Hot Cross Buns

As all Brits know, any celebration or holiday, whether religious or purely commercial, means one thing - FOOD - and Easter is no exception. Forget the chocolate, in my opinion the ultimate Easter treat has to be a freshly baked hot cross bun - richly spiced, stuffed with juicy sultanas and laden with melting butter. Although every supermarket across the country seems to be doing deals on hot cross buns, tempting you by displaying them at the front of the shop and pumping cinnamon through the air-con, you really can't beat the home-made version. Although they may take time, they require very little skill, and trust me - the results are definitely worth it!

For 12 buns you will need...

1 lb strong white flour

1 tsp salt

2 oz. melted butter

1 egg

1/2 pint milk

1 oz. fresh yeast OR 1/2 oz. dried yeast + 1 tsp. sugar

1 oz. sugar
 Rind of 1 lemon

2 oz. sultanas

2 tsp. cinnamon 

2 tsp. mixed spice

A little sugar and water to glaze

A little water and plain flour for crosses

You will need to...

- Add yeast (or yeast and sugar) to warm milk and leave for 10 mins to become frothy.

- Add melted butter and egg

- Add this mixture to a large mixing bowl along with the flour, salt, sugar, spices, lemon rind and sultanas. Beat until a soft dough forms that leaves the sides of the bowl clean.

- Cover bowl and leave to rise in warm place until dough has doubled in size.

- Knead well and shape into 12 round buns. 

- Mix a little plain flour and water to form a soft dough - use this to roll 24 small lengths of pastry and place on top of buns as crosses.

- Leave covered to prove for thirty mins to an hour. Bake in a hot oven for 15 mins or until golden brown and firm on the outside. 

- Remove from oven and glaze whilst hot (heat a little water and caster sugar to make a syrup) with a pastry brush.

Enjoy well buttered! C x

Great British Bakewell

The humble Bakewell Tart is a comforting classic, yet our addition of lemon-curd and zest keep this updated version fresh and fruity, pepping it up with a citrusy tang. If you can stop grateful friends and family from polishing off the lot, you’ll find that the tart keeps incredibly well and tastes even better by the second day.

To feed 10 people you will need:

9 inch flan dish

Approx. 300g shortcrust pastry – Homemade is best, and in the time it would take to go to the shops you could have made it yourself! The quickest, fool-proof method is using a food processor – simply add 200g plain flour, pinch of salt, 50g hard margarine and 50g Trex (or lard – I prefer to use vegetable fat) and blitz until it resembles breadcrumbs. Then drizzle in cold water – about 1tbsp at a time – and blitz again until it forms a ball. Leave to rest in fridge for about an hour before using.

Half a jar of raspberry jam

Half a jar of lemon curd

2oz softened butter

4oz caster sugar

2 eggs

4oz ground almonds

4 tbsp cake crumbs or crushed sponge fingers

Rind of 1 lemon

Couple of handfuls of flaked almonds

You will need to:

-          Roll pastry as thin as you dare and line flan dish – I don’t bake blind as it is cooked on the floor of a hot Aga oven which crisped the bottom nicely. If cooking otherwise you might want to bake blind to ensure avoiding the dreaded soggy bottom!

-          Spread raspberry jam over pastry, and then carefully spread lemon curd on top of that. To avoid mixing the two together it’s easiest to blob the lemon curd all over the jam, then spread these gently using the back of a spoon.

-          Make frangipane filling by creaming together the sugar and butter, then add egg, ground almonds, lemon rind and cake crumbs and mix until it forms a sticky dough. Spread this mixture carefully on top of the lemon curd and flatten using the back of a spoon.

-          Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top and bake at 190C for 30-40 mins, or until golden brown.

-          Enjoy straight from the oven with lashings of cream, or cold as an afternoon treat.

C x

Macaroni Cheese

With the cold weather continuing, a hearty winter warmer is in order, and as the king of all comfort foods, nothing beats a plate of macaroni cheese on a chilly evening. The combination of soft pasta and molten cheese topped with crunchy golden breadcrumbs really is a match made in heaven. As well as being ridiculously simple to make, this dish is also incredibly cheap, with most of the ingredients being store-cupboard staples. This quick, filling, economic and (most importantly) delicious supper is a firm favourite with us penniless students!

For 6 hungry guests you will need:

500g Macaroni or other pasta

50g butter

2 tbsp plain flour

1/2 pint milk

2 tsp mustard powder

25og grated cheddar + 100g parmesan (plus extra of each to sprinkle on-top)

2 tomatoes - roughly chopped into large chunks

couple of handfuls of  chopped ham ( I used leftovers from a glazed ham chopped into large chunks) or cooked pancetta

handful of breadcrumbs

seasoning

You will need to:

- Boil pasta in salted water until al-denté, then drain and set aside.

- Spread chopped ham/pancetta and tomatoes across the bottom of  a large oven-proof dish.

- In now-empty pasta pan, melt butter and stir in flour to make a paste. Cook for 2 minutes.

- Gradually add milk and whisk until smooth and the consistency of double cream - this will take about 10 mins. 

- Add mustard powder, seasoning, and stir in the grated cheese. Return the cooked pasta to the pan and stir to coat with the smooth cheese sauce.

- Pour cheesy pasta into dish and spread over the ham and tomatoes. Sprinkle more cheese and the  breadcrumbs on top.

- Bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and crispy.

- Serve with a simple, dressed green salad.

Enjoy! C x

Cookies and Milk

Cookies and milk, an iconic pairing, just like strawberries and cream they go so well together as a delicious snack. These cinnamon and sultana oat cookies are irresistible and easy to make. Here’s how…

Ingredients

270g unsalted butter

160g caster sugar

160g soft dark brown sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

380g plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

110g rolled oats

Splash of milk

Baking trays lined with grease proof paper

Makes 20

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C /gas mark 3.

Mix the butter and sugars in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time mixing well then beat in vanilla extract.

Sift together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon in a separate bowl add the oats and mix well, if the mixture is too dry add a drop of milk.

Add the butter mixture and beat until well mixed then add the sultanas with a wooden spoon.

Arrange the cookie dough equally onto the baking trays leaving space between them to spread while baking.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes checking often.

Leave to cool slightly then put them on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Pour a glass of milk and enjoy.

Z x

Cardamom Cake & Coffee

Today is supposedly the first day of spring, although the sub-zero temperatures, grey skies and sporadic snow showers suggest otherwise. When the miserable British weather strikes, warming drinks and yummy cakes are definitely a necessity, so a slice of this delicious River Cottage cardamom cake complemented perfectly by a cup of coffee is sure to lift your spirits. The use of crème fraîche as well as butter creates a dense, squidgy texture that is irresistibly moreish, and the addition of heady, fragrant cardamom transports you to a warmer climate. Feel fingers and toes thaw with every bite!

You will need:

- 20ish green cardamom pods

- 250g self raising flour

-  A pinch of salt

- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

- 100g salted butter

- 200g caster sugar

- 300ml crème fraîche

- icing sugar to serve

You will need to:

- Line and grease a round 20cm tin. Prehead oven to 170C.

- Split open cardamom pods, remove the seeds and grind with a pestle and mortar. 

- Warm the butter in a small pan until it just melts, then add to a large bowl with the sugar and beat  together for a minute or so.

- Add the crème fraîche and beat until you have a thick creamy batter. 
- Sift in the flour, salt, bicarb and ground cardamom, then fold in carefully.
- Don't panic if the mixture is sticky and dough-like - it's supposed to be! Spoon it into the prepared tin, spreading it evenly with the back of the spoon.
- Bake in the oven for 50–60 minutes until the top is golden brown.

- Allow to cool for 5–10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

- Dust liberally with icing sugar to serve.

Enjoy! C x