Hello September! I hope you are all well? Did you enjoy August’s recipes? I hope you enjoyed making them. I have got three delicious recipes for you this September and all are made with seasonal ingredients too.
The first is one of my absolute favourites. Highland Tartiflette. Tartiflette originally comes from the french alps but by using Minger cheese, (much nicer than it sounds I promise), it gives it a delicious Highland twist. Just a side note, I couldn’t find Minger cheese in any supermarket but there is a company called ‘Highland Fine Cheeses’ where you can buy it and bonus if you sign up to their newsletter which you get via email, you get free delivery on your first order! If you can’t get Minger cheese, then Camembert is a great alternative. This recipe is oh so yummy and very seasonal as potatoes are in season in September!
My second recipe is my spiced ginger pear upside-down cake. Pears are in season in September too so this recipe is perfect. The pears are deliciously baked in caramel and the gingery spices in the sponge are beyond divine. Scrummy!
My third recipe this month is again using seasonal ingredients for September and that is carrots. My recipe is my spiced carrot cake muffins. These muffins are heavenly. The cream cheese glaze that tops the muffins just adds the final touch of deliciousness!
I really hope you enjoy my recipes and I will see you all in October where I have got some marvellously delicious and spooky seasonal recipes that I can’t wait to share. Until October, have fun baking!
Highland Tartiflette
Serves 4
Ingredients
1kg potatoes
250g smoked pancetta
2 large onions-sliced
125ml white wine
250ml double cream
250g minger cheese-Scottish cheese like Camembert
Black pepper
Olive oil
Method
To make this delicious Tartiflette, peel and thickly slice the potatoes, place in a saucepan of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until nearly cooked. Drain and set aside. In a large ovenproof frying pan, fry the pancetta in olive oil. Add the sliced onions and cook gently for around 10-15 minutes until the onions are soft and golden. Preheat your oven to gas mark 7.
Turn up the heat and add the wine and allow it to bubble away until it has evaporated, then add the potatoes. Cook, stirring often, for a couple of minutes until the potatoes are slightly browned. Add the cream, stir and cook for 2 more minutes. Season well with black pepper.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, slice the cheese and stir half in with the potatoes, then place in an oven proof dish. Top the potatoes with the remaining sliced cheese and pop in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Serve immediately with homegrown veg and then start planning your trip to beautiful bonnie Scotland
Spiced Ginger Pear Upside Down Cake
Serves 8
Ingredients
Pears
50g caster sugar
50g unsalted butter
1 tbsp Scottish whisky
1 tbsp ginger syrup-from jar of stem ginger
2-3 large firm but ripe pears
Cake
2 free range eggs
125g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
125g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp mixed spice
3 balls stem ginger-finely diced
Method
To make this yummy cake, cut out a circle of greaseproof paper that is roughly 2cm larger than the base of a 20cm springform round cake tin. Grease the sides of the tin and place the paper circle in the base, pressing up the sides slightly.
For the pears, make a caramel by melting the sugar in a small, deep saucepan over a low heat until golden brown, stirring only once most of the sugar has melted. Add the butter and stir very gently until melted. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the whisky and ginger syrup until the sauce is smooth.
Leave the caramel to stand for 15–20 minutes, or until it cools enough to coat the back of a spoon, stirring occasionally.
Place the cake tin on a baking tray in case any caramel leaks out of the cake tin and preheat the oven to gas mark 4. While the caramel is cooling, peel the pears, cut into quarters and remove the cores. Cut each pear quarter into 3–4 long slices. Place the pear slices in the caramel and fully coat. Place the pear slices in a fan shape in the bottom of the cake tin.
For the cake mixture place all of the ingredients in a large stand mixer and until a smooth mixture is formed. Gently spoon the mixture over the pears and smooth the surface. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the cake is well risen, firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean.
Take out of the oven and carefully loosen and remove the sides of the cake tin. Place a serving plate over the cake and carefully turn over. Remove the tin base and greaseproof paper. This needs to be done while the cake is warm otherwise the caramel will harden and the cake will be more difficult to remove. Slice and serve the cake warm with homemade custard for pudding or a lovely cup of tea for a tea time treat.
Spiced Carrot Cake Muffins
Makes 12
Ingredients
Muffins:
200g carrots-grated
185g self raising flour
185g light brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 mixed spice
1 tsp baking powder
100g sultanas
2 free range eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
185ml vegetable oil
Glaze:
3 tbsp cream cheese
1/2 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
65g icing sugar
Method:
To make these incredible muffins, preheat your oven to gas mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases. In a large bowl whisk the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract together. Add the flour, cinnamon, mixed spice and baking powder and mix together, then stir in the sultanas and grated carrot.
Evenly divide the mixture between the cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool on a cooling rack.
To make the glaze, slightly warm the cream cheese for about 20 seconds in a microwave, then stir in the sifted icing sugar, milk and vanilla extract until a drizzable glaze forms.
Once the muffins are cool, drizzle the glaze over the top and allow the icing to set for 30 minutes before serving with a lovely cup of tea for a delicious tea time treat.
Shopping list for all 3 recipes
Check your cupboards first as you may have a lot of these already
1kg potatoes
250g smoked pancetta
2 large onions
125ml white wine
250ml double cream
250g minger cheese or camembert
Olive oil
175g caster sugar/185g light brown sugar
1 tbsp Scottish whisky
Stem ginger in syrup
2-3 large firm but ripe pears
4 free range eggs
310g self raising flour
Baking powder
Mixed spice/ground cinnamon
200g carrots-2 large
100g sultanas
Vanilla extract
185g vegetable oil
Small tub cream cheese
65g icing sugar
Milk
