Have you been organizing your baking cupboard? Me too. You know what they say about dividing your kitchen into work zones... it's all true my friends.
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Welsh Pie Dragon
My wee bottle of Grand Marnier |
I like to cook up an occasional pudding with a dash of Grand Marnier... buying these little bottles keeps me out of trouble. Of course I get myself into trouble with other things but never mind! Have you got yourself a Pie Dragon, or perhaps a Pie Bird? My dragon belonged to Grandma Jean. She never did go to Wales but a friend did and brought it back for her. I don't think she used it much as she was never much of a baker, she's more into beer and sausages!
I made a resolution this year to eat more cognac filled chocolates. Also to bake more desserts and breads for MrBP and The Rascals.
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| My breadboard at the ready. |
Cinnamon buns are a popular stand-by.
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Cinnamon buns.
MrBP loves these with a coffee. |
I like to dress up every day so aprons are a total must. There's no hardship in that when Williams Sonoma makes them in such fetching colour combinations.
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| Williams Sonoma apron in gold and grey. |
I baked a sour apricot upside down cake without any flour and it was so delicious. I made up the recipe as I went along but luckily I took photos for you so I've remembered the ingredients.
Sour Apricot Upside Down Cake
Boil 1 heaping cup of dried sour apricots with 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of organic sugar for 10 minutes, then set aside...
Preheat your oven to 350 and mix together the following:
1 cup ground almonds
3 medium eggs (or 2 large)
1 cup organic sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 and 1/4 cups of extra smooth ricotta cheese
Mix the batter ingredients until you get something fairly smooth looking.
Pour your hot apricots with their syrup into a parchment covered round cake pan...
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| Careful not to burn yourself. |
then pour the batter right on top before sticking it in the hot oven.
Once your cake is golden looking and cooked through (mine took 35 minutes) remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Grab a plate and place on top of the cake, then with a skilled deft motion flip the whole thing upside down. Peel away your paper and voila!
It was quite good with a glass of Hungarian dessert wine. I think this cake could also be done with sour cherries substituted for the sour apricots.
I'm keeping procurement for the household to a minimum this year but one item I have purchased will help me along with my New Year's Resolution (not the cognac filled chocolate resolution... the baking resolution).
A new stand mixer! Mine went kaput sometime in 2013 and it's really cramped my style in the old Mop Philosophy Kitchen. It didn't owe me anything, I used that thing steady for 12 years.
My new one is "Willow Blue". Do you have one of these deluxe treat machines, and if so which colour?
I hope your New Year is off to a brilliant start. Let's make 2014 a good one.
xoxDani
