Elderberry Wine

5lbs elderberries - washed and stripped from stalks (use a fork to 'comb' them free)
1 gallon boiling water
3lbs granulated sugar
1 wine yeast packet
i cup chopped raisins
Half cup lemon juice
Half cuip orange juice
1 teaspoon yeast nutrient


Place elderberries, raisins,lemon and orange juices and yeast nutrient in a large fermentation bucket.  Pour in the boiling water and stir then leave to cool.  Squeeze ingredients to release juices and leave for 24 hours.  Add 2lbs of sugar and the yeast.  Stir and cover then leave for 5 days. Strain into glass demi-john and add remaining sugar. stir and leave for 7 days.  Strain into another glass demi-john and leave for six weeks.  Pour into glass bottles and seal.  Leave for 6 months then have a party!

Dandelion Wine

Collect 2 quarts of Dandelion flowers (you want mainly petals - remove as much of the green as possible).  Boil 1 gallon of water and pour it over the flowers.  Steep for 2 days (no longer!).  Boil the mixture again and add the peel of five oranges.  Boil for ten minutes.  Strain and add 3lbs of sugar.  Allow to cool then add the juice from the oranges, 1 tsp of yeast and 1 tsp of yeast nutrient.  Pour into a demi-john and allow to ferment for 60 days.  Bottle and store for at least 6 months.  We left it a year and the result was worth the wait.

Ginger Cake with Sticky Toffee Sauce

Save this recipe for November when it can be cooked in a shallow tin, cut into squares and kept for 3 - 4 days to turn nice and sticky - we call this Parkin in Yorkshire and serve it up on Bonfire Night.

  

225g SR flour
3 - 4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarb of soda
1 egg - beaten
115g sugar
60g butter
115g golden syrup
225ml milk

 

Heat oven 150 degrees C or Gas 2
Sift flour, ginger and bi-carb then mix in the egg and the sugar.
Melt the butter and syrup, remove from heat and add to the milk.
Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture and pour into a lined and greased cake tin.
Bake for 1 hour (sometimes takes a bit longer!).  Test middle with a skewer to check it is baked all the way through.

SAUCE:
100g butter
200g treacle
200g sugar
1 tbsp water

Melt the butter in a small pan then add all the other ingredients.  Bring to the boil, remove from heat and mix well.
You can add a tbsp of double cream to the sauce if you want a lighter colour but I serve it dark over a hot ginger cake with ice cream and a jug of double cream for the real Troffers! 

Four Fruit Marmalade

Makes 8 – 10 lbs.

1.5 kg (3lbs) mixed citrus fruit

3.4 litres (6pints) water

2.7kg (6lbs) sugar

Prepare jars by washing and standing top down on a clean tea towel to dry.

I used oranges, clementines, lemons and a grapefruit - together they weighed just over 3lbs. 

Wash and peel all the fruit then squeeze the juice of the oranges and lemons through a seive.  Keep the pips and place the pith in a muslin bag.

Thinly slice the peel and roughly chop the grapefruit.

Put the peel, flesh, juice, water and muslin bag in a preserving pan. Simmer for one to one and a half hours until the peel is really soft.

Remove muslin bag and squeeze juices back into pan.

Add sugar and heat gently while stirring. Boil for about 15 – 20 mins the test for set. Remove any scum. Leave to stand for about 20 mins, stir to distribute the peel then pour into prepared jars.

We added whisky (about 3 fingers) to half of the batch. I don't drink alcohol but this really did make it taste lovely!

Lemon Drizzle Cake

This brings back memories of a summer's day.  I timed my visit to a friend's house to perfection - I arrived as the Lemon Drizzle Cake was being lifted out of the oven.  I love lemons but I'd never tasted a Drizzle Cake before.  I left with this recipe tucked in my pocket:

100g unsalted butter

250g caster sugar

3 large eggs

100ml milk

250g self-raising flour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

zest of 3 lemons

For the drizzle:

Juice of 3 lemons

100ml water

170g caster sugar

METHOD

Heat oven to 180°c.
Line and grease a loaf tin.

Beat the eggs, milk and sugar in a food processor until they are quite foamy.

Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder and mix well.

Add the lemon zest. Then melt the butter and stir it in to the batter.

Pour the mixture into the greased loaf tin.

Bake it for 50 minutes. Check it is thoroughly cooked by sticking a skewer into the middle (it should come out clean).  Leave cake in tin.

To make the drizzle, squeeze the lemon juice through a sieve into a heat-proof pouring jug.  (Wash and dry any lemon pips you find!)

Put the water and sugar into a pan over a medium heat. Bring the mixture up to the boil and boil it for 4 minutes. No longer or you could end up with tasteless toffee!

Pour the sugar mixture into the jug with the lemon juice and mix them together.

Pour as much of the lemon drizzle mixture onto the cake as you can and leave the cake to absorb for 20 minutes. If the cake becomes reluctant to absorb any more liquid, stop pouring.

Carefully remove the cake from the tin (there may be some of the drizzle left, unabsorbed in the bottom of the tin), transfer it to a wire rack and allow it to completely cool to room temperature

When the cake is cold, slice it and serve.

Once you are refreshed you can go and plant those lemon pips! .... you'll have lovely Christmas presents in five years' time.

Apple and Pork in Cider

This is a really easy meal for after a busy working day.  It takes a few minutes to prepare and then looks after its self in the oven.



4 pork chops
4 desert apples cored and cut into wedges
Large onion sliced
A little oil
A few chopped sage leaves
Bottle of cider


METHOD

Use the oil to fry the chops for a few minutes then remove from the pan and use the same oil to cook the onions, apples and sage.  Place in a casserole dish and cover with about 1/4 pint of cider. Cook in oven at 180 degrees for about half an hour or until pork is cooked.  Serve with mashed potatoes and the rest of the cider.
You can vary the recipe by adding a bit of cream to the gravy before serving or by using pears and pear cider.

Coffee and Walnut Cake

Just the name makes me hungry.  Coffee and Walnut Cake and Carrot Cake have the same effect on me.  I know they are loaded with calories but they bring images of cosy cafes .... and they sound so healthy! 

350g self raising flour
350g unsalted butter
350g caster sugar
6 eggs beaten
25g instant coffee dissolved in small amount of boiling water (1 - 2 teasps)
75g chopped walnuts

Buttercream:
150g unsalted butter
200g icing sugar
30ml double cream
2 tbsp Camp coffee



METHOD

Heat the oven to 170 degrees or Mark 3.
Line two 9 in sandwich tins.
Place butter and sugar in food processor to make it fluffy.  Add half the eggs and blend then the remaining eggs and blend.  Add the dissolved coffee and walnuts.  Mix well.
Add the flour bit at a time.
Divide mixture between tins and bake for 35 - 40 mins.  Check centre with a skewer.  Add more time if needed.


Cool the cakes and make the buttercream by blending the butter with half the icing sugar.  Then add Camp coffee and the cream.  Mix well.  Slowly add the remaining icing sugar to reach a soft, spreadable consistency - use a bit more double cream if it feels too thick.  It should be firm enough to spread on the top and side of the cake.
Spread buttercream on the flat bottom of one of the cakes then place second cake on top.  Spread rest of buttercream over the top and sides and decorate with walnut pieces.