Escapade

At the weekend, I had a shot at baking some beetroot cake and came into luck in my everlasting search for an old iron bed. I promise to post some piccies when we get it home safe and sound (it does require some tlc, too). Tomorrow we're off for a little family escapade to Stockholm returning at the end of the week, so I'll be taking five from the blog!

Viikonloppuna leivoin punajuurikakkua ja koin vihdoin menestystä vanhan rautasängyn metsästyksessä. Lupaan kuvia kunhan saadaan se kotiin asti (ja pientä kunnostustakin se vaatii). Huomenna lähdemme lapsikeskeiselle ekskursiolle Tukholman ihmeelliseen maailmaan, palaamme loppuviikosta eli tauon paikka!

With no trendy cafés in sight (luckily we do have one café-bakery within walking distance, which is a far cry from 'trendy', quite refreshing really!) - sometimes you have to pretend you have a kitchen cum café at home. My first attempt at making Italian style biscotti - great for dunking in a mid-morning milky coffee!

Kaukana trendikahviloista (onneksi kävelyetäisyydeltä löytyy kuitenkin kahvila-leipomo, joka ei ole kyllä trendikästä nähnytkään, aikamoisen virkistävää oikeastaan!) - joskus pitää leikkiä, että oma keittiö muuntautuu kahvilaksi. Ensimmäinen yritykseni leipoa italialaistyylisiä biscotti -korppuja - herkullista aamupäivän maitokahviin upotettuna!

Jam Factory

Spicy Blackcurrant Jam

1 litre of blackcurrants

2 large pears

1/2 dl water

6 dl sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1. Peel and chop up the pears.

2. Mix all the ingredients in a pan and allow to simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove from heat. Stir well. Allow to stand for 15 minutes before spooning into warm, clean jars.

P.S. My jaw dropped when I spotted these Cath Kidston plates at a local department store (Stockmann's), stashed almost on floor level in the furthest corner of the crockery section. ( As if CK goodies weren't hard enough to get one's hands on over here anyway...) I am a happy girl!

Blackcurrant season

One of our projects for this week is to pick all the blackcurrants in our garden before they begin to rot and decompose! My intention is to accumulate a vast array of bottles and jars for jam and juice-making to be stored in the cellar for the autumn months, but for now settled with trying out a recipe, which proved yummy! The thick natural yoghurt piled on top of the berries before throwing the pie in the oven made it succulently creamy without being the least bit sickly:

Blackcurrant flan

Ingredients:

180g plain white flour

90 g granulated sugar
1,5 tsp baking powder
60g margarine
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla essence
675 g blackcurrants

For the topping:

2 tbsp plain, white flour
500g natural yoghurt
1 egg, lightly beaten
125g granulated sugar
2 tsp grated lemon or orange rind
1 tsp vanilla essence

1. In food processor or mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, margarine, egg whites and vanilla essence, mix well.
2. Press into bottom of 25cm cake tin or flan dish.
3. Sprinkle with blackcurrants.
4. For the topping: in a bowl, sprinkle flour over yoghurt. Add egg, sugar, rind and vanilla essence; mix until smooth. Pour over blackcurrants.
5. Bake in 180C oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or cold.