Brandy Snaps

Having wondered if Brandy Snaps could be made Gluten Free, I tracked down an old (scrawled on a piece of paper recipe from the depths of my recipe bundles) and found, happily, that there is very little flour required.   A little research amongst other foodie/gluten avoiders led me to believe it was possible to make Gluten Free brandy snaps so we set about our task.

As with many of the recipes we try, there were very few ingredients (in this case, just six) and so the required items were gathered and weighed... although we only made half the quantity listed in this recipe.  For a change, Sous Chef J and I made just one substitution in the recipe and this was to use Dove's Farm Gluten and Wheat free Plain White flour.

In a pan, we heated, gently, the sugar, syrup and butter until the sugar had been dissolved... this took about 15 minutes on a low heat.  Then the sifted flour and ginger were added and mixed in. Finally, a quarter of a teaspoon of lemon juice was added and fully combined.

Then four blobs (small amount) of the mix was placed on a silicone sheet which was placed in the pre-heated fan oven (170ºC) for 7-10 minutes. 

 When the snaps were done, they were taken off the baking tray (leaving them on the silicone sheet) to cool slightly before being shaped.  We used a the handle of a silicone brush for the traditional snap shape.

One larger basket was made using a bigger blob of the mix.  Once this was cooked and cooled very slightly, it was dangled over an oiled glass pot... will take some work to sort the technique but you get the idea.

Other baskets were attempted...  we liked our triangular shaped ones and, once they were cooled, some freshly whipped cream and sprinkles were added.

We are delighted at how snappy and tasty these are... really no difference from the gluten containing ones we remember.  They're such a success, we're going to make some for pals this week and hope they like them too.

A lovely Hallowe'en or Bonfire Night treat!

Paprika Pork

We're always keen to make an easy and tasty evening meal and this very simple pork dish fits the bill.

With the ingredients of pork escalopes, paprika, garlic, butter and oil, it's is a meal that can be made in minutes.

The garlic was peeled, sliced and chopped.  It was then combined with the paprika in a glass dish.  The pork escalopes were added and covered in the rub.  (This can be done in advance and the pork left in the fridge until cooking is required).

Having melted a knob of butter in a frying pan together with a dash of sunflower oil, the the escalope was added and cooked over a medium heat.

Once cooked thoroughly, the pork was seasoned and served with chips and peas.

Delicious and quick - just the sort of food we like!

Slow cooker beef

With a busy day ahead, we decided we needed something to cook that was easy, tasty and would be ready at whatever time we were hungry.  So, a slow cooker recipe was called for.  With a small joint of brisket of beef in the fridge, we wondered whether it could be cooked in a slow cooker.  We've done stews in there but never a joint of beef. These are the ingredients we used:-

640g beef brisket
3 onions, peeled and quartered
100ml red wine
salt and pepper

Having cooked chicken pieces in the slow cooker many times, the method used for them was used.  That is, unwrapped the meat, patted it dry, then sealed it in a hot frying pan on all sides before adding it to the pre-warmed slow cooker (this is simply switching the cooker onto high for the time whilst the meat was being sealed.)  Once the meat was sealed and added to the slow cooker, it was surrounded by the onions wedges, seasoned and the red wine was poured in.   

The lid was placed on the cooker and the heat was turned to the low setting.  Then we waited... for 8 hours... when the meat was removed and rested for 20 minutes.

 

Whilst the meat was resting the juices from the slow cooker were simmered gently to form a sauce for the meat.  Once the vegetables were cooked, the meat was served (it really did just fall apart) and topped with the sauce. Sous Chef J cleared his plate in record time.