Autumn bakes and cosy cakes

It’s been yet another busy week, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I really enjoyed my time at the Women & Agriculture Conference in Sligo.

It was brilliantly organised, and I got to meet so many loyal readers of Irish Country Living, many of whom had been to MacNean House and had nice things to say about their experience.

For my demo, I cooked a sharing dish of fillet steak with a peppercorn sauce and mushrooms and a no-bake chocolate tart, both of which went down really well.

Afterwards, I had a real first, both for me and for the conference, I think. I got out my turntable and spun some discs for the audience, taking them back in time with 90s dance classics. It could have gone either way, but lots of people told me the tunes brought back great memories for them. I got a fantastic buzz seeing over 500 women dancing to the classic tune, Children by Robert Miles. 

I also had an enjoyable night in Mercy College, Sligo, where I was invited to present awards by the principal, Anne Gorby. I had to say a few words, so I talked a bit about how my career unfolded and took the opportunity to encourage people to learn to cook. Not everyone has to be a chef!

As I always say, cooking your food and knowing exactly what you are eating and the quality of your local seasonal ingredients is an important life skill.

I was also in Dublin during the week to shoot some Christmas adverts for Simply Better with the Nomos team, a small production company who have a particular interest in making videos featuring food, and they are always great to work with. Attention to detail is important, and it often strikes me that it is a bit like cooking a complicated meal. Every little piece matters.

Mind you, they can edit, whereas the chef only has one chance to get it right in the restaurant! Later I was delighted to appear on the 6 O’Clock Show on Virgin Media with Brian Dowling and Katja Mia, where I had to cook live. Whenever I do this, I always thank Marty Whelan and Mary Kennedy in my mind for the great start they gave me on Open House, which was my first foray into cooking live on television.

The key is in the preparation, as so much has to be done in advance to be able to do a recipe in six or seven minutes and chat at the same time.

Today, I have two very tasty autumnal baking recipes. They are a great opportunity to use food from some excellent Irish producers. I have often mentioned Pat Clarke’s strawberries. They are just so good in season. In the warmth of the summer, however, he also picks and freezes them. It means we can enjoy them all year round. You could use plums or mixed berries in this recipe, but I really think you cannot beat strawberries. This is the best of traditional comfort food for this time of the year.

Spice O’Life in Dunmanway, Co Cork makes a lovely vanilla bean custard. And for all-butter puff pastry, there is no one better than Mairéad Finnegan of Roll It, who makes this wonderful pastry in her home in Meath. In all my years cooking I have hardly ever made this all-butter puff pastry. It is quite difficult, but it makes a huge difference.

The Halloween holiday time is a good opportunity for children to learn some baking skills, and both of these recipes are a good start. In my teenage years, I began with shortbread, apple tarts and flapjacks. Some people are a bit nervous about using yeast but this fast-action dried yeast is very easy to use. Pistachio has become very popular recently. Our Lucia loves it, and I see her drizzling it over lots of things. Simply Better has a very good pistachio spread in the range. And, for cream cheese, Killowen Farm in Enniscorthy makes one of the best I have ever tasted.

Ingredients: Makes 4

1 pack Irish frozen strawberries

3 tbsp caster sugar, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 pack all-butter puff pastry, thawed and fridge-cold

Plain flour, for dusting

1 tbsp cornflour

1 Irish free-range corn-fed large egg white

1 carton Irish-made vanilla bean custard

Method

1. Put the strawberries, sugar, lemon rind and vanilla extract in a non-stick pan. Mix the cornflour in a measuring jug with a little water until smooth. Then make up to 100ml with extra water. Pour into a non-stick pan and put on a medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the strawberries are soft but still holding their shape, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.

2. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and then cut into four by 15cm squares. Transfer to a parchment-lined large baking tray and chill until needed.

3. Divide the strawberry mixture among the pastry squares set on the parchment-lined baking tray. Dip your finger in a bowl of water and run it along the edges of the pastry. Then fold one corner over to form triangles.

4. Use a fork to seal the edges firmly and then gently knock back the edges with a palette knife which helps the pastry layers to puff up. Chill again for at least 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6). Beat the egg white in a small bowl and brush over the strawberry turnovers. Then give each one a light sprinkling of sugar. Bake for 30 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Arrange on plates with some custard to serve.

Ingredients: Makes 15

200ml milk

500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

1 sachet fast-action dried yeast (7g)

1 tsp brown cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt

50g caster sugar

2 Irish free-range corn-fed large eggs

100g butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

1 jar pistachio spread

1 pack shelled pistachios, finely chopped (100g)

2 tbsp honey

1 carton cream cheese

180g icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Pour the milk into a small pan and just allow it to warm through, or use the microwave.

2. Tip the flour, yeast, cinnamon, salt, caster sugar, milk and eggs into the bowl. Use a paddle attachment on your mixer to combine everything until it comes together in a dough. Then tip out onto a floured surface and knead for two minutes until smooth.

3. Put the dough back into the bowl and put the mixer on a medium setting. Then add the softened butter 1 to 2 tsp at a time. Turn the dough back out onto the work surface and flatten to a 20cm square. Then freeze for 30 minutes or chill for one hour.

4. Line a medium baking tray with parchment paper and grease with butter. Lay the rested dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 25 x 35cm rectangle. Spread over half the jar of the pistachio spread and then sprinkle over half of the pistachios. Fold the bottom third of the dough into the middle, then fold over again to cover the top third. Chill the dough again for another 30 minutes.

5. Re-roll the dough into a 30 x 40cm rectangle, then roll it up along the long edge into a tight log. Trim off the ends and cut into 15 equal-sized slices. Arrange the slices, spiral side up, in the prepared tin and leave to prove until doubled in size – they should join together and fit into the tray snugly.

6. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6). Bake the buns for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile, mix the honey with 2 tsp of boiling water. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush them with the honey glaze and then leave them to cool a little. To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Smear over the pistachio buns and scatter the rest of the pistachios on top. Serve warm or cold.