I have tried this before, but not upside down, so when I saw the short vid for it showing how east it was, I knew I was trying it. Previous attempts at doing it from the pastry up didn’t quite work, so backwards it is 👍
Lay a line of honey, carefully place apple slices on it, then a bit more honey, then the pastry. Press down the edges a bit, and brush with egg.
180°c (fan) for 15 minutes.
(c) K Wicks
Finally nailed making bread, with the help of the mixer. A perfect granary loaf, not too dense and so tasty with homemade butter made today too!
Here’s the recipe – Granary loaf recipe
(c) K Wicks
I thought it might be handy to put all my recipe links in one post, for me as well as anyone else who might like to use them. I’ll add to it as I get round to writing more down and trying new ones, but it’s a start.
Apple, Honey and Cinnamon Cakes
(c) K Wicks
I have found a good method now, and so far so good.
250ml double cream
100g caster sugar
1 tsp corn syrup
Flavour you are making – these ones were orange extract, and homemade dried raspberry powder and dessicated coconut.
Put the cream, sugar and corn syrup in a pan, put on a low heat and mix, then leave to simmer/boil until it gets to 238 degrees. Then tip out, let cool for 5-10 mins until becomes the right consistency, then fold in the colour and flavouring. You just need to know when it’s done by eye and feel, but I’m getting the hang of it.
(c) K Wicks
I’m going to be bold here, and call this a top breakfast, finally finding after many years a quick, easy, warm and filling morning meal. One to see you through the day, and with enough sweetness and slow release energy to see you through. If you are prone to liking sweet things and burn lots of energy just being awake, good meals are important. Although this one is not an everyday one, it’s great for when needed.
Apple – peeled and diced
Homemade butter
Cinnamon
Maple syrup
Golden syrup
Oats
Add the butter, apple and cinnamon and cook for a fee minutes until the apple starts to soften. Add the syrups and cook for a further couple of minutes. Then add the oats and allow them to soak up the syrup for a minute or two. Then serve – I have it with double cream, but the recipe I took it from on the internet had yoghurt, and used coconut oil instead of butter as they’re vegan. It’s a fantastic page by the way, so if you like youtube, check out @FitGreenMind for awesome recipes and vids.
(c) K Wicks
For something seasonal, pumkpin soup. Tried a slightly different recipe and this time it worked, although it was kind of a little from one recipe and a little from another. Also, the seeds have been saved, rinsed and dried for roasting. No carving or waste this year, just for food.
500g pumpkin cut into chunks
400ml vegetable stock (although says you can use chicken too)
Olive Oil / salt and pepper / sage leaf
1 white onion diced / 1 clove of garlic chopped
1 small potato, peeled and cut into chunks
75 ml of double cream
Tsp of butter (homemade in this instance)
Heat the oil and cook the onions and garlic for about 5 mins or until start to turn golder.
Add the pumpkin and potato, cook for about 8-10 mins until starts to soften.
Add salt and pepper and butter then add the stock and sage leaf, bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 mins or so until soft.
Add the cream and bring to the boil, then puree.
And now you should have lovely, smooth pumpkin soup.
(c) K Wicks
Thought it might be nice to try some apple and blueberry muffins. As the weather changes, it feels like cake times are coming. Or already here…
110g butter
250g caster sugar
250g plain flour
2 eggs
150ml milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
120g blueberries
80g grated apple
Some cinnamon
Cream the butter and sugar together, add eggs and mix until smooth. Sieve in the flour, baking powder and salt. Add cinnamon. Beat together, adding the milk until smooth. Hand mix through the apple and lightly crushed blueberries.
Fill muffin cases – this made 12, but I filled the cases quite high to get the towering muffin look.
180 degrees for around 25 minutes. (170 for fan assisted oven).
(c) K Wicks
Felt like some apple cakes, and realised I hadn’t tried any yet as small muffins or fairy cakes. So, adapted my blueberry muffin recipe slightly and made some very tasty cakes.
125g – caster sugar (but will try brown sugar next time)
125g – plain flour
55g soft butter
130g – grated apple with skin on (2 gala apples in this case)
1 – egg
1 – big tbs cloudy honey
1 tsp – baking powder
1/4 tsp – bicarbonate of soda
Cinnamon
Cream the butter and sugar together, add egg, honey and cinnamon, mix until smooth.
Add the apple, and more cinnamon until combined.
Add the flour and baking power and bicarb, mix thoroughly until ready to be spooned into paper cases, or a greased muffin tray.
Bake for around 20-25 minutes at 180°c, until well browned. Then leave to cool, and eat.
(c) K Wicks
A very easy and tasty recipe 😋
Oven at 160 fan assisted (180 otherwise).
225g oats
150g butter
50g sugar
2 tbs golden syrup
20g dessicated coconut
140g chocolate (or however much suits)
Melt together the butter, sugar and syrup. Take off the heat. Stir the coconut through the oats, then add the mix to the metled butter and sugar. Line your tin and tip your oat mixture in and press down.
Bake for 15 mins. Allow to cool.
Melt the chocolate, pour and smooth over the top (or as a pattern). I added some edible gold glitter too for exta sparkle ✨️
Put in fridge and allow chocolate to set. Then cut into pieces and enjoy. I put them back in the fridge though as it’s quite warm still so they’ll melt if left out.
Very tasty, could do with a bit more coconut I think next time.
(c) K Wicks
After foraging some blackberries, I decided to give apple and blackberry cake a go.
186g blackberries
2 x small gala apples
2 eggs beaten
1/2 tps cinnamon
4 oz butter
6 oz demerera sugar
8 oz self raising flour
orange zest
1tps baking powder
Oven at 160°c (fan assisted or 180 if not), line loaf tin with baking paper, or butter so the cake doesn’t stick.
Beat the eggs and greate the two apples including the skin down to the core into the egg, put in cinnamon and orange zest.
Cream together the butter and sugar.
Add the two together until you have a big bowl of runny, lumpy goo. Now add the flour and baking powder until you have a decent cake batter, then stir through most of the blackberries, careful not to break them up too much. Save a few for putting on top before it goes in the oven, and I sprinkled a small bit of demerera over the top as well.
Bake for around 50 mins to over an hour. I had to check a few times because it browned well early on. The knife test did it though, and it was perfect at about 1 hour and 5 minutes I think.
It was rather nice.
(c) K Wicks
MKW Publishing 