The Mill Loaf With Natural Leaven

This almost no-knead bread recipe uses a mix of white, wholemeal, spelt flour and a rye sourdough starter, though the recipe could use any other flour or combination. The method is almost identical to the white leaven bread in The Handmade Loaf by Dan Lepard
angiesrecipes, however the result is a bit different, with a dark, nutty sour taste to the crust and crumb thanks to the use pure rye sourdough starter.

470 g Rye leaven or white leaven 550 ml Water at 20C/68F 650 g Plain flour angiesrecipes

200 g Wholemeal flour angiesrecipes 75 g Spelt bread flour angiesrecipes 20 g Salt

1. In a large bowl, whisk the leaven with the water. Add the flours and salt. Mix the ingredients together to form a sticky mass. Cover and leave 10-15 minutes to stand, to allow gliadin and glutenin proteins in the compound gluten to hydrate and bond.
   
2. On a lightly oiled work surface, place the dough and knead briefly, 20 to 30 seconds will be enough. Shape the dough into a ball and put it back into the mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Next day, scrape the dough on to a lightly oiled work surface and pat it out to form a rectangle, roughly 40cm x 20cm. Fold one end, a third of the length, back to the centre. Fold the other end back over it, so we have 3 layers of dough, like folding puff pastry.
   
3. Pat it out again and fold it once more. Leave one hour at room temperature and repeat. Leave another hour and repeat. The dough should be rising nicely. To check, slash the dough with a sharp knife. It is ready to shape once bubbles formed in the dough. Otherwise leave the dough a further hour to check again.
   
   
   
   
4. Divide the dough into 3 smaller dough. Shape into balls on a lightly floured surface and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Form dough into a baton or round. Turn the shaped loaves into the floured baskets or tins with the seams up and leave them to finish rising. They're ready for baking when doubled in size, about 3 hours.
   
5. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F. Upturn the loaves on to floured baking trays and slash a few times across it. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling wire.

Lamb Shanks with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

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© 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

This heartwarming, delicious lamb shank served with a low carb califlower mash makes a wonderfully hearty family meal. The shanks are first browned, then simmered slowly with a roasted red pepper sauce in a low heat until tender and falling from the bone. I have also reduced the braising liquid by one third to make a thicker sauce, but it's completely optional. Browning gives a beautiful rich colour to the meat and the browned bits at the bottom of the pan add extra flavour. So don't skip it.

3-4 / 1.5 kg Lamb shanks 2 tbsp Beef dripping 1 Onion, finely chopped 2 Garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp Moroccan spice blend 4 Roasted red capsicums, pureed 500 ml Homemade beef stock Black salt and pepper to taste Parsley leaves, chopped Cauliflower mash to serve

1. Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Heat beef dripping in a large frying pan over high heat. Add lamb shanks. Cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. You can brown the lamb shanks directly in a cast iron casserole too.
   
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft. Add pureed roasted red capsiums and beef stock. Bring to the boil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over lamb. Cover the dish.
   
3. Place lamb shanks in the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the lid and baste shanks. Cook, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes or until meat is tender. Transfer shanks to a large bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm.
   
4. Simmer the sauce until reduced by one third, then return lamb to pan and heat through, about 5 minutes. Serve lamb shanks over mashed cauliflowers and sprinkle some chopped parsley leaves over.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Irish Whiskey Chocolate Cake

Irish Whiskey Chocolate Cake
Source: Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 64.

Some days nothing goes right for you and the day I made this cake was one of those. I am convinced that planetary alignments or some other phenonema sometimes affect a person and no matter how careful you are, you are doomed to failure. 

Such was the case a few days ago. It was too rainy and dreary to be out in the garden so I thought I would work on updating some photos that had been lost on my blog. Technical issues as well as the sheer burden of the job prompted me to abandon that and go into the kitchen for some baking.

I proceeded as carefully as I could - I measured and set out all the ingredients and read the recipe completely before beginning. The first gaffaw happened after I was getting ready to pour the batter into the pan and realized that I had forgotten the flour mixture somewhere along the way. I reread the recipe and saw that it should have been added a few steps beforehand. There was nothing to do about this but go ahead and add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and hope for the best. It actually still looked good.

I was ready to bake and realized that I had been waiting quite a long time for the oven to beep to indicate that it had preheated. I checked the dial - it was turned to 350. I opened the oven door and the inside was cold as a wedge. A few weeks ago, we experienced a problem with the oven taking a very long time to preheat. We had the ignitor element replaced and it had been working well again. That is, until now and it was not heating at all. 

The only option, aside from throwing the whole thing in the garbage and going back to bed, was to bake it in the toaster oven which I've never used for baking. To make this even more trickier, the cake needed to be in a water bath (inside another pan) and she says that there is no way to test it and that you just have to bake it at the temperature and time recommended. Perfect.

Lo and behold, after exactly 30 minutes, the cake came out of the toaster oven looking and smelling divine. I let it sit for 10 minutes before attempting to flip it onto a wire rack. This is when the gods decided that I had not suffered enough. The rack on the bottom slipped, the cake dropped out of its pan, landing about halfway on the rack and halfway off. Maida had mentioned that this was a fragile cake and indeed it is. The part that landed off the rack crumbled into several pieces.

I was heartbroken but the cake was edible and I even managed to get a slice for the photo above. After the debacle, would you believe the cake was delicious? Michael said that it was one of her best. It is very moist and boozy and very sublime. As you can see in the photo below, it actually did not get quite done along the edges but that only happened on one side and was minimal. 

So, this is a cake to try again some day but not on a day when everything is going wrong. Michael wondered how this would taste with rum instead of whiskey. I have no idea but it may be worth a try. 

Disaster!

4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4-6 pieces
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped or broken
1/2 cup Irish whiskey
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted unbleached flour
3 TBS. unsweetened cocoa (preferably Dutch-process)
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt 

Preheat the oven to 350. Use a 9 x 2 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Butter or spray the pan and the paper. 

Place the butter and the chocolate pieces in a double boiler over barely simmering water and stir occasionally until it has melted. (I bring the water to a boil and then turn off the heat to do this). Set it aside to cool.

 

Sift the flour and cocoa together and set aside.

Beat the eggs with 2/3 cup of sugar (reserving the remaining 1/3) for several minutes until they are pale in color.

Add the melted chocolate.

Add the whiskey and the sifted dry ingredients. Remove the bowl from the mixer. You will need a separate bowl to whip the egg whites.

In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until they hold a shape. On medium speed, add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until stiff. Use the whisk attachment to do this (it also helps to put both the bowl and the whisk in the freezer for 5 or 10 minutes before using).

Add the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and fold it in just until the streaks disappear.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Place the pan in a slightly larger pan. Place it in the oven and pour hot water in the wider pan. 

Bake for 30 minutes.There isn't a way to test the cake so bake for 30 minutes exactly at 350 degrees.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes. Cover with a wire rack and invert it onto another rack. Remove the pan and the parchment lining. Let the cake completely cool to room temperature.

This is a delicate cake so before cutting it, it is best to place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Black Sesame Spelt Muffins

Great as a lunch box filler, for potlucks or really any time, these simple muffins are moist, tender, flavourful and relatively healthy too. Using toasted black sesame adds distinctive flavour and aroma to them.

80 g Butterangiesrecipes 20 g Coconut sugar 40 g Sugar 1 Egg 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

50 ml Almond milk 100 g Refined spelt flour / Dinkel #630angiesrecipes 1 tsp Baking powder 4 tbsp Black sesame seeds, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a 6-hole muffin tin with paper liners. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Beat butter until soft. Beat in sugars until fluffy and light. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
   
2. Fold in 1/2 of the flour mixture with a rubber spatula to combine. Now mix in almond milk. Then add in the rest of the flour mixture and black sesame seeds. Fold until the batter is combined. Divide the batter among 6 muffin liners. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean.

Poppy Seed Spelt Loaf With Old Dough

Bread made with an old dough / pâte fermentée has a more complex flavour and texture. Use an old dough (Pâte Fermentée) saved from the previous baking, or simply mix together 105 grams of flour, 70ml of water, 2 grams of salt and tiny tiny bit of yeast until a dough forms and leave it, covered with a plastic film, at the kitchen counter overnight. You can double the portion and save the rest in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Aromatic bluegray tiny Poppy Seedsangiesrecipes are used to flavour breads, cakes, cookies, and many other dishes in European and Middle Eastern cooking. Poppy seed is generally recognized as safe for human consumption as a spice or a natural flavoring.

Another loaf baked with an old dough and wholemeal flour.

390 g Spelt bread flour / Dinkel #1050angiesrecipes 1 tsp Salt 50 g Sugar 4 g Instant dry yeast 240 g Whole milk

1 Egg 2 tbsp Olive oil 180 g Old dough saved from a previous mixangiesrecipes 1 g Baking soda 50 g Poppy seedsangiesrecipes

1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast. Add in milk, egg and olive oil. Mix the ingredients until combined. Add in old dough in portions and baking soda. Knead until a soft and smooth dough ball forms. Stir in the two thirds of poppy seeds and mix on the slow speed until incorporated. Alternatively sprinkle all the poppy seeds over the bread before baking.
   
2. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and let proof until doubled in size. Press the dough down and divide it into 4 or 6 even portions, each about 260 grams or 175 grams. Shape each dough into a ball and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. One alternative is to divide the dough into 16 even portions for the individual buns.
3. Flatten each dough and roll out into an oval shape. Fold it into thirds, overlapping them in the center, press the dough down firmly. Turn over and roll out into a 30-cm long strip. Turn over, roll up and pinch seam to seal. Place 3 rolls, seam side down into a greased and floured loaf pan or lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise until almost to the seam of the baking pan.
   
4. Once the dough has risen, brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle the rest of poppy seeds over. Bake in the middle rack of a preheated 200C/400F oven for 15 minutes. Adjust the oven temperature to 175C/350F and bake 18 minutes further or until done. Immediately remove loaves from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

Ultimate Pecan Pie Bars

OH MY MY!! These Pecan Pie Bars are one of the best I have EVER had.  They are rich with a warm caramel flavor.  The texture is soft and chewy with a slight crunch from the pecans and buttery crust. These need to be made for every holiday gathering from now on.  It is guaranteed you will come home with an empty platter.

I loved these plain, but my hubby chopped his up and added to ice cream and said it was the best ice cream he has ever had.  I also took them to a family get together and the plate was empty in a matter of minutes.  

You might also like:

Pecan Bars with Almond Glaze

Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts

No-Bake Pumpkin Turtle Pie

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

Ultimate Pecan Pie Bars
adapted from: Taste of Home
(Printable Recipe)

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 (8 oz.) pkg. milk chocolate English toffee bits
1 1/4 c. roughly chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the flour and powdered sugar.  Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Press firmly onto the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch baking dish (I also like to line my pan with parchment paper).  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, egg, vanilla and salt and whisk until combined.  Stir in the toffee bits and chopped pecans.  Pour over warm baked crust and carefully spread out evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes longer or until lightly browned.  Cool completely and cut into bars.  Store in the refrigerator.  

Georgia Pecan Bars

Georgia Pecan Bars
Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 147.

Pecan Pie will always remind me of my childhood and family holidays. At every family gathering, it was inconceivable that there not be a pecan pie. Of course, my mother, aunts and grandmothers made other great desserts as well but there would always be pecan pie. In the past, I've made Pecan Tassies which I think is similar if not the same as this recipe. This is like a pecan pie in miniature, much easier to eat in bite-size pieces. It is a bit different though in that the filling is more firm and there are no ground nuts in the filling.

These are easy to make and I just used a hand mixer. I would follow the directions on cutting the bars carefully to avoid disappointment. The only problem I encountered was that the filling seeped underneath the foil lining in the pan. There was probably a tear and Maida advises to press the foil into place with a folded towel or pot holder. It did not affect the outcome of the bars but I had to use a spatula to get the corner unstuck.

The recipe makes 32 bars.

Crust

1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
4 oz. (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan with foil. Brush melted butter over the foil and up the sides.

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Stir in the sugar. Add the butter into the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender and combine until it resembles fine meal. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and press it down firmly. Set aside and prepare the filling.

Topping

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup dark corn syrup (light syrup is ok as well - it is what I used)
3 TBS. sifted all-purpose flour
2 cups pecan halves (do not cut them)

Beat the eggs lightly and add the vanilla, sugar, corn syrup and flour, beating until smooth.

Pour the topping over the crust, making sure that the mixture covers it evenly and completely. Place the pecan halves over the top. You can also grind the nuts if you wish and sprinkle them over the top. Placing the whole nuts on top is a bit time-consuming so you might want to elicit some help.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, reversing the pan halfway during baking. The cake may puff up during baking. Keep and eye on it and if this happens, you can prick it with a fork or toothpick and release the air. Bake until golden brown. Do not overbake.

Cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then invert onto a rack and carefully remove the pan and peel off the foil. Let the cake cool completely, then place it in the freezer for about a half hour. Remove from the freezer and use a serrated knife to cut the cake into bars or squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or you can freeze them. 

Yum

Black Rice Spelt Scones with Arugula and Feta

© 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Made with freshly milled black rice flour and spelt, these savoury scones with Feta, sour cream and arugula are rich, crumbly, full of flavours and great either for a morning tea or the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of soup for a comforting meal.

220 g White spelt flour ©angiesrecipes 80 g Black rice flour ©angiesrecipes 1 tbsp Baking powder 1/3 tsp Baking soda 1 tbsp Coconut sugar 120 g Cold butter, diced 100 g Feta, crumbled 50 g Arugula, roughly chopped 250 g Sour cream plus more for brushing Freshly cracked black peppercorns

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, black rice flour, baking powder, baking soda and coconut sugar. Add in cold butter. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Place it in the freezer for 30 minutes. This helps chill the butter, which will make the scones flakier.
   
2. Take it out and crumble in Feta and add in chopped arugula. Stir in sour cream to get a soft dough.
   
3. Turn on to a lightly floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out to a 2cm thick round. Cut into 8 wedges. Brush the top with sour cream and sprinkle some cracked black pepper over. Place it back to the freezer for 30 minutes. This again will help chill the fat, so that the scones would be flakier.
   
4. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F. Bake the scones in the upper part of your oven for 18 to 23 minutes, or until they're a light golden brown.
   
5. Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Hokkaido Capsicum Salad with Pomegranate and Ginger Pumpkin Vinaigrette

© 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

This is a healthy, colourful autumn salad, featuring the fresh flavours of Hokkaido pumpkin, green capsicum and pomegranate. The ginger pumpkin vinaigrette prepared with avocado oil and sweetened with date syrup takes just minutes to prepare and will make any autumn salad pop with flavour.

Ginger Pumpkin Vinaigrette	Salad
100 g Roasted hokkaido pumpkin puree ©angiesrecipes 60 ml Avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil 60 ml Apple cider vinegar 3-4 tbsp Water 1 tbsp Flat leaf parsley 1 clove Garlic 1 Small chilli pepper 1 tbsp Date syrup or maple syrup 1 tbsp Chopped peeled fresh ginger 1/2 tsp Black salt Large pinch of freshly ground black pepper	600 g Organic Hokkaido pumpkin, roughly grated 1 Green capsicum, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced 1 handful Arugula leaves Seeds from 1/2 Pomegranate Candied walnuts & Brazil nuts (thanks, Abbe!)

1. Place all the dressing ingredients in the cup of an immersion blender, and process until emulsified. Adjust the seasoning. Chill until ready for use.
   
2. Wash the pumpkin thoroughly and dry with a clean kitchen towel. Roughly grate the pumpkin into a large mixing bowl.
   
3. Wash and dry capsicum. Half, deseed and thinly slice the capsicum. Add to the grated pumpkin together with arugula leaves and pomegranate seeds.
   
4. Add half of the dressing to the salad and toss to coat. Transfer the salad to a serving platter, garnish with candied nuts and serve with the remaining pumpkin vinaigrette at the table.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2019 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com