Apple and Cranberry Bread Pudding

We had some hot cross buns lurking around the kitchen (makes them sound like under-cover hostiles!) so I used them in a bread-and-butter pud, but without the butter, so not too naughty.  (we had all that chocolate cake and caramel flapjacks lying about for those purposes).  Anyway, I peeled and chopped a couple of Bramley apples which were lightly cooked with a couple of tablespoons of sugar, and then mixed with a handful of sultanas and dried cranberries (craisins) which had been soaked in Calvados.  This mix was then placed in the bottom of a Pyrex dish, then topped with 3 chopped hot cross buns.  A custard of 3 eggs, 3/4 pint of milk and 2 tablespoons sugar, along with a teaspoon of vanilla essence, was poured over.  Scatter with a few more dried cranberries, cover with foil, and bake in a bain marie at 175C for 45 minutes.  Serve warm with cream if liked, or I had some custard that I poured over - gilding the lily, I know.  Frugal and delicious after a roast leg of pork.

Cranberry Tiffin

Another baking marathon this weekend, in aid of my friend's charity Sea2Sea (check it out, he's cycling from the West to East Coast of the States to raise money for US and UK veterans).  This is an easy one to do and tuck away.  If you can open packs and heat a pan of water, you can make this.  In a bowl over gently simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the bottom), melt 200g of milk chocolate, 100g dark chocolate, 100g butter, 100g of golden syrup until smooth and amalgamated.  Don't rush this stage, keep the heat low, and leave it be, with just a little gentle stirring towards the end.  You don't want it to go grainy - oh no!  Then, add 200g of rich tea biscuits or shortbread biscuits, broken up (either by hand or by bashing in a plastic bag with a rolling pin) and 170g of dried cranberrries.  You can also add around 60g of your choice of nut, such as pistachios, pecans or almonds.  Mix gently until everything is coated and then spread into a 20cm sq baking tin, lined with cling film.  Allow to set, then dredge with cocoa powder and cut into squares - this should yield 16 medium or 12 large pieces - or cut them into small bite-sized pieces and pack into cellophane bags for a yummy home-made Christmas pressie.

Ina Garten's Apple and Cranberry Cake

Well folks, did you miss me?  I have been on holiday for 2 and a half weeks in lovely Devon and Cornwall, and then back at work for a week, where I was too tired to cook anything other than old favourites.  But, I'm back in the culinary saddle, enjoying the wonderful weather and the abundance of produce that turned up in our re-instated Riverford delivery - this week brought marrows, celery, bok choy, tomatoes, cabbages, onions, carrots, muscat grapes, leeks, little gem squashes, watercress........so much inspiration!  Whilst we were away, the digital TV revolution hit Oxfordshire, and I finally have freeview and a multitude of different channels.  However, despite all this wealth of telly, I seem to be stuck on channel 49, the Food Network, where - joy of joys - they broadcast Ina Garten, the 'Barefoot Contessa'.  I have long enjoyed her recipes through the blogs of American foodies, and to be able to see her and watch her cooking is wonderful.  So, expect more from her on these pages.  First up is this opportunity to use the glut of fabulous apples this Autumn, and also to clear out a bag of frozen cranberries before winter sets in.  This is dead simple, and almost the texture of a clafoutis with a little cakiness thrown in.  It is a heavily-blogged recipe, so I have linked to the recipe on Epicurious.  This would work with loads of other fruit combos - apple and blackberry, naturally, but pear and blueberry would be nice too.

Cranberry Streusel Cake [off-challenge]

Not from a Challenge book, but from the very good Tamasin Day-Lewis "Tamasin's Kitchen Classics". A simple all-in-one butter sponge, (85g each of SR flour and caster sugar, 1 egg and 55g soft butter) topped with the remains of the fresh cranberries (85g) from Christmas, and then a lovely streusel/crumble topping made with 85g each of crunchy demerara sugar and plain flour, another 55g butter, and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Bake in a spring-form cake tin for about 40 mins on a medium heat. A very good way of hoovering up leftovers.