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.

One of my favourite desserts over here has to be Sticky Toffee Pudding. So rich and lovely, and incredibly moreish. And to think it was only a few years ago that I discovered it!!

We were holidaying up in the Lake District and I picked up one of the Sticky Toffee Puddings made by Cartnell and I was immediately bowled over. For a store bought pud, it was fabulous. 

 So fabulous in fact that we ended up picking one up almost every day of our holiday and sitting back in our holiday cottage each night scarfing it down with delight!!

But what is a sticky toffee pudding . . . not much more than a tasty and moist date cake, topped with a lusciously rich toffee sauce. 

They are incredibly yummy.

This cake is not quite as rich as a sticky toffee pudding, but my oh my it is delicious in it's own right.

The cake moreishly filled with dates and that toffee icing gilding the top is just to die for. You'll find yourself getting up in the middle of the night and raiding the larder for

just . . . one . . . more . . . piece.


Trust me. Would I lie to you? I think not!!

Love cake?  You might also love the following delicious cakes!

CREOLE CHOCOLATE CAKE -   This is the most wonderful chocolate cake. Rich, dense and delicious with plenty of chocolate flavors. Filled with a layer of a lush date and pecan filling, as well as a layer of whipped cream, and then coated with a sour cream chocolate ganache frosting to finish. This cake is to-die-for!

GLAZED COFFEE CRUNCH CAKE - This cake contains many of the elements I enjoy from one of my favorite candy bars. With a deep coffee flavor.  A bit of crunch. Sweet and even some chocolate.  A moist cake with a beautiful crumb and flavor, topped with a moreish cinnamon-walnut-chocolate streusel and finished off with a coffee glaze. This is quite simply a fabulous cake!

I've been slack and idle today. We had our end of summer Ward Picnic today and so I didn't really cook anything! (I know! What am I like!!) Anyways I thought you would enjoy a delicious roundup today of my all time favourite end of summer desserts. As you have probably begun to notice yourselves . . . Summer is definitely on the wane and these tasty morsels made with fresh local fruit won't be on the menu for much longer! Enjoy them while you still can!

Oh, yes there is a courgette loaf in there as well . . . but really how can you not end summer without a glut of those tasty little devils! A courgette loaf or two or three are definitely on the menu as well!!

There's also a sneaky dessert or two which use the early autumn fruits. Deliciously enjoyable anytime!




*Summer Pudding*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

This delicious pudding is one of my favourite things about summer. Tart . . . sweet . . . this pudding contains all the goodness of summer in every mouthful. Plan ahead as it needs to sit overnight to set up.

750g/1lb 14oz mixed summer fruit
(such as raspberries, red, white and blackcurrants, tayberries, loganberries, blackberries, cherries and blueberries)
185g/6½oz caster sugar
1 medium loaf good-quality white bread, slightly stale
2 tbsp cassis or blackcurrant cordial
creme fraiche for serving

You will need a 2 pint pudding basin.



Place all the fruit in a pan, removing any stalks as necessary. Add the sugar and then heat and cook them over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, only until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit begins to give up some of it's juices. Please be careful not to over cook them. Stir in the cassis or blackcurrant cordial. Set aside while you get the bread ready.

Trim off all the crusts from the bread and cut the bread into thin slices. Cut one round slice out of the bread to fit the bottom of the basin and place it into the basin. Line the pudding basin with the slices of bread, overlapping them and sealing well by pressing any edges together. Fill in any gaps with small pieces of bread, so that no juice can get through when you add the fruit. spoon all of the fruit and its juices into the pudding basin. Trim the tips of bread from around the edge. Cover the top of the fruit with more wedges of bread. Place the pudding basin on a plate to collect any juices. Find a saucer that fits neatly inside the bowl, and place it on top to cover the upper layer of bread, then weigh the saucer down with weights - unopened tin cans come in very handy for this.. Let it cool, then place in the fridge overnight.

The next day, remove the weights and the saucer. Run a thin blade around the edges, then invert the basin onto a shallow serving plate. Serve, cut into slices or spooned out with plenty of Creme Fraiche.



*Crunchy Blueberry Tart*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

Imagine a tasty oatmeal cookie crust, filled with tart blueberries and topped with an oat crumble. This is to die for and quite simply the most delicious blueberry tart I have ever eaten. Adapted from a recipe in the book, "A Piece Of Cake," by Leila Lindholm.

For the crust:
6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
6 1/4 ounces of plain flour
4 3/4 ounces of caster sugar
2 1/2 ounces rolled oats
For the Filling:
9 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup of blueberry jam
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 TBS cornflour
For the Topping:
3 ounces unsalted butter
4 ounces rolled oats
4 3/4 ounces caster sugar
Creme Fraiche for serving



Begin by making the crust. Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Place the butter in a saucepan and melt. Whisk together the flour, sugar and oats. Stir this mixture into the melted butter, stirring well to completely combine. Press the dough into a 10 inch tart tin with a removable bottom. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the topping, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the oats and sugar. Mix together well, and then set aside while you make the filling.

To make the filling, gently stir together the blueberries, jam and balsamic vinegar, mixing well. Stir in the cornflour. Pour this mixture into the oat pastry case.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over top and then place the tart onto a baking tray. Bake in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.

Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool. Remove the side from the pan before serving. Serve cut into slices with some creme fraiche for spooning over if desired.

DELICIOUS!



*Courgette Loaf*
Makes 2 9X5 inch loaves
Printable Recipe

It just wouldn't be summer without having made at least a couple of courgette loaves. This is an extremely delicious way of using up some of that "glut" in the garden. The inclusion of demerara sugar makes for a very nice crust.

14 ounces plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
11 ounces caster sugar
3 1/2 ounces of demerara sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
7 fluid ounces sunflower oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
13 ounces of grated courgettes, with the skin left on
3 ounces chopped walnuts



Pre-heat the oven to 150*C/300*. Grease and flour two 9 X 5 inch loaf tins. (alternately you can grease them and then line them with baking paper, and grease again)

Sift the flour, salt, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a large bowl. Whisk in both sugars.

Beat the eggs, sunflower oil and vanilla extract together.

Stir the egg mixture and grated courgettes into the dry mixture, mixing until well combined. Stir in the walnuts. Divide between the two prepared loaf tins.

Bake in the heated oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaves comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes or so before turning them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Delicious toasted and served warm with some cold butter.



*Rustic Plum Tart*
Makes one 7 by 11 inch tart
Printable Recipe

I love anything rustic and fuss free. That's why I love this tart so much. Using purchased pastry and a few additional ingredients, you can have a delicious plum tart cooling, ready to be eaten in less than an hour. I love the marzipan that lies like a tasty secret underneath the plums. This will have them coming back for more.

1 package of ready rolled short crust pastry, all butter, thawed if frozen
3 TBS golden marzipan, cut into pieces
1 TBS plain flour
half a dozen or so purple plums, pitted and cut into thin wedges
2 tsp golden caster sugar
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup plum or red currant jam
2 TBS water



Pre-heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Unroll your pastry and use it to line a 7 by 11 inch baking tin, allowing the excess to overhang. Sprinkle the bits of marzipan evenly over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle with the flour. Arrange the sliced plums over top of the flour and marzipan, in overlapping rows. Sprinkle with the 2 tsp of sugar. Fold the overhang over the plums, creating a 1 inch free form ragged edge. Sprinkle the edges with the granulated sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the fruit bubbles, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool. In a small saucepan, combine the jam and water. Heat over medium heat until warm. Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve, discarding any solids. Brush the warm glaze over the plums in the tart. Allow to cool slightly, before cutting into slices to serve.




*Fresh Plum Crumble*
serves 4
Printable Recipe

I think Plums are one of Todd's and my favourite fruits. Especially during plum season when the trees around here are just dripping with them like little purple jewels. This is one of my favourite ways to prepare them. You get the lovely sweetness of the plums, topped with the sweet and nutty crunch of a delicious streusal. It's just wonderful!

2 pounds pitted and quartered plums
3/4 cup of soft light brown sugar, packed
2 heaped TBS of plain flour
3 TBS of creme de cassis liqueur (If not available you can use fruit juice)

For the Streusal:
3/4 cup plain flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup soft light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant oats)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
4 ounces cold butter, cut into cubes

Creme fraiche or clotted cream, for serving



Pre-heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Combine the fruit, brown sugar, flour and cassis together in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish. Set aside.

Measure the flour, white sugar, brown sugar and salt together into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to combine. Add the oats and pultz again. Add the butter bits and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. You want the butter to be the size of peas. Add the walnuts and pulse a couple times just to combine. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over top of the plum mixture in the baking dish. Place on a baking tray to help prevent a nasty spill in your oven!

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the plums are bubbling and the streusal is nicely browned. Serve warm or at room temperature, spooned into bowls with a dollop of creme fraiche or clotted cream on top of each. (Or ice cream!)



*Frozen Lemon Souffle*
Makes 1 large, or 12 individual souffles
Printable Recipe

This is a fabulous dessert that is not only delicious but impressive. Perfectly light and tasty for after a heavy meal. This contains raw eggs so be careful not to serve it to the very elderly and the very young.

250g shortbread biscuits
50ml butter, melted
4 large eggs, separated
the juice from two large lemons
the finely grated zest from two large lemons
225ml of caster sugar, divided
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
375ml double cream
Lemon peel and black berries to garnish



Crush the shortbread biscuits in the food processor. Mix with the melted butter and blitz once more. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan, or in the bottom of 12 3-inch rings that you have laid out on a cookie sheet lined with foil.

Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and 50ml of the sugar. Blend together well.

In another, but very clean, bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Beat in the cream of tartar and the salt. Continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

Whip the cream in another bowl until soft peaks form.

Fold the egg whites and whipped cream into the egg yolk mixture. Spoon into the prepared pan(s). Cover with foil and freeze for at least 8 hours. Allow to soften in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving if you have made a large one. If you made small ones, you can warm the sides of the rings with your hands and push them out carefully. Place on individual plates and garnish with some lemon peel and blackberries.




*Bramley Berry Slump*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

This is so lovely with the sweet blueberries and the tart apples. The hidden surprise of creamy mascarpone cheese really makes it special, as does the crunchy biscuit topping!

2 large Bramley apples, peeled and thinly sliced (about 3 cups sliced apple)
1 knob of butter
2 small punnets of blueberries (about 2 cups)
3 ounces sugar
8 ounces of mascarpone cheese
For the topping:
3 ounces cold butter, cut into bits
8 ounces self raising flour
2 ounces sugar
the zest of one lemon
150ml of whole milk
To finish:
2 TBS Demerara sugar



Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Butter a 1 1/2 litre baking dish. Set aside.

Melt the knob of butter in a nonstick skillet. Add the apples and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften. Add the sugar to the apples along with the blueberries. Mix well, and then tip the whole mixture into the prepared baking dish. Dot with the mascarpone cheese.

Rub the butter into the flour until it is quite crumbly. Rub the sugar and lemon zest together until quite fragrant. Stir into the crumb mixture. Add the milk all at once and stir to combine. Drop on top of the fruit and mascarpone in big blogs, making it look a bit craggy. Sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over all. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30- minutes, until crusty and golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before spooning into dessert dishes. Serve warm with custard* or vanilla ice cream* if desired.

*Really you won't need it with the mascarpone cheese, that is unless you are feeling totally hedonistic!



*Caramelized Pears with Mascarpone Cream*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is one of my favourite desserts. I love the subtle flavour of the spices with the sweet creaminess of the pears. I like this much better than any alcohol based recipe. Mascarpone cheese goes with them so perfectly. If this doesn't become one of your favourites, I'll eat my hat!

4 forella pears
(can use larger ones, but they will take a bit longer to cook)
2 TBS butter
2 TBS runny Italian honey
1/2 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1 star anise, broken in half
2 bruised cardamom pods
1/2 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 TBS brown sugar
the juice of one lemon
To serve:
1/2 cup double cream
1/2 cup of full fat mascarpone cheese
the grated zest of one lemon
2 TBS caster sugar



Peel the pears and then cut them in half, leaving the stems on if possible. Scoop out the centre seeds with a melon baller.

Place the butter and the honey into a large deep and heavy skillet. Melt together and then add the vanilla bean, scraping out the seeds into the mixture. Add the star anise, cardamom pods, and the cinnamon stick. Grate the nutmeg over top. Bring to a boil and once the mixture starts to foam, add the pears, cut side down. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cook until the pears are golden brown on the underside and tender when tested with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove to a serving bowl. Stir the lemon juice and the brown sugar into the pan drippings. Bring to the boil and cook until the mixture is syrupy. Pour over the pears. You can remove the spices if you wish, but I think they look lovely. Just warn your guests not to eat them.

Whisk the mascarpone cheese and double cream together with the sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the lemon zest.

Serve the pears warm with a drizzle of syrup over top and a dollop of the mascarpone cream.

It is rumoured that there are over 900,000 poppy seeds contained in a pound of poppy seeds . . . I've never actually counted them, nor am I likely to, so I'll just have to take the rumour monger's word for it.



What I do know for sure is that I love poppy seeds in baked goods. Always have done, probably always will. (although to be sure they aren't necessarily ideal to serve in dinner party foods . . . a poppy seed caught in the tooth can be quite disconcerting to your dinner time partners!)



When I was a much younger (ahem) woman I was lucky enough to live in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains of Alberta for a time . . . while there I used to ubdulge myself in these lovely sweet pastries that were sold in most of the bakeshops . . . filled with a sweet and scrummy poppy seed filling . . . no doubt a tasty treat come down from the traditions of Eastern European settlers that filled the Canadian West . . .



Oh my . . . but they were soooo delicious . . . I could never quite get enough of them . . . the pastry all buttery and the filling so sweet and yet crunchy at the same time, with a distinct almond flavour and a lucious glaze gilding all of that goodness.



They were so good that some 30 years later I am still thinking about them . . . or is that just the power of a rose coloured food memory clouding my culinary vision . . . I am not sure.

I only know for sure, that I do have a special fondness for Poppy Seeds that goes way back.



They make quite a lovely showing in these delicious breakfast or teatime muffins . . . the muffins all buttery and sweetly moist . . . and at the same time tangy with lemon, both in flavour and the scent . . and then with those pretty blue seeds scattered throughout . . . a feast for all the senses . . . and lets not forget that lemon sugar crunch topping!

These go down a right treat with your morning cuppa!



*Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins*
Makes one dozen
Printable Recipe

Light and sweetly tangy and filled with lots of poppyseed crunch, and a scrummy lemon sugar topping!!

3 tsp finely grated lemon zest
220g caster sugar (1 cup)
335g of self raising flour (2 1/4 cup)
2 TBS poppy seeds
80ml of fresh lemon juice (1/3 cup)
250ml of milk (1 cup)
60g of butter, melted (1/3 cup)
2 large free range eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 12 cup muffin cup pan really well. Set aside.

Place the sugar and lemon zest into a large bowl. Rub the two together with your fingertips really well. (This smells great!) Remove 3 TBS of the mixture and set aside. Sift the flour into the remainder. Stir in the poppy seeds. Whisk together the lemon juice, milk, beaten eggs and melted butter. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the liquid all at once. Stir together only to combine. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it equally.

Sprinkle the tops of each with the reserved lemon sugar.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for ten minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

"You can't grow hairs on a duck egg,
Hairs only grow on an ape,
And it's only the hairs on a goosegog,
That stop it from being a grape."
~author unknown




Both fruity and floral, the scent of simmering gooseberries is one of my favourite summer scents. They do closely resemble green grapes except that they are covered in funny little hairs, and don't come in clusters. One would almost expect them to feel all prickly when you touch them, but they don't . . .



The gooseberry season is very short, only lasting from 3 to 4 weeks, so it is best to grab them while you can. We have a lovely u-pick place not far from us, and so we pick lots, cleaning them and putting them up in the freezer in freezer bags to bring out in the coming winter months and remind us of these warm and sunny summer days when the cold winds are blowing . . . I open freeze them on baking trays and then I can just pour out as many as I need without having to thaw out the lot.



I like to top and tail my gooseberries before eating them, although it's not really necessary. It's very easy to do with a pair of kitchen scissors. (I do this before freezing them) Rinse well in running water to remove any dust or debris. Then lightly pat them dry with some paper kitchen toweling.



Eaten raw . . . they are hard and sour, but when cooked ( add some sugar, or honey and a splash of elderflower cordial) they have a wonderfully muscat flavour. Simply stewed, they make delightful fruit fool and they are also wonderful spooned over cold vanilla ice cream.

But my most favourite way to eat them of all is this . . .



*Gooseberry Crumble*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is an excellent summer pudding. Who doesn't like crumble? This is a wonderfully delicious way to showcase these lovely berries that are only available to eat fresh for a few weeks durin gthe summer months. Elderflower helps to bring out and enhance their rich wine-like flavour.



2 pounds of gooseberries (4 to 5 cups)
4 to 6 TBS of caster sugar (depending on how tart or sweet you like your gooseberries)
3 TBS elderflower cordial
Crumble Topping:
175g plain flour
85g butter
50g rolled oats
55g brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Top and tail your gooseberries and place them into a shallow ovenproof glass baking dish. Sprinkle the caster sugar evenly over top and drizzle with the cordial.

Place the flour in a food processor, add the butter, cut into cubes, and then blitz until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the oats, brown sugar and cinnamon and pulse a couple of times until mixed together well. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over top of the berries.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and cooked and the crumble topping is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit before serving.

Serve warm, on it's own or with lashings of custard, pouring cream or a tasty dollop of creme fraiche.

For the past several years I have been looking at pork belly and wondering what it would taste like. It's one of the lesser expensive cuts that you can buy, and I had wondered was it any good? Would we like it? Would it cook away to nothing?

A pretty nondescript piece of meat, it looks like a big slab of bacon, unsmoked completely and with a thick layer of skin and fat covering the top of it, not to mention another layer of fat normally running through the centre of it . . .



I kept hearing such wonderful things about it, and so yesterday I finally caved in and bought a hunk.



The lovely thick layer of skin and fat on this particular cut of meat really helps to keep it moist as it cooks. The alchemy that occurs means that the pork skin slowly crisps to a wonderfully crisp layer of crackling whilst the fat in the layers, melts and dissolves, basting the meat constantly, giving you a moist and succulent roast underneath.



If you've been holding off from buying this particular cut of meat, hold off no longer. This truly is a hidden gem, and you'll find yourself wondering why on earth you waited so long!

And all for a mere £2.63. Who knew?



*Slow Roasted Pork Belly*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

If you love succulent, rich meat with magnificently crunchy crackling, this tasty dish is for you. Cheap, easy and yet moreishly delicious! This will grab you by the socks!

1 kg piece of pork belly, with skin still on
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large onions, peeled and sliced



Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Lay the onions on the base of a fairly heavy baking dish. (You want one with an edge) Take your piece of pork and using a Stanley knife, score some deep heavy cuts all along the rind at 1/2 inch intervals, if it has not already been done for you by the butcher. Cut down through the skin and into the fat, but not all the way to the meat. Rub the skin with a little bit of olive oil and some sea salt, massaging it into the cracks. Season the pork flesh with a bit of salt and pepper. Place the pork on top of the onions, flesh side down and skin side up. The onions will act as sort of a trivet and keep the porl from touching the hot dish. Pour a bit of water into the pan, just enough to cover the bottom of it by about 1/4 inch. Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, checking it every so often to see that the pan hasn't gone dry, and adding more water periodically. Don't let the water touch the crackling or the meat. At the end of that time you should have a succulent moist piece of meat and delightfylly crisp and crunchy crackling. If the crackling isn't as crisp as you would like, turn the oven up to about 200*C/400*F and roast for a further 15 to 20 minutes to crisp it up a bit further. Don't worry, the water in the bottom of the pan will help to keep the pork from drying out.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Slice the crackling off the top and break into bits of crunchy delight and slice the meat with a sharp knife.

You can drain all the fat from the pan and serve with the juices and caramelized onions if you wish, but I just made a tasty pot of apple pear sauce to serve with mine.



*Apple Pear Sauce*
Makes about 3 cups
Printable Recipe

This sauce is so easy to make and goes so very well with pork chops and roast pork. It's also tasty in it's own right simply served warm with some vanilla ice cream, or with pancakes for breakfast!

4 cooking apples, peeled and chopped
3 pears, peeled and chopped
1 TBS lemon juice
4 ounces pressed apple juice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until all the fruit is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and whip with a fork until the mixture is mashed but with some texture still remaining. Serve warm.