Mincemeat Crumble Slice (vegan, dairy free, egg free and nut free)

Yum

I know mincemeat slice doesn't sound very vegan, but honestly, this is mincemeat in the sweet sense; made of sultanas, raisins, apples and peel mixed with spices and is a staple of Christmas cooking in the UK.

I like this recipe for mincemeat from Pig in the Kitchen, but I've found most supermarket brands are actually vegan anyway.

I love making mince pies at Christmas time - I don't allow myself to do it until the 1st December though as it makes me feel Christmas is fully on the way then.  This mincemeat slice, however, is a lot less hassle, much faster and tends to be cooked as soon as I get my hands on a big jar of mincemeat in the supermarket!

Mincemeat Crumble Slice

Ingredients

500g Self Raising Flour
200g sugar
250g non-dairy margarine (I use solid Stork or Pure Spread)
100ml non-dairy milk, divided
600g mincemeat (about 1 and a 1/2 jars)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C

1.  Place the self raising flour, sugar and margarine in a Classic Batter bowl.  Use a Pastry Blender (my new favourite add on!) or a Mix n Masher to mix them together to create a sandy, breadcrumb mixture.

2.  Remove half the mix to another bowl.  Add 60ml non dairy milk to one of the bowls and mix it all together with your hands to create a dough.  Press this into the bottom of a Medium Bar Pan and smooth out to create the bottom layer.

3.  Spread the mincemeat across the layer of pastry and smooth out so there is an even layer.

4.  Now take the other half of the crumb mix and add 40ml non dairy milk.  You want to now create a rubble style of crumble with this, not a single ball but lots of little bits, so get your hands in and get squishing!  Spread this evenly across the mincemeat and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

5.  Leave in the bar pan to cool for about 15-20 minutes before cutting or it will crumble.  Use a Mini Serving Spatula to remove from the bar pan and serve. This keeps well in a sealed container for 3-4 days.

Rock buns and Easter holidays

I can't wait!  The Easter holidays are nearly upon us and I've been on countdown this week.  With this in mind I've got a child friendly recipe for you that can be ready pretty quickly and always is a hit.

Do you remember rock buns as a child?  I always remember making them at nursery as a child for some reason! 

Later on as a nursery teacher they were a favourite with my little people too, and now my own children love them.  I always used to use the traditional Bero recipe which usually worked a treat, unless a certain member of staff got a go at the baking and then they really were ROCK buns!  You could bounce them off the walls!  I never did figure out what she was doing wrong.

This one won't be bounce-able and will be light and fluffy (unless you are THAT member of staff!).

I have to work without eggs in my kitchen so I've fiddled about until I got a fab light texture and enough sultanas/raisins to balance it out.  Hope you like them?

(Have you been to like my facebook page yet?  The first prize draw takes place on Saturday 31st March and you have to be in it to win it!)

egg free and dairy free rock buns in the sun, as we enjoy all this lovely weather outside in the garden

Rock Buns (egg free, dairy free and vegan)

Ingredients

250g self raising flour
90g sugar
90g butter or Pure Spread (for those who are non dairy)
100g sultanas or raisins or a mix of dried fruit.
3-4 tablespoons of milk (whatever kind you like)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C

2. Measure the flour into a classic batter bowl and stir in the sugar with a mix n masher.

3. Add the butter or spread and using a mix n masher blend it all together till you get breadcrumbs.  Or use your fingers and get rubbing - the children love this bit.

4.  Stir in the dried fruit.

5.  Add enough milk with an adjustable measuring spoon to make a soft but not sticky dough.

6.  Divide the mixture into roughly 12 heaps on a rectangle stone or any other flat stone/tray and cook for around 8-10 minutes until they are a light golden colour.

7.  Remove to a stackable cooling rack and eat either warm or cold.  These are best eaten on the day they are made, but honestly don't last long anyway! 

Cobblers!

I made an apple and bramble (blackberry) cobbler last night for the first time and it was fabulous!  I can't believe a cobbler is something I have never made, let alone eaten, before. We do crumbles in this house all the time - rhubarb, apple, apple and bramble, strawberry (yes but its truly yummy!), mixed fruit, and pies when I can be bothered with the rolling out of pastry.  But why have I never tried this American classic before?  I just don't know.  And having tried it now, it's going to be a fixture.

A gooey fruity bottom crowned with an amazing fluffy, scone-like topping.  What is there not to like?

I used my lovely little Pampered Chef mini baker to do this, and it fitted beautifully!  It looked gorgeous just out of the oven and definitely fabulous to take straight to the table to serve.

The Pampered Chef Mini Baker. Isn't it pretty?

As usual I have veganified the recipe and used non dairy spread and soya yoghurt but it is intended to use the real stuff.  The vegan version is delicious so I'm sure it will be fabulous as an omnivorous version too!

Wondering why I'm on about brambles?  We use the term brambles for blackberries in Scotland.

Bramley Apple and Bramble Cobbler
  
Ingredients

3 Bramley apples
Big handful of blackberries (I used the ones I had in the freezer and just chucked them in)
100g sugar plus 2tbsp
75g Butter / Vegan Spread
170g self raising flour
125ml plain yoghurt

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C

1.  Peel and core the apples on a cutting board.  If they are small enough use an apple wedger, if not you could use the veggie wedger, like I did. My bramleys were monsters!  Chop into smaller pieces with a utility knife and put into the mini baker.

2.  Add the blackberries and scatter over a tablespoonful of the sugar using the large adjustable measuring spoon.

3. Put 100g sugar, the flour and butter into a classic batter bowl and mix with a mix n masher to create crumbs (or use the old fashioned rubbing in method)

4. Add the yoghurt measured in an easy read measuring cup, and stir until it becomes a messy dough.

5. Spoon onto the top of the apples and blackberries in little mounds leaving gaps if you can.  Sprinkle with another tablespoon of sugar and bake for 40 mins till golden brown.

Enjoy with ice cream or whipped cream and the smile of a domestic goddess happy in the knowledge she whipped that up quickly and with the minimum of fuss.


Tip : No self raising flour?  Use plain flour and add 2 tsp of baking powder to this mix too!

Cherry Scones

I made my little girl's birthday cakes this evening in preparation for Thursday.  Yes it does say cakes - there will be three! One for nursery, one for her birthday tea at home and one yet to be created for the party on Sunday when she has decided she wants a Barbie cake.  
On finishing and popping them in the oven I then realised there was nothing to show for my efforts to eat this evening! So I whipped up some scones too.  And here they are.  This is the recipe I have been using for ages and which makes light fluffy scones.  No egg as my little one has egg allergies and I make them with soya milk and vegan spread too.  So could you, if you want them to be vegan.

Tonight I tried out a tip I got from a fellow Pampered Chef consultant about using the Mix n Masher to rub in the butter rather than get my hands dirty!  Oh my goodness the revelation is amazing!  Not only does it make the most amazing mash but it does this job super quick.  And the scones were gorgeous too!

Ingredients

225g self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 tsp salt (a pinch!)
2 teaspoons sugar
70g butter
150 ml milk
50g chopped glace cherries or sultanas, raisins etc

Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C

1.   Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a classic batter bowl.
2.   Stir in sugar
3.   Use a Mix N Masher to "rub in" the butter till it resembles breadcrumbs (or use your fingers if you don't have one!)
4.   Add the cherries or other mixed fruit and stir.
5.   Make a well in the centre and slowly add the milk, (you may not need the full amount) mixing everything together gently with a mix n scraper.  The dough should be soft but not sticky.
6.   Pat the dough out gently on a floured surface to about 2.5cms (1inch) thick and cut into scones.
7.   Cook on a round stone or medium bar pan at the top of the oven for around 12-15 mins till golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and eat warm!