Pa's baking collected pictures 2

    Here are a few more pictures I have found that I thought I would share with you lucky people.
 .

Christmas Cake 2012

   



    My best looking Christmas cake so far, 
not as boozy as previous years 
but with a tidy decoration 
even if the trees are well past their best.











     

    This is my vegetarian version of a Gala Pie, not my best filling, 
    I forgot to put in the fresh herbs  and garlic DOH! 
    Then broke the jug on the blender poking things down with a wooden spoon while it was blending DOH!
    Fair to say I was in a rush and not focused.

Celebration Pie

    My best pastry yet though, a very rich hot water pastry variation, as used in pork pies, gala pies etc. but I used butter and milk instead of lard and water, otherwise the method is the same.
    Very tasty pie thank you very much I look forward to seeing if I can manage a gluten free version of this pastry.
    
    Keep an eye on Gluten Free Pa or Pa Goes Gluten Free, still not sure how these titles work in a search. It will be labelled as Gluten Free Vegetarian Celebration Pie if I can pull it off.
    Can't find a picture of my Biff Wellington, a vegetarian version of Beef Wellington that is a real treat. 
    Again keep an eye out around Christmas time, when I will be trying for a Gluten Free version.
    If I can pull them off I will be posting the recipes, if I remember to write them down. My daughters keep cussing me for cooking good food without keeping a record of how I did it.
   I do a very nice Perky Pie as well, completely pork free but not such a rich pastry, just a straight vegetarian hot water pastry.
    Again, I will try to write down and share the recipe next time I bake them.
    Unfortunately I have too many PA!!! moments nowadays. 




    A very simple cake/biscuit recipe baked in the same tray as my tray bake dinners, you know it makes sense.
   

Blueberry and Cinnamon tray cake

     I can't remember the recipe, although it is bound to have Cinnamon because I put it in nearly everything sweet I cook, one of my very favourite spices.
    Cinnamon is for life not just for Christmas ho ho ho.
    Also contains Blueberries from the look of it and probably also Sultanas because I put them in most dishes, sweet and savoury.
    I CAN'T HELP IT!!!!!!

Chocolate Birthday cake

   

  Nothing much to say about this, a tasty chocolate cake with "rustique" decoration. 







    


    My one and only pumpkin pie.

        A difficult ingredient to work with because it isn't actually a very nice taste. 
    At least English pumpkins aren't, they are grown mainly for making Halloween pumpkin heads not eating.

Pumpkin Pie

    I think in the USA they grow sweet pumpkins for eating and carving pumpkins for heads which may be why they like Pumpkin Pie so much. 
    I may be completely mistaken about that though and if an American who knows about these things should read this, please let me know.
    
    I did find that it was very difficult to get people to try a slice because they had eaten bad pumpkin pies in the past.
    I can understand this because I didn't find it very appetising to start with and I used a lot of different spices to get a flavour I enjoyed. 
    When people were persuaded to try a slice they were pleasantly surprised that it tasted nothing like Pumpkin Pies they had known previously.
    So a result there.
    
    I cannot remember what the white bits on the top are but I am sure that they were an ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT addition and gave it that certain Je ne sais quoi essential at Halloween.
      

    Well that is it for this set of pictures, sorry I don't have the recipes to go with them, that was sort of the point of starting this blog but I went off on a tangent about my diet and still forgot to write the recipes down.
    
    I will try to do better in the future both on here and Pa Goes Gluten Free, my new blog devoted to guess what? Gluten Free baking, so this one may become more the realm of preserves and other interesting cooking and food related posts.
    
    I did make some delicious spiced fruit and spirits drinks last Christmas as well as some nice lightly spiced fruit jams. 
    Plus an Indian version of Branston pickle and some nice pickled fruit and vegetables. Well I liked them although they met with mixed reactions from the  younger generation who don't seem to be Pickle People.
    All in all I have been busy with just what this blog needed but have kept no record and haven't posted. 
DOH!
    
    Now I have started a Gluten Free blog (yes I realise I have already mentioned it) to run alongside this one but instead of posting on there I am back with Pa's Pies and Preserves, yes it is another quality PA!!! moment.

    Well that is all for now folks, should anyone even read this.
    So remember people, love what you eat and eat what you love but keep it vegetarian.

        Love Logs and Liquorish 
            from 
                Pa