Alvin's Savoury Quick Bread

Having seen quick bread being made on this year's Great British Bake Off, and liking the sound of the prosciutto, manchego and balsamic onion loaf Alvin made, we decided to give it a go.  Requiring only plain flour we hoped it would be ok to substitute Dove's Farm Plain Flour in Alvin's recipe.  It was a surprisingly "decent attempt"... here's what we did with the ingredients (we omitted the basil) which were -

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large red onion, finely sliced

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1½ tbsp soft brown sugar

450g  Dove's Farm Gluten Free plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

30g cold unsalted butter, diced

80g prosciutto, torn into strips

200g Manchego cheese, diced

300ml buttermilk + water

1 tbsp butter, melted (for topping)

We warmed the oil in a small frying pan and, once hot, added the red onions. The heat was then reduced and the pan was covered with a lid.  After about 15 minutes we added the balsamic vinegar and soft brown sugar, this was then cooked, without the lid, for 5 more minutes to caramelise lightly.  It was then removed from the heat and left to cool.

At this point, we set the fan oven to 180C and lined the baking tray with baking parchment.

Having sifted the flour, bicarb and salt into a bowl, we rubbed in the butter by hand till a
fine breadcrumb consistency was reached.

Putting to one side a tablespoon of the onions, a small amount of the chopped cheese and some of prosciutto - this would be used for the loaf's topping.

We added the remaining onions, ham and cheese to the flour mixture and made sure it was well combined

Adding a small amount (about 25ml) water to the pot of buttermilk, we carefully mixed it in to loosen the buttermilk slightly.

Having made a well in the flour mixture we added about two thirds of the thinned buttermilk. Using a lightly floured hand, it was all mixed until it began to bind together... we did have to add more buttermilk and, probably, should have added more to get a wetter dough.

Next we turned the dough out onto a lightly floured silicone sheet and shaped it into an oval.  It was  about 4cm thick.  Having moved the loaf to the baking sheet, we dusted it with a little flour and the top was scored, diagonally, with a knife.

Finally, the remaining caramelised onions, ham and cheese were

placed on top.

The loaf was baked for 35 minutes when we covered the top with foil to stop it burning.  It was cooked for a further 10 minutes when the loaf was removed and transferred to a cooling rack. 

We brushed the top of the loaf with melted butter and allowed it to cool fully before being sliced thickly.  It made a lovely addition to lunch... and was a delicious breakfast too!

Wrapping the loaf in foil, it kepy well in the fridge for a couple of days. 

We'll definitely make this again, although will likely make a half size batch loaf and will also make sure we add enough buttermilk to get a slightly wetter dough which should allow easier working and shaping.

Pineapple upside down cake

Sous Chef J has been wanting to try making a Pineapple Upside Down Cake for ages.  Last week I bought a couple of fresh pineapples (one medium and the other HUGE sized).  So, when they had ripened and we were looking for inspiration on a chilly afternoon, he suggested the cake.  We searched for a suitable recipe to follow and came up with this slightly tweaked amalgam recipe -

For the topping -

50g softened butter
50g soft brown sugar
1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced (we reserved the juice from this undertaking for later use) - if you don't have fresh, then tinned pineapple rings in juice will be fine.

For the cake -
100g softened butter
100g golden caster sugar
100g self-raising flour (we used Dove's Farm gluten free SR Flour)
1 tsp baking powder (we used Dr Oetker gluten free)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

We set the oven to 160C fan and prepared the topping.  To do this, we beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. The topping mix was then spread over the base and a quarter of the way up the sides of a 21cm round spring-form cake tin. 

The pineapple was prepared using an Oxo Good Grips pineapple
device... it was a two person job but we were pleased it worked well.  Next, Sous Chef J arranged 4 pineapple rings on top of the butter/sugar mix. 

Placing the butter and sugar in a bowl, we used an electric hand mixer to cream them together.  The eggs were add, one at a time, before including the flour and baking powder.  The mix came together nicely and looked creamy and light in colour.  We then mixed through about 2 Tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice and made sure it was fully combined to a soft consistency. 

The cake mix was put into the tin on top of the pineapple and smoothed. 

We baked the cake, having placed the tin on a baking sheet (as the springform tin leaked - use a tin without a loose bottom if you have one!  We learnt from this for subsequent bakes) for 35 mins. 

Having left the cake to cool for 10 minutes, it was turned out onto a platter.

Sous Chef J has developed a liking for helping with "cook's reward" activities and is keen to assist with "checking the mix tastes OK".

We have also repeated this recipe making a square traybake cake (pics show both baking sessions) and Sous Chef J's "Singular Pineapple Upside Down Tarts" ....they were fab and are the header pic.

Free From Gluten in North Norfolk

Followers of this blog will be aware we visit North Norfolk a few times a year.  This is not just because of its easy accessibility to us by car or the scenery which we love but also due to the ready availability of tasty gluten free food when eating out.

We've blogged about the Art Cafe at Glandford before but it really is an absolute favourite of ours and, with the discovery this year of their "awesome frangipane" cake, but the apricot slice was also a massive hit in July.  We have even made a day trip from the Midlands there for Sunday morning coffee and cake.  The coffees and drinks on offer are also worth travelling for - the latte is always spot on the right temperature for drinking and the perfect milk to coffee ratio for me.  J loves their 'dark hot chocolate'.

A new this year find is Eric's Fish and Chips at Drove Orchards, Thornham.  They are open 12-9pm every day and always have gluten free battered fish and chips on sale.  Also, we've tried the pineapple fritter which was crisp and juicy.  Taking Peppie dog with us means we haven't 'eaten in' at Eric's but we have made use of their picnic benches, handily outside, and also driven to nearby Hunstanton beach with take away.

Also found, much to B's delight, was a range of gluten free local Norfolk ales.  They are produced at the Poppyland Brewery, a micro brewery based in Cromer. B bought a selection and enjoyed them all. 

We also like visiting the National Trust's Felbrigg Hall as their cafe is dog friendly and they sell gluten free cakes from Baked to Taste - always a welcome find on our travels.

Leaving you with a pic of J about to 'dig in' to his haddock and chips... lovely, crisp gluten free batter.  We aim to travel back for more F&C as a treat sometime over the next few months... we may even try out eating indoors!

 

Through a twitter conversation, have been reminded we forgot to add that at the Art Cafe site, Manor Farm Barns Glandford, there is a huge changing places accessible disabled toilet.   Well maintained and clean, it's a surprising find but one that many may find useful to know about.