Method

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees centigrade.

2. Line a 9 inch flan tin with the rolled pastry, trim the edge and line with baking parchment. Fill the case with baking beans and place in the hot oven.  Cook for 20 minutes, until golden, remove the baking beans and check that the base has cooked.  If the base is still opaque, return to the oven without beans or paper for a few minutes.

3. Turn the oven down to 160 degrees.

4. With an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar to a smooth paste, and gradually add  the eggs.  Add the ground almonds and mix again.

5. Spread half the mixture over the base of the pastry, then sprinkle on the blackberries in an even layer.

6. Spoon the other half of the mixture over the blackberries, gently spreading to cover.

7. Scatter the top with a few almonds.  Bake for 45 – 50 minutes at 160 degrees.

   Serve with lashings of cream.

    

Method

1. If the hazelnuts still have skins; drop into a baking tray and place in the middle of a moderate oven for 10 minutes. Remove and empty out onto a clean tea towel, cover with another clean tea towel and roll the nuts between the 2, to remove the skins. Don’t worry if some of the skins remain.

2. Place nuts in a food processor and whizz to a powder; the spread will have a texture to it, but the finer the grind of the nuts the smoother the texture.

3. In a non stick pan over a gentle heat, toast the ground nuts a little to bring out the flavour. Add the chocolate, sugar and oil, and stir continuously until melted and smooth. Once all the chocolate has melted, pour into a jar and leave to cool.

4. When the mixture has cooled, the ground nuts will settle on the bottom, so be sure to give it a good stir with a spoon.

   The mixture will keep in a cool place for several weeks in a sealed jar.

Method

1. Peel and core apples, either cut in half if small or cut into wedges.  Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

2.  In a non stick frying pan, pour water onto sugar and leave to absorb for a moment. Set on a medium high heat until it turns to a clear liquid. Don’t take you eyes off it as you need to let the sugar liquid turn to caramel, but in the blink of an eye it can burn! Do not be tempted to stir or the caramel won’t form.

3.  Once the sugar syrup has become golden in colour add the butter and turn down the heat by half.

4.  Add apples, spooning over the liquid. Juice from the apples will make the syrup runny, but this will evaporate as the apple cooks. Leave to cook, occasionally basting the apples. Once the apples have softened and have an opaque appearance remove from the heat.

5.  Spoon apples into the base of a silicone or nonstick muffin tin, a half or several wedges in each mould. Divide the caramel between each portion.  Leave for several hours, preferably overnight, in the fridge to set.

6.  Make cake batter by beating the margarine and sugar, and gradually add the egg. Sift and fold in flour.  Spoon batter over apples, but don’t be tempted to overfill as the batter will rise.

7.  Bake at 160 degrees for 15 minutes, until golden.

8.  Remove from the oven,  and using a rounded bladed knife, ease around the sponge so it is free.     Place a large baking sheet over the muffin tray and turn out immediately, or the apple will stick.

Method

1. Pick plump red berries, carefully avoiding the vicious prickles. Remove berries from the stalks and leaves, and rinse under running water.
2. Place berries and water in saucepan and simmer gently for 20 minutes. During the cooking time, using a potato masher, occasionally smash berries-you want to end up with a pulp.
3. Set up a muslin in a colander or sieve, over a bowl.  Pour the pulp into the muslin and leave for several hours to drip.  Should you lose patience and force the liquid through the muslin, your end result will be a cloudy jelly!
4. When the liquid has been extracted, discard the pulp, and place the liquid in a pan.
5. Using the formula; ???gms liquid , divided by 10= ??? x 7 = granulated sugar   Example; 209gms liquid, divide by 10 = 20.9    20.9 x 7 =146gms sugar
   Add your sugar to pan with liquid, if using pectin, use 8gms per 1kg sugar.
6. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and set pan over a heat to a rapid boil, continue the boil for 20 mins or until the setting point has been reached.
7. Skim the surface with a spoon to remove the foam scum.
8. Setting point can be tested – drop a teaspoon full onto a  cold plate and place in the fridge, after a minute or two push the drop with a finger, it should offer resistance.
9. When jelly is ready, pour into hot sterilised jars.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°fan and grease and line a round springform cake tin.
2. Blitz together the flour and the butter until you have rough breadcrumbs.
3. Add the sugar and combine.
4. Add the four eggs, one at a time, stirring well in-between each addition.  
5. Peel, core and chop the apples in to small chunks, and add them to the cake mixture along with the cinnamon and caraway seeds.
6. Pour the mixture in to the cake tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool in the tin and serve slightly warm or cold with lashings of cream!

Method

Preheat oven to 170°C Fan

1. Peel the apples and chop them into 2cm chunks.  Mix with the brown sugar and lemon juice and place in an ovenproof dish.
2. Toast the nuts in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes.
3. Blitz all the remaining crumble ingredients in the food processor for 5 or 6 seconds.
4. Add the toasted nuts to the food processor and blend until the nuts are chopped small but not too fine to keep some texture.
5. Sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of the apples and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the house smells wonderful!

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan) and grease or line a small round cake tin.
2. Soften the butter so it can be easily mixed in to the other ingredients.
3. Beat the flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, eggs and milk together until you have a smooth mixture.  If the mixture seems a little stiff then add a drop more milk.
4. Add the poppy seeds and caraway seeds and mix well.
5. Pour the mixture in to the cake tin and sprinkle the demerara sugar on top.
6. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes or until the sides start to come away from the tin.
7. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).  Once the oven is hot, put the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast them for 8-10 minutes or until just golden.  Allow to cool.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar until smooth, and then mix in the flour.
3. Put the roasted hazelnuts in to a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
4. Mix the nuts in to the rest of the ingredients and bring the mixture together.
5. Roll the mixture out on a floured surface until it’s about 1cm thick and cut into shapes.  You may need to sprinkle a little flour on top if it is hard to handle.
6. Re-roll the remaining mixture and repeat the process.
7. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for about 12 minutes.
8. Allow to cool on a baking rack and sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan).  Peel, core and chop the apples in to bite sized pieces.

2. Put the flour, cinnamon and butter into a food processor and blitz until you have a breadcrumb consistency.
3. Add the sugar, egg and milk, and blitz again.  The mixture should be thick but pourable.
4. Pour the mixture in to a bowl and stir in the apples and sultanas.
5. Line a 20cm cake tin and pour the mixture in.  Sprinkle on a little demerara sugar if you want a crunchy topping!
6. Bake for around 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
7. Leave to cool or enjoy while still just warm with a large helping of clotted cream!