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HOW TO MAKE A BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE

August 17, 2010

6 comments

Diary

Blackberry crumble is the very epitome of autumn fruitfulness!  You just can’t beat wandering the lanes and by ways on a sunny afternoon, searching out the plump, juicy berries which is what I was doing Sunday with darling daughter and little Anniekins.   They are quite something around us this year which is probably just as well as you need to pick them before Michaelmas, (29th September) otherwise folk lore has it, the devil spits on them and they become inedible!   Personally, I don’t give a hoot!  I pick them until the frost kills them off and devil or no, have yet to come to any harm!  Well if you discount the odd scratch or two that is and a few pulled threads in your jumper … and the bee that dropped down DD’s wellie and my ricked back from carrying little Anniekins … Oh never mind …   Here’s my version.  I don’t care for pounds and ounces as I like my cooking to contain a surprise or two.  It might be the odd grub, but hey!  At least it’s organic!   FOR THE FILLING   Blackberries of course!  I half fill my biggest dish! Sugar – 3 or 4 tablespoons   FOR THE CRUMBLE   4 tablespoons of plain flour 4 tablespoons of self raising flour.  (Use 8 of either if you like, still tastes great!) Half a block of butter or hard margarine.  Easier to use if you’ve had it in the fridge. 2 tablespoons of sugar   METHOD   Put flour into a bowl and rub in the butter or marg until it looks like fine breadcrumbs.   If you’ve got a food processor which I have, use this, but watch your fingers!  Mine has a broken lid and works even though there is supposed to be a safety mechanism in place!  Pulse it rather than let it spin.  Takes 4 or 5 seconds.   Stir in the sugar.   Wash the blackberries and fish out any grubs.  If you don’t do this your other half is bound to get the portion with the little devils in and you will never hear the end of it!   Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit. No need to stir it in.  It will get absorbed in the cooking.   (For a special treat you can add a drop of brandy to the blackberries or maybe a liquor.  We had a blackberry flavoured one in the cupboard for a while.  It didn’t last long because I discovered how nice it was.  Too nice to waste on blackberries in fact!  Hic!)   Where was I?  Oh yes, top with the crumble mixture.  Seal edges so the juice doesn’t escape.   Cook at 180 deg C for about 45 minutes, until the crumble is lightly browned.   Serve with custard, fresh cream, ice-cream or natural yoghurt.   Sit back and tuck in while watching this video where I wax lyrical about <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_6u9MTaaos"></a> <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_6u9MTaaos">Blackberries!</a>

Tags: blackberry crumble blackberries how make

HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS CAKE

December 5, 2010

11 comments

Diary

As you may know from previous <a href="../blogs.php?action=show_member_post&ownerID=5&post_id=7505">Christmas postings</a>, I have a tendency to run into trouble when it comes to Christmas cake making.  However, I’m happy to report that this year, so far, everything has progressed without a hitch … well all most!   Forget all that fluff and nonsense preached by the TV chefs.  There is only ONE way to make a Christmas cake!  Follow my step by step instructions and you won’t go wrong!   <ol> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Go to Ripoffco’s and buy ingredients. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Get back in car and return to Ripoffco for allspice, chopped walnuts, ground almonds and anything else you forgot the first time around.  </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Take pantry apart looking for baking powder which you didn’t add to your list as you were absolutely, dead sure, certain you bought some for Anniekin’s Christening.  In spite of your certainty you don’t find baking powder, but you do find a very nice bottle of last year’s sloe gin so …  </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Take a small nip to calm your frustration and place back in pantry well out of sight!  </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Assemble all ingredients on worktop and rap No. 2 son across knuckles for stealing glace cherries.  (Keep wooden spoon handy for future attacks.) </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Spend the best part of an hour searching for your favourite Christmas CD only to find that little Anniekins has emptied all the cases of their discs so whole collection is now mis-matched. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">To prevent spontaneous combustion through pent up rage, retrieve sloe gin from pantry, take a medium sized nip then place back in pantry, preferably under assorted biscuit tins or even behind the sack of spuds. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Struggle with wellies and stumble up to farmyard to feed hattle and corpses or should that be hows and cosses?  (Must get the IT chap in to look at this keyboard). </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Return to kitchen and stare in disbelief at empty glace cherry carton. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Look for No. 2 son to kill, (yet again!). </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Don’t decline Nearest & Dearest’s offer to pour a festive tipple to calm you down.  In fact, say you’ll have a drop of that sloe gin you happened to see tucked behind the potatoes. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Give N & D a big hug and kiss for finding favourite Christmas CD, but don’t go over board otherwise he will think his luck is in and Christmas has come early! </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"> Jump down N & Ds throat for criticising your rendition of Kerrfuffle’s Cherry Tree Carol and say what do you expect after a large slug of sloe gin?  Susan Boyle? </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Succumb to N & D’s suggestion that another might improve voice.  It does, but agree that it would be a good idea for him to put SG in pocket while he DIY’s new fireplace. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Throw all ingredients except for cherries into mixing bowl. </li> <li> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Compensate for lack of cherries by adding a generous slosh of sherry.  (Good substitute as they are almost spelt the same). </div> </li> <li> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Lurch sideways to oven with prepared Christmas cake and have panic attack as kitchen floor seems to have developed subsidence. </div> </li> <li> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Holler through to sitting room for N & D to come and check. </div> </li> <li> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Rub butter on N & D’s bump gained after collision with pantry door who agrees there is a definite lift in floor. </div> </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Whilst consulting The Homeopathic Doctor for remedies for possible concussion, discover that sloe gin causes convoluting eye, a condition akin to being at sea in a gale, but without wind or water. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Inform N & D that the natural remedy for concussion is to remain awake for at least six hours after accident which means he can take cake from oven when it is done at 2.15 a.m. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Congratulate self for making cake when thieving dog is not around.  (See last year’s <a href="../blogs.php?action=show_member_post&ownerID=5&post_id=7505">Figgy Pudding</a> posting!).</li> </ol>

Tags: blackberry crumble blackberries how make christmas cake how make

POSH PANCAKES

February 11, 2011

16 comments

Diary

I know pancakes are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday which isn’t until the 8th March, but I can’t resist posting this recipe which I tried to fob off at a recent dinner party as Crepes la mûre.   “What’s that then,” said one of our plain speaking guests.  “Posh pancakes?”   The title didn’t do it for him, but the pancakes were delicious so I’m sharing it here.  You can use almost any fruit, I just happen to have an abundance of blackberries.   First off you need to make the batter.  This will make about 8 pancakes including a small taster which I share with the dog.   Batter 4oz (100g) plain flour. Half a Pint (250ml) of milk. 1  Egg Pinch of Salt   (Sue’s tip: When I used to make pancakes for the kids I used extra flour to make thicker pancakes.  This was a good filler and stopped them raiding the pantry when my back was turned!)   Pancakes are traditionally served with sugar, lemon or oranges which in my view are still the best, but hey, we’re doing posh pancakes here so here’s the …   The Posh Bit Gently stew half a pound or so blackberries in a little honey and water, (or better still brandy!).  Keep warm until all pancakes have been cooked.   Cooking the little blighters Take it from me, this is the hard bit!  Having scraped fragments of charred batter from stove tops and kitchen floors on innumerable occasions, I am now something of an expert at pancake cooking!  So here goes:   Heat the frying pan and get it really hot.    Rub it all over with the greasy wrapper from a block of lard or margarine.  (If you prefer just melt a small piece of fat or oil in the middle of the pan, but not too much!).   When it is really hot pour in a couple of tablespoons of batter.  (I have batter in a jug, makes it easier to pour).   Tilt the pan to spread the batter.   It should only take a minute or so to get the pancake brown.  You can usually tell as the edges start to lift.   Are You A Tosser? Most people are not in which case you’ll need to flip the pancake over by using something like a fish slice.   If you can toss though, the job is done quickly and neatly with no tearing although I have to confess to spending considerable time picking dog hairs out of a few casualties that landed on the floor.  Still, what Nearest & Dearest doesn’t know won’t hurt him!   Making ‘em Posh Now you’ve cooked all the batter you can make full use of your artistic talents by spooning the blackberry mix onto the pancake, rolling, drizzling with a little honey, treacle or maple syrup and piping pretty little spirals of whipped cream along the top.   I’d love to be able to show you the ones I made earlier, but alas there were no left-overs and I didn’t have the foresight to take photographs at the time, mainly due to the fact I’d forgotten what time guests were arriving and was running an hour late.   If anyone has a shot at posh pancakes, perhaps you could post up your efforts?   By the way, since we’re on the subject, if you want to know more about <a href="http://folkonthefarm.co.uk/folk-articles/what-you-ought-to-know-about-pancake-day-and-probably-don%25e2%2580%2599t/">Pancake Day and Shrove Tuesday</a>, I’ve posted another article on my <a href="http://www.folkonthefarm.co.uk/">Folk on the Farm</a> site.

Tags: blackberry crumble blackberries how make christmas cake how make pancakes how make shrove tuesday making tossing

MAKING VIDEOS

November 30, 2009

0 comments

Info Cat: Marketing

Since posting the Cold Turkey video I’ve had a few emails asking was it very difficult to make. The short answer is, no it wasn’t very difficult once you know how to use the software!   I used, Audacity, (free) <a href="http://audacity.sourceforge.net">http://audacity.sourceforge.net/</a> to make the recordings and to alter my voice, Pic to Exe (free trial) <a href=") http://www.wnsoft.com">http://www.wnsoft.com/</a> to create the video and Photoshop <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/compare/">http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/compare</a>/ to create the artwork.   The story was all ready written so I’m not counting that, but all told it probably took me about half an hour to put it all together.   But … and this is quite a big but!   I know my way around these three pieces of software quite well. If you don’t then it will take you a lot, lot longer!   If you don’t want to go through three different learning curves you can try Article to Video Robot. This will take your text and turn it into a video in less than 5 minutes if you use their voices and graphics. You can try it free for 14 days which is plenty of time to see if it is going to be of any use.   I tested it and it works quite well, but having the skills to make my own I decided against upgrading, as by the time I had finished tweaking it was just as quick to make my own.   It might suit your purposes though, you can get a trial here: <a href="http://www.articlevideorobot.com/specialoffer/xxxxxxx">Article Video Robot</a> <script src="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822/GB/writelink-21/8001/11e1ebc3-4379-4d7a-a872-f2316e371bd2" type="text/javascript"></script>

Tags: blackberry crumble blackberries how make christmas cake how make pancakes how make shrove tuesday making tossing making videos article video how make

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Sue's Musings - Writing is a lying art!

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