It’s dark and wintry outside, but hopefully this citrus surprise cake will brighten up your day. Last year, I was given the gift of a lemon tree (from the amazing Almu), which inspired this cake. I named my lemon tree Ginny. (I like lemony gin and tonics). I was skeptical that Ginny would produce lemons in our unpredictable Pacific Northwest climate. However, she managed to produce 10 perfect golden lemons, which just turned yellow in the last couple of weeks. Continue Reading…
The third series of Downton Abbey started last week in the states, and it’s become an absolute hit over here. I am feeling slightly smug as I have already watched series three back in Ireland. There is something really comforting about settling down for an episode of Downton Abbey. The minute I see that Labrador in the opening credits, I instantly feel happy and relaxed. Continue Reading…
Growing up, we always had apple tress. I would eat so many apples that I would end up covered in hives. I never cared at all though as I loved coming home from school and going up to pick apples. My Mum used to make great use of the big Bramleys. They were used for tarts, apple sauces, apple snow – the list goes on. We never had any need to buy apples at home in the autumn, they were so versatile and tasty. Now we have all flown the nest but the apple trees continue to provide a bountiful crop. The last weekend I was home. I took a huge bag of juicy Bramleys back to Dublin. There had been a slight frost, which my Dad said would make them even tastier. These apples wouldn’t have passed any EU inspection as they were all misshapen with a few brown spots and each one with their own distinctive character. I really wanted to do these beauties justice. Stewed apple and homemade custard was the first thing that came to mind. I used to love this dessert as a kid. The super hot stewed apple and creamy custard straight from the stove was a favourite of mine after school on a cold winters day. Continue Reading…
So, I finally dusted down the old recipe book, donned my 1950’s style apron, put on some Frank Sinatra and began my journey back in time. Wouldn’t this dish look very impressive at a dinner party in the 1950’s? I chose this particular recipe for Chocolate Meringue Tart, because it looked so decadent and delicious. I was also kind of intrigued by the concept. Chocolate, meringue and pastry, I wasn’t too sure if it would turn out to be yucky or yummy. As I read the recipe I realised I would have to change a few little things. I just couldn’t bring myself to use margarine, so I used lovely Irish butter instead. And that chocolate filling looked a little bland, so I jazzed it up with some Cointreau. I also used real cherries on top instead of sticky glace ones and garnished with some fresh fragrant mint. The rest of the recipe is pretty much as is and I even used Bourneville chocolate.
You can find some of my favorite gluten-free recipes in my eBook available from Amazon.
I'm Vicky and Stasty is my simple and tasty food recipe blog. I love to cook and I love to talk about food, so this blog is really my ramblings and thoughts about cooking and eating. Some of the recipes are my own and some are ones that I found on the net or picked up from my favorite cookbooks. I cook everything in our little kitchen in beautiful Washington. I am aided and abetted by my I.T guru/tantrum-trouble-shooter/editor and chief-taster otherwise known as the OH or Nelius.
