AS the nights draw in and the days become colder, we are all in need of some hearty autumn comfort food. Here, Coinneach MacLeod, aka The Hebridean Baker, shares some of his favourite recipes.
HEATHER HONEY STEAMED SPONGE
Scottish heather honey is produced from bees who have had access to the heather moors in Scotland. They take the nectar from the heather and convert it into honey. I love Scottish bees. The unique flavour and amber colour of their honey is perfect for this classic steamed sponge. (Make sure you have some string to hand before you start).
Ingredients
90g heather honey
70g butter
70g sugar
2 eggs
75g self-raising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Method
Put 2 tablespoons of the honey into a buttered 1-pint (570ml) pudding basin.
Add the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and remaining honey into a bowl and blend with a hand-mixer for 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into the pudding basin, on top of the honey.
Lay a piece of baking parchment on top of a sheet of foil, making a large pleat in the middle, to allow the pudding to rise. Cover the pudding basin foil side up, crimp around the sides and secure tightly with string.
Place the basin in a large saucepan filled halfway with boiling water. Allow that to simmer with the lid on for an hour. Keep an eye on the pan and top up the water if necessary.
Once you remove the foil, place the pudding basin upside down on a plate and serve immediately with vanilla custard.
CALEDONIAN FOREST GATEAU
Inspired by the traditional Black Forest gateau – with its layers of chocolate sponge, cream and boozy cherries – this Scottish version replaces cherries and kirsch with raspberries and Chambord, a delicious and decadent French raspberry liqueur.
Ingredients
For the sponge
175g butter
200g golden caster sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
100g dark chocolate, melted
200g self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
150g soured cream
For the filling and decoration
100g raspberry jam
400g fresh raspberries
75ml Chambord
500ml double cream
100g dark chocolate, coarsely grated
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. You will need 3 greased and lined 18cm cake tins.
With a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, the melted chocolate, flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda until combined. Finally, beat in the soured cream.
Divide the batter between the 3 prepared tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out of the cake clean. Cool the cakes in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the filling, put the jam in a saucepan with 200g of fresh raspberries and 25ml of Chambord and place over a low heat. Bring to a simmer and stir frequently for 6 to 8 minutes. Leave to cool and thicken for 15 minutes.
Whip the double cream with an electric hand-whisk until soft peaks form. Place 300ml of it in a separate bowl and chop 50g of the raspberries and gently stir them into the cream.
Brush the cooled cakes with 25ml of the Chambord before placing the first sponge on a plate. Spread on a thick layer of the jam mixture.
Place the second sponge on top and add a thick layer of the raspberry-filled cream. Add the final sponge on top and cover with a thin layer of the raspberry-filled cream.
With the leftover cream, put a thin layer all around the outside of the cake, then pipe the rest into swirls around the top of the cake.
Cover the top of the cake with the rest of the fresh raspberries and brush them with the leftover Chambord. Finally, with your hands, press the grated chocolate gently around the side of the cake. Serve.
The Hebridean Baker: Recipes and Wee Stories from the Scottish Islands by Coinneach MacLeod is published by Black & White, out now, £20. Follow him on TikTok and Instagram @HebrideanBaker
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