Monday 20 August 2012

Apricot and Vanilla Compote

www.shropshirebreakfast.co.uk

It's getting to the time of year when strawberries aren't as sweet as they were and fruit compotes start to make their way onto the breakfast buffet table.

Today I had some leftover apricots from preserve making so decided to test a new recipe for apricot compote. I suspect, like most compotes, this is going to taste better the next day, though it's still tastes pretty good freshly cooked.

500g fresh apricots ( halved and stoned )
75g caster sugar
200ml water
a vanilla pod ( I used a rum soaked one out of my homemade vanilla extract )

Dissolve the sugar in the water over a low heat. Add the apricots and vanilla pod and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes until the apricots are soft.

Leave to cool and put in the fridge and serve next day for breakfast, or, this would taste fabulous with some rice pudding for dessert.

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Lee House Cherry Almond Yoghurt Cake

www.shropshirebreakfast.co.uk

One of the things I love about social media is how it's created connections and friendships with other B&Bs all over the country. We share recipes and ideas and commiserate when things go wrong.

I was alerted to this cake recipe by Pauline at Lilac Tree Lodge in Sussex http://www.lilactreelodge.com/ who was given the recipe by Caroline of Lee House in Lynton in North Devon http://www.leehouse-lynton.co.uk/

The photo is by Pauline and the recipe by Caroline


Lee House Cherry Almond Yoghurt Cake

Ingredients

*1 x Stapleton Strawberry & Clotted Cream yogurt
1 x tub ground almonds
2 x tubs of sugar (granulated or caster)
2 x tubs of self-raising flour
1 x 200g carton of glace cherries
½ tsp baking powder; 1 x tub sunflower oil
3 x large eggs; ½
1 capful of almond essence
1-2 tbsp icing sugar for dusting (optional)
margarine and extra flour preparing the tin

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and flour a 24cm Bundt tin/Savarin cake tin (at Stapleton we did not have either of these so we just used a regular round 20cm cake tin which has worked well too). To measure ingredients, pour straight from the packet into the empty yogurt pot. Ingredients should be uniformly level with the top of the pot for each ‘tub’ measure required.

1) Cut cherries into quarters. Empty the yogurt into a large bowl; use a flexible spatula to ensure you get every last drop of yogurt out of the pot.

2) Measure the ground almonds and pour onto the yogurt in the mixing bowl; repeat this process with the sugar. Measure out one tub of self-raising flour (no need to sift) and pour half the tub into the bowl. Drop in a few cherries, then alternate layers of flour and cherries until the remaining one and a half tubs of flour and cherries have been added to the bowl. Lightly mix cherries and flour together with your fingers to coat the cherries. Add the remaining ingredients (up to and including the almond essence) in the order listed above. Stir ingredients together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

3) Spoon mixture evenly around the prepared tin and spread the top level. Bake at 180°C for approximately 45–60 minutes (the shorter time for fan assisted ovens), until well risen and golden brown (if using a round cake tin, you may need to place some baking paper over the top of the cake to prevent it from getting too brown!). Test for ‘doneness’ with a metal skewer.

4) Leaving the cake in its tin, place on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Ease the cake away from the edges of the tin with your fingers and then carefully turn the cake out onto the wire rack. Dust with icing sugar when cool if liked.

 Pauline's note *I couldn’t find that make so bought another make of strawberry and cream yoghurt in 150 g tub (large individual size) and this is the tub you use for other measurements.  There is a lot of mixture so if you cook in normal tin I would suggest lowering temp a bit and cooking for longer to make sure cooked through in middle.  It is a very moist cake when first cooked and we preferred it a few days later when not so moist. Freezes well