Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

I keep trying new pancake recipes and this one tops the list. I have to say that I miss the fruit topping on these pancakes, so I added it as a topping with the nuts.  

Ingredients

• 1 medium apple, cored & chopped
•  1 cup  almond milk
• ½ cup fine wholemeal (whole wheat) 
• 1/3 cup rolled oats 
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• ½ Tbsp coconut oil, for frying
• These pancakes are delicious served with a sprinkling of nuts, ground linseed and a drizzle of
• natural syrup. Any leftover pancakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. 
• Gently warm through in the microwave or on the hob before serving.
• Instructions
• Place the milk and apple in a blender. 
• Pulse to break up the apple then blend on high speed until smooth. 
• Add the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and pulse until incorporated. Transfer the batter to a jug and allow to rest for 5 minutes or so (this can happen while the pans are heating). If possible, use two non stick frying pans (skillets) to halve the cooking time. Brush the bottom of the pans with a little oil and heat on a medium heat. When the oil is hot, pour a small ladle of batter into the pan (equivalent to a ¼ cup).
• Gently swirl the pan to spread out the batter to a  5 inch diameter. 
• Once the pancakes start to firm up, carefully flip them over using a thin spatula. 
• Cook for a further minute or so, until the underneath is lightly browned.

Irish Christmas Cookies, Warm from the oven

The sure sign that Christmas is coming is when the very first batch of cookies appeared from the oven! Many favorite Irish cookies baked in the homes of families throughout the Brandywine Valley are filled with Irish Cream or whiskey and candied fruits.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated Sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Irish whiskey
• 1/4 cup candied citron, chopped
• 1/4 cup golden raisins, blanched and chopped
• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and prepare two greased cookie sheets; set aside.

2. In a small mixing bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar.

3. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Add the flour and the Irish whiskey, and beat the dough until smooth.

4. Add the fruit and nuts, and mix well.

5. Drop cookie dough from a tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheets.

6. Bake at 375 degrees F each sheet of cookies for 8 to 10 minutes.

7. Remove the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula while still warm.

8. Place on wire rack to partially cool.

9. Store the cookies in an airtight container with a slice of white bread to maintain their soft, fruity texture.

Irish-American Christmas cookies: The Famous Shortbread Cookie

It is time to start thinking of all the wonderful Christmas Cookies that appear this time of year.   I've started pulling out all of my cookie and cake recipes and began planning my baking time.

 One of my favorite is the shortbread

The success of a 'shortie' as shortbread is also known is to handle the dough with care. Do not pound or knead heavily, and make sure your hands and the dishes you use are cold. The resulting shortbread will then be light and crumbly with a dense buttery taste.

Choose the method you prefer for 'rolling' out the dough. You can either roll with a pin, or press directly into a tin or a shortbread mold if you have one.

·         2 1/4 sticks butter

·         Tiny pinch of salt

·         1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

·         2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

·         3 1/2 oz. cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, salt and sugar until light, fluffy, and pale in color. This can take at least 10 minutes. Alternatively use a food mixer.

3. Mix the flour and cornstarch and sieve into the bowl of butter and sugar. Mix quickly and thoroughly to bring all the ingredients together but do not over mix.

4. Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and bring knead lightly and quickly to form a loose dough. then either:

5. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/4” thick. Prick the surface all over with a fork. Cut into desired shape or rounds using cookie cutters. Place the Scottish short breads on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until pale brown and crisp. Sprinkle the warm Scottish short breads with fine sugar and leave to cool on a wire cooling rack.

6. Grease a Swiss roll tin 9" x 13” with butter. Press the dough into the tin and press with your fingers to level the surface, prick all over with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. With the shortbread still in the tin, cut into squares or fingers, leave to cool for 15 minutes then carefully remove to a wire cooling rack.

7. Store in an airtight tin or box

Dublin City’s gourmet stuffed breast of chicken

I found this dish while visiting one of Dublin's many pubs.  It was so tasty, I thought I'd share with you.  

This recipe is a delicious way of serving boneless chicken breasts, using Ireland’s major and well loved products of whiskey. Serve this dish with fresh young vegetables from the garden or farmers market and a tomato concasse. A Concasse, is a French cooking term meaning "to crush or grind” or rough chop any ingredient, usually vegetables. The term is particularly applied to tomatoes, where tomato concasse is a tomato that has been peeled, seeded (seeds and skins removed), and chopped to the size of a small dice to medium dice.

Serving four, this recipe provides a great alternative for the Sunday dinner over the traditional roast chicken. It is also a great idea for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner with the family. The smoky and earthy flavor of the whiskey and mushrooms as the chicken is flamed provides and down to earth meal with a gourmet flair.

Ingredients:

·         4 (6oz) free range boneless chicken breast

·         8 strips of smoked bacon

·         2 tbsp. Jameson Irish whiskey

·         Tomato concasse

·         Mint leaves to garnish

·         Stuffing:

·         3 oz wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

·         1 oz Irish butter

·         8 oz cooked potato, mashed

·         1 egg free range yolk

·         1 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs

·         Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Slice each chicken breast into two fillets. Gently pound out the chicken breast fillets to thin pieces that are easily rolled.

3. Begin process for the stuffing. Sauté the mushrooms in the butter until soft. Mix with all the remaining ingredients.

4. Place stuffing in the center of each pounded chicken breast fillet and to with another fillet. Continue until all fillets are used. Reshape the breasts, and wrap each in two strips of bacon. Secure them with thread or toothpicks. The breasts should resemble a small oblong tube.

5. Place the wrapped breast on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes.

6. Flame the chicken with the Irish whiskey. Serve on warmed plates with a little tomato concesse and spring vegetables. Garnish with mint leaves.

Tomato cancesse sauce

·         1 garlic clove, crushed

·         1 small sprig of rosemary

·         ½ tomato, skinned, seeded and diced

·         3 oz Irish butter, divided in half

·         6 oz chicken broth

Sauté the garlic, rosemary and tomato in a small pan using half of the butter until tomatoes are very soft. Add broth and boil to reduce by half. Season and transfer to a food processor. Process with a food processor until sauce is a liquid with no lumps. Return liquid to the pan and add remain butter.