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Countryside Recipes
Lemon Drizzel Cake
Ingredients
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- 6oz caster sugar
- 6oz butter softened
- 4 tbsp milk
- 2 eggs
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- 6oz self raising flour sieved
- Grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
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Method
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light in colour and fluffy.
- Gradually beat in the eggs and milk.
- Fold the flour into the mixture with the grated lemon zest.
- Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 32oz loaf tin.
- Bake at 180C (fan oven 160C) for 50-65 minutes until the cake is golden brown and firm, to the touch.
- Mix the lemon juice and icing sugar together and pour over the cake as soon as it is removed from the oven.
- Allow the glaze to set before removing the cake from the tin.
- Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
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Almond Shortbread
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Ingredients
- 7oz Plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 2oz castor sugar + some for dusting
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- 2oz ground almonds
- 9oz unsalted butter
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Method
- Preheat oven to 150C.
- Sift flour and salt into bowl and mix.
- Add ground almonds and castor sugar and mix well.
- Rub in butter to mix and gently work until it forms a ball.
- Knead and then roll out to a round, a little smaller than a 10in fluted loose bottom tin.
- Place mix into tin and press out into flutes.
- Bake in centre of oven for 30-35mins until lightly browned.
- Remove, dust with caster sugar and allow to cool in tin.
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Honey & Spice Cake
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Ingredients
- 3oz clear runny honey
- 1 level tsp ground ginger
- 1 level tsp ground cinnamon
- Quarter level tsp ground cloves
- 8oz plain flour
- 3oz golden caster sugar
- 4oz butter, at room temperature
- 8 pieces Crystallised Ginger - to decorate
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- Finely grated zest of 1 small orange
- Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2oz candied peel, finely chopped
- 6oz icing sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
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Method
- Preheat oven to 160C.
- Place 3oz of honey into a cup or small basin (weigh basin and add honey).
- Place the basin into a saucepan containing barely simmering water and warm the honey.
- Sift the spices and flour into a large mixing bowl
- Add the sugar and the orange and lemon zest.
- Add the butter in small pieces.
- Rub butter lightly into the flour, using your fingertips, until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Lightly mix in the beaten egg and the warm honey using a large fork.
- In a small basin mix the bicarbonate of soda with 3 tbsp of cold water, stir until dissolved.
- Add the basin mix to the cake mixture and beat, quite hard, until smooth and soft.
- Stir in the mixed peel and spoon the mixture into a greased lined 8in round tin
- Place tin and contents just above centre of oven.
- Bake for about 50 minutes or until well risen and springy to the touch
- Cool for ten minutes and then turn out onto wire rack to go cold.
- Meanwhile sift icing sugar into a bowl and add 2 tbsp hot water and the lemon juice.
- Mix to a thin consistency that will coat the back of a spoon (add water to thin if necessary).
- Place large plate under wire rack and cake.
- Pour icing all over cake allowing to run down sides.
- Decorate the top with the ginger.
- Can be stored in an airtight tin.
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Farmhouse Fruit Cake
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Ingredients
- 6oz soft margarine
- 6oz caster sugar
- 3oz sultanas
- 3oz seedless raisins
- 3oz glace cherries (chopped)
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- 12oz self raising flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 level tsp mixed spice
- 3 tbsp milk
- 3 eggs
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Method
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Grease an 8" round cake tin and line with lining paper.
- Mix the margarine and all dry ingredients in a bowl and add the milk and eggs.
- Beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
- Turn into the prepared tin and level the top.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1and a half hours.
- Leave to cool in tin for 15 minutes before turning on to a wire rack.
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Coffee & Walnut Cake
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Ingredients
- 4 tbsp coffee essence
- 10oz butter, softened
- 6oz caster sugar
- 3 medium eggs
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- 6oz self raising flour
- 3 and a half oz walnuts, ground
- 6 - 8 walnut halves
- 8oz icing sugar + some for dusting
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Method
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Grease, base line and flour two 7" round cake tins.
- Place the flour, 6oz butter, sugar, eggs, ground walnuts and half the coffee essence into a bowl.
- Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
- Divide between the two 7in round sandwich tins and spread out to level the surface.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes are firm to the touch in the centre and spring back when lightly pressed.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
- Beat together the remaining butter, coffee essence and the icing sugar until smooth.
- If the mixture is still very thick add 1 tbsp boiling water.
- Fill a large piping bag with the mixture.
- Using a star-shape piping tube, pipe 6 or 8 swirls on the top of one of the halves of cake
- Use the rest of the filling to sandwich the two layers together.
- Place a walnut half on top of each swirl of filling.
- Dust with a little icing sugar before serving.
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Five Viennese Tartlets
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Ingredients
- 9oz softened butter
- 2oz icing sugar sieved
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- 9oz plain flour sieved
- A little raspberry jam or red currant jelly
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Method
- Cream the butter with the icing sugar until it is very soft - this is important otherwise the mixture will prove difficult to pipe.
- Gradually work in the flour.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
- Pipe the mixture into paper cases using a circular motion to give a swirl effect and a slight hollow in the middle.
- Put aside to rest for an hour to allow the cakes to become firm.
- Bake in the oven at 175C (160C fan oven) for approximately 10-15 minutes or until a light golden colour.
- When cold, dredge with sifted icing sugar.
- Pipe a bead of jam or jelly in the centre of each cake.
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Battenburg Cake
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Ingredients
- 4oz soft margarine
- 4oz caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2oz ground rice
- 4oz self raising flour
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- Half tsp baking powder
- A few drops red food colouring
- Three-quarter tablespoons apricot jam
- 8oz bought almond paste
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Method
- Pre-heat oven to 120C.
- Grease and base line a 7ins shallow cake tin with greased greaseproof paper.
- make a wall down the centre of the tin with a double layer of greaseproof to form two compartments.
- In a large bowl mix the margarine, sugar, eggs, ground rice, flour, baking powder and almond essence until smooth.
- Spoon one half of the mixture into one half of the prepared tin smoothing as neat as possible.
- Add a few drops of red food colouring to the remaining mixture to turn it deep pink.
- Spoon coloured mixture into the other half of the tin and smooth the surface.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 35-40 minutes until the cake is well risen and springy to the touch.
- Turn out onto a wire rack covered with a double layer of kitchen paper and leave to cool.
- Trim the edges of the cake and cut into four equal strips down the length of the colours.
- Gently heat the apricot jam in a small pan and then sieve the jam.
- Stick the strips of cake together placing one plain piece next to one coloured piece and vice-verse to get a chequered effect.
- You may have to trim the cake again.
- Brush the top of assembled cake with apricot jam.
- Roll out the almond paste into an oblong, the length and width of the cake.
- Invert the cake onto the almond paste and brush the remaining three sides with apricot jam.
- Press the almond paste neatly around the cake arranging the join in one bottom corner.
- Score the top with a diamond pattern and crimp the edges to decorate.
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Cheese & Leek Pasties
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Ingredients
- 1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 potato, peeled and thinly sliced
- Half oz butter
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
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- 2oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
- 12oz shortcrust pastry (Use own recipe)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 small sprigs thyme, leaves only
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Method
- Fry the leeks and potatoes in the butter and oil for three minutes.
- Add 3 tbsp water, cover and cook for five minutes.
- Season and stir in the cheese, thyme and mustard.
- Cool slightly.
- Pre-heat the oven to 220C (200C fan).
- Roll out the pastry to the thickness of a 1 Pound coin.
- Using a round cutter, cut out eight 5in circles.
- Spoon an eighth of the leek mixture into the centre of each.
- Brush a little egg around the edge of half of each circle.
- Fold the pastry around the filling in a pastie shape and crimp the edge between your finger and thumb.
- Brush with the egg and place on a baking tray.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden.
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Swiss Roll
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Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 4oz caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
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- 4oz self raising flour
- 4 teaspoons raspberry jam
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Method
- Lightly butter a 9in x 13in swiss roll tin, line with baking parchment and lightly butter.
- Pre-heat the oven to 220C (200C fan).
- Put the eggs and sugar into a large bowl.
- Whisk together with an electric mixer at high speed until the mixture is pale and thick enough to leave a trail when the whisk is lifted out.
- Sift the flour into the egg mixture and fold in gently but thoroughly.
- Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and tilt to spread the mixture evenly, particularly into the corners.
- Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until the sponge is golden and starting to shrink away from the side of the tin.
- Invert the sponge on to a large piece of baking parchment which has been liberally sprinkled with caster sugar.
- Peel off the lining paper and trim the edges of the sponge with a sham knife.
- Roll up the sponge and the baking parchment together, from one of the short ends.
- Leave to stand for 2-3 minutes.
- Unroll the sponge and remove the baking parchment.
- Spread the sponge with warmed jam and roll up again.
- Wrap tightly in baking parchment and leave to cool.
- Unwrap, dust with caster sugar.
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Wholemeal Country Loaf
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 24oz strong wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1oz butter or margarine
- Half oz sachet fast-action dried yeast
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- Half pint (450ml) lukewarm water
- sunflower oil for greasing
- milk for glazing
- cracked wheat for sprinkling
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Method
- In a mixing bowl rub in the butter and flour with the fingertips.
- stir in the sugar, salt and yeast.
- Make a well in the middle and add enough water to mix to a soft, quite sticky, dough.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, then shape into a round.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl and cover with oiled cling film.
- Leave to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knock back with your fists.
- Knead for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
- Shape the dough into a round and put it into a lightly oiled 8in cake tin.
- Flatten with your hand, then mark into eight wedges with a knife.
- Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Pre-heat the oven to 230C.
- Brush the loaf with milk and sprinkle with cracked wheat.
- Bake in oven at 230C for 20-25 minutes.
- Tap the base to see if the loaf is cooked - it should sound hollow.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack.
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Whisky Fruit Loaf
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Ingredients
- 4oz glace cherries- quartered
- 6oz dark brown sugar
- 4oz sultanas
- 4oz raisins
- 4oz currants
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- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp whisky
- 300m1 (10fl oz) hot or cold tea
- l0oz self raising flour
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Method
- If time is short, use hot tea to soak the dried fruit, cherries and sugar for two hours.
- otherwise leave the fruit etc. overnight soaking in cold tea.
- Add the flour, then the egg and beat with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour the mixture into a 32oz loaf tin which has been greased and lined
- Bake for approx. 90 mins (check after 75 mins) at 180C until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- While still in the tin, prick the top ot the loaf with a skewer and drizzle the whisky over the hot loaf.
- Allow to cool for five minutes or so, then remove and cool on a wire rack.
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Uncooked Sweet Pickle
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Ingredients
- 1 Lb Cooking Apples (Peeled & Cored)
- l Lb Onions
- 1 Lb Dates (or mixture of rasins & sultanas)
- 1 Lb Demerara sugar
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- 1 tsp Salt
- Half pint Vinegar
- 1 tsp Dry Mustard
- 2 tsp Curry Power
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Method
- Blend apples and fruit & pulse until required texture.
- Place in a large bowl, stir in sugar, salt & mustard.
- Cover and leave to stand overnight.
- Next day, sprinkle curry powder and mix well. (taste and add more curry powder if preferred.)
- Put in to jars and leave at least 1 month before using.
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Carrot and Apple Cake
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Ingredients
- 4oz soft brown sugar
- 150 ml (quarter pint) vegetable oil
- 4oz plain wholemeal flour
- half tsp bicarbonate of soda
- half tsp ground ginger
- 6oz carrot, grated
- 2oz sultanas
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- 2 eggs
- 3oz self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1 dessert apple, peeled, cored and grated
- 2 tbsp apple juice
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Method
- Heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
- Beat together the sugar and eggs until creamy and frothy.
- Gradually beat in the oil.
- Mix together the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and the spices.
- Stir in the egg mixture with the carrot, apple and sultanas.
- Add the apple juice to give the consistency of a thick batter.
- Pour into a greased and base-lined 18cm (7 inch) square tin.
- Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until firm and risen; cool on a wire rack.
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Chocolate Butterscotch Brownies
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Ingredients
- 4oz butter / margerine
- 6oz soft brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2oz chopped walnuts
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- 3oz self-raising flour
- quarter tsp baking powder
- 1 and a half oz cocoa powder
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Method
- Place all ingredients, except nuts, in a mixer bowl.
- Beat until well mixed.
- Place in a lined and greased 7in square cake tin.
- Bake in a moderate oven at 180 degrees C 40 - 50 mins.
- Turn out and cool on a wire tray.
- Dredge with icing sugar and cut into nine squares.
- Place walnut half on each square
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