Cakes & Bakes: Jam roly poly

We do love a hot, hearty pudding on a cold winter’s day – and what could be better than jam roly poly? I have to confess that I needed two attempts to perfect this week’s bake.

Roly Poly ‘Mark I’ was a disaster. There wasn’t enough jam to start with. Also, I rolled up the pastry way too tightly. Last and certainly least, I boiled it. A method I’d read in a few recipes. It was so bad that Justin spat it out, declaring it was the worst thing I’d ever made! Ever!!

I’m pleased to report that Roly Poly ‘Mark II’ was a triumph!

The ingredients were blended gently, then rolled not too tight… with plenty of filling.

Sugar was sprinkled over the surface (another omission in the earlier version).

And finally it was baked to a wonderful golden brown, the hot jam oozing through cracks.

After allowing to cool slightly, it was devoured – with lashings of custard of course!

And the official verdict from the chief taster? “Superb – I could eat that all over again!”

Jam roly poly

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 4

Ingredients

300 g/10½oz self raising flour
75 g/2½oz vegetarian suet
pinch of salt
180 ml/6fl oz cold water
4 tbs fruit jam or jelly raspberry, strawberry etc. I used a jar of my home made blackberry jelly

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4
In a large bowl or food processor mix the flour, suet and salt
Add the cold water and combine to form a stiff dough
Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the dough into a rectangle
Liberally spread the jam leaving a 1cm gap along each edge
Roll up along the short side and brush the long edge (and ends if desired) with milk to seal
Grease a large baking tray and put the roly poly on it, putting the join at the the bottom
Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes
Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack before serving with custard

Keyword jam, roly poly, suet

Quick panna cotta

This panna cotta recipe has a very good effort versus reward ratio – it’s quick, easy and utterly delicious.

We once read a great quote – “panna cotta is just blancmange with a fancy accent”. That’s kind of true, but panna cotta does sound better doesn’t it? It’s the perfect dessert, particularly if you have to make something at short notice – or if you’re super busy with other jobs – during Christmas week for example!!

You can eat it plain – but a quick fruit coulis, caramel sauce or chocolate shavings add a delicious extra dimension. For this batch we made a lovely topping from blackcurrants that we’d preserved in the summer. Honey can also be added to the cream mix which is a classic method in Italy.

Quick panna cotta

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Cook Time 10

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Ingredients

600 ml double cream
1 tsp Vege-gel or any other agar agar powder
50 g caster sugar

Instructions

Pour the double cream into a medium-sized saucepan
Before heating, add the Vege-gel/agar agar powder and combine well with a whisk
Add the sugar and heat on a medium flame stirring until the sugar has dissolved
Bring to simmering and pour into heat proof glass coups or bowls
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before covering with cling film/Saran wrap and putting into the fridge for at least 2 hours
Serve cold with fruit compote, preserve or coulis

Keyword panna cotta

Quick panna cotta

2017-06-21 18:51:35

Yields 6

Cook Time

10 min

Cook Time

10 min

Ingredients

600ml double cream
1tsp Vege-gel (or any other agar agar powder)
50g caster sugar

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Instructions

Pour the double cream into a medium-sized saucepan
Before heating, add the Vege-gel/agar agar powder and combine well with a whisk
Add the sugar and heat on a medium flame stirring until the sugar has dissolved
Bring to simmering and pour into heat proof glass coups or bowls
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before covering with cling film/Saran wrap and putting into the fridge for at least 2 hours
Serve cold with fruit compote, preserve or coulis

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

Cakes & Bakes: Baked rice pudding

The winter evenings have begun closing in and the weather has taken a turn for the worse – lots of dull, wet cold days. Baked rice pudding is the kind of comfort food you crave when it gets like this – warm, sweet and filling.

It’s been years since I’ve made a batch. I don’t know why it’s been so long – it’s always been a firm favourite.

It’s simple to make. Just a few ingredients in a heat-proof dish in a low oven for 90 minutes. Time for the little grains of rice to absorb all that liquid and turn into creamy, heart-warming fare. Well worth the wait!

It was lovely served hot with a bit of single cream. Try baking the rice pudding with a handful of raisins or sultanas; or perhaps adding a swirl of jam or fruit compote at the end!

Baked rice pudding

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 40

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Ingredients

100 g/3½oz short-grain pudding rice
400 ml/14fl oz single cream
400 ml/14 fl oz full-fat milk
50 g/2oz caster sugar
freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF/Gas mark 2
Put the rice into a sieve and rinse under a cold water tap
Drain off excess water and put the rice into a shallow, wide oven-proof dish
Put the cream, milk, sugar and a generous grating of nutmeg into a medium-sized saucepan
Put the saucepan on a medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved
Remove from the heat and carefully pour the liquid over the rice and give it a little stir
Bake the rice mixture for 1½ hours, by which time the pudding should be a golden brown top
Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving

Keyword pudding, rice, rice pudding

Cakes & Bakes: Rhubarb and berry shortcake pie

We have a rhubarb plant growing in a dolly tub our garden that hasn’t done at all well this year. The stalks normally stand tall and to attention but they seem to have lost their va va voom. They’re thin and bendy from the weight of their huge leaves. I decided to chop them all down today in the hope that they’d revive with more vigour next year.

We also still have an ice cream tub full of frozen blackberries that we picked late last summer. We kept some back when we did our jam & jelly making to use in compotes, crumbles etc. Ripening fruits are already in evidence on this year’s bushes so I thought I’d clear out the freezer in readiness for the new crop.

I found and adapted a rhubarb, blueberry and strawberry shortcake pie recipe found in Pie: Delicious sweet and savoury pies and pastries from steak and onion pie to pecan tart by Dean Brettschneider. It’s very much like a cobbler and is delicious hot or cold with vanilla ice cream, cream or – my favourite – a dollop of Rodda’s classic Cornish clotted cream!

Rhubarb and berry shortcake pie

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Cook Time 30

Total Time 30

Ingredients

For the shortbread
125 g butter softened & cubed
125 g caster sugar
1 egg
225 g plain flour
25 g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
For the filling
3 –4 stalks rhubarb
3 tbsp Demerara sugar
250 g fresh or frozen blackberries
125 g fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400ºF/Gas mark 6
Line a shallow 20–22cm round cake tin or flan dish with baking/parchment paper
Put the cubed butter and caster sugar into a medium mixing bowl and, using a hand-held electric whisk, combine until light and fluffy
Add the egg before sifting in the flour, cornflour and baking powder. Combine until just mixed
Press the dough evenly over the bottom of the tin/dish
Set aside the remainder of the dough, covering it with cling film
Trim & slice the rhubarb before putting it into a large, non-stick frying pan
Sprinkle over the Demerara sugar
Put the pan over a low heat shaking the pan occasionally, until fruit is almost tender
Add the blackberries & blueberries to the rhubarb, gently mix for a few seconds before turning off the heat and allowing the fruit to cool
Spread the lukewarm fruit over the shortbread base before carefully dabbing pinches of the leftover dough over the top, allowing a little of the fruit to peep through
Bake for 30 minutes or until the shortcake top turns golden brown
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack and then onto a serving plate
Sprinkle the top with icing sugar, slice and serve!