Tag: Sultanas

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.

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
IMG_20151212_061813444_HDR

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.

Apricot & Sultana Keks

  • This is a lovely moist cake which stays good for several days.
  • It was made in a long narrow Continental loaf tin.
  • I am sure it would be good in a 2lb loaf tin – but this has not been tested.

INGREDIENTS

  • 150g dried apricots – chopped into small pieces (I used already chopped apricots)
  • 100g sultanas
  • Hot Earl Grey Tea
  • *
  • 225 butter
  • 300g caster sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 3 eggs
  • *
  • 200g plain flour
  • 40g ground almonds
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Large pinch of salt
  • *
  • 80g Greek style yoghurt

METHOD

  • Make some strong Earl Grey tea – if using loose leaf tea – strain the leaves from the liquid.
  • Cover the apricots and sultanas with the hot tea.
  • Leave for 20 minutes.
  • *
  • Strain the fruit and pat them dry with kitchen roll.
  • *
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM5 – 200ºC
  • Grease and line a long narrow loaf tin.
  • Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla essence till pale and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs – 1 at a time – beating after each addition.
  • *
  • In a seperate bowl mix the: flour, baking powder, almonds and salt.
  • Toss the fruit in the flour and mix together.
  • *
  • Put half the flour and fruit mixture into the creamed butter mixture.
  • Stir lightly.
  • Stir in the yoghurt.
  • Stir in the rest of the flour and fruit mixture.
  • *
  • Pour the batter into the baking tin.
  • Bake for 50 – 55 minutes.
  • Cover the top with greaseproof or tin foil if it starts to burn before being cooked through.

Royal Doulton Sonnet tea plate.

Rosemary & Sultana Buns

  • This recipe is based on an Italian recipe  – Pan di rameniro.
  • These were originally eaten on Holy Thursday.
  • I am sure they would be well loved in Poland.
  • They are both slightly sweet and savoury.
  • *
  • If you want whole buns you will need to use 2 baking sheet.
  • Here only 1 sheet was used and the buns spread into each other slightly

INGREDIENTS

  • 10g of dry yeast
  • 200ml of hand hot water
  • 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
  • *
  • 300g plain flour
  • *
  • 2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 70g of sultanas
  • 60ml of virgin olive oil + little extra for brushing
  • *
  • Large pinch of salt
  • *
  • 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of water

METHOD

  • Mix the dry yeast, sugar and hand warm water.
  • Leave for around 10 minutes so it gets frolly.
  • *
  • In a large bowl mix the flour with the yeast mixture.
  • Gather the mixture together and mix till you have a smooth ball.
  • Cover the bowl with a cloth or a plastic cover and leave for around 90 minutes.
  • *
  • Remove the rosemary leave from the woody stems.
  • Chop the leaves into small smaller pieces.
  • Mix the olive oil with the rosemary and sultanas – stir ocasionally.
  • *
  • Gather up the sides of the risen dough and form into a rectangle.
  • Pour in the oil mixture and mix together by kneading.
  • NOTE – this can be a little difficult.
  • You might need a little extra flour.
  • Keep on kneading until you have a uniform dough.
  • Flatten this out on  a board and cut into 8 pieces.
  • *
  • With your hands shape each piece into smooth balls.
  • *
  • Place some baking parchment over a baking tray.
  • Place the buns on the tray leaving some room to spread.
  • Cover the tray loosely with a cloth.
  • *
  • Preheat the oven to GM5 – 200°C.
  • Brush the tops of the buns with a little olive oil.
  • With a sharp knife make a noughts and cross grid on each bun.
  • Let them rest for 16 minutes.
  • Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
  • *
  • Prepare a sugar glaze by gently heating together 4 tablesoons of sugar with 2 tablespoons of water.
  • Brush the cooked buns with the hot syrup.

Poppy Seed Filling

  • There is a recipe for poppy seed filling in one of my early posts on Poppy Seed Cake and Yeast Cakes
  • This is a variation with added dried fruit and peel, which was inspired by some yeast rogaliki I tried in Gdańsk.
  • I have cut down the amount of filling as you do not need as much for small cakes.
  • 100g of poppy seeds is more than enough for filling small cakes and pastries.
  • The filling can be used in my recipes for Rhubarb Yeast Buns (instead of the rhubarb) Mincemeat Yeast Buns (instead of the mincemeat) or rogaliki.
  • I used the filling to make rogaliki.
  • *
  • Note – as with all yeast pasties they do not stay fresh long – so invite guests to eat then up with you.

INGREDIENTS

  • 100g poppy seeds
  • 300ml milk
  • 2 tablespoons of runny honey
  • 1 tablespoon of semolina
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 50g mixed peel
  • 75g sultanas

Method

  • Put the poppy seeds and milk into a saucepan and simmer then together for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop any sticking or burning.
  • The aim is to cook the seeds and adsorb as much of the milk as possible.
  • You need to watch this carefully and keep adjusting the heat to stop the mixture burning.
  • Keep stirring and heating until the milk is absorbed.
  • The poppy seeds then need to be crushed, I use a hand held blender for about 5 minutes which I find is the easiest way.
  • Once crushed, add the semolina, mixed peel and sultanas
  • Whisk the egg yolk and honey together until this is thick and creamy and then add this to the mixture.

Meakin – Poppy plate

Szary sos – Grey sauce

  • This is a very old Polish recipe.
  • Szary is translated as grey but it can also mean dusky or dark, which sounds better.
  • Some books call it Polish Sauce.
  • Wine is not a Polish product.
  • I think you could use a sweet vermouth or sherry – will try that next time.
  • Maybe if you do not have any piernik – honey spice cake – you could use plain sponge and some peirnik spices such as cinnamon and cloves.
  • *
  • It is often served with fish such as carp, perch or pike.
  • I think it would go well with roast meats such as chicken or pork.

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion – finely chopped
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 tablespoon of plain flower
  • 50 – 70g piernik (honey spiced cake)
  • 300ml vegetable stock (can use chicken or fish)
  • 125ml red or rose wine
  • 50g sultanas or raisins
  • 20g flaked almonds
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Sugar & lemon juice to taste
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method

  • Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan.
  • Add the onion and stir.
  • Cook until they are soft and golden.
  • Add the flour and cook with stirring for a few minutes.
  • Stir in the stock and cook till the liquid thickens.
  • Add the wine and stir and cook again.
  • Break up the piernik into small pieces and add this to the sauce.
  • Cook for a few minutes until the cake falls apart.
  • Add the sultanas and gently simmer for a minute or two.
  • When ready to serve adjust the thickness with a little more wine if needed.
  • Add the lemon juice.
  • Adjust the taste with sugar, lemon juice and seasoning.
  • Pour the sauce over the food.
  • Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
Paragon – Hand Painted tea plate.

Another Celery Salad

  • I was making a quick lunch with some Polish smoked mackerel and wanted to make a couple of salads to go with it. 
  • I had some celery stems and though I would make my easy celery & peanut salad with sultanas.  This is in an earlier post Seler – Celeriac – Celery
  • I suddenly realised that I did not have any salted peanuts so decided to improve and use an apple with the celery, which are two of the ingredients of Waldorf Salad.
  • It turned out very well and will be going on my list of easy standby salads.

Ingredients

  • 4- 5 celery stems
  • 80g of sultanas
  • 1 large eating apple eg Pink Lady
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise 

Method

  • Trim the celery stems and cut into fine slices.
  • Core the apple and cut into small pieces.
  • Mix the celery, apples and sultanas together.
  • Pour the lemon juice over the mixture.
  • Add mayonnaise mix well together.

Makaron with Pineapples

Ingredients

  • 250g cooked small sized pasta
  • 1 tin of pineapples (425g)
  • 100g of sultanas
  • 70g granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs separated
  • 50g butter

Method

  • Soak the sultanas in the juice from the pineapples for several hours.
  • Chop the pineapples into small pieces.
  • Melt the butter.
  • Grease an oven proof dish with some of the butter.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C.
  • Mix the pasta with the rest of the butter.
  • Mix the sultanas and liquor with the pasta.
  • Mix in the chopped pineapples.
  • Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar till pale and frothy.
  • Lightly whisk the egg whites.
  • Mix the whites with the yolk mixture and whisk again.
  • Mix the pasta mixture with the egg and sugar mixture.
  • Put the mixture into the buttered oven proof dish dish.
  • Cook for 40 -50 minutes.
  • Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Served in Royal Doulton – Carnation 1982 – 1998

Apricot & Prune Fruit Cake

I have been going through my recipe cuttings and came across this one, which I have been meaning to make for ages as I wanted to try a fruit cake made with either dried apricots or prunes and this has both!

This could easily be described as a keks in Polish.

It is a delicious and moist cake, which can be eaten straight away – so could be a very late bake for Christmas!

The recipe was for a very large round cake but I thought a square would be better for cutting up and so I scaled down the ingredients and made it in a 24 centimetre square tin.

You have to start this cake the night before.

Ingredients

  • 120g dried apricots
  • 165g stoned prunes
  • 100ml hot Earl Grey tea
  • 100ml sherry
  • *
  • 115g currants
  • 115g sultanas
  • 115g raisins
  • 50g mixed peel
  • *
  • 150g soft brown sugar
  • 150g butter
  • 2 eggs
  • *
  • 185g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons of mixed spice

Method

  • Chop the apricots and prunes into small pieces.
  • Place them into a bowl and pour the hot tea over them.
  • Leave until this is cold.
  • Add the sherry, cover and leave overnight.
  • *
  • Add the other dried fruits to the soaked fruits and mix well.
  • *
  • Grease and line all sides of a 24 cm square tin
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM 1- 140°C
  • Mix the flour with the mixed spices.
  • Cream the sugar and butter till well blended.
  • Add the eggs and mix well together.
  • Fold in the flour mixture.
  • Add the dried fruits and mix well together.
  • Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth down the top.
  • Bake for 2 – 2¼ hours.
  • Leave to cool in the tin.

 

 

Tea set by Spencer Stevenson from the mid 20th Century

Note

Yesterday I baked this for the second time in a 21 centimetre square tin – this needed 3 – 3 ¼ hours.

Fruity Cabbage Salad

Here is a salad made with one of Poland’s favourite vegetables – cabbage.

It is a more fruity variation of a cabbage & orange salad I posted over three years ago!

Ingredients

  • A small white cabbage or sweetheart cabbage
  • 2 oranges
  • 3 eating apples – red skinned for colour contrast.
  • 1 tin of  pineapples
  • 80g raisins or sultanas
  • A pinch of salt & pepper to taste
  • *
  • Dressing – Mayonnaise & pineapple juice

Method

  • Peel the oranges removing all the pith.
  • Cut them into slices, separate the segments and then chop these into small pieces.
  • Finely shred and chop the cabbage

  • Core the apples and chop them into small pieces.
  • Drain the pineapples from the juice.
  • Chop the pineapples into small pieces.
  • Mix the cabbage and fruits together.
  • Mix mayonnaise and some pineapple juice together to make a thin dressing.
  • Add the dressing and mix everything well together.
  • You can add salt and pepper here if desired.

Served here in my mother’s vintage glass bowl.

I tend to make this salad a while before it is needed as with the magic of osmosis – raisins become plumped up with the juice from the oranges and pineapple. The dressing becomes sweet from the sugars in the raisins.

This salad goes well with roast dinners, cold smoked meats and Polish style sausages.