My father had a huge garden and used to grow all sorts of vegetables. We loved practically all of them, but even the way Mum and Dad cooked them, we kids never really took to Brussels sprouts. They are tricky to cook well. They can be tough or unevenly cooked. Overcook them and they can turn mushy. Worst though is …
Making The Impossible! No. 4
A Sweet Pastry – Blind baking made easy! Blind baking or par-baking a pastry shell for a tart or quiche can be a little testing as it normally means lining the shell with baking paper or foil and filling with ‘weights’, such as rice, beans or metal weights, then baking for around ten minutes or so. We have always used …
Making The Impossible! No. 3
Matt Preston’s No-Knead Bread This recipe produces lovely bread with minimal time, fuss, effort and worry. It really does work! Five minutes maximum to combine the three dry ingredients (flour, yeast and salt) and stir in some water. Four hours (or longer if desired) covered in the fridge. Five minutes to shape your rolls or loaves and get them into …
Making The Impossible! No. 2
It is impossible to make flour based cakes and puddings in the Microwave oven! Right? Well we have stumbled across a self-saucing chocolate pudding that gives a great result when microwaved. The background Some weeks ago we were over at Olive’s Cottage at Windermere. It was just a few days after the flood scare for Launceston. Fortunately the levee banks …
Making The Impossible! No. 1
It is impossible to make croissants at home! Right? Well I think so! Decent ones, anyway. I did try to make croissants once but I have selectively cleared my mind of the details of that unfortunate experience. The complexity of the process and the dismal result warrant the jettisoning from the memory bank. Despite this memory cleansing, my love for …