Saffron Cake

Saffron is an amazing spice which can be used in both sweet and savoury cooking to great effect. It is also a popular ingredient for use in baking in the British Isles and Scandinavia where it is commonly used in yeasted breads and buns.

Saffron is a much sought after spice made up of the stigmas gathered from a variety of crocus which are dried and used as a seasoning and a colouring agent in food. The colour that saffron imparts is a truly beautiful deep golden yellow and the taste is unique and hard to describe being fragrant and gently spicy at the same time. It is important that you don’t go overboard when adding the saffron because it can result in a slightly ‘soapy’ taste which can be overpowering.

Saffron is extraordinarily expensive to buy and it appears that you get a relatively small amount for the price you pay. Every time that I use saffron in my cooking I invariably tell my children that weight-for-weight, saffron is more expensive than gold – I think that they are getting rather fed-up of hearing it; but it’s true.

 

Saffron is an essential ingredient in Paella and also in a simple Risotto alla Milanese – two wonderful rice dishes hailing from Spain and Italy respectively. I have been experimenting with saffron recently and have used it in a sweet rice pudding and also in a syrup in which I poached some pears. Both dishes were absolutely lovely and once I have perfected the recipes, I will post them up on the blog.
 

The following recipe for Saffron Cake is a play on saffron bread (sometimes also called ‘cake’) which contains currants and is traditionally eaten in Cornwall in the south-west of England, where saffron was grown in the past. This cake is based on one that my aunt Barbara used to make and which I think she originally found on the back of a spice packet. This is essentially a light fruit cake with added saffron, filled and topped with a cream cheese icing similar to that you would get on a carrot cake. I find that the lactic tanginess and the hint of sweetness work well with the saffron and fruit in the cake.
 

This is a lovely, simple cake with an air of nostalgia about it.

 

Ingredients:

1tsp saffron strands
30ml boiling water

175g butter, softened

175g caster sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

275g self-raising flour, sifted

75g currants

Icing:

50g butter, softened

100g cream cheese

200g icing sugar, sifted
 

Method:

1. Place the saffron strands in a small bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave aside for a couple of hours.
2. Preheat oven to 170C/Fan Oven 150C/Gas Mark 3. Line an 18cm round cake tine with non-stick baking parchment and set aside.

3. Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer, cream together until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in the eggs, making sure they are well incorporated before adding more.

4. Add the sifted flour and using a large metal spoon fold in along with the saffron water and strands until everything is fully mixed together. Finally add the currants and mix through the batter.

5. Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a spatula of the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for 70-85 minutes or until the cake is well risen and golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin and allowing to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Icing:

7. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer, beat together until everything is thoroughly mixed together.

8. Using a sharp knife, divide the cake into two across the middle do you are left with a top and a bottom half. Spread half the icing over the bottom half and place the other half of the cake on top. Spread or pipe the remaining icing on top of the cake and dust with a little extra icing sugar. Serve.
 

Serves 6-8.

    

Mustardy Sausage Rolls

No one could accuse me of being a pessimist; I am definitely a glass half-full type of person and will tend towards thinking everything will work out alright in the end, no matter what obstacles are put in my path. This coupled with a que sera sera attitude leave me perfectly placed to deal with the vagaries of the Irish climate and our unpredictable weather. Actually, if I’m being fair,  we don’t really experience extremes in our weather, the temperature doesn’t fluctuate that much from one season to the next compared to other countries and regions and the prevailing meteorological condition is encompassed in one word; RAIN!

Despite this, every year I wonder whether we will get a few days of uninterrupted sunshine and high temperatures during  the summer months to allow for a few picnics and barbecues and a little bit of eating al fresco.

I have definitely developed rather romanticised ideas regarding eating outdoors and to me, along with the enjoying of favourable weather conditions, it represents freedom and having fun with people you like spending time with.

 

I live in hope that this year, I will have the opportunity to plan a few picnics or barbecues and eat some delicious food. My children love sausages and sausage rolls and for me they are a must at any picnic as they are so easy to transport and require no cutlery to consume them. Sausage rolls can be made with shortcrust or flaky pastry, but I favour the use of puff pastry.

 

The addition of some Dijon mustard elevates these sausage rolls to something a little out-of-the-ordinary. Feel free to leave it out or use whole-grain mustard instead. 

Ingredients:

450g good quality sausage meat

1 apple grated

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

2tblsp Dijon mustard (or wholegrain mustard, if preferred)

350g ready-rolled puff pastry

1 egg lightly beaten

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan Oven 180C/Gas Mark 7. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking parchment.

2. Put the sausage meat in a mixing bowl and add the grated apple. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix together so that everything is fully incorporated.

3. Place the sheet of ready-rolled puff-pastry on a flat surface and divide it across the middle so that you are left with two long rectangles. Spread a tablespoon of mustard on top of each rectangle leaving a free edge along the long sides. Place a layer of sausage meat down the centre of each of the puff pastry rectangles and brush a little of the lightly beaten egg on one of the free edges on each of the rectangles.

4. Fold the other edge of the pastry over to meet the egg-washed edge and press down to seal the edges together, encasing the sausage meat inside. Cut each pastry roll into 5-6 individual, eve-sized sausage rolls and place on the prepared baking tray leaving space between each.

5. Brush with a little more of the beaten egg and bake in the preheated oven for 17-20 minutes until well risen and a deep golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Makes 12.     

Potato, Saffron & Lemon Soup

“…and then I decided I was a lemon for a couple of weeks.”
 
Douglas Adams: Life, the Universe and Everything

Am I a little obsessed with lemons? Definitely! But the reasons for this are simple; a few drops of lemon added to a savoury dish manages to accentuate the flavours of each of the constituent ingredients, will enliven its taste and make eating it more enjoyable and well, just… better! My desserts of choice tend to be lemon based and not the ubiquitous chocolate options that so many people seem to immediately choose. There’s something so elegant about the flavour of lemons and I don’t think that I will ever tire of experimenting with them and seeking new ways to use them.

I have posted quite a few recipes for lemon cakes and desserts, but have not yet provided many savoury recipes where lemon is one of the key flavours. Here is a recipe for an unusual but fabulous tasting soup and one that I think is perfectly suited for eating during spring and summer when you want something refreshing. Unlike many soups intended for the summer months, this one is not chilled or served cold; it is actually served hot, but in the same way that a cup of hot tea can be refreshing on even the warmest summer day, this soup is exactly the same. Whilst I quite like chilled soups, many people are a bit suspicious of them and are not overly keen on eating them – the truth is they just seem so different to the warm comforting soups we generally eat.

This soup is essentially a classic leek and potato soup, but with added saffron and lemon. Word cannot describe how lovely it is and with its bright yellow colour would look perfect served as the first course of a summer dinner.

The lemon flavour does not dominate but it is definitely distinguishable and manages to stop the saffron from tasting “soapy” which can often be an issue when used to excess or when not mitigates by other flavours.

I have served the soup simply with a small amount of cream and some chives, but it is also delicious served with some cubes of cooked new potatoes which have been gently sautéed in some butter.

I can’t recall where I first came across this soup or where the idea came from… I think it may have been in an old cookery book written by Robert Carrier in the 1960s – a chef who presented a number of hugely popular cookery series of the era.

 

Ingredients:

300g leeks, white parts only, chopped into small 2cm pieces
200g potato, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks

1 medium sized onion, chopped

1-2 tblsp olive oil

Large pinch of saffron threads
1 litre of vegetable stock, heated

25ml dry white wine

25ml cream

Salt and white pepper to season

To finish:

50ml cream

1 lemon, sliced

2tsp lemon juice

Chives, finely chopped

 

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and then add the leeks, potato, onion and saffron and gently sweat, without colouring for ten minutes. Season well. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer gently for twenty minutes until the potatoes are cooked.
2. Using a hand-held stick blender, purée the soup until it is smooth and return to a clean pan. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Add the wine and cream, stir through and heat gently over a low heat, stirring regularly, until it is hot.

To finish:

3. Add several drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the cream and mix through.

4. Serve the soup in bowls with a couple of thin slices of lemon and topped with a spoonful of the lemon cream and a generous sprinkling of chopped chives.

  

Serves 6.

 

“Never throw away squeezed lemon, but keep them for the day by the sink. Then you can use them to remove fish, onion or garlic smells from your fingers. Or you can stick them on your elbows while you are reading a book, to soften and whiten your skin.”

Jennifer Paterson: Two Fat Ladies Obsessions

  

Lemon Sponge Cake with Lemon Curd & Raspberries

Life has been rather busy lately, and following my exploits on MasterChef Ireland, I’m being asked to do quite a bit of cooking and baking and, to be honest, I am more than happy to oblige. By now it is fairly evident that I love cooking for others; for me providing delicious food and meals is the ultimate in showing those I care about, how much I love them. This is what cooking is all about for me – cooking for others and seeing the pleasure that eating something tasty gives.

I’m not a great fan of trendy foods or cookery fads. Ultimately, good food has to be about taste and flavour, if it fails on that front, it’s failed, no matter how artistic or beautiful it looks. Having said that, I fully accept that we also “eat with our eyes” and that conversely, if something looks terrible, people won’t feel compelled to eat it, even if it tastes wonderful.

Although I love cooking food for others to enjoy, there are times when I cook or bake something because it is what I want to eat.

I love lemons; I love cake; I love sweet things and a feeling that I am spoiling myself and for me this cake encompasses all of that. At heart, this is a simple Victoria sponge, flavoured with lemon zest and filled with lemon curd, softly whipped cream and some fresh raspberries – it’s that simple… and the truth is that despite its simplicity, it looks a little decadent and tastes amazing. I have made this cake countless times and I love it.

Without sounding completely pretentious, there’s a sense of hope about this cake – it’s zesty with a beautiful balance between the sweetness of the cake and the tartness of the fruit, but it is also comforting and somehow reassuring. The last week has been one of those up-and-down weeks, and this cake was the perfect antidote to some of the trials and tribulations faced.
 

I have previously posted a recipe for homemade lemon curd, but if you can get your hands on some good quality jars of lemon curd, by all means use that instead. I baked the sponge cake layers in thee 15cm sandwich tins, but you could use two 20cm tins instead and just increase the baking time by a few minutes.

I love this cake – I hope you will try out the recipe and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
 

Ingredients:

200g butter, softened200g caster sugar

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

200g self-raising flour, sifted

To finish:

250mls single cream, softly whipped

6tblsp lemon curd

150g fresh raspberries

A little icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Using non-stick baking parchment, base line three 15cm round sandwich tins with removable bases.
2. Place the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer, cream together until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the eggs, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour and fold in with a large metal spoon until just incorporated.

3. Divide the cake batter evenly between the three prepared cake tins, smoothing out the surface of each with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the sponges are well risen, a golden colour and the edge of the sponge is beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tins. Remove from the oven and let them cool in the tins for about 10 minutes and then remove from the tins and place on a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Make sure you have removed the baking parchment.

To finish:

4. If the sponges have peaked slightly during baking, carefully trim the tops of two of them so that you have flat layers when you begin to assemble the cake. (There is no need to trip the sponge that will be uppermost on your assembled cake).

5. Place one sponge layer on your serving plate or cake stand and spread over half the lemon curd. Scatter over half the raspberries, followed by half the whipped cream. Top with the other trimmed sponge. Spread over the remaining lemon curd, scatter the rest of the raspberries and finish with a layer of cream as before. Top with the remaining sponge layer and dust gently with some icing sugar.

Serves 6 - 8. 

Lemon & Raspberry Drizzle Traybake

Did I mention before how much I love lemon cake and variations thereof? Hmmm… I think I may have done. I think it is well established by now that I am a massive fan of lemon flavoured desserts and baked goods, in particular, of lemon cake.

This recipe produces a traybake which is so handy if you need something tasty for a cake sale, coffee morning or picnic. It is easy to make, cuts into slices or squares and travels well. I love it. I have thrown some raspberries into the cake batter prior to baking, but you can substitute other soft fruit (I think blueberries work particularly well) or leave them out altogether. I love how lemons and raspberries bring out the best in each other; I also love the shock of the deep pink colour of the raspberries against the pale yellow of the sponge cake – it is so beautiful.

I am becoming a great fan of cakes that covered with a syrup glaze after baking. The syrup serves a dual purpose;- it lends the cake a wonderful moistness and prevents it from drying out too quickly but it also adds another layer of lemon flavour. Trust me though, you will be in no doubt about the flavour of this cake – it is definitely lemony.

Ingredients:

225g butter, softened

225g caster sugar
3 large eggs

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons and juice of 1

250g self-raising flour, sifted

25g ground almonds

150g raspberries

Syrup:

100ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

125g caster sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/ Fan Oven 160/Gas Mark 4. Line a 20cm square cake tin with non-stick baking parchment and set aside.

2. Place the butter, sugar and lemon zest into a large mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer, cream together until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in the eggs making sure that they are well incorporated before adding more. Next fold in the flour and the ground almonds.  Fold in the juice of the freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 lemon. Finally, gently fold through most of the raspberries, leaving a generous handful aside.

3. Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon and scatter over the remaining raspberries. Bake in the preheated oven of 55 – 60 minutes or until a thin skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave aside to cool slightly while you make the syrup.

Syrup:

4. Put all the ingredients for the syrup into a small saucepan and heat over a moderate temperature until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and as soon as it comes to the boil, remove from the heat.

5. Prick the cake all over a number of times with a thin skewer, whilst still warm. Spoon over the hot syrup and set the cake aside (still in the tin) to cool completely.

6. When cool, carefully remove the cake from the tin, dust with a little icing sugar if desired and serve cut into squares or slices.

Serves 8 - 10.     


Grilled Mackerel with Tarragon & Grape Vinaigrette

For a small island nation, I find it quite astonishing how little fish we eat here in Ireland. Fish contains many essential vitamins and minerals and in my opinion is the ultimate in fast food. It takes little time to cook and provided you show just a little care and attention, you will be well rewarded on the taste front. I think a lot of our collective reluctance about eating and cooking fresh fish at home stems from the fact that most of us are unsure about how to cook it. In this recipe, the fish is grilled and I promise you that provided you follow the timings, the dish is extremely simple to make and incredibly delicious to eat.

In my previous post, I wrote about my introduction to smoked mackerel and about how much I love its taste. I also love the taste of fresh mackerel and think that this recipe really showcases all the wonderful qualities of the fish.

I have grilled the mackerel and served it simply with some potatoes and a green grape and tarragon vinaigrette. I used a chardonnay vinegar to make the vinaigrette, and if you can get your hands on some, I urge you to do the same as it possesses a smoothness which complements the other elements of the dish perfectly, but if you are unable to source some, I would use an apple cider vinegar in its place.

We should all eat more fish and I hope that you will try this recipe out, because it is absolutely yum and so quick and easy to make.

       

Ingredients:

4 fillets of mackerel, cleaned and pin-boned
200g baby new potatoes
2 tomatoes, skinned, chopped into small dice (remove and discard the seeds and pulpy interiors)
15 green seedless grapes
Dressing:
A handful of fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
1tsp Dijon mustard
1tblsp chardonnay vinegar
3-4tblsp extra virgin olive oil
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Method:

1. Place the potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer until just cooked through. Drain and keep warm.

2. Cut the grapes in half and place in a small bowl. Lightly season with salt.
Dressing:

3. Mix the mustard, vinegar and olive oil together with a small whisk. Add the chopped tarragon and a little lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
To finish:

4. Meanwhile put turn on the grill - up to its highest setting. Place the mackerel fillets onto a small baking tray, skin-side up and place under the grill for 4 minutes until the skin starts to colour and slightly blister. Remove from the grill and squeeze a little lemon juice over the grilled fish.

5. Slice each of the potatoes into 2 or 3 slices and arrange on warm plates. Scatter around a few grapes and the chopped tomatoes. Drizzle over some of the dressing and place a grilled mackerel fillet on top. Serve.

  

Serves 4.