As you know I was away this weekend to Ipswich to Jimmys Farm and I had a fabulous time! It was just wonderful and I can't wait to share it all with you, but I am exhuasted now. A distinct reminder to me that "the old grey mare" definitely ain't what she used to be!!



Yep . . . the wind is definitely missing from my sailsat the moment! I really want to do the whole experience proper justice, and so . . . for now, you're not getting Jimmy. You're not even getting Pork. You're getting black currants and a Pie I made for Todd the day before I left. I figured it was the least he deserved . . . he did not complain.



The Black Currants are coming fast and furious now in my garden now and with the warm humid weather we have been having, well . . . I know that if I don't get them all picked asap, I will lose a lot to the birds . . . or them overripening . . . I'm ok with sharing with the birds. They need to live too. I just want to get my own share's worth first!



I don't make my own jams anymore. With just the two of us, it's just not feasible. That means I have to do something else with the fruit that we grow and pick. I do try to bake crumbles, cakes, pies etc. with whatever fresh fruit that is in season at the moment, and I try hard to freeze some to enjoy in the winter ahead.



This pie is simple and delicious. You can have it warm with some custard, or ice cream, creme fraiche or even with some clotted cream. You will want somethiing rich and creamy to contrast with that crisp pastry and the sweet/tart fruit. Be back soon with the scoop on the One Pig Weekend, and Jimmy's Farm. You won't want to miss this!



*Deep Dish Black Currant Pie*
makes one 8 inch pie
Printable Recipe

A beautiful deep dish pie that is at once sweet and yet tart, and oh so oozingly delicious! This is fabulous!

For the Pastry:
170g plain flour (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
a pinch of salt
100g unsalted butter (7 TBS)
1 medium egg yolk
Cold water, to combine

For the Filling:
350g fresh blackcurrants, washed, picked over, topped and tailed (abput 4 cups)
150g granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon cornflour (corn starch)
Milk and extra sugar to glaze

To make the pastry, sift the flour with the salt into a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Beat the egg yolk together with 2 tablespoons of water and add to the butter mixture. Mix to a firm dough with a fork. Shape into two flat rounds, and then chill, wrapped for at least 30 minutes before using.

Preheat your oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Put the blackcurrants into a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar and cornflour. gently turning them with a spoon until they all get coated with the sugar and corn flour.

Roll out half of the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit in the bottom of a 7 to 8 inch deep pie dish, along with some overhang. Line the pie tin with this. FIll with the fruit sugar mixture.

Roll out the remainder of the pastry in a round large enough to cover the top of the pie. Brush the edges of the bottom crust all the way around with some milk. Apply the top crust and trim, pinching and folding the edge to seal. (Flute according to your preference.) Cut a few slashes in the top to vent. Brush with more milk and extra sugar.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is golden brown. Serve warm with some ice cream, custard or creme fraiche. Delicious!

I had a really busy day today. I am in charge of the sharing time at church this Sunday morning. (A fun activity for the children's Sunday School) I had two age groups to prepare for, so it takes a bit of extra time adapting it both for older and younger children. You want them all to have fun.

It was getting rather close to tea time and I still needed to prepare us something to eat.



In the old days that would not have been much of a problem as I had a family that readily ate pasta in any way shape or form, and . . . as we all know . . . pasta with some sort of sauce is a quick, tasty, easy and economical way to go!



I have a husband who hates pasta now though . . . it's foreign food, and he is a man with very solid, old fashioned British tastes . . . read meat and potatoes here.

Occasionally I do try to whiz it past him . . . he only very rarely enjoys it, but . . . sometimes I do get lucky.



Today was not one of those times. I ended up opening him a tin of soup after I watched him suffering through it for about 15 minutes . . . trying to pick the vegetables and chicken out from between the pasta bits . . . sigh . . .



I, on the other hand, enjoyed every scrummy mouthful, and . . . I think all you pasta lovers out there will too.

So there! (Crusty bread to mop up all that delicious sauce is a given!!)



*Pasta with Chicken, Pancetta and Summer Vegetables*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is one of those quick and easy dishes where you can throw in just whatever vegetables you have to hand. I had courgettes, beans, leeks and tomatoes. You may have something else. Chard is very nice, as is asparagus and peas.

12 ounces Pasta, cooked until al dente
3 ounces chopped pancetta
2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 whole leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced thin
a large handful of garden fresh beans (I used a mixture of green and yellow)
1 medium courgette, washed, sliced in half and then into half moons
4 medium ripe tomatoes, quartered
4 ounces of finely grated parmesan cheese
4 ounces dry white wine (1/2 cup)
4 ounces double cream (1/2 cup)
a small handful of fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Shaved Parmesan Cheese to serve

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well, (reserve a mugfull of the pasta cooking water) rinse, drain again and then set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally until most of the fat has been rendered and the pancetta has started to brown. Toss in the chicken and leeks. Continue to cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through and the leeks have softened. Add the beans and courgettes. Cook and stir for several minutes. Add the tomatoes and the wine, allowing it to bubble up. Allow to bubble until the wine reduces by half. Stir in the cream and the cheese. Cook and stir to melt. Season to taste with some salt and pepper and stir in the basil leaves. Serve immediately with some Parmesan Shavings scattered over top. Delicious!

Do YOU like jam as much as I like Jam??? I don't think anyone could like jam as much as we do in this house, but . . . I could be wrong!



WE just LOVE jam. Sometimes we just have a simple supper of bread, butter and jam, which hearkens back to our childhoods . . . and we are completely happy and content with that. Other times I will bake Todd some Jam Tarts, which he just adores. Other times it may be a cake, or cookies. Today I made these delicious Raspberry Linzer Slices.



I have made Linzer Cookies many times in the past, and to be sure . . . they are just fabulous. But they do take a bit of time . . . with the rolling out, cutting, etc. Some days I am just lazy. I want the treat . . . but I don't want to do all the faffing and rolling out.



Some days I want near instant gratification and that is what these wonderful slices are . . . near instant gratification.



With their crisp buttery base . . . sweet raspberry jam filling . . . and little buttery crumbles on top, these slices satisfy completely. In fact . . .



I bet you can't eat just one! (Which also makes them pretty near dangerous!!)



*Raspberry Linzer Slices*
Makes 9 to 12
Printable Recipe

Delicious jam bars, lightly spiced, buttery and sweet. Perfect with a hot cuppa!

For the base and topping:
175g plain flour (1 3/4 cup)
50g ground rice (1/4 cup) (you could grind rice in a coffee grinder and make your own
if you can't find it to buy. You want it really find, almost a powder.)
8 TBS golden caster sugar
140g cold butter, diced (9 3/4 TBS)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 TBS milk

In addition:
8 TBS raspberry jam, stirred to loosen
2 tsp caster sugar



Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a shallow 8 or 9 inch baking tin with baking parchment.

Put the flour, rice, sugar, cinnamon and cloves into a bowl, whisking well together. Drop in the butter and rub it in with yoru fingertips until fine crumbs form. Stir in the milk with a table knife. Tip three fourths of the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom, evenly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and crisp looking.

Spoon the jam over top of the base, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the remainder of the crumbs over top and then return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the topping is golden. Sprinkle with the 2 tsp of sugar and allow to cool completely in the tin, before cutting into squares to serve.

All week I have been pondering what will be the first recipe I post on here for 2012. Ohh . . . so many recipes to choose from . . . I could drive myself mad with choice you know! I have that many cook books.



My favourite cook books though are not the ones that come with the fancy covers, filled with pretty and delicious looking pictures . . . written by this month's flavour of the month celebrity chef or otherwise . . .



They are my Big Blue Binder and a couple of notebooks where, throughout the years, I have laboriously copied out the creme de la creme of recipes . . . recipes gifted to me by friends and family. Recipes developed and tweaked through years of trial and error, until I have gotten them just so . . so . . . perfect. Well, perfect for me at any rate.



This is simple food using simple ingredients with wowsa wowsa flavours. Tried and true. Family and husband tested . . . our absolute favourites. I did write a book with some of the best ones in it a few years back. You can find it here. I'm quite proud of it as I did it all myself . . . I know a publisher would have done a better job probably, but I did my best, and that's what counts.



Anyways, so back to the recipe. I decided to make these apple dumplings for several reasons. One . . . they aren't something that I make very often, like maybe only ever 5 or 6 years. (They are good artery cloggers and hip expanders!!!)



Two, I wanted to spoil my husband with one of his favourite things for the New Year. He loves anything with apple in it.



Three . . . the crunch is on to get ready for two family weddings in June/July . . . so . . . diet time starts today . . . I have to really cut back on the goodies now. I thought . . . why not go out with a real humdinger!

And so . . . I did. I don't regret even one mouthful. So there.



*Old Fashioned Apple Dumplings*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

I don't know anyone who doesn't love these. They're fantastic, and they're not as difficult to make as one would suppose.

6 medium sized firm cooking apples (I used granny smiths)
2 TBS lemon juice
3.5 ounces granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
soft light brown sugar
2 TBS butter
enough pastry for 2 10-inch pie crusts

For the sauce:
500ml of water (2 cups)
5 ounces granulated sugar (about 3/4 cup)
2 TBS butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Cream for serving

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Have ready a 9 by 13 by 2 inch baking pan, which you have lightly buttered.

Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle measuring 14 by 21 inches. Cut into six even squares. Whisk together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Peel and core the apples, leaving whole. Put the lemon juice in a bowl and roll the apples in this, then roll them into the bowl of cinnamon sugar to coat. Place each apple into the centre of one pastry square. Fill the cavity of each apple with 2 TBS soft light brown sugar and 1 tsp of butter. Pull up the sides of the pastry squares to cover each apple, crimping the edges tightly shut. Place into the prepared pan.

Bake for 1/2 hour.

In the meantime, combine the sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to the boil and cook rapidly for 1 minute. After the dumplings have been cooking for 1/2 hour, pour the sauce over top and then return to the oven, continuing to bake for a further 1/2 hour, basting occasionally.

Serve warm with cream for pouring. Delicious.

When my children were growing up I had a cookie jar in my kitchen that was never empty. I think I baked fresh cookies about every second day or so.



They had their favourites of course! (As did I!) I think chocolate chip topped the list, followed very closely by oatmeal raisin and peanut butter.



At Christmas I would spend weeks and weeks baking up extra goodies for our holiday celebrations and popping them into the freezer. That way I could present our friends and their families with trays filled with a variety of baked goodies, as well as having plenty of treats to munch on in our own home!



Then there were the special cookies. You know the kind I mean . . . slightly elegant and subtly special . . .reserved for special occasions such as baby and bridal showers and afternoon teas.



These fall into that category. They have to be the most delicious cookies ever . . . I kid you not!



There is no egg in them, so they are perfect for people who are allergic to eggs. They have an almost macaroon like consistency . . . crisp around the edges and slightly chewy in the middle . . .



Chock full of lovely dried blueberries and almonds . . . drizzled with sweet white chocolate. Bet you can't eat just one!!



*Blueberry Almond Cookies*
Makes 24
Printable Recipe

These just may be the best cookies you have ever tasted! Very similar to a macaroon in texture and oh so scrummy!

90g unsalted butter, softened (1/3 cup)
170g caster sugar (3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS milk
125g plain flour (1 cup)
1/2 tsp baking powder
80g ground almonds (3/4 cup)
50g of dried blueberries (1/3 cup)
melted white chocolate for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the almond, vanilla and milk. Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Stir into the creamed mixture along with the ground almonds. Stir in the blueberries. Mix well to form a soft dough.

Using your hands squeeze together 2 teaspoon measures of the dough into oval logs about 2 inches long. Place at least an inch and a half apart on the baking sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes, turning the baking sheet around halfway through the baking time. They should be lightly golden along the edges. Allow to cool on the pans for about 10 minutes before removing to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Melt some white chocolate and drizzle over top. Store in a tightly covered container.

The day is hot and you just want to sit on the porch and relax with an ice cold glass of lemonade . . .



You just made a fresh batch of strawberry jam, using up the last of the berries and you have friends invited over for afternoon tea . . .



You have decided to go on a Saturday afternoon picnic with your loved one(s) and you want a tasty little sweet to pack into your basket . . .



You're dragging the kiddies and the hubbie to the beach for the day and you want something to serve as a tasty treat in between the ice creams and ice lollies . . .



You just are in the mood for a little bite of something sweet and satisfying . . .



No matter the mood or occasion, these tasty little treats fit the bill. Quick, easy and oh so very scrummy !!!



*Strawberry Jam Tray Bake*
Makes 16 to 24 squares
Printable Recipe

These are perfect for taking on picnics or for enjoying on the porch on a hot summer afternoon with glasses of iced cold lemonade. They are also great to serve at tea parties. Hmmm . . . these are just delicious no matter what!

500g sweet shortcrust pastry
6 TBS strawberry jam
200g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
4 medium sized free range eggs
100g ground almonds
100g self raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp almond extract
150g sifted icing sugar
the juice of 1/2 lemon



Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to fit into a 12 by 8 or a 9 inch square baking pan. You want it to fit the base and partway up the sides. Place into the pan and then spread the jam evenly over all.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric hand whisk until they are smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding 1/3 of the ground almonds after each addition. Add the flour and the remaining almonds. Mix well. Stir in the almond extract. Pour the mixture over the jam, spreading to make an even layer.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until well risen, firm and golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Leave in the tin.

Stir together the icing sugar and enough of the lemon juice to make a drizzle icing. Drizzle this decoratively over top of the squares. Allow to set before cutting into squares to serve.



Psst!! My daughter is getting married today. May these two sweetie pies have a very long and happy marriage.

Millionaires' Shortbread has to be the ultimate indulgence of all time.



Imagine a crispy short and buttery base, spread with a totally scrumptious and rich caramel filling, and then covered with a crisp chocolate shell . . .



Each bite brings you an indulgently scrumptious taste of all three together.



mmmmmmmm . . . incredibly moreish . . .

Oh sure . . . You could buy it . . . they sell it in all the shops . . .

but . . . like all things . . .



Homemade is infinitely better . . .

Truly . . .



Would I lie to you????



*Millionaires' Shortbread*
Makes 24 squares
Printable Recipe

These are fabulous. The three textures . . . crisp shortbread base, gooey caramel centre and the crisp chocolate shell on top make for a decadently moreish bar. Bet you can't eat just one!!

For the Shortbread Base:
9 ounces flour
3 ounces caster sugar
6 ounces butter, cut into bits
For the Caramel:
4 ounces butter
4 ounces soft light brown sugar
2 - 397g tins of sweetened condensed milk
For the chocolate topping:
7 ounces good quality plain chocolate

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/375*F. Butter a 13 by 9 inch swiss roll tin. Set aside.

Weigh the flour, sugar and butter into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour and sugar with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Knead the mixture until it forms a dough. Press this into the base of the prepared tin, smoothing out evenly. Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes, until firm to the touch and very lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool.

To make the caramel, place all the caramel ingredients into a saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil, still stirring, then reduce the heat to low and cook very gently for about 5 minutes or so until the mixture has thickened slightly. Do not stop stirring as the mixture will catch and burn if you don't keep it moving. Remove from the heat and pour over the cooled shortbread base. Allow to cool completely.

To make the chocolate topping, break the chocolate into pieces and place into a bowl that you have set over simmering water. (Don't allow the bowl to touch the water) Melt completely, stirring occasionally. Pour over the cold caramel and leave to set. Cut into squares or bars to serve.

Note - you can vary the chocolate topping by melting about 3 ounces of each, dark, milk and white chocolate separately. Drop by dollops onto the top of the caramel and lightly swirl together to cover. Leave to set before cutting.