Dad’s Favourite: Cheese and Onion Pie

Finished pie and leftover cheese straws

This is Dad’s favourite; I remember having it as a special meal every Easter holiday in the caravan, with mushy peas or baked peas - it only comes out on special occasions now though! This is my Gran’s recipe that I’ve adapted by adding more cheese, I use a really strong cheddar, and the mustard brings out the flavour of it even more, if you’re not such a fan of this flavour you can use a milder cheese, but I think that kind of defeats the object of a cheese and onion pie…

Pastry coming together

Ingredients:

8oz plain flour

2oz lard/Trex (vegetarian alternative)

2oz butter/marg

large pinch salt and pepper

1.5tsp mustard powder

4oz grated extra mature cheddar

8tbsp cold water

3 medium onions

6oz grated extra mature cheddar, plus extra for the top of the pie

3 eggs

Pastry ready to chill

1tsp Dijon mustard

large pinch salt and pepper

1 beaten egg to seal and glaze

Oven at 170oC fan oven/190oC other ovens

7in pie dish, approx 2in deep

Method:

1. First make the pastry by rubbing the lard and marg into the flour and mustard powder until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the seasoning and cheese and mix well.

Rolled out pastry base

2. Add the water to the bowl slowly and mix with your hand until it comes together to make a soft, but not sticky, pastry. You might not need all of the water, or you might even need more.

3. Tip the pastry out onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together into a smooth pastry. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least two hours – the longer the better as it makes the pastry easier to work with.

4. Whilst the pastry is chilling it’s time to make the filling; finely dice the onions, cover with water and boil for 15 minutes, or until soft and translucent.

5. To make the filling add the cheese, eggs, mustard and seasoning to a large bowl and mix.

6. Once the onions are soft, drain them and leave to cool until they’re cold enough to touch so they won’t scramble the eggs, then add to the filling mix. Leave this to one side now until you’ve sorted your pastry.

Lined pastry base

7. Once the pastry is chilled cut it into 2 pieces, of one third and two thirds. Roll out the larger piece until it’s one and a half times larger than your pie tin. Pick up the pastry gently and lay it into the tin. Lift up the sides of the pastry so it falls into the corners and then gently press the pastry into the sides of the tin. Leave the edges over hanging.

8. Pour the pie filling into the pastry base and glaze the edges with beaten egg

9. Roll out the other half of the pastry on a floured surface until it’s 0.5cm thick and gently lay it over the top of the pie. Press the edges together so they seal and then use a sharp knife to cut away the excess pastry (you can use this to make decorations for the top of your pie, or make cheese straws by twisting strands of the pastry, which will take approx. 20 minutes to bake)

Base, filling and lid for construction

10. Crimp the edges of the pie, brush with egg, sprinkle with the extra cheese and cut two small slits in the top of the pie to let the steam escape.

11. Bake in the centre of a preheated oven on a preheated baking tray for 30-40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the centre of the pie is firm to touch – if the pie browns too quickly turn the oven temperature down slightly and keep cooking until the pie is firm to touch.

Pie ready for the oven!

This pie is tastiest warm or at room temperature, but of course is good straight out of the oven too if you can’t wait! Like I said, we love it with baked beans or mushy peas and some buttery mashed potatoes!

Finished piece of pie!

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger xx

Lemon Marmalade and Poppy Seed Cookies

I made these on a whim as I had some leftover lemon marmalade that I needed to use up, so adapted a recipe for orange marmalade cookies, and added poppy seeds too. The batter is very easy to work with, and these cookies make a nice change to rich chocolate cookies, you could even pretend they're healthy...

I used oil as an egg substitute, as it only acts as a binding agent, but you could easily sub an egg back into the recipe - or use dairy free butter and make them vegan.

Lemon Marmalade and Poppy Seed Cookies

Makes 36

Ingredients

Wet ingredients

80g butter

140g granulated sugar

0.25 cup vegetable or sunflower oil

350g plain flour

1.5tsp baking powder

4tsp poppy seeds

6tbsp marmalade (of any variety), plus 1tbsp to glaze

190oC oven, 180oC fan

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar together until it’s pale and fluffy

Pre-oven mix

2. Beat in the oil and marmalade

3. Fold in the flour, baking powder and poppy seeds

4. Use two teaspoons to place small piles of dough onto a lined baking sheet, leaving spreading room between them (approx. 3 inches) 

5. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until light brown, then remove to a wire rack 

6. Put the 1tbsp marmalade for the glaze in a bowl, microwave for 30 second intervals until it becomes spreadable 

Before glazing

7. Apply to the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven using a pastry brush and leave to cool

These cookies are lovely and chewy in the middle, with a nice lemony tang - they go well with a cup of coffee. They will keep in an air tight container for 3-4 days.

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger xx

Gingerbread Men

Decorated Men and Women!

For Christmas I got some Gingerbread Men cutters with bites out of them - they're really cute and I've been looking for an excuse to use them, and today myself and my friend Katie decided to do some baking, so out they came!

The Gingerbread recipe is really simple - you can taste the spices but they're not overpowering, so if you like your biscuits with a bit of a kick double the amount of spices in the recipe.

Gingerbread Men

Makes approx. 40 small men/women

Ingredients:

350g plain flour, plus extra for rolling out
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Dry ingredients + butter

2 tsp ground ginger
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of mixed spice
100g butter
150g light soft brown sugar
1 free-range egg
4 tbsp golden syrup

Writing icing to decorate – and anything else you fancy!

180oC oven, 170oC fan oven

Method:

Breadcrumbed mix

1.      Mix the flour, bicarb, ginger, cinnamon into a bowl. Add the butter and rub into breadcrumbs with your fingertips, then mix in the sugar.

2.      In a separate bowl mix the egg and golden syrup together and then add to the breadcrumbed mix.

3.      Form into a dough with your hands, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. You might need to add a tiny splash of milk at this stage to make the dough come together.

Dough before rolling

4.      Once chilled roll the dough out on a floured surface to approx. 0.5cm thick, cut using whatever cutters you fancy, and move onto a greased and lined baking tray – leaving enough space between them to allow a slight spreading whilst they cook.

5.      Bake in the middle of your preheated oven for approx. 10 minutes, or until light golden brown.

6.      Cool on a wire rack until completely cold and then decorate with your writing pens.

These are a really fun thing to make - and really easy! They would make a good present too if you wanted to get creative and make a unique present for someone! Below are some of our best decorating efforts.

Dough with cutters

Happy Baking,

The Baking Ginger xx

Pre-decorating

Superman!

Posh frocks

Fig leaf

Parsnip Soda Bread

Finished Loaf

I wanted to try some baking that was a bit healthier than usual, and this recipe caught my eye, although I have substituted a few things from the original recipe to make it even healthier – although don’t get me wrong, I am all for full fat baking 95% of the time!

I really like beetroot chocolate cake, so I thought parsnips in bread wasn’t too much of a leap, and this is one of the easiest loaves you will ever make! It uses bicarbonate of soda, rather than yeast, as a raising agent, so doesn’t need any kneading, proving or resting, so it’s super quick and easy!

Parsnip Soda Bread

Dry Ingredients

Makes one large loaf

Ingredients:

250g plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
250g wholemeal flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g parsnips, peeled and grated
100g low fat mature cheddar, grated (plus extra for a topping if you want)
2 tsp ground cumin
approx 5 tbsp seeds (I used a mix of pumpkin, sesame, sunflower and poppy)
1 tsp sea salt

Acidified Milk

large pinch of pepper
400ml semi-skimmed or full-fat milk with 2tsp lemon juice

190oC fan oven/200oC other ovens

Method:

1.     First mix the milk with the lemon juice and leave to stand for at least 10 minutes, or until you’re ready to use it. It'll get slightly thicker, to the consistency of single cream.

2.     In a large bowl combine the flours, bicarb, parsnips, cumin, seeds, cheese and seasoning. Mix thoroughly.

Dough coming together

3.     Add the milk/lemon juice mix and bring the dough together – it’ll be sticky and won’t look like your typical smooth dough, but it doesn’t need to, that’s why this recipe is so easy!

4.     Shape the dough in a round, put on a baking tray, score a cross on the top with a sharp knife and sprinkle with extra cheese if you want to.

5.     Bake in the centre of your pre-heated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Ready for the oven!

This bread makes amazing toast, freezes well and will last for up to a week in an airtight container - it's too easy and tasty not to give it a go!

Happy Baking!


The Baking Ginger xx

Finished slices!

Apple and Cinnamon Bagels

Apple and Cinnamon Bagels

I said it wouldn't be long until I made bagels again, and here they are!

I made them using some flour my Gran gave to me, she has previously made loaves and rolls with it, but I thought I'd try something a bit different! If you can't get hold of flour like this you can just add a couple teaspoons of cinnamon to your dough and a grated apple to get a similar effect.

Special flour

Apple and Cinnamon Bagels

Makes 8

Ingredients

450g apple and cinnamon bread flour (or strong white bread flour as discussed above)

4tbsp sugar

1tsp salt

7g/2tsp dried yeast

3tsp sugar

Activated yeast

1tsp cinnamon (both for dusting)

190oC fan oven/200oC other ovens

Method:

1. In a large bowl add 100ml of warm water to 1tbsp sugar and the sachet of yeast. Leave for 10 minutes to activate the yeast - you'll start to see bubbles appear on the surface of the liquid.

2. Add another 200ml of warm water to the bowl, followed by half the flour and the 1tsp salt. Mix into a dough, and add the rest of the flour in stages until you get a soft, but not sticky dough, you might not need all of the flour.

Ready to proof

3. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. (See this previous blog about the best kneading technique.)

4. Once smooth put the dough into an oiled bowl, covered with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place until doubled in size - approx. 1 hour, but don't be afraid to leave it for longer.

5. Turn the doubled dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut into eight equal portions. Knead each into a smooth circle and then roll between your palms to get a smooth ball.

6. Put a large ban of water onto boil and add the remaining 3tbsp sugar. Bring to a rapid boil.

Shaped and boiling

7. Meanwhile, to make the bagel's characteristic hole press your thumb into the centre of each dough ball, then pick it up, work your other fingers into the space, making the hole bigger by gently pulling the dough outwards and cycling it around between your index fingers. Make the hole approx 3cm across. Repeat for all 8 dough balls.

8. Now your sugary water should be boiling, so add the bagels to the water (do as many in a go as you can fit in the pan without them touching each other or the sides), boil for 1 minute on each side and then remove from the water onto a wire rack with a slotted spoon.

9. Once you've boiled all of the bagels dust with caster sugar and cinnamon and place onto a greased and floured baking tray.

Sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon

10. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they're dark brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

11. Cool on a wire rack. These will keep for 3-4 days if kept in an airtight container, but they're best enjoyed whilst still warm from the oven, or toasted with loads of butter, and more sprinkled cinnamon and sugar!

These were just as easy as the poppy seed variety I made a few weeks ago, so give them a try!

Finished bagels!

Happy Baking,

The Baking Ginger xx

Pesto, Basil and Mozzarella Couronne

Finished Couronne

I saw this type of loaf made a couple of times on the Great British Bake Off, and I love making stuff that looks as good as it tastes, so I thought I'd give it a go!

I didn't use a brioche dough, just a white loaf dough which I stuffed with pesto, basil and mozzarella, but you could add anything you fancy, maybe ham, cooked chicken or smoked salmon?

Dough before...

Pesto, Basil and Mozzarella Couronne

Ingredients:

500g/1.1lb strong white bread flour

25g/1oz marg or butter

2tsp salt

7g/2tsp dried yeast

350ml warm water

190g jar of pesto (any variety)

3 large handfuls of basil

Dough after...

50g/2oz grated mozzarella

11in diameter springform baking tin
200oC oven/180oC fan

Method:

1. Rub the marg or butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, then add the yeast and salt (to separate sides of the bowl) and mix.

2. Add the warm water in stages until the dough comes together but isn't sticky.

Ready to roll

3. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

4. Place into an oiled bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (at least 1 hour).

5. Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface, knead gently for 30 seconds to knock it back and then roll the dough out into a rectangle (approx. 1m x 50cm).

6. Cover the rectangle with the fillings of your choice, tack one of the long edges to the work surface and then roll from the opposite long edge like a swiss roll - do it as tightly as you can.

Mid-twist

7. Cut the ~1m long roll of dough lengthways down the centre of the roll, twist edge half individually until it has an even twist all the way along, then twist the two halves together, to effectively reform the ~1m long roll.

8. Starting at one end of the dough, roll the dough into a flat spiral, like a snails shell. Continue to the other end of the dough and then place your spiral into the greased circular baking tin.

9. Cover again with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise again in a warm place for approx. 30 minutes.

10. Brush with milk and bake in the centre of a preheated oven (200oC) for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and makes a hollow sound when the base is tapped.

Spiralling

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy warm with lots of butter, or part of an epic sandwich! It's really good to pull it apart along the layers when it's warm, it's delicious!

It will keep for 3/4 days in an airtight container, depending upon the fillings you've used!

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger xx

Before second proofing

Finished couronne, with all the layers

Cheat's Triple Millionaire's Shortbread

My Gran's Millionaire's Shortbread is my absolute favourite thing (although it is a close contest with Cheese Scones...). These are a bit of a cheat's version; they're made with Dulce De Leche, instead of the home made caramel which makes Gran's extra delicious, but they're a fantastic quick fix - waiting for them to be properly chilled is the hardest part!

You can get Dulce De Leche from any good supermarket, so give these a go!

Breadcrumbs

Cheat's Triple Millionaire's Shortbread

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

12oz plain flour

8oz butter/marg

5oz caster sugar

450g jar of Dulce De Leche

250g chocolate (I used 75g white, 75g milk and 100g dark chocolate for the triple effect)

Baked shortbread base

9x13in tin

170oC fan oven/180oC other ovens

Method

1. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, then mix in the sugar.

2. Press the shortbread mix into a greased and lined baking tray, doing it this way makes the shortbread extra crumbly, which goes perfectly with sticky caramel.

Chocolate and Dulce De Leche

3. Bake the shortbread base in the centre of a preheated oven until very light golden brown, approx. 20/25 minutes.

4. Whilst the shortbread is baking weigh out the chocolate.

5. Once the shortbread is baked, leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then put in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill properly before you add the caramel.

Caramel layer before chilling

6. Once chilled spread the caramel over the shortbread, then put the whole thing back in the freezer for at least another half an hour or until the caramel feels solid enough to spread chocolate over.

7. Melt the chocolate (in a microwave is fine if you do it for 15 seconds then stir and microwave again if needs be), spread gently over the caramel - if you're using three types of chocolate start with the white first so you don't get any colour contamination. 

8. Chill in the freezer for another hour/fridge for at least 3 until the chocolate is completely hard.

9. Cut into 24 pieces; do this in the tin as it stops any slightly soft caramel escaping out of the sides of your Millionaire's. 

These are best enjoyed with a cup of tea, perfect for elevenses or afternoon tea! They'll keep in the fridge for up to a week, if they last that long...

Triple Chocolate!

This really is a great little cheat, it's not as good as Gran's, but when is anything ever as good as when your Gran bakes it?! 

Happy Baking,

The Baking Ginger xx

Finished Trio