Rock Drops



Rub in 100g butter or marg in 7oz plain wholemeal flour with 2tsp baking powder until like breadcrumbs. Stir in 75g sugar, 10oz sultanas and 25g glace cherries. Add 1 beaten egg to bind and 2tbsp milk. Divide mixture into 6 equal pieces. Hand roll into rough circles. Place on baking sheet one inch apart flattening each drop slightly.

Bake for 15 minutes in 180 degrees fan oven.

 



Irish Wholemeal scones



 Sift 240g (5 heaped tbsp) wholemeal plain flour with half tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1tsp baking powder & half tsp salt. Add small diced 45g lard and rub together until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 150ml buttermilk (or natural yoghurt) and mix to a smooth dough kneading lightly. Form into 6 small rounds 12mm thick and place onto a lightly oiled baking tray then into a preheated 200 fan oven / 180 c for 12 minutes.

Tip : when you cut the scones in half to eat use a fork instead of a knife to pierce all around and this will stop the scone from crumbling.

Rhubarb Mousse

A light and fruity dessert that's easy to make.

Dice 350g rhubarb rapidly until soft in 55g sugar, the juice of one orange and just enough water to cover.

Beat one egg white in a mixer for 10 minuts until peaks form. Fold into a quarter pint of greek yoghurt for a low cal version or qaurter pint of whipped cream.

Drain the rhubarb from the lquid and fold the rhubarb into the above mixture leaving some rhubarb to decorate. 


New post in my Just Microwave blog - Orange Meringue Pie

I'm often left with eggs coming near the use-by date so I decided to use up some with this lovely pie. Can hardly believe it comes out perfect using a microwave and the orange is a novel twist on the usual lemon meringue pie. If you want the lemon version just use the rind of 2 lemons and 4fl oz lemon juice. It's a very easy to make pastry which doesn't need rolling!

  

My Wild Cherry pie



I was lucky enough to pick my wild cherries for this pie. When I went into the supermarket today the price of cherries were a whopping £4.99p per kg, some had even been £7.99p last week. It's really worth going into the countryside and foraging, much more rewarding too.

Put 250g plain flour in a bowl with 125g cold butter which has been cut into small pieces (you can also use margarine which has been in freezer about half an hour or a combination of half lard half spread of your choice). Knead in 2tbs sugar, a pinch of salt and 1tbs cream to form a pastry doug. Add 2tbs water if it is to dry. Divide and shape pastry into 2 balls. Wrap in clingfilm and fridge for 1hr.

Mix the juice and zest of 1 lemon with 2.5tbsp cornflour & 2 tbs sugar (if your cherries are tarty add another tbsp sugar), add 750g pitted cherries and leave for 30 mins.

After an hour roll out the two pastry balls on a flour surface between layers of clingfilm. Lay the larger circile on a greased 9" and make a rim up the sides. Sprinkle the base with 2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs.

Set aside a quarter of the cherry mixture and let it drain. Catch the liquid and add to the rest of the cherries. Put this cherry mix onto the base then cover with the 2nd pastry circle pressing edges down firmly. Arrange the remaining cherries on top pressing gently into pastry. Bake 50 minutes at 200c, 180 fan, 400f, gas 6.

Another lush easy to make cherry recipe:

Black Cherry Cream Pie

New blog post 12/8/15:
Apple, Blackberry and Banana Crumble (in microwave)

Rhubarb Custard Pie

Rub 4oz fat (butter or lard) into 8oz flour until like breadcrumbs. Mix in 3 tbs water or for a richer pasty a lightly beaten egg to form a dough. Grease a 9" oval pie dish. Fridge dough whilst making filling:

Slice 4 sticks of 12" rhubarb into 1" pieces. Add 3 heaped tbsp sugar. In another bowl beat 2 large eggs and add 3 heaped tbsp sugar and 8fl oz whole milk, mix.

Flatten dough and press evenly into the pie dish. Evenly cover the pastry with the rhubarb, sprinkle over 1 tsp ground ginger. Pour egg mix over evenly then sprinkle with 1 tsp cinnamon. Bake 160 fan for 45 mins.

For a lower calorie version omit the pastry.


For an oven baked banana custard without the pastry:





Thin slice three firm bananas and layer in a pie dish. Sprinkle cinnamon over the bananas. Use 6tsp jam placing dollops at intervals over this.

In a separate bowl beat 2 large eggs and add 3 heaped tbsp sugar and 8fl oz whole milk, mix well. Pour evenly over the bananas. Bake 160 fan for 45 mins.



Brownies using mixer beater attachment

Group 1: 80g cocoa powder,½tsp bicarbonate of soda,80ml vegetable oil,120ml boiling water

Group 2: 440g caster sugar, 2 eggs, 80ml vegetable oil, 190g plain flour, 1tsp vanilla essence, ¼tsp salt

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 175ºC / Gas Mark 3-4.
2. Attach the Beater Attachments to the Mixer. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
3. Mix the Group 1 ingredients: Mix the cocoa with the bicarbonate of soda and add to the bowl along with the oil and water.
4. Mix on speed 1 until well blended and thickened.
5. Mix in the sugar, eggs and oil until thoroughly mixed.
6. During mixing hold the Mixing Bowl steady and turn clockwise and anticlockwise to allow the ingredients to mix thoroughly. It may be necessary to stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl a few times to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.
7. Add the flour, vanilla and salt and mix until just incorporated, do not over mix.
8. Spread evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

Coffee Marble Cake

A lovely light sponge great on it's own or with white sauce:

Sift 10oz flour with 1tsp baking soda and 1tsp baking powder.

Cream 8oz sugar with 4oz margarine. Beat in 2 eggs.

To make the batter add a quarter of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and one third of half pint (8floz) of sour cream (or yoghurt or milk). Keep alternating flour and sour cream in this way until well blended. Add 1sp vanilla.

Oil a 2lb loaf baking tin.

In another bowl mix 1tbs cocoa powder, 2tbs sugar and 1tbs instant coffee.

Pour one third of the batter into the loaf tin then sprinkle half of the coffee mix over the batter. Add another third of the batter, the remaining coffee mix and then the remaining batter. Swirl the mixture with a fork for a marble effect. Bake 160fan / 180C / 350F for 50 mins using skewer method (when pushed in and out of the middle of the cake the skewer comes out clean). Dust with icing sugar when cold. 

Great on it's own but for decadence serve portions with white sauce:

40g butter and 40g plain flour in a saucepan, pour in 10floz milk medium heat use a balloon whisk vigourously until simmering point is reached. Turn heat to lowest setting. Stir in 40g sugar and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2tblsp brandy and 4 floz double cream. If you want to serve later put into a jug with clingfilm on the surface of the mix to keepwarm until needed.

OR chocolate sauce:

Blend 1oz cornflour, 1 tbsp cocoa with a little cold milk. Add 2oz sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. Bring 1pt of milk to boil then add to the mix, keep stirring as you combine. Put back on heat. Simmer 5 mins.