Caramel crispies

Another one to get the kids involved with, lovely and sticky.

ingredients;

120g/ 4 oz marshmallows
120g/ 4 oz butter
120g/ 4 oz bar or slightly bigger of hard toffee or caramel, the brittle type.
rice krispies

method; melt butter,toffee and marshmallows in pot gently. Add rice krispies and press into a deep tray. allow to cool and cut into squares. Simple.

Sugar plums.

You will love these and kids love making them too.

ingredients;

180g/ 6 oz dessicated coconut
120g/ 4 oz icing / superfine sugar
90g/ 3 oz soft butter/ margarine
8 tsp evaporated milk
raspberry jelly crystals, or any flavour you like

method;

 mix all ingredients except jelly into a paste. roll into bite size ball and roll in jelly. set in fridge for 10 minutes if you get a chance with kids around. the same mix can be dipped into chocolate to give bounty bars.

another...

Ginger snaps


ingredients;


90g/ 30z butter
90g/ 3 oz soft brown sugar
90g/ 3 oz golden/corn syrup
2 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp black treacle / molasses
240g/ 8 oz self raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground mixed spice


method;

1. melt butter, sugar and syrups gently in pan.
2. mix dry ingredients together well.
3. add liquid to dry and mix well.
4. roll into small balls and bake at 180 deg c./ gas 5 for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. You must leave a lot of space aroound each one as they spread with heat.

More biscuits and a sweet or two...

Viennese Whirls 


ingredients;


180g/ 6 oz soft butter or margarine
180g/ 6 oz self raising flour
60g/ 2 oz icing/ superfine sugar
few drops vanilla extract


method;

1. cream sugar and fat till pale and fluffy.
2. stir in flour and add extract.
3. pipe onto floured tray and bake at 160 deg c. / gas 3 for 20 minutes. you can then sandwich together with buttercream or dip in chocolate or dust with sugar.

Some biscuit recipes...

In Scotland we are supposed to be famous for our baking of little biscuits and cakes but I think that the whole of the UK and especially England has the claim to fame on that one. Here are a couple of recipes that I find always work and please most people. I will try and put a few of my favourites up over the coming weeks, although with Christmas just around the corner and Halloween in a couple of weeks I may concentrate on the holiday recipes first. 

German biscuits, also known as empire biscuits

ingredients:

120g/4oz plain/soft flour

75g/2 ½ oz butter

30g/1 oz icing/ superfine sugar

seedless raspberry jam

glacé cherries

thick but runny icing made with water and icing sugar

method:

1. Rub together flour and fat. Add in icing sugar.
2. Knead into ball and rest in fridge for 20 minutes
3. Roll out to 1/16^th of an inch/5 mm thick cut into circles using cookie cutter
4. Bake on low heat, 160 deg c. gas 3 ½ till crisp but pale, about 25 minutes.
5. Allow to cool completely. Sandwich together using jam. Pour over icing and decorate with glacé cherry.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Melting Moments
   
   
   ingredients:
   
   
   150g/5oz plain/soft flour
   75g/2 ½ oz butter
   45g/1 ½ oz lard
   90g/3 oz caster sugar
   glacé cherries
   rolled oats or desiccated coconut to roll
   vanilla extract
   ½ egg, beaten.
   
   
   method:
   
   
   1. Cream sugar and fats together till fluffy and pale.
   2. Add egg and vanilla and beat well in.
   3. Beat in flour then rest mix for 20 minutes in fridge.
   4. Roll into small balls, just smaller than a walnut. Roll in oats or coconut, press slightly flat and decorate with cherry.
   5. Place onto lined/greased baking tray allowing plenty of room for spreading. Bake at 180 deg c. gas 4 for 25 minutes.
   
   
   I am told that these are a favourite with WRI and ladies circle meetings.
   
   
   
   

Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate Brownies

ingredients;

125g/4 oz softened butter

125g/4 oz dark chocolate

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

175g/6oz caster sugar

125g/4 oz plain/ soft flour

½ teaspoon salt

150g/5 oz chopped walnuts

Method;

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 deg.c.

2. Melt butter and chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.

3. Whip sugar vanilla and eggs in separate bowl until frothy.

4. Sieve in flour and salt in another bowl.

5. Beat egg mix into chocolate and fold in dry, use a metal spoon or your fingers to stir flour in as this will help to keep mixture light.

6. Bake for 25 minutes and allow to cool slightly before cutting. Serve warm, sticky and delicious. Enjoy.

Steamed Marmalade Pudding

Stevie's Marmalade Pudding

ingredients;

2 x 2lb/ 1kg Pudding bowls.

6oz/180gm fine brown breadcrumbs

6oz/180gm soft brown sugar, light or dark

2oz/60gm self raising flour

7oz/200gm butter, plus more for buttering dishes

10 tablespoons home-made whisky marmalade or good strong marmalade with a very large measure of strong whisky added.

5 large eggs

1 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda and a little water to dissolve

Method;

1. Butter dishes well.

2. Mix breadcrumbs, flour and sugar together.

3. Melt butter and marmalade and butter over gentle heat. Add to dry and mix well.
4. Whisk eggs until frothy. Beat into other mix.

5. Dissolve bicarbonate in a little water and stir in to main mix.

6. Divide mix evenly between 2 dishes . Cover tightly and steam for 2-3 hours. This pudding can be made and frozen and microwaves well. The marmalade you use is very important so don't wimp out and buy a sweet marmalade or lime marmalade it just doesn't work!

Sweet potato and chilli soup.

This is one of my most simple soups, it almost makes its-self!

Ingredients;


3lb/1.5kg peeled sweet potatoes, chopped.
1 onion, chopped
vegetable stock
1 jar of Peppadew/ sweet, spicy South African Peppers, you can get them in most supermarkets, they are the ones that usually come stuffed with cheese.

Method;


Place all ingredients into pot cover with stock , boil for 30 minutes until tender, blend in processor, pass through sieve if you don't like "bits". Serve.
You can add cream for extra richness or to reduce spiciness.

Butternut squash, apple and saffron soup

Ingredients;


1 onion, chopped
1 tbsn vegetable oil
2 butternut squash, chopped
3 green apples, granny smith, bramley, etc.
1/2 gram saffron
vegetable stock
1/2 pint/250ml double cream
pinch hot chilli flakes
salt to taste

Method;

1. Fry onions in oil till soft. Add squash and fry for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add chopped, peeled apples and saffron. cover with stock then bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Purée mix with hand blender or processor.
4. Add cream and chilli and salt to taste. pass through sieve or re-blend after five minutes to get rid of chilli flakes. 

Fruit Curry

Malaysian style fruit curry

ingredients;

oil for frying

1 tsp ground cumin

3 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground fenugreek

hot chilli sauce to taste

2 mangoes, puréed

1 onion, finely chopped

double/heavy cream to taste, around 250ml/ ½ pint, you can use yoghurt.

250ml/ ½ pint passatta

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp crushed garlic

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

125ml/ ¼ pint coconut cream

a good mix of fresh fruit cut into large pieces. Use harder fruit such as pears, mango, pineapple, apples, etc. if you use bananas, kiwi, etc. you must add them after about 5 minutes cooking.

Method;

1. Mix all dry ingredients together.

2. Fry onions till brown and add garlic then curry powder.

3. Pour in mango and ketchup and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add coconut, passatta and cream. Adjust seasoning to taste, you can add more ketchup, cream or mango to adjust the flavour. Add you hot sauce at this stage, there should be a bite but not overpowering.
5. Blend mix in food processor until smooth. Pour over fruit and heat for 5 minutes, add any softer fruits and cook for a further 2-3 minutes taking care that they don't break up. Serve with home-made naan bread, pilaf rice and chutneys. This sauce goes well with fish.

Here we go....

Hi folks!

I'm sorry that it has taken so long to answer recipe calls this month. I have been planning winter menus and costing them to see if its viable to open the Glen Massan as a floating restaurant during the “off season”. So far its looking good.

The Majestic Line cookery book has now been launched and initial interest is good if a bit slow.

I have a few recipe requests and again they seem to be for my vegetarian dishes, is it because vegetarian dishes are harder to make? Or is it because new vegetarian ideas are harder to think up? Either way it looks as though I may have to write a vegetarian cookbook.

Here we go.....

A nice lunch or breakfast dish.

I always found the dish Kedgeree a messy one to present and also a little old fashioned. So I tried to get round the presentation problem and came up with this dish and found that although it combines two old fashioned ideas it has a modern feel to it. I hope that you like it and I'm confident that if you try it you will! Use quails eggs for canapé or snack size.

Ingredients;

4 eggs, softly boiled and shelled.

150gm/6oz pale smoked haddock, other smoked fish may be substituted.

150gm/6oz white fish,haddock,sole , whiting, etc.

250gm/2oz rice flour

1 egg, beaten with a little milk

100gm/4oz fresh breadcrumbs

salt

2 teaspoons medium heat curry powder

oil for frying

Method;

1. blend fish together into a paste using a food processor and divide mix into four equal pieces.
2. Using wet hands pat fish out into rounds. Place boiled egg into centre and work until completely covered and no egg shows through.
3. Dust eggs with rice flour, then dip into egg and milk mix.
4. Mix curry, breadcrumbs, remaining rice flour and salt together, well. Shake off excess egg and roll into crumbs. Repeat the egg and crumb twice.
5. Heat oil in deep pan or use deep fat fryer. 180-190 deg. c.
6. Place eggs in carefully and cook until golden place on kitchen paper to drain. Serve while hot on bed of lettuce and surround with a little cordon of curry sauce for fish or fruit. Enjoy hot or cold.

A special request for my cousin Wendy...

Here is an old family recipe for Fried cheese known as Cheese Dippy.

Ingredients;

1kg/2lb cheddar cheese (diced)
100gm/4 oz butter or margarine
6-8 rashers smoked bacon (optional)
6-8 soft morning rolls/baps/bagels, etc..
1 cup of water

method;

1. fry bacon in pan/skillet, if using. Remove from pan and keep warm.
2. place cheese, butter and water in pan and return to high heat, stirring continually until mixture comes together to resemble a thick cream with some liquid.
3. turn heat to low and keep on simmer.
4. split baps and spoon over cheese mix and add bacon. Eat while warm. 
5. keep pan on heat until all mix is used or mix will solidify.

Cooking aboard

This really is an ideal job. You have nice guests, lovely scenery, the best ingredients and complete autonomy over menu content, I wish it would last forever but unfortunately it doesn't, so if anyone out there needs a chef for the winter months then please contact me...

A simple version of Teryaki for fish, you can also use chicken.

Salmon in an oriental marinade

4 x 6-8 oz Salmon fillets ( scales off and bones out) ask your fishmonger to do this.

Dark soy sauce

toasted sesame oil

1-2 inch knob of ginger

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

teaspoon honey

vegetable oil

1 chopped red chilli ( optional)

method

1. place all ingredients into bowl and whisk together.

2.Place salmon in mix and place into fridge for at least 3 hours and preferably over night.

3. place salmon under hot grill until skin is quite dark and crisp.
4. Rest for two minutes then brush with oil to add a glaze.
5. Serve on a bed of stir-fried vegetables and serve with your choice of sweet chilli sauce or my favourite, oyster sauce. You can buy oyster sauce at any supermarket, it is a sauce made from fermented black beans and oysters, its quite salty butt compliments the natural sweetness of the salmon and stir-fried vegetables. You can also serve with noodles or fried rice.

This is the best haggis recipe...or so I am told!

This is a simpler version of the traditional haggis. I have taken out the heart and lungs and you don't need to stuff it into a stomach bag, all of these elements were used simply for texture and frugality, they also made a lot of people afraid to try our national dish, especially the sassenachs. I am sure if you try it you will love it. This recipe feeds 16 as a starter or 8 as a main course.

Pan haggis

ingredients;

500g/1lb minced lambs liver (ask your butcher to do this)

1 kg/ 2lb minced lamb shoulder

500g/1lb finely diced onion

250g/8oz butter

3-4 tablespoons cracked black pepper

salt

1.5 ltr/3 pints strong lamb stock (made with cubes is okay)

500g/1lb pinhead oatmeal

1 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)

method;

1. fry onions in butter until soft
2. add lamb and liver and brown thoroughly
3. pour in oatmeal and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently to prevent sticking
4. pour in hot stock. The mix will look runny but don't worry.
5. Add pepper a little at a time until the mix has the correct amount of spiciness to your taste, remember that the spice will get stronger during cooking.
6. Pour into deep oven tray and cover tightly with tinfoil. Bake at gas mark 6 / 230c until stock is absorbed and mix is quite sticky. About 2 hours. Taste and at salt to taste. If mix is to dry then add a little water and place back into oven to soften oats. If mix is too wet then place back in oven covered with greaseproof paper until moisture has evaporated.
7. Serve with creamy mash and turnip purée. Add a drop of whisky to serve.

If you like a stronger haggis simply substitute venison for lamb and veal or venison stock.

No fail Shortbread and tablet

Sometimes when you get a shortbread recipe to try at home the results can be softer or powdery than you would like. With this recipe you can guarantee crispness and a melt in the mouth texture.

Shortbread

ingredients:

250g/ 8oz butter

120g/4 oz caster sugar

270g/ 9 oz plain flour, '00' (pasta) flour is the best.

90 g/ 3oz rice flour

method:

1. cream butter and sugar till pale and fluffy.
2. Add flours and knead gently.
3. Cut to shape and rest in fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Bake at gas 3-4/ 160-170 c for 25-30 minutes or until pale gold in colour.
5. If you wish you can add flavourings such as black pepper, ginger or grated lemon rind, about 1 tablespoon of flavouring should be enough.

this tablet works too!!

Tablet .

Ingredients:

1 kg /2lb granulated sugar

60g/ 2oz butter

1 tin condensed milk

equal amount of milk

flavouring, whisky, vanilla, lavender, etc

method:

1. place all ingredients into deep pan. Simmer gently until sugar has dissolved.
2. Bring to hard boil and boil for 22 minutes
3. remove from heat and allow to cool for 6-8 minutes.
4. Beat in mixer for 5 minutes or by hand until mixture starts to pale and crystallise. Pour into greased tray and cut while warm.

Ahem!

I should probably say that all of these dishes are cooked on a normal domestic electric cooker and apart from a food processor there is no specialist equipment needed, although for roasts and such I do recommend that you buy an halogen oven. I have recently bought one and I will never be without. They are a god-send. Fast, economical, you can actually see what you are cooking and they allow all excess fats to drip to the bottom of the oven.

I need to post some photos of my galley to let everyone see where I cook or if anyone has a photo that they can send to me I'd really appreciate it!

I would like someone to leave a comment so that I can see what I need to do to improve this blog. Let me know what you think, ask for a recipe or even advice, it doesn't have to be about food but I'm willing to give it if you are willing to share it:)

An ancient recipe, modernised.

This recipe comes from a book by Hanna Glasse, an eighteenth century cook, famous as the first domestic goddess and her book, The Art of Cookery. I have just modernised it a bit.

This is a very rich but moreish tart with an almost truffle like consistency and when served at room temperature melts at a lower temperature than your body temperature and has the effect of cooling your mouth down. It is truly a chocolate lovers delight and because it contains no flour is ideal for gluten and wheat allergies. You can use any flavouring you wish, be it your favourite liqueur or mint, rosemary or orange, etc. the recipe works equally as well using milk chocolate but you need to use around a third less cream and allow extra time for setting.

Chocolate and malt whisky tart with almond crust

ingredients:

300g / 10oz flaked almonds

2 egg whites

400gm / 14 oz dark chocolate

125g/4oz butter

16fl oz/ 450ml double cream

50 ml good smoky whisky, Islay is the best

method:

1. place almonds into food processor and blend until roughly chopped. Add egg to processor and blend until mix comes together in one lump.
2. Press mix into 8'' / 20cm flan ring until completely lined. Bake at gas mark 4 / 180 c until pale gold colour, about 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. Melt chocolate and butter slowly in microwave or in bowl over pan of hot water.
4. Heat cream until lukewarm, don't allow to boil.
5. Add whisky and cream to chocolate and beat until very glossy and everything is well incorporated.
6. Pour into crust and set in fridge for about 6 hours or overnight
7. allow tart to come to room temperature before serving. This is a very rich tart and only a little is needed, I suggest that you serve with whipped cream and soft fruit.

A family favourite!

The best sticky toffee pudding

This is without doubt the best sticky toffee pudding that you will ever eat. It never fails and is moist, rich and moreish. My kids love it as do my customers. I got this recipe years ago from a lady from Bathgate in Scotland, she was a talented baker and I still use a lot of her recipes.

ingredients:

250g/8oz chopped dates

180g/6oz plain flour

2 eggs (beaten)

250ml/ ½ pint water

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

250g/8oz light soft brown sugar

vanilla essence

180g/6oz softened butter

method:

1. cream butter and sugar till pale and fluffy.
2. Add flour and baking powder together then mix lightly with butter mix, then slowly add egg beating well.
3. Bring water to boil and throw in dates and bicarbonate. Purée dates well.
4. Add vanilla to dates.
5. Combine all ingredients lightly but thoroughly. Mix will look pale and runny at this stage.
6. Bake at gas mark 5 / 180 c for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly.

Serve with butterscotch sauce.

Butterscotch sauce.

250g/8oz soft light brown sugar

125g/4oz butter

250ml/ ½ pint double cream

method:

heat butter in pot and add sugar. Cook until getting quite dark in colour the add cream and blend together. Add more cream to lighten in required.