Baking

Post by **Semsema** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:54 am

My apologies to any Muslims reading this but we and friends of ours clubbed together to get a delivery of sausages/pork from Marsden's in SSH.

I made Scotch Eggs last week. Oh they were good, probably because it was the first one I had eaten in nearly 5 years.

Going to make sausage rolls and have a go at Pork Pies next.

Making my own mincemeat this week-end as although Metro sells jars, I am not prepared to pay 38 LE.

I am having Saturday off work to make a dozen chicken pies and a couple of rich shortcrust pastry cases.

What food do you miss?

Post by **Hurghada Lady** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:18 am

I miss Treacle Tart and Bakewell Tart, I can take a month off work and still not be able to make them, so I have to rely on someone to bring them over! :cc

Post by **Nabil40** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:23 am

i miss some bacon and beans for breakfast. waw . used to eat that in England . so nice when you have grilled bacon for breakfast

xxx

Post by **Hurghada Lady** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:26 am

Do you eat bacon Nabil? My husband loves the smell of it cooking, he will cook me a full English breakfast but he won't eat it.

Post by **Nabil40** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:30 am

i know i am not allowed to eat it , but what can i do ? lol i love it , english bacon from tesco is the best i ever had.

xxx

Post by **Hurghada Lady** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:32 am

Good for you LOL, Oh and thanks for the number, will let you know when we are going to be there.

Post by **Nabil40** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:35 am

Actually i am off to Cairo for my B'day tomorrow, will be there maybe till saturday, but this time i am sure when i come back i will be in the winking frog every night
and i am sure i will see you all there.

xxx

Post by **PRchick** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:06 am

Hurghada Lady wrote:I miss Treacle Tart and Bakewell Tart, I can take a month off work and still not be able to make them, so I have to rely on someone to bring them over! :cc

I have to ask...what are these?

Post by **Semsema** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:43 am

Here are the recipes:

Treacle Tart

Ingredients:

350g/12oz shortcrust pastry
135g/9tbsp golden syrup
125g/9tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground ginger
egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water)

Method
1. Roll out two thirds of the pastry and use to line a 25cm/10in pie plate or flan tin.
2. Warm the syrup over a gentle heat and add the breadcrumbs, grated lemon rind and 15g/1 tbsp of the juice, and the ginger. Pour into the pastry case.
3. Roll out the remaining pastry case and cut into strips; use these to create a lattice design on the top of the tart.
4. Decorate the sides of the plate with a fork, being sure to press the ends of the lattice well in. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and bake in the oven at 190C/375F/Gas 5 for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.

Bakewell Tart - this is a lot of work, but well worth the effort.

425g/15oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 free-range egg, beaten
2 free-range egg yolks
250g/9oz unsalted butter
100g/3½oz caster sugar
½ tsp salt
50g/2oz ground almonds

For the filling:

400g/14oz ground almonds
175g/6oz caster sugar
8 free-range eggs, beaten
½ tsp almond essence
3 tbsp raspberry jam
50g/2oz flaked almonds

Method
1. For the pastry, place the flour, salt, sugar, butter and almonds into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time and pulse until a smooth dough is formed.
3. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for half an hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 180C/360F/Gas 4.
5. Grease and flour a 23cm/9in loose-bottomed tart tin.
6. Unwrap the chilled pastry and roll out onto a cold, floured work surface. (NB: this is a very 'short' pastry and at first will be difficult to handle).
7. Line the tart tin with the pastry and trim off any excess. Prick the base with a fork, then cover the pastry lightly with some baking parchment. Cover the parchment with baking beans or uncooked rice and place into the oven to bake blind for 15 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and remove the baking beans or rice and the baking parchment and set aside to cool. If the pastry base is still a little raw, return to the oven for a minute or two to dry out.
9. Reduce the oven temperature to 165C/330F/Gas 2.
10. Meanwhile, for the filling, place the ground almonds and caster sugar into a bowl and mix well.
11. Add the beaten eggs and almond essence and mix well.
12. When the pastry has cooled spread a generous layer of raspberry jam onto the pastry base.
13. Pour the filling mixture over the raspberry jam to fill the pastry case.
14. Top with flaked almonds, then bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is baked through and golden-brown all over.
15. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve warm or cold. - Delicious with homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

Post by **Hurghada Lady** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 11:26 am

That's brilliant thanks Semsema

Just need someone to follow the recipe now

I tried to make pastry once, I had to have a plumber to unblock the sink! :doh:

Post by **Semsema** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:34 pm

Are you serious? How in billy blue blazes did you block the sink?

Oh now I am sitting here imagining trying to explain the blockage to an Egyptian Doctori Plumber! Almost as good as my paint tray.

I know it is not as easy to make pastry here as it is in the UK because of the heat, but it really is the easiest thing in the world to make. Once you have mastered it the possibilities are endless. Pasties, pies, apple pies, etc.

The secret to good pastry is to keep everything as cold as possible. Butter/water/rolling pin/your hands/worktop etc.

Post by **PRchick** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 12:52 am

Interesting. I can't think of anything like them here. Maybe a little like a lemon or key lime pie or a chess pie. The filling of the first sounds like a pecan pie with the syrup.

Post by **Hurghada Lady** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:14 pm

It was in UK not here!

I tried to make pastry for a party I was having, a friend wrote down the recipe. Put everything in the bowl, then had to put hands in to knead it together. It would'nt go together it just kept running through my fingers, so I thought if I put it in the oven and wait a while it will come out a bit harder then I can do the kneading thing. I waited 15 minutes got it out and it was still running through my fingers, so I threw it in the sink and turned the tap on swished it down the plug hole. Later on I turned the tap on and the water wouldn't go down, tried a plunger that didn't work so consequently had to call a plumber out!

I have come to the conclusion cooking is not my forte!!!!

Post by **Semsema** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:53 pm

Ooooooh you are funny.

Tip is to freeze the butter/margarine first. Then just grate the amount you need.
What do you mean 'you put it in the oven'. What before you had put in the water and kneaded it?

You are worse than my daughters by the sound of it. My eldest even buys frozen roast potatoes!

Post by **Hurghada Lady** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:36 pm

It was supposed to be for Cornish Pasties, I put it in the oven thinking it would go hard so I could knead it and then roll it, but it just stayed sloppy and running through my fingers.

I also tried to make a cheese and potato pie, I was so proud when I put the dish with a lid on the table in front of my ex-husband. I said to him just a moment I will get you a knife and fork, he lifted the lid and sarcastically said don't bother a spoon will do. Somehow it had turned to cheese and potato soup! I thought what ungrateful so and so he was.

Post by **FABlux** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:58 pm

That was what you said it was wasn't it, cheese & potatro soup

He just misheard you

I can't make pastry to save my life, just as well I don't like it isn't it

Barry buys frozen pies, at least they are edible

not so easy to do in Luxor though, just have to eat out when he wants a pie

Post by **Hurghada Lady** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:02 pm

FABlux wrote:That was what you said it was wasn't it, cheese & potatro soup He just misheard you
I can't make pastry to save my life, just as well I don't like it isn't it Barry buys frozen pies, at least they are edible not so easy to do in Luxor though, just have to eat out when he wants a pie

I used to go to John when he was at 7 Ways and he would do me all sorts, including taking the pips out of tomatos and mashed potato and gravy sandwiches !

Post by **FABlux** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 4:58 pm

taking the pips out of tomatos

WOW wonder if he still does that, my Mum can't eat the seeds in tomatoes (or anything else for that matter)

Post by **PRchick** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:15 am

Semsema wrote:Ooooooh you are funny.

Tip is to freeze the butter/margarine first. Then just grate the amount you need.
What do you mean 'you put it in the oven'. What before you had put in the water and kneaded it?

You are worse than my daughters by the sound of it. My eldest even buys frozen roast potatoes!

It was the day my daughters called me and asked me how to boil eggs that I knew I was a failure as a mother.

Post by **Semsema** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:20 am

My middle daughter called and asked how to do a sausage casserole!