Tag: recipe

Honey Loaf

  • I got this recipe from an English friend who lives in Harrogate.
  • It is easy to make and is a bit different to my Polish honey cakes – miodownik or piernik.
  • But I think it could be served over the Christmas period.
  • This recipe does NOT use any eggs nor butter nor oil.

Ingredients

  • 225g plain flour
  • 115g granulated sugar
  • 115g runny honey, plus around a tablespoon to glaze
  • 150 ml hot water
  • 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160ºC.
  • Use a liner to line a 1lb loaf tin.
  • Use a little oil or butter on the liner as the cake is quite sticky.
  • Mix together the flour and the sugar in a large bowl.
  • In a saucepan melt together the honey and the water.
  • Sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda over the honey mixture and stir.
  • Add this to the dry ingredients.
  • Add the lemon zest.
  • Mix everything well together till all is uniform.
  • Turn the mixture into the loaf tin.
  • Bake for 50 – 60 minutes.
  • Check at 50 minutes and cover the top of the loaf with greaseproof or foil  so it does not burn.
  • Remove the loaf from the tin and allow it to cool.
  • Heat the honey (with a little but of water if not so runny) slightly.
  • Brush the top of the loaf with the honey.

  • Option – different size.
  • Use a 26 x 16 cm baking tray.
  • Grease and line – 3 sides with one piece of greaseproof.
  • Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

Blackberry Sauce

  • In Gvara (yes this spelling) restaurant in Gdańsk, I had wild boar tenderloin with blackberry (jeżiny – in Polish) sauce.
  • Wild game and similar is very popular in this region.
  • It was delicious – the sauce being just slightly sweet and the berries fresh tasting.
  • I just had to try this out now that I am back home.
  • The blackberries were on sale in a local supermarket and were English grown.
  • Slightly earlier in the year I might have been able to pick some from local hedgerows.
  • You might find some frozen in shops –  I will have to see.
  • *
  • I decided to make this sauce and serve it with a pork tenderloin – It would also be good with pan fried loin or chops.
  • I cooked my tenderloin, wrapped in foil with some mixed herbs.
  • *
  • You can also serve the sauce with yoghurt or budyń or ice cream etc.

Ingredients

  • The quantities are approximate
  • The sugar will depend on the sweetness of the blackberries.
  • *
  • 200g of blackberries
  • 125ml of water
  • 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar.

Method

  • In a small saucepan add the water to the blackberries.
  • Heat slowly for a few minutes.
  • Sieve out the berries and keep to one side – this is to keep them fresh tasting.
  • Reduce the amount of liquid by heating for a few minutes.
  • Put back the blackberries and stir and heat a little.
  • Add the sugar (maybe 1 tablespoon at a time) and taste.
  • The sauce does not want to be too sweet.
  • *
  • Serve straight away.
  • *
  • Can also be served cooled with yoghurt for example.

Placek with Dried Fruits

  • Placek is a thin flat cake.
  • Dried fruits are called bakalie in Polish – fruit from the Balkans.
  • If this were a loaf shaped fruit cake it would be called a “keks” – however it works better in this thin version.
  • Dried apricots are used, which is a bit different.
  • The apricots are soaked overnight in brandy – so you have to start the cake the night before.

INGREDIENTS

  • 175 dried apricots – chopped
  • 3 tablespoons of brandy
  • 175g butter
  • 175g granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs beaten
  • 175g plain flour
  • 225g raisins
  • 225g currants
  • 225g cherries*
  • *
  • *Or a mixture of cherries and mixed peel if you are short of cherries

METHOD

  • Put the apricots and brandy in a small bowl.
  • Cover and leave overnight.
  • *
  • Pre the oven to GM3 – 160°C
  • Line 3 sides of a 32 x 22 baking tin.
  • Mix the apricots with the other dried fruit.
  • Cream the sugar and the butter.
  • Add the eggs and beat together.
  • Mix in all the dried fruit.
  • Fold in the flour.
  • Spread the cake mixture into the tin.
  • *
  • Bake for 50  –  60 minutes.