Spiced Apple Cake (Thermomix)

This cake came out a little like a parkin and was delicious. Next time round I may cook for a little longer and adjust the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 0.5kgs of eating apples (3 or 4 approx)
• 3 eggs, separated
• 75gms of caster sugar
• 75gms of soft dark brown sugar
• 25gms of sunflower oil
• 125gms of plain flower
• 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 0.5 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 tsp pf cocao

Pre-heat oven to 180°C . Prep a 20cms square baking tin (4cms deep) (I use butter) and put to one side. Peel and core the apples and chop roughly in TM for about 3 secs, Speed 5. Cover and put to one side. Clean TM and thoroughly dry. Insert butterfly whisk into TM. Add the egg whites and beat until stiff for 3mins,speed3. Now add the sugar gradually until well mixed – speed 3 again. Remove the butterfly, scrape down the bowl and add all the ingredients excluding the apples and mix for 15 seconds, speed 5. Add the apples and mix to combine well for 10 seconds on reverse, speed 1. Scrape down with a spatula and ensure well combined. Pour the mixture into the baking tin and bake for 30mins until a stick comes out clean from the cake.Remove from tin and place on a rack to cool down. Serve in slices plain or with a spread of butter with a cup of tea – Perfect!

Review: Bocca di Lupo, Archer St, London, W1

We decided to meet up with our friend who lives in Covent Garden and her new best restaurant is this place. We got a last minute booking at the bar but when we got there it had been upgraded to a table at the back of the small dining area (probably the best table in the house if I was honest!) You are immediately impressed by the reception and atmosphere. It’s busy yet calm, light but not bright if that makes any sense! It was all looking promising. I had no preconceptions as to what the food was like and had read no reviews (but all were glowing allegedly) so I really had no idea what to expect. Many wines are sold by the glass or carafe and are good value. The house white was perfect.

The menu is quite small and in dimmed lights without the aid of any monocle (I left my sodding glasses at home) I could not make head not tale of the menu – no problem – the girls can order! And order they did. We shared the startes and mains and went for:

• Shaved Radish, celeriac and pecorino salad with pomegranates and truffle oil
• Deep fried artichoke a la giudia
• Pasta – Orecchiette with ‘nduja (spicy sausage) red onion and fresh tomato

• Roast suckling pig and grapes
• Luganega – think pork sausage with nutmeg, cinnamon and clove

There are lots of options for small plates or large plates and so I remarked it was like an Italian version of a tapas bar. And in fact it is. I can’t really fault the food. It was fresh, enjoyable and above all unusual – certainly not your run of the mill Italian! Service was above average and apart from a mistake in ordering a rather expensive Chianti (mistake only being the price!!), the bill was very modest.

I shall be back and try and do the menu a little more justice only next time I will be armed with my reading glasses!!

Sticky Toffee Apple pudding with Caramel Sauce

This recipe is based on James Martin's recipe from Saturday Kitchen but with a few tweeks!

It falls into 3 parts: Cake or Pudding, Caramel Sauce and Sharp apple sauce.

Ingredients (serves 6/8):

• 140gms of butter (softened)
• 300gms of sharp eating apples
• 50ml water
• 30gms caster sugar
• 175gms of dark brown sugar
• 3 tbsp of golden syrup
• 2 free range eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200gms self raising flour
• 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 1 apple for decoration - cored and sliced in thin wedges
• (optional 2 tbsp of calvados - I used brandy as I had no calvados!)

Caramel Sauce:

• 70gms of dark brown sugar
• 50gms of granulated sugar
• 120gms of butter
• 120gms of golden syrup
• 100ml of double cream or milk depending on thickness required
• few drops of vanilla extract
• 2 tsps of lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Grease/flour 23cm spring-form tin. Melt 25g of the butter in a saucepan and add the apples, water and sugar. Cook over a gentle heat until steam appears from the saucepan, then cover with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until thick and fluffy. Remove the lid and beat the mixture to remove any lumps. Add the calvados and beat until well combined. Beat 90g of the butter and the soft brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the golden syrup, eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Fold the self-raising flour into the cake mixture.

Meanwhile, add the bicarbonate of soda to the apple puree and mix well, then stir this quickly into the cake mixture. Pour into the cake tin and gently tap the sides of the tin to evenly disperse the mixture.

Melt the remaining 25g butter in a saucepan. Arrange the sliced apple over the top of the cake in a circle, and brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the cake. Place in the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes, and allow to cool slightly before turning out.

For the calvados caramel sauce, place the sugar and butter into a small saucepan and cook until melted and well combined. Pour in the double cream and calvados. Simmer gently for three to five minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly. Add the lemon juice to the sauce. This makes the sauce a little less sweet but still rich.

To serve, cut the cake into slices and put a spoonful of ice cream on top. Finish by drizzling over some of the sauce and adding some sharp apple puree. (see note below)

Thermomix instructions:

I have only done the apples and the caramel sauce in the thermomix but will update when I have sussed out the cake mix!

Caramel Sauce - put the butter, sugars and syrup into the TM bowl and cook for 5 mins 80deg/speed 1.5. Add the milk and vanilla. Cook for 3 minutes 100deg/speed 2

If you want to cook the apples, core,peel and roughly chop apples. Put into TM bowl with the water and cook for 10mins/90deg/speed1/reverse blade. At this point you can either puree for the sauce (20 secs speed 8) or lightly chop for the cake 5 secs speed 4 - until you get approx 7mm pieces of apple etc.

New gadget in the kitchen - a Thermomix

I have been after one of these gadgets for ages and having had it a few weeks now, I'm not disappointed! (It's a good job really as they are rather expensive) I can now create a host of things with minimal fuss and free me up to do other things in the kitchen - great considering I have limited time anyway. Already I have created perfect soups, a terrific caramel sauce, perfect bechamel /cheese sauces, Cranberry sauce and bread sauce. As the unit cooks as well as processing, there is minimal less washing up as well!

Have a look here to see why it is so good.

Where possible, I will add notes to any recipes so those of you who are lucky enough to own one can apply the recipe to the Thermomix