Flapjack (aka Ginny Biscuits)

To make about 16 pieces.

Ingredients

4 oz butter
2 rounded tbsp golden syrup
4 oz soft brown sugar
8 oz rolled oats
pinch of salt

1. Place the butter in a saucepan over a low heat.
2. Add the golden syrup and the sugar.
3. When the butter is all melted stir these up well together.
4. Add the oats and the salt, and stir well.
5. Press into a greased tin.

Bake in preheated oven, 350ºF, 180ºC, Gas mark 4, for 20 minutes.
While still hot run a knife through to cut it into squares (use a plastic spatula if your non-stick tin would prefer that).

Baked parsnips and onions

The most important parsnip recipe, without which the things are, as we all know, intolerable.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

500g       parsnips             1lb
250g       onions                8 oz
25g         butter                 1 oz
25-50g    cheese, grated   1-2oz

a 1 litre/2 pint ovenproof dish, greased.

Preheat oven to 190ºC, 375ºF, gas mark 5.

1. Top and tail the parsnips, peel them and slice them thinly. 
2. Place the parsnips in a saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil, and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Drain the parsnips.
4. Peel and thinly slice the onions.
5. Heat the butter in a saucepan and fry the onions until they are soft and golden—about 8 minutes.
6. Layer the parsnips and the onions in the greased dish. 
7. Sprinkle the top with cheese.
8. Bake on the centre shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until the top is nicely browned.

Serve as a vegetable accompaniment. Good with roast dinner.

Gigantes plaki (BBC version)

Recipe from BBC good food magazine sept 2009.


400g dried butter beans
3 tbsp Greek extra virgin olive oil , plus more to serve
1 Spanish onion , finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato purée
800g ripe tomatoes , skins removed, roughly chopped (or use 2 tins of tomatoes)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
pinch ground cinnamon
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley , plus extra to serve

1. Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water. Drain, rinse, then place in a pan covered with water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, then simmer for approx 50 mins until slightly tender but not soft. Drain, then set aside.
2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, tip in the onion and garlic, then cook over a medium heat for 10 mins until softened but not browned. Add the tomato purée, cook for a further min, add remaining ingredients, then simmer for 2-3 mins. Season generously, then stir in the beans. Tip into a large ovenproof dish, then bake for approximately 1 hr, uncovered and without stirring, until the beans are tender. The beans will absorb all the fabulous flavours and the sauce will thicken. Allow to cool, then scatter with parsley and drizzle with a little more olive oil to serve.

Rybízová buchta s drobenkou

"Buchta" is a traditional czech cake. It can be made with any fruit, therefore simply substitute the redcurrants in this recipe for whatever fruit you happen to have. You can also leave out the fruit and put something else in to liven up the cake. It comes out something like apricot slice & similar.



For the buchta base:

150 g butter

2 cups plain (polohrubá) flour (this is slightly coarse milled: use half strong flour if you have it, half normal)

1 cup caster sugar (vanilla if poss)

1 sachet vanilla sugar OR few drops vanilla essence (or just use vanilla sugar) 

2 eggs 

1.5 cups plain yogurt
1 sachet / 2 tsp baking powder

For the topping:

Some fruit (in this case, around 1/2 lb redcurrants, but any fruit will do, peeled/chopped if necessary)

Some "drobenka" (crumble) created as follows: 

• Mix 2 -3 tablespoons icing sugar (caster sugar is ok too if you haven't got icing sugar. Vanilla sugar ideal, or add a little vanilla essence) together with 3-4 tablespoons plain (hrubá) flour (use strong flour if you have it, or semolina). 
• Melt 1 - 2 tablespoons butter and add this to the flour/sugar mix. With a spoon or your fingers work butter into the flour to create crumble effect. 
• You might need more than this - increase in the same relative quantities. 

Method:

1. Prepare the fruit (wash & drain, peel/chop or detach berries from their stalks). Prepare the crumble topping as above. 
2. Preheat the oven to 170C and grease a fairly shallow cake tin (square is best) approx 8 inches across.
3. Mix together butter, flour, sugar and vanilla sugar, then add the yogurt, eggs and baking powder, and mix well. 
4. Spread the mixture evenly in the tin, then add a good layer of fruit on the top, and finally sprinkle liberally with the "crumble" topping. 
5. Bake until golden. Cool in the tin for a few minutes, then cut into squares.

Honey and walnut cookies (can be dairy free)

adapted from a recipe at bakingbites.com

It is ok if quantities are a bit approximate, as long as proportions are roughly the same.

1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable/sunflower oil (I think melted butter would do, too)
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract (or just use vanilla sugar)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a large baking sheet.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the oil (or butter), honey and vanilla extract (if applicable). Pour this into the flour mixture and stir. Add the walnuts and stir briefly so that the walnuts are well distributed in the cookie dough.
Using your fingers, shape the dough into 12 balls (approx 1-inch diameter) and place onto the baking sheet, well apart because they will spread. Flatten the top of the balls slightly.

Bake for 10 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned around the edges.
Cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

Eat within a few days otherwise they will go a bit chewy.

Walnut shortbread

Recipe from Delia online

2 oz (50 g) walnut pieces
4 oz (110 g) salted butter, at room temperature
2 oz (50 g) caster sugar
6 oz (175 g) plain flour, sifted, plus a little extra for dusting
2 oz (50 g) rice flour
a little icing sugar for dusting


The first thing you need to do is grind the walnuts, which you can do very carefully using the 'pulse' switch on a food processor (if this is overdone, the nuts go pasty and oily). Otherwise, a hand-held nut grinder will do the job.

To make the shortbread, place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream them together until pale and fluffy. Then mix the sifted flour and rice flour together and gradually work this into the creamed mixture, a tablespoonful at a time. Next, add the ground walnuts and use your hands to form the mixture into a smooth dough. Leave the dough to rest in a plastic food bag in the fridge for 30 minutes, then roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to a round approximately 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter.

Now, using the 1¾ inch (4.5 cm) cutter, cut out approximately 20 rounds, re-rolling the trimmings. Place them on the lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Cool them for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. When completely cool, dust them with icing sugar and store in an airtight container.

Winnie the Pooh's chocolate pudding (=blancmange)

(For chocolate sauce for puddings, reduce the amount of cornflour to one tbsp per half pint. You may prefer that proportion for the blancmange too.)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 rounded tablespoons of cornflour (One tbsp = 1/2 oz)
2 rounded tbsp cocoa powder (One tbsp = 1/2 oz)
3 rounded tbsp granulated sugar (One tbsp = 1/2 oz)
1 pt (or half a litre) of milk
A few drops of real vanilla essence (or use vanilla sugar)
Chopped walnuts etc for decoration (optional)

Method:

1. Put the cornflour and cocoa in the bottom of a measuring jug.
2. Add a little of the milk and create a thick paste. Stir till the dry ingredients are smooth and thick, with no dry bits.
3. Add a bit more of the milk and stir again till there are no lumps.
4. Add about half the milk, so that you have a good wet mixture to pour.
5. Pour the mixture into a 2 pt non-stick saucepan. 
6. Add the rest of the milk.
7. Put over a low to moderate heat and start heating it up.
8. Add all the sugar.
9. Stir carefully to keep it from sticking on the bottom. If it's sticking or turning too quickly for you to keep up, turn down the heat. If it's doing nothing turn up the heat.
10. It will thicken and then boil. Allow it to boil for about three minutes or so.
11. Draw the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla essence.
12. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, or small glass dishes, or a lightly oiled jelly mould.
13. If serving in dishes, decorate the top with walnuts or other sprinkles.
14. If using a jelly mould, allow to cool until it is firm. Then gently pull the edges away from the mould with your fingers at the top surface; place a large plate upside down over the mould; invert the whole thing, without dropping either the plate or the pudding. Put the plate down on a table. If the pudding doesn't drop out of the mould, lift the mould a bit and coax the pudding out with your fingers, by letting the air in at one side till it flops out.

Gluten free parsnip apple and orange pecan cake

Recipe from the Open University.


For the cake:
175g butter
200g light soft brown sugar
100g golden syrup
3 eggs
250g gluten free self raising flour
2 tsp gluten free baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
250g parsnips
125g eating apples
50g pecan nuts (or walnuts)
1 orange, zest and juice



For the Maple mascarpone frosting
250g mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp maple syrup
3-4 tbsp milk

Heat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.

Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins.


Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup together in a large pan over low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Place the mascarpone in a bowl and leave for 15 minutes to warm to room temperature. Add the maple syrup and beat together until well incorporated. Add enough milk so that you achieve a thick, yet spreadable consistency. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and place spoonfuls of the frosting over the surface. Use a knife to spread the frosting out into an even layer, right to the edges of the cake. Top with the second cake layer and dust the top lightly with icing sugar.
Serve in generous slices. Even better the next day...


Meanwhile, peel the parsnips and coarsely grate them along with the apple (you can leave the skin on but remove the core). Roughly chop the pecans and finely grate the zest from the orange. Using a large spatula, whisk the eggs into the melted sugar mixture, then stir in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice. Add the parsnip, apple, pecans and orange zest. Squeeze in the juice from the zested orange and mix well. Divide the batter between the tins (they will be quite full) and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and the tops spring back when pressed lightly. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Cocoa and oatmeal crunchy biscuits

These are scrumptious and quick to make.

4oz /100g butter
3oz /75g sugar (vanilla sugar is good)
4oz/100g plain flour
1oz/25g cocoa powder
Vanilla essence (if not using vanilla sugar)
1oz/25g medium oatmeal (if you don't have oatmeal, you can use rolled oats chopped finely in a whizzy machine)

Cream butter and sugar, add flour, cocoa, oatmeal and vanilla and mix well with wooden spoon until you get a smooth, stiff dough.

Roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick, and cut out small/medium size shapes (approx 1 to 2 inch diameter). Put these on a greased baking sheet and bake at 180ºC / mark 4, for 10 mins. When out of the oven leave for a minute or two on the baking sheet and once they've hardened up a bit transfer to cooling rack.

Hazelnut and honey biscuits

5 oz (125g) plain flour
pinch of salt
4 oz (100g) butter
2 1/2 oz (±60g) sugar
3 oz (75g) ground hazelnuts (or start with whole hazlenuts and chop them very finely in a nut-chopper)
A few tablespoons clear honey
2-3 oz plain chocolate (optional but highly recommended).

Cream the butter and sugar until soft. Stir in the ground hazlenuts, flour and salt. Mix well then turn out onto a floured board and knead to a smooth dough.
Roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a small plain round cutter (oval is also good, but avoid shapes with too many delicate edges), cut out as many biscuits as possible. Place the biscuits on a greased baking tray (or several greased baking trays) and bake in the centre of a moderate oven (350F, Gas 4, 180C, 160 in fan oven) for 10-12 mins or until just golden brown at the edges. Remove from tray and cool on a rack.
Next, sandwich the biscuits together in pairs by sticking them together with honey.
Lastly, break the chocolate into squares and melt it (either in a bain-marie or in the microwave). Dip the biscuits into the chocolate so that they are half covered, then allow to set (place biscuits on greaseproof paper to avoid chocolate coming off again).
These are excellent served with coffee :-)

Ice cream

(Traditional Rowett childhood recipe)

Ingredients

Juice of 1 orange
Juice of half a lemon
1 mashed banana
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of cream (unspecified)
Colouring (unspecified) optional

Method

1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl
2. Whisk with a rotary whisk
3. Pour into a plastic tub
4. Freeze in the freezer or freezie bit of your fridge
5. Optional, remove during freezing a whisk again (this is not in the recipe, but then nothing is except step 2).
6. Eat on a hot day :)

Wheat-free hot cross buns

(Small quantity, to produce circa 4 buns).

Mix 2 tsp of dried yeast with 1/8 pint of warm water and a tsp of sugar. Set aside in a warm place until it is well frothy.

For the buns:
8oz flour composed of some combination of rye, barley and cornflour. I used 3 oz rye, 3 oz barley, 2 oz cornflour.
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mixed spice (or cinnamon, cloves, ginger)
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 oz melted butter
2 oz currants
1 oz mixed peel
1 oz white sugar

warm milk/water

Put the dry ingredients in a large warm bowl. Break the egg into it and stir.
Add the melted butter and stir.
Make up the yeast liquid to just under 1/4 pint, preferably with warm milk if available, or warm water.
Add the yeast liquid to the mixture.
Add the currants.
Mix well. It will have the consistency of a cake mixture: not kneadable but scoopable.

Put the bowl in a plastic bag and leave it in a warm place for about an hour.

Not sure how to do crosses without wheat flour, but you could try a paste of barley flour and water from a piping bag.

When the mixture had had time to prove, grease four yorkshire pudding tins and scoop a large spoonful of the spongy mixture into each of them. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425ºF or gas mark 7.

Glaze as for normal hot cross bun recipe.

Hot cross buns

This is not the traditional Osborne recipe, but I've just checked it works. Makes 12 buns:

For the buns:
450g / 1lb strong plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
50g / 2oz butter
25g / 1oz fresh yeast (or you may substitute dried yeast)
50g / 2oz caster sugar
100g / 4oz currants
50g / 2oz chopped mixed peel
150ml / 1/4 pint warm milk
4 tablespoons warm water
1 egg, beaten

For the crosses:
± 2oz plain flour
± 3 tablespoons cold water

For the glaze:
50g/ 2oz granulated sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Sift flour, salt and spices into a bowl. Rub in the butter. Put the yeast in a cup with 1 tbsp sugar and stir until it goes liquid. Meanwhile stir the remaining sugar into the mixture and also the currants and peel. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the liquidy yeast into it, together with the milk, water and egg. Mix to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead until elastic. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with cling film or a plastic bag, and leave to rise in a warm place [airing cupboard, or spot near the boiler do nicely] for about 1 to 1.5 hours, long enough for it to double in size.

Then knock back the dough and divide it into 12 balls. Place balls well apart on a greased baking tray. Again cover and leave in a warm place, for about 30 minutes. Next, make the paste for the crosses using flour and water, divide this into 24 tiny balls, roll the balls into "worms" in your fingers and lay the worms over the buns in the form of crosses, sticking the ends down firmly to the side of the buns. Bake buns in a hot oven [220C, or 200C in a fan oven / gas 7] for 20 - 25 minutes. While they're baking make the glaze by bringing the sugar and milk to the boil, stirring. When the buns come out of the oven, brush the glaze over them. [This is difficult without a pastry brush, so locate one if possible]. Cool on a rack.

Red thai beef and aubergine curry

Ingredients to serve 4:

1 large onion
3-4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1lb braising/casserole beef, diced
1 large aubergine, diced
2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
1 tbsp fish sauce
400ml coconut milk (canned or made by soaking dessicated coconut in water and then straining through a sieve)

1. Finely chop the onion and garlic until almost paste-like. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until softened.
2. Add beef and aubergine and fry a few pieces at a time until browned.
3. Transfer to large saucepan or casserole and stir in curry paste, fish sauce and coconut milk. Bring to boil.
4. Cover and cook for c.1 hour until meat is cooked and tender. Alternatively use slow cooker (8-9 hours).
5. Serve with plain boiled rice and stir-fried pak choi or similar.

Thai green chicken curry

Ingredients to serve 4:
1 tbsp peanut oil or similar
75g green thai curry paste
3 long green chillies, finely chopped
1kg chicken thigh fillets, cut into 1.5" pieces
2x400ml cans coconut milk (can also be made by soaking dessicated coconut in water then passing through a sieve)
2 tbsp fish sauce
zest and juice of one lime or 2 tbsp lime juice
1-2 stalks lemongrass - I think you're supposed to bash the ends
1 tbsp sugar
75g frozen peas
1 aubergine, diced quite finely - optional
1 large courgette, thinly sliced
fresh basil leaves
fresh coriander leaves
2 spring onions coarsely chopped

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Cook the paste and two thirds of the chilli, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and lime zest and cook until browned, stirring continuously.
2. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and aubergine if using. Simmer for 10 mins until aubergine is just tender.
3. Add courgettes, peas and herbs. Simmer until courgettes are tender.
4. Serve sprinkled with with rest of the chilli and the spring onion.

Porridge made with rolled oats

Not how Daddy makes it, but can be done without soaking and takes very little time.

Per person:
1 oz rolled oats
1/3 pint of water (can be hot) (a tea cup full)
1/3 tsp of salt

Put all these in a pan and bring to the boil.
Stir well.
Boil for about three minutes and serve in warm bowls (with cream and syrup etc).

Shropshire soul cakes

Ingredients:

3 lb plain flour
8 oz softened butter
8 oz sugar
1 oz yeast
2 eggs
1 teaspoon allspice
milk

1. Sift the flour and work in the slightly softened butter. 
2. Cream the yeast with a teaspoon of the sugar.
3. Mix flour with the eggs, yeast and enough milk to make a light dough.
4. Leave to rise, covered, in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
5. Work in the sugar and spice and form into flat bun shapes.
6. Allow to rise for 15 minutes.
7. Bake at 425ºF, Gas reg 7, for fifteen minutes.

I don't think this is the one we usually do! Sounds more like hot cross buns.

Red Velvet cupcakes

This recipe is rather American and the result is very sweet but also rather yummy. This came to me third hand, based on Hummingbird bakery's recipe.

For the cakes

• 60g butter, at room temperature
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 10g cocoa powder
• Red food colouring (enough to make the mixture really red!)
• ½tsp vanilla extract
• 120ml buttermilk
• 150g plain flour
• ½tsp salt
• ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1½tsp white wine vinegar

For the icing (reduce by 1/2 if only making 6 muffins instead of 12 cupcakes):

• 300g icing sugar

• 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 125g cream cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Grease and line a deep-holed muffin tin (6 holes) or shallow bun tin (12 holes). You can line with paper cake cases or squares of greased greaseproof paper (5in x 5in works for muffin tins) which form "tulip" cases.
   
2. Cream the butter and the sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until thoroughly mixed.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract together into a paste. Add that to the cake mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. The mixture should be red, not brown, by the end. If it isn't red, add a bit more red colouring.
   
4. Pour in half the buttermilk and beat (or whisk with an electric whisk). Add half the flour, and continue to beat, then add the rest of the buttermilk, followed by the rest of the flour, beating continuously until the mixture is lovely and smooth. Lastly, add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar (yes, really). Continue to beat for one or two minutes.
5. Pour the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 mins, or until springy. A skewer/cake tester should come out clean. Lift the cupcakes out of the tin and cool on a rack.
   
6. Now make the icing: Soften the butter - it wants to be lovely and soft but not quite liquid. Cream in the icing sugar - start with a wooden spoon and once the sugar is mostly in, blend together with a whisk if possible. Add the cream cheese and beat the mixture until it is completely incorporated and has turned fluffy, at least 5 mins. Beware not to overbeat it though, it might get too runny.
   
7. When the cupcakes are completely cold, spread the icing over them with a spoon.
   

Cheese and spinach potato bake

Made this up today to feed a vegetarian friend. It also went down well with meat-eaters among the guests, and the 8-month-old baby present. Essentially, it's potatoes boulangere turned into a complete meal.

2lb of potatoes - or more or less to feed more/fewer people
1 or more onions
fresh or frozen spinach - if fresh, more than you think you need because it goes down to nothing
cheese - I used a mixture of mozzarella, goat's cheese and parmesan
milk and/or cream

Wash the spinach, then pan on a low heat with no additional water if you can help it. Cook it in batches if your pan is too small. When it has collapsed, squeeze out as much of the water as possible using a sieve, chop and reserve. Slice the potatoes thinly and store in a bowl of water to keep them from oxidising. Slice the onion thinly. Grate the cheese.

Heat the milk and/or cream and soft cheese/goat's cheese/other cheese in a pan until the cheese has melted. You could add an egg.

Butter a large shallow oven dish - or a smaller deeper one. Layer the potatoes, onion and spinach in the dish. You could put some grated cheese in one of the layers. Pour over the milk mixture. Sprinkle any remaining cheese on top.

Bake in the oven at 180C/gas mark 4 for 1 1/2 hours, approximately. It will look after itself.

Gruyere and Parmesan Allumettes

aka fancy cheese straws

110g/4oz Gruyere, finely grated
25g/1 oz freshly grated Parmesan
110g/4oz strong white flour
75g/ 3 oz butter, diced
a pinch of cayenne pepper
seasoning
a little beaten egg

Put the flour, Gruyere, butter and seasonings into a medium-sized bowl, then rub in until the mixture starts to form clumps. Form into a ball. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes (optional but I think it makes it easier).

Preheat oven to 180C/Gas mark 4. Grease two baking sheets.

Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted board or surface, knead lightly again, then roll out into an oblong approx 20x30cm. Trim the edges. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with Parmesan. Cut into allumettes/straws 5mm wide and 10cm long - or any other length you like! Use a palette knife to transfer to the greased baking sheet and spread out a little if you can be bothered.

Bake for 15 minutes, then cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight tin.

Pistachio Sables

Little pistachio biscuits to serve with drinks. Having made these once I would probably make double quantities next time to make them larger.

20g/1oz shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts
40g/2oz strong white flour
40g/2oz unsalted butter, diced
40g/2oz freshly grated Parmesan
a pinch of cayenne pepper
seasoning

Chop the pistachio nuts until quite small. Mix them with the remaining ingredients. Rub the ingredients together until the mixture starts to form clumps. Press against the side of the bowl to bring it together.

Transfer to a board and knead lightly, then roll into a sausage shape. Wrap and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Grease a large baking sheet. Slice the chilled log into discs about 5mm thick and place on the baking sheet. They do not spread in cooking so do not need to be placed far apart.

Bake for 13-15 minutes until they start to go golden around the edges. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight tin.