Buy as much Food, Drink & Crafts as you can, from Local Producers this Christmas!
My Traditional Irish Christmas Cake
Christmas cakes are made in many different ways, but generally they are variations on the classic fruitcake. They can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy etc. The cakes are made in many different shapes, with frosting, royal icing, a dusting of icing sugar or simple and plain.
The spices and dried fruits in the cake are supposed to represent the exotic eastern spices brought by the three Wise Men to the newborn King! The fruit is all soaked overnight in the whiskey, in a covered bowl, before use.
The spices and dried fruits in the cake are supposed to represent the exotic eastern spices brought by the three Wise Men to the newborn King! The fruit is all soaked overnight in the whiskey, in a covered bowl, before use.
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| I always make three cakes - one for Christmas Day and two to eat every day for tea until then! |
My Christmas Cake Ingredients:
150g (5oz) raisins
125g (4½oz) stoned dates
125g (4½oz) sultanas
100g (4oz) glace cherries
100ml (4 fl oz) Irish whiskey
(all of the above are soaked together overnight before making the cake)
225g (8oz) real butter
extra butter for greasing
200g (7oz) soft brown sugar
4 eggs
grated rind of 1 lemon & 1 orange
2tbls black treacle (light molasses)
225g (8oz) plain (all purpose) flour
½ tsp salt
1 rounded tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground clove
50g (2oz) ground almonds
50ml (2 fl oz) extra whiskey
My Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F), Gas mark 2. Grease a 20cm (8") cake tin and line it with greaseproof paper. Wrap some Newspaper around the outside and tie it with string. This will help the outside of the cake from browning too much during the cooking and prevent it from drying out.
2. Beat together, in a bowl, the sugar & butter until creamy. Gradually add the eggs, dusting a little of the flour in with each egg added. Add the treacle & grated fruit rinds and mix well.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl of soaked fruit and add the salt, spices and almonds. Stir all of this together, mixing well.
4. Fold the fruit mix into the egg mix, stirring evenly. Spoon the completed mix into the cake tin. Pull a little dip back in the middle of the cake so that when it rises, it will level itself off better.
5. Bake in the centre of the oven for 3 hours. If it is browning a little too much cover it loosely with tinfoil. Cook for another ½ hour. The cake is cooked when a fine skewer, inserted into the centre, comes out clean and dry.
Make small holes all over the warm cake with a skewer and spoon the extra 50ml whiskey over the holes until it has all soaked in. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When the cake is cold, remove it from the tin, peel off the lining paper, then wrap it first in clean greaseproof paper and then in foil.
A small amount of brandy, sherry or whiskey (depending on your own favourite drink) should be spooned over the cake every week until Christmas. This process is called “feeding the cake”.
You also should turn the cake over, each week, before you pour another little bit of your favourite drink over it. This ensures that all that lovely alcohol penetrates to the very middle of the Christmas cake and definitely creates that "Yum!" factor on Christmas Day. Enjoy!
You also should turn the cake over, each week, before you pour another little bit of your favourite drink over it. This ensures that all that lovely alcohol penetrates to the very middle of the Christmas cake and definitely creates that "Yum!" factor on Christmas Day. Enjoy!
Zack
Winterage Festival on October 29th set to celebrate Food of The Burren
The Burren Beo Trust's ' Winterage festival' marks the ancient farming tradition of ‘winterage’ - herding cattle onto the higher limestone uplands for the winter months to feed on the rich vegetation.
This year, the event will be held at Michael Cusack’s GAA Pitch near Bellharbour in County Clare on October 29th and includes both the Cattle drive walk, and the Burren Food Fayre which is being organised by the Burren Ecotourism Network.
Jarlath O’Dwyer, CEO of the Burren Ecotourism Network said: “This is an excellent opportunity for people to not only hear about the ancient farming practices of the Burren, but also for them to experience walking the cattle upland to the winterage, and then to be able to taste and purchase the foods of the land and sea at the Burren Food Fayre.”
“We are delighted to work with the team at Burren Beo, who have run the Cattle Drive for several years, bringing it from strength to strength, and attracting people from all over Ireland to attend on the day.” He added.
The locally sourced food and drink on display on the day will include beef, salmon, pork, oysters, cheese, breads, jams, chutneys along with Burren whiskey and gin. Many of the producers taking part adhere to the GEOfood concept, an international UNESCO initiative, which promotes sustainable agriculture and conservation and supports farmers and communities in the area.
Carol Gleeson, Manager of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark said: “With a long-standing traditions of food grown in the Burren, and a wide array of producers of both big and small-scale, GEOfood is a natural fit for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. “We are delighted that the food fayre is once again being staged on the rich agricultural lands of the Burren – there is no better way to connect people to the produce than to see where it came from. Amongst our GEOfood group, we have a few farming families who have worked this land for generations.”
The winterage walk starts at 11am, however attendees are encouraged to arrive at 10am to avail of tea, coffee and scones in the marquee. There will also be entertainment provided by local musicians. Pranjali Bhave of Burren Beo Trust said “We encourage all walkers to bring their own mug and hazel sticks and to bear in mind that this is a challenging walk of 6kms in total with a steep incline in the initial section of the walk. The walk is also on an uneven path and so unsuitable for buggies. No dogs are allowed.
All attendees must purchase tickets and pre register at this link: - https://www.tickettailor.com/events/burrenbeotrust/1024872
The Burren Food Fayre is supported by the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark, the Department of Agriculture, Food and The Marine and Calor Ireland.
Could you be the Ulster Fry World Champion 2023?
The first ever Ulster Fry World Championships will be held on Saturday 19th August at the Donaghadee Summer Festival!
Entries will be accepted from all nine counties in Ulster, as well as an additional entry from Belfast, and are welcome from chefs in cafes, restaurants, hotels, and B&Bs across the province of Ulster!
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| Your entry must only consist of bacon, potato bread, egg, soda bread, and sausage. |
Entries will be judged by our expert panel, and finalists invited to cook their Ulster Fry live in front of an audience.. The winner will receive their trophy to proudly display in their establishment, and boast to those far and wide that you are the Ulster Fry World Champion!
To make things fair, we have decided that only five ingredients will be included in the fry (no fancy avocados or French toast here!). Your entry must only consist of sausage, bacon, egg, soda bread, and potato bread.
If successful, during the final in Donaghadee your fry will be judged on three elements: taste, appearance, and use of local produce. This also provides the perfect opportunity to help support and promote your favourite local producers!
For an entry form, please contact Alana at alana@nigoodfood.com.
Entries close Friday 28th July. Good Luck!
Old Fashioned Black Forest Gateau Recipe
When I was about 12 years old, I started working weekends and summer in a bakery here in Donegal Town that was called the Oven Door. It was a great learning place for a young fella who liked to cook and bake, and under the tough but fair tutelage of master baker Patsy Margey, I eventually decided to become a chef!
Every Saturday morning in the bakery, one of my jobs was to make 24 Black Forest Gateaux (along with 24 square chocolate cakes, 24 round chocolate cakes, 24 square coffee cakes and 24 round coffee cakes!) The Black Forest was a great seller in the Oven Door cake shop and Patsy's version also had a biscuit layer, like a cheese cake base, on the bottom!
I thought about this stage of my life one day last week and as I hadn't seen a Black Forest Gateau for years, I suddenly decided to make one! The classic Black Forest was flavoured with Kirsch, which is a clear brandy traditionally made from double distillation of black Morello cherries.
You can use any Cherry Brandy or a non-alcoholic Cherry flavoured drink if you wish. I didn't make a biscuit base for this one. Maybe next time. You can make the chocolate cake the day before if you wish and keep it covered with a cloth until ready to assemble.
It is quite easy, so, here's the recipe and method for a Black Forest Gateaux:
The Cake:
6oz/150g Butter
6oz/150g Caster Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Extract
8oz/200g Plain Flour
3oz/75g Drinking Chocolate
4 Large Eggs
2 level tsp Baking Powder
A papered and greased 10"/25cm Cake Tin
The Filling:
50 ml Kirsch, Cherry Brandy, or Cherry Cordial
1x 425g tin of pitted Black Cherries
3 tablespoons Cornflour mixed in a little water
The Cream:
500ml Whipping Cream
50g Caster Sugar
Dash of Vanilla Extract
The Sides:
200g Grated Chocolate of your choice
Method:
1. Cream the Butter, Sugar and Vanilla essence together, until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add the eggs to mixture while still beating (add a little flour with each egg if it looks like it is starting to curdle). Mix together the rest of the flour with the drinking chocolate and baking powder and gently add this to the cake mixture.
3. Pour into the cake tin and Bake at 175*C Fan Oven for 35 minutes. Test the centre with a skewer.
4. Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely. Turn it out for preparation.
The Black Forest Gateaux:
1. Take 12 cherries out of the tin and leave aside for decoration.
2. Empty the rest of the tin of black cherries into a small pot. Add a dash of your Kirsch/Cherry Brandy and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Mix the cornflour into the water and add half of this to the hot cherry mix. This will thicken up the juice. Add a little more if you need, to get it to the consistence of a hot Jam mixture. Take it off the heat, pour into a cold bowl and leave in the fridge to cool down completely.
3. Whip 500ml cream together with 50g caster sugar and a dash of Vanilla Extract, until quite stiff.
4. Cut the cake into 3 even layers. Divide the remaining Kirsch/Cherry Brandy over the three layers of cake by sprinkling it equally over each. Then spread some Cream onto each cake layer.
5. Spoon half of the cooled Black Cherry mix onto the first layer of cake. Spread it evenly and place a second layer of cake on top of the first. Repeat with a spread of whipped cream and the other half of the black cherry mix. Top off with the third layer of chocolate cake.
6. Cover the complete cake with whipped cream (keeping some back for decorating the top) and use a scraper or spatula to smooth it off around the sides and the top.
7. Gently cover the sides of the cake with the grated chocolate. Work this quickly so that it doesn't start to melt and stick to your fingers. Tidy up your service plate around the edges of the cake.
I thought about this stage of my life one day last week and as I hadn't seen a Black Forest Gateau for years, I suddenly decided to make one! The classic Black Forest was flavoured with Kirsch, which is a clear brandy traditionally made from double distillation of black Morello cherries.
You can use any Cherry Brandy or a non-alcoholic Cherry flavoured drink if you wish. I didn't make a biscuit base for this one. Maybe next time. You can make the chocolate cake the day before if you wish and keep it covered with a cloth until ready to assemble.
It is quite easy, so, here's the recipe and method for a Black Forest Gateaux:
The Cake:
6oz/150g Butter
6oz/150g Caster Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Extract
8oz/200g Plain Flour
3oz/75g Drinking Chocolate
4 Large Eggs
2 level tsp Baking Powder
A papered and greased 10"/25cm Cake Tin
The Filling:
50 ml Kirsch, Cherry Brandy, or Cherry Cordial
1x 425g tin of pitted Black Cherries
3 tablespoons Cornflour mixed in a little water
The Cream:
500ml Whipping Cream
50g Caster Sugar
Dash of Vanilla Extract
The Sides:
200g Grated Chocolate of your choice
Method:
1. Cream the Butter, Sugar and Vanilla essence together, until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add the eggs to mixture while still beating (add a little flour with each egg if it looks like it is starting to curdle). Mix together the rest of the flour with the drinking chocolate and baking powder and gently add this to the cake mixture.
3. Pour into the cake tin and Bake at 175*C Fan Oven for 35 minutes. Test the centre with a skewer.
4. Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely. Turn it out for preparation.
The Black Forest Gateaux:
1. Take 12 cherries out of the tin and leave aside for decoration.
2. Empty the rest of the tin of black cherries into a small pot. Add a dash of your Kirsch/Cherry Brandy and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Mix the cornflour into the water and add half of this to the hot cherry mix. This will thicken up the juice. Add a little more if you need, to get it to the consistence of a hot Jam mixture. Take it off the heat, pour into a cold bowl and leave in the fridge to cool down completely.
3. Whip 500ml cream together with 50g caster sugar and a dash of Vanilla Extract, until quite stiff.
4. Cut the cake into 3 even layers. Divide the remaining Kirsch/Cherry Brandy over the three layers of cake by sprinkling it equally over each. Then spread some Cream onto each cake layer.
5. Spoon half of the cooled Black Cherry mix onto the first layer of cake. Spread it evenly and place a second layer of cake on top of the first. Repeat with a spread of whipped cream and the other half of the black cherry mix. Top off with the third layer of chocolate cake.
6. Cover the complete cake with whipped cream (keeping some back for decorating the top) and use a scraper or spatula to smooth it off around the sides and the top.
7. Gently cover the sides of the cake with the grated chocolate. Work this quickly so that it doesn't start to melt and stick to your fingers. Tidy up your service plate around the edges of the cake.
8. Pipe or spoon 12 rosettes of cream around the edge of the gateau to portion it and pop the extra black cherries on top of each. Sprinkle some more grated chocolate into the centre of the cake to finish.
Now, see how long it will last!! Enjoy your Black Forest Gateau!
Zack.
Burren GEOfood On The Menu This May
Local food producers the length and breadth of The Burren in County Clare are being showcased in a series of GEOfood events taking place during May. The GEOfood initiative was led by Magma UNESCO Global Geopark in Norway since 2013 and has grown to include partners in UNESCO Global Geoparks throughout the world, including Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark.
GEOfood is a global brand that promotes food sourced and produced in UNESCO Global Geoparks. Twelve local producers have become members of the initiative since it was launched at the Slow Food Festival by the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark in 2022.
The events get underway on Saturday 20th May when GEOfood member Cathleen Connole of Burren Fine Wine & Food hosts afternoon tea and a buffet of GEOfoods at her historic coach house, nestled in the hills of the Burren near Ballyvaughan. Members of the public are invited to sample a menu containing local cheeses, meats, chutneys, and preserves served with freshly made breads. The event forms part of Burren Ecotourism Network (BEN) Wellness Month, which features a variety of activities aimed at improving physical and mental health while providing an opportunity to experience the stunning Burren landscape.
On Sunday 21st May, the Pavilion Community Hall in Lisdoonvarna will host a display of local GEOfood produce, while Carol Gleeson from the Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark will expand on the plans for GEOfood and seafood producer Conor Graham from Flaggy Shore Oysters will talk about his oysters. The showcase is part of the Slow Food Festival, Ireland’s longest running food festival, which is organised by Slow Food Clare, the Burren Ecotourism Network and the Burren and the Geopark.
GEOfood will be promoted on national television on Wednesday 24th May when RTÉ One’s Today Show broadcasts live from the newly upgraded Vandeleur Walled Garden in Kilrush. Among the businesses that will be displaying their produce for the television cameras on the day are Burren Premium Beef, Linnalla Ice Cream and Flaggy Shore Oysters, while celebrity chef Kevin Dundon will be cooking up a GEOfood dish back in studio.
Meanwhile, the local media spotlight will shine on the Geoparks’ GEOfood this Sunday 14th May at 6.00pm when Clare FM’s documentary series Atlantic Tales with Pat Flynn features Geopark manager Carol Gleeson, Cathleen Connole, Donnacha Fahy of Celtic Salads and Siobhan Garvey of St. Tola Irish Goat Cheese.
“The main aim of the GEOfood programme is to provide a brand that emphasises the locality, freshness, seasonality and traditions of our local food and how the landscape and climate influences what we grow and produce. GEOfood also increases opportunities for local people and visitors to savour and appreciate quality local food” commented Geopark manager Carol Gleeson. “We are delighted to see a growing number of producers across the Burren getting involved with the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark GEOfood programme.”
GEOfood members include St. Tola Irish Goat Cheese (Inagh), Burren Fine Wine and Food Beetroot Chutney (Ballyvaughan), Flaggy Shore Oysters (New Quay), Burren Smokehouse Smoked Oysters (Lisdoonvarna), Burren Premium Beef (Boston), Burren Free Range Pork (Kilfenora), Linnalla Ice Cream (New Quay), and Wild Kitchen Elderflower Champagne & Haw Ketchup (Lahinch). Four new members have signed up to GEOfood in recent weeks, namely Burren Blossom Honey (Ballyvaughan), Celtic Salads (New Quay), Clare Jam Company (Doolin) and Savage Craic Fermented Foods (Corkscrew Hill).
“In the next year, we are looking to grow the GEOfood concept further to include restaurants and other food outlets and encourage them to use more locally sourced foods,” added Ms. Gleeson. “We hope to enthuse chefs, local people and visitors about the quality of food grown in the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. Through GEOfood, we look forward to further strengthening local livelihoods and further enhancing the growing national and international reputation garnered by the Burren for its quality food produce.”
Visit www.burrengeopark.ie for more.
Zack
Chef Eunice Power to cook at the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival
If you are looking a unique dining experience, the upcoming Blackwater Valley Opera Festival in Waterford and Cork has some beautiful fine dining options at the festival and the concerts.
Chef Eunice Power returns to the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival this year, with fantastic pre-opera dinner menus for 2023 – The Macbeth Menu and The Macbeth Menu (Vegan), served in luxurious, stretch tents within the beautiful grounds of Lismore Castle.
People are also welcome to bring their own picnic before the concert, and book a spot in one of the outhouses at Dromore Yard with seats and chairs, so they can picnic in comfort. Limited seating so they will need to book in advance.
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| Chef Eunice Power is one of Ireland's top catering specialists |
A selection of fine wines and champagne will be available from the bar. Any pre-paid orders made online will be served to them – ready for their arrival and chilled as appropriate.
Dates and Prices:
The Macbeth Menu by Eunice Power - 31 May, 2, 3, 4 June - Tickets €55- €75 Lismore Castle, Waterford.
Gourmet Table Picnics by Eamo & Ró - 31 May, 2, 3, 4 June - Tickets €55 Lismore Castle, Waterford.
Gourmet Table Picnics by Eamo & Ró - 1, 4, 5 June - Tickets €55 Dromore Yard, Aglish, Co. Waterford.
For more details and booking options see https://blackwatervalleyopera.ie/book-formal-dining/