Author: jadwiga49hjk

I love cooking and baking. I love trying out new recipes and currently am trying out many old favourites from my Polish cookbooks and family recipes. I am trying out many variations, often to make them easier but still delicious. I collect glass cake stands and china tableware, mainly tea plates, jugs and serving dishes, many of which I use on a daily basis. They are an eclectic mixture from the 20th & 21st century.

Apple & Sultana Filling

  • This is a filling based on one I found in an Austrian cookery book.
  • It is similar to the one I used in  Apple cake with sultanas.
  • This filling is one you can prepare seperately and use in a variety of cakes and pastries.
  • Unlike my previous recipes the apples here are cooked until they are a purée.

INGREDIENTS

  • 750g of cooking apples
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 50g sultanas
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon

METHOD

  • Cook the apples with the sugar in a saucepan with a lid.
  • Keep checking and stirring so they do not burn.
  • Keep stirring until the apples are a purée.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Mix in the sultanas.
  • I think it is best to add the lemon zest just before using the filling BUT
  • You can add it now if that is easier.
  • You can leave it covered in the fridge for the next day.

Recipes using the filling will be coming up soon.

Rowan, Apple & Pear Jam

  • This has been a bumper harvest for apples and pears.
  • My rowan tree – jarzębina -has also had loads of berries.
  • I found this recipe which used all 3 of these fruits.
  • *
  • NOTE – Never eat raw rowan berries.
  • *
  • The quantities of each fruit and sugar were exactly the same.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1kilo of rowan berries – cleaned from stalks
  • 1 kilo of washed and peeled cooking apples
  • 1 kilo washed and peeled pears
  • 1 kilo of granulated sugar
  • 500ml of water & water for washing the rowan berries
  • Piece of cinnamon
  • 6 whole cloves.

METHOD

  • Prepare your jars and sterilise them in a low oven,
  • Put the berries into hot water and bring to the boil.
  • Leave to one side and then sieve the berries.
  • Chop the apples and pears into small cubes.
  • Bring the 500ml of water to the boil with the sugar.
  • Add the cinamon bark and the whole cloves.
  • Add the rowan berries, apples and the pears and bring to the boil.
  • Lower the heat and simmer till the apples and pears are translucent.
  • Fill the jars with the hot jam.
  • Cover with the lids when theses are cold.
  • *
  • Excellent with meats, fish, paté and cheese.

Chilli Jam

  • This is a recipe that I have been making for years.
  • I do not remember where I got it from.
  • I do not think of it as Polish but everyone loves it.
  • It goes really well with cold meats and Polish sausage – kielbasa.
  • I have often been asked for the recipe.
  • So I thought I would write it up and share it.
  • The amounts are not so rigid – you and adjust them to your tastes and what is available.
  • I usually go to Leeds market to buy all the fresh produce.
  • It makes around 4 jars –
  • HOWEVER – Because of all the chopping and the amount in a jam pan – I never double up on these ingredient quantities.

INGREDIENTS

  • 400g cherry tomatoes

  • 9 red/orange large peppers

  • 14 small long chillies – red or green
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • Chunk of root ginger
    *
  • 700g granulated sugar
  • 200ml cider/wine vinegar.

  • METHOD

  • Chop the vegetables into small pieces.
  • On a low heat add the vinegar to a jam pan.
  • Stir in and dissolve the sugar.
  • Add the chopped vegetables and simmer till the consistency is sticky.
  • Bring to boil and cook for 1 minute – (do not cover the pan)
  • *
  • Makes around 4 (sterilised) Bon Mammon jars.

*

Apple Cake with Sultanas

  • I have a bumber crop of Bramley apples this year.
  • I know I watered the fruit trees early on in the year before we had our hosepipe ban.
  • This recipe is my Mama’s best recipe with added sultanas.
  • My father did not like this addition so it was a version she did not make.
  • It is equaly delicious.
  • *
  • I will be trying out new apple recipes this year – look out for them soon.

Apple & Sultana Filling – Ingredients

  • 5 to 6 Bramley Apples
  • Granulated Sugar to taste – keep it slightly tart
  • A little water
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 100g of sultanas
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Method

  • Make the apple filling first, even the day beforehand as it needs to be cold before you use it.
  • Peel and core the apples and cut them into thick slices or chunks.
  • Stew the apples gently with some sugar and very little water. You can make this in a saucepan on the stove or place the apples and sugar in a dish in the oven.
  • Do not add a lot of sugar at the beginning as it does not want to be too sweet, you can adjust the sweetness at the end.
  • Do not make it too much of a purée, cook so that you have some soft apples but with some harder less cooked chunks as well.
  • Leave the mixture to cool and then add the ground cinnamon. 
  • Add the sultanas and leave for at least 30 minutes so the sultanas plump up.

Cake – Ingredients

  • 300g plain flour
  • 3 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 200g butter
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 1 egg yolk (save the white for the topping)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and water
  • Method
  • You need a round tin with a loose base or a spring form tin or you will not be able to get the cake out.  I always use an loose base anodised aluminium tin, 22cm in diameter and 8 cm deep, which does not rust.
  • Grease the tin well.
  • Rub the butter into the flour to make fine crumbs and add the sugar and baking powder.
  • Add the egg yolk and the lemon juice and water as needed and mix together to make a soft “dough” (try not to add more flour),  handle it as little as possible.
  • Leave it to chill for about ½ an hour as this makes it easier to handle.
  • Pre heat the oven to GM5 – 190oC.
  • Take slightly more than half the dough and press it into the cake tin.
  • Spoon the apple & sultana mixture on top of this.
  • The rest of the dough will go on top of the apple & sultana mixture.
  • I use a rolling pin to make a circle that is smaller than the tin diameter and then place this on top.
  • Do not worry if the dough falls apart, just place it on with the breaks nearly touching.

Topping – Ingredients

  • 1 egg white and caster sugar
  • Slightly beat the egg white with a fork and brush this over the top of the dough.  You will not need it all.
  • Liberally sprinkle caster sugar over the egg white.
  • Bake for around 45 to 50 minutes until the top is a golden brown.
  • I tend to check the cake at 40 minutes and will cover the top with greaseproof if it starts to brown but is not yet cooked through.
IMG_20151214_172844872
  • Leave to cool before getting the cake out of the tin.
  • Loosen the side with a spatula.
  • Use a tin can and put the cake tin on this and slide the side of the cake tin down.
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  • Do not put the cake in a air-tight covered container as the apples absorb moisture and you loose the crispness of the cake.

New Magazines

  • I am back from a trip to Poland.
  • I stayed in Głogȯw & Wrocław with one of my friends.
  • I bought a couple of food magazines to add to my collection.
  • There are several recipes I am going to try soon both savoury and sweet.
  • These include soups and serniki  – cheesecakes.
  • Look out for these in the near future.
  • I need to go out and buy some of the ingredients to get started …. 

Beetroot & Apples – 2

  • The first beetroot & apple recipe was one that contained horseradish and was usually served cold.
  • I bought some organic beetroots and steamed them but thought they did not have much flavour.
  • The Bramley apples in the garden are just becoming ripe so I decided to use these as well.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 steamed beetroots
  • 2 large Bramley apples
  • A teaspon of sugar – optional

METHOD

  • Coarse grate the beetroots.
  • Peel and core the apples and coarse grate them too.
  • Mix the two together and heat gently till the apples are cooked.
  • You might want to add a little water.
  • Check on tartness – you might want to add a little sugar.
  • Serve hot with roast meats 
  • Or cold with salads or smoked meats.

Kefirowe with Raspberries

  • I recently made a cake with raspberries on the top.
  • These tasted so good I thought I would go back to an earlier recipe with fruit and this time just use raspberries.
  • I will give the recipe again here for ease.

This cake made with kefir is lovely to make in summer or early autumn with fresh raspberries equally you can use frozen fruits later in the year.

Ingredients

  • 350g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 175g of granulated sugar
  • 2eggs
  • 400ml of kefir*
  • 125ml of sunflower oil
  • Grated rind of 1 large orange
  • *
  • Around 300g of fresh raspberries OR
  • Frozen fruit should be part defrosted first
  • *
  • Icing sugar to dust – optional
  • *my tub of kefir was 350ml so I added 3 tablespoons of Greek style yoghurt.

Method

  • Grease and line with one piece of greaseproof a 32x22cm baking tray.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C
  • Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
  • In another bowl mix the eggs, oil, kefir and rind together.
  • Pour the kefir mixture into the dry mixture.
  • With a wooden spoon or Danish whisk mix well together until you have an even thick batter.
  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin.
  • Place the fruit evenly over the top
  • Bake for 40 – 45 minutes.
  • Leave to cool in the tin on a wire cake rack.
  • *
  • Dust with icing sugar to serve – optional.

Royal Doulton – Counterpoint & Duchess – Bramble Rose tea plates.

Almond & Raspberry Cake

  • I came across this recipe and thought I would give it a try.
  • The cake is easy to make as it is a batter.
  • I used fresh raspberries but I think defrosted frozen raspberries would also be fine.

INGREDIENTS

  • 125g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 75g ground almonds
  • 150g butter
  • 200g granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of lemon juice=1 large lemon
  • 2-3 drops of vanilla essence
  • 2 eggs
  • 150 – 200g of fresh raspberries

METHOD

  • Preheat the oven to GM4-180°C.
  • Use a 20cm square tin (one with a loose base is best).
  • Grease and line the base and 3 sides with greaseproof paper.
  • Mix the flour, baking powder and the ground almonds together.
  • *
  • In a saucepan melt the butter, sugar and lemon juice together until well combined.
  • Leave to cool a little.
  • *
  • Add the butter mixture to the dry mixture.
  • *
  • Beat the eggs with the vanilla essence.
  • Add the egg s a little at a time.
  • Mix well until you have a smooth batter.
  • Pour the batter into the tin.
  • Place the raspberries over the top.
  • *
  • Bake for 35 – 40 minutes until the top is golden.
  • Cover the top with greasproof or foil near the end to prevent burning if not cooked through.
  • Leave to cool on  wire cake rack.

Duchess – Bramble Rose – tea plate

Leczo – 2

  • Having just recently come across my friend’s recipe for Leczo, I then found  another version marked in a book I bought in Poland around 10 years ago.
  • Smak Węgier (Taste of Hungary) by Robert Makłowicz.
  • This is a vegetarian version of leczo.
  • I thought I should give this a go.
  • I cut down the amounts used in half  – though Robert says he likes this served cold as well as hot.
  • In Poland many would make this for bottling.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 large onions – chopped
  • Around 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
  • 500g of yellow or red peppers – 5-6 peppers – chopped
  • 1 hot red chilli pepper – chopped
  • 500g of ripe tomatoes  – home grown are the best or
  • 3 tablespoons of tomato purée in 30ml of vegetable stock
  • 2 cloves of garlic – chopped.
  • Salt to taste

METHOD

  • Gently fry the onions and garlic in the sunflower oil without browning.
  • Add the peppers and chilli, stir and continue cooking.
  • Skin the tomatoes if using and chop these or add the tomato purée and stock.
  • Stir and cook gently for around 20 to 30 minutes, with a lid on the pan.
  • How cooked you want the vegetables is up to you.
  • Add salt to taste if needed.
  • *
  • Serve with boiled rice or
  • Eggs – gently fried or steamed above the sauce in a shallow pan.

The image from Robert’s book is titled – The getaway of the vegetarian.

Note – this tastes good cold and can be served with cold meats.

Jarosz – is an old Polish word for a vegetarian – there was no need to to invent a new word from English.

Jaroszewicz is a common surname – we had many friends with this surname.

Fruity Rice Salad

  • This salad is super on a warm day – good to be eating it outside.
  • I have served it up with cold meats, Polish sausage or roast chicken or pork.
  • It is a cold salad 

INGREDIENTS

  • Cold cooked rice
  • 1 tin of pineapples – chopped
  • 1 red skinned apple – Pink lady is good – chopped
  • 80g of raisins or sultanas
  • *
  • Mint leaves to garnish

Method

  • Drain the pineapples – keep the juice.
  • Soak the raisins in the pineapple juice for at least 20 minutes.
  • In a large bowl – mix the rice, pineapples, apples and soaked dried fruit.
  • Include all the juice from the soaked dried fruit.
  • Add a touch of ground black pepper – optional.
  • *
  • Garnish the salad with some fresh mint leaves.