granebakes

LIFE TALES: California dreaming…

22nd Apr 202022nd Apr 2020 by granebakes

And it really was! My cousin and her husband had lived there for many years, and were now well established in the Hotel and Restaurant business. They had recently acquired a stunning cliff-top restaurant right on the coastal road. Highway One is spectacular, hugging most of the the California coastline for 656 miles. The main theme was chef’s grilling swordfish, steaks, chicken and ribs on a huge, brick, open-style barbeque cooker. Looking to increase trade at lunchtimes to a wider customer base I was to produce – guess what – quiches and homemade soups! Clam chowder became a favourite alongside my own carrot and coriander soup.

Living with the family in their stunning home in nearby Pebble Beach, driving to work by the ocean, Barbara Streisand on the radio – what kind of a job was that?!

I was gathering tips on; cooking a good lasagne; on blanching spare ribs in boiling water before marinating and slow roasting; the same with squid, blanch first to prevent the rubbery texture, dry well then dip in flour and quickly deep fry – YUM!

Salads and dressings all made from fresh local produce were amazing. One thousand ways with garlic – grown in vast prairie-like fields – practically unheard of or at least not used enough here in the UK. All useful stuff, expanding my ever growing repertoire.

Another English couple owned a tea shop in nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea. They were looking for a cook to produce English style baking, scones, cakes and yes, quiches! So, three mornings a week (stretching to 3pm!), I baked in this quaint cricket-themed caff called The Sticky Wicket. The baking – or rather the preparation – became a feature. Absolutely no-one made pastry from scratch, or scones. Standing there rubbing fat into flour, another demonstrating role was born!

Around the corner was another restaurant. Owned by Clint Eastwood, he was known to pop into the Sticky Wicket for coffee and one of my handmade scones and a chat. He was also a customer at Rocky Point (the cliff-top eatery), being very friendly with my cousins. It was a very busy life but so rewarding; and again, I learned a lot.

But, all good things must come to an end. It was time for me to head back to Sheffield.

BAKING TIPS: Social Distancing – Bakes for when staying home. Part 1.

21st Apr 202019th Apr 2020 by granebakes

What a strange, scary-sad time we are experiencing, unlike any other period I have known. Having an interest in food and cooking is keeping me sane. Flour is in short supply – although I usually keep a good stock (which is dwindling) – an appreciated Mother’s Day gift of 2 large bags was very welcome. Over Easter I was trawling my old recipes – an unusual Simnel cake using chocolate is a tasty treat!

You will need a deep 8” (20cm) cake tin with a loose base or a springform tin, greased and lined. Set the oven to gas 4 (160 fan).

Ingredients:

8oz raisins – soaked in (enough to cover) a sweet sherry, wine or amaretto liquor is good
8oz butter – a block, softened
8oz golden/caster sugar
4 large eggs – beaten
9oz plain flour
2oz coco powder
1 level teaspoon baking powder
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 small carton plain yogurt or soured cream
1 packet of block marzipan (to cover the finished cake) plus an extra block to form eleven small balls (apostles!) to decorate
1 bar plain chocolate to melt over the marzipan

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl

Beat together the butter and sugar in a separate bowl

Slowly add the egg and vanilla essence to the butter and sugar

Fold in the dry mix

Add the fruit with the liquid, yogurt/soured cream

If the mixture is still a little stiff, add a drop of milk

Transfer to the tin and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes

Test the centre with a metal skewer, it should come out clean (if not put back into oven cover top with greaseproof paper and give it another 10 minutes)

Once cooked, leave to cool

Brush the top of the cake with warm Jam (to stick the marzipan)

Dust surface of the table and rolling pin with icing sugar and coco powder to prevent sticking

Roll out the marzipan (if it’s difficult put it in the microwave for 10 seconds) and lay over the cake

Make 11 balls of marzipan and roll them in the coco and icing sugar

When the cake is covered in jam – then marzipan – melt the chocolate with a knob of butter and pour over the cake, place the balls around the edge

Vegans, have you discovered the alternative to egg whites?

Aquafaba! Yes, this magic liquid comes from draining your chickpeas! It does take longer to whisk – but reasonable results are obtained. A large stand mixer works best and you can leave it running whilst getting on with preparation. A hand (electric) whisk does the job as well, although you need to stand for around 10 minutes – perhaps the aquafaba in some tins is more watery.

Before you venture into proper meringues, maybe you would like to try this simple version.

Macaroon biscuits.

Aquafaba from chickpeas thoroughly whisked until fairly stiff
4oz caster sugar
1 teaspoon corn flour
2oz ground almonds
4oz desiccated coconut

Method

Put the oven to gas 4 (fan 160-170)

Mix together the dry ingredients

Gently fold into the whisked aquafaba (make sure the dry mix is well incorporated)

Have ready 2 baking sheets lightly greased and covered with baking paper or rice paper

Place a dessert spoon full of mix – widely spaced – onto baking sheets. Flatten slightly with the back of the spoon (dipped in water to prevent sticking)

Bake for 20-30 minutes until firm (not brown)

I’ll sign off this section – asking you all to stay positive – keep in touch with family and friends… from a distance! Live from week to week, this will pass.

Love to you all, Gran E

I’d love to see if you trial this recipe. Send me your pictures – I’m @gran.e.bakes on Instagram.

LIFE TALES: Everyone starts somewhere. And I started here.

20th Apr 202019th Apr 2020 by granebakes

Back to early on in my journey.

Having little or no money meat was never high on my list – cheese and vegetables always a better option even then in the 1960’s (vegetarianism isn’t a recent thing!). My husband played football and cricket, always inviting his pals back for supper. Cheese and onion pies were a firm favourite.

Party food at this time was sausage rolls, the aforementioned cheese and onion delights, the Hedgehog (pineapple and cheese chunks on cocktail sticks stuck into an upturned grapefruit!) and vol au vents – mini pastry cases filled with prawns or mushrooms in sauce. I hear this retro style is making a comeback!

Needing an outlet for myself I joined a friend who scoured fashion warehouses for slight seconds and samples. We sold these at house parties (very popular at the time) along with jewellery, make-up and other household stuff – a great way for young mums to socialise.

We did very well with the clothes, branching out into fashion shows before opening a shop. In the 1970’s this was before small boutique-style outlets came into vogue.

As my children grew up we had many parties for them and their pals. My meat and potato pies with beans and/or mushy peas were always a favourite – this theme remains strong 40 years later!

After a few years in the rag trade another friend proposed a radical change of direction – a garden centre were looking for a cook “with ideas” to open a cafe – again, the norm today but quite unusual at the time.

I became well known for menus, many of the items unheard of at the time;

It was the era of the quiche – very new, a savoury custard tart! – with my mixes of vegetables and herbs (“what the ‘ell are they?”!)
Homemade Soups – carrot and coriander a real favourite
Individual variations on my meat pie
A range of fruit flans including banana and custard, carrot cake

This all went down a storm, the owner of the garden centre was delighted. However, never being one to stand still I was intrigued when another new invention appeared – microwave ovens! I was offered a role demonstrating this amazing space-age technology in large stores around Yorkshire and Derbyshire. After attending a training course at the Philips factory I returned home with a large appliance to practice cooking techniques and recipes on and a list of locations keen to see this new fangled wizardry! It was a fascinating and informative role but quite exhausting, travelling hundreds of miles in my car packed full with food and equipment.

Even today I would not be without my microwave, but as an aid to cooking, not a replacement. You can save time starting food in the microwave – particularly roots for roasting or apples for pies.

So, with the UK covered came my next challenge – California beckoned!

Bye for now.

BAKING TIPS: Easy recipes – Chocolate Crunch and Speedy Chocolate Cake.

19th Apr 202019th Apr 2020 by granebakes

Sometimes the simplest bakes become the long-time favourites. If like me you like to spend lazy weekends baking (or everyday in lockdown), these are a perfect choice.

Chocolate Crunch.

Melt 8oz of butter in a pan
In a large bowl mix;

4oz [117g] of cornflakes, crushed with a rolling pin

3 oz [88g] desiccated coconut

5oz sugar (any – brown, white or mixed)

5oz SR flour

2 dessert spoons of cocoa powder (not hot chocolate!)

Add the melted butter to the dry mix
Have ready a well greased swiss roll tin 12”x8”
Press the chocolate mix into the tin, level off with the back of a large spoon
Place the tin in a pre-heated oven, 180 degrees, gas mark 4
Leave on the middle shelf for 20-30 mins
The mix should bubble gently then firm up
When slightly cooled, thickly cover with a mix of plain and milk chocolate (4-6oz)
Maybe add some crushed maltesers or any other left over chocolate, buttons, smarties and the like
Rough up the topping with a fork
Cut into squares whilst still in the tin, before completely cold or you won’t be able to cut smoothly
Lift out with a broad bladed implement when set

This is something quite young children can make, they especially love the sprinkling part. All my grandchildren made this, to be enjoyed by all ages.

Speedy Chocolate Cake.

Another easy, child-friendly bake. This dates back to my daughter’s younger years, this is a useful basic cake made special by the filling and topping.

You will need 2 x 8” sandwich tins, greased and lined with greaseproof paper. Pre-heat your oven to a medium setting – around 180 degrees, Gas Mark 4. Ingredient list:

7oz plain flour
2 tablespoons of cocoa
1 level teaspoon of baking powder
1 level teaspoon of bi-carbonate of soda
5oz of caster sugar (golden is best)
2 large eggs
¼ pint of milk (full cream is best!)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
¼ pint of corn or sunflower oil (yes, really!)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Beat the eggs and milk in a jug. Make a well in the centre of your dry ingredients, pour in the milk and egg mix then drizzle in the golden syrup and oil. Now beat this all together with a wooden spoon until you reach the consistency of pancake batter.

Don’t Panic!

Pour equal amounts into the two sandwich tins. Give a little tap on each tin – you should see bubbles in the mix. Place the tins into the middle of the oven and bake for 30-40 mins – depending on your cooker! The cakes should rise well and be firm(not hard) to the touch. Place the tins on a wire rack to cool.

Toppings and Fillings.

Now onto the special bit. The following are two of my favourites.

1. CLASSIC

A layer of jam (my preference is apricot) topped with butter cream (2oz each of butter and icing sugar whisked together with a little warm cream or milk with ½ a teaspoon of vanilla essence. Place the second cake on top and spread over some melted chocolate.

2. SPECIAL

You will need a tin of black cherries (drained but keep the syrup). I am a boozy cook so like to use alcohol to spice up mixes, sauces, fillings and toppings – most things actually! So, any sweet sherry, gin, white rum or liqueur remnants you may have around can be mixed with the cherry juice and boiled up to reduce a little. Sprinkle your cooling cake bases with this liquor before the toppings are spread.

Creamy fillings can be made with double whipped cream, mascarpone, cream cheese – any of these added to the basic butter cream.

Now fold in ½ of the cherries to cover one cake. Save a little of the creamy filling to mix with melted chocolate to cover the top layer and dot with the remaining cherries. A sprinkle of white chocolate can be a very good addition.

Experiment with other fruits or those small jars of ginger in syrup to make unusual but complimentary combinations.

Coffee and caramel blend beautifully with chocolate. And remember, do not use cooking chocolate, the normal stuff is best!

Enjoy!

Have you tried this recipe? I’d love to see your pictures – I’m @gran.e.bakes on Instagram.

Hello! This is me, Gran E.

18th Apr 202018th Apr 2020 by granebakes

Hello! This is me, Gran E; now into my 88^th year, crumbling in the joints but hopefully not in the head.

Back to where it all started…

I was born, bred and drug-up in Pitsmoor, Sheffield (I’ll come back to the very early years later). I attended grammar school and passed my School Certificate at 15. My first job on leaving was as a nursery assistant from where I progressed to a full time teaching role with pre-school children. Then, at 16 I opened my own Dance School. I’d achieved qualifications in ballet from The Royal Academy of Dance having attended classes from the age of five. Stagecraft, music and dance were my life until I married. Then all that changed!

I had a wonderful daughter followed by a son and food took over, feeding family and friends. To start with (and ever since really!) it’s been trial and error – I had never cooked before. This feeling of discovery, of experimenting and finding new ingredients, recipes, methods and tastes, was and remains fascinating.

I’ll cover the very early years and my first experiences with cooking in the next instalment.

Bye for now!