I had decided that if I could not be in Brittany this year, I would celebrate the weekend by cooking nothing but Brittany recipes, so I have been test baking the Breton cake; the guys at work make very willing guinea pigs!!! Basically, it is a pound cake.
The Breton cake recipes are as numerous as those for Cassoulet and which one is the right one who can say. One recipe calls for the inclusion of candied angelica, another raisins so I have gone with the one for raisins; it is a cake that practise makes perfect, well in my case anyway...after a couple of times making it, you get the feel for the dough.
It is rich, buttery and wonderful. Nigella (bless her!!) goes on about comfort food; she knows nothing...this is therapy!!!
Butter a loaf tin and have the oven at 190C.
You will need...
5 egg yolks; 225g flour; 225g caster sugar; 225g butter, softened and cut in pieces, 2 tablespoons grated orange peel; 1/3 cup raisins; 1/4 cup rum
Soak the raisins in the rum for about 15 minutes. Beat the egg yolks in a bowl and reserve enough to glaze the top of the cake, 2 teaspoons or there abouts. Place the flour in a large bowl, make a well in the center and put the sugar and butter in the middle. Work the sugar and butter into the flour, add the egg yolks, raisins, rum and the orange peel and work gently to a smooth dough. You could do this in a processor if you have such a gizmo. Do not over do this part or as I found the cake can be crumbly.
Transfer the dough to the tin and gently press it out to the edges. Make a lattice design on the top with a fork, then brush the top with the reserved egg to which I add a teaspoon of water. Bake till done; as my oven is so erratic (blasted fan bakes!!!) I have to watch the cake after 30 minutes. Cool in the tin before removing.
Now comes the exciting part!! Either serve with whipped cream, or if you are feeling really creative make a couli of raspberries or such fruit. No matter your artistic intentions, I still think it is just perfect on its own!
Lin Dyke
That sounds really scrummy. I wonder if it stores and matures well as it could make a good Christmas cake. I hear the weather is really bad for you at the moment, especially in the South Island ( or Mainland as I was corrected by a customer today ) with temperatures of minus 12. Brrr' that's cold.
Victoria
Yes we have had some really horrible weather; cannot say we havent had a Winter this year; the vineyard was absolutely awash with water.
Yes, the Mainlanders have really had some shockingly cold weather with amazing hoare frosts.
The flooding over there sounds terrible.
I image the Gateau Breton would freeze well; how it would keep I am not sure; doesnt seem to last very long!!
Ghilliegumdrop
That sounds almost as good as the guncake tasted Victoria
Jan
Victoria
The great and illustrious Escoffier said (about cooking) 'keep it simple'; I guess that really sums the Gateau Breton; just a simple lovely cake!! and I have discovered that if it goes a wee bit stale, use it for bread and butter pudding: 3000+ calories psi!!! but what the heck
Victoria
Of things Breton try this Chestnut Soup (from Redon); often serve it at silver service dinners and serve a demi-sec bubbly with it!
50g butter; 100g streaky bacon, chopped; 2 carrots, sliced; 1 leek, sliced; 1 x 450g can of unsweetened chestnut puree or 450g of home made chestnut puree (if you don't mind blanched fingers!!); 2 cloves; sprigs of thyme; 1 bay leaf; 1 clove garlic, left whole; 1 litre stock or water; salt; freshly ground pepper; sprigs of parsley
melt the butter and sweat the bacon, onions, carrots and leaks, covered, for 10 minutes over a low heat. Stir the chestnut puree and add the cloves, thyme, bay leaf and garlic. Pour in the stock or water, mix well, season and cover and simmer for 45 - 60 minutes. Put through the blender, adjust seasoning and garnish with the parsley. FANTASTIC.
Victoria
Gateau aux marrons
This chestnut delectation is so rich, so everything...especially so easy!!! The real sauce is of course if you gather the chestnuts yourself and labour over their peeling, etc.
225g plain good bitter chocolate; 150g butter; 1 x 450g unsweetened chestnut puree; 100g vanilla sugar (you know, the caster sugar that has had the vanilla bean bottled in it for a few weeks); 2 tablespoons rum
Grease a loose-bottomed cake tin with butter and line with greaseproof paper to fit the base. Melt the chocolate and butter in your favourite double boiler. Beat the chestnut puree with the sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the melted chocolate and buter and the rum. Might pay to taste the rum just to check on quality! Turn the mixture into the tin, cover and put in the fridge to harden for a few hours or leave overnight.
Turn out carefully onto a plate to serve with whipped cream. Tres bien!!
Victoria
This is one Bretagne recipe we have been trying and have concluded after numerous research tests that it is one of our favourites:
Galettes de Sarrasin au Fromage et a l'Oeuf
Buckwheat Galettes filled ith Cheese and Egg
250mls milk; 90mls water;3 eggs; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 90g buckwheat flour; 30g all purpose flour; 2 tbsps melted butter; butter for the pan
Filling per galette;
1 egg;, salt and freshly ground pepper; 1/2 tbsp butter, 2 or 3 tbsps freshly grated Edam or Guyere cheese
Make up the pancakes in your favourite pan and use up the batch (should be enough for six people - 2 pancakes each). Put a cooked pancake back in the pan over low heat and break an egg over it. Spread the egg over the pancake with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper, add the butter and sprinkle on the cheese. Heat for a few seconds, then fold in half and then half again. Repeat. Serve hot. Voila!!
Victoria
I hate Summer: it is so boring with no pheasants or quail to hunt with darling Breton but somethings do compensate for the lack of wildfowl - cherries and strawberries. Thought you might like this recipe; I have adapted it from my one of favourite books "France - A Culinary Journey"; I have taken these little gems to Christmas dinners and they are very much enjoyed...so simple to make too!
Meringues au Fromage Blanc et Fraises
You need 24 little or 12 large meringues or double or quadruple the recipe depending on how many you think you need. This recipes makes enough for the 24 little meringues.
Put the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle over the sugar. Leave for a couple of hours or so. Drain off the liquid and gently stir the berries in the fromage blanc. Place in a piping bag and sandwich with two meringues. Serve as soon as possible.
Ghilliegumdrop
Have you got a good boozy recipe for chocolate pots Victoria...I've lost mine and they have all decided they want chocolate after dinner
Tache
Hi Victoria, how many servings do you get from Gateau aux marrons recipie above? Jenny
Tache
Oh and the soup??! How many does that serve?
Victoria
Hi Jenny, both recipes are intended for four people but the gateau is so rich I have served six with it.
Jan, this is the one I make. Is this what you were thinking of??? (I think of it quite often as it is loverly)
Mousse au Chocolat
Melt 4oz sweet chocolate in double boiler. Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup water and cook together until a little syrupy. Pour slowly into the chocolate, stirring briskly. Add 4 egg yolks one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition. Remove from the heat and add 1 tablespoon rum or Cognac. Beat 4 egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture. Place in individual serving dishes and refrigerate overnight. Put a piped swirl of whipped cream on the top with a little Christmassy chocolatey thingytoot and Bob's your uncle!!!! For six.
Ghilliegumdrop
That sounds brilliant Victoria, also not as complicated as the one that I usually do. I will try it this year
Victoria
Hope you like it as much as we do
Victoria
No shooting today...absolutely teeming with rain. Making Oxford Marmalade.
When you haven't got anything else to do (yeah, right), maybe you would like to try this Normande recipe. Delish!! You will need Calvados and a 1.5l terrine mould . I use a Pyrex loaf dish. What you end up with is layers of pancakes interspersed with a lovely gelantiny custard. An informant tells me you can buy premade crepes
Terrine de Crepes
for the crepes.
125g plain flour, pinch of salt, 1 egg, 250ml milk, 125ml water, 45g unsalted butter, melted; 1 tbsp God's vapour, Calvados. Make up recipe as you always do with crepes and stand for an hour.
for the egg custard:
750ml milk, 175g caster sugar, 8 eggs yolks, 2tbsp Calvados, 2tbsp powdered gelatine, 6 tbsp water. Make the custard by heating the milk until just on the boil. Remove from heat. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together well, then stirring all the time slowly poour over the still warm milk. Put back on the heat and cook gently stirring all the time. When done add the Calvados, add a bit more if you like. Sprinkle the gelantine over the water and leave until it swells about 5 minutes. Place on low heat and melt the gelantine, then leave to cool until tepid, stirring occasionally. Add to the warm custard, set the custard in a basin of iced water and stir until it thickens.
Pour a little of the custard into the mould to just cover the bottom. Arrange half a crepe on top, letting the other half flop over one side of the mould. Pour a little more custard on the crepe then fold over the other half. Continue laying the custard and crepes in this way until all the ingredients are used, ending with a layer of custard. Cover the terrine and chill it until set, this will take a least 2 hours.
Take the terrine from the fridge about 10 minutes before serving. Run a knife around the terrine and turn it out on to a platter. Dip the mould in hot water briefly to assist in turning it out. Cut the terrine into thin slices and arrange on dessert plates. Serve with whipped cream.
Mugi
That sounds good - I love a good crepe or galette but I'm afraid the ready made just don't do it for me. I will need to have a few people round though to make that - I can't see me managing on my own .
) with temperatures of minus 12. Brrr' that's cold.
Jenny