Veggischmooze Goodness can it be September?          

 

Dear lovely followers. Firstly huge apologies for the gap in submissions recently. Ahh our Sarah, the clever technical one that mixes the copy and the photos and subs to the internet has been frolicking at festivals with wellies and garlands of flowers and enjoying other lovely holidays. But we’ll put it all right now with wonderful entries. But Ruth has still been submitting to the Guardian with brilliant results. So please keep watching our pages   

Now our news, our lovely girls, Jasmine age 12 and Phoebe age 9, were thrilled when their delicious Choc Chip biscuits made it to the Kids’ Pages and we all celebrated. Try the recipe it works and that’s always a bonus.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jul/29/readers-recipe-swap-kids-recipes-felicity-cloake

And then although we didn’t achieve page fame in the Sticky section, all these recipes are tried and tested and work like a dream.

We wanted to offer something a little different so try our   

 

                             Posh Lemon and Coconut Syrup Tart –oooh!!

 

 

We’ve called it posh as we’ve bothered to make Paté Sucrée instead of shortcrust as we wanted a super crispy pastry with a buttery finish. We think it’s worth the ‘potch’ as they say in Wales and we have added masses of lemon juice and rind, plus vanilla seeds to counteract the sweetness of the syrup.    

Grease and flour a swiss roll tin 18cms x 28cms

Set oven on 170C, Gas mark 3    

Pastry

 90g butter or margarine 

60g soft brown sugar – we prefer the taste

10g vanilla sugar

3 free range organic egg yolks

200g plain flour + a little for rolling out

Grated zest ½ lemon

Cream the butter and the sugars in the processor. Slowly incorporate the egg yolks, and wiz the flour just until a soft ball of dough is formed. Flatten into a long rectangular shape, cover with cling film on both sides and chill for at least ½ hour.

Filling

300g golden syrup

150g desiccated coconut

100g homemade breadcrumbs made from a white loaf and processed

zest of 2 lemons+ juice of 1½

flaked coconut for topping as decoration

3 free-range- organic eggs

 

Roll out pastry and line tin pricking the mixture with a fork to prevent it rising. Line the tin with crumpled paper and baking beans. Bake for approximately 10 - 12 minutes or until it starts to look slightly gilded.

Remove the paper and beans. Mix the filling ingredients together and pour into the pastry case topping with a little flaked coconut for texture.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until gloriously golden and fragrant. Becomes sticky as it cools. And the inside is gorgeously gooey and sticky. Serve with masses of thick custard and lovely chats.

 

 

Then try our glorious Powerhouse Flapjacks – makes 24 delicious squares

 

These delicious flapjacks are made in an instant and will satisfy the hungriest child coming out from school or indeed a starving adult with a need for a healthier snack .With their toasted oat-rich contents and luscious nutty flavour, they will beat any so-called healthy granola bar. We found that these fabulous easy-to-make squares were brilliant fun to make with my grandchildren, as they are all mixed in one saucepan and have to be pressed or squidged into a lined tin and then sticky fingers licked. Enjoy.

Set the oven on 180C, Gas 4. Line a rectangle tin 29x19cms with baking parchment

Powerhouse Flapjacks – makes 24 delicious squares

 

350g jumbo or quick oats – not the ground variety

50g plain flour

175g luxury mixed dried fruit

70g pistachios

30g walnuts

150g light olive oil

160g golden syrup or honey

grated zest 1 orange

zest and juice ½ lemon

3 medium free range eggs

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

200g glace cherries roughly chopped

55g desiccated coconut

 

Toast oats in a large roasting tin for 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Leave to cool slightly. Measure oil and golden syrup or honey in a large saucepan and heat slightly or until syrup or honey melts. Remove from heat. Leave to cool. Roughly chop nuts and cherries. Add to cooled pan with remaining ingredients and spread onto tin. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until slightly golden. Cut into 5 cm squares approximately when warm. Leave to cool before removing from the tin.               

 

Enjoy!!

 

 

              

Finally our

Sticky Toffee Honey Nectarine and Apple Pudding

is a true winner and keeps like a dream. Warm and delectable this recipe was originally created by Ruth to serve on the Jewish New Year as its original contained apples and honey. But for the sticky challenge she decided to add one nectarine and half a cooking apple for tartness plus extra gooey stem ginger and half a tablespoon of black molasses.

 And ooh what a combo – soo chuffed – please try it. It’s sweet, spicy and ultra sticky and the stickiness grows if it’s left! Ha            

Serves 8-10

 

225g plain flour

¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon mixed spice

3 cardamom seeds ground and husks discarded

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

120g fair-trade dark muscovado sugar

120g margarine or butter

150ml honey or golden syrup

1 scant tablespoon black molasses or treacle

2 organic free-range eggs

4 tablespoons soya or whole milk

1 nectarine

½ cooking apple with skin

Juice and grated zest ½ lemon

100g dates stoned and finely chopped

2 pieces stem ginger finely sliced plus 1 tablespoon syrup for topping

 

Preheat the oven to 170C, gas mark 3 and line a 22cm round loose-bottomed cake tin with parchment paper.

Sift the flour with the bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice, ground ginger and allspice into a bowl. Melt the margarine /butter with the muscovado sugar, and honey or golden syrup and molasses in a pan. Set aside to cool.

Beat the eggs with the milk in a large mixing bowl. Grate the nectarine and apple and mix with the lemon juice and zest. Combine with the egg mixture and stir in the dates. Pour in the melted golden syrup/honey mixture and combine thoroughly. Quickly fold in the flour and spices and spoon into the prepared tin.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until the pudding is gloriously fragrant, golden brown and risen. It will feel firm on top. In a small dish combine 1 tablespoon golden syrup + 1 tablespoon syrup from a jar of stem ginger. Glaze the top of the warm pudding. It is rather gilding the lily but goodness it’s luscious.  

 Serve hot or cold with ice cream and enjoy

 

 

 

Please keep following for another lovely chat next week. Cheers folks.