep can be done while the squash is roasting, and the muffins will then take 25 mins to bake at 180C.

You Will Need

  • Pumpkin, butternut or other squash, peeled with seeds and pith removed, and cut into chunks. You will need 250g of chunks.
  • 255g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • half tsp salt
  • 2tsp mixed spice
  • 140g caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 150ml milk
  • 2 tablesp runny honey
  • 90 ml vegetable oil
  • 50 g dried fruit
  • 50g chopped mixed nuts
  • a few handfuls of pumpkin and sunflower seeds to garnish

Method

  1. Spread the chunks of squash out on a baking tray, drizzle with oil, and roast in an oven at 180C for 30 mins.
  2. While the squash is roasting, prepare a muffin tin or mould.
  3. In a bowl, sift together flour, bicarb, salt, spices and sugar. Add the nuts and dried fruit and stir well.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix the egg, milk, oil and honey.
  5. When the squash has finished roasting, remove from the oven. The chunks should be charred and caramelised at the edges. Lift them on to a plate and set aside to cool for 10 mins.
  6. Whirl the squash chunks in a food processor with blade fitted, till you have a puree. This process should also help the squash to cool further.
  7. Scrape the squash puree into the egg mixture and stir. Then add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
  8. Spoon the combined mixture into the muffin tin or mould. Sprinkle a few pumpkin and sunflower seeds on top of each muffin. Bake in the oven, still at 180C, for 25 mins until golden.

Customise it!

Cut down on time to bake the muffins by roasting the squash earlier, perhaps when you already have the oven on cooking something else. Puree it and set aside to cool, then use as stated. Feel free to substitute other types of nuts and seeds as you prefer.

Musical choice for this post comes from Inspiral Carpets. I have just obtained tickets to see the band on tour in London next spring. I’m excited about this – I have grown to really like their music in the last few years but haven’t seen them before. I especially like the 60s sounding farfisa organ played by Clint Boon. They have lots of great tracks but this one seems particularly appropriate to the season – She Comes in the Fall.