Cookies for christmas

Cookies for Christmas.

Create a little magic with time honoured tradition, cookies of all shapes with warming spices, sugar toppings and sprinkles always go down well. Here are a couple of simple recipes, with a little help from some cutters to magic up your table this year.
Clear a shelf in your fridge for chilling down the dough’s where necessary.
Pre-heat your oven to 150°C - 160°C.


Basic biscuit mix.
Recipe 
150g softened butter
100g caster sugar
250g Self-raising flour
Method
Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until white then stir in the flour, mix well and form in to a ball.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a flat work surface place the ball of dough onto this press into a flattened rectangular shape place another sheet of parchment on top and roll with a rolling pin until 3mm thick, place on a tray and place in the refrigerator and allow the dough to chill. Once chilled remove the dough and cut into required shapes. Transfer on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, re roll the excess dough and repeat the process.
Bake for 8-12mins depending on the size of your shapes.
To make flavoured biscuits simply divide the dough once made into 3 Add ½ teaspoon ginger to one lot for ginger biscuits, add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder  for chocolate biscuits to another lot, either leave the last lot plain or add some lemon or orange zest.


Short bread biscuits
Recipe
125g Soft butter
55g Icing sugar
180g Plain flour
Method
Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until, stir in the flour and knead lightly forming into a ball.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a flat work surface place the ball of dough onto this press into a flattened rectangular shape place another sheet of parchment on top and roll with a rolling pin until 3mm thick, place on a tray and place in the refrigerator and allow the dough to chill. Once chilled remove the dough and cut into required shapes. Transfer on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, re roll the excess dough and repeat the process.
Bake for 8-12mins at 150°c depending on the size of your shapes.



Viennese Whirls
It’s traditional to pipe these, using  piping bag and a large star nozzle, don’t stress about it if you don’t have these, you can spoon some on to the baking sheet instead. We don’t chill this dough before baking and keep it soft as it is a slightly stiff mix and hard enough to pipe.
Recipe 
125g Softened Butter
25g Caster sugar
125g Plain flour
25g Corn-flour/starch
Method
Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until white light and fluffy then stir in the flour and corn-flour, mixing until the flour is well incorporated.  Transfer to your piping bag or spoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, chose your style and or toppings and bake at 150°c for 15-20 mins.
To pipe there’s three traditional shapes, finger length, star or nest. 
They are usually ½ dipped in melted chocolate when cooled.
You can however top them with dried or glacé fruit pieces or nuts before baking. Use whatever you have handy

Decorations for your biscuits.
Water icing, 2 tablespoons Icing sugar and  1/2 tbspn hot water mixed until smooth, spoon a little onto your chosen biscuits either use some shop bought sprinkles or make some of your own, allow time for drying.
Orange or lemon sugar, the zest of 1 orange or lemon with 55g caster sugar dried in the oven at 50°c, about 35-40mins is usually enough.
Fruit sugar, Use a tablespoon of strained juice from freshly pressed berries to 55g caster sugar  mix well and dry in the oven  at 50°c.
Cinnamon and Espresso sugar, just add a pinch of cinnamon and a tablespoon of espresso or diluted coffee granules to 55g caster sugar and dry in the oven at 50°c.

Gluten Free Sunflower seed Biscuits

These go well with a soft Camembert/Brie style cheese and Damson/Plum jam

Gluten Free Sunflower seed Biscuits.
56gms/2oz Butter.
56gms/2oz Caster sugar.
85gms/3oz Sunflower seeds.
140gms/5oz Self-raising Gluten free four, ( we use Tritimyl ).
80ml/3fl oz butter milk.

Method
Roughly crush or chop the sunflower seeds.
Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl.
Then add the Gluten free flour and kneading it well before adding the Sunflower Seeds, lastly add the buttermilk working the mix well together.
Roll the mix into a 4cm log wrap in cling film and chill well before use.
To bake, preheat your oven to 160°c/325°f/gas mk3.
Line a baking,sheet with parchment/greaseproof paper.
Slice the Biscuit mix into 1/2cm - 1/4" roundels and bake approx 20-25mins.

Christmas Cake RICH

 Baking the Christmas cake was always a big event,though it's probably less so nowadays in many ways with processors and fan assisted ovens to lessen the strain. My mother wrapped her baking tin in brown paper to help protect the cake from the vagaries of the gas oven, would have been a shame to produce a cake with burnt edges and all steps were taken to protect it.
Christmas cakes aren't cheap, the dried fruits,nuts, brandy,sugar, spices, butter, eggs and flour all add up to an expensive outlay, but one from which a huge amount of satisfaction can be derived.
Once safely in the oven the aroma of baking can be savoured, while I write mine is in the oven and smells good and I'm confident it'll be good, I enjoyed making it happy in the knowledge it's not actually costing me a lot this year, I got lucky in the supermarket, last years 'All you need Christmas cake package' was on price reduction (with a convenient marketing best before date of Oct 19 2012) , 970gms of mixed fruit peel and cherries were mine for  €1.50.
I just needed to get the rest of the stuff.

This recipe works, and requires overnight soaking of the fruit apart from that it's quick.
Ingredients

400gms  Sultanas
400gms Fruit Mix (includes sultanas,currants, raisins and mixed peel)
3.5 oz/100gms Glacé Cherries
150ml Pale Sherry or Brandy
Rind and Juice of one Orange


225g/8oz  Plain Flour (sieved)
225g/8oz  Softened butter    
225g/8oz Dark Brown Sugar
5 Eggs (at room temperature)

3.5oz100gms  Chopped walnuts
3.5oz/100gms  Ground Almonds
3.5oz100gms  Flaked Almonds
1 teaspoon Mixed Spice
1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger

Method
 Gather your ingredients together and  soak the fruit with the orange juice,grated rind of orange and sherry overnight.
Prepare a deep cake tin  8"20cm, line with grease proof paper bottom and sides with a 1"2.5cm overlap, also make a greaseproof paper disc (roughly 9"22.5cm) that will cover the top of the cake while baking to protect it. I actually use a saucepan to bake my cake in, the dimensions are the same and it's oven proof.

Next day.
Pre-heat your oven 140c/275f/Gas mk1

Cream the butter with the sugar in a mixing bowl or food processor, then add the eggs one by one.
Remove transfer contents in to large bowl and stir in the flour then add the rest of the ingredients mix well then spoon the mix into the cake tin/pot

Bake for 2 - 3 hours approx
. Nb.No two ovens are the same it's worth while buying an oven thermometer to get a true reading of your oven temperature.   
To check the cake is done, insert a skewer into the centre- if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
remove from the oven and cover with a clean cloth, leaving the cake in the tin/pot to cool overnight.
Storing your cake wrap it very well in cling film if you have a cake tin spare or old biscuit tin well and good, if not wrap in tinfoil and store in a cool  dry place.

Enjoy your Festive Baking!

My filling for Sausage Rolls

Party season is on us now and this recipe always comes into play for me and someone always asks for the recipe so here it is.

Sausage Roll filling, No. 51.
Makes enough for 12
large sausage rolls or 36 party sized.
Ingredients.
1 lb/454 gms pork mince
1 lb/454 gms sausage meat, or good quality butchers sausages skinned
8 oz/227gms breadcrumbs
2 oz /56 gms onion finely diced
1 oz /28 gms butter
2 oz /56 gms apple grated
Pinch fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary chopped finely.
Large pinch white pepper
Large pinch sea-salt
Teaspoon cracked black peppercorns.
Method
Cook the onion with herbs and butter until the onions are softened- remove from heat and leave to cool.
In a large bowl combine the rest of the ingredients, mix in the cooled onions and herbs.
 Test for taste by cooking a tablespoon of the mix on a warm pan, then adjust your seasoning,

For the pastry, either use a home-made flaky pastry, or  a packet of store bought pre-rolled puff pastry. 

When using store bought divide into three, flour a board and roll again to increase sheet size by 1/3 to maximize yield.

Infundibulicybe / clitocybe geotropa, Funnel cap, Monks head, Rickstones.

'fungi know no boundries'

The 'Clitocybe geotropa' is a magnificent mushroom to see trooping on the open edges of deciduous woodland. common names include Trooping funnel cap, Monks head, and in Scotland 'rickstones'. Generally making an appearance mid to late October and lasting until mid November and a welcome addition to the basket for drying. As you can see from the pictures they'll easily fill up  a basket, slice one to ensure they are in good condition and haven't be tunnelled by insects.

This one's good but damp,drying will take longer

The caps can grow quite large up to 25cm at times.

Troop of  young Clitocybe geotropa

 Clitocybe geotropa. 
Cap, Up to 25 cm, at first convex then maturing in to funnel shape, creamy off white.
Gills, Creamy white, deep, thin like blades.
Stem, Thick, strong when young, weaker with age slightly  bulbous at base.
Flesh, Thick,firm.
Smell, Mildly sweet- pleasant, non distinct.
Spores,White
Habitat, Broad leaf woods and margins.
Season, Mid October -mid November.

Cooking,unless used when young not a great stand alone mushroom, young button caps fried with garlic are nice, otherwise best dried for use in soups and sauces in combination with other mushrooms. Well worth collecting for quick bulking of the larder..

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS CROSS REFERENCE WHEN TRYING TO I.D A MUSHROOM.
I find the site below is good and often check in for tips and references.
 https://sites.google.com/site/scottishfungi/eating-fungi/identifying-fungi-to-eat/edible-fungi

Winter Chanterelles, Yellow Legs

Craterellus tubaeformis, Winter chanterelle

Craterellus tubaeformis, formally known as 'Cantharellus' tubaeformis, reclassification in the fungi world happens, the common names stick 'Winter chanterelles' or 'Yellow legs' are what they are known as locally and across the sea on our neighbouring Island and work for everyday use.

They are a member of the Chanterelle family and there are a few variations in the species but unless pushed they all get picked under the one title. I picked two variants in one area, one basket and the winter chanterelle tag will do for both.
When you find them they are quite rewarding, usually in good numbers and in the right spot unless you've a good market for them you'll be leaving loads behind.
Pine and spruce stands on damp ground are good spots to start looking, my closest spot is under beech but they like the damp leaf litter, on the drier areas they don't appear. 

Up hill picking

Carefully washed and left to dry

Craterellus tubaeformis.
What to look for.
Cap, up 3-4 cm wides, wavy margins deeply funnelled, brownish/yellowish.
Gills, greyish/ yellowish, vein like.
Stem, yellow or brownish,up to 5- 6 cm long and hollow all the way.
Flesh, thin, fragile when old,  smell- indistinctly mushroom.
Spore print, white.
Habitat, Spruce, Pine forest and Beech leaf litter in moist conditions.
Season, late summer through to early Winter frost.

Cooking with them, for sauces cut the caps of keeping them intact, chop the legs up roughly before use as they can be slighty stringy and hang of your fork. Pickling, they look pretty in a jar and taste good.Drying, this intensifies the flavour making them a good addition to soups or stews just crunch them up in your hand before use.

'Craterellus tubaeformis'

Festive Cranberry and Orange Stuffing mmm!

  I used this recipe at hotel this year with the turkey and ham, it has been popular so i'm sharing it, since i've been asked for it so often. This stuffing will suit pork, goose, duck and lamb.
Use stale bread 'batch' loaf is best, thankfully food processors crumb it up in seconds.

Recipe
Ingredients.
300gms bread crumbs
75gms diced onion
100gms butter
1 orange Zest and juice
50gms dried cranberries
Handful of chopped fresh sage
Handful of chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Method
Melt the butter in a medium sized pot, add the onion cook until softened, add the herbs followed by the,cranberries, orange zest and juice, boil for a 2 mins to infuse the flavours remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs,taste and season with salt and pepper.
Use this to stuff your chosen bird or wrap in foil and bake separately.

Honey Fungus, 'Opienka Miodowa', Armillaria mellea

Honey Fungus

'Opienka miodowa'  or 'pine honey' in loose translation from the Polish name for Honey Fungus, I've known about this for  mushroom for years, it grew all a stump out behind the kitchen and around the grounds at Ardtara Country House where I worked years ago. I first started to take an interest in observing mushrooms and the idea of actually picking them for use around that time. Despite the positive i.d from the use of guide books I erred on the side of caution and since then have managed to happily walk by them in search of other things.
This year however with the lack of other things to fill my basket (a wire mesh bicycle basket that also doubles as a fishing basket when needed) I was glad to be in the company of one of my co-workers Tomas,' Opienka' were like manna from heaven for him on an-otherwise fungi-less morning.Tomas learnt what he knows about picking mushrooms from his father  so I was happy to learn from him and we picked a load. We each kept some and brought some to work for pickling to be used at a later date.

Young Honey fungus, growing with pine.

Honey Fungus gathered, always pack a few spare bags when foraging.

We first trimmed then washed the mushroom for pickling and used only the smaller ones, this is important, only ever preserve the freshest and best mushrooms.The larger ones we used for sauces and in soups, Honey Fungus must always be boiled in water first, then this water discarded before use.Eating raw Honey fungus causes indigestion.

 'The mixer'Tom measures up 1 part Polish 10%spirit vinegar to 4 parts water

     Different people have different preferences of the vinegar used, this one is strong being 10% spirit based  so a 1-4 ratio was used if less strong vinegar is used the ratio would need to be adjusted. salt pepper, sugar and a little mace were also added to the brine mix.

All things ready to pickle

The washed mushroom,sterilised jars and thinly sliced vegetables for colour and flavour (and indeed to eat along with the mushrooms when the time comes) with water and brine on the boil.

the mushrooms first boiled then the water discarded, then the mushrooms were boiled in the brine with the vegetables for 2 mins before jarring.

Boil for approximately 15 mins, then discard the water.

Fill the sterilised jars with the mushrooms then the boiled pickling brine. 

Jarred and upended to ensure the seal, to be ate at a later date.

These will be enjoyable in the depth of winter and perfect for pre dinner nibbles on a special occasion,  there's a kick of the vinegar but the texture and taste of the mushrooms come through.This year has been poor for mushrooms and I only got onto these late, by the time I got out foraging again frost had put and end to any remaining mushrooms, next year I won't pass them by.