Ingredients

9 oz Fresh Raspberries
3 oz Icing sugar

1. Blend the Raspberries in a blender with the icing sugar
2. Press through a metal sieve and chill before serving

Great for Meringues and many other desserts

Ingredients 

6 large sausages
1 tablespoon flavorless oil (eg groundnut)

For the Yorkshire pudding batter
75 g plain flour
1 large egg
75 ml semi-skimmed milk
55 ml water
salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Gravy
250 g Onions
2 teaspoons flavorless oil
1 teaspoon golden caster sugar
1 dessertspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 rounded dessertspoon plain flour
1 pintt hot vegetable stock made from Boullion powder

You will also need
1 x 2″ deep roasting tin about 9″ x 6″ for the Toad in the hole
1 baking tray to roast the onions

1. Turn on the oven to 200C 425F
2. Place pricked sausages on another baking tray and bake until some fat is released (about 20-25 minutes from a cold oven)
3. Toss the sliced the onions in the oil and sugar and place on a baking tray
4. Place on top shelf and bake till edges are blackened (about 20 minutes), turning once
5. For the batter
6. Sieve to air the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center
7. Break in the egg and add seasoning
8. Using an electric whisk begin to whisk in the center adding the milk and water slowly
9. When all the liquid and flour has been incorporated it is ready for use…
10. Remove the sausages and onions when ready and add oil to turned sausages if necessary and spread to coat whole of baking tray
11. Heat tray of sausages on direct heat until searing hot
12. Add the batter around the sausages very quickly
13. Place sausages in batter on the top shelf
14. Cook  for 30minutes without opening the oven door during cooking
15. For the Gravy
16. Place the onions with a teaspoon of oil into a pan and brown more if necessary
17. When hot add the flour and stir
18. Using a whisk add the stock, mustard and worcestershire sauce gradually until its all in the pan
19. Simmer and stir until ready to serve, it will brown as it simmers
20. The Toad is ready when it is puffed, brown and crisp, and the center should look cooked and not too squidgy.
21. Try not to open the oven door while cooking.
22. Serve immediately with mashed potato and peas

Notes : First time I found the batter not cooked in the center – this was for two reasons, the pan sides were too high and secondly I didnt realise until too late the oven temperature was set to 180 instead of 200. It looked great but when I took it out of the oven – it sank.. Better luck next time- Or perhaps I’ll use my yorkshire pudding trays and make individual puds.

For the meringue nests see my Meringue recipe 

Ingredients For the fillings
8 meringue pockets
2 tins of sweetened chestnut puree
250 g Mascarpone
200 ml 8% fat Fromage Frais
1 rounded dessert spoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1. Whisk the Mascarpone and Fromage Frais with the sugar and vanilla
2. Spoon a layer of chestnut puree into the meringue
3. Add Mixture over the top
4. Dust with icing sugar

Add a little cornfour to the mixture if it looks like it may curdle

Cornfour stabilises eggs and will whip any mixture back to an amazing smoothness

This is the first Quiche I have ever made from scratch, making the base the custard and the filling, and I can proudly say it was much easier than I thought it would be.. And it looked and tasted great…

This recipe can easily become a vegetarian dish by substuting the chicken with beans or Tofu

see recipe for Quiche shortcrust pastry for creating the casing/ see  Other Quiche custards  for more egg mixtures

Ingredients

Custard
4 whisked eggs
1 – 1½ cups milk
¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 small onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 orange or red bell pepper
1 side of breast from a roasted chicken, diced quite small
Seasoning to taste
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

1. Saute the onions and peppers until translucent
2. Add the garlic and saute a little more
3. Add the chicken, rosemary and season to taste
4. When all hot and liquid soaked into chicken, take off heat
5. Add all of it  into base  just as it comes out of the oven
6. Pour half the egg custard over the top
7. Place into oven on shelf and gently pour remaining custard on top
8. Do not fill as the egg will rise a little
9. Bake for 25 minutes max at 190 C
10. Leave to settle for 10 minutes which will make it easier to cut into portions

I’ve never made shortcrust pastry before because I had no idea how easy it is.

Tip: Sift flour into a large bowl from as high as possible to make airy, use very soft butter, and use knife as much as possible before fingers.

Ingredients
6 oz plain flour
6 oz very soft butter (I used Lurpak spreadable)
1.5 tablespoons of water approx
1 pinch of salt

1. Sift flour from up high into a large bowl
2. Add flour and using a knife cut and lift into flour until its like crumbs
3. Then crumble a little more with finger tips
4. Sprinkle on water and again with knife cutting and lifting
5. Use fingers until a nice smooth ball of pastry is made – add more water if necessary
6. Chill for 30minutes in a plastic bag before rolling out and lining a flan dish
7. Push edges down before cutting then squash afterwards, try to cut generously above edge if poss
8. Coat all surfaces except the very top edges with egg
9. Prick base gently all over with a fork – Holes get bigger during baking, so take care
10. Pre-bake at 190C for 20-25 minutes until only just turning golden brown
11. Check during cooking incase its lifting and prick again and push down with hands if necessary

See Quiche fillings for some ideas

NOTES : I used 4 oz instead of 6oz of flour and butter and it created a very thin pastry – it baked in 20 mins. I prefer thicker so have increased the ingredients and so baking time will probably increase

This is a great party snack and a great dip

Buy one large round Camembert cheese

1. Remove the Camembert from its box and wrapping
2. Wrap in Foil and bake at 180 for about 20 minutes
3. Remove from oven, place back in box, open foil and tear away surplus foil
4. Cut diagonals into surface  of cheese to encourage dipping

Serve with chunks of french bread and garnish with caramelized onions or red current sauce

This one is quick and very easy and one of my very favorites

The Base
200g pack of crushed Ginger Snap or Shortcake biscuits
75g (3 oz) melted butterTopping

 

Topping 
2 0z melted dark chocolate
green grapes rolled in caster sugar

 

Filling
2 x 250g tubs mascarpone Cheese
1 1/2 oz (40g) sifted icing sugar
2 limes – juice and zest

1. Grease base of spring sided cake tin
2. Put biscuits in a zip lock back and bash with a rolling pin.
3. Mix crushed biscuits into melted butter and place into cake tin
4. Press down firmly.
5. Mix Maxcarpone, icing sugar, lime juice and zest in a bowl and whisk or beat
6. Put mixture in tin and chill for 30 minutes
7. Decorate with chocolate leaves made by dipping green leaves into chocolate, chill and peel off when cold
8. Decorate with frosted grapes by wetting and rolling in caster sugar

Ingredients 

1 1/2 lb Desiree  potatoes
1 large Bramley apple, cored, peeled and sliced
1 lb leeks, washed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 oz butter
1/4 (150ml) double cream
4fl oz (120ml) semi skimmed milk
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
3 oz grated greyere cheese
seasoning to taste

1. Pre-heat ovent to 400F (200C)
2. Fry leeks in large pan, in butter until softened
3. Add the apple slices and pressed garlic for a further 2 minutes
4. Butter an oven proof dish, and lay in the mixture
5. Sprinkle with the cheese
6. Layer the slices of potato so they overlap and cover the lower layer
7. In a small bowl, mix the cream and the milk and mustard and seasoning
8. Pour mixture over potatoes and bake for 45mins to 1 hour until potatoes are tender and golden brown

Other Potato Gratins

Layers of potato, onion and rosemary make this a light accompaniment to many dishes

Ingredients

10 g fresh rosemary, stripped from the stalks and bruised
1.15 kg (2lbs) Desiree or Romano potatoes, peeled, and sliced
2 medium onions, very thinly sliced
275 ml vegetable stock
150 ml semi skimmed milk
40 g butter
seasoning

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C (350F)
2. Grease an ovenproof dish
3. Bruise the rosemary and chop 2/3 of them finely, slice the onions (very finely), and the potatoes (not so finely)
4. Layer potatoes, onion, rosemary, seasoning, finishing with a layer of overlapping potatoes
5. Mix the stock and the milk together and pour over potatoes
6. Season the top layer and scatter with the remain 1/3 rosemary leaves.
7. Put little flecks of butter all over
8. Place on top shelf and bake at 180C for 60 minutes until golden brown on top and creamy and tender underneath.

Other Potato Gratins
Bramley, leek and Potato Gratin

Ingredients

Roasting tin with juices from lamb (reserve two tablespoons of the fat)
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon mustard powder
1 pint red wine
5 tablespoons good quality redcurrant jelly
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
juice of 1 lemon
seasoning to taste

1. Using the roasting tin with the leftover fat and juices from the roasted leg of lamb, add the flour and mustard powder and mix into a smooth paste
2. Place the tin over a low heat and slowly add the wine while stirring with a wooden spoon to begin with, then switch to a hand whisk
3. Add the redcurrant jelly, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and seasoning then whisk again until all the jelly has dissolved.
4. Let sauce gently reduce for about 15minutes, pour over served lamb and into a warmed serving jug.

Other links:  Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe

Ingredients

4 oz self raising flour
2 oz brown breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons chopped herbs (thyme, parsley, sage etc)
2 oz shredded suet (beef or vegetable)

1. Have these ready to add to the hot pot 20 minutes before serving
2. Mix together all the ingredients above
3. Add 5-6 tablespoons of water and mix to a soft dough
4. Divide into eight, and shape into balls and add to covered casserole dish 20 minutes before end of cooking time
5. Dumplings should have risen to look light and fluffy

Ingredients

5lb lean leg of lamb
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons redcurent jelly
2 tablespoons honey
sprigs of rosemary

1. Bring the lamb up to room temperature to prevent shrinkage when cooking
2. Pre-heat the oven to 220C
3. Gently warm the redcurrent jelly and honey until runny.
4. Rub balsamic vinegar onto lamb and place the lamb over sliced onions (optional) in a roasting tin
5. Turn the oven down to 190, and quickly put the lamb into the oven.
6. Cook for 1 3/4 hours for medium, 2 1/4 well done
7. During roasting baste liberally with its juices and warmed honey mixture
8. 30 minutes before end of cooking time, pierce lamb and decorate with sprigs of rosemary
9. When cooked, transfer lamb to a warm serving dish, cover and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes in a warm place.

See Shrewsbury Sauce for a lamb variation

Ingredients

1 pack of fresh chicken livers soaked in milk to tenderise
1 pack sliced button mushrooms
2 bacon rashers , thinly sliced
1 diced onion
1 pressed garlic
1/2 -1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 – 1 tub creme fraiche
soy sauce to taste

1. Pat dry the chicken livers and stir fry in a little olive oil
2. Add diced onion and garlic and bacon
3. Add sliced mushrooms and simmer with a little vegetable stock for 15-20 minutes
4. Gently stir in half a tub of creme fraiche (more if required) and heat through
5. Serve on rice or on tagliatelle

Ingredients

1 pack fresh chicken livers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
1 clove crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste
fresh chilli pepper to taste
vegetable stock and/or wine

1. Saute the onions garlic and chilli until tender and set aside
2. Heat the pan and add the livers, cook until almost cooked through
3. add the onion mixture back into the pan
4. add stock and wine and simmer gently for 10 minutes
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes
6. Add mixture to a blender with enough juices to create a smooth thick puree
7. Put into a small bowl, cover with cling film and chill

Delicious as a dip or as a pate

Ingredients

2 eggs
6 tablespoons caster sugar
2 oranges, peeled
1 lemon – juice and zest
200-285ml whipped whipping cream

1. Seperate the eggs and whisk the yolks with sugar until pale and creamy
2. Whisk the  egg whites in a seperate bowl until stiff, then fold them into the yolk mixture
3. Slice the oranges into small pieces and mix them in
4. Add lemon juice and zest
5. fold in whipped cream
6. Serve ice-cold with orange desserts or over pears and sprinkled with chocolate chips or chocolate sauce

There are many ways to flavour whipped cream, here are a few ideas

Vanilla Cream
Whisk 2 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon caster sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar together and fold into whipped cream

Orange Cream
Whisk 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons caster sugar and 3 tablespoons of thawed concentrated orange juice together and fold into whipped cream

OR Add any of the following ingredients while whipping the cream :

vanilla essence
icing sugar
brandy

TIP : If cream is whisked for too long and becomes porridgy, pour in a little un-whisked cream and mix gently

Ingredients

200ml whipping cream
6 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons golden syrup
100g butter
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar OR a few drops of essence

Pour the cram sugar and syrup (and vanilla essence if using) into a saucepan and mix thoroughly.

Add in half the butter and let sauce boil until thickened like soft toffee

Stir in ground ginger, vanilla sugar (if using) and remaining butter and serve on ice cream

Also delicious served with prawns or crab

Ingredients

200 ml sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1/2 clove of garlic
black pepper to taste
tabasco sauce to taste

1. Mix sour cream, mayonnaise and puree, and mix in the remaining ingredients
2. Chill for at least 20 minutes before serving

Delicious served with chicken salad

Ingredients

1/2 can drained crushed pineapple
200ml sour cream
1 teaspoon mustard

Stir the sour cream with the mustard before adding the drained pineapple

Serve with Chicken or Turkey – warm or cold

Ingredients
200ml apple sauce
200ml sour cream
1/2 lemon juice to taste
2-3 tablespoons grated horseradish

1. Add the sour cream to the apple sauce
2. add lemon juice to taste
3. stir in grated horseradish

Great on pasta

Ingredients

2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
200ml vegetable stock
200ml whipping cream
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
4oz thawed peas
seasoning to taste

1. boil parsnips in stock until tender (about 10minutes)
2. Puree parsnips and stock
3. Add cream, seasoning, marjoram and peas
4. cook for a few minutes until the peas are cooked
5. Serve on pasta

Great on pastas and with Fondus as a dipping sauce

Ingredients

400g finely sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon butter
1 clove crushed garlic
55ml white wine
200ml single cream
soy sauce (optional)
6tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1. Saute the mushrooms with pressed garlic in a little butter
2. Add wine and cream and stir
3. Let sauce boil uncovered for 10minutes or until it thickens
4. Season and add soy sauce to taste
5. Stir in parsley

A light delicious dessert.

4 egg yolks
2oz caster sugar
6 tablespoons masala wine

1. Whisk the egg and sugar for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy
2. heat wine until quite warm and add to egg mixture
3. Whisk mixture until thick
4. serve with sponge fingers in a tall glass

This recipe is from Penny, but was originally from ‘Aunty Nell’

Ingredients

Soak Overnight
3/4 lb mixed fruit
1 cup cold strong tea
1 cup brown sugar

1 egg
1/2 lb self raising flour
mixed peel ( a little)
2oz glace cherries

1. Soak the first three ingredients overnight
2. Beat the egg and add it to the overnight mixture
3. Add the flour, peel and cherries
4. Bake at 300F for 1.5 – 2 hours

Top fatless sponge with tangy clemantines and marmalade for a healthier treat

Ingredients 

4 tangy clementines, peeled and cut into horizontal slices
3 tablespoons Thin cut marmalade
2 eggs
75g caster sugar
1 clementine juice and zest
75g self raising flour, sifted

Serve with :

250g low fat Fromage Frais
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C
2. Place slices of clementine into a non-stick cake tin, up to 4cm deep
3. Melt marmalade in a pan and spoon over slices
4. Blend eggs and sugar using electic mix for 4-5 minutes until pale and creamy and leaves a trail
5. Gently fold in zest, juice and flour until thoroughly combined
6. Pour into tin, and bake for 23-35 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch
7. Cool for a few minutes before turning out onto a plate
8. Stir the ground ginger into the fromage frais and serve

I’ve seen an alternative for a tropical filling which sounds delicious too (use pineapple, pear, banana, macadamia nuts and chocolate drops) but I haven’t tried it yet.

Ingredients

1kg     Apples, peeled and cored and finely sliced
2 tablespoons raisons
1 tablespoons slivered toasted almonds
1/2 lemon   juice and finely grated zest
2 tablespoons caster sugar (more if apples are sour)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
75 g butter
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
350g packet of filo pastry (can be bought frozen)

1. Pre-heat oven to 200C
2. Butter a large baking sheet
3. Add Apples slices, raisons, almonds, lemon juice, zest, sugar and cinnamon to a bowl and mix well – (I heat this mixture in a microwave )
4. Melt 25g butter in a pan and saute the breadcrumbs until crisp. Keep till later
5. Clarify the remaining butter, (discard the milky residue).
6. Unwrap the filo pastry and lay 40x60cm onto a tea cloth lightly dusted with flour.
7. Brush pastry with clarified butter, place another layer of pastry on top
8. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over all the pastry except the edges
9. Spread filling down your  nearest long edge, leaving a margin at each end
10. Fold ends of pastry over mixture and lift cloth to roll strudel away from you, allowing it to curl over itself.
11. Pick up the strudel in its sling, and place it onto the greased baking tray
12. Brush strudel with butter and sprinkle on some drops of water.
13. Bake for 40 minutes at 200C until the pastry is crisp and brown and the filling tender.
14. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with sweetened whipped cream.

Ingredients

8oz self raising flour
1 flat teaspoon baking powder
1 flat teaspoon baking soda
1 flat teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
5 oz Brown Sugar
2 oz chopped walnuts
4 oz grated carrots
2 mashed bananas
4 fl oz sunflower oil or light fruity olive oil

Topping 1

4 oz (1 tub) Mascarpone Cheese
1 mug sifted icing sugar
5 drops of Vanilla essence

Topping 2

4oz (1 tub) cream cheese
2 oz softened butter
8 oz sifted icing sugar
1-2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 teaspoon lemon juice

 

1. Mix flour, baking soda, bicarb of soda, nuts, carrots and bananas together in a bowl
2. Hand whisk in the oil
3. Pour into a greased dish and bake for 3/4 to 1 hour at 180F
4. When cooled top with your choice of cream cheese topping

This recipe is started off using a Microwave then baked in the oven for about 1 hour.

Ingredients

2 pints          Semi skimmed milk
1/2 pint        Single cream
4 oz               pudding rice
3 oz              Demerara or brown Cane sugar
4oz               Raisons
1/4 tspn       Cinnamon

1. Soak Raisons in cold water for 15minutes
2. Stir Milk, cream, rice and sugar into a bowl, microwave for 9 minutes on full power, stir half way through
3. Stir, and microwave for another 7 minutes on full power, stirring occasionally, taking care it doesn’t boil over
4. Stir in Raisons and cinnamon
5. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 325F for 45mins to 1 hour

By placing the pineapple rings in the bottom of the dish when turned out they appear at the top.

Ingredients

9 grams Caster Sugar
9 grams Flora margerine or softenend butter
9 grams Self Raising Flour
3 eggs
4 pineapple rings

1. Cream the Caster sugar and the butter with a hand mixer
2. Mix in the eggs
3. Mix in a little flour
4. Fold in the remaining flour
5. Grease the sides of a dish
6. Place the pineapple rings in the base of the dish
7. Add the mixture over the top of the rings
8. Place dish into microwave – off center and microwave at 50% for 7 minutes
9. Microwave for a further 6-8 minutes on full power, turning dish 180 degrees every two minutes or so

A quick easy recipe for jams. Tried and tested on golden gages, plums and blackberries..

Ingredients

2 lbs                                    Fruit (with pips or stones)
3-4 tablespoons                  Lemon Juice
1lb 9oz                                White sugar (with pectin is better)

1. Microwave plums and lemon juice for 9 minutes on full power stirring occasionally
2. Stir in sugar and microwave for 3 minutes, stir well, 3minutes, stir well then 2 minutes and stir again
3. Strain out stones
4. Pour into sterilized jars
5. Cover with a tablespoon of rum or brandy (optional)

Elderflower champagne – They flower from the start of June

• 3-5 large heads of elderflowers*
• 1lb sugar
• 1 gallon of water (cold)
• 1 lemon
• 1 tbs white vinegar

*flowers rather than stalks which can taste bitter

• Put lemon juice and all other ingredients into a bucket
• Leave for 24 hours.
• Strain & bottle.
• Drink after 2 weeks.