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.

Sausage Rolls

My family are beasts when it comes to sausage roll. Me too, I won’t deny that I’m a feasty beasty when it comes to sausage meat wrapped in pastry. A marriage of two my my favourite foods, I prefer  a mini bite sized one or two or ten, but won’t turn down a big one. The smell of them cooking has me fixated on the oven timer, and warm from the over it’s hard to find a comfort food of equal standing. As The Crokery will be bursting at its seams this Christmas I have begun making and freezing them. Seriously no work of a lie, when we’re in full swing I can’t keep up with the demand without a little backup.

Sausage meat, beats taking the case off sausages

Sausage meat is so versatile, it can be flavoured with practically anything, so rummage in you larder  & grab what looks tasty.

Parmesan, cranberries, sage, rosemary,tomato paste, pecans, onion relish

Here are a few recipes for flavouring the sausagemeat

Herb sausage rolls

1 pound sausage meat, 3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, 3 tsp chopped fresh sage, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 scant tsp black pepper.

Margarhita sausage rolls

1 pound sausage meat, 2 heaped tbsp onion relish, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 25g finely grated parmesan cheese, 25g finely grated pecorino cheese.

Cran-Can sausage rolls

1 pound hot sausage meat, 50g chopped pecans, 50g chopped fresh cranberries.

METHOD

Which ever recipe you decide on, or whether you make up your own the method is the same. Chuck all the ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly either with you hands or a wooden spoon.

Pull off a large piece of  plastic wrap and lay it flat on the counter. Place the sausage mixture onto it in a long line. Encase in the plastic wrap, and roll to make into a skinny sausage, twist closed the ends and chill.

Roll out the pastry into a long thin rectangle. It should be between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.

Start rolling the sausage meat into a, well thinner sausage shape that is 1 inch in diameter and lay it onto the pastry 2 inches from the edge

When the sausage meat is length of the pastry, brush beaten egg along the edge

Roll the pastry over the sausage meat

Like this, Press the fold over edge down onto the pastry to seal it

Cut to get a straight and then press down with a fork, this is decorative and also a double seal.

Brush the top with egg

I cut the sausage rolls into 1 inch lengths

Lay them onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet and…

Pop them into the freezer until frozen.

When they are frozen I put them in a freezer bag then whip them into a 325º oven for 30 – 35 minutes