Mizmoe

Many years ago (have you noticed most of the food I love was found many years ago!), I was treated to a lovely dessert, ie Mississippi Mud Pie in a pub run by a young chef in Normanton near Wakefield. It wasn´t until I started trying to find a recipe to make this treat at home that I realised it was the personal recipe of this excellent chef. I cannot find anything like it on the web or in cookery books. It didn´t have ice cream in, and it had a pastry base, chocolate cake (rather rich) and a creamy concoction on the top! That is as much as I can remember, my main memory is the taste … minty the first time and coffee the second time I ate it.

Lightly butter and line an 8 inch cake tin
Set oven to 170 degrees Celsius

250 grams of butter, cut up
150 grams of (Lindt) dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa solids), chopped
440 grams golden caster sugar
250 ml of hot water
2 tbsp strong espresso coffee
80 ml of coffee flavoured liqueur
225 grams plain flour
35 grams self raising flour
225 grams good quality dark cocoa powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Place the butter, chocolate, caster sugar, water and coffee into a saucepan
Put over a low (ie gentle) heat and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the chocolate melts
At this point add the coffee liqueur
Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl
Leave to cool for 15 minutes
Sieve the flour and cocoa together, then whisk into the mixture
When combined, add the eggs and beat in until thoroughly combined
Spoon the batter into the cake tin
Put into the centre of a preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour 30 minutes … or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean
If the top of the cake starts to brown too quickly, cover the cake with a sheet of greaseproof paper or kitchen foil, then continue baking, remove from oven when done!
Leave in tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and remove lining paper

Ice with coffee icing, or chocolate ganache

Serve with a cup of coffee

I love coffee cakes, this one is a little different

1 cup butter (room temperature)
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 x 1.25 cups of caster sugar
2 large organic eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup dark chocolate buttons (or Lindt thins, roughly chopped)
Topping:-
1/4 cup chopped pecan nuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup of caster sugar

Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Lightly butter a 9″ spring form cake tin

Place the butter, cream cheese and 1.25 cups of sugar into a bowl and beat until pale in colour
Whisk together the eggs and vanilla and beat into the butter mixture
Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt the add to the cake mixture - adding alternating with the milk
Lastly, stir in chocolate buttons
Pour the mixture into the cake tin
Put the topping ingredients into a small bowl and stir well to combine
Sprinkle over the cake mixture
Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for about 50 minutes or until a very fine skewer inserted near the centre comes out clean
Leave to cool for a quarter of an hour
Carefully run a knife around edge of the tin to loosen the cake
Remove sides of tin, place the cake on a cooling rack and leave to cool completely

I first tasted this cake in a bar in southern spain and enjoyed it as I love almonds and oranges. As the season for Seville oranges is quite short, you have to make the most of them while they are available.

6 large fresh organic eggs (separated)
240 grams golden caster sugar 
230 grams finely ground almonds
Very finely grated zest of three oranges

Juice of 8 Seville oranges
A stick of cinnamon
Golden caster sugar - amount to taste

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Line a 23 cm springform baking tin with greaseproof paper or baking parchment

Mix all but 1 tbsp of the caster sugar with the egg yolks until pale
Stir in the ground almonds and orange zest
Beat the egg whites with the tablespoon of caster sugar until stiff
Fold the egg whites into the sugar and egg mixture, very gently (continue folding until the mixture loosens up)
Gently - transfer the cake batter into the prepared cake tin
Bake for one hour on the centre shelf of the oven or until the cake is a pale golden colour and firm to the touch
While the cake is baking, make the syrup:- place all the orange juice into a saucepan, then add the cinnamon stick with a couple of tbsp of sugar, to taste
Place over a low heat and bring up to a gentle boil then simmer for five minutes
The syrup should be quite tart so don´t overdo the sugar
Leave the syrup to cool, then refrigerate
Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool completely (while still in the tin) on a rack

Gently remove from the tin and transfer to a serving plate, with a small skewer pierce six very small holes in the top of the cake

An hour before serving, drizzle half of the syrup over the top and serve the remainder in a small jug for guests to help themselves

Ingredients for the base:

150 grams plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
60 grams hazelnut meal
90 grams soft light or dark brown sugar
90 grams of dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
80 grams unsalted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Ingredients for the topping:

100 grams of hazelnuts
1 x 395 gram tin sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp golden syrup
50 grams unsalted butter
100 grams macadamia nuts
100 grams dark chocolate, melted (70% cocoa solids) melted with 20 grams unsalted butter

Sift the plain flour and cinnamon into a bowl
Stir in hazelnut meal and sugar
Melt the chocolate and butter together, allow to cool
Add to the dry ingredients when cooled then add the egg, mix well together
Lightly press the mixture into a prepared (ie lined and buttered tin)
Bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius, and while the base is baking, put in the hazelnuts to toast for 8 minutes
Remove from the oven and skin, ie suggest placing in a paper bag and ”rubbing” energetically
Remove the base from the oven and leave (in the tin) to cool (room temperature will do fine)

Topping - put the condensed milk, golden syrup and butter in saucepan and gently heat, stirring - until it almost boils
Pour the mixture over the base then top with nuts
Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes then leave to cool
Drizzle the melted chocolate/butter mixture over the top
Cut (into squares) with a sharp knife

I like this recipe for a tray bake, but wonder if perhaps you could use other types of nuts, ie almonds which are my favourite

I understand that sweetened condensed milk is around 40% sugar! That could explain why I like it in a cafe bombon, lovely short strong coffee with leche condensada here in Alicante! The Spanish also have sugar in the coffee as well as the condensed milk which forms a layer at the bottom of the cup, makes my teeth hurt just to think about it

If anyone knows the correct spelling for Cafe Bombon/Bonbon, please … let me know!

115 grams unsalted butter
85 grams unsweetened chocolate
400 grams unrefined caster sugar
2 large organic eggs
235 ml water
280 grams plain flour
7 grams bicarbonate of soda
2 grams salt
60 ml full-fat milk
5 ml distilled white vinegar

Lightly butter 1 x 9″ x 13″ cake tin, line the base
Set oven to 175 degrees Celsius

Melt the butter in a small pan with the dark chocolate, set aside to cool slightly

Cream together the sugar and eggs until pale, then add the chocolate mixture to the eggs and beat well

Add 1 cup of warm (boiled) water, stir until blended. The mixture will be liquid

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt

Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stir to combine, then whisk together the vinegar and milk, stir into the batter

Optional:

225 grams cream cheese, room temperature
65 grams unrefined golden caster sugar
1 large organic egg
1 tsp candied orange peel, finely chopped
Beat the cream cheese until smooth then add the sugar, egg and candied peel, beat well

Pour the cake mixture into cake tin, make indentations around the outside of cake plus one in the centre and drop tablespoons of the cheese mixture into the indentations

Bake at 175 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted in the chocolate part comes out clean
Leave in the tin for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack and remove the greaseproof paper, leave to cool completely before sandwiching together with either lightly whipped double cream or frosting

I love Mississippi Mud Pie - when I worked for a nationalised industry the girls went out to dinner together each week (meant to make us into a “team”), don’t know if that actually worked but on one occasion (maybe more) I had the chef’s version of this pie - it was gorgeous. I cannot find a recipe that seems familiar. It had three layers - like a rich thin chocolate cake, a filling and a cream topping but there must have been something else other than cream in the topping as the texture was very very light. I often wonder if it was his own creation. I have had Devil’s food cake on a number of occasions, not recently, and the cake does taste similar to the pie base. I may have a bash when I’m in a baking mood, make two small individual MMP’s with the DFC base. Will have to research filling and toppings to see what I can come up with. Oh - and he did a mint and chocolate one too!

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Lightly butter a 9″ square cake tin, line with greaseproof paper

4 oz butter
6 oz chopped white chocolate
3 large eggs
4-1/2 oz unrefined caster sugar
7 oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
3 oz dried apricots - chopped
Icing sugar

Put the butter and chocolate into a bowl set over barley simmering water
Stir until smooth and glossy then leave to cool slightly
Beat the eggs and sugar into the chocolate mixture
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, then fold into the batter along with the apricots, mix well to combine
Pour into the tin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, the centre of the cake may not be completely firm, however, it will set as it cools
Leave in tin until cold, then transfer to a work surface and cut into squares, if liked - dust lightly with icing sugar

I love American blueberry muffins for breakfast - however, I prefer wild bilberries, when you can get them! They are smaller and for me much nicer - they bring back memories of the gorgeous pies Mum made when I was young.

1-1/2 cups of unrefined caster sugar
3/4 cup butter
3 large eggs
3 cups plain flour
3/4 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1.5 cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 quart bilberries or blueberries

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Put the paper cases into the muffin tins

Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg, put to one side
Whisk together the caster sugar and butter until pale, fluffy and smooth
Lightly whisk the eggs and add to the sugar/butter mixture, beat again until combined
Slowly - and gently - fold in the dry ingredients then stir in the milk and vanilla extract
Fold in the bilberries and spoon the mixture into the muffin cases
Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown
Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tins then transfer to a wire cooling rack

* Americal measures differ from UK imperial measures, the imperial equivalent of 1 US quart is approx .83 - an imperial quart is 2 pints

225 grams self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp cocoa powder
225 grams unrefined caster sugar
225 grams unsalted butter
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp mint essence or extract
100 grams Lindt dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius
Place 18 paper cases into muffin tins

Sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a large bowl
Beat the butter and sugar together in a separate bowl until light and fluffy
Add eggs - one at a time - beat together
Fold in the flour mixture - gradually - then stir in the mint essence and chocolate, spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a light golden brown and firm to the touch

When cold, ice with the minty chocolate ganache

I love nutty biscuits and these are especially nice as they don’t contain flour. I like chewy biscuits so I cover them with a tea towel and leave out overnight before putting in an airtight tin, if you want crispy biscuits, put them in an airtight tin as soon as they are completely cooled.

6 oz ground almonds
1 oz icing sugar
1 level tsp ground rice
8 oz unrefined golden caster sugar
3 large organic egg whites
Drop or two (to taste) almond extract

Decoration - caster sugar, 12 blanched almonds, rice paper

Mix the ground almonds, sifted icing sugar, ground rice and caster sugar in a large bowl
Add the unbeaten egg whites with the almond extract, stir until thoroughly combined
Transfer mixture to a forcing bag fitted with a 1″ plain nozzle and pipe in rounds (or other shapes) directly onto the rice paper
Allow sufficient space between the biscuits - they spread!
Lightly sprinkle with caster sugar and top each with a piece of flaked blanched almond
Bake for 25 minutes or until a light golden brown
Leave to cool - if preferred remove the rice paper, but it can be eaten!

This is a Christmas Cake with a difference for those who do not like the traditional rich fruit cake with currants, raisins and sultanas.

7 oz unsalted butter
7 oz light soft brown sugar
4 medium eggs, beaten
7 oz self-raising flour
Small pinch saffron - pound in using a pestle and mortar
Small pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1-3/4 oz ground almonds
4 oz dried apricots, diced
4 oz dried papaya, diced
4 oz dried pineapple, diced
2 oz candied peel - lemon, lime and/or orange
2 oz crystallised ginger, finely chopped
5 fl oz Glayva Whisky Liqueur

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius
Lightly butter and double line a deep 8″ cake tin with greaseproof paper

Beat the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until smooth and light then beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until incorporated
Sift the flour, saffron, nutmeg and cinnamon into the bowl, add the ground almonds and stir to combine
Add the apricots, papaya, pineapple, candied peel, ginger and Whisky liqueur (or whisky), stir well then spoon the cake mixture into the prepared baking tin and level the top
Bake for 90 minutes, or until a fine skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre - if the cake browns too quickly cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper
Leave to cool for 30 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack
When cold, brush with a little whisky and (if liked) warmed and sieved apricot jam