My Love Letter to Autumn…Part 1

Sorry to all you sun worshippers who flourish in sunglasses and bikinis, but I am SO ready for Autumn. Autumn is the most beautiful, intense, colourful month and a baker’s dream. No restrictions on warm flavours like ginger and cinnamon and the earth just offers up the best pie fillings- apples, blackberries and , as I learnt last year, pumpkin. So, here are a serious of blogs comprising my love letter to Autumn.

1. Ginger Cake

So…for some strange reason, people won’t eat this all year round- and as fun as solitary

ginger cake eating is, it’s ultimately unfulfilling.  I have been hunting for eternity for  ginger cake recipe I like and finally, it happened. This one is glorious with greek yoghurt, and just as gorgeous warmed and smothered in custard.

Oh I bloody love Autumn.

Ginger Cake

(from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com)

60g butter

125g golden syrup

100g plain flour

25g self raising flour

1teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger

0.5 teaspoon mixed spice

100g caster sugar

Pinch of salt

125ml milk

1 egg, beaten

Method

Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin or a 2lb loaf tin. Pre-heat oven to 170c/gas mark 3. I’ve got a fan oven to I set mine to 160c.

Put butter and golden syrup ina small saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.

Sift both flours, the soda and the spices into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and salt , give it a good stir, then add the egg and milk mixing until smooth.

Gradually add the melted butter/syrup mix, stirring until well combined.Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55mins (fan oven I would say 40-45mins) until risen and firm to the touch.

Allow to cool in the tin for 5mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Ready for Autumn in a picture?

Stay Unchained ❤

Paris on my mind.

This week I had a bit of  a Paris longing, which I haven’t had for years. Paris is one of my favourite cities on Earth- the pastry, the buildings, the creme brulee, the tart aux fraises, the atmosphere, the croissants, the chocolat chaud, and as I believe I have made clear on several occasions, the macarons. As my American and I have not yet been there together, my memories are largely food, not romance, related.

Staring at some large green cooking apples, I began dreaming of tarte tatin, and whether I could try something a bit different.

Livi’s Apple and Caramel Tart

A couple of large cooking apples

1 cup of Butter

1/2 a cup of Dark Sugar

For the pastry:

6oz Flour

3oz Butter

pinch of salt

In a food processor, blitz the flour and butter until it forms a dough, adding a few tablespoons of water if needed.

Roll, and line a flan tin. Prick with a fork and bake for ten/ fifteen minutes, until golden.

Core and peel the apples, and cut them into thin segments.

Melt the remaining butter, and add the sugar. Bring to the boil, stirring, until a golden caramel forms.

Add half the apples, and cook until soft, fill the case. Save the remaining liquid.

Spread the remaining apples on top in a fan shape, and bake for 20 minutes.

Cover the tart with the remaining caramel, and place under a hot grill for 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it to prevent burning.

Serve with marscapone.

The result is a caramelly applely reminder of the beautiful city of lights (and cakes, cream, pastry, etc). The caramel flood the apples and the pastry and is gloriously messy. Magnifique ❤

Stay Unchained ❤