Gin & tonic cake

Gin and Tonic Cake

[cake adapted from my lemon lime cake]

makes one large 9×13 baking dish

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly zested lime rind

1/4 cup gin

1/4 cup milk

juice of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add in sugar and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl if needed. Add in each egg one at a time, beating until fully incorporated before adding the next. Add in vanilla and lime zest and mix.

With the mixer on low speed, add in half of the dry ingredients. Add in gin, milk and lime juice, mixing until combined and scraping the bowl if necessary. Add remaining flour and beat until just combined. Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until top is golden and center is not jiggly. Remove cake from over and immediately poke holes over top with a toothpick or fork. Pour gin glaze over then, then let cake cool completely. While cake is cooling, mix up icing and once cooled, frosted. Note: you can sub tonic water in for the gin/milk portion of the recipe if desired.



Gin Glaze

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons gin

the juice of 1 lime

Mix ingredients together until a glaze forms, then pour over cake immediately while it is still warm. Note: start with 1-2 tablespoons of gin, if more non-gin liquid is needed, use tonic water, milk or cream. You can use more tonic in the glaze if desired.



Gin Icing

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoons gin

drop of vanilla extract

Mix ingredients together until a very thick but spreadable icing forms. Once cake has completely cooled, spread a thin layer of icing all over the cake. Note: start with 1-2 tablespoons of gin, if more non-gin liquid is needed, use tonic water, milk or cream. You can sub more tonic (instead of gin) in the frosting if desired.

Cajun Chaurice sausages

This is a fairly standard recipe for chaurice, which goes well with many Cajun dishes. Stuff into hog casings.
• Ground pork: 1 lb.
• Coarse salt: 1/2 tablespoon
• Diced onions: 5 tablespoons
• Ground cayenne: 1/4 teaspoon
• Ground cinnamon: 1/8 teaspoon
• Ground cloves: 1/8 teaspoon
• Powdered thyme: 1/3 teaspoon
• Ground bay leaf: 3 leaves
• Crushed garlic cloves: 1
• Chopped parsley: 1 tablespoon
• Crushed garlic cloves: 1-1/2

Christmas Sausages

This is a fragrant, delicately flavored sausage ideal for Christmas breakfast, although you will find it so delicious you will be sneaking packages of it out of the freezer for ordinary weekend breakfasts all year long! Stuff into sheep casings or leave in bulk for patties.
• Ground pork: 1 lb.
• Coarse salt: 1/2 tablespoon
• Ground ginger: 1/16 teaspoon
• Sugar: 1/4 teaspoon
• Ground cinnamon: 1/8 teaspoon
• Ground cloves: 1/8 teaspoon
• Ground black pepper: 1/4 teaspoon
• Ground nutmeg: 1/16 teaspoon

Brussels sprout and horseradish pâté recipe

INGREDIENTS
225g Brussels sprouts
75g crustless white bread
1 small clove garlic crushed
50g soft cheese
1 tsp horseradish
5 tbsp olive oil

Trim the sprouts and boil for 5-10 minutes, or until just tender
Dip the bread in cold water, then squeeze and place in a food processor with the sprouts, garlic, cheese, horseradish, oil and plenty of salt and pepper.
Blitz until smooth then refrigerate for 30-40 minutes. Serve with the toast, a little dressed rocket salad and a sprinkling of paprika.

Grape jelly

Ingredients:

•1 kilo of grapes - grapes with pips help the jelly to set. •Sugar
•Water

Method:

1.Wash the grapes and discard and bad ones.
2.Pull the grapes away from the stalks and place in a deep heavy bottomed saucepan or preserving pan.
3.Barely cover the grapes with water and bring to the boil and simmer gently until the grapes are soft.
4.Keep an eye on them, stirring from time to time. Top up with water if necessary. (I mashed them gently with a plastic potato masher to hurry them along).
5.Pour the cooked fruit through sterilised muslin / jelly bag into a large clean bucket or bowl bucket. The sieve is covered with a clean tea cloth to protect against flies.
6.Leave the jelly bag to drip overnight (or about 12 hours).
7.Measure the juice the next day.
9.Pour the juice into a deep heavy bottomed saucepan and add 1lb/454g of white granulated sugar for each 1pt/570ml of juice.
10.Heat the juice and sugar gently stirring from time to time, so as to make sure that that all the sugar has dissolved before bringing the liquid slowly to the boil.
11.Continue to boil for about 10 minutes before testing for a set. This is called a rolling boil. Test every 3 to 5 minutes until setting point is reached.
13.When jelly has reached setting point pour into warm sterilised jars using a funnel and ladle.
14.Cover immediately with plastic lined screw top lids or waxed disks and cellophane tops secured with a rubber band.
15.Label when cold and store in a cool, dark place. Away from damp.


Read more: The Cottage Smallholder » Grape Jelly recipe http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/piquant-grape-jelly-recipe-74#ixzz12hdNTKVL

emon Pickle

Ingredients:

•4 green limes
•1 inch piece root ginger, sliced
•1 tbsp white vinegar
•10 Cayenne chillies sliced
•2 tbsp sugar
•1 tbsp paprika
•1 tsp Garam Masala
•1 tsp cumin seeds
•2 cloves garlic, sliced
•2 tsp salt
•2 tbsp oil
Cooking method for Lime Pickle
Serves 8

Quarter the lemons. Place in a large jar with 1 tsp of salt and seal. Mix the salt up by shaking then leave in a sunny spot for 3-4 days. Move the jar round regularly. Add the rest of the salt to the jar, mix, and leave for 1 month in the sun. Rotate the jar every day. Heat some oil in a pan and cook the ginger till golden. Now add the vinegar, lemon and lemon juice from the jar. Mix well and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the spices, garlic and chillies, and cook for a further 3 minutes. Store in sterilised jars and keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Lemon Curd

Original Recipe Yield 2 cups
Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3 lemons, zested
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Directions
1.In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Cook in the microwave for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the microwave, and pour into small sterile jars. Store for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

Note: If you over cook the mixture a little, or forget to stir, you can pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the bits of cooked egg. Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 117 | Total Fat: 6.7g | Cholesterol: 55mg

Nutritional InformationMicrowave Lemon CurdServings Per Recipe: 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 117
Total Fat: 6.7gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 14mgTotal Carbs: 14.1g Dietary Fiber: 0.2gProtein: 1.