Caramel Apple Granola Bars

Well hello there! I'm back! After over a month of living in France I feel just about settled into the English way of life once again. In fact, ma vie comme au pair seems like a very distant memory now. Was it really less than 2 weeks ago that I was drinking a panaché with beautiful views of a lake and never-ending mountain ranges, thankful that the sun had set so I would no longer be in the blistering heat? Looking outside at the dreary skies now, it's difficult to believe, but yes, I was. Take me back....! 

It wasn't all as perfect as that though. I mean, Provence can be as pretty as it likes but when you're looking after a stroppy 4 year old and trying for the millionth time not to get in an argument with him, there are suddenly more important things to focus your attention on than the stunning scenery! One thing I did miss when I was in France was baking. Which goes without saying of course. Somehow the family I was au pairing for managed to live in a flat without an oven so even if I'd had the time to bake for them, it would have been pretty impossible!! I did have my fair share of sweet patisseries though which did make up for it, but I was quite excited to get back to a spacious kitchen with an oven when I came back home!

As you know, my Dad likes to grow various fruit and veg in the garden and at the moment the apple tree is laden with fruit just waiting to be eaten. Of course, they're not eating apples so I have happily volunteered to come up with some baked treats that have apples in them. As much as I love apple pies and crumbles, I wanted to come up with something a bit less conventional and I must admit it was a bit of experiment! An experiment that worked though thankfully. I've wanted to have a go at making some kind of 'healthy' granola bars for a while now and I will definitely be having a go at trying other flavours in them as they have certainly proved a hit! They wouldn't really win any awards for their looks as they're a bit crumbly and are not particularly easy to eat, but they taste delicious and wholesome. I think they'd be perfect as a morning snack with a coffee or equally as good for breakfast, crumbled over some natural yoghurt and fresh berries. And I'd like to think they're good for you as well, but with the caramel sauce I'm not sure about that one...! But we all deserve a little sweet treat every day and when summer's over we need something to cheer us up - I can guarantee that these little bites of goodness will do just that!!

Caramel Apple Granola Bars      (makes 15 bars)

Ingredients:

3 Cooking Apples

4tsp Granulated Sugar

2tsp Cinnamon 

30g Butter

30ml Golden Syrup (I used one with maple flavouring but it doesn't have to be!)

240g Porridge Oats

40g Flaked Almonds

40g Pecan Nuts, chopped

25g Pumpkin Seeds

25g Sunflower Seeds

40g Raisins

100g Caster Sugar

60ml Double Cream

20g Butter

Recipe:

1. Begin by making the baked apple chips and preheat the oven to 90 degrees.
2. Core the apples and slice thinly.
3. Place on a prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon.
4. Bake in the oven for an hour.
5. Turn the slices over and bake for another hour.
6. Turn the oven off but leave the apple in there until completely cool.
7. Next make the caramel sauce by placing the sugar in a pan and adding 1 1/2 tbsp water.
8. Heat on a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
9. Turn the heat right up and bubble for 4-5 minutes until it turns a caramel colour.
10. Take off the heat and carefully stir in the cream and butter.
11. Set aside to cool.
12. In a small pan, melt the butter and golden syrup.
13. In a large bowl mix the oats, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds together.
14. Pour the melted butter and golden syrup over the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
15. Spread the granola out onto a baking tray in a thin even layer.
16. Bake for 20 mins until golden brown, stirring every now and then so it doesn't stick.
17. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
18. Pour into a large bowl and stir through the caramel sauce, apple slices chopped into small pieces and raisins. 
19. Press the granola into a lined baking tray and put aside to completely set.
20. Once set, remove from baking tray, cut into slices and enjoy!

Rhubarb and custard ice cream.

As promised, I am back to share with you another rhubarb recipe. And another one equally as appropriate for this heatwave we are currently experiencing! On a day like today, all I have the energy for is finding a cool shady spot to sit in with a good book. And of course, a bowl of ice cream wouldn't go amiss either. That's where this recipe comes in. I've always wanted to have a go at making ice cream, and now the weather is finally right for it, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity. What with the abundance of rhubarb we've had in our garden as well, I decided to stir some through and see what it would be like. I was not disappointed!

Usually to make ice cream, you have to have an ice cream maker, or at least remember to take it out of the freezer every half hour or so to give it a good stir. As I do not have an ice cream maker, nor do I have the energy to use my arms more than I have to when I am melting even in the shade, I was a bit stuck! Luckily, I managed to find a recipe that didn't require an ice cream maker though and there was no stirring required during freezing. Bonus. And actually, it was really easy to make and tasted just like the dairy ice cream you can buy from little farm shops in the countryside. The ice cream itself was very sweet, so a touch of tartness from the rhubarb complemented it just nicely. And I had a bit of caramel sauce left over from another recipe I made so I stirred that through as well. You can't eat a lot of this at once, as it is quite rich, but a couple of scoops as a treat is just perfect. Well, I say you can't, but the tub in our freezer has gone down surprisingly quickly.... I think that says it all!

Rhubarb and custard ice cream  (basic ice cream recipe from Mary Berry)

Ingredients:

4 eggs, separated

100g caster sugar

300ml double cream

1 cup chopped rhubarb

1/2 cup caster sugar

2tbsp caramel sauce (optional)

Method:

1. Begin by making the rhubarb purée.
2. Add the rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar and 4tbsp of water to a pan and simmer gently until the rhubarb is soft.
3. Blend with a hand mixer until smooth.
4. Set aside to cool.
5. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
6. Slowly whisk in the caster sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
7. In a separate bowl whisk the cream until stiff peaks form. 
8. Fold the cream, egg yolks and rhubarb purée into the egg white mixture until well combined.
9. Stir through the caramel sauce, if using.
10. Freeze for at least 2 hours and enjoy!

Caramel Pie

Firstly, sorry for my lack of posts recently! I seem to have spent the last few weeks either dancing or drowning in work. It's just that time of year. Anyway, I can't spend my whole life working and as it's been far too cold to venture out of the house these past few days (seriously, what is wrong with the weather at the moment?!), my Saturday afternoon was spent baking in the kitchen with the bestie. A far better option than essay-writing or braving the cold in my opinion!

So, the first thing we made was this heavenly Caramel Pie. It's from the latest Hummingbird Bakery Book 'Home Sweet Home', which I treated myself to on a whim, but which I do not regret! I could literally make everything in there. Anyway, I chose this pie, just because we were going to a friend's for dinner and as we were in charge of dessert, I thought this looked like the right choice. And we were certainly not disappointed! I don't think I've ever really tried one of these American-style pies and it wouldn't normally be something I'd go for, but after making this, I may have changed my mind! The custard caramel filling was delicious - just the right sort of comfort food you want on a cosy night in with the girls. If only I hadn't been so full, I could have eaten it forever...! I will definitely be trying some of the other pies in the future.

My only piece of advice would be to make a very concious effort to keep stirring your custard as you cook it, because mine did end up a bit lumpy. But it did taste great, and as a big custard-lover myself, it definitely tasted just like the sort of custard I like: thick enough to stand a spoon in with just the right amount of creaminess. And with the addition of caramel, you can't get custard much better than that! Yes, definitely my sort of pie!!

Caramel Pie

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

110g Butter, cubed

225g Plain Flour

80g Caster Sugar

1 Egg

For the filling:

400g Caster Sugar

60g Plain Flour

500ml Whole Milk

4 Egg Yolks

60g Cornflour

Pinch Salt

100ml Water

For the topping:

350ml Double Cream

2tbsp Icing Sugar

20g Dark Chocolate

Method:

1. Place the butter and flour into a large mixing bowl and rub together until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
2. Stir in the sugar.
3. Add the egg and mix until it forms a dough.
4. Bring together and form into a ball, flattening slightly.
5. Wrap it in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for about 30-40 minutes.
6. Once rested, roll out onto a floured surface so it is about 5mm thick.
7. Line a pie dish with the pastry.
8. Trim any excess edges with a knife and allow to rest again in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
9. Bake blind at a preheated 170 degree oven for 10 minutes with baking beans in.
10. Remove the baking beans and bake for a further 15-20 minutes.
11. Allow to cool.
12. To make the filling, mix 200g sugar with the flour, milk, egg yolks, cornflour and salt in a pan.
13. Bring to the boil, whisking continuously until it thickens.
14. Boil it for 4-5 minutes so the flour can cook properly.
15. Set aside and cover directly with cling film to prevent a skin from forming.
16. In a small pan, mix the rest of the sugar with the water.
17. On a low heat, stir gently until the sugar has dissolved.
18. Bring the mixture to boil without stirring.
19. Let it boil for 15-20 minutes until it turns a light caramel colour.
20. Remove from the pan and leave to cool for a couple of minutes.
21. Pour the hot caramel into the custard, stirring continuously, until it is evenly mixed through.
22. Pour the filling into the baked pie crust.
23. Place in the fridge and allow to set for about an hour.
24. Whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks and stir through the icing sugar.
25. Top the pie with the cream.
26. Using a vegetable peeler, make chocolate shavings.
27. Sprinkle on the pie and enjoy!

A Taste of France

Well, it has been over three weeks now since I've been back home and despite England feeling a little more like home again, I am still of course pining for my beloved France! So what better way to pretend that I am in fact still living the French life, than by recreating one of their wonderful desserts? At the weekend I had a go at making a crème caramel after stumbling across a very easy recipe by Delia Smith. With it being custard-based, I have to say it is probably one of my favourites and it is actually quite a light way of finishing a meal (as long as we don't think about the amount of sugar/cream it contains!). The French certainly know how to do a good dessert and this was no exception. I was very pleasantly surprised at how straight forward it was to make too, albeit a method I have never used before. The custard mixture cooks in a ramekin that stands in a tin with water in it, so essentially it is steamed. To be honest, the science of how it all works sounds a bit complicated to me. All I know is that it worked beautifully and the end result was divine. I thought I was back in France for a second...and then I looked outside and saw the grey skies and imminent rain. No, I'm definitely in England.

 

Crème Caramel    makes 6 individual desserts

Ingredients
110g Caster Sugar
150ml Milk
275ml Single Cream
4 Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract
40g Soft Brown Sugar
1tbsp Water (from the hot tap)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
2. Start by making the caramel. Put the sugar in a pan on a medium heat.
3. When the sugar starts to melt and bubble, stir and continue to cook until it is a regular dark brown colour. (2 shades darker than golden syrup, according to Delia!).
4. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the water.
5. Stir until smooth and then quickly pour it evenly into each ramekin, tipping it so it covers the sides a bit. Don't worry if it starts to set at this point as it won't matter once it's cooked.
6. Now pour the milk and cream into a separate pan and leave it to heat gently. 
7. Whisk together the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl.
8. Once the milk is steaming hot, pour it onto the egg mixture, whisking until it is blended. 
9. Pour the liquid into the ramekins and place them in a large roasting tin.
10. Transfer the tin to the oven and pour cold water in it to surround the dish so it is two thirds full.
11. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
12. Cool and chill until it is ready to serve.
13. Remove from the ramekin by running a knife around the edge and then turn it upside down on a plate.
14. And voilà...enjoy!