52 Cookbooks #15: Hot cross buns

I'm staying with Delia again this week and have taken this recipe from her Complete Cookery Course, which is probably the oldest cookbook I have and has been used over many years as a reference (cook)book to check against other recipes and to answer the question "what does Delia say?"

This edition was published in 1984 - I told you it was old - and somewhere along the way I've lost the cover; the book's also a bit crinkled from getting wet at some point but otherwise it still works!

It is quite dated though, which is now part of its charm... For example the next recipe is 'pizza' nothing unusual about that but each time pizza is in quotes, I guess in the early eighties pizza wasn't quite so common place!

The introduction to the Hot Cross bun recipe is also amusing, it says these taste better and are far cheaper than any you can buy in the shop. She's right on the taste but I'm not sure on the price as at this time of year supermarkets have these in their deals and you can get many hot cross buns for not that much money. 

The other point of difference is the cross - Delia says to cut a cross with a sharp knife or adds almost as an afterthought that you can "add more substantial crosses" by using shortcrust pastry. I know I could make a flour and water paste too but I decided to go with Delia's sharp knife cross.

Ready to go into the oven

These smelt good as they baked. And they browned nicely too. Now one thing I will give Delia is she knows how to get her buns sticky...

I commend Delia on her sticky buns!

She says to melt water and granulated sugar while they cook and to brush the tops of the buns as soon as they come out of the oven.  Well I decided to shortcut this and use the microwave, which worked (phew) and this gave the buns a lovely sticky finish. 

The verdict:

• The crosses weren't as defined as usual hot cross buns and MOH immediately asked "where's the cross?"
• They taste fab, way better than shop bought buns - also if you squished them up they wouldn't do that stay in a mushed up ball that the supermarket ones would. 
• I'd make them again but add more substantial crosses. 
• I'd make them again without the crosses and call them sticky buns or tea cakes...
• And they can't be that bad as they seem to be evaporating!

I'm linking up with

Mary at Keynko

so pop over and see what everyone else has been cooking this week. 

52 Cookbooks #14: Thai fish curry with mango

This week I've turned to Delia and a recipe from her fish collection.

I'm not a big fish eater but am quite partial to a fish curry.  This is a Thai curry with mango and is more fragrant than spicy.  The recipe seems easy enough too which is a bonus as I've had a bit of a week (to see why, see my Word of the Week post), followed by a busy weekend.

We went to a friend's wedding reception on Saturday and then yesterday we spent the day following friends running in the London Marathon so I haven't cooked much over the weekend either. 

The recipe starts by boiling coconut milk until it curdles, then adding the rough curry paste made of onion, ginger, garlic, chilli, lime zest and juice, fish sauce and shrimp paste along with the chunks of cod fillet and jumbo prawns.

I also added green beans to satisfy MOH's green veg requirement (something green with every meal) and then last in was the mango. 

I love mango, but find them hard to prepare - although I forget this when I'm buying them only to remember at the last moment. One day I'm sure I'll master them...

The verdict:

• The curry was a delicate peachy colour
• I used full fat coconut milk but would use half-fat next time as this was quite creamy and rich for a weeknight dinner
• It was easy to do and would be a good store cupboard standby for when you want something that looks like you've made a bit of an effort!

Once again I'm linking up with

Mary at Keynko

so take a look 

to see what everyone's been cooking this week.

52 Cookbooks #13: Lemon Surprise Pudding

For the first time I'm diving into one of Nigel Slater's books (of which I have a few), this one is perhaps less well known (it was to me until I went on a Nigel Amazon Fest).

And as a consequence I don't think I've used it before... The last recipe in the book is for a Lemon Surprise Pudding and it's a recipe that Nigel fears is almost forgotten. It's a bit of a faffy recipe that involves separating the 4 eggs and whipping the egg whites separately...

Thankfully Nigel warns you that when you add the lemon zest and juice to the beaten butter and sugar it curdles. Tick, mine curdled nicely and I ignored it as instructed!

I was supposed to add the egg yolks one at a time, however when I cracked the first egg it broke so I put it all in the food processor. As I'd blown the recipe already I decided to chuck in the other three eggs as well.  In my defence, at the same time as preparing this pudding I was also cooking roast haunch of venison, roast parsnips, mashed potatoes and French beans and tbh I think I may have over stretched myself!  

Although I was quite impressed with how I'd herbed, baconed and tied this joint - it tasted fab too.

Back to the pudding. Next it was time to add the flour and the 1/2 litre of milk, carefully folded in the recipe said along with the whisked egg whites. Well, they both went into the food processor too...

This is how it looked after 50 minutes in the oven, and still a bit wobbly...

I hoped it was supposed to still be a bit wobbly though as the "surprise" was supposed to be a lemon custard underneath a sponge...  For me the surprise was if it would set or not! Thankfully, it set. I don't think the sponge was as deep as it should be but in MOH's words "it tastes alright" - phew!

The verdict

• It tasted lovely (better than alright) and was very lemony
• I think the dish I used was on the large side
• I'd make this again, or actually I'd delegate MOH to make this again and whisk the egg whites separately (as the recipe says!)
• I'm looking forward to trying this cold too (Nigel says it's good cold!)

Don't forget to pop over to

Keynko

to see what everyone else has baked this week.