Recipes 2022

SHORTBREAD WEDGES

150g/6oz Plain flour                                             

50g/2oz caster sugar

100g/4oz butter

  1. Sift flour and add sugar, and then work in the butter with fingertips – keep the butter in one piece and gradually work into the dry ingredients
  2. Knead well
  3. Pack into a floured 18cm/7” sandwich tin
  4. Bake in a preheated oven at 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for about 45 minutes until firm and golden
  5. When cool, dredge with caster sugar and cut into 8 wedges

SAVOURY SODA BREAD

450g/1lb plain white flour                       

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper                                                           

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tbsp fresh mixed herbs (2 tsp dried)              

75ml/3 fl oz water

275ml/½ pt buttermilk/half milk and half plain yoghurt

  1. Sieve the flour, bicarb, salt and pepper into a large bowl
  2. Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk or equivalent and water
  3. Mix to form a soft dough
  4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a round measuring roughly 18cm/7” in diameter.
  5. Place the loaf onto a greased baking tray and cut a deep cross in the top
  6. Bake in the oven at 200C/400F/Gas mark 6 for 30 minutes. 
  7. Turn the loaf over and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base
  8. Cool on a wire rack

VANILLA CRESCENTS

125g/4oz plain flour                                  

75g/3oz ground almonds                         

40g/1 ½ oz icing sugar plus 1 extra tbsp. to sprinkle at the end

75g/3oz butter                                           

1 egg yolk

Vanilla flavouring to taste (1 tsp vanilla essence or 1 sachet vanilla sugar)

Pinch salt                                                     

1 tbsp caster sugar to sprinkle at the end

  1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Mark 6
  2. Put the dry ingredients into a bowl
  3. Chop or grate the cold butter into the bowl and combine until the mixture looks similar to breadcrumbs and there are no lumps of butter
  4. Add egg yolk (and 1 tsp vanilla essence if used instead of vanilla sugar)
  5. Knead briefly until combined then chill for at least 1 hour
  6. Take chunks of the dough and roll into 2cm x 5 cm/ ¾in x2in lengths then bend into a crescent shape.
  7. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown
  8. Mix the tablespoon of caster sugar and icing sugar together and sprinkle over the top of the vanilla crescents whilst still warm

MARMALADE CAKE

225g/8 oz SR flour                                                

110g/4oz sugar

110g/4 oz butter at room temperature          

110g/4oz mixed dried fruit

1 rounded tbsp. thick marmalade                    

Grated rind of ½ large lemon    

Grated rind of ½ large orange                           

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp vinegar                                                           

Pinch of salt

170 ml/6 floz milk                                                 

1 tbsp demerara sugar – for the topping

  1. Grease and base line an 18cm/7in round tin with greaseproof paper
  2. Rub the butter into the flour until crumbly then add the sugar, salt, mixed fruit, spice, lemon and orange rinds
  3. Stir in the milk a little at a time and add the vinegar and mix well.
  4. Stir in the marmalade.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the tin, spreading it out evenly
  6. Sprinkle the top with the demerara sugar
  7. Bake at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 for 1-1 ¼ hours
  8. The cake will be cooked when it has shrunk away from the side of the tin and the centre is firm and springy
  9. Cool the cake on a wire rack and store in an airtight tin
  10. The cake improves after a couple of days’ keeping