Hooked on baking

Dear Readers

I am delighted to introduce our latest recruit, Jan Hook, an Iden resident, who has agreed to join the Rye News team and write a regular monthly baking column. Jan is not only an accomplished baker but also, at the tender age of 77 has written and published her first book. So, without further ado, I will hand you over to Jan who, after a brief introduction will tempt your taste buds with a couple of her favourite festive recipes.

Nick Forman, News Editor

I am a passionate baker of cakes, but I am a lazy, or more accurately, impatient baker, in as much as I have not the patience for fiddly cake making and decorating and I admire greatly those who are proficient in that artistry. For this reason, I have a particular fondness for baking muffins. They are quick, easy and economical to make, important in today’s current economic climate.

It would give me great pleasure to share with you each month a muffin recipe to try out. Perhaps occasionally, I might throw something different into the mix (pardon the pun!). Even if you are a novice baker, you will not find these recipes too challenging. An experienced baker may find a new recipe to add to their repertoire perhaps.

That is all to come in future months but, as we are now coming into the festive season, I thought I would, on this inaugural voyage of discovery, share with you one of my favourite Christmas recipes.

Still keeping it fairly simple, though I will admit with ingredients costs rising, not so economical. However, the taste, for me, justifies my once-a-year extravagance.

Firstly, my homemade mincemeat. Yes, I know it’s much easier to buy a jar from the supermarket and there is nothing whatsoever wrong with that, but I think if you try this you will be converted.

Christmas, whisky laced mincemeat
Unctuous and just a bit decadent!

Ingredients

1lb (450g) Mixed dried fruit, to include dried apricots and dates, (snip these into small pieces with scissors.) I always used to use half of basic mixed dried fruit and the other half equal measures of apricots and dates; however, the cost of dried fruit has risen so much that I now use approximately 12oz (338g) of the mixed fruit and make up the rest.
8oz (225g) peeled, cored and grated Bramley apples (Bramleys are best but I have also made it using eating apples)
½ level teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon
8 fl oz of Guinness (if using eating apples, I use 9 fl oz)
2 good tablespoons of whisky

Method

Put all the ingredients except the whisky into a saucepan, bring to the boil, put a lid on and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, until the apple is cooked, stirring from time to time to prevent sticking. Leave to cool slightly then stir in the whisky.

This can be stored in sterilised jars, or, once cooled, in the fridge until required (will keep for a month) or freeze in a suitable container (will keep for 6 months)

Obviously, the amount can be doubled if a bigger amount is needed and you can play with what dried fruit you use.

Mince pies

Use the mincemeat for your favourite mince pie recipe, short crust pastry and puff pastry can be bought if you don’t want to make it. Or for a really luxurious mince pie, you might like to try the following recipe. This is not easy to work with, but I personally think it’s worth the effort for a little bit of luxury eating.

Ingredients

275g (10oz) Self raising flour – 2 tablespoons icing sugar – 50g (2oz) ground almonds – 125g (4oz) soft margarine spread – 50g (2oz) white vegetable fat – 3 tablespoons milk mixed with one beaten egg – For topping; 1 beaten egg and about 50g (2oz) flaked almonds.

Method

Rub the fat into the dry ingredients, carefully mix in the egg & milk mixture. Don’t over mix as the oil in almonds upsets fat content. To chill, I find it easier to turn a plastic food bag inside out, put my hand in and scoop up the pastry, tipping any bits left in the bowl into the bag and moulding it into a round from outside. Leave to chill in the fridge until firmed up.

Roll out on a floured surface and cut into rounds to fit into the hole of a muffin tin, cut a small wedge to fit the round into hole, fill well with mincemeat, top with smaller rounds.

Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle flaked almonds over. (If it’s too crumbly to handle I plop a ball of pastry in hole and carefully mould it in with floured fingers)

Bake at 200C/mark 6 10-15 minutes until golden, Cool in tin for ease of removal before removing onto cooling tray. Can freeze for up to 3 months

Of course, the mincemeat can be used for other delights too. If there is any left-over pastry, I line a suitably sized dish with it, spread over some mincemeat and top with a crumble topping, freeze it to bring out later as a surprise Christmassy dessert.

Why not ring the changes and make some mincemeat muffins?

Mincemeat muffins

Here’s the recipe I devised and like;-

Ingredients

255g (9oz) Plain flour – 3 tblspns baking powder – 50g (2oz) dark soft brown sugar – juice of one orange – 8 fl oz milk – 3 fl oz sunflower oil – 1 egg – mincemeat (about the equivalent of just under half a jar)

Prepare a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases (I prefer the tulip cases ) preheat oven to 190-200C /180fan/gas mark 5-6

Method

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and in a separate jug beat together the milk, oil and egg. Pour liquid ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined, don’t over stir but make sure there is no flour left, it doesn’t matter if it’s lumpy.

Put a spoonful of mixture into the bottom of each case then spoon in a small teaspoonful of mincemeat, divide the rest of muffin mixture evenly over each one and bake for about 20 minutes (I usually turn the tin after 15). They are done when lightly browned and spring back when touched.

Remove onto a wire cooling rack.

If you have any spare Bramley apples why not wash them, remove the core with a corer, or knife (make sure no pips or hard casing of pips left) score a line around the circumference halfway down, fill the hole that the core leaves with some mincemeat, top with a very small knob of butter and bake in a tray for about 30-40 minutes on 180 C/ gas 4 (or you could try them in the microwave for about 4 minutes) Serve with cream/ice cream, or whatever takes your fancy!

I will be back in the new year with another muffin recipe.

Happy Christmas baking!

Image Credits: Jan Hook .