Pear and Almond Cake.

 

Here is my delicious Pear and Almond Cake with lovely caramelly slivered almonds covering it's top and a layer of ripe and luscious pears in the centre...yum!!

The recipe is from an old British Country magazine...one of my go to resources for British 'puddings' (the catch all word for all British desserts). In the last few years all Brit recipes have been converting to grams and kilos with attendant equivalents in ozs and lbs but now they no longer give the Imperial weights so I had to do a some maths to convert this recipe to Imperial for my little weighing scale is Imperial and it would be very confused if I asked it to weigh 75 grams. I have included cups but they are such an imprecise measurement as everyone uses them differently but I realize not everyone has a weighing scale either :) This New York Times article talks about the inconsistencies of the cup system. Each place I have looked for conversions from cups to weights and vice versa is different but here's one place to start: http://www.onlineconversion.com/weight_volume_cooking.htm

THE RECIPE: for best results have everything at room temperature. Pre heat your oven to 350F

Ingredients for cake

6 1/4ozs/175g/ 1 1/2 sticks of butter (as you can see in the photo below I use Kate's salted butter)

5 1/2 ozs/150g/ 3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs whisked gently

8ozs/220g/ 1 3/4 cups white flour, unbleached preferably

1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda/baking soda

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 fl oz/140ml/ 1/2 cup sour cream

Juice and zest of 1 lemon unwaxed and preferably organic

2ozs/50g/ 1/2 cup ground almonds

2 peeled and sliced pears any variety but not mushy, must be firm but not rock hard.

For the topping:

2ozs/50g/ 1/2 stick butter (again I use salted you can use unsalted but this is a caramelly thing and really zings from the salt)

2ozs/50g/ 1/4 cup slightly mounded of brown sugar

2 tablespoons heavy/double cream

3ozs/75g/ 3/4 cup slivered/sliced almonds

My ingredients minus the lemon and sour cream...

1. Cream the butter and the sugar from the cake list together until light and fluffy.

2. Add the whisked eggs in 4 to 5 goes...the less you add at a time to the creamed butter and sugar and the more you beat the better the amalgam and the less chance of curdling...things being at room temp also alleviate the chance of curdling.

3. Sift together the flour, baking soda and nutmeg.

4. Fold in half the sifted ingredients.

5. Fold in the sour cream.

6. Fold in the rest of the flour mix.

7. Fold in the zest and the ground almonds.

8. Toss the pear slices in the lemon juice.

9. Spoon half of the cake batter into a 20cm/8" SPRING FORM pan buttered and lined with baking parchment...you'll see later why I have that in capitals! I was naughty and used a 6" x 3" high cake pan (because it produces cute cakes that are small in diameter and tall but the cooking takes longer and is less reliable when the original recipe calls for an 8" diameter pan)

10. Layer your pear slices over the batter thus:

11. Cover the slices with the rest of the batter and bob in the oven for about 40 minutes. 

12. Put the topping ingredients together in a pan and heat until the butter and sugar are melted...set aside.

13. Remove cake from the oven at 40 minutes and slather with the topping caramelly goodness and return to the oven for about another 15 minutes or until cooked...using a skewer to tell you if this cake is cooked is a little harder than usual as you may pick up some of the pear slices as 'wet' ingredients so you will have to use your judgement on doneness.

Now you can see why I capitalized the springform pan...I didn't read my recipe thoroughly enough and I used a regular pan and filled it a little too much...this cake rose quite a lot beware although if you used the size the recipe says to use you may well not have the silliness I encountered.... so how was I to get the cake out of the pan? I waited a goodly ten minutes for the cake to cool a little and the almond topping to set a little , I went around and around the edge with a knife until it seemed well free of the sides and then I inverted it onto a plate and then quickly turned it back right side up onto another plate... I was lucky it came out in one piece...be assured using a springform would have made this part a lot easier!!

Because of the sour cream and the pears in the centre this is a very moist cake - which I have a great fondness for AND it's flavour improves markedly with age...one of those better the next day cakes. 

Happy Baking everyone...be in touch!!!

Having fun with Spoonflower!

The actual fabric swatches laid out with the print outs from my computer...a pretty good match here!

Spoonflower is a print on demand company based in Georgia, USA. It's a wonderful idea and is an excellent resource for artists who want to sell their work directly to the fabric buying public and great for people who have Etsy shops and want to design their own fabrics to make up pillows, bags, teddy bears and all manner of things made from fabric. Above are two designs I just received today..."Europa" a painting I originally did as a watercolour design for use as a dinnerware pattern for PTS America as seen below and "Folkloric Star".

Creating the allover print for this design was challenging and fun...the most complicated print I have done so far...and I can't wait to do some more complex designs from my paintings!!

Once I have done the allover design for fabric/textile application I upload to Spoonflower and order a swatch size to see how the design prints. Next I size the design to work for flip flops in my CafePress store. I just ordered these flip flops for myself and can't wait to see how they look.

My first Holiday design "Folkloric Star" there'll be more to come...how about some snowmen??

Above...an allover print using two of my cupcake illustrations combined "Cupcakes Galore"

My "Created by Mother Design" as an allover - on the first sample I received the yellow was too bright, almost neon...as you probably know the image you see on your screen is different than the one that prints out onto paper and the colours are different from each and every printer SO calibrations sometimes need to be made. Below is "Kaleidoscope" which began life as a large scale acrylic painting on panel - my first sample of this I realized the motifs were too small so I am awaiting a new swatch with them enlarged.

I learned textile design on the job in New York City many moons ago working for a bodywear company who were wonderfully supportive so I am delighted I can now offer my own work via Spoonflower...I love fabric and I used to be thrilled and amazed shopping in the garment district in NY for new fabrics - I even used to make my own clothes but no longer have the patience to do that...sewing machines drive me nuts!!

The following is a list of the fabrics my designs will be available upon - (that's dreadful English but I'm not sure how to rework it!!):

Quilting Weight Cotton:
100% cotton fabric with a soft hand, easy to sew

Organic Cotton Sateen:
100% organic cotton sateen, glossy finish, white

Organic Cotton Interlock Knit:
100% organic cotton. Very soft, natural off-white knit perfect for t-shirts, dresses, baby clothes and more.

Upholstery Weight Cotton Twill:
Sturdy 100% cotton twill with an optic white finish.

Linen-Cotton Canvas
Sophisticated light-weight canvas woven from 55% linen and 45% combed cotton.

Silk Crepe de Chine:
100% silk with a delicate, semi-sheer texture

Cotton Voile:
100% cotton voile, combed, delicate, silky texture. Please note that this fabric replaces cotton lawn, which was discontinued on 11/30/2010.

I'm looking forward to making a scarf from this fabric...it's lovely!

* NEW * Cotton Silk:
55% cotton / 45% silk fabric with a soft sheen on the printed side

Are there any of my artworks you 'd like to see as a textile design?

Banana Raisin Tea BreadCake...so goood!!

Does my puppy really think she's getting a slice of this divine Banana Raisin BreadCake...I think not!! - especially so as raisins can be lethal to our furry dog friends...but that aside this is a really divine cross between a teabread (a sweet loafy thing with yeast) and a fruit cake...it's really just a light fruitcake with bananas in to be honest and it  is absolutely delicious.

The ingredients above and the cake pictured here don't have nuts in but the second one I made...and the third and now for sure the fourth had either walnuts or pecans in to round out the tooth and flavour...it's great without nuts but even better with and be sure to lightly toast the nuts first to elevate their flavour.
 
Adapted, ever so slightly, from "The Food for Thought" cookbook by the restaurant of the same name in Covent Garden, London....a wonderful vegetarian eatery.

Firstly soak your dried fruit in hot tea for a couple of hours to plump before using in this recipe.

I try to give measurements for cups and weights but I always do weights myself as it makes for a much more reliable recipe and for consistency when you make it again so I would recommend weighing if you can.

 Set your oven to 325F when you're ready to start the recipe

INGREDIENTS:

4oz/1 stick softened butter (I always use salted in desserts..I just like the flavour)
 

8oz/1 cup sugar
 

4 fl.ozs/1/2 cup strongly brewed tea - I used Earl Grey and it was excellent!!
 

4oz/ 5/8 cup raisins
 

4oz/1 cup walnuts or pecans lightly toasted first until they are fragrant...allow to cool and then crumble to smallish pieces.
 

4 fl.ozs/1/2 cup liquid combination of whole milk (I used Elderfower Farm unpasteurized in glass bottles from Lincolnville, Maine) and the tea

strained from the fruit
 

2 goodly sized bananas mashed smooth
 

1 teaspoon bicarb of soda/baking soda
 

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I LOVE nutmeg but you can use ginger or cardamom or a combination)
 

8oz/2 cups unbleached white flour
 

1 teaspoon vanilla essence/extract

METHOD:

1. Soak raisins in hot tea for a couple of hours then drain and reserve the tea....add milk to tea to make 4 fluid ounces/1/2 cup.
 

2. Cream butter and sugar together until light in colour and fluffy.
 

3. Beat in the tea/milk, bananas and vanilla...it will be sloppy and kind of curdled looking like below but not to worry!! Then stir in the drained raisins...

4. Sift dry ingredients together.
 

5. Gently fold dry ingredients into banana/butter slush until well combined.
 

6. Pour into a lightly buttered and floured cake tin...mine is 6 x 3 and it is a perfect size for this recipe...which can be doubled and made in a 9" pan.

7. Bake in 325F oven for about 40-60 minutes. The cooking takes a long time and you may have to check a couple of times to make sure it is cooked in the centre...my first one you see here was a little undercooked in the middle...but then I cooked longer the next time...just make sure a skewer slipped into the centre of the cake comes out clean and your cake is done. If your cake is getting too brown put a little aluminium foil cap on it until it is done.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before unmolding and allowing to cool on a cake rack...if you leave in the pan to cool or cover before it is completely cold it will sweat and become soggy...we don't want that do we??

 I could happily eat a slice of this cake every day for the rest of my life...I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

Happy Baking...Patricia

This post is part of the Tea Time Treats at Lavender and Lovage and What Kate Baked

 

Dancing flowers, rowan berries and a new friend catching rays before Irene!

All along the roadsides in Maine right now are swathes of Queen Anne's Lace dancing and bobbing...when the wind catches them they look like plates spinning on poles - just like you used to see in old fashioned circuses and variety shows (showing my age now aren't I?)

 Close up the flower head of the Queen Anne's is made of many teeny tiny flowers

And when the flowers die the flower head curls in upon itself and starts to form the seeds

...ever so pretty too

 And suddenly the rowan trees are heavy with berries...I never notice the berries coming on - they are just suddenly covering the trees with their glorious bright red berries. When I was growing up my Mum always said if there was a heavy crop of berries on the trees then we were going to have a bad winter as the trees knew the birds and little creatures would be needing more food.

A nice dense cluster of Rowan berries...also known as the Mountain Ash

 And then who do we have here...

 Yesterday afternoon I espied this tiny little frog - I'll bet he wasn't even an inch long- catching some rays in the daylillies...isn't he cute?

 He was very patient as I took his photograph from many angles...

Does anyone know what kind of frog he is? Later in the day he had a reprieve from the sunshine as the pistils of the daylillies gave him a little shade. he was still on the flower late last night but is gone today...hopefully somewhere safe from the storm. 

Thanks for visiting froggy - hope to see you again soon! 

For everyone in the path of Hurricane Irene - be safe and we'll be seeing you on the other side

of the storm. Do eat lots of cake...it will be a comfort to you when the electricity goes out!

Cheers, Patricia

Now THIS is a blackberry and a Bramble Shaker Quaker Pudding!!

Isn't this a thing of beauty? A truly ripe blackberry waiting to be picked in my neighbours garden across the street. The last time I had blackberries this good was when I was about 11 years old and went blackberrying with my friend, Helen, near the Twelve Pins Mountains in Galway, Ireland. We wandered through the hedgerows for hours covering ourselves with burs and bites and the juice from a thousand delicious blackberries. We then brought our bounty back to the caravan where we were staying and attempted to make jam...I say attempted because I don't think we knew what we were doing other than attracting huge amounts of wasps and annoying my poor Mother by covering everything in sight with blackberry stickiness....ah - those were wonderful days!!

 

There is a great fondness for blackberries in the UK not only as something delicious to eat but also as an object to be replicated in charming illustrations and my friend Valerie Greeley certainly does know how to illustrate blackberries as evidenced by the beautiful images below.

"Bunny and Blackberries" by Valerie Greeley

"Dormouse and Blackberries" by Valerie Greeley

"Jellies and British Puddings" by Valerie Greeley

and on that note should we indulge in a dessert made with blackberries (although I have to be absolutely honest here and say if your blackberries are as good as my neighbours eat them plain as nothing on earth can improve them!)...but if you must perhaps you'd like to indulge in Bramble Shaker-Quaker....a simple little ditty, a Yorkshire speciality batter pudding with blackberries. After I had made it I realized it is just a puffy version of the divine French Cherry Clafouti...maybe we should call it Blackberry ClaPOUFi.

So simple: Pre heat your oven to 375F

1. Heavily butter a shallow gratin type dish. I used 4 of the size above.

2. Scatter your berries as ye may...you will notice I added a couple of gorgeous cherries to mine because I happened to have them on hand.

3. Avail yourself of the following ingredients:

3 room temperature eggs separated

2oz / 1/4 cup sugar

2oz /1/3 cup flour

1 3/4 cups/14 fluid ounces whole milk

4. Beat egg yolks lightly with a fork.

5. Mix yolks with milk.

7. Mix flour and sugar together in a bowl.

8. Put liquid into a blender, add dry ingredients and whizz until smooth batter emerges.

9. Whisk egg whites to fluffy peaks.

10. Pour blender ingredients gently into whisked whites and blend timidly until well mixed...do not worry too much if there are some lumpy bits...better to not deflate than overmix.

11. Pour batter over blackberries and then spoon floaty egg whitey stuff over any holes where fruit is peaking through - see below.

Now pop into your nice hot oven and bake for about 35 minutes until beautifully browned as below

The recipe (from an old British Country Living magazine...my favourite magazine EVER) says to eat hot or warm...I actually preferred it cool for when it's hot it's HOT...those blackberries hold the heat!! You can put a dollop of cream or vanilla ice cream on there and I really

don't think it would hurt!!

And now for a bit of blackberry frivolity:

Available at my CafePress store

and a charming and very funny English video that involves said fruit.

A pictorial ode to a humble flower.

“He is happiest who hath power to gather wisdom from a flower.”

Mary Howitt

 

 

The Clover...small, unassuming, sweet and so very pretty close up. It is one of the main nectar sources for honeybees..... 

Here is a link to "Clover-Blossom" a poem by Louisa May Alcott

...........about clover and a humble little worm....awwwww....

Blueberry and Apple Charlotte made with solar baked bread!

The finished Charlotte with apples and blueberries bursting forth.

First I decided to try baking bread in our little solar oven...would it work here in Maine?

As you see below...YES it did...and what a wonderful loaf...I didn't get a brown on it but it was baked through and just delicious.

This bread was baked by the sun in Maine!

I used a faboo recipe from King Arthur Flour (click on the link for the recipe and I recommend doing the by weight version if you have a scale) which is no-knead and so reliably great...even, good crumb and moist without being soggy...just perfect!! Thanks King Arthur!!
If you don't have a homemade loaf then do avail yourself of a loaf with some spine....not one of those marshmallow loaves but one with some body and even perhaps a wholewheat of some sort...now they are stout and hearty and will add more of a certain kind of flavour that
I think would be good.

To begin the Charlotte we need to cook our blueberries and apples...I have to tell you the smell of the fruit and nutmeg simmering was a treat and a very evocative smell...something reminiscent of a Grandma's kitchen smell - which is exactly what James said when he smelled it...LOVELY!!

The Recipe: Blueberry and Apple Charlotte in honour of Fraughan Sunday The Irish celebration this coming Sunday July 31st of the humble blueberry called a Fraughan in Eire!

A Charlotte is another of those very simple, nursery pudding dishes from England which makes something delicious out of very little in the way of ingredients. How many ways can you use bread, butter, sugar and fruit... 

Pre heat your oven to 425F

2 Granny Smith apples roughly chopped

10 oz blueberries (I have to be honest and tell you I couldn't use Maine wild blueberries as they had all sold out from the Coop the day I was doing this so I had to 'cheat' and use frozen organic high bush blueberries which  didn't have the intensity of flavour one gets with wild blueberries...sorry, naughty me!)

1/4 - 1/2 cup/ 2-4ozs sugar depending on your sweet tooth...1/4 is just enough to sweeten...I used 1/4 but wish I has used a little more.

Goodly grating of nutmeg if you are so inclined!

Mix above ingredients in a saucepan and cook til bubbling and most of the liquid

is simmered away...allow to cool somewhat.

Whilst the fruit is cooking you can get on with making the lining for the fruit...from slices of bread.

Depending on the size and shape of your receptacle you will need a good half of a normal sized loaf...sliced medium. I used my trusty 7" diameter nice and deep cake tin (I love that thing...perfect size for nearly all desserts for two people!!)

Coat the inside of the tin you are using with a good veneer of butter and ten dust with granulated sugar quite heavily....then start working on how to line your tin with the melted
butter coated sliced bread.

FIRST: melt 4oz butter in a frying pan...I used a frying pan as it made the next step of dipping and coating the bread shapes with melted butter that much easier. SO dip and coat your slices on both sides before lining the tin with them. I cut 2 semi circles for the top and bottom each and even wide lines for the sides...theoretically your slices should overlap and if there are any gaps you should plug them with leftover bits...but I didn't overlap and as you can see my pudding held together surprisingly well. If you have extra butter left over just slather it around willy nilly on the inside of the bread lining

 

Lined with buttery bread and ready for the fruit

 

Pop your fruit into the cavity and as below top off with your extra semi circles (or circles if your slices are big enough...obviously mine weren't!)

Now pop your little Charlotte into the oven and bake until toasty and brown...now here's the tricky part...keep the oven on...remove the Charlotte from the oven...allow to cool a little, run a knife around the edge of the tin to loosen the little darling....put another baking tray on the top and invert to pop the Charlotte onto the new baking tray - return to the the oven uncovered for a final crisping

for about 10 minutes....et voila!!

You can serve hot, warm or cold with vanilla ice cream, traditional English pouring custard (recipe from England's Martha Stewart - Delia Smith!) or whipped cream. This is a quiet, subtle dish but is sure to delight because of it's unusual manufacture...if you like you can leave out the blueberries and have the much more traditional Apple Charlotte...but it is Fraughan Sunday we are doing this for so stay with the blueberries if you can!!

Check out lots more Frugally Sustainable info at this great blog post by clicking on the name above.

If you are interested in energy producing sculpture
that looks like this:

Energy producing sculpture by James Strickland

....then please consider joining the Facebook page of James Strickland's HELIOCENTRIC SCULPTURE 
and here is his website too:

www.jamesstricklandart.com

Thanks!!