Nov 29, 2010

I know it isn’t December yet, but I was asked the other day for a good mince pie recipe, and this one sprang to mind. This recipe is about as easy as it gets. short crust can be a bit of a handful, but this version is about as friendly as it gets. Uncooked, these mince pies can be kept in the freezer for a month, cooked,  they can be stored for up to 4...

Nov 22, 2010

Making puff pastry is rapidly becoming a dying art. With the advent of ready-made puff available in supermarkets, many find it much easier to buy it than make it. For those of you who like to keep it real, here is a puff pastry recipe that keeps things simple. Ingredients 175 g butter 225 g)plain flour pinch salt Instructions The butter needs to be hard...

Sep 8, 2010

There’s nothing quite as homely as apple crumble. It’s more soul food that doesn’t take forever to make and just brings a smile to your face when you eat. What more does a recipe need? Ingredients 6 apples, diced 250g caster sugar 200g plain flour 120g butter 1 cinnamon stick Instructions Put the apple chunks into a pan, add three...

Aug 6, 2010

What says summer like strawberries? A strawberry cheesecake is about as English as it gets, despite is popularity overseas. This strawberry cheesecake recipe is quick, easy and absolutely delicious. Ingredients 125g digestive biscuits 75g butter 300g cream cheese 60g sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 250ml double cream 2 pots of strawberry...

Aug 5, 2010

Lemon meringue pie is a little tricky to make, but is ideal as a light dessert after a barbecue or lunch on a summers day. Ingredients Base 200g crisp biscuits 50 – 100g butter Lemon filling 3 x 397g tins  condensed milk 175ml hot water 200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 6 egg yolks 2g corn flour Meringue topping 6 egg whites 1ml cream of...

Jul 22, 2010

I saw this recipe on The Hairy Bakers programme the other day and it reminded me that this used to be one of my favourite cakes as a child. It’s about as English as a cake gets and delicious to boot. Ingredients For the pastry 350g/12oz plain flour 1/2tsp salt 200g/7oz unsalted butter 100g/4oz caster sugar 50g/2oz ground almonds 1 whole egg,...