Trwyn Tal retreat

Recharge, refocus, relax

Recharge, refocus, relax in the Welsh mountains

Orange Cake

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A little simplification, a little extra orangeness, and this cake has debuted well!

Orange Cake

Orange Cake (Serves 6) (Just)

50g margarine
50g caster (fine) sugar
1 small orange
60g self raising flower
1 egg

Icing:
30g butter or margarine
40g raw pale brown sugar
1 small orange

Grease and line the base of a 7″ sandwich tin. Turn your oven to 180C.

The key to this cake, like any sponge, is turning your fat, sugar and eggs in to light fluffiness before you add the flour… so, electric whisk at the ready:

Cream the margarine and sugar together until really light and fluffy. Add the egg and whisk again until light and fluffy.

Beat in the grated rind of the orange. I use a zester tool to get the rind off – feels a bit easier to control than a cheese grater thing.

Juice HALF of the orange and beat that in. (You’ll use the rest in the icing.)

Finally add the flour and either beat briefly or give it another quick whizz with the electric handwhisk.

Pour the mixture into your sandwich tin, roughly level the surface and put it straight in to the oven at 180C. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden on top and springy to touch.

Take it out to cool.

Icing

To make the icing, cream together the butter or marg, sugar, grated rind of the orange, and most of the juice of the spare half orange – just reserve a generous tablespoon to drizzle directly on to the cake.

Once cool, drizzle about a tablespoon of orange juice over the cake then cover with icing.

If your icing comes out a bit flowy (which is easy to happen when adding orange juice), just add some icing sugar or brown sugar till you’ve got a thickness that looks like it might stay on the cake. Alternatively, go with oozy icing, call it Orange Drizzle Cake and provide spoon and fork for eating :o)

A cake to enjoy like wine – scent and taste! You’ll also be left with a naked orange, ideal for an extra shot of truly fresh orange juice.

Welsh Mountain Retreats in the beautiful Black Mountains

Walks, Massage, Space to think, Plenty of Cake

Lentil and Rosemary Soup

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Lentil and rosemary… perhaps not the most obviuos combination, but a deliciously nourishing soup! It travels well in a flask for a warming mountain lunch, and it’s great for a hearty lunch at home. Continue Reading

Aunty’s Homemade Beefburgers

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Quick, easy, tasty…. These beefburgers are simply minced beef and a little seasoning. They’re ideal for a barbecue, and equally good rustled up for an indoor feast. I’d like to dedicate this recipe to two of my nephews, David & Ben who are big fans of these burgers, and delightful contributors to my cooking confidence. Thank you, fine nephews!

Aunty’s Homemade Beefburgers

Aunty’s Homemade Beefburgers

750g minced beef
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
2 tbl double cream
2 tbl finely chopped curly leaf parsley
salt & pepper

Serve with:

Tomatoes
Creamed Horseradish sauce
Mayonnaise

and/or

Sesame bun
Mayonnaise
Tomatoes
Gherkins
Crispy lettuce

Firstly, a word about mince beef. Do not buy the extra lean mince, it just doesn’t do the job, and you’ll get leathery, tasteless beefburgers. Buy the best quality good old standard mince you can find, ideally local meat from your local butcher: Then you’ll get tasty, soft burgers.

The rest is really simple: Peel and crush the garlic, dice the onion and finely chop the parsley.

Mix everything together – you’ll be shaping the burgers by hand, so you may as well mix them by hand too. Give the mixture a few squidges so it sticks together but don’t work it too much. You just need the cream, parsley and onion nicely dispersed amongst the mince.

For bun-sized burgers, grab a hand full of burger mix. Roll it into a ball, then flatten slightly and put on a plate. You can of course make any size burger you like… for picnics (or quicker cooking!) I make half size burgers. The quantities above will make about 4 large or 8 smaller burgers.

You can leave the burgers in the fridge till you’re ready, or carry straight on:

To cook, fry for a few minutes on each side or until just cooked (still juicy and just a bit pink in the middle). No need to guess with this – just cut one of the burgers open and take a look at its centre.

I love eating these with a bit of horseradish tomato salad – slice some tasty tomatoes, sprinkle with a little salt, and add squidges of mayonnaise and creamed horseradish. The combination of creamy sauces and these burgers is fabulous.

Alternatively, serve with traditional bun, lettuce, gherkin, mayo, cheese etc. … and chips (or saute potatoes) would seem likely too.

Happy eating! :o)

 

Drooling, but feeling too busy to cook? Take some time for yourself

and have these and other lovely homemade meals cooked for you!

Warm welcome, calm, & burgers here

Victoria Sponge

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On one of the many stunningly sunny February days in Brecon Beacons, I was out walking with a friend and we returned to a cakeless house.Tea and cake was a necessity, naturally, so I rustled up this Victoria Sponge. From empty plates to lovely sponge cake took 30 minutes… result. So this recipe is dedicated to all who want to have their cake, and be eating it in a very short space of time 🙂

Victoria Sponge

Sponge Cake (Feeds 8)

150g Butter (soft)
150g Caster sugar
150g Plain white flour
2 eggs
½ teaspoon Vanilla essence
1 tsp Baking powder

Jam
Icing Sugar

If you want to make a Wheat & Dairy free version of this cake, simply substitute a dairy-free spread for the butter (e.g. Pure) and gluten-free flour – it still tastes delicious!

Smile at your oven-ready Aga, or turn your oven on to 180C.

As usual, the trick to making this simple cake splendid, is in the quality of your ingredients. Use the best quality vanilla essence, free range eggs and the jam you can find.

Grease and line two 8 inch sandwich tins. That’s 20cm in metric… weird that sandwich tins are still determinedly named after imperial measurements.

Grab your electric hand whisk & beat the butter & sugar together in a bowl until creamy. Whisk in the eggs.

Add the flour & baking powder, mix in and give it a very quick whisk too. Working quickly now – or your cake will lose its risingness – split the mixture between the two tins, roughly level it out and pop it in to the pre-heated oven at 180C (or Aga roasting oven with cooling shelf, and use the cake trivet if you have one.)

Check after 15 minutes – your cake should be springy on top. If it’s not quite done give it another 5 minutes, and cover with tin foil or a large baking dish that won’t hinder rising if it’s getting too brown.

Remove from oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Ease around the sides of the tins with a knife, and turn out onto a cooling rack.
Wait a bit longer until your cakes are cool to the touch – hard if hungry but it’s worth it or you’ll get a jam slick – spread one half liberally with the jam of your choice and pop the other half on top.

Grab a sieve or tea strainer and sprinkle about a teaspoon of icing sugar over the top (using a sieve or tea strainer) and there you go, afternoon tea is ready 🙂

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