Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf with Orange Drizzle

Makes one large loaf:

2 oranges

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 15 oz can of pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup chopped pecans, (optional)

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour your loaf pan.

Zest and juice one of the oranges, set aside the zest for a little later. Add the cranberries to the juice so they plump up. Sometimes I heat them in the microwave for a scant 30 seconds or so.

Cream together the sugar and shortening.

In a separate  bowl beat the eggs one at a time with the pumpkin until you have a smooth consistency. Add to this the vanilla and orange zest. Mix this into the creamed sugar and shortening.

Stir in the cranberries and the orange juice.

Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture. Do not over mix.

Finally, fold in the pecans.

Pour into a loaf pan. Bake for one hour.

When the loaf is cool make the icing.

Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl, juice and zest the remaining orange, reserve the zest and add the juice slowly to the powdered sugar. Stir constantly, you may have to add a little more sugar or a splash of water to get a nice thick, but pour-able consistency.

Turn out the loaf and poke a few holes into the top of the loaf with a skewer, drizzle over the icing, sprinkle a little of the zest on top and let set.

Enjoy F.

Fig, Hazelnut and Orange Shortbread

4 oz Unsalted butter

2 oz Sugar

2 oz All purpose flour

2 oz rice flour or corn flour for a grainier crumb

2 oz Hazelnut meal

¼ tsp salt

2 oz dried figs

Zest of 1 orange

1 Tbsp orange juice

1 oz Raw sugar

Pre heat the oven to 300℉

Cut the butter into small cubes and put in a mixing bowl or food processor. Add to this the sugar, flours, hazelnut meal and salt.  Using your fingers combine these ingredients until little pea size balls form,or blitz until combined. Dice the figs, add that and the orange zest to the crumb mix. Pour in the orange juice and stir with a knife and gently squeeze the mix to bring it together. You may need to add a tiny amount of cold water. Be careful not to drown the mix, it is meant to be crumbly.

Bring the mixture together into a log shape and wrap in plastic warp. Shape the log so that it is approximately 2×2 inches square and 6 inches long. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to help obtain the shape. Gently flatten each side of the log on the counter to make a rectangle.

Chill in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.

Unwrap the log, roll in the raw sugar pressing lightly. Slice the log  into 1/4 thick slices and put onto a parchment lined baking sheet,

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

Enjoy F.

Cranberry Pancakes with Orange Honey Maple Syrup

The combination of honey and maple syrup may be enough to give some people a toothache, but the tart burst of cranberry cuts through it like a hot knife through butter. The pancake is the perfect  neutral base for this classic flavour combination.

For the syrup;

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup honey

Juice and zest from 1/2 an orange

Zest your orange

Squeeze its juice

And warm them in a saucepan with the honey and maple syrup until you’re ready to serve

I use Aunt Jemima pancake mix, I like the fluffy cake texture. Feel free to make yours from scratch.

For the pancakes;

2 cups pancake mix

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

A pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg – optional

Follow in instructions on the back and add in your own spices, zests or flavourings

Once all the lumps have been mixed out, stir in the cranberries

All the cranberries need at least a thin coat of batter, otherwise they will burst and stick to the pan whilst cooking. I use spray oil to coat the pan and get it lovely and hot

I always cook my pancakes in my silver dollar pan, I think it’s because I love how they look stacked high on a plate.

The best tool I found to turn the silver dollar pancakes is a skewer

I turn the heat down to ensure the pancakes are cooked through and the cranberries are warm

Pour the syrup into a serving jug

Stack your silver dollars and drizzle over the warm syrup

Letting it flow over the sides

OK who am I trying to kid, pour the syrup on

A silver dollar tower in a orange syrup lake

Light and fluffy and cakey, the sweet syrup is soaked up and is the prefect compliment to the tart burst of the cranberries