Pear & Ginger Upside Down Cake

This is a variation to the previous blog Pear upside down cake, the cinnamon is optional.
A delicious dessert with custard on the freezing snow filled Bulgarian nights, The villagers love it too!

3 pears, peeled, cored & sliced

175g butter
175g caster sugar
3 eggs
175g self-raising flour
1tsp cinnamon
1 - 2tsp Ginger
2dsp Golden Syrup or Honey
3 tbsp milk
Grease a 8” deep cake tin.

Toss the pears in the ginger & arrange the pears over the bottom of the prepared tin. Swirl over the syrup.
Using an electric beater or a wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, adding them one at a time and mixing well after each one.
Add the flour & cinnaman to the bowl, gently fold it into the mixture, then stir in the milk.
Spoon the cake mixture evenly over the pears and smooth the surface.
Cook in a preheated oven at 160c fan or 180C for 45 minutes, until the surface is firm, and the cake comes slightly away from the sides of the dish.
Remove from the oven, let it cool, then turn onto plate.

Pear Upside Down Cake

It's pear season here in Bulgaria & my crop has been null & void, literally bare trees then i found a handful that had fallen from the top I have managed to get this one dish from them! The good old favorite upside down cake my favourite while growing up then like all the really good puds relegated to the "do you remember when"  & only dragged out every ten years! Well I can't think of anything better to do with a couple of pears
3 pears, peeled, cored & sliced
2 tbsp runny honey optional
175g Margarine
175g Sugar
3 eggs
175g self-raising flour, sifted
3 tbsp milk
Grease a cake tin. If using honey line with baking paper
Arrange the pear over the bottom of the prepared tin and set aside. If using honey spread this over bottom of tin first

Using a wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, adding them one at a time and mixing well after each.
add the flour to the bowl, gently fold in, then stir in the milk.
spoon the cake mixture evenly over the pears.

cook in a preheated oven at 180C or fan 160c for 45 minutes, until the surface is firm and the cake comes away from the side of the dish.

remove from the oven, leave to cool , then turn onto plate.

Serve warm with custard, cream or icecream

Saucy Apple Peach & Plum No Onion Chutney

Chutney is my new favourite thing to make & eat & I enjoy the fact you can make your own recipes easily & they work! I always thought people who made chutneys were something special but that is rubbish, its so easy, its a shame I have wasted years not making them! Well now I have so much fresh produce to hand its great making all these lovely flavoursome jars of fruit & veg mixes. I just need the room now to store them!
This is a lovely fruity chutney its a bit runny but makes a beautiful sauce to have with meat or salads.  Especially nice with Banitza.
This recipe uses Garlic instead of onion as I am intolerant but you can use onions instead!

Peaches
Apples
Plums
Fruit to weigh total of 6lb
500ml Apple vinegar
1tbsp Ginger
2tsp Cinnamon
2tsp 5 Spice
1tsp Nutmeg
500gr Sugar
5 heads of Garlic,  if you are not intolerant use 1lb onions instead.
2tsp Salt
 Peel core & chop the apple, de stone the peaches & plums & chop these too. In a very large pan combine all the fruit spices garlic salt & vinegar, cook till fruit has softened, mashing the fruit on the sides of the pan so its smoother.

Add the sugar & stir till it has disolved bring to boil slowly then simmer till thickened & you can see the bottom of the pan when you run a spoon through it.

 Pour into sterilised bottles with plastic lids & seal for at least two months more if possible as chutneys get better with age. I always end up with a small jar of leftovers & have this if I cant wait for it to mature :-)

Plum & Apple Crumble or Sliven s Yabulka Sladkish

Normally a Bulgarian village meal does not end in a dessert unless its a special occasion then the cakes come out or it will be finished off with a cheese banitza. The funny thing is they have a very sweet tooth as you will find out when you buy a tray of tiny little cakes or biscuits! I have spent my time here introducing them to puddings they love them all & eat loads but never ever make them themselves. I have only had two desserts in two years & both were questionable & too sweet! One was bought to a meal & one was from next door as a thank you! I make desserts that can be easily made using everyday foodstuffs or using goods from the garden or small holding for instance there are lots of bees kept in the village so honey & the obvious fruit grown in all our orchards So here we are with our two most prolific crops this year, plums & apples………

This is a very popular dessert here & I hear lots of murmurings of mnogo hubovo mind you for the English it’s a bit like teaching your nana to suck eggs. Where did that saying come from my nana never sucked eggs or my mum, at least I don’t think so!

675gr Apples peeled cored & thickly sliced
12ish Plums lg purple like Victoria stoned & quartered
25g Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
2tbsp Water
Topping
280gr SR Flour
140gr Butter/margarine
140gr Sugar
70gr Oats
Pre heat your oven to 200c or fan 180c
Grease a baking dish
Put all the fruit in a pan with 25gr sugar, cinnamon & the water & heat gently till the fruit is soft & juicy.

Put the fruit in the greased dish

Mix flour butter & sugar together then stir in the oats. Make sure all the ingredients are combined well. Sprinkle crumble over the fruit & cook for 30 minuets.

Serve with custard or squirty cream (Bulgaria) If you are fortunate enough serve with single cream Mmmmm!

Traditional Bulgarian Banitza (Bahnitza) or Cheese Pie!

Banitza is one of the most eaten dishes here in Bulgaria. You can buy it everywhere, eat it hot or cold & it has many varieties of filling but most traditional is the cheese banitza. I have waited almost two years to make it because I didn't have a proper pan & didnt want to fudge it up. It is eaten as breakfast, main meal, dessert & a snack. I have had many, some have been dreadfull while others amazing. For dessert I have been given cheese banitza spinach banitza & pumpkin banitza.
I am pleased to say my recipe turned out to be amazing! If you like cheese you will love this. Why not use your favourite cheese instead of these & let me know how it turns out!

1 pk Filo pastry (you can also use the puff filo)
200gr Kashkaval or yellow cheese such as cheddar, chopped into small pieces
500gr Sirene cheese or Feta
7 eggs
100gr butter/margarine
1/2 cup Lemonade
1 cup Milk (you can also use yoghurt)
Preheat oven 200c or fan 180c

Mix 6 eggs blobs of butter/margerine, crumbled sirene & kashkaval cheeseswith the milk.

In a large buttered pan lay 3 leaves of filo greasing each piece before the next.

then spoon in a layer of the mixture. continue with this layering, doing three layers in all. Finishing with a layer of filo.

Lightly whisk the remaining egg  pour in the lemonade & pour the whole lot over the pastry making sure to get it all wet

Bake for 40 minuets or until golden