1 cup grated Gruyère or good Cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Method
Pastry: in a bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work the ingredients together quickly until crumbly. Then, while quickly stirring and tossing with a fork, add the iced water a little at a time just until the dough begins to hold together. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 220℃/425ºF
On a lightly floured work surface, flatten the ball of dough into a disk. Dust it with flour and roll out into an 11-inch round. Fit carefully into a 9 or 10-inch tart pan, or a 9-inch glass pie dish. Prick the dough in several places with a fork and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Partially bake the pastry shell until it just begins to colour, 10 to 12 minutes. If the pastry puffs up during baking, prick again with a fork to release the steam. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 190℃/375ºF/Gas Mark 5.
To make the filling, fry the bacon until crisp and golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. When cool enough to handle, crumble into small bits. Scatter the crumbled bacon over the bottom of the pastry shell.
In a bowl, combine the cream, milk, eggs and melted butter. Using a whisk or fork, beat until well blended. Stir in the cheese and season with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Pour into the prepared pastry shell.
Bake until the custard is set and the tip of a knife inserted into the center of the custard comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for several minutes before serving.
Back to Bras and Other Agonies
Clotted Cream Chocolate Cake
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour
Makes about 10 slices
125g (4½ oz) butter, softened
175g (6 oz) light soft brown sugar
2 eggs
125g (4½ oz) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
30g (1 oz) good quality cocoa powder
150g (5¼ oz) white chocolate
227g (8 oz) clotted cream
250g (8¾ oz) icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease and base line an 18 cm (7 inch) loose-bottomed cake tin.
Place the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl. Using a fork, mash together until they blend together into a paste.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each.
Add the flour, baking powder and cocoa.
Stir through until you have a lovely dark cake mix. Roughly chop 100g (3½ oz) of the chocolate and add to the mixture along with 100g (3½ oz) of the clotted cream. Stir to combine and transfer to the prepared tin.
Bake for an hour. It’s a good idea to put some foil or a drip tray under in case of leaks during baking.
Icing
Mix together the remaining clotted cream with the icing sugar and set aside.
Remove the cake from the oven. Leave in the tin for about 15 minutes then tip out onto a cake rack.
When completely cool, use a large knife to slice the cake in half horizontally.
Fill the cake with a quarter of the icing then cover with the rest. Grate or curl the remaining chocolate and scatter over the cake.
Back to Youths and Cake
Welsh Rarebit
Serves 4
25g (1 oz) butter
25g (1 oz) plain flour
150g (5 oz) mature grated Cheddar cheese
1 egg yolk
4 slices bread
Method
Preheat the grill to high.
Melt the butter in a non-stick saucepan and stir in the flour.
Cook over a low heat for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Simmer for 3 minutes, constantly stirring, until the sauce is thick and smooth.
Add the cheese and egg yolk.
Cook until the cheese melts, stirring constantly.
Set aside to cool.
Place the bread on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil and toast on each side until golden-brown.
Spread the cheese sauce thickly over the bread, making sure the slices are completely covered so the edges don’t burn.
Return to the grill for 20 - 30 seconds longer until lightly browned and bubbling.
Serve piping hot.
Back to Wales
Prawn Cocktail
Serves 4
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp tomato purée
A dash of Tabasco sauce
1 tsp salad cream
1 tsp lemon juice
Little Gem lettuce leaves, shredded
75g (2½ oz) very small cherry tomatoes, halved
500g (17½ oz) cooked prawns
A pinch of paprika, for garnish
Method
In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, tomato purée, Tabasco sauce, salad cream and lemon juice.
Mix the shredded lettuce leaves with the cherry tomatoes.
Divide the salad mixture equally between 4 glass bowls.
Keeping 4 garnish prawns aside, mix the prawns with the sauce.
Spoon the prawn cocktail mixture over the salad in each glass bowl.
Arrange a garnish prawn on each.
Sprinkle with a pinch of paprika and serve immediately.
Back to Fords
Dorset Mackerel with Gooseberries
Gooseberries grow well in Dorset and mackerel are locally caught. Served together, they make a delicious dish, the gooseberries offering a wonderful zingy contrast to the rich fish.
Serves 4
15g (½ oz) butter
225g (8 oz) gooseberries, topped and tailed
4 mackerel, each weighing about 350g (12 oz), cleaned and with the heads removed
Salt and pepper
Lemon juice, to taste
1 egg, beaten
Method
First cook the gooseberries by melting the butter in a saucepan and adding the fruit. Cover tightly and cook over a low heat. Shake the pan occasionally, until the gooseberries are tender.
Meanwhile, season the mackerel inside and out with salt, plenty of pepper and lemon juice.
Make two or three slashes in the skin on each side of the fish, then grill for 15 - 20 minutes, depending on size, turning once, until tender.
Puree the gooseberries in a blender or food processor. Use a fine sieve to ensure you have removed all the gooseberry pips.
Pour the puree into a clean pan, beat in the egg, then reheat gently, stirring.
Season to taste.
Place the mackerel on warmed serving plates and spoon the sauce around the fish.
Back to Gordon the Gannet
Quick & Easy Sausage and Mash Pie
Serves 2
5 sausages
1 onion (half if large)
Gravy granules
Tomato puree
3 potatoes (good size)
Handful of mushrooms
Red wine
Powdered garlic, salt and pepper
Grated cheese, (optional)
Method
Chop the onion, sausages, and mushrooms and place in a pan with some oil.
Put potatoes on to boil and take them off when tender (approx 15 mins).
When the sausages are cooked, add a dash of gravy granules and tomato puree and stir together with the sausages, onions and mushrooms.
Add pepper, salt, some garlic powder and red wine for taste.
Cook it all until the potatoes are ready to be mashed. Mash them, and put the sausage mixture into a casserole dish.
Put mashed potato on top, sprinkle with grated cheese and pop under the grill until the cheese turns golden brown and bubbles.
Back to Tony the Hippy
Cr�
�pes Suzette
Serves 4 - 6
For the crêpes:
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
For the filling:
Juice of 2 oranges
Zest of 1 orange
175g (6 oz) butter
75g (2½ oz) caster sugar
80ml (3 fl oz) liqueur (for instance, Grand Marnier, Cointreau or Triple Sec)
Method
To make the crêpes:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs.
Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine.
Add the salt and butter and beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter in, using approximately ¼ cup of the mixture for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crêpe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown.
Loosen with a spatula, flip over and cook the other side.
The filling:
Pour the orange juice into a saucepan, and add the zest, butter and sugar.
Bring to the boil, and then turn the heat down to simmer for a further 15 minutes or until the sauce becomes sticky.
Fold the crêpes and arrange them in a large pan so that they slightly overlap each other.
Pour the warm syrup over the crêpes and then gently heat them for 3 minutes.
Warm the liqueur in the emptied (but syrupy) saucepan.
When the crêpes are hot, pour the liqueur over them and set light to the pan.
Serve immediately.
Back to Cats
Coq au Vin
Serves 4
8 cooked joints of chicken, on the bone - a mixture of breasts and thighs or legs
30g (1 oz) butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 red onions, sliced
250g (9 oz) button mushrooms
Good pinch of dried thyme
290ml (½ pint) red wine
500ml (17fl oz) fresh chicken stock
150m (l¼ pint) double cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Skin the cooked chicken pieces and set aside.
Heat the butter with the oil and add the garlic and onions.
Sauté for about 5 minutes until softened.
Add the mushrooms and thyme and sauté for a further 5 minutes.
Pour in the wine, bring to the boil and continue boiling until the sauce is reduced by half.
Pour in the stock and bring back to the boil.
Season and add the chicken to the sauce.
Simmer for 5 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly heated through.
Remove the chicken pieces.
Increase the heat and boil the sauce until reduced by half.
Reduce the heat, stir in the cream and heat.
Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces and sprinkle with parsley.
Back to Gits and Goats
Grumpy’s Garlic Mushrooms Tapa
Champiñones al Ajillo
Serves 4
50ml (2 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
250g (8oz) fresh mushrooms (sliced)
4-6 cloves of garlic (chopped or sliced)
3 tablespoons dry Spanish sherry
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Large pinch of dried chili flakes
Large pinch of paprika
Salt, freshly ground pepper
Chopped parsley to garnish
Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Stir constantly.
Lower the heat and add the garlic, lemon juice, sherry, salt and pepper.
For a milder flavour you can leave it at that if you like. But if you like a few ‘fireworks’, now is the time to add the dried chili and paprika as well.
Cook for another 5 minutes or so until the garlic and mushrooms have softened, then remove from the heat.
Serve with plenty of fresh, crusty bread to mop up the seriously garlicky juices.
Note: Tapa means ‘lid’ or ‘cover’ in Spanish. It’s thought that the name originally came from the practice of placing slices of meat on top of a sherry glass, to keep out flies. The meat, often ham or chorizo, was characteristically salty, inducing thirst. Bartenders saw this and began serving a variety of tapas which increased alcohol sales. Thus a new tradition was born.
This recipe is from the next book, Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools
Contact the Author and Links
Email:
TopHen@VictoriaTwead.com (emails welcome)
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/VictoriaTwead (friend requests welcome)
Website:
www.VictoriaTwead.com
Free Stuff and Newsletter
www.victoriatwead.com/Free-Stuff/
Twitter:
@VictoriaTwead
Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools book trailer:
youtu.be/1s9KbJEmrHs
Acknowledgements
Most importantly, thanks must go yet again to my loyal readers. Thank you for taking the time to read my scribblings and HUGE thanks to those of you who have taken the trouble to leave reviews. Authors love reviews more than wine or chocolate and I read and appreciate every comment.
Thanks to Nick Saltmer who painted the cover picture of Wareham quay. This is the fifth cover he has painted for me and I cannot decide which I love best.
Thank you to the members of the We Love Memoirs Facebook group. You are an amazing bunch and not a day goes by when I don’t pop in for a chat and laugh.
Come and join us - you’ll get a warm welcome!
www.facebook.com/groups/welovememoirs
Photo Acknowledgements:
Dorchester Hospital by Sarah Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
"Corfe Castle 57" by Chin tin tin - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
"Steam Train, Corfe Castle Station 1" Personal photograph taken by Mick Knapton at en.wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Old Clavell Tower - www.landmark.org.uk
New Clavell Tower - Copyright Tony Atkin and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence
Durdle Door - Copyright Gwyn Jones and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence.
Cerne Abbas Giant - Copyright Maurice D Budden and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence.
The Shell House, Southbourne Overcliff Drive, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset “Sunny South” Real Photo by Dearden & Wade, Ltd., Bournemouth..
Talbot Heath https://avenuesltd.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/talbot-heath-school-bournemouth/
“Max Gate Dorchester” by Pierre Terre. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Brecon Beacons "Veil of Snow - Sgwd yr Eira" by Saffron Blaze - Own work. Via Wikimedia Commons
Baby hedgehog Credit Photo (creative commons): Last Human Gateway
Gannet - By Amateria1121 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Books by Victoria Twead
The Old Fools Series
The Old Fools Series
Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools (Wall Street Journal Top 10 bestseller)
Two Old Fools ~ Olé!
Two Old Fools on a Camel (New York Times bestseller x 3)
Two Old Fools in Spain Again
One Young Fool in Dorset
Also by Victoria Twead
How to Write a Bestselling Memoir
Mouth-Watering Spanish Recipes
Morgan and the Martians ~ A Comedy Play
-Script for Kids
Copyright Notice
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Copyright Notice
Copyright © Text, Victoria Twead, 2015
Copyright © Cover painting, Wareham Quay, Nick Saltmer, 2015
Copyright © Photographs, Victoria Twead 2015
Published by Ant Press, 2015
First Edition
The author reserves all rights. No part of this ebook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.