At its heart is Nørn Aurora by Lerwick Distillery. The rum-finished richness of this blended malt Scotch whisky is amplified by gentle spice, smoke, and the glow of citrus and flame.

Bonfire Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Night, is celebrated across Scotland on the 5th of November with blazing fires, dazzling fireworks, and lively community gatherings. The event dates back to 1605, when the failed Gunpowder Plot—an attempt by Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London—was foiled.

Traditionally, people lit bonfires to mark the king’s survival, a custom that has evolved into a much-loved autumn celebration. In Scotland, towns and villages come alive with crackling flames, parades, and firework displays, creating a warm and festive atmosphere on a crisp November night.

To celebrate, I’ve created this Scotch whisky cocktail recipe using the Nørn Aurora Blended Malt Whisky from Lerwick Distillery.

Ingredients for one Scotch whisky cocktail

• 50ml Nørn Aurora Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
• 10ml Pedro Ximénez Sherry (for dark fruit and bonfire-toffee sweetness)
• 5ml St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (or a dash of spiced rum if unavailable)
• 10ml Fresh Lemon Juice
• 5ml Honey & Ginger Syrup (see recipe below)
• 2 dashes Aromatic Bitters
• Garnish: Flamed orange peel & smoked sea salt rim (optional)

Instructions

1. Lightly rim a rocks glass with smoked sea salt (optional). Chill the glass
2. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds
3. Strain over ice into the prepared rocks glass.
4. Express an orange peel over the drink, briefly passing it over a flame to release smoky citrus oils—a nod to the bonfire spark.
5. Drop the orange peel in the drink or rest it on the rim.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Warm smoke, caramelised orange, spiced honey.
• Palate: Layers of malty vanilla, toffee apple, and coastal salt, deepened by PX richness and a flicker of ginger heat.
• Finish: Long, glowing warmth with a whisper of rum sweetness and embers of oak.

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Edge of the Fire – A Bonfire Night Scotch Whisky Cocktail

Inspired by Shetland’s seafaring soul, this Scotch whisky cocktail celebrates the meeting of cold northern winds and Caribbean warmth. Like Bonfire Night itself — glowing against the dark — it’s a toast to explorers, smugglers, and storytellers who gather where land meets sea.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Scottish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Resting Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 1 serving

Calories 163kcal

Author Elizabeth

Equipment

• 1 small saucepan
• 1 cocktail shaker
• 1 rocks glass

Ingredients

• 50 ml Nørn Aurora Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
• 10 ml Pedro Ximénez Sherry
• 5 ml St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram or dash of spiced rum
• 10 ml Fresh lemon juice
• 5 ml Honey & ginger syrup see below
• 2 dashes Aromatic Bitters
• Garnish: Flamed orange peel & smoked sea salt rim optional

Honey & Ginger Syrup

• 1 inch fresh ginger
• 60 ml Shetland honey
• 60 ml water

Instructions

• Lightly rim a rocks glass with smoked sea salt (optional). Chill the glass
• Add 50 ml Nørn Aurora Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 10 ml Pedro Ximénez Sherry, 5 ml St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, 10 ml Fresh lemon juice, 5 ml Honey & ginger syrup and 2 dashes Aromatic Bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds
• Strain over ice into the prepared rocks glass.
• Express an orange peel over the drink, briefly passing it over a flame to release smoky citrus oils—a nod to the bonfire spark.
• Drop the orange peel in the drink or rest it on the rim.

To make the honey and ginger syrup

• Peel 1 inch fresh ginger and slice it into small pieces, no more than ¼ inch thick.
• Add ginger to a saucepan with 60 ml water and 60 ml Shetland honey, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until the honey dissolves.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat. Steep the honey-ginger syrup for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavour to infuse.
• Strain out the ginger pieces and bring the honey syrup to room temperature. Seal in an airtight container to store.

Nutrition

Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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A Scotch Whisky Experience at the Glen Garioch Distillery

Lamb & Haggis Meatballs with a Whisky Cream Sauce

Rolled Haggis Stuffed Lamb Meatloaf Recipe

The post “Edge of the Fire” – A Bonfire Night Scotch Whisky Cocktail Recipe appeared first on Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

This green beans recipe is for people who think they don’t like green beans.

One of the fantastic things about serving dinners to my guests is that I get to create bespoke menus for them. I take into consideration any dietary requirements, and seasonal availability of ingredients, and I cook, basically, what I feel like cooking that day with what I can source.

My guests have no idea what they’re getting until they sit down, and I serve it to them.

I was surprised at the number of people who tried this dish, and confessed afterwards that they’d become converts to the wonderful world of this humble string vegetable.

It’s the parboiling (it’s important to do in this in heavily salted water) for 4 minutes exactly (I set the timer, using fine green beans. Lengthen the time if your beans are thicker).

What you’ll need

• 400 grams fine green beans

• 40 grams/ 1/4 cup raw almonds, halved lengthwise

• 1 lemon, zest and juice

• 2 shallots, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp butter (of choice)

• olive oil, to drizzle

How to make green beans almondine

1. Bring a pan of heavily salted water to the boil. Parboil the green beans for 4 minutes exactly.
2. Drain, and plunge the green beans into cold water to halt the cooking process. Set aside until needed.
3. Heat the butter in a saute pan over medium heat, saute the almonds until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until the shallots begin to soften.
5. Add the green beans, tossing to coat. Add the lemon zest and juice, and season well with salt and pepper.
6. Arrange on a serving plate, with the toasted almond mixture decoratively piled high. Drizzle with a good quality extra virgin olive oil before serving.

What do you serve with green beans almondine?

I began making this recipe as a side dish to accompany beef bourguignon made with locally sourced native Shetland beef. I’ve also got a vegan mushroom bourguignon option, pictured below, for my guests with dietary requirements.

Like the crockery in this post? It’s Denby Kiln Blue

Kiln Blue echoes the movement and multi-faceted tones of waves. Designed to be subtle and embrace the link with nature and biophilic design, this modern range with organic shapes and glazes effortlessly adds charm to your dining table.

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Green Beans Almondine Recipe

Green beans almondine is a classic French dish of green beans with almonds. Almondine (or amandine) is a culinary term for an almond garnish. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 133kcal

Author Elizabeth

Equipment

• 1 frying pan
• 1 large saucepan
• 1 citrus zester
• 1 colander

Ingredients

• 400 grams fine green beans
• 40 grams raw almonds halved lengthwise
• 1 lemon zest and juice
• 2 shallots finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• olive oil to drizzle

Instructions

• Bring a pan of heavily salted water to the boil. Parboil 400 grams fine green beans for 4 minutes exactly.
  
• Drain, and plunge the green beans into cold water to halt the cooking process. Set aside until needed.
  
• Heat 1 tbsp butter in a saute pan over medium heat, saute 40 grams raw almonds, halved lengthwise, until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes.
  
• Add 2 shallots, finely chopped, and 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped and cook until the shallots begin to soften.
  
• Add the par-boiled green beans, tossing to coat. Add the zest of 1 lemon and squeeze over the juice. Season well with salt and pepper.
  
• Arrange on a serving plate, with the toasted almond mixture decoratively piled high. Drizzle with a good quality extra virgin olive oil before serving.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 370mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 784IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 2mg

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“Edge of the Fire” – A Bonfire Night Scotch Whisky Cocktail Recipe

How to make Green Beans Almondine: a Classic French Dish

Easy Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon for a Plant-based Meal

The post How to make Green Beans Almondine: a Classic French Dish appeared first on Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

I must admit the vegan recipe offering on my website is decidedly lacking. I’m not a vegan; it’s not how I eat. Instead, I opt for a diet that includes a wide variety of local, seasonal, low-food-mile ingredients chosen in a mindful, ethical manner as much as possible. I am a conscientious omnivore, with a nod towards the locavore movement. The meals I serve to my guests reflect this.

However, these last two summers, I’ve been encouraged to broaden my culinary horizons while catering to mixed groups of Aald Harbour Hoose guests who often have vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free dietary requirements. I want to make sure everyone has a memorable meal.

I do love this sort of challenge, and so I’ve come up with plant-based alternatives for all my set meals, starting with this hearty, rich vegan mushroom bourguignon.

Of course, the humble mushroom is the star of this show, so I’ve included a combination of dried porcini and baby button mushrooms cut in different ways for a variety of textures.

The secret to creating maximum flavour with this dish is to take your time. Cook the mushrooms slowly, stirring infrequently so that they become deliciously browned and caramelised before you proceed with the rest of the dish.

Ingredients you’ll need for this vegan mushroom bourguignon recipe

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• 40 grams dried porcini mushrooms – porcini have a deep, earthy and nutty flavour with an almost umami quality.
• 450 grams chestnut baby button mushrooms – offer a delightful medley of flavours, with earthy, meaty, and brothy notes. This savoury taste is derived from glutamate, a type of amino acid naturally found in mushrooms.
• 3 tbsp Scottish rapeseed oil – this oil has a high smoke point, which means it won’t burn until about 204 °C/ 400 °F. That makes it a good, lower food mile choice for frying mushrooms.
• 2 tbsp vegan butter – adds extra flavour to the dish.
• 250 grams pearl onions or shallots – pearl onions are traditionally used in bourguignon but are impossible to get here in Shetland, so I use shallots. Shallots have a delicate and complex flavor profile that combines the pungency of onions with a subtle hint of garlic. When raw, they have a peppery bite similar to red onions, but when cooked, they develop a delicious sweetness. Their flavor is nuanced and more delicate compared to regular onions.

• 4 carrots – traditionally included in bourguignon, carrots add a pleasant sweetness to balance out the acidity of the tomato paste. Cut them quite thickly.
• 1 red bell pepper – cut coarsely into pieces to add a sweet and fruity flavour, texture and colour to the finished dish.
• 4 garlic cloves – finely chopped, this aromatic flavour enhancer is a key ingredient in bourguignon.

• 1 bouquet garni – made with three bay leaves, a handful of fresh thyme sprigs, a rosemary sprig and a few parsley stalks wrapped in a few layers of fresh leek. Tie with butcher’s string.
• 2 tbsp tomato puree – to add umami flavour and help thicken the sauce.
• 250 ml Pinot Noir – ‘bourguignon’ translates as burgundy, so you want to use a French wine from the Burgundy region. Pinot Noir is the traditional wine used in bourguignon recipes.
• 2 tbsp cornflour – used to thicken the sauce.
• 600 ml vegan stock – made with Marigold Swiss vegetable bouillon and the soaking water from the dried porcini mushrooms.

• 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce – adds a smooth, savoury and almost meaty taste to the finished dish.
• 5 juniper berries – with a flavour that is intensely spicy with a hint of pine, these berries are traditionally used in bourguignon.
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper – and plenty of it too, to enhance the overall flavour of the dish.
• 100 grams vegan chorizo – optional, and I’ve only found this in the supermarket occasionally, but it’s great for adding a bit of extra flavour and texture to this plant-based dish.
• 100 grams vegan bacon—Bourguignon is traditionally garnished with crispy bacon, but there are plenty of vegan options these days.
• Parsley or spring onions – to garnish.

How to make vegan mushroom bourguignon

1. Soak dried porcini mushrooms for 20 minutes in boiling water. Reserve the soaking liquid for the stock.
2. Slice the vegan chorizo into 5 mm thick coins and fry in a little rapeseed oil until crispy. Set aside.
3. Cut half of your chestnut baby button mushrooms into slices and quarter or halve the remaining half, depending on their size, leaving the smallest mushrooms whole.
4. Cut half of your shallots in quarters, and finely slice the remainder.
5. Heat a 1 tbsp rapeseed oil and 1 tsp vegan butter in a heavy-based pot and cook the mushrooms in small batches for 10-15 minutes, stirring infrequently, until they are golden.
6. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl and sprinkle generously with sea salt.
7. Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in the pan and cook your shallots for 10 minutes, until the shallots begin to soften but have not started to brown.
8. Add the garlic, finely chopped, and cook a further five minutes, until the shallots begin to colour.
9. Add the thickly sliced carrots, chopped red pepper, tomato paste, tamari, vegan chorizo and cornflour. Stir to coat.
10. Add the cooked mushrooms, drained porcini mushrooms, vegetable stock made with the porcini soaking water, wine, bouquet garni and juniper berries. Season with salt and pepper and pop the lid on.
11. Simmer, gently, for 35-40 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Ideally, leave the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavours to develop further.
12. Heat a little rapeseed oil in a nonstick pan and fry the vegan bacon until crispy.
13. Remove the bouquet garni and garnish the vegan mushroom bourguignon with the crispy fried vegan bacon, fresh parsley and spring onions. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans almondine.

Tips for making vegan mushroom bourguignon

1. Prep everything in advance. Clean and slice your mushrooms, prep your onions, chorizo, carrots, red pepper and bouquet garni before you start cooking.
2. Go slow! Take your time cooking the mushrooms and shallots for maximum flavour.
3. Leave the vegan mushroom bourguignon overnight in the fridge to allow the flavours to develop, if you’ve got time.
4. This recipe freezes and reheats very well. Batch cook to save time later.

How to make your own bouquet garni

1. Carefully remove 2 layers from a five-inch piece of leek.
2. Use these layers to wrap 3 bay leaves, a handful of fresh thyme sprigs, a sprig of rosemary and a handful of parsley stalks.
3. Tie with butcher’s string.

What wine do you serve with vegan mushroom bourguignon?

Pinot Noir, always.

Like the crockery in this post? It’s Denby Kiln Blue

Kiln Blue echoes the movement and multi-faceted tones of waves. Designed to be subtle and embrace the link with nature and biophilic design, this modern range with organic shapes and glazes effortlessly adds charm to your dining table.

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Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon

Discover a delicious vegan twist on the classic mushroom bourguignon recipe. Enjoy the rich flavours of this plant-based dish, created as a vegan option for my Aald Harbour Hoose guests.

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 524kcal

Author Elizabeth

Equipment

• 1 heavy based pan
• 1 frying pan
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 knife

Ingredients

• 40 grams dried porcini mushrooms
• 3 tbsp Scottish rapeseed oil
• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• 100 grams vegan chorizo optional
• 450 grams chestnut baby button mushrooms
• 250 grams shallots
• 4 medium carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 250 ml Pinot Noir
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
• 600 ml vegan stock made with porcini soaking water
• 1 bouquet garni made with leek, thyme, bay, rosemary and parsley
• 5 juniper berries
• 100 grams vegan bacon
• spring onions to garnish

Instructions

• Soak 40 grams dried porcini mushrooms for 20 minutes in boiling water. Reserve the soaking liquid for the stock. Cut half of 450 grams chestnut baby button mushrooms into slices and quarter or halve the remaining half, depending on their size, leaving the smallest mushrooms whole.
  
• Quarter half of 250 grams shallots, and finely slice the remainder.
  
• Coarsely chop 4 medium carrots and 1 red bell pepper.
  
• Slice 100 grams vegan chorizo, if using, into 5 mm thick coins and fry in a little rapeseed oil until crispy. Set aside.
  
• Heat a third of 3 tbsp Scottish rapeseed oil and some of 2 tbsp vegan butter in a heavy-based pot. Cook the mushrooms in small batches for 10-15 minutes, stirring infrequently, until they are golden.
  
• Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl and sprinkle generously with sea salt.
  
• Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed oil and 1 tbsp butter in the pan, and cook the halved shallots for 10 minutes, until they begin to soften but have not started to brown.
  
• Add 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and cook a further five minutes, until the shallots begin to colour.
  
• Add the thickly sliced carrots, chopped red pepper, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce, vegan chorizo and 2 tbsp cornflour. Stir to coat.
  
• Add the cooked mushrooms, drained porcini mushrooms, 600 ml vegan stock made with the porcini soaking water, 250 ml Pinot Noir, 1 bouquet garni (see notes) and 5 juniper berries. Season with salt and pepper and pop the lid on.
  
• Simmer, gently, for 35-40 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Ideally, leave the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavours to develop further.
  
• Garnish the vegan mushroom bourguignon with 100 grams vegan bacon, fried until crispy, fresh parsley and sliced spring onions. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans almondine.
  

Notes

How to make your own bouquet garni

1. Carefully remove two layers from a five-inch piece of leek.
2. Use these layers to wrap 3 bay leaves, a handful of fresh thyme sprigs, a sprig of rosemary and a handful of parsley stalks.
3. Tie with butcher’s string.

Nutrition

Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 1.636mg | Potassium: 1.316mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 12.203IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 6mg

Pin this recipe for later

Other Aald Harbour Hoose recipes you might like

How to make Green Beans Almondine: a Classic French Dish

How to make French Yoghurt Cake

How to make Shetland Huffsie

The post Easy Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon for a Plant-based Meal appeared first on Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

Elevate your brunch with a humble bacon jam with cheddar omelette, a culinary masterpiece that requires little more than a few simple ingredients and a dash of flair. Serve with a glass of Barefoot California Merlot.

This is a sponsored recipe post made in collaboration with Barefoot Wines. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to do what I love: mess up my kitchen, feed people and share recipe stories.

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]

• Ingredients for one Scotch whisky cocktail
• Instructions
• Tasting Notes
• Edge of the Fire – A Bonfire Night Scotch Whisky Cocktail
• Other posts you might like

The humble omelette

As the morning sun casts its golden glow upon the table, the aroma of sizzling butter and savoury eggs wafts through the air, beckoning us to partake in a most indulgent ritual. A leisurely brunch, accompanied by a glass of fine wine, is the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of daily life. The gentle clinking of crystal, the soft murmur of conversation, and the glow of morning sunlight all conspire to create an atmosphere of relaxed elegance.

At the heart of this delightful repast lies the humble omelette, a culinary masterpiece that requires little more than a few simple ingredients and a dash of flair.

As we carefully fold the delicate folds of our omelette, the anticipation builds, much like the gentle crescendo of a symphony. The first bite is a revelation – the creamy richness of butter and cheese, the smoky depth of bacon jam, and the pungent crunch of spring onions meld together in perfect harmony. It’s a sensory experience that defies the mundane, elevating the humble omelette to an art form worthy of the finest restaurants.

Yet, despite its sophistication, the omelette remains deceptively simple to prepare. A few swift strokes of the spatula, a sprinkle of magic dust (or rather, a pinch of salt and pepper), and voilà! A culinary masterpiece is born. The perfect brunch companion, the omelette is adaptable yet bold, elegant yet effortless. It’s a true delight.

What you’ll need to make a bacon jam omelette with cheddar

• ⁠3 eggs – the foundation of the omelette provides structure, moisture, and a delicate texture.
• 30 grams of cheddar cheese – adds richness, creaminess, and a burst of flavour to balance the savoury elements.
• 1 tbsp bacon jam – contributes smoky, sweet, and tangy notes that elevate the dish from humble to haute cuisine.

• 2 tsp butter – enhances the omelette’s overall richness and tenderness while adding a subtle nutty flavour.
• 1 tbsp spring onion – provides a pungent crunch and a pop of colour, adding freshness and depth to the dish.
• White pepper and sea salt – to taste.

How to make an omelette with bacon jam and cheddar cheese

1. Heat your butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
2. Whisk your eggs with a fork.
3. Pour the eggs into the hot butter and swirl the pan over the heat until the eggs begin to set. Do not stir with a spatula (you’re not making scrambled eggs!).
4. Season with white pepper and sea salt, and continue to swirl the pan over the heat.
5. Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese down the centre of the omelette. The egg will still be loose.
6. Spoon over the bacon jam.
7. Add sliced spring onions.
8. When the egg is still slightly loose, fold over the sides of the omelette and serve.

Click here for the full recipe instructions.

What wine would pair with this omelette?

When it comes to pairing wine with an omelette featuring cheese, bacon jam, butter, and spring onions, I’d recommend the following grape varieties:

Chardonnay – buttery and oaky Chardonnay can complement the richness of the butter and cheese in the omelette. Its crisp acidity will also cut through the savoury flavours of the bacon jam.

Sauvignon Blanc – this citrusy and herbaceous white wine will pair nicely with spring onion’s bright, pungent flavours. Its acidity will also help balance the dish’s richness.

Pinot Grigio– a crisp and refreshing Pinot Grigio can complement the delicate flavours of the eggs and cheese in the omelette. Its citrus notes will also enhance the overall brightness of the dish.

A light-bodied option like Pinot Noir or Beaujolais could work well if you prefer red wine. These wines will add subtle fruitiness and earthy undertones that won’t overpower the delicate flavours of the omelette.

For those with a taste for a stronger red wine, pair your omelette with a Barefoot California Merlot.

“The rich and plush texture of Barefoot California Merlot perfectly complements the savoury indulgence of a bacon jam and cheddar omelette. The wine’s smooth tannins elegantly intertwine with the smoky sweetness of the bacon jam, while its concentrated dark fruit flavours harmonise with the richness of the cheese. With each sip, Barefoot Merlot adds depth and complexity to the dish, enhancing its savoury profile and creating a luxurious dining experience.”

Jennifer Wall, the winemaker at Barefoot

This pairing is a testament to Merlot’s versatility, proving it to be the perfect accompaniment to the bold and hearty flavours of a bacon jam and cheese omelette.

Remember, personal taste plays a significant role in wine pairings, so don’t be afraid to experiment and find your perfect match!

You can find Barefoot wine at all good supermarkets. Visit their website for more information. As always, remember to drink responsibly.

Recipe Difficulty Levels

Easy

Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.

Moderate

Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.

Challenging

Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.

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Bacon Jam Omelette with Cheddar

Elevate your brunch with a humble omelette, a culinary masterpiece that requires little more than a few simple ingredients and a dash of flair.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 omelette

Calories 400kcal

Author Elizabeth

Equipment

• 1 frying pan
• 1 small bowl
• 1 fork
• 1 spatula

Ingredients

• 3 free-range eggs
• 2 tsp butter
• 30 grams cheddar cheese grated
• 1 tbsp bacon jam
• 1 tbsp spring onions
• Shetland sea salt to taste
• ground white pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat 2 tsp butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
  
• Whisk 3 free-range eggs with a fork.
  
• Pour the eggs into the hot butter and swirl the pan over the heat until the eggs begin to set. Do not stir with a spatula (you’re not making scrambled eggs!).
  
• Season with ground white pepper and Shetland sea salt, and continue to swirl the pan over the heat.
  
• Sprinkle 30 grams cheddar cheese down the centre of the omelette. The egg will still be loose.
  
• Spoon over 1 tbsp bacon jam.
  
• Add 1 tbsp spring onions, finely sliced.
  
• When the egg is still slightly loose, fold over the sides of the omelette and serve immediately.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 543mg | Sodium: 744mg | Potassium: 208mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1263IU | Calcium: 288mg | Iron: 2mg

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A huge thank you to Nancy and Seth from California, my Aald Harbour Hoose guests, who were my willing taste testers. It was a pleasure cooking for you!

The post Bacon Jam Omelette with Cheddar: a Savory Brunch Delight appeared first on Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

This recipe is one of the cakes I bake for my Aald Harbour Hoose guests, and it’s always a favourite. All photographs by Misa Hay of Shetland Wool Adventures.

The easiest cake recipe ever

This is one of those failproof, easy cake recipes. It literally takes a matter of minutes to whip up. There’s no creaming or excessive mixing involved; simply measure ingredients into a bowl and whisk together, pour into a cake tin and bake.

Traditionally, this recipe was made using small 125-gram size yoghurt jars to measure out the ingredients. The ratio is one pot of yoghurt, two pots of sugar, three pots of plain flour and one pot of sunflower oil.

I’ve been making this cake for years. It was such a family favourite that I started making it for my Aald Harbour Hoose guests’ packed lunches. It always goes down a treat.

What you’ll need to make French yoghurt cake

How to make French yoghurt cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 170 C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 9-inch round cake tin.
2. Combine yoghurt, sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat until well combined.
3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and zest of one lemon and mix well.
4. Fold in the sunflower oil until incorporated, taking care not to over-mix.
5. Spoon into the prepared baking tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 30-40 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice (approximately 50 ml) with the icing sugar.
7. When the cake is cooked, poke holes in it with a skewer. Drizzle over the lemon juice/icing sugar mixture.
8. Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely.
9. Store in an airtight container for up to five days.

French yoghurt cake variations

• Use a flavoured yoghurt instead of plain, natural yoghurt.
• After spooning into the prepared tin, sprinkle with a handful of fresh blueberries or raspberries. Bake for an extra five minutes.

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French yoghurt cake recipe

This cake is light with a gorgeous crumb, and the lemon drizzle finish makes for a moist, zesty, lemony tea-time treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10 people

Calories 314kcal

Author Elizabeth

Equipment

• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 whisk
• 1 9-inch springform cake tin
• 1 baking paper
• 1 sieve
• 1 citrus zester
• 1 measuring jug
• 1 digital scales
• 1 measuring spoons

Ingredients

• 135 grams plain natural yoghurt
• 200 grams caster sugar
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 200 grams plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 lemon juice and zest
• 125 ml sunflower oil
• 75 grams icing sugar plus extra to dust

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F/ 170 C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 9-inch round cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
• Combine 135 grams plain natural yoghurt, 200 grams caster sugar and 3 large free-range eggs in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
• Sift in 200 grams plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and zest of 1 lemon and mix well.
• Fold in 125 ml sunflower oil until incorporated, taking care not to over-mix.
• Spoon into the prepared baking tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 30-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice (approximately 50 ml) with 75 grams icing sugar.
• When the cake is cooked, poke holes in it with a skewer. Drizzle over the lemon juice/icing sugar mixture.
• Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely. Dust with more icing sugar to serve.
• Store in an airtight container for up to five days.

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 159mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg

Pin this recipe for later

Other Aald Harbour Hoose recipes you might like

Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

How to make Shetland Huffsie

Slow Cooked Lamb Bourguignon

The post How to make French Yoghurt Cake appeared first on Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

An alternative to a traditional roast turkey dinner

This recipe is for you if you want something different to serve for Christmas or Thanksgiving but still want that traditional turkey and stuffing combo.

This recipe features a perfectly moist roasted rolled turkey breast wrapped in pork sausage stuffing flavoured with cranberries and toasted hazelnuts. The whole lot is encased in a crispy, golden, mouthwatering pastry, making for a showstopper of a meal.

It’s super easy to make, and best of all, you can prepare it in advance. On the day, you only need to pop it in the oven and open a bottle of red wine. We recommend a fine pinot noir or Beaujolais nouveaux.

Ingredients for Turkey Wellington

Roast turkey

• 1.8 kg/4lb turkey butterfly – ask your butcher to prepare your turkey butterfly for you. It should be deboned, rolled and tied into an even, oval shape. Alternatively, you can butterfly and roll your turkey breast at home.
• 2 tbsp olive oil – the best way to get a flavoursome roast turkey breast is to season it with plenty of olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. Olive oil also helps keep the roast deliciously moist and juicy.
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme – earthy and aromatic, thyme adds depth to any dish, pairing especially well with turkey.
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper – be generous with the salt and pepper.

Cranberry and hazelnut stuffing

• 1 large onion – finely diced and slow-cooked in butter in a sauté pan for maximum flavour.
• 1 tbsp butter – to sauté the finely diced onion, and add flavour to the stuffing.
• 600 grams pork sausagemeat – you can get this from your local butchers. Alternatively, empty out the filling from your favourite pork sausage casings.
• 100 grams fresh breadcrumbs – use slightly stale bread for maximum flavour. Slightly stale breadcrumbs absorb the juices and flavours from the meat better than fresh ones.
• 100 grams toasted, chopped hazelnuts – for a delicious nutty flavour. Learn how to toast hazelnuts.

• 100 grams dried cranberries – the tannins in cranberry skin bind with the protein and fats in turkey, making for a balanced and sweet combination.
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme – the beautiful, gentle flavour of thyme helps make for a truly exceptional stuffing.
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary – synonymous with the holidays, no roast turkey would be complete without this.
• 1 tbsp fresh sage – pairing well with turkey and pork, fresh sage elevates the stuffing.
• 2 large eggs – free range, of course, eggs help bind the stuffing together so it’ll hold it’s shape easier around the turkey.
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste, but again, be very generous. Salt and pepper both enhance the dish’s flavours.

Pastry

• 2 x 350 grams ready-to-roll puff pastry – alternatively, make your own.
• 1 egg yolk – to give the pastry a delicious golden glow.

How to make turkey Wellington

1. Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4. Place your turkey butterfly on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme and season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast in the centre of the oven for 60-70 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 72 C. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
3. To make the stuffing, sauté the onion in the butter over a medium heat, taking care not to brown the onion. Cool.
4. Add the cooled onion to the pork sausagemeat, breadcrumbs, hazelnuts, cranberries and herbs. Mix together well with your hands.
5. Add the eggs, season well, and mix until thoroughly combined. It’s easier just to do this with your hands.
6. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry and spread ½ of the pork stuffing mixture into the centre of the pasty in a shape roughly the same size as the base of your turkey.
7. Place the turkey on top (remember to remove the string if you’ve tied it!), and, using your hands, coat the outside of the turkey with the remaining stuffing.
8. Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry and carefully place it on top, pressing down slightly from the top to the bottom to push out any air.
9. Press the edges of the top and bottom puff pastry sheets together, cutting away any excess and crimping/folding to form a pastry edge.
10. You could, if desired, make decorations with the excess puff pastry.
11. Brush the pastry all over with an egg beaten with 1 tbsp water.
12. The turkey Wellington can, at this stage, be kept in the fridge overnight.
13. Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4.
14. Roast the turkey Wellington in the centre of the oven for 40-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the turkey’s internal temperature is 72 C. Depending on your oven’s heat distribution, you might want to rotate the turkey Wellington midway for even browning.
15. Allow to rest for 15 minutes, and serve with your favourite turkey gravy and all the Christmas dinner trimmings.

How to toast hazelnuts

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F.
2. Spread whole hazelnuts out on a baking tray in a single layer.
3. Toast in the centre of the oven for 10-15 minutes until browned and fragrant.
4. To remove the skins, wrap the warm hazelnuts in a dish towel and let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

What is a turkey butterfly?

A turkey butterfly, sometimes called a boneless turkey crown, is a turkey breast joint with all the bones removed. If your turkey breast joint has been left on the bone, then you actually have a turkey crown. They are otherwise the same cut of meat – the two breast sections of the turkey with legs and wings removed.

Print

Turkey Wellington with Cranberries and Hazelnuts

A perfectly moist butterfly turkey breast wrapped in pork sausage stuffing flavoured with cranberries and toasted hazelnuts, all encased in a crispy, golden, mouthwatering puff pastry.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 12 servings

Calories 789kcal

Author Elizabeth

Equipment

• 1 saute pan
• 1 roasting tin
• 1 digital scales
• 1 mixing bowl

Ingredients

For the roast butterfly turkey breast

• 1.8 kg turkey breast butterfly
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• Shetland sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the cranberry and hazelnut pork sausage stuffing

• 1 large onion finely diced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 600 grams pork sausagemeat
• 100 grams fresh breadcrumbs
• 100 grams hazelnuts toasted and chopped
• 100 grams dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp fresh sage
• 2 large free-range eggs
• Shetland sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper

For the puff pastry

• 700 grams ready-to-roll puff pastry
• 1 free-range egg yolk beaten

Metric – US Cup Measures

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4. Place your boneless, rolled 1.8 kg turkey breast butterfly on a baking tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tbsp fresh thyme and season with plenty of Shetland sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  
• Roast your turkey butterfly in the centre of the oven for 60-70 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 72 C. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
  
• To make the stuffing, sauté 1 large onion, finely chopped, in 1 tbsp butter over medium heat in a sauté pan, taking care not to brown the onion. Cool.
  
• Add the cooled onion to 600 grams pork sausagemeat, 100 grams fresh breadcrumbs, 100 grams hazelnuts, toasted and chopped, 100 grams dried cranberries, 1 tbsp fresh thyme, 1 tbsp fresh rosemary and 1 tbsp fresh sage. Mix together well with your hands.
  
• Add 2 large free-range eggs, and season well with Shetland sea salt and freshly ground black pepperMix until thoroughly combined. It’s easier just to do this with your hands.
  
• Roll out one sheet of your 700 grams ready-to-roll puff pastry and place in a large roasting tin. Spread ½ of the pork stuffing mixture into the centre of the pasty in a shape roughly the same size as the base of your turkey.
  
• Place the turkey on top (remember to remove the string if you’ve tied it!), and, using your hands, coat the outside of the turkey with the remaining stuffing.
  
• Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry and carefully place on the top, pressing down slightly from the top to the bottom, pushing out any air.
  
• Press the edges of the top and bottom puff pastry sheets together, cutting away any excess and crimping/folding to form a pastry edge.
  
• You could, if desired, make decorations with the excess puff pastry.
  
• Brush the pastry all over with 1 free-range egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp water.
  
• The turkey Wellington can, at this stage, be kept in the fridge overnight.
• Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4.
• Roast the turkey wellington in the centre of the oven for 40-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the internal temperature of the turkey is 72 C. Depending on the heat distribution of your oven, you might want to rotate the turkey wellington midway for even browning.
  
• Allow to rest for 15 minutes, and serve with your favourite turkey gravy and all the Christmas dinner trimmings.
  

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 789kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 854mg | Potassium: 642mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 226IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 4mg

Other blog posts you might like

Turkey Masterclass: How to Cook a Perfect Turkey

96 Tasty Recipes to Use Up Leftover Roast Turkey

16 Ways to Jazz Up Your Christmas Dinner Leftovers

The post Turkey Wellington with Cranberries & Hazelnuts appeared first on Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

The Island of Whalsay

Whalsay, on the east side of Shetland, is a small 7.6-square-mile island home to one of the Island’s most prolific fishing fleets.

The island has a rich maritime history dating back more than 500 years when the Hanseatic merchants had a trading base in Symbister, the main village on Whalsay.

Evidence of their presence still remains with a human-made shingle beach near the pier which was used for drying cod and ling, Shetland’s main export. In exchange, the German merchants brought rye meal, wheat flour, bread, mead, beer, and spirits, among other things.

In 2015, I visited the island for the second time, researching and writing a food-related article for Promote Shetland’s now-discontinued 60 North magazine.

It was too early in the year during my visit to witness fish being dried, but I was told that there are still folk on the island who dry and cure fish in the traditional way.

One of my objectives for this day trip to the island, in addition to exploring unfamiliar territory, was to learn about food.

“What do folk on Whalsay eat?” I asked.

“Too much!” laughed the ferryman as I paid for my ticket for the half-hour ferry crossing from Laxo to Symbister. “I’m always thinking about food,” he continued in his thick dialect. “Mostly, though, we eat a lot of fish and mutton. A lot of fish.”

“Mostly, though, we eat a lot of fish and mutton. A lot of fish.”

Whalsay ferryman.

One of the homebakes Whalsay is renowned for is huffsie, or hufsi, a traditional Shetland fruitcake whose origins are rumoured to be on the island. During my visit, I was given a few different recipes for this cake.

Marian Armitage’s Huffsie Recipe

There are several different huffsie recipes in Shetland, and the one I use (the full, printable recipe is below) is based on Marian Armitage’s recipe, which can be found on the Taste of Shetland website. My only adaptation is that I’ve nearly doubled the quantity of tea, as the loaf was too dry and crumbly with the original quantities. I also soak the dried mixed fruit for at least an hour, leaving the tea bag in to infuse the flavour into the fruit.

Served ‘klined’ (Shetland dialect for ‘spread’) with butter, it’s a delicious teatime treat whether on land or at sea.

I regularly make this huffsie recipe to include in the packed lunches for my walking tour guests at the Aald Harbour Hoose and, as the first image on this page shows, for tea breaks when I go off fishing.

Ingredients for Shetland huffsie

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Jump to the printable recipe

How to make huffsie – recipe instructions

1. Make a strong cup of tea, leaving the tea bag in it. Pour the hot tea with the tea bag over the mixed dried fruit and leave the fruit to soak for at least an hour. Do not drain the liquid. 
2. Heat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. 
3. Weigh the flour, baking powder and mixed spice in a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.  
4. Lightly beat the eggs in a separate small bowl. 
5. Weigh the brown sugar, butter, and treacle into a small saucepan. Add the mixed dried fruit and tea that hasn’t soaked into the fruit. Bring the ingredients slowly to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.  
6. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Add the eggs and beat well.  
7. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined. 
8. Transfer immediately to the prepared loaf tin and cook for 45 minutes, until it is well-risen and golden brown. You can test its readiness by inserting a skewer – if it comes out clean, it’s baked.  
9. Cool in the tin.  

Mary Hutchison’s Huffsie Recipe

Mary was born at the Knowe in Whalsay, and both she and her mother were bakers. I bumped into her granddaughter, Donna Polson, at the island charity shop ‘Da Shoard’, where we chatted about food.

Donna explained, “Both my grandmother and great-grandmother were bakers, “as were all of the women at that time. The ‘steamer’ only came by Whalsay three times a week, so there was no fancy food available, and baking was an integral part of life. Sharing baking with friends and family was also a key component of Whalsay life, as it was all over Shetland.”

Mary’s huffsie recipe is slightly different from the others I’ve seen. In most recipes, the dried fruit (usually raisins, sultanas and/or currants) is boiled in a little water and bicarbonate of soda before being added to the dry ingredients. In Mary’s recipe, the dried fruit is added straight to the dry ingredients with a spoonful of vinegar and a shredded apple, the latter of which gives the bake a lovely, moist consistency.

To make Mary’s recipe, cream together 1/2 lb butter and 1/2 lb brown sugar. Add 3 eggs, beat well and then add 10 oz plain flour, 1/2 – 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp each cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice and 1 tbsp vinegar. Mix well, and if required, add a little milk. Add 1 shredded apple, 2 oz mixed peel, 1/2 lb raisins and 1/2 lb currants. Mix well. Spoon into a 9-inch greased and papered tin and bake slowly (what temperature?) for 2.5 hours.

This fragrantly spiced cake pairs very well with an afternoon cuppa.

Maggie Leask’s Huffsie Recipe

Put 1 cup raisins, 1 cup sultanas, 1 cup sugar, 5 oz butter and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda into a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool and add 2 eggs and 2 cups of plain flour. Spoon into two greased and lined loaf tins and bake at 170 degrees Celcius for 60 minutes.

Whalsay boiled mutton wedding feast

Another rather interesting food-related tradition that came to light over my Whalsay charity shop counter chat was to learn of the Whalsay Boiled Mutton Wedding Feast, a community tradition handed down through the generations that is still prevalent on the island today.

“A big wedding needs maybe ten sheep and ten bags of peat,” a volunteer at the charity shop explained, “It’s the men who cook the mutton. The men cut up the mutton the night before the wedding and get it ready. There is always one designated head cook in charge of 12 men, and the mutton is boiled in large pots with wooden lids over an open peat fire, the traditional way. The key is in the seasoning – salt and pepper and many pounds of onions.”

Pots of boiled mutton are shipped to the village hall from the north end of the island to the south. Twenty women cooks serve the mutton at the wedding supper, which starts at 8:30 p.m. The Supper is served in sittings of sixty people at a time, and there are usually six sittings in total.

Another part of the tradition is that the bride and groom organize what men (and women) do the cooking for their supper and visit them before the wedding to collect the fancies and bannocks served alongside.

Exploring Whalsay

The rest of my day trip to Whalsay was spent climbing the Ward of Clett, Whalsay’s largest hill at 119 metres, and rambling along the coastline around Britain’s most northerly 18-hole golf course in Shaw, at the north end of the island, baking under the sun on a perfect windless, cloudless day.

Print

Shetland Huffsie Recipe

Huffsie is a traditional Shetland tea loaf that originated on the island of Whalsay. Served ‘klined’ (Shetland dialect for ‘spread’) with butter, it’s a delicious teatime treat whether on land or at sea.

Course Snack

Cuisine Shetland

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 10 servings

Calories 252kcal

Author Elizabeth

Equipment

• 1 small saucepan
• 1 2 lb loaf tin
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 digital scales
• 1 mixing bowl

Ingredients

• 200 grams mixed dried fruit
• 175 ml strong tea
• 200 grams self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 100 grams butter
• 100 grams soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp treacle
• 2 free-range eggs

Instructions

• Brew a strong cup of tea, leaving the tea bag in it. Pour 175 ml strong tea with the tea bag over 200 grams mixed dried fruit and leave the fruit to soak for at least an hour. Do not drain the liquid. 
  
• Heat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. 
• Weigh 200 grams self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 2 tsp mixed spice in a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.  
  
• Lightly beat 2 free-range eggs in a separate small bowl. 
  
• Weigh 100 grams soft brown sugar, 100 grams butter, and 1 tbsp treacle into a small saucepan. Add the mixed dried fruit and tea that hasn’t soaked into the fruit (remove the tea bag!).
  
• Slowly bring the ingredients to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Add 2 free-range eggshe eggs and beat well.  
  
• Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined. 
  
• Transfer immediately to the prepared loaf tin and cook for 45 minutes, until it is well-risen and golden brown. You can test its readiness by inserting a skewer – if it comes out clean, it's baked.  
  
• Cool in the tin. Store for up to five days in an airtight container.
  

Notes

Mary Hutchison’s Huffsie Recipe

Cream together 1/2 lb butter and 1/2 lb brown sugar. Add 3 eggs, beat well and then add 10 oz plain flour, 1/2 – 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp each cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice and 1 tbsp vinegar. Mix well, and if required, add a little milk. Add 1 shredded apple, 2 oz mixed peel, 1/2 lb raisins and 1/2 lb currants. Mix well. Spoon into a 9-inch greased and papered tin and bake slowly (what temperature?) for 2.5 hours.

 

Maggie Leask’s Huffsie Recipe

Put 1 cup raisins, 1 cup sultanas, 1 cup sugar, 5 oz butter and 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda into a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool and add 2 eggs and 2 cups of plain flour. Spoon into two greased and lined loaf tins and bake at 170 degrees Celcius for 60 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 301IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg

Pin this recipe for later

Other Aald Harbour Hoose recipes you might like

Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Moroccan Inspired Slow-Cooked Shetland Lamb Shoulder

Jewelled Couscous Recipe with Puy Lentils & Pomegranate

The post How to make Shetland Huffsie appeared first on Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

Helvellyn

Helvellyn is a mountain in the Lake District. At 3,117 feet (950 metres), it is the third largest peak in England and the highest point of the Helvellyn range, a north–south line of mountains to the north of Ambleside, between the lakes of Thirlmere and Ullswater.

Depending on your fitness level, there are several different routes to the summit. For our ascent, my friend and I opted for the classic horseshoe walk, taking in Striding Edge, Swirral Edge and Catstye Cam.

Glenridding

We began our hike in the small village of Glenridding, located at the southern end of Ullswater. Parking at the Pay & Display Glenridding car park (note: it’ll cost you 50 pence to use the public toilet), we headed up the road to Mires Beck, where the trail begins.

Coming from Shetland, with a vastly different landscape, the views were immediately incredible and, despite being October, the weather was exceptionally favourable.

Mires Beck

From here, the trail follows a well-maintained stone path alongside a stream (Mires Beck). Be prepared to climb. Although the path is well maintained, the stones only allow short, brisk steps, and it’s all up here, gaining 1,412 feet (430 metres) of elevation in just over a mile.

Mountain Forecast had predicted that the temperature would be cool, feeling like around -1, so we’d layered up. The layers came off during this segment of the hike.

The elevation evens around 2.25 miles (3.6 km) into the hike, offering spectacular views of Ullswater and Place Fell (pictured below).

Birkhouse Moor

After a short break, we followed the path running alongside a drystone wall through Birkhouse Moor. It was here we had our first views (pictured below) of Striding Edge, Helvellyn, Swirral Edge and Catstye Cam flanking the not-yet-visible Red Tarn.

Hole in the Wall

Following the path takes you to the Hole in the Wall, a literal hole in the drystone wall with two wooden styles to cross, and the gateway to Striding Edge. In my excitement, I forgot to take a photo.

However, not too far from the Hole in the Wall, just before Bleaberry Crag there is a stone just begging to be stood on (pictured below). The view from here to the valley below is incredible, as are the hills in the distance.

Red Tarn

Lying at an altitude of 3,567 feet (718 metres), with a depth of 82 feet (25 metres), the Red Tarn corrie is flanked on three sides by the steep slopes of Striding Edge, Helvellyn, Swirral Edge and Catstye Cam. It’s one of the highest lakes in the Lake District and was formed when the glacier that carved out Helvellyn’s eastern side had melted.

It may have been named Red Tarn because it was once coloured red due to the extensive mining of the high-grade iron ore, haematite, found nearby. Evidence of the old mines can still be seen in the north-facing valley beneath Swirral Edge.

Other sources say it’s called Red Tarn because of the colour of the surrounding scree.

In addition to brown trout, Red Tarn contains a rare fish called the schelly. It is one of only four lakes in the Lake District home to these fish.

Striding Edge

The stunning Striding Edge is a sharp arête, a narrow, rugged ridgeline resembling a serrated knife or saw blade. It has steep sides and a delicious one-mile-long (1.5 km) sharp crest, perfect for scrambling.

Formed during the last ice age, 20,000 years ago, Striding Edge used to be a local trade route between the villages Ambleside and Patterdale.

It is a classic Grade 1 Scramble and the most popular one in the UK, easily doable for competent hill walkers if the weather conditions are good. The narrow and exposed path can be intimidating, but a less-palpitations-inducing lower path is running alongside as a plan b.

Midway along Striding Edge, you’ll encounter the Chimney, a 7-metre-high rock tower that requires a tactical downward climb.

From there, you’ll be faced with a path that is a scramble up a steep slope of loose shale and rock. This will take you onto the plateau with the Helvellyn summit and its trig point.

Helvellyn Summit

After the epic experience that is Striding Edge, reaching the summit of Helvellyn seems almost anti-climactic, especially given the crowds of people who have arrived via alternative routes.

Helvellyn, England’s third-highest peak, stands at 3,117 feet (950 metres). The broad plateau summit offers panoramic views across the Lake District.

The plateau is so broad that on December 22nd 1926, Bert Winkler and John Leeming landed an Avro 585 Gosport aeroplane on it. This was the first aeroplane to land on a mountain in Great Britain.

A cross-walled summit shelter stands just above Helvellyn’s east face, a welcome place to rest and refuel.

The mountain itself is made from volcanic rock, formed in the caldera of an ancient volcano about 450 million years ago.

Swirral Edge

From here, we scrambled down from the plateau summit to Swirral Edge, pictured above.

Swirral Edge is an arête, the northern partner to Striding Edge, and although it is shorter at 500 metres, it still offers a tactical scrambling descent from Helvellyn.

The ridge overlooks Brown Cove to the north, where you can see evidence of previous dams and mining activity, and to the south it overlooks Red Tarn.

Catstye Cam

As far as mountains go, Catstye Cam, at 890 m (2,920 ft), is perfectly proportioned with its classic pyramid mountain shape. Doing this classic horseshoe walk without taking in its summit would be a shame.

The views are incredible, and it’s all downhill from here.

If Catstycam stood alone, remote from its fellows, it would be one of the finest peaks in Lakeland. It has nearly, but not quite, the perfect mountain form with true simplicity in its soaring lines, and a small pointed top, a real summit that falls away on all sides.”

Alfred Wainwright

Greenside Mine

From the summit of Catstye Cam it was a pleasant downhill stroll. Following Red Tarn Beck, we headed north around the base of Birkhouse Moor.

Between 1825 and 1961, Greenside Mine produced over 159,000 tonnes of lead and 49 tonnes of silver. It was also the UK site of Operation Orpheus, a government experiment to test the seismic detection of large underground explosions.

From here, it’s a gentle walk back down to Glenridding, where a well-earned pint can be had.

Pin this adventure

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The post Scramble up Helvellyn and Catstye Cam via Striding Edge and Swirral Edge appeared first on Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

MSC-certified sustainable king scallops and langoustines are the stars in this simple yet incredibly flavoursome recipe from Daniel Okroj, the head chef of the Busta House Hotel in Shetland.

This article and recipe were originally published in 2014 in the online magazine Fish on Fridays, which no longer exists. In 2023, the article was updated and republished for Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary readers.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: Moderate

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]

• Ingredients for one Scotch whisky cocktail
• Instructions
• Tasting Notes
• Edge of the Fire – A Bonfire Night Scotch Whisky Cocktail
• Other posts you might like

Here’s one I rescued earlier…

Late one Saturday night, moments after falling asleep, I was abruptly woken by the piercing sound of my RNLI pager: a Launch ALB request from the Shetland Coastguard.

The sound of the pager is like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart; it doesn’t matter how tired you are; you suddenly find yourself poised and alert. 

It was pitch black when Britain’s most northerly all-weather RNLI lifeboat, the Charles Lidbury, left the pier with its crew of volunteers. The sea was like glass; there wasn’t a hint of a breeze. We were briefed that a scallop dredger had run aground on the west coast of Shetland, and it was listing dangerously as the tide ebbed.

Marea B, a Shetland-registered scallop dredger

This is where I met scallop dredger and skipper of the Marea B, Malcolm Robertson. He had been returning from a day’s dredging when he encountered an unlit set of mussel ropes. He took evasive action and became stranded on rocks in shallow water.

When the two scallop dredger crew were safely onboard the lifeboat, we warmed ourselves with hot coffee and watched dawn break. That was one of the best cups of coffee I’ve ever had, fingers warming on the outside of the mug, our breath visible in the cool morning air. We listened to the men tell fishing stories while we waited for the tide to return so we could refloat the boat.

A year later, Malcolm and I drank coffee and swapped stories again, but this time, it was in comfort at his kitchen table.

Malcolm comes from a long line of Shetland-born and bred fisherman/crofters. He grew up next to the seashore and learned how to row a boat long before he learned how to pedal a bicycle. He always thought, as a child, he’d go to the fishing when he grew up, just like his father.

It’s been a lifelong dream of Malcolm’s to have his own boat. He’d fished for others and trained as a salmon farmer at college, but just over two years ago, he realised he wasn’t getting any younger, and so he just went for it: he bought the Marea B and began scallop dredging.

“It’s hard work, but you’re your own boss. It’s the freedom of it: the open sea, the fresh air.”

Malcolm Robertson, scallop dredger

The world’s first MSC-certified king scallops

In March 2012, the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO) inshore scallop fishery became the world’s first king scallop fishery to gain MSC certification. This was achieved through collaboration with the North Atlantic Fisheries College (NAFC), which carefully monitors Shetland inshore waters.

A scallop permit is required to dredge within six nautical miles of Shetland, and it is only permitted within certain hours and with a specific number of dredges per tow.

Scallop dredgers have received a considerable amount of bad press over the years for the environmental damage they have the potential to cause. Malcolm’s boat is different: it’s small for a start. He uses a new N-Viro Dredge instead of the traditional dredge. This uses flexible spring tines instead of metal teeth, so it’s gentler on the seabed. The dredge is lighter, too, so it’s more fuel-efficient. It also causes less damage to the scallops themselves, improving the yield of each tow.

At the time of writing (2014), Malcolm’s boat was one of at least four in Shetland using this new dredge. At the end of a long day fishing, his catch was landed at the nearest pier, where Blueshell Mussels was waiting to collect and process it.

Blueshell Mussels – a shellfish processing plant

The family-owned Blueshell Mussels, based in Brae, Shetland, is the UK’s leading rope-grown mussel farmer, but they also process and pack crab and king scallops. The scallops are landed fresh daily by a number of small inshore vessels, including the Marea B, which are all part of the SSMO.

“Shetland may be pioneering sustainability. People care about the environment – including their carbon footprint, so the boats are being upgraded to be more fuel-efficient.

Michael Laurenson, owner of Blueshell Mussels

“As a small fishing community, we are dependent on the sea,” Michael continues, “Fishermen are aware of preserving these shores and stocks for future generations. Smaller boats limit the damage they can cause, and they move around, allowing the seabed time to recover.”

Shetland restaurants serving sustainable seafood

Blueshell Mussels supply Frankie’s Fish and Chip Shop, Shetland’s multiple-award-winning fish and chip shop (pictured above), located a few minutes up the road from them, with MSC-certified mussels, crab and scallops. They also supply the Busta House Hotel & Restaurant in Brae.

It was at Busta House where I had my first taste of scallops.

“It is important for us to promote the healthy eating and fresh food image which Shetland is renowned for, and Blueshell Mussels always deliver the freshest produce. The local fishermen are our neighbours. We trust their judgement and skills. And by working together with local producers, we can help sustain our island economy for future generations.”

– a spokesperson for Busta House

For more information on Shetland restaurants serving sustainable Shetland seafood, download the Taste of Shetland Seafood Provenance Scheme leaflet. This leaflet was created in collaboration with Shetland Fishermen, a lobbying group widely recognised as the voice of Shetland fishermen.

What you’ll need for this recipe

• Shetland scallops – MSC-certified king scallops from Shetland, either dredged or hand-dived. You can buy these from Island Fish Ltd in Lerwick.

• Langoustines – Nephrops norvegicus, known variously as the Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn, langoustine or scampi, is a slim, coral-coloured lobster that grows up to 25 cm long.
• Courgette – cut into strips to be stir-fried. You can find Shetland-grown courgettes at Scoop Wholefoods in Lerwick. Leave the skin on when julienning.
• Red bell pepper – high in antioxidants and low in starch. Red peppers contain anti-inflammatory compounds and add a nice red colour to the dish.
• Yellow bell pepper – sweet in flavour and contains more vitamin C than its red cousin.

• Carrot – packed with nutrition and fibre, julienned carrots add a fresh flavour and gorgeous orange colour to the stir-fried vegetable mix.
• Olive oil – this fruity oil pairs well with the sweetness of the vegetables.
• Pernod – an aniseed-flavoured spirit that pairs exceptionally well with seafood.
• Garlic – just one clove, added towards the end of cooking for a little flavour.

• White wine – after sautéing vegetables, splash a few tablespoons of wine into the pan to deglaze. The wine also concentrates while cooking and adds to the flavour of the finished dish.
• Black pepper – freshly ground, as always, to enhance the dish’s flavours.
• Shetland sea salt – made from the pristine seawater collected off the shores of Shetland.
• Curry powder – adds a golden hue and mild flavour to the scallops.

How to make pan-fried scallops and langoustines with stir-fried vegetables

1. Julienne your vegetables (chop them into long, thin sticks.
2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and season with salt and pepper. Cook the langoustines for 4 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a sauté pan.
4. Season the scallops with salt, pepper and curry powder. Cook in the hot oil for 2 minutes on each side.
5. Add the langoustines to the pan along with the Pernod and cook for a further minute.
6. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for approximately 4 minutes.
7. Add the garlic and splash of white wine and cook for a further minute.
8. Serve!

Click here for the full printable recipe instructions.

Can you eat the orange bit of a scallop?

Yes! The orange bit of a scallop is the coral, and it’s packed full of flavour and nutrition. Don’t throw it away!

It became popular in the nouvelle cuisine movement to remove the coral of the scallop before cooking. Serving the coral along with the white fleshy part is gaining popularity.

What is the white bit of a scallop?

The white bits of a scallop are the phasic (striated) and tonic (catch) adductor muscles. The phasic muscle of the scallop contracts very quickly for swimming, while the smooth catch muscle keeps the shells closed for long periods of time.

Are scallops hermaphrodites?

True story. The grey part of the coral is the male reproductive organ, while the orange part is the female component. They are true hermaphrodites, and they lack a brain.

What can I substitute Pernod with in recipes?

Pernod aka Pernod Anise is a French anise-flavored liqueur invented in 1920, after absinthe was banned in 1915. Making it without wormwood made it a legal liquor, as they thought the wormwood sage, used in absinthe, was hallucinogenic. Substitute Pernod with Pastis, absinthe or white wine. Anisette and ouzo are also good pernod alternatives.

Recipe Difficulty Levels

Easy

Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.

Moderate

Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.

Challenging

Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.

Print

Pan-seared scallops and langoustines with stir-fried vegetables

MSC-certified sustainable king scallops and langoustines are the stars in this simple yet incredibly flavoursome recipe from Daniel Okroj, the head chef of Busta House Hotel in Shetland.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Scottish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 1 serving

Calories 552kcal

Author Elizabeth

Equipment

• 1 large saucepan
• 1 frying pan
• 1 knife
• 1 measuring jug

Ingredients

• 4 Shetland scallops large
• 4 Shetland langoustines small
• 1 courgette
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 carrot medium
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 50 ml Pernod
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped
• 1 splash white wine
• freshly ground black pepper
• Shetland sea salt
• curry powder for seasoning

Instructions

• Chop 1 courgette, 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper and 1 carrot julienne style (into small sticks).
• Bring a large pan of water to the boil and season with salt and pepper.
• Place 4 Shetland langoustines in the water and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan.
• Season 4 Shetland scallops with Shetland sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and curry powder and fry them in the hot oil for 2 minutes on each side.
• Add the langoustines to the pan of scallops and add 50 ml Pernod; fry together for 1 minute.
• Over a medium heat, add the vegetables. Season well and stir-fry for approximately 4 minutes.
• Add 1 garlic clove, finely chopped, followed by 1 splash white wine and stir-fry for a further minute to finish.
• Serve on a warmed plate and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 1356mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 14551IU | Vitamin C: 410mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg

Pin this scallop recipe for later

Other seafood recipes you might like

A Simple Creamy Seafood Chowder Recipe

How to make Smoked Salmon Uramaki Sushi

BBQ Salmon Parcels with Cornish New Potatoes, Asparagus, Lemon & Thyme

The post Pan-seared Scallops & Langoustines with Stir-fried Vegetables appeared first on Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

This light and fluffy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting recipe is delicious, straightforward to make and keeps fresh for five days in the refrigerator. It has become a firm favourite with my walking tour guests at the Aald Harbour Hoose in Lerwick, Shetland ^{(What? Where? Walking tour guests?! Subscribe to my newsletter to learn more!)}.

This recipe is adapted from the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting found in What to Bake and How to Bake It (2014) by Jane Hornby.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]

• Ingredients for one Scotch whisky cocktail
• Instructions
• Tasting Notes
• Edge of the Fire – A Bonfire Night Scotch Whisky Cocktail
• Other posts you might like

Dearest reader,

I am back! Have you missed me?

This super easy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting recipe is my first recipe post this year and the first one I have exquisitely enjoyed making, photographing and writing for you in over three.

Life got busy. Silly busy.

A lot has happened: a pandemic, Brexit, a cost of living crisis and I’ve changed jobs and homes a few times.

A lot is still happening; every day is an adventure, and I am treasuring every moment of it. I’m always busy doing something, with many fingers in many pies…

What, you might ask?

Subscribe to my newsletter, and all will be revealed!

From now on, all personal anecdotes will be shared in my newsletter only to keep my website content evergreen. I’ve got a few interesting stories to share with you, too!

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this carrot cake with cream cheese frosting recipe. A huge thank you to all my walking tour guests who encouraged me to start blogging again. x

Why are carrots used in carrot cakes?

Carrots are a naturally sweet vegetable, and they’re plentiful and less expensive than sugar. This makes them a perfect addition to a cake.

The historical origins of the use of carrots in a cake are disputed. In Europe, carrots were used in puddings from the Middle Ages, around the same time that the orange carrot, as we know it (did you know carrots were originally purple?), was cultivated in Holland.

One of the earliest carrot pudding recipes dates back to sixteenth-century England:

To make a pudding in a Carret root.

Take your Carret root and scrape it fair, then take a fine knife and cut out all the meat that is within the roote, and make it hollow, then make your pudding stuffe of the liver of a gooce or of a Pig, with grated bread, Corance, Cloves and mace, Dates, Pepper, Salt and Sugar, chop your Liver very small, and perboile it ere you chop it, so doon, put it in your hollow root.  As for the broth, take mutton broth with corance, carets sliste, salt, whole Mace, sweet Butter, Vergious and grated bread, and so serve it forth upon sippets.

A Book of Cookrye,  by A. W., London, 1584

During WW2, carrot cake gained popularity in England after the British Ministry of Food launched a propaganda campaign saying that carrots would improve eyesight, helping people to see during blackout periods. Sugar was rationed to 8 ozs weekly, so carrots became an alternative sweetener.

The Food Ministry also suggested after a German blockade of food supply ships made resources such as sugar, bacon and butter unavailable, that the war could be won on the “Kitchen Front” if people changed what they ate and how they prepared it.

In 1941, Lord Woolton, the Minister of Food, emphasized the call for self-sustainability in the garden:

“This is a food war. Every extra row of vegetables in allotments saves shipping. The battle on the kitchen front cannot be won without help from the kitchen garden. Isn’t an hour in the garden better than an hour in the queue?”

This sentiment is relevant even now, during the current cost of living crisis.

Enough about the history of carrots, though; you’re here for a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting recipe!

What you’ll need to make a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and why…

• Plain flour – the basis of every good light and fluffy cake. Flour provides the cake’s structure when the proteins interact in the presence of liquid to form gluten.
• Baking powder – an essential leavening agent that creates a lighter bake that’s not overly dense.
• Bicarbonate of soda – an alkaline raising agent that balances the pH of the bake.
• Mixed spice – a generous quantity of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves create a deliciously fragrant and warming bake.
• Sea salt – salt is a flavour enhancer and affects the tenderness of a baked good. The salt forms strong molecular bonds with gluten, which makes the batter tighter and more elastic. It also helps balance the sweetness of the cake.
• Light brown soft sugar – provides a rich, full flavour to the carrot cake.
• Orange – both the zest and the juice of the orange are used in this recipe, adding a complementary flavour and a slight acidity.

• Eggs – provide emulsification and structure to the bake, creating a smooth, well-mixed batter. They also bind the ingredients together so the cake doesn’t crumble apart. I always use free-range Shetland eggs when available.

• Vegetable oil – this makes for a deliciously moist bake that stays moist for a good five days.

• Carrots – the star of the show! These add sweetness and moisture to the cake batter. They also add vegetables to your diet, which, in my mind, makes this recipe a positively virtuous health food. _{^{(I jest, just ignore the calorie content).}}
• Raisins – these little juicy morsels pair very well with carrots, but feel free to omit these if you’re not a fan.
• Walnuts – chopped walnuts give a hearty, nutty flavour and texture to the recipe. Substitute with pecans, almonds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds if you prefer.
• Butter – this adds a creamy, delicious buttery flavour to the frosting.
• Cream cheese – the smooth texture and tangy, sweet flavour of cream cheese make a perfect topping for a crumbly carrot cake.
• Vanilla extract – for just a touch of flavour in the frosting.
• Icing sugar – for smooth sweetness to finish off the bake.

How to make a light and fluffy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

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Step one: Sift together plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and salt.

Equipment: mixing bowl, sieve

Step two: stir together dry ingredients and add the zest of one orange. Squeeze juice into bowl.

Equipment: citrus zester, wooden spoon, small bowl

Step three: grate your carrots. Measure vegetable oil into a measuring jug, add the eggs and 2 tbsp orange juice.

Equipment: measuring jug, box grater

Step four: finely chop your walnuts, reserving a little to sprinkle on the top of the finished cake.

Equipment: knife

Step five: combine the liquid and dry ingredients and mix thoroughly..

Equipment: mixing bowl, wooden spoon

Step six: add the grated carrots, raisins and most of the walnuts.

Equipment mixing bowl, wooden spoon

Step six: mix until just combined.

Equipment mixing bowl, wooden spoon

Step eight: divide batter between two 8-inch tins that have been lined with non-stick parchment paper.

Equipment 8-inch springform cake tin, non-stick baking paper, electronic scales

Step nine: bake in the centre of a preheated oven for 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Equipment cooling rack

Step ten: cream very soft butter until extremely light.

Equipment electric hand mixer, mixing bowl

Step eleven: gently stir in cold cream cheese.

Equipment spatula, mixing bowl

Step twelve: add the vanilla and sieve in the icing sugar.

Equipment: sieve, mixing bowl, measuring spoons, spatula

Step thirteen: fold together until smooth. Unlike this image, which is lumpy, because I rushed it.

Equipment: spatula

Step fourteen: sandwich cakes with frosting on a cake stand and sprinkle with the remaining walnuts.

Equipment: cake stand

Click here for the full printable recipe instructions.

Tips for making carrot cake

• Don’t grate your carrots too large or too small. They must be grated fine enough to be suspended in the batter to distribute evenly through the bake. If they’re too large, they’ll sink or be underbaked, and you don’t want a crunchy carrot cake. Use the fourth side on your box grater (the one you already use to grate cheese) for the perfect size.
• When measuring the cake batter into the tins, use your digital scales to weigh them so you know they are the same size.

Tips for making cream cheese frosting

• Ensure your butter is exceptionally soft and your cream cheese is cold before mixing the frosting. The best frosting I’ve ever made (not the one pictured; that one is lumpy and not perfect) was when the butter nearly melted after I used my ceramic mixing bowl hot straight from the dishwasher.
• Be very gentle when you are mixing in the icing sugar. Fold using a spatula, and take care not to overmix.
• If you do overmix and it begins to go lumpy, add some more icing sugar and press through a sieve.
• Alternatively, own the imperfection, disguise it with finely chopped walnuts and enjoy eating your cake. It’ll taste just as good, lumpy frosting or not.

Does this recipe work with gluten-free flour?

I do not know yet. In theory, yes.

I am going to try different flours and see which one works best. I often have gluten-free guests, so it would be nice to have this option for them.

Watch this space!

Why do you use baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a cake?

Some recipes call for both baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. These recipes often contain some acid as an ingredient (i.e., yoghurt, brown sugar, vegetables or fruit); however, the carbon dioxide created from the acid and baking soda is not enough to leaven the volume of batter in the recipe. Baking powder is used to add the necessary lift.

Sometimes, you need a little bit more leavening than you have acid available in a bake.

Baking powder and bicarbonate both affect the browning and flavour of the bake.

Why did the carrots in my carrot cake turn green?

Carrots contain pigments which are very sensitive to changes in pH balance. They will change from orange to green in environments that are too acidic or alkaline.

The alkaline nature of the bicarbonate of soda will turn carrots green if it comes into contact with them.

Either too much baking soda was used in the recipe, or it was not evenly distributed in the cake batter.

If you’d used this recipe to make your carrot cake, which contains the perfect ratio of leavening agents, your carrots should not have turned green. If they did, try sifting the dry ingredients first next time.

The carrot cake is still safe to eat; the green tint will not affect the flavour.

Note: walnuts will turn blue/purple in the same chemical process.

How do you know when your carrot cake is done?

The top of the cake will be golden and springy to the touch. There will be no wobble in the middle.

To ensure my cake is fully cooked, I rely on a digital thermometer to measure the internal temperature. Generally, when the thermometer reads 98° C, I know my cake is ready.

I use a Thermapen One, which acts as a thermometer and cake tester with its metal skewer.

Alternatively, use a spaghetti stick or bamboo skewer to check if your cake is finished. Insert it into the centre of the cake, and if it comes out clean, it’s cooked.

This carrot cake with cream cheese frosting will keep for a good five days in the refrigerator.

If you serve it as part of a packed lunch for walking tour guests, as I do at the Aald Harbour Hoose, the icing will have softened again when your hikers have sat down for their break.

This cake has had rave reviews from my guests, and I hope you enjoy it, too!

As always, everything tastes better in the outdoors. I hope you use this recipe to #fuelthatadventure. x

Recipe Difficulty Levels

Easy

Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.

Moderate

Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.

Challenging

Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.

Print

Easy, Light & Fluffy + MOIST! Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

This light and fluffy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting recipe is delicious, extremely easy to make and keeps fresh for five days in the refrigerator.

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 560kcal

Author Elizabeth

Equipment

• 1 8-inch round cake tin
• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 sieve
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 citrus zester
• 1 measuring spoons
• 1 knife
• 1 rubber spatula
• 1 hand mixer
• 1 cake stand optional
• 1 glass dome optional
• 1 storage tin optional

Ingredients

for the carrot cake

• 250 grams plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp Shetland sea salt
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 200 grams light brown soft sugar
• 1 orange zest and juice
• 300 grams carrots 250 gram grated weight
• 200 ml vegetable oil
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 100 grams walnuts
• 85 grams raisins

for the cream cheese frosting

• 100 grams butter very soft
• 280 grams cream cheese cold
• 100 grams icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Metric – US Cup Measures

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/gas 4 and line two 8-inch springform tins with non-stick baking paper.
  
• Sift 250 grams plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1/2 tsp Shetland sea salt and 2 tsp mixed spice into a mixing bowl.
  
• Add 200 grams light brown soft sugar and mix well. Add the zest of 1 orange and squeeze the juice into a small bowl.
  
• Grate 300 grams carrots with the large-holed side of a box grater so that you have 250 grams of grated carrot.
  
• Measure 200 ml vegetable oil into a measuring jug and crack in 3 large free-range eggs. Add the orange juice and whisk with a fork.
  
• Chop 100 grams walnuts, reserving about 20 grams for decorating the top of the cake afterwards.
  
• Pour the oil mixture into the dry ingredients and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
  
• Add most of the walnuts, the grated carrots and 85 grams raisins.
  
• Stir until evenly mixed, but do not overmix.
  
• Divide the batter evenly between your two lined cake tins, using electronic kitchen scales to weigh them to make sure they're the same.
  
• Bake in the centre of your oven for 30 – 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the tops of the cakes are golden and risen. Alternatively, the internal temperature will be just under 100°C when cooked.
• Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and leaving to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
  
• Meanwhile, using an electric hand mixer, cream 100 grams butter until very soft, almost liquid. My hand mixer has a HeatSoft function, which gently softens the butter if I forget to take it out of the fridge first to soften it at room temperature.
  
• Gently fold in 280 grams cream cheese.
  
• Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 100 grams icing sugar and gently combine. Do not overmix once the sugar is in.
  
• Place one of the cooled cakes onto a cake stand or onto the inside lid of a large cake storage tin. Spread half of the cream cheese frosting, top with the other cake and finish with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle with the remaining walnuts and chill until needed.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 560kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 4793IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 2mg

Pin this easy carrot cake recipe to make later

Other cream cheese frosted recipes you might like

Spiced Courgette Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Spiced Swede (Rutabaga) Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Strawberry and Thyme Layer Cake

The post Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.