Deliciously Irish (2015)
BAKING
Winter snows across Glencar, County Kerry.
Irish Curd Tart
Simnel Cake
Chocolate Cake with Mocha Filling
Hot Cross Buns
Wholemeal Scones
Strawberry Chocolate Roll
Autumn Apple Tart
Apple Dumplings
Marble Cake
Longford Cakes
Orange Caraway Cake
Macaroons
Walnut Cake
Barm Brack
Soda Bread with Onion
IRISH CURD TART
SERVES 6
The ancient poetry of Gaelic Ireland has many images of feasting on rich curds, and these tarts are still enjoyed today.
450 g/1 lb cottage cheese
juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons caster sugar, plus a little extra
55 g/2 oz ground almonds
4 eggs
2 tablespoons raisins
grated nutmeg
FOR THE PASTRY
75 g/3 oz butter
140 g/5 oz flour
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 egg yolk, beaten
1-2 tablespoons very cold water
Make the pastry in the usual way, rubbing the butter into the flour and sugar and moistening with the egg yolk and 1-2 tablespoons of water, as required. Roll out to fit a greased 20 cm/8 inch tart tin and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Cover the pastry case with baking parchment or foil, fill with baking beans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes until just golden. Set aside while you make the filling.
Blend or sieve the cottage cheese, lemon zest, sugar and ground almonds. Sharpen to taste by adding a little lemon juice. Beat the eggs, then fold thoroughly, with the raisins, into the cheese mixture. Pour into the prepared pastry case and sprinkle a little sugar and grated nutmeg over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. The mixture will gently subside as it cools.
Serve warm or cold. A little whipped cream is good with it, if it’s to be served warm.
Note: the raisins can be soaked in a spoonful of whiskey for a few hours first, to plump them up and give a little extra flavour.
SIMNEL CAKE
SERVES 10
The Simnel cake has been associated with Easter since medieval times and after the 40 days of Lenten fast it must have been a delicious, spicy treat. Ready-bought marzipan will speed up the preparation time.
110 g/4 oz butter
75 g/3 oz brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
4 large eggs
250 g/9 oz self-raising flour
1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, grated nutmeg and ground ginger
350 g/12 oz mixed dried fruit
110 g/4 oz candied peel
1 tablespoon apricot jam, warmed
FOR THE MARZIPAN
450 g/1 lb ground almonds
225 g/8 oz caster sugar
225 g/8 oz icing sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons lemon juice
a few drops of almond extract
To make the marzipan, sift the almonds with the sugars. Beat the eggs, lemon juice and almond extract together and stir into the almond mixture, kneading well until a smooth paste is formed. Break off eleven walnut-sized pieces, roll into balls and set aside (these were said to represent the twelve apostles of Jesus, minus Judas). Divide the remaining piece of paste in two and roll into two rounds that will fit the cake tin.
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and grease and line a 20 cm/8 inch cake tin. Cream the butter, sugar and syrup together. Add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour and spices together, then fold into the mixture thoroughly. Fold in the fruit and candied peel.
Place half the mixture in the prepared tin and gently cover with a layer of marzipan. Put the remainder of the mixture on top. Bake for one hour, then cover with a piece of foil and reduce the heat to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 and cook for a further half an hour. Test with a skewer, which should come out clean; remember not to push it down into the marzipan layer. When cooked, transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for an hour or so. Remove from the tin and continue cooling.
When the cake is firm, after about half an hour, spread the apricot jam over the top of the cake, then press the second marzipan round on top, knocking up the edge decoratively. Put the cake under the grill, not too close to the heat, for a few moments to toast the top. Watch it carefully, as it burns quickly. Now dampen the marzipan balls and press them around the top of the cake. Lower the grill rack and return the cake to the grill, to toast the balls. Tie a wide yellow ribbon around the cake for a festive appearance.
CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MOCHA FILLING
SERVES 8
This delicious chocolate cake is perfect for a luxurious afternoon tea or a dinner party dessert to celebrate St Valentine’s Day.
FOR THE CAKE
225 g/8 oz plain flour
75 g/3 oz cocoa powder
4 large eggs, separated
5 tablespoons sunflower or rapeseed oil
225 g/8 oz golden granulated sugar
FOR THE FILLING
75 g/3 oz butter
110 g/4 oz icing sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
1 tablespoon rum
TO DECORATE
450 ml/¾ pint double or whipping cream
1 tablespoon caster sugar
175 g/6 oz good dark chocolate
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 and grease and line a 20 cm/8 inch cake tin.
Sift the flour and cocoa together. Beat the egg yolks, oil and sugar together until pale and creamy. Fold in the flour and cocoa. Beat the egg whites to a soft, dropping consistency and fold carefully into the flour mixture. Pour into the prepared tin, making a depression in the centre. Bake for about 45 minutes. Test the cake with a skewer; if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes before turning it on to a cake rack. When cold, split the cake in half horizontally.
To make the filling, beat the butter to a cream with the icing sugar, then beat in the coffee solution and rum. Spread lavishly on the bottom layer and sandwich the cakes together. Any surplus filling can go on the top of the cake.
Whip the cream with the caster sugar until soft. Reserving some for decoration, cover the entire cake. With a potato peeler, pare some large flakes of chocolate for the top of the cake, then grate the remainder. Cover the sides of the cake with the grated chocolate, using a palette knife. Pipe or spoon the reserved cream around the top and scatter the chocolate flakes in the centre.
HOT CROSS BUNS
MAKES 12-14
Hot cross buns are synonymous with Easter, though, in fact, they are now thought to predate Christianity. Whatever their origins, they are delicious, especially toasted with plenty of butter. They are incomparably better homemade and, with dried yeast, very easy to make.
675 g/1½ lb plain flour
15 g/½ oz sachet easy-blend dried yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ground mixed spice, or to taste
55 g/2 oz butter
300 ml/½ pint warm milk
1 large egg, beaten
140 g/5 oz mixed dried fruit
55 g/2 oz candied peel
110 g/4 oz sugar and 300 ml/½ pint water, boiled together to form a syrup
Mix the flour, dried yeast, sugar, salt and mixed spice together. Soften the butter in the warm milk and add the beaten egg. Make a well in the flour and pour in the liquid, drawing in the flour from the sides and kneading well until a pliable dough has formed (this can be done in a food processor or mixer). Knead in the fruit and peel. Cover the dough with clingfilm and allow to rise for an hour or so.
Knock the air out of the dough and knead again for a few moments. Divide into 12-14 pieces and shape into balls. Arrange these on oiled baking trays, cover and leave to rise for a further 20-30 minutes.
Mix 2 tablespoons of flour and 1 tablespoon of water together and trail a cross on the top of each bun. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Bake for about 20 minutes (they will sound hollow when tapped underneath). With a pastry brush, paint the buns with the syrup and return to the oven for 5 minutes, to set.
WHOLEMEAL SCONES
MAKES 12 SCONES
Almost every Irish household has its own recipe for ‘brown scones’.
½ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
175 g/6 oz plain white flour
400 g/14 oz coarse wholemeal flour
55 g/2 oz brown sugar
75 g/3 oz butter
2 eggs
240 ml/8 fl oz milk
butter, to serve
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7.
Sift the salt and baking powder with the white flour and mix thoroughly with the wholemeal flour. Add the sugar and rub in the butter with your fingers. Beat the eggs and milk together. Reserve a tablespoon or so, and fold the rest quickly and very lightly into the flour, working as little as possible. If necessary, add a little more milk to form a relaxed dough.
Roll out on a floured surface to 2.5 cm/1 inch thick and cut into rounds or squares. Brush the tops with the reserved milk and egg.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until there is a hollow sound when the scones are tapped underneath. Serve warm, split and buttered.
Derrynane and Kenmare Bay, Ring of Kerry.
STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE ROLL
SERVES 6
Swiss rolls and chocolate rolls are a favourite component of the tea table. This strawberry-filled chocolate roll is rich enough for an elegant summer dinner party.
FOR THE CAKE
75 g/3 oz plain flour
30 g/1 oz cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
110 g/4 oz caster sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
icing sugar, sifted, to decorate
FOR THE FILLING
240 ml/8 fl oz double cream
55 g/2 oz caster sugar
brandy or vanilla extract, to taste
450 g/1 lb strawberries, cleaned and hulled
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7.
Butter a 30 x 23 cm/12 x 9 inch Swiss-roll tin and line with baking parchment. Cut another piece of parchment the same size and have ready a tea-towel, to be wrung out in hot water.
Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Beat the eggs and sugar together until thick, white and creamy. With a large metal spoon, fold in the flour, cutting with the edge of the spoon, and turning, rather than mixing. Finally, fold in the hot water. Pour into the tin, smooth with a palette knife and bake for 7-10 minutes until the mixture has slightly shrunk away from the sides. If the sponge is overcooked, it becomes dry.
Put the piece of baking parchment on the hot tea-towel and sprinkle it with sugar. Turn the cake out on top. Quickly trim the edges, then peel the baking paper away carefully. With the help of the hot tea towel, roll up the sponge from the long side, enclosing the paper inside. (The hot towel helps to prevent cracks forming in the sponge). Leave to cool.
Stiffly whip the cream with a little sugar and brandy or vanilla extract. Roughly chop three-quarters of the strawberries, then fold them into the cream. Carefully unroll the chocolate roll, remove the paper and fill with the strawberry mixture. Roll up the cake and filling, then dredge with a little icing sugar. Decorate with the remaining strawberries.
AUTUMN APPLE TART
SERVES 6
FOR THE PASTRY
175 g/6 oz plain flour
30 g/1 oz caster sugar
110 g/4 oz butter
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt
cream or crème fraîche, to serve
FOR THE FILLING
3 large Bramley cooking apples
3 large red dessert apples
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
caster sugar, to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons icing sugar
Armagh has been renowned for more than 200 years for the quality of her apples. This tart combines two types of apple - Bramley cooking apples for the purée; and eating apples, which hold their shape when cooked, for the decorative slices.
To make the pastry, sift the flour with a pinch of salt. Stir in the sugar. Rub the butter into the flour and salt with the fingertips, or pulse in the food processor. Beat the egg yolk with the lemon juice and mix in. Add a few drops more cold water if required. Roll out or pat into a greased 23 cm/9 inch tart tin. Chill while you prepare the filling.
Peel, core and roughly chop the cooking apples and cook gently until soft, adding a spoonful of water if necessary. Press through a sieve or purée and add the grated lemon zest. Sweeten to taste with caster sugar. When cold, spread over the bottom of the pastry.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
Quarter and core the unpeeled red apples, cut into neat slices and brush with lemon juice. Arrange the slices in a circle around the tin, on top of the purée, covering it completely. Brush the slices with melted butter and then use a sieve to sprinkle a little icing sugar over the top.
Cover the apple slices with a circle of foil and bake for about
APPLE DUMPLINGS
SERVES 6
‘Coleridge holds that a man cannot have a pure mind who refuses apple dumplings. I am not certain but he is right.’
Charles Lamb, The Essays of Elia
6 large dessert apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 sticks of rhubarb or 450 g/1 lb plums, stoned, or a mixture of both
2 tablespoons sultanas
55 g/2 oz butter
150 g/5 oz golden granulated sugar
6 cloves
675 g/1½ lb shortcrust or puff pastry, homemade or bought
1 egg, beaten
ice cream, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Peel the apples and brush with lemon juice. Remove the cores, then remove and reserve a little more apple from the centres to widen the cavities. Wash and chop the rhubarb or plums, add the reserved apple and the sultanas and cook gently in 30 g/1 oz butter until soft but not mushy (a few minutes in a microwave is ideal). Fill the cored apples with the fruit mixture, sweeten to taste, reserving a tablespoon of sugar for sprinkling, and add a clove to each. Top with a knob of butter.
Cut the pastry into 6 pieces and roll them out to fit the apples. Set each apple on a square of pastry and dampen the edges. Draw up the corners, cut away the surplus pastry and press the edges well together, moulding to fit the apples. Roll out the pastry trimmings to make leaves and use these to cover any imperfections. Make steam holes in the top of the pastry, brush with the beaten egg and then sprinkle with the reserved sugar.
Bake for about 45 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Very large apples may take a little longer. A skewer pressed into the side will tell if it is done. Vanilla ice cream is very good indeed with apple dumplings.
Note: cooking apples can be used for the apple dumplings if you like very tart flavours, but add extra sugar.
MARBLE CAKE
SERVES 8-10
Marble cake has fascinated children for generations and it is always a popular feature of the tea table.
200 g/7 oz plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
salt
75 g/3 oz good dark chocolate or 1 tablespoon cocoa powder mixed with 2 tablespoons milk
175 g/6 oz butter
175 g/6 oz caster sugar
3 large eggs
grated zest and juice of a small orange
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 3.
Sift the flour with the baking powder and a pinch of salt. Melt the chocolate, if using, over hot water. Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft, then add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one by one, adding a spoonful of flour with each and beating well after each egg. Fold in the remaining flour carefully in a couple of batches, making sure no pockets of flour remain. Transfer half the mixture to another bowl and add the orange zest and 1-2 tablespoons juice. Mix the chocolate or cocoa mixture gently but thoroughly into the first bowl.
Drop the mixtures into a buttered and lined 900 g/2 lb loaf tin, 3 spoonfuls of one and then the other until you have used all the mixtures. Finally, draw a knife through the mixture diagonally from each end of the tin to create a marbled effect.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until the cake has shrunk slightly from the sides of the tin. Cover with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Leave to cool briefly in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack.
Killorglin and River Laune, Ring of Kerry.
LONGFORD CAKES
MAKES 6 LARGE OR 12 SMALL TARTS
My mother made little apple and almond tarts as an alternative to mince pies at Christmas. Many years ago I came across a recipe for Longford Cakes, which had a similar filling, in a book published in 1935. The author was a Lady Sysonby, who may have had connections with Lord and Lady Longford through literary and theatrical circles in Dublin and London, so perhaps that is how the name arose.
These delicious mouthfuls are simple to make for afternoon tea. Made larger, in 10 cm/4 inch tart tins, they make a good dessert with a little ice-cream or the geranium-scented cream on the side.
FOR THE PASTRY
280 g/10 oz plain flour, sifted
1 tablespoon caster sugar
175 g/6 oz butter
2 egg yolks
1-2 tablespoons cold water salt
FOR THE FILLING
2 tablespoons ground almonds
5 tablespoons apricot jam
100 g/3½ oz walnuts, chopped
5 tablespoons sultanas
2 tablespoons very finely chopped apple
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
caster sugar, to decorate
FOR THE GERANIUM CREAM
240 ml/8 fl oz double or whipping cream
2-3 scented geranium leaves, washed and dried
To make the pastry, mix together the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Rub in the butter, and then moisten with the egg yolks, adding a tablespoon or so of cold water as required. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. For the larger version, grease and line six 10 cm/4 inch tartlet tins; for smaller cakes, use well-buttered patty tins. Roll out the pastry very thinly and line the tins, gathering the trimmings and re-rolling to make the lids.
Mix all the filling ingredients together, chopping any large pieces of apricot in the jam, and divide among the tarts. Dampen the pastry edges and put on the lids, press well together to seal and tidy up the edges. Glaze with beaten egg, make vents in the tops and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
To make the geranium cream, softly whip the cream, then infuse the leaves in the cream for several hours. Serve with the cakes.
ORANGE CARAWAY CAKE
SERVES 10
Caraway seeds, immensely popular in Irish cooking since at least the seventeenth century, are as popular today. This variation on the seed or Madeira cake is very good. Without the orange and marmalade, this makes an excellent plain seed cake, always on hand to offer with a glass of sherry or Madeira when friends call.
110 g/4 oz butter
110 g/4 oz light brown sugar
225 g/8 oz plain flour
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons fine cut marmalade
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted
salt
Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and pale in colour. Sift the flour with the baking powder and a pinch of salt. Add the eggs, beating them in one at a time, adding a tablespoon of the flour with each. Add the marmalade, the caraway seeds and the orange zest and juice, then fold in the remaining flour. Pour into a well greased 23 cm/9 inch ring mould.
Bake for about 45 minutes. Cool slightly before turning out. When cold, dredge the cake with icing sugar.
MACAROONS
MAKES ABOUT 20
These classic macaroons are a favourite element of the ‘biscuit tin’, often offered with a glass of sherry or a cup of tea.
rice paper
2 large egg whites
110 g/4 oz ground almonds
almond or ratafia extract
225 g/8 oz caster sugar
30 g/1 oz rice flour
flaked almonds
Preheat the oven to 160°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line two baking trays with rice paper or baking parchment.
Lightly whisk the egg whites with a fork. Mix the ground almonds, extract, sugar and rice flour together. Mix in the whites thoroughly. Using a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of the mixture on to the rice paper, well apart, and top each one with an almond flake.
Bake until just golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Remove, still on the rice paper, to a rack to cool. When cold, tear or cut away the excess rice paper from the edges of the biscuits. The rice paper is, of course, edible.
WALNUT CAKE
SERVES 10
280 g/10 oz plain flour
100 g/3½ oz walnuts
200 g/7 oz butter, at room temperature
175 g/6 oz caster sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and butter and line a 900 g/2 lb loaf tin.
Sift the flour. Crumble the walnuts with your fingers. In a large bowl or mixer, cream the butter, then add the sugar, beating until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one by one, adding a tablespoon of flour and beating well between each. Mix in the walnuts, vanilla and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Mix them in well, then fold in the remaining flour, in 3 parts, cutting it in rather than beating it, but making sure no flour pockets remain. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and sprinkle the top with lemon zest. Place a piece of foil loosely over the top.
Bake for about an hour, lowering the heat to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and removing the foil after half an hour. Test with a skewer after 45 minutes. When cooked, cool for a few minutes in the tin before removing to a wire rack.
The cake can be iced with a little icing sugar, mixed with a tablespoon of lemon juice and spread over the top. It will keep for a few days in a tin.
Note: the walnuts can be toasted for 5 minutes in the oven for a nuttier flavour, but watch carefully because they burn quickly.
BARM BRACK
EACH BRACK SERVES 6-8
‘Barm’ is the yeasty ferment produced when brewing ale or beer; ‘brack’, or breac, refers to its speckled nature. Barm brack is one of the few Irish traditional breads or cakes raised with yeast, and, like hot cross buns, the origins are lost in antiquity. It is an essential part of the Hallowe’en festivities and, like colcannon, usually contains a ring - whoever gets the ring will be married within the year.
4-5 saffron strands
2 tablespoons water
560 g/1¼ lb plain white flour
1 teaspoon salt
55 g/2 oz brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground mixed spice, or to taste
15 g/½ oz sachet easy-blend dried yeast
75 g/3 oz butter
350 g/12 oz mixed dried fruit and candied peel
2 eggs, beaten
300 ml/½ pint warm milk
TO GLAZE
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons water
Put the saffron to soak in the water for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar, spice and dried yeast together. Rub in the butter and then add the fruit and candied peel. Add the beaten eggs and the saffron mixture to the warm milk. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the liquid, reserving a tablespoon. Mix well together, drawing in the flour from the sides. When the mixture will hold together, turn out and knead for 5-6 minutes. Return to the bowl and cover with clingfilm. Allow to rise for about 1½ hours in a warm place.
Grease two 20 cm/8 inch cake tins and, if you are adding rings, wrap them in greaseproof paper. Turn the dough out and knead again briefly, then divide between the cake tins. Press the rings into the centre and allow to rise for a further 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Brush the cakes with the reserved liquid and bake for about 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 and bake until a hollow sound results when the bottom is tapped, about 40-50 minutes. Make a glaze with the tablespoon of sugar and the water, boiled together until reduced to a syrup. Brush over the bracks and return to the oven to set for 5 minutes.
Note: rings can be bought in baking supply shops.
SODA BREAD WITH ONION
SERVES 6-8
This variation on classic Irish soda bread is especially good with potted meats and pâtés.
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
500 g/1 lb 2 oz strong white flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
600 ml/1 pint buttermilk
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Chop the onion finely and cook in a heavy pan, in a tablespoon of the oil until dark brown and crisp but not burned. Cool.
Sift the flour and salt together. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in 1 tablespoon buttermilk. Add this, with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, to the buttermilk. Add the onions and seeds to the flour. Make a well in the centre and add the liquid. With a fork, mix it all together thoroughly, mixing lightly until you have a fairly smooth texture, but don’t knead.
With floured hands, shape the mixture into a round cake, cut a cross in the top, transfer to a greased baking sheet and bake until the loaf gives a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom, about 40 minutes.
Note: if buttermilk is not available, use fresh milk and 2 teaspoons of baking powder instead of the bicarbonate of soda.