Microwave Clootie Dumpling

Hello,

Wishing you all a happy new year, lets hope 2017 is a good one for us all.  It's been a while since I last blogged as things were a bit manic over the festivities but I've been doing loads of cooking and baking (although sadly sometimes forgetting to take photographs) so I will post up my recipes as and when I can.

Tonight's recipe is for Clootie Dumpling made in the microwave and it was kindly given to me by one of our neighbours.  If you're not Scottish you might not have heard of a clootie dumpling before - it's a traditional recipe for a steamed rich fruit pudding.  It's a bit like a Christmas Pudding but not as dark and maybe a bit spicier.  The term 'clootie' means a rag of cloth as the pudding was traditionally cooked in a muslin cloth.  Traditionally it would have taken several hours to cook but thankfully my recipe takes only 15 mins in the microwave!  We had this for pudding yesterday served with a dollop of brandy cream.  Definitely not Slimming World friendly 😂but a wee New Years Day treat!

Microwave Clootie Dumpling

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp mixed spice
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
6oz butter or margarine
1 lb mixed dried fruit
8 oz plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs, beaten

Method:
Line a 3 pint plastic microwavable bowl with cling film then put aside.  Put the spices, sugar, syrup, butter or margarine and mixed dried fruit in a large pan along with 1/2 pint of water.  Bring to the boil, stirring, then simmer for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in the flour and bicarbonate of soda, mix well.  Add the eggs then mix well again.

Pour the mixture into the prepared bowl.  DO NOT COVER.  Cook on high in the microwave for approx 15 minutes.

That's it simples and beats having to steam it for 5+ hours!  I love the smell of all the spices while it's cooking!

That's all for now but I'll be back again soon with more recipes to share.

Hugs,
Shona xx

Pumpkin Pie

And hello again,

Happy Halloween!  The pumpkin season is well and truly upon us so what better way to celebrate with a slice of pumpkin pie.  I've been wanting to make this for ages and with the help of a can of Libby's Pumkin Puree it was really simple to make.  This recipe is from their website.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

Method

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.POUR into pie shell.
BAKE in preheated 425°F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.
Cooks Note: 1-3/4 teaspoons pumpkin spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, ginger and cloves; however, the taste will be slightly different. Do not freeze, as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.
FOR 2 SHALLOW PIES: substitute two 9-inch (2-cup volume) pie shells. Bake in preheated 425°F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F.; bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until pies test done.
FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (3,500 to 6,000 ft.): Deep-dish pie - extend second bake time to 55 to 60 minutes. Shallow pies - no change.
Estimated Times: Preparation - 15 minutes; Cooking - 55 minutes; Cooling Time - 2 hours cooling.
© 2009 and ®/™ Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland, used with permission.
Submitted by: LIBBY'S® Pumpkin
Nutrient data provided by COOKS.com.

Servings: 8 (136.68g per serving)Nutrition (per serving): 253 calories, 12.35g total fat, 4.3g saturated fat, 152.3mg potassium, 32.82g carbohydrates, 19.6g sugar, 2.7g fiber, 5.9g protein, 58.5mg cholesterol, 318.8mg sodium, 1.2mg iron, 24.7mcg folate, 118mg phosphorus, 6696.84IU Vitamin A, 0.15mcg Vitamin B12, 1.33mg Vitamin C, 42.86IU Vitamin D.

Blueberry Clafoutis

Hello,

Been ages since I've been on here but I wanted to record a recipe I made recently before I lose the clipping!  We got a fantastic crop of blueberries this year, even better than last year so I've been trying out different recipes with them!

This recipe is one I took from my Aunt's Chat magazine

Blueberry Clafoutis

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp sugar to line dish
200g blueberries
100g plain flour
pinch salt
75g caster sugar
1 lemon, grated rind only
3 medium eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
150ml milk
150ml double cream
Sifted icing sugar to decorate

Method
Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4 and butter a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish.  Sprinkle with sugar to line then add blueberries.

Mix flour, salt, sugar and lemon rind together in a bowl.  Whisk in the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, then gradually whisk in the milk and cream to make a smooth batter.

Pour over the blueberries and bake for 30-40 mins until golden, risen and puffed up around the edges and set in the middle.

Dust generously with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Banoffee Pie

Good evening,

Tonight's post is for a deliciously quick Banoffee Pie recipe that I found on the Carnation website, link here and details also pasted below.  This dessert is my husband's favourite and I definitely wouldn't turn my nose up at it either lol!

Quick Banoffee Pie

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 250g digestive biscuits, crushed
• 100g butter, melted
• 397g can Carnation Caramel
• 4 small bananas
• 300ml carton whipping cream, whipped
• grated chocolate, to decorate (or use a small crushed up Flake bar)

You will also need...

23cm loose-bottomed tart tin

Method:

Tip the biscuit crumbs into a bowl. Add the butter and mix in. Spoon the crumbs into the tin. Press into the base and up the sides of the tin. Chill for 10 minutes.

Spread the caramel over the base. Do not overbeat, simply spread with a spoon or spatula

Slice the bananas and scatter over the top. Spoon the cream over the bananas and finish with grated chocolate. Chill until ready to serve.

Plum Crumble

Good Morning,

I'm back today with my first dessert recipe.  My sister-in-law brought us some plums from her garden so it was rude not to make this delicious crumble which I discovered around the same time last year.  It's from the BBC Good Food website which, along with the magazine I subscribe to, is a great source of inspiration to me.  This is really simple to make but is the tastiest crumble I've ever come across.

Ingredients

• 800g ripe cooking plums, such as Victoria or dessert plums, halved and stoned
• 50g light brown sugar
• finely grated zest 1 orange
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp plain flour

For the crumble

• 250g plain flour
• 150g butter
• 80g caster sugar
• 80g demerara sugar
• 50g ground almonds

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the plums into the base of a shallow gratin dish about 28cm long. Mix together the sugar, orange zest, cinnamon and flour and sprinkle over the plums. Trickle over 2 tbsp water.
2. Put all the crumble ingredients into a food processor, and using the pulse button, whizz until the mixture just starts to clump together. Take care not to over process at this stage. Alternatively, rub the butter into the flour using your hands and then stir in the other ingredients.
3. Scatter the crumble over the plums and bake in the oven for 30–40 mins until golden brown. Leave for about 15 mins before serving with custard or cream.

Recipe from bbcgoodfood.com, October 2012

Notes: if you don't have a food processor, cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the remaining crumble ingredients.