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Beef Sandwiches – Potted Beef Spread

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My friend Viola Gardonis is famous for her Beef Sandwiches. Wherever she goes, there is a tray of neatly cut triangles with a delicious creamy filling. She told me they were super simple to make and sent me the recipe, you know the kind with no weights or measures! I never really felt the need to make them as Vee as we call her is always the sandwich queen and I don’t want to step on her toes, however when she said she couldn’t make our picnic, I decided to give her recipe a go.

I developed the recipe just going by memory of it’s incredible taste. This filling is mildly spiced and is made creamy with Mayonnaise and Mustard that I added for a little kick. I also worked with a half ground and half shredded meat texture so you get something to chew in the sandwich.

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Beef Sandwiches – Potted Beef Spread

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Beef or Lamb/Mutton cubes
  • Juice of 1/2 Lime
  • 1 tbsp fresh black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Coriander powder
  • 1 tsp red Chilli powder
  • 2 tsps Ginger & Garlic paste
  • Salt
  • Whole spices - 2 Star Anise, 2 Bay leaves, 2 black Cardamons, 2 inch stick Cinnamon, 6 green Cardamons, 10 Cloves
  • 2 green Chillies - 1/4 cup
  • 2 tbsps Mustard
  • 4 - 6 tbsps Mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • Butter
  • Bread

Instructions

  1. Marinate the meat cubes with the lime juice, powdered spices, salt & pepper
  2. Add oil to a pressure cooker and add the whole spices
  3. Remove the whole spices and keep aside in a small cheese cloth and tie it
  4. Add the meat into the flavored oil and cook for a few minutes till you see a lot of juice come out of the meat
  5. Add the spice bag in, cover the pressure cooker and cook for one whistle
  6. Cool and open the lid, add 1/2 cup of water and close again
  7. Cook for 2 - 3 whistles till the meat is tender
  8. Cook open to dry up all the gravy
  9. Remove and shred the meat
  10. Process half the meat and combine with the half shredded for texture
  11. Add the mustard and mayo and mix
  12. Spread onto buttered bread for great tasting sandwiches
https://kravingsfoodadventures.com/beef-sandwiches-potted-beef-spread/

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Pineapple Upside Down Cake

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We’re going vintage with the ever popular Pineapple Upside down cake. Around the 1920’s ovens were just getting introduced and prior to this, most homemakers make their cakes in a skillet. In 1925 the Hawaiian Pineapple company ran a contest and they got thousands of recipes for something similar to the Pineapple upside down cake. This was so popular that it was served extensively in the 20’s and is popular even today. Many recipes still call for this cake to be cooked in a skillet, but I’m going to make this in a good old cake pan. This cake is soft and moist with the addition of pineapple juice and buttermilk.  Pineapple slices and maraschino cherries are added to the bottom of the pan and then flipped ‘upside down’ to serve.

 

We love going to theme parties and when my friend threw a 1920’s vintage soiree, I knew that this cake would be perfect!

 

Follow my recipe and my video to see the ‘secret ingredient’ in my cake that gives it an incredible texture

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Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

  • ½ a cup of salted melted Butter
  • ½ cup of brown Sugar
  • 5 – 7 Pineapple rings
  • 5 – 10 Maraschino Cherries
  • Now for the cake batter. I’m going to sift
  • 1 cup of regular all purpose flour,
  • ½ tsp Baking powder
  • ½ tsp Baking soda
  • ½ a cup Semolina
  • ½ cup Butter Milk,
  • 5 tbsps Oil
  • ¼ cup Reserved Pineapple juice from the can
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 cup sugar

Instructions

  1. Prepare your cake pan by oiling or buttering it. My cake pan is 21 cms in diameter and I like to line the sides with a strip of parchment paper to prevent sticking
  2. Pour the melted butter in and sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter evenly
  3. The size of pan I used fits 5 whole slices perfectly, cut the extra slices in half and fill in the spaces
  4. Add the maraschino cherries in between the circles and anywhere there is space
  5. Sift the flour, baking powder & soda and salt together
  6. Add the Semolina
  7. In my food processor, I’m going to add all the liquid ingredients and mix it well
  8. Once the liquid is mixed well, add the flour 1 tbsp at a time
  9. Be sure to scrape the sides of your bowl periodically
  10. Once the batter is just about mixed, pour it over the pineapples. If you live in a cold climate, the butter will start to solidify around the pineapples. This is actually a great advantage as it prevents the slices and cherries from moving as you pour the batter.
  12. Pour all the mixed batter on top of the pineapples
  13. Move this to a preheated 350 degree oven and allow to bake for 30 - 40 mins
  14. Once done, remove and allow to cool. Once cool use a knife if required and remove the paper
  15. Flip the cake to serve
https://kravingsfoodadventures.com/pineapple-upside-cake/

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Hot Cross Buns

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Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup warm Milk
  • 1 tsp each Flour & Sugar
  • 1 tsp active Yeast
  • ½ cup, 8 tbsps, 1 stick melted butter
  • ¼ cup Sugar
  • ½ tsp Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp Cardamom
  • ¼ tsp Clove powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 large Egg
  • 3 cups Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • Egg wash
  • Flour & Water
  • 1/2 cup dried fruit soaked in 1/2 cup juice
  • 1 tbsp each Lemon & Orange rind

Instructions

  1. Add the sugar and flour(1 tsp each) to the warm milk and follow with the flour and sit for 10 - 15 minutes
  2. Soak the dry fruit in the juice
  3. Once the yeast is frothy add the sugar, salt, butter, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & egg and give iot a quick mix
  4. Sift together the flour and baking powder
  5. Add the flour and baking powder in 1 tbsp at a time, scraping the sides at intervals
  6. Use as much flour as you need to get a soft sticky dough
  7. Turn this over on your work surface and knead adding more flour as you go till you get a nice soft supple dough
  8. Place this in an oiled bowl and cover with cling film and allow to rise in a warm oven
  9. Leave this for 30 mins to an hour till the dough doubles in size
  10. Remove the dough, add the drained fruit and knead again to spread the fruit evenly
  11. Divide the dough and form into balls and place them touching each other on a baking tray
  12. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 10 mins
  13. After 10 mins the dough will have doubled again, remove the cling film
  14. Brush with egg wash and allow to get tacky
  15. Make a paste with flour and water and pipe crosses on the buns
  16. Bake in a 350 degree oven at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 mins
  17. Rotate the pan if it's getting too brown on one side
https://kravingsfoodadventures.com/hot-cross-buns/

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Elfviled Workshop Eggs – Holiday Deviled Eggs

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The holidays are the best time of the year. I love the food, music, Santa and those cute little elves. This year I decided to throw a theme Christmas party and asked all of my dear friends to come dresses as Elves. Dress up is always fun, but the combination of red, green and stripes made for a colorful theme. I wanted to make an appetizer to enhance the theme and decided to make Elfviled Workshop Eggs. These devilled eggs are topped with a little pretty present.

 

If you’ve checked out my blog before or are a personal friend, you will know that I’m always trying to reinvent the Deviled egg. I think it’s a great appetizer to serve, it’s easy to switch up the flavors and can be pretty filling. My only regret was that I didn’t make more of them as the little Elves came back for more!

 

When I had the idea to top the egg with a package, making this out of cheese seemed to be the most logical choice. I chose to paint the present with a beet puree, but it also works well with food coloring. Of course you could also try a carrot, fried potato or any cold cut you can dice into cubes like Salami or ham. You could also try corned beef.

 

Enjoy this recipe and do watch the video to see footage from the party!

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Elfviled Workshop Eggs – Holiday Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

  • 14 hard boiled eggs
  • 1 tbsp each chopped Chives & Thyme
  • Chives, Thyme & Rosemary leaves for decoration
  • 1 tbsp pureed Beets or food coloring
  • ½ cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • Splash of hot sauce
  • ¼ cup of turkey of Chicken bacon
  • ¼ cup of minced Olives
  • 200 old Cheddar cut in cubes
  • Edible glitter(optional)

Instructions

  1. Paint the cheese cube with the beet puree or food coloring and allow to cool
  2. Half the eggs and place all the yolks in a bowl
  3. Add the chives and thyme and use a muddler of the back of a spoon to remove all the lumps
  4. Add the Mayo & Mustard and the splash of hot sauce
  5. Add the diced turkey bacon and the olives and mix well
  6. Fill an icing bag with a large tip with the yolk filling and pipe into the egg cases
  7. Use a wet finger to smooth any peaks
  8. Wrap a chive around the cube and trim and nestle in the egg yolk mixture
  9. Dot the top with a little bit of the filling and add a few thyme leaves
  10. Add some rosemary leaves as a garnish
  11. Sprinkle with edible glitter
https://kravingsfoodadventures.com/elfviled-workshop-eggs-holiday-deviled-eggs/

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Black Forest Battenberg – British Royal Cake

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Thanks to Misty Ricardo for the King’s voice over – https://www.youtube.com/user/MistyRicardo

Battenberg is a truly classic British cake. Earlier this Spring, I made a classic Battenberg for Ruby’s baby shower.

I decided to switch things up this time by making a Battenberg cake influenced by the flavors and colors of  Blackforest Cake.

This cake can be adapted to to many themes and flavors. All you need is a little imagination. Try out the classic recipe or this one and be sure to watch the video to see all the steps, tips & tricks.

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Blackforest Battenberg – British Royal Cake

Ingredients

  • 175 gms/6 oz. room temperature unsalted Butter
  • 175 gms of Super fine or Caster Sugar
  • 3 large room temp eggs
  • 175 gms sifted self raising Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2 tbsps ground Almonds
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • Food coloring
  • 200 gms/ 7 oz powdered almonds
  • 400 gms/ 14 oz Icing Sugar
  • 2 Egg whites
  • ½ tsp Almond Extract
  • 1 cup Cherry jam
  • 100 gms dark Chocolate melted

Instructions

  1. Add the room temperature butter to the processor bowl and process till nice and fluffy
  2. Add 175 gms of super fine or caster sugar and cream together
  3. Once the butter and sugar are well creamed together, add 3 eggs one at a time, scraping after each addition
  4. Sift 175 gms of Self raising flour and add a tablespoon of thee flour in between beating the eggs to prevent the butter from looking like it’s curdled
  5. Add 1 tsp of Baking Powder and the rest of the self raising flour and 2 tbsps of ground almonds
  6. Add 2 tbsps Vanilla extract
  7. Equally divide the batter into two parts color one half pink
  8. Divide the pan in half(see video for full instructions) and add the batter to the pan
  9. Add this into your preheated oven for 35 mins
  10. After 35 mins, check with a cake pin or skewer and allow it to cool completely
  11. If your cakes have a bump, just level them off with a knife
  12. Once the cakes are cool cut them into strips
  13. Prepare the marzipan mix 200 gms of powdered almonds together with 400 gms of icing sugar and process it
  14. Add 2 egg whites, one at a time and a ½ tsp of almond extract
  15. Add the marzipan to a microwave safe platter and cover with cling film
  16. Zap it in the microwave for 10 seconds and do this 3 times
  17. The dough will be warm and the egg would have cooked. Leave this aside to cool
  18. Lay out a piece of parchment paper and roll out the marzipan
  19. Sandwich the cakes together using the classic ingredient apricot jam
  20. Make sure you alternate the colors so it looks like a chequered pattern
  21. Lay this over the marzipan and make sure you’ve rolled one side long enough to completely cover the cake
  22. Trim off any excess marzipan and this can be stored in a Ziploc bag and reused
  23. Remove the cake and brush the inside of the marzipan with jam
  24. Lay the cake over the marzipan and using the help of the parchment paper, lift the marzipan and cover the cake
  25. Uing cling film wrap the cake for an hour so everything holds together well
  26. Cover the cake with melted Chocolate and allow to set
  27. Trim the edges with a sharp knife and clean the knife in between to cut neat and clean slices
https://kravingsfoodadventures.com/black-forest-battenberg-british-royal-cake/

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Turkey with all the trimmings Sausage Rolls

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Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I always want to make sure I’m stocked up with holiday favorites. Sausage rolls are wonderful year round, but seem to make it up front and center over the holidays.

This year I decided to ditch the traditional beef filling and go with Turkey and all the trimmings – Rosemary, Cranberries, Cheese and Pinenuts. I also enhanced a buttery pastry with Rosemary for that traditional touch. The results are delicious. These are perfect to freeze ahead and can go straight from freezer to oven for no fuss entertaining.

 

 

 

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Turkey with all the trimmings Sausage Rolls

Ingredients

  • Dough
  • 2 sticks - 8 oz approx. 226 gms cold Butter
  • 8 oz, 226 gms approx. all purpose
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 tsp chopped Rosemary
  • 120 ml ice cold
  • Filling
  • 3 rashers Turkey bacon cooked and finely diced(1/4) cup
  • ¼ cup crushed Pine nuts
  • ¼ onion
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 1 lb of ground lean Turkey
  • 1 Egg
  • ¼ cup shredded Cheese,
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp smoked Paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Fresh black Pepper
  • 2 tbsps of chopped dried Cranberries
  • 2 tbsps of finely chopped Rosemary

Instructions

  1. Grate cold butter and after you grate it keep it in the fridge till you need it
  2. Sift the flour and add the cold butter to this
  3. Add 1 tsp each of salt & baking powder
  4. Work the butter in till it resembles a very crumbly dough - to get a flaky crust, it’s important to reduce the gluten and coating the flour with the gluten will ensure that there is no excess gluten formed when you add the water.
  5. Add 1 tsp of chopped rosemary to the dough followed by 120 ml of ice cold water and knead to form a dough
  6. Cover and store in the fridge for 30 mins.
  7. Saute 3 rashers of bacon, cool and chop this into smaller pieces
  8. Crush or finely chop the pine nuts
  9. In the food processor, process the onion and garlic
  10. Add the ground lean Turkey
  11. Add the egg, cheese, Worcestire sauce, smoked Paprika and salt
  12. Close the lid of your food processor and process the filling
  13. Scrape everything off the blades and transfer to a bowl.
  14. Add some fresh black pepper, chopped dried cranberries, finely chopped rosemary and the chopped turkey bacon
  15. Mix well. Add the crushed pine nuts and mix again
  16. Chill the filling
  17. Remove your dough and divide in half
  18. Give the cold dough a quick knead and then flour your surface and roll out the dough
  19. Roll till it’s a few mm thick and use a ruler to cut the dough into a rectangle
  20. Use a disposable icing bag and fit it with a large icing tip about 1 cm in diameter
  21. Fill the bag with the mixture and just pipe out the filling in a straight line
  22. Roll the over over and use water or egg wash to seal
  23. Cut the sausage rolls into 1 inch pieces or smaller discs if preferred
  24. Using a damp cloth, clean the knife in between
  25. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for later
  26. Or brush with egg wash and bake for 15 – 20 mins and a bit longer if they’re frozen till they are nice and golden brown.
https://kravingsfoodadventures.com/turkey-trimmings-sausage-rolls/

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How to Soak Fruit for Christmas Cake

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A slice of Rum or Brandy infused fruitcake heralds the warmth of Christmas. If a bite of boozy doesn’t give you the warm and fuzzies, I don’t know what will! All over the world fuit cakes of different sizes and colours make their way over to the holiday table with great fanfare. Recipes are passed down from generation to generation and are guarded with pride.

 

In India, this cake is also served at weddings, perhaps because it’s very popular to marry in the Holiday season. This cake is slathered with royal icing and is decorated to perfection. The hard royal exterior icing, protects the juiciness of the cake within and makes a perfect slice.

 

Although my Mom was an amazing cook, she wasn’t too fond of baking and never made this cake, at least not to my knowledge. My grandmother and aunts did make a cake, but I never did ask for the recipe.

 

When I first immigrated to Canada and we bought our first house after Adam was born, I had this strong urge to learn how to make traditional Christmas sweets. My good friend Marianne came over an helped me make them. This was in 1998. Since then I have made so many sweets and some of them are online like my Kul Kuls, Rose Cookies & Marzipan. What I’ve never made till this year was a fruitcake and there’s always a first time.

 

I poured over many recipes on the internet, even though I never made it before, I’ve tasted plenty a fruitcake and I had a very clear vision of how this should turn out. I was lucky that my friend and co admin on the facebook group Traditional Goan Foodies, shared her Mom, Annie Mascarenhas’s recipe with me. I tweaked this ever so slightly to suit my taste and this cake exceeded my expectations – thank you aunty.

 

This post will include the process to soak the fruits and on Dec 15, I will update this with the process to make the cake. Some people soak their fruits for months upto a year. To each his own, INMHO, 20 – 30 days is plentiful to soak your fruit. I like to taste the rum in the fruit and maintain the texture as well. I’ve used a combination of black raisins, cranberries, mixed citrus peel and prunes but you can use any dry ruit of your choice. Instead of just using Rum, I’ve used a combination of Rum and Brandy.

Click here for the cake recipe!

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How to Soak Fruit for Christmas Cake

Ingredients

  • Soaked Fruit
  • 50 gms black Raisins
  • 50 gms Cranberries
  • 50 gms mixed Citrus Peel
  • 50 gms Prunes
  • 1 tbsp Orange Peel
  • 50 ml Rum
  • 25 ml Brandy

Instructions

  1. Layer the fruit starting with the ones that would need the most soaking - raisins, cranberries, mixed peel and prunes
  2. Add the rum and brandy
  3. Top with the orange peel
  4. Store in a cool dark place
  5. Do not shake for 2 days to allow the bottom fruit to soak
  6. After 2 days shake periodically
  7. Soak for 20 - 30 days
https://kravingsfoodadventures.com/boozyfruitcake/

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Battenberg – British Royal Cake

Click here to see my step-by-step video

This recipe has been on my bucket list for a long long time. My love affair with the Battenberg started on a trip to London when I was 18 years old. Years later a friend of mine made the Battenburg on the popular TV show Recipe to Riches. I was obsessed with this cake. Now I’m not much of a baker, I can cook with my eyes closed, but baking requires a lot of precision but I was determined to learn this cake and make it easy for you to make yourself.

 

The cake was named in honour of the marriage of Princess Victoria, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, to Prince Louis of Battenberg in 1884. Battenburg is the name of a town in Germany. This cake is very technical but remarkably easy when you get the hang of it and delicious. Two colors of Sponge cake are cut into equal rectangles, sandwiched together with apricot jam and wrapped into a neat parcel with almond marzipan! When you cut a slice, you see a Checkerboard pattern encased with a strip of marzipan, this is truly a slice of heaven.

 

I also looooove theme parties, so when my friend Ruby(also my husband’s cousin) broke the news about her pregnancy, I was determined to throw her a posh high tea themed shower. And of course, what’s more posh than the Battenberg? Be sure to check out the video as this is a technical cake and it’s really helpful to see the process. There’s also some footage from the party that you can check out.

 

Some things to remember before you go on to watch the video and download the recipe. Baking is a science so use the ingredients exactly as stated. Also make sure to adhere to temperatures suggested, the butter should be at room temp, as well as the eggs. Prepare your marzipan the same day for the best results. It’s most pliable when freshly made. And do not be afraid to fail. Baking disasters happen to the best of us … if that happens, just try again. This recipe is very traditional using a plain almond sponge with apricot jam. I’m really itching to make a Black Forest inspired Battenberg – stay tuned for that one

 

The Brits love their Battenburg, this cake is also referred to as a church window. The combination of apricot jam, almond sponge and marzipan is delicious and the look is fit for a queen!. Won’t you join us for a spot of tea & slice of Battenberg darling?

 

Check out my Black Forest Battenberg!

 

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Battenberg – British Royal Cake

Ingredients

  • 175 gms/6 oz. room temperature unsalted Butter
  • 175 gms of Super fine or Caster Sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 175 gms sifted self raising Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2 tbsps ground Almonds
  • 2 tbsps Vanilla
  • Food coloring
  • 200 gms/ 7 oz powdered almonds
  • 400 gms/ 14 oz Icing Sugar
  • 2 Egg whites
  • ½ tsp Almond Extract
  • 1 cup Apricot jam

Instructions

  1. Add the room temperature butter to the processor bowl and process till nice and fluffy
  2. Add 175 gms of super fine or caster sugar and cream together
  3. Once the butter and sugar are well creamed together, add 3 eggs one at a time, scraping after each addition
  4. Sift 175 gms of Self raising flour and add a tablespoon of thee flour in between beating the eggs to prevent the butter from looking like it’s curdled
  5. Add 1 tsp of Baking Powder and the rest of the self raising flour and 2 tbsps of ground almonds
  6. Add 2 tbsps Vanilla extract
  7. Equally divide the batter into two parts color one half pink
  8. Divide the pan in half(see video for full instructions) and add the batter to the pan
  9. Add this into your preheated oven for 35 mins
  10. After 35 mins, check with a cake pin or skewer and allow it to cool completely
  11. If your cakes have a bump, just level them off with a knife
  12. Once the cakes are cool cut them into strips
  13. Prepare the marzipan mix 200 gms of powdered almonds together with 400 gms of icing sugar and process it
  14. Add 2 egg whites, one at a time and a ½ tsp of almond extract
  15. Add the marzipan to a microwave safe platter and cover with cling film
  16. Zap it in the microwave for 10 seconds and do this 3 times
  17. The dough will be warm and the egg would have cooked. Leave this aside to cool
  18. Lay out a piece of parchment paper and roll out the marzipan
  19. Sandwich the cakes together using the classic ingredient apricot jam
  20. Make sure you alternate the colors so it looks like a chequered pattern
  21. Lay this over the marzipan and make sure you’ve rolled one side long enough to completely cover the cake
  22. Trim off any excess marzipan and this can be stored in a Ziploc bag and reused
  23. Remove the cake and brush the inside of the marzipan with jam
  24. Lay the cake over the marzipan and using the help of the parchment paper, lift the marzipan and cover the cake
  25. Uing cling film wrap the cake for an hour so everything holds together well
  26. Trim the edges with a sharp knife and clean the knife in between to cut neat and clean slices
https://kravingsfoodadventures.com/battenberg/