Berry Slump

100g butter

100g caster sugar

100g SR Flour

2 eggs

2tsp vanilla extract

600g mixed summer berries

In a mixer, whizz together the butter, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla, until smooth. Lightly grease a baking dish and tip in the summer berries.

Dollop over the cake mix, cover the fruit.

Cook for 45 minutes in an oven Gas 4. Serve warm with custard, vanilla ice cream, or extra thick cream.

Cherry Clafoutis

When everytime you pick up a cook book, magazine or recipe card, you can't help but wonder if your being "told" to try something. When it then appears on the TV and on websites you frequent, you know you must. This is the case with Cherry Clafoutis.

300g cherries, unpitted (although I did pit mine!!)
300ml milk

3 eggs

60g caster sugar

60g plain flour

Half-tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

Half-tsp vanilla extract

Icing sugar for serving

Method:

Heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Remove the stalks and arrange the cherries in a single layer in a shallow, lightly buttered 22cm glass or porcelain baking dish. In a food processor, combine the eggs and sugar and beat until smooth. Add the milk, salt and vanilla extract, and whiz briefly. Sift in the flour and baking powder and blend for one minute until smooth. Pour the batter over the cherries until just covered (you may not use all the batter) and bake for between 30 and 40 minutes, or until puffed, golden, and set. Rest for ten minutes (it will sink slightly), then dust with icing sugar and serve warm, straight from the dish.

I will admit this was not to my taste and a great dissappointment. I have also come to the conclusion that whilst I love cherries, I do not like them cooked. I had some difficulty in getting my clafoutis to set whilst baking, and this could account for the slightly rubbery texture.

Apricot and Almond Traybake

250g butter
225g golden caster sugar
275g self raising flour
2tsp baking powder
finely grated zest of 1 orange and 2tbsp orange juice
75g ground almonds
5 medium eggs lightly beaten
225g chopped ready to eat apricots

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4. Grease a 20.5x33com tin and baseline.

Put all of the ingredients except the apricots into the bowl of a free standing mixer and mix until thouroughly combined.

Fold in the apricots. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, smooth the surface with a pallet knife. You might want to sprinkle the surface with some flaked almonds.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until risen and golden.

Cool in the tin and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

This is increadibly easy to make, and tastes out of this world. I liketo think its healthy because it contains fruit!!

Apple Spice Cake

2 eating apples, diced

200g self raising flour

125g butter

125g light muscavado sugar

2 large eggs

1tsp mixed spice

juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

Cream together butter and sugar, add the eggs. Stir in lemon juice, zest and spice. Fold in the flour and add apples.

Bake at Gas 4 for 40/45minutes.

I can not tell you how delicious this cake is served, slightly warm, with a good splodge of clotted cream!

Queen of Puddings

Ingredients
1 pint (570 ml) milk
½ oz (10 g) butter
4 oz (110 g) fresh white breadcrumbs
2 oz (50 g) golden caster sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
grated zest of 1 small lemon
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons raspberry jam
(although I used blackcurrant)
First, pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, breadcrumbs, 1 oz (25 g) of the sugar and the lemon zest, and leave for 20 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to swell.

Now separate the eggs, lightly beat the yolks and add them to the cooled breadcrumb mixture. Pour it all into the pie dish and spread it out evenly. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until set.

Meantime, in a small saucepan melt the raspberry jam over a low heat and, when the pudding is ready, remove it from the oven and spread the jam carefully and evenly all over the top.

Next, using an electric hand whisk, lightly beat the egg whites in a large scrupulously clean bowl until stiff, then whisk in 1 oz (25 g) of the caster sugar and spoon this meringue mixture over the pudding. Finally, sprinkle the teaspoon of caster sugar over it all and bake for a further 10-15 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

Banana and Walnut Cake

100g butter (soft)
140g light muscovado sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten
100g chopped walnuts
2 ripe banana's mashed
225g self rising flour

Preheat the oven to Gas 4. Line a 2lb loaf tin. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs. Set aside 25g walnuts, then fold the rest into the creamed mixture, with the banana's. Fold in the flour. Pour into the lined baking tin and sprinkle with the reserved walnuts.

Bake for 55 mins - 1 hour until risen.

Welsh Cakes

115g butter
225g self raising flour
75g caster sugar
75g currants
1 egg beaten.

Rub the butter into the flour, then stir in the sugar and currants. Tip in the egg and mix to a dough. Chill the dough in the fridge for approx 30 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out the welsh cakes to a 1 cm thickness. Stamp out thin rounds with a 6.5com fluted cutter.
Heat up a griddle pan. Drop a welsh cake onto the hot griddle and leave it for approx 5 minutes to brown, then flip over and do the other side. Cook in batches, taking care not to over-crowd the griddle.

Plum Chutney

Ingredients
450g/1lb red plums, halved and stoned
180g/6oz caster sugar
120ml/4fl oz cider vinegar
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise



Method
Put all the ingredients into a pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 20-30 minutes until the plums are tender and the liquid is syrupy.
Keep for at least one month before using.
Serve with cheeses or ham.

Plum Tarte Tatin

100 grams butter
100 grams white sugar
7 large plums halved
1 sheet of flaky or puff pastry (pre-rolled)
The pan you choose for Tarte Tatin is important as it must be able to withstand cooking on a stove top and in the very hot oven with extremely hot caramelizing sugar. A heavy bottomed seasoned cast-iron pan is preferable.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5. Measure your pan and cut your pastry sheet into a round disc to fit as a lid. Cover the pastry so it doesn't dry out and put aside for later.
Peel the plums and cut into halves removing the stone.
Melt the butter and sugar together in the pan and slowly cook together until the sugar dissolves.
Arrange the plums, skin side down in the sugar mixture in a snug even pattern. Cook over a slow to medium heat for around 10 minutes until the plumbs are slightly soft and the sugar has begun to caramelize.
Place the pastry round securely on top of the plums. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Place a serving dish over the pan and flip upside down to release the dessert, so that the pastry is underneath.

Tarte Tatin

100 grams butter
100 grams white sugar
6 large apples
fresh lemon juice
1 sheet of flaky or puff pastry (pre-rolled)
The pan you choose for Tarte Tatin is important as it must be able to withstand cooking on a stove top and in the very hot oven with extremely hot caramelizing sugar. A heavy bottomed seasoned cast-iron pan is preferable.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5. Measure your pan and cut your pastry sheet into a round disc to fit as a lid. Cover the pastry so it doesn't dry out and put aside for later.
Peel the apples and cut into quarters removing the core. Brush with lemon juice so they do not brown.
Melt the butter and sugar together in the pan and slowly cook together until the sugar dissolves.
Arrange the apple quarters in the sugar mixture in a snug even pattern. Cook over a slow to medium heat for around 20 minutes until the apples are slightly soft and the sugar has begun to caramelize.
Place the pastry round securely on top of the apples. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Place a serving dish over the pan and flip upside down to release the dessert, so that the pastry is underneath.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients
4 lemons, rind and juice
4 eggs
110g/4oz butter
450g/1lb sugar








Method
1. Grate rind of lemons and squeeze out juice. Put sugar, rind and juice, butter and beaten eggs into a large basin on top of a pan of simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon until thick and curd coats the back of the spoon. Pour into warm sterile jars, cover, seal and label. Refrigerate.

Green Tomato chutney

Ingredients
15g/½oz root ginger
8-10 chillies
2kg/4lb green tomatoes, chopped
500g/1lb apples, peeled, cored and chopped
250g/8oz raisins, chopped
625g/1¼lb shallots, chopped
2 tsp salt
500g/1lb brown sugar
570ml/1 pint malt vinegar

Method
Bruise the ginger and tie in a muslin bag with the chillies.
Place all the other ingredients in a preserving pan and suspend the muslin bag among them.
Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, and simmer until the desired consistency is reached.
Remove the muslin bag. Pour into warmed sterilised jars, cover and label.

Traditional Lemonade

6 large unwaxed lemons

2 1/2 pints boiling water

150g sugar

Par three of the lemons using a vegetable peeler. Place the zest in a bowl and add the juice of the six lemons. Pour over 2 1/2 pints of boiling water and add 150g of sugar. Leave overnight. Strain and bottle.