Apple Spice Muffins

Joy (11) made these yesterday and they were very yummy (even though I have the October cold). I have made them before and forgot about them, so glad I casually left my fave muffin recipe book out, when she was 'bored'. The book is called "Muffins, fast and fantastic"; my mum gave it to me and my aga- owning, domestic goddess sister is an addict too. (Get in!)
If you don't know about muffins, they are basically the US version of fairy cakes, only much quicker to make. They rise more, are a bit more doughy and more scrumptious. They should be eaten on the same day, but that is never a problem. You should really use proper muffin tins and cases, which are deeper than fairy cake ones. You can improvise but once you get hooked you will appreciate the benefits of the proper equipment.

Makes 12 standard muffins
9oz (255g) plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsps mixed spice
3-4 oz (85-110g) sugar
1 egg
6oz (170g) chopped apple
5 fl oz (150 ml) milk
3 fl oz (90ml) vegetable oil
2-3 oz (60-85g) raisins, sultanas or chopped walnuts (optional)

chopped walnuts for topping

1. Heat oven to 200C, gas mark 6. prepare muffin tins with paper cases or oil
2. Mix together dry ingredients, (sift if you have time)
3. Mix together wet ingredients in another bowl, add apple,
4. Pour wet mixture into dry and stir for half a minute, adding dried fruit/nuts at end
5. Spoon into tins, 3/4 full. Add topping. Bake for 20-25 mins till lightly browned

Apple chutney

Just been asked for some apple recipes for a recipe book for Apple Day next weekend at Callis and Stubbing Wharf, 24th October.

I made this for my friends last winter solstice- it was much appreciated. I still have some left, which has kept, in the jar. Nice with cheese, eg, brie and crackers, but I have had reports of people just having it on bread on it's own. I've never made chuney before, but it was dead easy. I just had to keep it bubbling till it set, which you test by taking out a teaspoonful and putting it onto a cold plate. I made it in a cast-iron pan, but sure any pan will do.

Makes 3 lb (1.5 kg)

2 lb (900g) cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
8 oz (225) sultanas, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 pint (450ml) vinegar
1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
1 lb (450g) soft brown sugar

Put apples, sultanas, onion, lemon, ginger, and half the vinegar in pan, bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add caraway seeds, vinegar and sugar and simmer till chutney thickens, (which can be an hour or so). Pour into warmed jars.

berry muffins

On a mission to make vegan blueberry/ currant muffins using all the berries I picked yesterday... will try this:

http://www.egglesscooking.com/2009/03/02/vegan-blueberry-muffins/

this one also looks quite easy, but not convinced it will rise

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=11738.0

here's the recipe I used:

Plain Flour: 2 cups
Baking Powder: 1 1/2 teaspoons
Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar: 3/4 to 1 cup
Soya Milk 1 cup
Sunflower Oil: 1/3 cup
White Vinegar (I used malt vinegar): 1 tablespoon
Mixed berries- blueberries, recurrants, blackcurrants, raspberries: 1 1/2 cups

Yield: 16 muffins.

Mix dry ingredients, then add oil, vinegar and soya milk. Don't mix too much-1/2 minute

Gently fold in berries and 3/4 fill lined muffin trays

Bake 25-30 minutes in moderate oven- gas 5

Nut roast

This is quite a simple standard vegetarian dish. It is not an exact science. I don't use a recipe for this- I just make it up as I go along, but here I will attempt to represent what i made for Xmas day dinner as my contribution to a huge feast including many roasted vegetables, sauces and gravy.
This version is Vegan.

I bought whole nuts for this, which I was going to chop/ blend, but I thought they had been eaten by the children and managed with only ground and flaked ones. Chopped mixed nuts are fine, but I prefer hazels or almonds.

Ingredients:
Nuts: 200g ground hazlenuts
100g flaked Almonds
(or ground almonds and chopped hazlenuts or... basically 12oz nuts)
1 cup oats
1 slice bread, crumbed (if not stale, lightly toast, leave to cool, then grate)
I onion, finely chopped
2 sticks celery finely chopped
6 mushrooms finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
sunflower oil
Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
herbs- mixed, or pref, fresh, eg, thyme, small amounts of sage, rosemary
1/2 pint stock made with:
water
Soy sauce- 2-3 dessert spoons
Boillion/stock cube
yeast extract (Marmite)
Seeds for topping- eg sesame, sunflower, pumpkin
optional- cranberries for decoration

In large pan fry onions, celery and mushrooms in oil for about 5 minutes.
Turn off heat and add all other ingredients, the stock last, making sure the mixture is moist and sticky but not runny.
Press into a baking tin or loaf tin
Top with generous amount of seeds
Bake in moderate oven for about an hour to 1 1/2 hours, till firm and seeds start to brown. If in loaf tin, it may need longer and covering with foil so top doesnt burn.

Urm... that's it, i think... never written it down before...
I like it with roast potatoes and parsnips and gravy and cranberry sauce. You can eat it cold in sandwiches if there is any left over.
Quantities- the feast was for 12 but I need to make this much to fill the heart-shaped tin! And it keeps for days.

Just adapted this for someone who doesn't eat nuts- using red lentils...

mince for pies!

1 lb Cooking apples, grated with peel on
12 oz Raisins
8 oz sultanas
8 oz currants
8 oz mixed peel (or use mixed dried fruit of course!)
12oz soft brown sugar
grated rind and juice of 2 oranges
grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
2 oz chopped almonds (I get flaked and crush them with hands. This is instead of suet)
2 oz ground almonds (I only had hazel)
4 teaspoons mixed spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tspn nutmeg
Brandy- optional

Just mix it all together!

here's the recipie for mince pies!

Lammas Focaccia loaf

I wanted to make a loaf for Lammas, and somehow came up with this, it seemed appropriate. leave out olives and herbs for plain focaccia.










7/8 cup water
3/8 (or 1/3) cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried oregano (or other herbs)
3 cups strong white bread flour
2 1/2 tsp instand dried yeast


100g or so black olives, quartered


rosemary sprigs
5 cherry plum tomatoes
sea salt


Put first lot of stuff into breadmaker, switch onto dough setting. (or do whatever you do to make dough by hand- presumably mix, leave to rise, knead, leave to rise).
Add olives at begining of second mixing cycle.
Roll out dough into a round bread shape about 1" thick and prod with fingers.
Add halved tomatoes, sprigs of rosemary, sprinkle with salt and brush with oil.
Allow to rise for 10- 20 mins
Bake at gas 6 for 20-25 mins
Brush with olive oil again, or dip broken off pieces in when you eat it!

Dawn's Crazy Cake

This is a vegan chocolate cake. Very simple and very yummy. For a large party cake like this double the quantities, otherwise it will make a 7" round sandwich cake. I use a special cup-measuring cup, which is like an old-fashioned teacup, and a large dessert spoon for the tbsp.

Sieve together:

1 1/2 cups SR flour

3 Tbsp cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

make 3 holes in dry mixture and add:

5 tbsp cooking oil

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup cold water

beat with spoon and bake in moderate oven (180C, 350F, Gas4) for 30 mins in oiled/lined tin(s)

My lunch: fried mushrooms and tomatoes on rye toast spread with miso, with wilted spinach.

This is a bit of a departure from my usual rye/sunflower bread with tahini and avocado.