#25 Appreciating The Ordinary

AS IF ANOTHER WEEK HAS PASSED - where is life disappearing to?

On the plus side, I seem to have negotiated the past 7 days without too much stress despite how full it’s been, the downside is that I have had VERY little time to dedicate to writing (it’s Friday evening and I’m working tomorrow - tired.com) and I fear that you lovely bunch are going to miss out a bit here as a result - I’m so sorry!
Nevertheless, I’ll do my best because there are definitely a few comfort moments that I need to share with you from the week… so let’s get cracking!

‘What’s Occurred’?

Well, school half term started from Thursday, so I worked Monday & Wednesday, usually I do Wednesday & Friday; the change was inevitably a little stressful given my desire for control and routine, however, it all passed relatively smoothly. On Monday evening I had my flu jab; the two pharmacists in Tesco were delightful, particularly given my tendency to worry that I might experience one of the few very unlikely side-effects!

Early on Wednesday, as I prepared my breakfast before work, I managed to spill a WHOLE cup of GOOD coffee all over the worktop. Firstly, why does this sort of thing ALWAYS happen when you just don’t have time for it? Second, why is it always the good stuff that you waste? - I literally debated slurping it off the work top! Third, HOW does a small cup of coffee travel SO far? Fourth, how/why is it so sticky? Oh and finally, why is it that when these situations arise, they also destroy everything in their path, in this instance, a shopping list, my vitamins, and my beloved breakfast, which I obviously ate anyway despite the fact that it was very much compromised… because I cannot bear the waste and had no time to re-make it given the time constraints - oh the challenges we face!!!

From Tuesday through to Thursday, I carried out a series of pretty wild baking experiments for another project I’m VERY excited to be working on - more on that in due course. My lesson from this experience was 1. sometimes it’s good to say yes to things, even when they scare you and have a very tight deadline! 2. when it all ‘goes wrong’, don’t panic, the mistakes are there to be made so that we can learn; get back to the drawing board and don’t give up! 3. the reward when you nail it is far greater than when things go swimmingly first time. 4. I cannot WAIT for you to try this one because it really is MAGICAL (also forgive me for being that person who dangles the carrot of excitement only to leave you epically hanging, unfortunately it may be a couple of months before you are introduced to this but trust me, it’ll be worth the wait!)

What else - well, I visited a dermatologist on Thursday evening, what a legend HE was - you know when someone is just SO interesting, he was absolutely full of knowledge, quoted a lot of recent research papers (always a good sign I think) and sent me on my way with plenty of fun stuff to read up on… as well as a recommendation for how to clear up the face-y dermatitis situation - off to the pharmacist I go - golden! I’ve also been given exercises by my legendary physio for my wonky knee and I’ve just picked up my new glasses (I now feel very intellectual and serious!)… let’s hope these remedies can somewhat patch me back together eh?!!

What’s COOKING?
As far as cooking and baking are concerned, I haven’t had a huge amount of time to devote to either outside of my work demands… however, I did make a really wonderful pumpkin soup AND I can finally share with you the ginger and toffee apple crumble cake that lots of you were excited about when I posted it on insta back in July - it’s wild honestly! Both recipes are below and absolutely worth a go - I hope you like them!!!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

I made this very seasonally apt Pumpkin soup on Tuesday… consider it my Halloween contribution. Briefly on the subject of Halloween, I feel like such a party pooper but I’ve never been big on celebrating it, is that bad? I don’t think I have ever carved a pumpkin; does that make me sound really sad?? I never trick-or-treated as a kid, yep I really was sad wasn’t I? - in fact, full disclosure, I didn’t like chocolate as a kid - what is THAT about? - I made up for it with sweets; Haribo Tangfastics were the pinnacle, fruit gums were a close second and Skittles took third spot! ANYWAY, one thing I can acknowledge is that Pumpkins are worth celebrating! You may have seen that I was recipe testing and photoing a pumpkin cake on Sunday - it was a goodie, and one you will be able to access in a few weeks time - I was then left with a lot of cake (which I distributed to my neighbours and took into school) AND half a pumpkin which I decided to put to good use in soup form. I made this last year with squash, however, I think the slightly sweeter flavour of pumpkin elevates things - let me know if you try it!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Culinary pumpkin - Approx 1kg in weight
1 tbsp olive oil
Small knob of butter
2 x banana shallots finely chopped (my shallots were about 70g each pre-preparation)
4 fat garlic cloves
1/2 tsp oregano
Pinch of chilli flakes optional
approx 1/2 a Nutmeg grated (about 1/2 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg)
550-600ml vegetable stock
180ml Whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste

To serve
Handful of toasted pumpkin seeds
Pinch of chilli flakes
4 tbsp Sour cream or yoghurt

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh (roast the seeds with salt - spices if you like - and olive oil, until crispy - ultimate snack!) Score the flesh of the pumpkin and rub with one of the whole garlic cloves. Drizzle with oil and season with salt, put 2 garlic cloves in the hollowed out centre of each half of the pumpkin and place face down on a lined baking sheet. Roast for around 40 minutes turning once during cooking, or until the flesh is golden and and soft - if the garlic starts to colour too much, remove it a little sooner. Once roasted, allow to cool a little before scooping the flesh out of the skin* - get as much as you can out of it - and roughly mash - set aside.
(*I like to transfer the skin back to the oven and crisp it up a little more with a touch salt - another lovely snack situation!)

Add the oil and butter to a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 10 minutes or until softened and translucent. Add the roasted garlic oregano and a pinch of chill flakes and cook for a further minute or two. Next add the mashed pumpkin and stir to combine. Add the grated nutmeg and stir, then pour over the milk and 550ml of the vegetable stock, stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and blitz to form a silky smooth soup. Pop back in the saucepan and season to taste, place back over the heat, add a touch more veg stock if you like your soup a bit looser and bring back to a simmer for around 10 minutes.

Serve with a drizzle of sour cream or yoghurt, a handful of toasted pumpkin seeds and a pinch more chilli flakes if you like a little spice… Make a batch of the pumpkin rolls from last week for an extra hit of pumpkin goodness or this multigrain loaf from a few weeks back - ultimate wholesome comfort!

Sticky Jamaican Ginger & Toffee Apple Crumble Cake

SO… I mentioned this cake way back in July (#11 of TCC’s), it’s now out in the World - it was my October recipe for Cheshire Life Magazine - and about time I shared it with you. It is a remarkably good Ginger, toffee apple crumble + cream cheese frosting situation that would be the PERFECT cake to prepare for Bonfire night in the next few days!

The cake is literally LOADED with ginger, it’s sandwiched together with a cracking toffee apple sauce, paired with my favourite take on a cream cheese frosting, which employs double cream over butter and considerably less sugar than the usual varieties - a word of warning, it does have a tendency to take on the colour of the cake a bit i.e. it can take on a subtle brown hue as the spices almost diffuse from the cake into the frosting, if you use a double coat of frosting, you should limit this effect, although I actually think it tastes too good to care! The ginger crumble to decorate is kinda optional but it tastes GOOD and is v.moorish… so I very much recommend it!

Serves approx. 16

INGREDIENTS

Cake
250g Unsalted butter softened
120g Soft dark brown sugar
100g Soft light brown sugar
130g Black treacle
70g Golden syrup
4 Large eggs
250g self-raising flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp ground ginger
5 balls stem ginger chopped
45g soured cream

Toffee apple sauce*
100g soft dark brown sugar
50g Unsalted butter
150g Bramley apple (weight once peeled & chopped into  small chunks)
95ml double cream warmed in the microwave for around 20seconds

Frosting
225g Cream cheese
35g Caster sugar
300ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Ginger crumb**
40g Plain flour
20g Jumbo oats
30g melted butter
30g Soft light brown sugar
25g demerara sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
10g Flaked almonds

To decorate
1 ball of Stem ginger chopped
~ 7 small sprigs of Rosemary

METHOD

First prepare the toffee apple sauce.  Combine butter and sugar in a saucepan. Add the chopped apple and place over a medium heat. Bring the mixture to the boil and cook, stirring continuously, for around 10 minutes (or until syrupy and dark). Add the cream and continue to cook for around 5 minutes – still stirring. Once cooked allow set aside and allow to cool.

For the ginger crumb. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan. Combine the flour, oats, sugars, flaked almonds, and ground ginger in a bowl. Pour over the melted butter and stir to fully combine. Spread onto a lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool and crisp up further on the tray.

Next prepare the cakes. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan and grease 2x8 inch cake tins with butter and line the base with baking parchment. Sift the flour, ground ginger and ground cinnamon into a large bowl and gently mix to combine. With an electric hand whisk or stand mixer, beat the butter, sugars, treacle, and golden syrup on a medium/high speed until super pale and fluffy. Add the eggs incrementally, beating well between each addition. Next fold through the dry ingredients. When the mixture is just coming together, add the soured cream, followed but the stem ginger and gently stir to combine. Distribute the cake batter evenly between the cake tins. Bake in the oven for around 28 -30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Once baked, allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting. Measure the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla to a large bowl. Use an electric whisk to beat together until smooth. Pour in the double cream and mix on a slow to medium speed until the mixture is almost at stiff peak consistency. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

To assemble, place the first cake layer on a cake bored or serving platter. Pipe a small ring of the frosting around the outside circumference of the cake. Next, spread a thick layer of the toffee apple mixture (just over half) – inside the ring you have created, now spread more of the cream cheese/cream over the apple – I usually pipe it over and tease it across the apples to prevent too much fusing of the toffee apple and frosting. Add the top cake layer – bottom side up so you have a nice flat top. Add the rest of the cream cheese/cream mixture to the top and sides and use a cake scraper to achieve a smooth finish. Sprinkle the ginger crumb around the outside circumference of the cake, add rosemary sprigs, some chunks of chopped stem ginger, and a bit more of that toffee apple blobbed on top if you fancy. Slice and serve.

NOTES

• Toffee apple sauce - this amount makes ample – serve extra with the sponge or use to top yoghurt/porridge/rice pud)

• Ginger crumb - again, this makes quite a bit but use surplus to top warm fruit for a little makeshift pudding situation or just snack on it - it’s GOOD!

A FEW LITTLE EXTRAS

• Stanley Tucci - I know I’ve raved about the man before, but here I am again, I just adore him - his passion for good food and zest for life is so uplifting you can’t help but smile whilst you watch him. I’ve been tuning in to his latest series of ‘Searching for Italy’ on the BBC, and again, I’ve been gripped. I’ll be honest, up until Sunday’s episode, I hadn't been quite so excited by the food he had discovered and dishes he had eaten on this series, however, the latest episode explores London and the Italian presence there; OMG it was blooming brilliant - please watch it! I also now *need* to schedule a trip down to London to visit all of the places he went to, eat lots of pasta (and other stuff) and generally feel marvellous, because good food, a great atmosphere, possibly a glass of wine and some good company are the recipe for a good life right?

• Pink spatula - possibly the highlight of my week was a trip to Lakeland to buy a new mini spatula - my cherished orange one suffered a fairly terminal blow mid-week in that it spontaneously developed a floppiness that rendered it fairly useless… thankfully, the pink replacement has matched up!

• Crosswords - I’ve become obsessed with crosswords - for as long as I can remember Mum has bought a newspaper. Since COVID we have done the featured crosswords together EVERY day - I know, we live a wild life! - I swear I learn stuff from doing them though and I love making my brain work a bit!!

• Finally… If you’re in the UK - make sure you have changed your clocks… I’m not sure we need reminding of this these days because everything seems to adjust automatically, but check…. or you will be in work an hour early in the morning which I’m sure we can all agree IS NOT necessary!!!

Right, that’s about as much as I’ve got for you this week - huge apologies for the lack of exciting content. I guess it demonstrates the reality that some weeks are just a bit ordinary, but ordinary is better than unsatisfactory right? So, for now, I’ll remain grateful for the ordinary and aspire to achieve a little more greatness in the next few weeks!

I hope you’re all bumbling along ok. Sending love and hugs as always. Happy Halloween for tomorrow and I hope you all have a good week!

Lots of love,

Steph xxx