Vanilla Spiced Chai Tea Sponge with Cinnamon Frosting

A Foodie Original Recipe

I am very proud of my Lemon Drizzle cake. I have been using the same simple recipe since I was seven, from a children's cookbook, that I received as a gift and was really the start of my love affair with food. Don't knock it because its a children's recipe - it is one of the most moist, light and fluffy creations you will ever taste (not to blow my own trumpet or anything...)!

So, I decided to do something brave. Recently I have discovered Drink Me Chai's Vanilla and Spiced Chai Tea Lattes, and I thought - if you can have coffee cake; why not have chai tea latte cake? I took the basis for my Lemon Drizzle, omitted anything lemony, added vanilla pod, cinnamon and some iced chai tea and - voila - my baby was born!

This is the recipe for my first attempt. The frosting tastes just like the spiced chai, even though it has no chai in it. The sponge was less successful - it has a hint of vanilla but you may want to add a little more cinnamon or up the concentration of the chai tea. I suggest adding some of the chai tea powder instead of flour (maybe 5g?). 

All the same, this is a delicious cake, even if the flavours are very subtle (- and it made the perfect Mothers' Day picnic centre-piece!).

Vanilla Spiced Chai Tea Sponge with Cinnamon Frosting

Ingredients for the Cake

300g softened butter

300g golden caster sugar

4 eggs, beaten

300g self raising flour

1 cup of Drink Me Chai  spiced chai tea latte (made with cold milk, not boiling water)

2tsp cinnamon

seeds from one vanilla pod

Ingredients for Cinnamon Frosting

• I only used my frosting the sandwich the layers of the cake together, but this recipe makes enough to ice the top too, I found. Adjust the quantities by halving the icing sugar and cornflour, and only adding 1/4 cup of creme fraiche if you only wish to use it in-between the layers. 

2 cups icing sugar

1/3 cut creme fraiche

1tbsp butter

2tbsp cinnamon

3/4 cup cornflour

grind of salt

2tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180C.
2. Beat the butter until soft in a large mixing bowl. Incorporate the sugar before mixing in the beaten eggs. Do this gradually so that the mixture doesn't curdle (although mine always used to curdle when I was younger and the result was exactly the same as it is today!)
3. Mix in the seeds from the vanilla pod, before sifting in the cinnamon and flour.
4. Make your chai tea latte as you usually would, but with cold milk instead of boiling water. Add 1tbsp of the milky chai to the cake mix at a time, until you have a dropping consistency. (I used about 3tbsp).
5. Divide the mixture between two greased and/or non-stick sandwich tins, preferably the sort with removable bottoms. Bake the cakes, swapping which one is on the top shelf half way through, for 40 minutes or until they are springy to the touch and a skewer or cake needle comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
6. When done, leave to cool in the tins for 40 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool.
7. Now, make your frosting. Sift together the cinnamon, cornflour and icing sugar. Cream together the butter and creme fraiche. Beat these two mixtures together untill smooth. Add the vanilla essence and beat some some, before adding some salt if it is too sweet. Don't worry if it is too sweet and runny - it will harden slightly as it sets and some of the sweetness will be balanced out in the process also.
8. When the cakes are cool, place one cake on a plate and spread half of the frosting on top. Place the second sandwich on top and decorate with a dusting of cinnamon and glace cherries or flaked almonds, or the rest of the frosting. 

Perfect with a cuppa on a sunny spring afternoon! 

Yours,

The Anxious Foodie <3

Squid and Samphire: A Seaside Sensation

3 recipes, 2 super scrumptious ingredients stealing the position as star of the show.
Squid and samphire, to me, taste like the essence of the sea. Squid may stink the house out to high heaven when you are cooking it, but trust me, it has such a delicate and subtle flavour that you will keep coming back for more, again and again.
I must admit that I still have a little way to go before I can cook the perfect squid - eliminating all hints of rubberiness in favour of a smooth texture that hardly needs chewing - but I like to think that since these two recipes using squid have been my first and only attempts, that I am doing pretty well!

Asparagus and Samphire Risotto

(Adapted from the "Risotto with asparagus" in "Mama's Italian Cookbook")

Ingredients (serves 2)

125g thin asparagus

1/2 litre water

pinch of sugar

1 1/2 tbsp butter

1 small onion

150g risotto rice

75ml white wine

salt and pepper

enough fresh samphire for 2 people

Method

1. Remove the woody ends from the asparagus and discard. Cut off the tips and reserve for later. Cut the rest of the asparagus stems in half. Bring the water to the boil with the sugar, 1tsp of butter and a little salt. Blanch the asparagus tips for 30 seconds, before removing them with a slotted spoon and plunging them into iced water to prevent them cooking any further.
2. Cook the asparagus stem pieces in the water for 15 minutes, steaming the samphire above them for 3 minutes so that it takes on some the the steam's flavour. 
3. Pour the liquid through a sieve, and save. Puree the asparagus stems and set aside, keeping warm.
4. Heat 1tbsp of butter in a large sautee pan. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter before deglazing the pan with the wine. When this has evaporated, use a ladle to pour in 1/3 of the reserved asparagus cooking liquid, and stir constantly until it has absorbed. Repeat with the rest of the liquid or until the risotto is creamy but not runny (I say that the creaminess should not be able to be separated from the rice with a spoon, but should still be noticeable - if anyone understands what I mean by this), or when the rice is cooked through. This should take around 15 minutes.
5. Next stir in the remaining butter, asparagus puree, samphire and asparagus tips. Season and leave to rest, covered, for 2-3 minutes before serving. 

Buon Appetito! 

Jamie's Concertina Squid

(From "Jamie's Dinners" by Jamie Oliver  - with my own additional of nutmeg spinach)

I must say that this wasn't perfect. It was my first time cooking squid and with hindsight I wish I had cooked it for a little less that I did - and made the cuts in the squid a little closer together so I got the wonderful concertina effect pictured in Jamie's book. That said; I am determined not to let this get me down! I am proud of my first attempt and it still tasted absolutely delicious. You never learn anything new unless you take a dive in at the deep end! 

Ingredients (serves 2)

500g new potatoes

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

a handful of mint leaves

mint stalks (tied together with some string)

a knob of butter

2 medium sized squid, skinned and gutted

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 red onion, finely sliced

a handful of flatleaf parsely, stalks and all, chopped

1/2 tbsp  finely ground white pepper

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

juice of 1 lemon + lemon zest to serve

spinach to serve 2 

a grating of fresh nutmeg 

Method

1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water with the mint stalks until slightly overcooked. Drain and steam dry while you heat up a large frying pan with some butter and 1tbsp olive oil. Add the potatoes and lightly crush with a pair of tongs. Toss around for around 5 minutes until slightly golden. 
2. Meanwhile, insert a large knife into the middle of the squid and make incisions of about 1cm width on top of the knife, so only one side of the squid is cooked. Coat the squid in the white pepper and a pinch of sea salt. 
3. Add the onion  and parsley stalks to the pan with the potatoes and toss until the onions are golden. Once you have achieved this, slide the potatoes and onions onto a plate. 
4. Put the pan back on the heat, add a little olive oil and fry the squid for a little under 2 minutes on each side. 
5. Meanwhile, wilt the spinach and grind over a little salt and fresh nutmeg.  
6. Add the remaining butter, garlic, chili and parsley leaves. Give it all a good shake to mix the flavours before returning the potatoes and onions to the pan for seasoning. Squeeze over the lemon juice.
7. Serve, and sprinkle with the mint leaves and lemon zest.

As Jamie would say - "Pukka!" 

Squid and Samphire Salad with Greek Potatoes

(From "200 Low Fat dishes" by Cara Hobday with my addition of the samphire)

Healthy, simple, easy and light - this dish has fresh flavours and would be perfect on a summer's day and can be rustled up in an instant! Try it as a side dish with a BBQ or outside dinner party. I get the feeling that it would be perfect for picking at.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

250g prepared squid

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 chopped garlic clove

1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley

250g new potatoes cooked and sliced

100g halved cherry tomatoes

1 small bunch salad onions

samphire for 2 people

salt and pepper

lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Cut the squid bodies in half widthways, and then again lengthways so they open into large squares.  Score on one side and mix with the lemon juice and some seasoning. 
2. Cook the squid in a griddle pan for 1 minute on each side. Cut into strips, mix with the olive oil, garlic and parsley. Set aside to cool.
3. Mix the tomatoes with the spring onions and potatoes. Pour over the squid and dressing, season, and serve with lemon wedges. 

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Incredibly Intelligent and Extremely Emotional

A good book changes the course of time. It speeds it up, slows it down, and contorts it in so many ways that with each passing moment you sink deeper into its pages and become totally absorbed in its twists and turns. Every full stop hails a new masterpiece and every inverted comma welcomes a revelation of emotion.

Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly close is one of these books.

Many a critic has claimed that the principal character, Oskar, is a precocious young boy. I take a different viewpoint. Yes, he is extremely bright and isn't afraid to show it, but he also demonstrates compassion and understanding beyond what many nine years olds would be able to grasp.

Oskar's Father, Thomas Schell, dies in 9/11 and Oskar is left struggling to cope with the loss of his close friend and parent. When Oskar finds a key in his father's belongings in an envelope entitled "Black" he takes it as a challenge left by his father, in the form of the games they used to play around New York. After this, Oscar finds himself travelling along a path of education and disappointment as he reaches out to many "Blacks" along the way.

I can see why some may find the ending to this book disappointing, but I found it entirely fitting, as It revealed just how fragile our instincts can be, and how we will cling to anything of minute significance left by a loved one. Letting go can be the hardest thing.

At first I found the side plot about Oscar's grandparents disconcerting, although I soon realised that it was incredibly clever and extremely moving, as it illustrated the way every relationship is different and made me think about all of the ways that the people who died in 9/11 would have had their own relationships and life stories - each one incredibly different and extremely personal.

The contrast of 9/11 with the Dresden bombing was incredibly poignant, and served to help me understand how an act of terrorism and a seemingly different, but just as devastating, act of warfare can tear families apart and change the course of time just as much.

Not many books can make someone think about a subject in so much detail while still forming an attachment so strong with a character that they feel they could reach into the page and hug them, or want to wipe the tears from their eyes. Oscar will stay with me for a lifetime, in the same way that Jack from Emma Donoghue's "Room" or Mariam from Kahled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns" will. Overall a beautifully written book, this novel will have you thinking and mourning for a very long time, but also smiling and jumping for joy at the revelations made about the human race between its pages. 

Breakfast Bars 2.0

I promise I bake other things other than just breakfast bars. I really do. I find it easier to eat what I have baked if its a whole meal - like breakfast. It's a start, I suppose.
My carrot cake and lemon drizzle cake, among other things as I gather baking momentum - will soon follow, but right now you will have to humor me.
These breakfast bars were adapted from a Nigella recipe, and it is very hard to compare them to my last attempt. While my "Get-up-and-go bars" took more of a buttery flapjack consistency, these bars are more crumbly (yet still hold their shape), and I can only best describe them as a "porridge bar" because of their use of condensed milk. Sounds discusting, but again - humor me.
Fresh and fruity, crisp and chewy, these are another perfect start to the day!

Nutty-Seedy-Oh-So-Fruity-Porridge-Bars

Makes 16 (original recipe here)

Ingredients

• 405g can light condensed milk
• 250g rolled oats
• 100g dried fruits (I used a "forest feast" mix called the "superberries mix" - strawberries, goji berries, blueberries, physalis, blueberries and cranberries.)
• 150g mixed seeds (I used a mix of sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.)
• 60g unsalted peanuts, chopped. 
• 40g hazelnuts, chopped.
• 65g flaked almonds

Method

1. Preheat an oven to 130C (110C fan) and grease a rectangular baking tin.
2. Warm the condensed milk, but do not let it boil, in a large pan. Mix all of the other ingredients together and then add the milk, which will be more liquidy and less gloopy.
3. Spread the mix into the tin and press down and level out with a spatula.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes (I did 47 - a friend recommended the Nigella recipe and said that if you baked them for as long as she says you will need a saw to cut them - my 47 minutes turned out perfect!) and then leave to cool for 15 minutes before cutting into 16 bars.

Delish!

Foodie's Finds in London - Kensington

I love London, and living about an hour away definitely has its perks. Both of my parents were born in London, so I feel that I have some strong ties to this wonderful city that has so much to offer.
If ever presented with the chance to take a trip into any area of The Big Smoke I will grab it with both hands and our trips are usually full to bursting - yet somehow I still manage to come away feeling relaxed and replenished.
London is definitely one of the best cities for Foodies, in my humble opinion, this side of the pond, with so many cultural influences and a new cuisine to be found around every corner. London food need not be expensive either - even a sandwich from one of the deli counters in the world famous Harrods costs about the same as one from Pret or Starbucks (around £4).
On Saturday  my Father and drove into the outskirts, parked near his Uncle's house and took the tube into Kensington, managing to pack three museums amongst other things in between 9.30 am and 5.00 before returning home.
So, without further ado, here are my Foodie Finds!

The Hummingbird Bakery, Kensington


(Check out their website here)

 

For a couple of years now I have noticed the growing hype concerning this well-known chain of Bakeries. The books fly off the shelves like nobody's business, (which has owed to them being out of stock in every bookshop I enter to try and buy one!) so I knew I needed to give this place a go and make my own opinion.

I have to say that I was impressed and it did live up to expectations. Service was attentive at the little counter, and we managed to nab the only table in the shop (there might be more upstairs, I'm not sure) by the window, bar a few seats at a counter along the wall. The choice was overwhealming, even though it was not as big as the website lead me to believe. Options included carrot cake, vanilla cake, cheesecake, brownies, cheesecake brownies, carrot cake cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes (their bestseller), savory muffins, and the list goes on. 

You can eat in or take away, and they serve illy coffee, (which i heartily recommend). A savory muffin, slice of carrot cake, cappuccino, skinny latte and two "red velvets" to take away came to just over £20. Not cheap, but worth it. 

My carrot cake was definitely up there with the best I have ever tasted, and that's a fair few since I like to judge a place on the quality of their carrot cake. It was moist and gooey with the right amount of walnut and carrot, and the cream cheese frosting wasn't too grainy or too cheesy. 

My Father was extremely impressed with his savory muffin, which concealed bits of spinach, herbs and pepper. Most muffins you find these says are too dry and crumbly, but this one was just as moist as my carrot cake, which was a welcome change. 

I took my cupcakes home to share with my Mother the next day, with some iced lattes, and was worried that since they were a day old and I had left them in their cardboard box they may have gone a little dry. Boy, were my worries proved pointless! These were the most moist and fluffy cupcakes I have ever tasted and I must say that they lived up to their name - they really did have a velvety texture!

Bute Street Farmers' Market

We stumbled across this little gem just by spotting it as we walked up to The Hummingbird Bakery. I love farmers' markets - I find them extremely romantic. You know, the whole idea of buying all of this beautiful produce at a market and taking it home to enjoy, perhaps making a picnic lunch to take to the park. 

The weather was beautiful on Saturday, and with the sun shining and a crisp edge to the air I can't think of any better atmosphere to nosey around a market like this in. Also, be sure to check out the beautiful display in Moxon's Fishmongers too! (And the French Bookshop if you are a fellow language geek!)

Click here for information about the market, or just satisfy your oh-so-gorgeous-produce-fetish with my pictures below! 

The Girl With a Pear Earring by Tracey Chevalier

Distressingly Depressed Dutch Damsel

As a concept for a book, Girl With A Pearl Earring is pretty good. Author Tracey Chevalier took her inspiration from a painting of the same name by Dutch painter Vermeer, and chose to write a book  based on the girl depicted in said painting, and how she came to be the painter's subject. Unfortunately, this is where the good points end.

Critics have claimed that the book is "ultimately intriguing" and "absorbing". The only thing that drove me to the end of the book was my severe dislike for leaving any book unfinished, and not knowing how the story ends.

I was glad I only spent 99p on this book in a book sale, for as soon as I got five or six pages in it became clear that the only thing I could look forward to for the rest of the book was a wooden narrative from a melancholic protestant sixteen-year-old girl who was never satisfied with anything and cold find nothing good to say about anyone. Granted, her family has been forced into poverty and she is working as a maid for a seemingly deranged catholic family, but I find it unbelievable that Tracey Chevalier could not find the heart in her to give Griet something interesting to say. Any metaphor, simile or description in this novel, if I may call it that, seem to have jumped into this book from the nearest one on the shelf, as if they were aware that this book needed spicing up a little and were generous enough to relinquish their homes in a good book to liven up this dull work of literature.

Fortunately, things began to improve slightly about 30 pages from the end of the novel when the story finally reached its climax, but by then it was far too late for a redemption. The satisfying ending seemed like Chevalier had finally realised that she needed to make an effort to atone for her wrongdoings in the earlier pages and had burnt herself flat out in a full steam ahead effort to complete her project.

I would recommend this book if you are interested in Vermeer, want to read a book about a depressed sixteen year old, or are looking for examples of how not to write a book. I would love to hear any other opinions you may have on this book also - maybe I have completely missed the point and gotten it all wrong?

 Otherwise, find a better book to read. The only enrichment I received from this book was the inspiration to find a painting or work of art to write my own, hopefully better, short work of fiction about. 

Motivation

"Veni, Vidi, Vici"

-

"I came, I saw, I conquered" 

This Latin phrase was quoted by my Latin teacher a couple of weeks ago, and I have not been able to get it out of my head since. I feel it suits ED sufferers quite well, regarding the everyday trials and tribulations we must overcome. After dealing with something that would have made me anxious or upset a few months ago, I have started saying this to myself as a way of congratulating myself for dealing with it, without having to admit that I "let myself win over the ED".

Also, it reminds me of something I said to a great friend of mine. Sometimes its good to help yourself through by imagining all of the people who care about you with you and rallying behind you as your own little army when dealing with a tough situation. This is why I feel this phrase fits, as it has a sort of military edge, and ties in well. 

What do you do to help yourself cope or congratulate yourself?

Yours,

The Anxious Foodie <3 

Courgette and Fig Bagel "Bruschetta"

This recipe was pilfered from the Waitrose recipe website in part, but the other part was my own inspiration. We all know that bagels go great with smoked salmon, chives and philli, do we not? Well, this "bruschetta" (I use the inverted commas because I used bagels for a more doughy treat) recipe using courgette, lemon, tarragon and ricotta also works great on toasted bagels, and after seeing some figs reduced in the supermarket I decided to grill them and add them too. The sweetness of the grilled figs complements perfectly the creamy ricotta spiked with the liquorice notes of the tarragon and sharpness of the lemon. The courgettes add to the freshness of the topping and give a welcome crunch. Quick and easy, and a little more substatial than a traditional bruschetta,  this real is a scrumptious-simple-supper!

Courgette and Fig Bagel "Bruschetta" 

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 white bagels

100g ricotta cheese

zest of 1/2 a lemon

2 medium or 4 baby courgettes

a handful of chopped tarragon

olive oil

4 figs

salt and pepper

1 garlic clove halved 

Method

1. Preheat the grill to high.
2. Mix the tarragon, ricotta, lemon zest and a grind of salt or two if you wish.
3. Cut the bagels in half and rub with the halves of garlic.
4. Cut the courgette into strips - you should get 4 from one courgette.
5. Brush the courgette with oil on each side and grind over some salt and pepper. Griddle for 4 minutes on each side in a hot griddle pan. You still want some crunch, but they should be cooked, preferably with griddle marks for effect.
6. Meanwhile, grill the bagels to your preferred degree of toastiness on each side,  the halved  figs will need about 3 minutes under the grill on each side, flesh first and then skin up. 
7. When your bagels are done, spread the cheese mixture on them, adjusting seasoning if need be. Place the courgette strips on top and either serve the figs nestled amongst them or on top also. 
8. Serve with a green salad and eat with your hands for maximum enjoyment!

Delicious!

Yours,

G x