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Wild Bilberry or Blueberry Flaugnarde

June 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Clafoutis, from Limousin in France, is an easy baked dessert comprising a thick batter with black cherries – if any other fruit is used then the dish should be called “Flaugnarde”.

It is best not to over beat the batter as the protein in the flour will open up to form long elastic strands – this makes the dessert chewy and tough. As with many other recipes for batter, I mix the batter until combined, strain through a sieve lightly pressing through with the back of a small ladle (to remove any lumps). You may need more or less sugar than included in the recipe, taste the fruit and if it is tart, add a little more sugar to suit your personal tastes.

Black cherries are my favourite and whilst it is traditional to leave the fruit unpitted, I remove the stones for safety – especially when children are dining. Second – wild bilberries and apricots followed closely by nectarines (and peaches if the skin is removed). If using plums, apricots, nectarines or peaches – after removing the stones – you can either halve the fruit and place cut side down or thickly slice.

For the recipe below you would need a 30 cm by 20 cm buttered ovenproof dish (or similar), I always use glass.

Always allow the batter to relax before baking – bake in the region of 175ºC and eat while warm or at room temperature; my personal preference is warm. While the dessert will rise during baking, it will also deflate as it cools.

If using frozen berries, put into a colander or sieve and allow to defrost, gently fold into the batter. I also like this dessert when the lemon zest and juice is replaced with orange and 30 ml of Grand Marnier (or to taste)  is added to the batter to replace a the same amount of milk, this is stirred in at the end after the milk and cream.

6 servings

Fruit
500 grams fresh bilberries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries)
1/2 lemon or 1 small lime – finely grated zest and juice
1 tsp organic orange flower honey
Batter
50 grams plain white flour
50 grams golden caster sugar
Pinch fine sea salt
4 large fresh eggs, beaten
500 ml Jersey milk
100 ml crème fraîche or double cream
Decoration
Icing sugar to dust

  1. Wash and check the berries, removing any damaged fruit or stems.
  2. Preheat oven to 175ºC. 350ºF, gas mark 4.
  3. Lightly butter a 20 cm by 30 cm glass ovenproof, tip in the blueberries, spread out over the base. Scatter the lemon or lime zest over the berries and drizzle with juice and honey.
  4. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large baking bowl, make a well in the centre and add the eggs.
  5. Mix while gradually drawing the flour into the centre from the outside
  6. Put the milk and crème fraîche or cream into a jug, whisk until blended then gradually add to the dry ingredients while stirring – do not over mix.
  7. Strain through a sieve pressing through with the back of a small ladle or tablespoon into a bowl; pour over the fruit.
  8. Bake for approx. 35 to 40 minutes, or until a light golden colour and puffed up.
  9. Serve while warm lightly dusted with sifted icing sugar.
Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast, Puddings Tagged With: , , ,

Banana Yorkshire Puddings with Maple Syrup with Cream

February 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment

A really traditional recipe in many homes where I loved as a child either as a breakfast or dessert. Bananas were served as a dessert, the simplest being Custard with bananas. This is just as simple, in it’s own way but make sure you buy a good quality pure Canadian maple syrup rather than pancake syrup.

Safflower oil or other oil with a high smoking point
Yorkshire pudding
150 grams plain white flour
1.5 tbsp unrefined caster sugar
Pinch fine sea salt
3 large fresh eggs
100 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
55 ml water (or try mineral water), chilled
5 ripe bananas
To serve – Canadian maple syrup, Cornish clotted cream or double cream

  1. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large baking bowl; make a well in the centre.
  2. Whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla together.
  3. Gradually add to the dry ingredients, while whisking or beating, to form a smooth batter
  4. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven temperature to 200ºC, (392ºF, gas mark 6).
  6. Pour a little oil into the muffin cups (12 cup standard) and place into the oven.
  7. When ready to bake, whisk the chilled water into the batter.
  8. When the oil is very hot, half fill each muffin cup with batter, working quickly so the oil does not lose heat.
  9. Bake on the centre shelf until well risen and a golden colour – about 15 to 20 minutes.
  10. Serve while hot with the sliced bananas, maple syrup and cream.

Alternative – if you want the bananas cooked in the batter, when ready to bake – peel and remove ends from bananas, slice into 2.5 cm thick slices. Working quickly – place a couple or so slices into each of the muffin cups, pour in batter – about two thirds full and immediately return to the oven. Bake the Yorkshire puddings as normal.

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Chocolate Yorkshire Puddings

December 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Chocolate Yorkshire Pudding. Chocolate Dessert Yorkshire PuddingOur Chocolate Yorkshire Pudding Dessert Recipe is very much a work in progress and is in a constant state of revision in order to improve the taste, texture and overall appearance – in the end of we hope to create the perfect Yorkshire dessert featuring the counties greatest side dish!

Safflower or Sunflower oil (or other oil with a high smoking point)
1 bar Green and Blacks dark or milk chocolate, broken into squares (or chocolate buttons)
Yorkshire Puddings
130 grams plain white flour
20 grams Green and Blacks organic cocoa powder
1½ tbsp unrefined caster sugar
Pinch sea salt
3 large fresh eggs
75 ml milk
75 ml water (or try mineral water)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Serve with strawberries, cream and flavoured caster sugar (see below), alternately serve with chocolate ganache (or hot chocolate sauce) and lightly whipped double cream; or caramel sauce drizzled over a little French vanilla ice cream.

Sift the flour, cocoa, sugar and salt into a large baking bowl. Whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla together. Gradually (quite slowly) add wet ingredients to the dry, while whisking or beating, to form a smooth batter. Finally, when the batter is lump free, gradually add sufficient water, while stirring, to achieve a consistency between single and double cream. Cover and rest for 60 minutes in the refrigerator (or at room temperature if preferred).

Preheat oven to 220ºC, (425ºF, gas mark 7).

Add a little oil to each cup of a 12 hole muffin tin, place into the oven. When very hot, pop a square of Green and Blacks chocolate  into a cup, immediately pour the batter into the cups, one third full (quickly repeat with remaining cups), place near the top of the preheated oven and bake until well risen and crispy – about 10 to 12 minutes

Serve immediately with the fresh strawberries, cream and flavoured icing sugar sifted over the top.

Strawberries – wash and remove the calyx from the berries, quarter. Drizzle over the juice of 1 lime and sifted icing sugar, to taste. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate if you want fresh cold berries, or cook in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves.

Vanilla Sugar

450 grams unrefined granulated sugar
2 vanilla beans (these should be quite sticky and soft)

1. Cut up the vanilla pods, place into the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
2. Add the sugar, process for two minutes.
3. Sieve to remove any lumps which should be returned to the food processor, process again.
4. Sieve all the sugar together, return to the food processor and blitz until fine, store in sterilised airtight containers.
5. You can, of course, put a vanilla bean into a jar of unrefined caster sugar and leave until the sugar has a lovely subtle soft vanilla flavour. Reuse the vanilla pod.

Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast, Yorkshire Pudding Tagged With: , , ,

Black Cherry Clafoutis

February 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Clafoutis are an easy to make simple classic French pudding. I understand that unpitted black cherries are used traditionally, but I always end up doing something daft like swallowing and choking on one of the stones.

I´m told this dish is often eaten for breakfast!

750 grams pitted black cherries – personal preference, use any cherries you like
125 grams plain white flour
50 grams unrefined (golden) caster sugar
3 large fresh egg – preferably organic or free range
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
300 ml full fat milk
Sieved icing sugar

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 355ºF or gas mark 4 and brush a shallow ovenproof dish with melted or softened butter.
  2. Spread the cherries out evenly over the bottom of the dish.
  3. Sift the flour and sugar into a large baking bowl, make a well in the centre.
  4. Whisk the eggs with the vanilla extract and milk.
  5. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients while whisking all the time, when all the liquid has been added, the batter should be smooth.
  6. Pour the batter over the fruit, making sure all the cherries are covered.
  7. Place in the centre of a preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch and a light golden brown colour with whipped cream.
Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Puddings Tagged With: ,

Fresh Cherry Clafoutis

July 19, 2010 by Leave a Comment

A wonderful simple dessert with its origins in France, this can be made with many different fruits, but cherry is traditional.

320 grams fresh sweet cherries – pitted or unpitted
Batter
3 large fresh eggs
60 grams unrefined caster sugar
200 ml whole milk
100 ml whipping cream
1 tbsp Kirsch
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or natural vanilla extract (or amount to taste)
60 grams plain white flour
1/2 level tsp baking powder
Pinch fine sea salt
To serve – sifted icing sugar, lightly whipped double cream

  1. Preheat oven to 180ºC, 355ºF, gas mark 4 and grease (with butter) a 22 cm glass ovenproof dish.
  2. Wash the cherries, remove the stalks and any damaged fruit, remove stones or not, your choice before placing – in a single layer – into the prepared dish.
  3. Put the eggs and sugar into a large baking bowl, beat until smooth.
  4. Whisk the milk, cream, Kirsch and vanilla bean paste together in a jug, then gradually add to the eggs, while beating constantly.
  5. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, whisk until smooth.
  6. Slowly pour the batter over the cherries until just covered.
  7. Bake for between 30 to 40 minutes in the centre of a preheated oven.
  8. When ready the pudding should be a lovely golden brown and well risen, i.e. puffed!
  9. Allow to rest for 10 minutes – it will sink but this is normal.
  10. Lightly dust with icing sugar and serve while warm with a little chilled whipped cream cream.
Filed Under: Breakfast, Desserts Tagged With: ,

Nutella Breakfast Rolls

June 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

This isn´t really a pudding or dessert, more a very Moorish breakfast dish or mid morning snack with a cup of strong espresso coffee.

Flaky Pastry
8 oz plain flour
Pinch of salt
6 oz unsalted butter (or butter and lard mixed)
Squeeze of lemon juice – optional
4 fl oz cold water – approximately

1. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl
2. Blend the fats together and divide into four portions
3. Rub the first portion of fat into the flour – add the lemon juice and sufficient cold water to make a smooth – elastic – dough, using a round bladed knife to mix
4. Turn the dough out on to a well-floured work surface and roll out into a rectangular shape, brush off any surplus flour
5. Dot one portion of the fat over two thirds of pastry, fold the pastry ie bring the end without any fat to the centre and then fold over the other third
6. Press pastry edges together with your fingers (or rolling pin) and give the pastry a half turn so the folds are on the left and right, and roll out again lightly
7. Repeat this process (steps 5 and 6) twice more.
8. Roll out again and fold up, cover with cling film and refrigerator for one hour before use

Filling
1/2 cup Nutella spread
1/2 cup mini chocolate buttons (white, dark or milk – or a mixture of all three)
1/2 cup roughly chopped hazelnuts or blanched almonds

Preheat oven to 190ºC, (375ºF, gas mark 5).

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper

  • Roll out pastry to a rectangle, 13 by 15 inches in diameter
  • Spread the Nutella over the pastry, leaving a one inch border along the longer edges, but spreading the Nutella right up to the edges on the shorter edges, sprinkle the hazelnuts and chocolate buttons or chips over the Nutella
  • Starting with the longer end facing you, roll up pastry (like a Swiss Roll), cover and chill for 15 minutes
  • Use a very sharp, serrated knife very gently to cut the roll into 12 even sized slices
  • Use a damp paper towel to wipe keep knife clean after each cut – pressing down very gently to avoid squashing the roll
  • Lay the rolls flat onto the prepared baking sheet, allowing a onc inch space between each pastry
  • Bake for approx. 20 minutes or until the rolls are a light golden colour
  • Leave to stand for 5 minutes before gently separating the rolls, serve while still warm with espresso coffee or tea for breakfast
Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast, Mother´s Day, Valentine´s Day Tagged With: , ,

Blueberry (or bilberry) Pancakes

May 16, 2007 by Leave a Comment

This is a lovely breakfast for those special occasions with your partner or family. I love American and Canadian style pancakes, they make the most fabulous breakfast dish without all the fuss encountered with many British style pancakes. My personal preference is to cook the pancakes in melted butter which is simply brushed onto the hot frying pan just before adding the batter.

1 large egg – lightly beaten
1 cup plain white (all purpose) flour
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon unrefined (golden) caster sugar
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest – use unwaxed lemons if available (or lime)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup blueberries or bilberries – fresh or frozen (if frozen – thaw before use, discarding liquid)

  1. Whisk the eggs, add remaining ingredients,other than blueberries, whisk to combine the gently fold in the blueberries.
  2. Oil a griddle or large heavy bottomed frying pan and place over a medium heat.
  3. Pour three tablespoons of batter onto the hot griddle or frying, cook until golden brown, puffed and “lacy” around the edges, turn and cook other side until golden brown.
  4. Place on a plate in a warmed oven until all pancakes are cooked, separating the individual pancakes with greaseproof paper.
  5. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Filed Under: Breakfast, Valentine´s Day Tagged With: