Professor Plum Pudding

On the sofa, with a huge jug of custard. No, not a warped game of cludo but the best way to scoff this  comforting and cheap pudding. It's just the dish to top off a huge Sunday roast and is full of seasonal fruity goodness to keep the January blues at bay.


Shopping List:


1 punnet of plums, halved with stones removed
100g margarine (of course you can use butter but I do find marg works better in this cake mix)
100g self-raising flour
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp Butter plus extra for greasing
1 tbsp of brown sugar
dash of orange/clementine juice (optional)
1/2 tbsp Vanilla bean paste, or good vanilla essence


Make it happen: 


Preheat the oven to 180ºC,


In a large pan melt a knob of butter over a medium heat.  Next with the cut side facing down, lie the plum halve out and fry for 3-4 minutes, gently shaking the pan every so often to ensure they don't stick. 

Once the fruit has softened slightly, add in the orange juice if using, sprinkle in the brown sugar and shake the pan until all the halves have been turned over and coated in the buttery sugary mix. 


Next add in the vanilla, if using the vanilla bean paste drizzle it evenly from above (I usually measure by eye, it's really a preference thing here of how sweet you would like the fruit) if using extract, drip in the desired amount evenly over the fruit. 


This time vigorously shake the pan and then with a spatula turn over the plum halves until fully coated. Turn the heat down low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, don't leave the pan at this time it's important to monitor it to ensure the syrup doesn't burn. 

Turn off the heat and allow to cool for about 30mins. 


At this point the plums are ready to eat and taste great with greek yoghurt or brioche for a weekend breakfast treat. 


Next the sponge topping. This is a classic victoria sponge topping that can be used with a variety of fillings such as apple and blackberry as an alternative to crumble. 


Cream the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Next beat in the eggs, one at a time with a spoonful of flour. Once fully combined gently fold in the remaining flour. The mix is now ready for the oven.


Lightly grease an oven proof dish and scoop the cooled plums out of the pan into the bottom. At this point depending on the plums and whether or not you used orange juice there may be quite a lot of syrup, use a little of it over the plums but keep some back to pour over during serving. 

Evenly spoon the cake mix on top ensuring all the plums are fully covered and smooth out as much as possible. 


Bake in the oven for around 40mins, until golden brown and the cake bounces back when pressed lightly. If the top starts to brown too much take it down a shelf and check your oven temperature. 



This post is especially for my wonderful friends Jamie and Nicole, who were not only my guinea pigs for this recipe but patiently waited for it to cook after I forgot to turn the oven on....thanks guys! x

Victory Cakes

Halloween is now but a distant memory, albeit a fond one for me. I deprived some children of the coveted 'Inaugural Preston Prized Pumpkin Award' (okay so all the judges were slightly inebriated and most of my competition was under 10 years old but I'm still immensely proud). Even though it's now January, these fiery cupcakes are great for a warming winter snack. Now that Pumpkins have been relegated back to a once a year food, butternut squash is a good substitute and great for including a cake as part of your 5-a-day (handy for any new year dieters)

Admittedly it's a bit of a messy recipe but if you have a food processor ,electric mixer and a dishwasher then it's not so bad. I have none of the aforementioned and a tiny kitchen but the end result was worth it.

Shopping List:

175g stem or glacé ginger in syrup
175g light muscovado
200g unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
250g butternut squash flesh, grated
200g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp each ground ginger and allspice
¼ tsp each ground nutmeg and clove
125g chopped pecans or walnuts
200g icing sugar
125g full-fat cream cheese

Make it happen:

Preheat the over to 170 degrees and prepare a deep muffin tin with cases


Beat sugar and 125g butter until smooth, then beat in the eggs one by one.


Finely chop 2/3 of the ginger and stir into the egg mixture with the grated squash


Sift in the flour, baking powder and spices, add the nuts and stir until smooth. Line the pockets of a deep muffin tray with muffin papers, then fill each one almost to the top.


Place in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, they should rise up a little and be golden brown . Once cooked leave in the tin to cool.


Once the cupcakes are cold, beat the icing sugar, cream cheese and remaining butter until smooth. Finely shred the remaining ginger and stir most of it in, along with just enough syrup to make it easily spreadable.


Swirl a dollop of icing on each cupcake and decorate with a sprinkling of cinnamon or a small piece of crystallized ginger.


Devour.

Quality Street

I have often walked down this street before.….but usually in an early morning dash to the office or a late night shelp home, rarely am I inclined to slow down and appreciate the final stretch of my journey. The bars and cafés of Shoreditch are no secret, especially to the migratory drinking crowds that descend on Friday nights and leave at some secret hour before Monday morning, however Pitfield Street is often overlooked. Running behind the ever popular Hoxton Square and off the Old Street Mile this quiet unassuming street is home to an expanding range of shops and services, the latest being the wonderful Pitfield Café.

While there are no shortage of fired chicken outlets, halal pizza offerings and even one builders caff flogging Cottage Pie at 6am, Pitfield Café has managed to plug the gap for good food, nice surroundings and a decent cup of coffee. Stepping inside I discovered that this large space also trebles as life style and interiors store including a gallery / exhibition space, well it is Shoreditch after all.


The shop area is a delight to browse with the feel of a vintage curiosity shop combined with a modern touch making it easy to navigate through the various treasures. Pieces range from impulse buys of candles, flowers and china (to accompany the takeaway cake offerings) to more considered purchases such as upcycled furniture and even plush velvet neon coloured sofas. The space is a joint venture between interior designer Shaun Clarkson and textile designer Paul Brewster, while the professional thought process behind the area is evident the atmosphere remains relaxed and inviting. Visitors can browse at their leisure while soaking up the surroundings.

As my visit was the morning after the night before, (the night before being a particularly late Christmas party) my mind was firmly fixed on the food and something to take away the pain behind my eyes. The friendly (and seemingly all French) café staff helped me out to a toasted flatbread of roast chicken, spinach and pesto accompanied by a freshly squeezed orange juice and a strong cappuccino.

The café area includes a range of large tables for the creative types to spread out over and hold business type meetings, Mr. H and I chose a quiet two seated spot by the window to get comfy. He flicked through the mornings papers as I day dreamed out the window and watched the world go by. Thankfully I was obscured by daily display of homemade meringues, Portuguese custard tarts and croissants otherwise a few passersby would no doubt be put off by my morning face peeking out at them.

Just before leaving the pastry counter called to us. Offering a range of home made artisan goods it's hard to say no to we plumped for 2 sausage rolls to make do for lunch. We barely made it the few hundred yards home before giving into temptation, the smell alone was irresistible.

As well as sandwiches and baked goods, Pitfield café offers a range of salads, soups and hot foods. Open from breakfast to dinner and accepts cards, it's sure to become a regular local haunt for me.


Pitfield Café is situated at 31-35 Pitfield Street, Hoxton N1 6HB