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Anni's Rum And Raisin Cake

This recipe has been specially created by Anni for the Aldi Best Budget Bake

Ingredients 175g of margarine
175 of dark sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
225g of plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons mixed spice
850g raisins
125ml of rum

Directions
Cream the margarine and sugar together in a mixing bowl, 'til the mixture is creamy and fluffy.
Next, add the beaten egg mixture, a little at a time, beating well between each addition.
In another bowl sift together the dry ingredients. Then carefully fold this mixture into the egg mixture, with a metal spoon or a spatula.

Mix in the raisins and the rum (we used the remains of a bottle of Lamb's Spiced Rum, left over from Christmas, though some of Aldi's delicious  Old Hopking Dark Rum is equally suitable)
Mix well, 'til it is soft and drops easily from the spoon.
Meanwhile, you will have preheated your oven to 160c and prepared a baking tin by greasig it and lining it with baking paper.
Pour the mixture into the cake tin and, using a palette knife, smooth the top.
Cook in the middle of the oven for about 120 minutes, 'til the cake is firm in the middle.
Tests can be undertaken by a skewer into the centre of the cake. When the skewer's clean, the baking is done!
Remove from the oven and let it cool in the tin for an hour or so.

Now, prick the surface all over and add more rum to help ensure the cake is nicely moist.
Take the cake from the oven and, if you wish, wrap in greaseproof paper and store it in an airtight container for up to two days. If people will leave it alone for that long! Because Anni's Rum and Raisin Cake is very moreish, indeed!

From 15 March Aldi is the place to buy your cooking equpiment

Aldi Home Baking – on sale 15th March

 Classic Food Mixer (£34.99)
Take the effort out of baking with Aldi’s Classic Food Mixer. Featuring a 4-litre auto rotating bowl and turbo function, this high speed gadget comes in 3 chic colours and serves as a multipurpose device for all of your mixing needs.  

Two speed settings and a pulse function, this high spec gadget also includes a 1.5 litre blender jar and a 2.8 litre chopping bowl, helping you save valuable time in the kitchen.

Easter Tea Towels (£2.99)
Dry your dishes in style with these excellent quality tea towels, made in four elegant designs to add a touch of spring to any kitchen.

Digital Kitchen Scales (£6.99)
Get your measurements precise with the help of these kitchen scales; whether it’s solids or liquids, Aldi’s quality range ensures accuracy, so you can be sure to achieve the perfect bake.

Kids’ Silicone Bakewear (£3.49)
Keep the little ones amused for less during their Easter holidays with Aldi’s fantastic value silicone bakewear; available in 8 different shapes and colours, for endless baking fun.

Easter Hen Nest (£9.99)
Keep your eggs pride of place with this cute ceramic dish; available in both plain and patterned designs, it will also make the perfect Easter gift.

 Aldi’s quality array of culinary kit has all you need for whipping up a storm, but don’t delay, as once they’re gone, they’re gone!

Aldi’s Best Budget Bake!

That's Food and Drink is proud to be participating in the Aldi Best Budget Bake.

So far we (well, my wife, Anni, mainly!) have produced two bake items, the first some wonderful traditional Hot Cross Buns and Anni's Spiced Rum and Raisin Cake, a recipe that Anni has specially created for the Aldi Challenge.

Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

15g yeast, dried

300ml warm milk

450g strong white flour

5ml salt

10ml mixed spice

2.5ml grated nutmeg

50g caster sugar

75g of margarine

75g raisins 

25g mixed peel

1 egg, beaten

50g plain flour

For the glaze, 60ml milk and water, 45ml caster sugar.

Method

Sprinkle dried yeast into milk, leave in warm place for quarter of an hour, 'til frothy.

Put strong flour, salt, spice, sugar.

Rub in 50g butter, then stir in the currants and peel. Make a central well and stir in the eff and yeast liquid. Beat together until a soft dough is formed.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board knead for some ten minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic and has lost its stickiness. 

Put into a clean bowl, cover with a clean cloth (an Aldi tea-towel is ideal) and leave it to rise in a warm place 'til doubled in size, approximately an hour.

Turn  the dough out onto the floured surface and knead for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Divide the dough into approximately 12 pieces and shape accordingly, into round bun shapes.

Place therm on greased baking sheets, cover and leave them -in a warm place- for about half an hour, 'til they are doubled in size.
 While they are doing their thing, make the pastry for the crosses. Put the plain flour into a bowl and rub in the remaining butter 'til the mixture reminds you of fine breadcrumbs. Stir in just enough water to bind the mixture together, then lightly knead.

Roll out the pastry nice and thin on the floured surface, and cut into thin strips approximately 9cm long.
Dampen the pastry strips, lay two stips on each bun in the form of a cross.
Bake at 190c for 15 to 20 minutes, or 'til they become golden brown in colour.
For the glaze, take the milk, water and sugar and heat, whilst stirring. Brush onto the hot cross buns, then wire rack them to allow them too cool down.

And, yes, they were as delicious as they looked!

Ideal split in two and eaten with Aldi butter!

Next up there will be a recipe for Spiced Rum and Raisin  Cake!

How old is your oldest spice? Steenbergs wants to know!

Our friends at Steenbergs have launched a brand new competition to find the oldest spice in our store cupboards.  Running for the month of March, the oldest jar of spice will win the lucky owner £50 worth of fragrant, aromatic spices from Steenbergs, the artisan spice expert.

March traditionally the month when we do our spring cleaning.

So, where better to begin than with your pantry or store cupboard?

What Steenbergs wants to learn is who owns the oldest spice in the UK?

Locate that elderly jar of allspice or that vintage vanilla, photograph it for posterity and then email or post it on social media to be in with a chance of winning a whole new range of spices (#oldestspice).

“Here at Steenbergs we pack our herbs and spices into glass jars with tight fitting lids to keep the flavour in and maximise the shelf life,” says Axel Steenberg, who founded Steenbergs with his wife Sophie in 2003.  “Storing the jars in a cupboard away from light and heat is the perfect environment but we know they can sometimes get forgotten!”

“We recommend an optimal shelf life of between 2 - 3 years for herbs and spices, so that the delicate flavours don't have a chance to fade,” says Sophie.  “If you’re unsure what to do with any spice, before it gathers dust - glean some inspiration from our recipe library which is full of tasty ideas.” www.steenbergs.co.uk/recipes

Already proving popular on social media, Steenbergs is hoping to make this store cupboard clearout an annual event every March, giving everyone a chance to revitalise their spice collection.  So dust off that dill seed and get posting!

Puka Womankind Tea

Puka Womankind Tea was tested out by women members of the That's Food and Drink taste test team.

It is described as: "A delicate dance of organic cranberry, rose and sweet vanilla."

Well. that's the description on the packet that the tea bag came in. But what is the reality? What did the ladies from the That's Food and drink taste test team think of it? How does that description match with the reality of the situation?

This was what they reported. One who was admittedly not the world's greatest fan of fruit teas was not keen on it.

But other team members were able to report that they had enjoyed it very much.

It was very pleasing to the senses of both scent and taste, they could definitely identify the various flavours, some more so than others. Rose and orange being predominant, they reported.

Bring a Puka tea it's a given that the ingredients are ethically sourced and that all of the ingredients are organic in origin and certified in the UK by the Soil Association.

The ingredients are chamomile flower, shatavari root, licorice root, hibiscus flower, marigold flower, beetroot, orange peel, orange essential oil flavour, vanilla pod (4%) rose flower (4%) and, finally, cranberry 4%.

Lalani & Co., Teas of excellence

My wife and I were recently introduced to the high quality teas of Lalani & Co of London.

My wife is something of an aficionado of high quality teas, but even she has had to admit that the quality of the teas that are purveyed by Lalani & Co are the best teas that she has ever drunk.

"It's clear that they love teas, themselves," she pointed out. "They have got everything exactly correct. These teas would be viewed as perfectly acceptable for the tea drinkers of the country of origin, which isn't always the case."

She has raved for days about their Okumidori Sencha Green Tea. "It's one of the best green teas I have ever tasted. It's perfection in a cup!"

She was particularly pleased that the tea is accompanied by such important details as to the region of Japan where it was sourced, which season and also the exact tea garden where it was grown, and if it is organic or not. In this case the tea in question was organic and the garden was the Wazuka Garden.

However, she reserves her special praise for their Matcha Gold tea, which is finely milled as only a proper Matcha tea should be.

She said: "Matcha Gold. I have had Matcha tes in the past and, to be fair, thoroughly enjoyed them.

But that was before I tried Lalani & Co. Matcha Gold. This is truly the Matcha experience to beat all Matcha experiences

"Apparently they pick it in Kyoto from only real, family owned farms, it's shaded from the sun for 21 days, then they mill it using the ancient method involving granite stones.

"It takes time to prepare it properly, which is the only way, as this tea deserves to be prepared and drunk with real respect."

It is sold in 30 gramme jars at a cost of £29.00.

Visit http://www.lalaniandco.com/the-collection.

Hardy's has a wine for that! Stamp of Australia Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir

Stamp of Australia Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir is a wine that is in a class all of its own.

It is a bright and as sparking as the best Champagnes,true, but Stamp of Australia Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir is so much more than a fizzy white wine.

It is an eminently drinkable wine. Although it is a white wine, the flavour is an intensely rich and fruity flavour, but with a buttery undertone and a finish that is redolent of meadow flower honey.

It is from South Eastern Australia and is obviously that the Thomas Hardy and Sons company are well and truly at the top of their game, which appears to be to give French wine makers a damn good run for their money!

It's 12% vol and is an ideal accompaniment with food or if you have something that you want to celebrate, then Stamp of Australia Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir is the wine you'll want to try.

Once you do try it, you will be hooked, for sure!

Patchwork Pate so good that your taste buds will sing!

My wife and I have tried some Pates made by the Patchwork Pate Company, recently.

The flavours we tried were Free Range Chicken Liver Pate with Chase Extra Dry Gin, Free Range Chicken Liver Pate with Chase Smoked Vodka and Free Range Pheasant Liver Pate with Chase Sloe Mulberry Gin.

My wife is an expert on making pates, herself. Her late mother was a cordon bleu chef who ran her own catering business. One of the products she made was pates and my wife helped her to make them.

When my wife was tasting the Patchwork Pates she said: "This is really, really good. Excellent, in fact!

"It's interesting," she continued to say: "But unlike lots of firms that make pates, Patchwork haven't just produced a base pate and then changed it a little bit by adding flavourings. Patchwork make each one of their pates from scratch and you can tell this from the really good depth of flavour. I have to say that these are so good I will have to give them 11 out of 10. They are really that good!"

The flavours of each pate are a delicious sum of their individual parts. Yet each one is well balanced. My favourite was the Chicken Liver Pate with Chase Smoked Vodka, because there is an authentic and divine undertone of smokiness that really lifts the pate to unheard of heights.

My wife, who is an ardent aficionado of gin especially liked the Extra Dry Gin Chicken Liver Pate. The only potential problem is that we will now have to locate a supplier of Chase Extra Dry Gin in our area!

We both adored the Pheasant Liver Pate with the Sloe Mulberry Gin, a perfect combination.

The Free Range Duck Liver Pate with Orange Marmalade Vodka was a true revelation!

We ate the pates with Patchwork Pate Organic Spelt Oat Fingers with seaweed and also Patchwork Pate Organic Spelt Oat Fingers with Black Pepper and a simple salad that my wife put together.

The oat fingers are delicious in their own right and worked very well with the pates and the salad, plus the Patchwork's Apple Chutney with Hobgoblin Ale (another weakness of both my wife and I!) and a pinch of ginger. The pleasantly warming bite of ginger told us that it was a fairly generous pinch of ginger, but it worked so well that it was obvious the pinch was added with skill and love.

Each jar of pate costs a remarkably reasonable £3.95, and a Delight Hamper Chase which is a "Handy wooden crate with a selection of Chase jarred pâté, two of our Chutneys with Ale, and one pack of our Spelt Oat Fingers" costs a superb £20.30p.

Visit their online shop at https://www.patchwork-pate.co.uk and amuse yourself by turning the lights on and the off again!

There's so much more, too! Vegetarian options, hummus,  ice cream fro grown-ups, too, to name only a few items from the range of one of the best exports from God's Country (Wales, for any Saesneg out there!) that is known to man.

Lake District Dairy's Quark. All the taste, none of the guilt!

It's smooth, it's creamy and it tastes absolutely delicious, but it is really and truly fat free and low in both sugar and salt!

It comes in three flavours, Original, Lemon and Vanilla and is great for cooking, mixing and baking. (It's also good for just eating with a spoon, so long as nobody is looking!)

It makes a healthy and delicious replacement for cream cheese, creme fraiche, mascarpone, ricotta, Greek yoghurt, fromage frais, double cream and even soured cream.

This evening we spread it on freshly baked bread rolls hot from the oven and on fruited scones.

As we are -for a variety of rather tedious reasons- a day late with our Shrove Tuesday celebrations, we intend to serve Quark on our pancakes, tomorrow.

When you use Quark your usual naughty but nice desert suddenly becomes substantially less naughty.

For example should you replace cream cheese in your cheesecake with Lakeland Dairy Quark, the fat and calorie contents takes a bit of a nosedive, yet the flavour is every bit as scrummy!

It's reported that a strawberry cheesecake using Quark rather than cream cheese will have 292 calories per 339 gramme serving, as against 180 calories more for4 the cream cheese version.

So using Quark has got to make sense, hasn't it?

Tomorrow evening we intend to make some pancakes to a delicious recipe passed down through generations of my wife's Indian family and rather than using dollops of cream on them, we will, instead, use dollops of Quark.

Where can you get Lake District Dairy Quark? Most major supermarkets including morrisons should have it in their chiller cabinets.

Independent Nutritionist Fiona Hunter said: "Using Quark in everyday cooking or baking is a simple way to help make family meals more nutritious and healthier without having to sacrifice on flavour."

For recipes and further details please visit www.LakeDistrictQuark.co.uk.

By the way, a 250 gramme pot costs a remarkably reasonable £1.25.