When I first moved over here twelve years ago . . . there were some things that you just couldn't find. Things like Betty Crocker cake mixes, Marshmallow Fluff,  and Skippy Peanut Butter, amongst other things.  You never know what you will miss until you can't have it any more . . .

 

Over those years I have had to learn to adapt some of my favourite recipes to use other ingredients that are available over here . . . but there were still some things that you just couldn't adapt no way . . . no how.  I used to bring back oodles of stuff each time I went over to Canada to visit my family.  Todd used to do a lot of moaning about that . . . but I just reminded him of how he would feel if he couldn't get marmite anymore!

 

I'm happy to say though that in recent years quite a few things have  become easily available . . . things like Gold Fish Crackers, Marshmallow Fluff, Skippy Peanut Butter and at least a few cake mix flavours . . . such as Devils Food and Carrot.  I'm still waiting for Crab-Apple Jelly, Captain Crunch Cereal and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner to catch on . . . but I live in hope.

 

Being able to get some of these things though, means that I can now cook some of our favourite treats in my English Kitchen, like these delicious Brownies that I baked for the Missionaries yesterday . . .

 

Yes, they are a bit of a cheat because they use a boxed cake mix . . . but I know you won't hold that against me.  I've tried through the years to develop my own base . . . but I just haven't been able to crack it just yet.  The base for these is soooo moist and  fudgy and chocolatey . . .



And that fluffer nutter topping.  Fluffer nutter is a popular sandwich combination in North America . . . sandwiches spread with marshmallow cream and peanut butter.  In fact I do believe that it is so popular that you can now find it already mixed in jars.

 

I think though . . . fluffer nutter sandwiches were an Amish invention . . . but you can feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

How can something that is soooo bad for you be soooo good!! 

 

In any case, no matter if it is a cheat . . . and no matter where it comes from . . . you can now make them here . . . in the UK, and with British ingredients.  The bottom line is this . . . they're fabulously delish and now I can make them here, at home . . . without dragging a heavy suitcase across the Atlantic, or paying an outrageous price at one of those speciality shops.

Life is very, very good.



*Fluffer Nutter Brownies*
Makes one 9 by 15 inch pan
Printable Recipe

These could not be easier, and they are fabulously, moreishly delicious!  I bet you can't eat just one!

1 500g box of Devils food cake mix (Betty Crocker, double layer cake)
2 large free range eggs
125ml of sunflower oil (1/2 cup)
120g of smooth peanut butter (2/3 cup)
1/2 of a 213g jar of marshmallow cream  (2/3 cup)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 397g tin of sweetened condensed milk (14 ounce)
a couple handfuls of milk or dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter a 13 by 9 inch baking dish really well.  Set aside.

Mix together the oil, eggs and cake mix until well blended.  Spread this mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Set aside.

Whisk together the peanut butter, marshmallow cream, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk, until smooth and amalgamated.  Spread this mixture evenly over top of the chocolate mix.  Scatter the chocolate chips over top.

Bake for15 to 20 minutes, just until the edges are light golden brown and the centre is almost set.  You want it to be a bit gooey.  Allow to cool completely before cutting with a sharp knife into bars  for serving.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for longer, allowing them to come to room temperature for serving

You can now buy Marshmallow Fluff at Asda and I believe Sainsbury's.  The Cake mixes are pretty much available in all of the shops and you can get the Skippy Peanut Butter in Waitrose and Sainsbury's.

 

We had the Missionaries for tea today. There are two sets of two each here in Chester, now . . . but you are only allowed to feed two at a time. One set has a car and the other doesn't. Today we had the car-less ones and next week we'll have the other pair.

 

 We've only ever had girl missionaries once . . . I liked to spoil them too . . . and it was fun to share recipes with them . . . but that was only once for a few months.  They were nice girls, well . . . young women really.  They helped to pack up our books for us when we were moving back up here to Chester from Brenchley in Kent.

 

Girls add a special touch to everything they do . . . the nicest thing was when I was unpacking the books and found a little note from one of them.  She had drawn a little picture and left a message and tucked it in amongst the books.  It was so nice to see . . . and helped me to feel a bit less bereft . . .
Boys/men . . . not quite the same, but special in their own unique ways.  I do like to spoil them all . . . and part of how I do that is feeding them whenever I can.

 

Today I did my special oven baked pork chops for the lads.  They went down a real treat along with mash and carrots . . . salad (girls like salad, boys not so much), crusty rolls . . . and for dessert some scrummy Fluffer Nutter Brownies (Look for them tomorrow) and a little taste of home . . . pistachio pudding.

 

I managed to get one photo of the chops plated, but that is all.  Todd doesn't like me photographing the food when they are here.  He's afraid they will think I'm a bit of a nut, I think . . . but that's ok.  I don't mind who thinks I am a nut . . . so I got one photo.

 

The others . . . I took them in the kitchen when I was plating up . . . what the eye don't see the heart don't grieve they say, and Todd was none the wiser . . . 

You want a nice thick pork chops for these . . . old fashioned ones with a bit of fat and bone.  Those are the more tender ones.  It's more of a method than a recipe really . . . very simple and very delicious.  You can adapt it to as many servings as you wish.  They are always very well received.  And today . . . well, today was no exception. ☺

 

*Oven Baked Breaded Pork Chops*
These directions are for one chop, but can be multiplied
to as many as you want to serve.
Printable Recipe


This is more of a method than a recipe.  It is the way I have been doing my breaded pork chops for years and years.  They always end up tender and moist.  The crumbs on the bottom don't always stick, but they do meld into the juices to make a luscious sauce and the crumbs on the top always stay put.  All in all they are truly delicious.

1 bone in pork chop per person
salt, pepper, dried sage and garlic powder
2 TBS of fine dry bread crumbs per chop
butter to dot
apple juice

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F.  Line a large shallow baking tray with foil and lightly grease the foil.  Onto the baking sheet place as many chops are you are wanting to serve.  Obviously if you are only cooking one or two you will want a smaller baking tray.  Dust the top surface of each chop with some salt, pepper, sage (rubbed between your fingertips) and garlic powder to taste.  Then sprinkle a tablespoon of bread crumbs evenly over top of each one. Dot with butter.  Pour apple juice into the baking tray evenly around the chops, trying not to disturb the crumbs on top. Place the tray into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, checking to make sure the apple juice does not boil dry in the pan.  Once the crumbs have begun to brown on top, remove the pan from the oven.  Carefully turn each chop over without disturbing the crumb topping and repeat the process for seasoning and crumbing on the underside.  If you need more juice in the pan, once again pour it around the chops.

  Return the pan to the oven and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until nicely browned on top and the juices have thickened into a bit of a sauce.  Check every 10 minutes or so to make sure the pan is not going dry and top up with more juice if need be.  Serve hot with some of the pan juices spooned over top.  Fabulous!

Halloween is one of my favourite holidays. Not only do I find the spooky, jovial atmosphere intoxicating, but I also love the fact that it’s in such close proximity to bonfire night. Plus, you become more aware that it’s nearly Christmas time! Naturally, I love Halloween treats.

So, in the sprit of the season, I thought I would treat you to a recipe for some creepy chocolate cupcakes. You can use them for Halloween parties, give them to your children or, if you’re feeling really generous, make a batch for trick-or-treaters.  It’s a great excuse to use my best heavy-duty, non-stick muffin tray.

~Zirca Ali

*Creepy Cupcakes for Halloween*
Makes one dozen

These delicious Halloween style cupcakes are easy-to-make and can be completed in less than two hours.

 Ingredients:
4 ounces flour (1 cup)
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, melted
Shop-bought ready-to-roll icing (approx 500g)

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°.
2. Weigh your flour out in a measuring cup and whisk together with cocoa, baking soda and a pinch of salt. 3. Add sugar and butter together in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add in your flour mix and eggs until a good consistency. Then, fold in your chocolate.
4. Spoon the mixture into your bakeware. Muffin cups may be the easiest to use.
5.  Then, put them in the oven for around 20 minutes. You should be able to insert a utensil into the top and it will come out clean. Then, allow it to cool within your bakeware.
6. Roll out your icing of whatever colours you like and have fun creating scary faces with your icing. It could be anything from zombies and witches to skulls and mummies.
7. Remove them from your bakeware and serve or store.

(Note:  All text and photo are credited to Zirca)

 

I just have to tell you about this fabulous book which dropped through my mail slot this week.  The Diner's Dictionary by John Ayto.  This may be one of my favourite books yet!  I'm not kidding!

A few years back my son gifted me with the Larousse Gastronomique for Christmas and I was in seventh heaven.  It was such a thoughtful and wonderful present.   This Diner's Dictionary might not be as hefty as that . . . but I guarantee it is just as delightful for foodie and non-foodie alike!  Riveting stuff.

 

Seasoned generously with literary wit, it covers everything you wanted to know about food, from A



to Z  . . . and everything in-between.  AND . . . it's a lot easier to carry around or read in bed than that huge beastie of the Gastronomique.

I have been glancing through it every chance I get and have found it to be absolutely riveting . . . I've even plagued Todd with it in bed at night.  (As you know I love to go to bed with a good cookbook.  This week it's been this book.)

I lay there and punctuate every few moments with an exclamation . . .




"Todd, did you know that there is an American mixed drink in which bourbon is diluted with fruit syrup and soda water, having orginated in the 1850's called a Daisy???  I know . . . kinda gives new meaning to that old song, I'll Give You a Daisy a Day!"

And then a few minutes later, it is . . .

"Todd, did you know that the word Lasagne comes from a word meaning chamber pot???"





He doesn't know whether to kiss me or crown me . . . or both!!

In any case I have found it quite quite riveting and thoroughly fascinating!  This book would make a fab Christmas Gift to the dedicated foodie on your list!

The Diner's Dictionary
by John Ayto
Published by Oxford University Press
ISBN: 978-0-19-964024-9
£12.99 UK
$24.95 US
 A quirky, irresistibly  delicious read!

Many thanks to Oxford University Press for sending me this lovely review copy.  It's just filled with food for thought!


  

Linking this post up to November's Nibbles and Novels over on Dimples & Delights, the monthly party that book inspired foodie posts.  Thanks April for letting me play!! (Click on the photo and it will magically take you to her page!)

Cabbage is a real favourite vegetable around here. Filled with vitamin C and loads of other vitamins and anti-oxidents, it's very, very good for you. It's also quite low in calories, so it's a great diet food as well. (I'm quite sure most of you will have heard of the cabbage soup diet!)

A lot of people don't like the smell of it cooking, but I am afraid I'm a wierdo. The smell of cooking cabbage sets my tastebuds to tingling in anticipation. It's one of my all time favourite smells!




My mother always made the most delicious cabbage rolls. She cooked them in her largest aluminum wearever cook pot. She'd layer them in the pot along with big chunks of carrot and potato, and huge wedges of cabbage. She had no secret sauce, simply a large tin of tomatoes . . . the flavours of all the vegetables made for a really rich broth and intense flavours. We all loved them! They were a real treat!

As many times as I have made them myself, mine never quite taste as good as the memory of hers. They are one of the things I always look forward to eating the most when we go home to visit . . . along with her homemade pea soup, her beef stew and a big pot of her homemade baked beans . . .



My mom also makes the world's absolute best coleslaw. She slices the cabbage very thinly by hand, and then chops it up really fine along with carrot, cucumber, celery and onion. Her dressing is a bit of this and a bit of that . . . I don't think she ever makes it the same way twice, but no matter . . . it's always really, really good.



My mother's father used to make his own sauerkraut.   He made it according to folklore and the moon, and it was always just wonderful. In fact, the juice from the raw kraut has been used in my family for many years to cure various ailments and sicknesses. It is a taste I love, both raw and cooked.

My mother always cooked it along with ham hocks and served it up with big piles of mashed potatoes. I always liked to slather my potatoes with lots of butter, and then stir the kraut into them. It was sooo very tasty to me . . .



I guess you could say that cabbage is like the ultimate comfort food for me, fresh or pickled. It evokes so many lovely childhood memories.

I discovered this particular recipe several years ago in a cookery book by Tamasin Day-Lewis, entitled, Tamasin's Weekend Food. It has since become a real favourite of ours.

The mixture of the cabbage and the sausage meat creates a magical taste combination that is unbeatable . . . the long slow cooking breaks the cabbage down until it is almost buttery . . . the juices of the cabbage and sausage melding together into a melting deliciousness that is just the best flavour in the world.



We like to serve this with mashed potatoes, but baked potatoes are equally as good.

This is just good cookin . . . plain and simple . . . extraordinary flavours . .. a wonderful taste treat for a cold and wet late autumn afternoon . . . 

This is one of those recipes which only serves to prove that delicious needn't be complicated!




*Stuffed Cabbage Trou Style*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I got this tasty recipe a few years back via a cookery book by Tamasin Day-Lewis, who got hers from Jane Grigson. With so many great cooks involved, how could it fail to be delicious! Simple ingredients, but the flavour is spectacular.

3 to 41/2 pounds of cabbage, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 pounds of good quality, free range sausages
salt and pepper to taste
butter



Pre-heat the oven to 150*C/300*F. Generously butter a large casserole dish. Set aside. Cut a piece of greaseproof paper to fit the top and set this aside as well.

Place the sliced cabbage into a large pot of salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for five minutes, then drain well. Run cold water over it to stop it from cooking any further and drain well again.

Remove the skins from the sausages and discard.

Layer 1/3 of the cooked cabbage in the casserole dish. Season well with salt and pepper. Top with 1/2 of the sausage meat, pressing it out to fit over the cabbage. Top with another 1/3 of the cabbage. Season again and then top with the remaining sausage meat, pressing it out as before. Top with the last of the cabbage, season again and then dot with some butter. Cover tightly with a layer of greaseproof and the the lid of the casserole dish. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the cabbage is meltingly tender. Serve, sliced into wedges with your choice of side dishes. We like buttery mashed potatoes and steamed beans with this. Delicious!

I have never ever made my love of chocolate a secret on here.  I just adore chocolate and I am especially fond of GOOD chocolate.  This is a photograph of my local Hotel Chocolate shop, right here in Chester.  I think they must know me by name . . . well, not really.  I'm not quite that bad, but every once in a while I do indulge and as I have always said, if you are going to indulge, why not indulge in the best!!

I was thrilled therefore when they contacted me recently and asked me if I would like to review one of their Christmas products for this year.   (It's less than two months away now you know!)  Review Chocolate??   Chocolate from Hotel Chocolate???  You don't need to ask me twice!



This is what arrived in the post yesterday!  Their RATHER LARGE CHRISTMAS CRACKER, and when they say large, they're not joking!  This thing is enormous!



It was delivered to the door yesterday, in a nice sturdy box.  Of course Todd moaned . . . "What did you order now???"  I love it when he does that and I can say NOTHING!  And if you're a bad boy I won't share it with you!



Inside was this huge Christmas Cracker.  I just love the packaging!  The artwork is beautiful.  (I do have an eye for that sort of thing)

 

And it's a REAL cracker too, with a snapper to pull and everything!

From their page:

This striking, over-sized cracker is the perfect centrepiece for all sorts of Christmas get-togethers and parties – never failing to raise smiles and a few gasps as the 40 chocolates inside come tumbling out! Complete with 12 party hats and jokes. Measures 640mm long

Including smooth pralines, luxurious champagne truffles, dreamy caramels and more, all wrapped in pairs so they’ll be as fresh as can be. Chocolates with & without alcohol.

 

Each pair is wrapped carefully . . . silver party hats at the ready.



The requisite Christmas Party Jokes . . .  it just wouldn't be Christmas without them would it!!



Of course taste testing was required . . . mmmm . . . Berry Mousse  . . . splenderifously delish . . .  and yes . . . I did share one of the pair with the Toddster.  I'm not that mean.  He appreciates good chocolate too.



mmmm . . . Christmas mess . . . also gorgeous.   And this cracker is stogged full of no less than 40 chocolates to tempt and tease every chocolate palate!  Fabulous!

I thought it was a beautiful cracker . . . and would make a fabulous gift to give to a friend that you are having trouble finding something for this Christmas.  I can't think of anyone that wouldn't be excited to get one of these!  At £38 it's not overly expensive and would probably be as welcome, or even more welcome than a bottle of their favourite booze, and would certainly add a dab of pizazz to the day!  (And it's already wrapped!)

They actually have quite a few nice Christmas Items on their page from as low in price as £1.95 and up.  It's a wonderful selection.  I think there's something there for just about everyone.



But . . . it gets even better than that . . . they're affording me the opportunity to give one of these RATHER LARGE CHRISTMAS CRACKERS to one of you, my lovely readers, and it's ok if you live in America too!   They'll even send it there.   To get in on this LOVELY GIVEAWAY all you have to do it leave a comment here in the comment section of this post!  I'm excited about this and I hope you are too!  I just love it when I am able to share some of my good fortune with one of you too!

This Giveaway will be open from today, Thursday  November 1st 2012 until Thursday, November 8th 2012!  (One Week) Each comment gives you one chance to win this lovely prize.  (Just as a side note Hotel Chocolat has advised me that very occasionally it might be the case that the product could be out of stock, however if this happens a similar product of the equivalent value will be issued instead, which can't be bad!)

Good luck everyone!

 

Many thanks to Hotel Chocolate and to Hannah  for affording me, and YOU with this fabulous opportunity!  Now get commenting and spread the word.  The more the merrier!

I hated squash when I was a child.  I am not sure what it was about it that I didn't like, perhaps the texture, or maybe the way my mother prepared it.  Twas always boiled to death and mashed . . . B-O-R-I-N-G  Sorry mum!  I have learned as an adult that if you roast it either in the oven, or in a pan  . . . you bring all the gorgeousness that this lovely vegetable has to offer you, to the surface!  It is Boring no more.  Just look at those beautifully caramelized edges . . . and that lovely colour against the spring onions!!!



Now I am venturing out into the unknown here by adding some tomatoes to the mix, but stay with me people . . . I know what I am doing!!

 

I've added a nice layer of greated strong cheddar cheese on top.  Everything tastes better with cheese, don't you think?  And bacon . . . but there's no bacon in this mix.  Just cheese gilding the top of that lovely caramlized squash, pan roasted tomatoes and spring onions .  . .



 About half an hour later and it's ready to come out of the oven . . . just look at that gloriously gorgeous  taste tempting cheese crust!  I can't wait to dig in!!



The cheese has melted down into all of those lovely crevices . . . oozing beneath and covering every lucious nugget of squash . . .



I'm a greedy gus and I love the crusty edges of anything baked with cheese . . . they are my favourite bits . . .

 Now we're talking!!   Just look at that moist bejeweled gloriousness . . . simply waiting for me to dig my fork into it . . . I can almost taste it now . . .

This went down a real treat as a simple supper on a cold and rainy autumn day, served up with a nice crusty loaf to soak up all those gorgeous juices.  Fabulous darling . . . just fabulous.

  

*Butternut Squash Baked with Tomatoes & Cheese*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

One of my favourite autumn bakes.  We love butternut squash.  It may sound an unusual combination, but trust me when I say it works.

2 pounds of butternut squash
2 TBS butter
2 TBS oil
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
a package of spring onions, sliced, including both the white and light green portions (8 to 10)
1 400g tin of chopped plum tomatoes, drained and rinsed (1 14-oz tin)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 ounces of strong cheddar cheese, grated ( 1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3.  Butter a shallow 8 by 10 inch gratin dish.  Set aside.

Peel the squash and discard the skin and seeds.  Cut the flesh into bite sized pieces.  Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet until the butter begins to foam.  Add the squash.  Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown in places.  Season with some salt and black pepper and then transfer this to the prepared gratin dish.

Add the onions to the same skillet and gently cook until softened.  Season as required and spoon these over top of the squash.

Dump your drained and rinsed tomatoes into the same skillet.  Add the thyme and season to taste.  Cook and stir until they are quite dry with no excess liquid.  Scatter these over top of the onions and squash.  Top all with the cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.  Turn the temperature up to 200*C/40)*F/ gas mark 6, and bake for a further 10 minutes, just until the cheese begins to brown.  Serve immediately.

There is a definite chill in the air these days. Autumn is well and truly here and Winter is nipping at our heels!  The English Provender Company recently sent me an assortment of their new variety of Very Lazy Cooking Concentrates, along with a jar of their new Bramley Apple Sauce with Calvados to try out.

I have always been a big fan of their very lazy red chilies and garlic. With Very Lazy you get top-notch, essential cooking ingredients and kitchen short-cuts that are always ready when you are, so you can whizz up fresh and tasty home-cooked meals without a lot of  fuss.  I always hate chopping chillies and garlic . . . they leave my fingers all smelly and those chillies can burn, unless you wear a pair of gloves!

 

First up was a jar of their Chilli Con Carne Cooking Concentrate.  This was very easy to use. All the ingredients you need to prepare a tasty pot of chilli are listed on the outside packet so that you know exactly what to pick up.



And inside the packet are clear instructions on how to put it together.  I only used half the quantity of extra lean mince in mine, and added a tin of drained sweet corn.

 

This was really quick and quite delicious. In the time it took to cook the rice, we had a lovely pot of Chilli Con Carne, which I served with some sour cream and grated cheddar on top.  It went down a real treat.



I used the leftovers the day after to do sort of a lasagna pie which was also really tasty.  You could use lasagna noodles, or even corn tortillas.  It would be fabulous either way.  I created a layer in the middle by stirring together a small tin of refried beans and some cream cheese.  Scrummo!  It was like a layer of Mexican dip in the middle!



It was really economical and filling too, with just 1/2 pound of minced beef, and the addition of just a few extra ingredients we had some very tasty meals for two nights running.  That can't be bad in today's economy.

Very Lazy Chilli Con Carne Cooking Concentrate:  A spicy & smokey blend of tomato, cumin & chipotle chilli. Simply add minced beef, tinned tomatoes, kidney beans & a red pepper for a delicious home-made Chilli con Carne in 20 minutes.  Serves 4.
£1.79 at ASDA and Tesco.



The Second jar of concentrate was their Chicken Chasseur Cooking Concentrate.  Once again, any ingredients needed were printed on the outside of the package, with clear instructions for cooking inside the pack.  We enjoyed this with some rice, but it would also be fab with some Mash.

Chicken Chasseur Cooking Concentrate: A classic blend of tomatoes, Chardonnay wine and Tarragon.  Simply add chicken, onion, tomatoes and mushrooms for a rich and flavourful chasseur, ready in 20 minutes.  Serves 4.
 £1.79 and available at ASDA and Tesco

I was getting really into these sauces by now and so the next day when I was at the grocery store I picked up myself a few other ones.



The next night we had a Green Chicken Thai Curry, created by using their Green Thai Curry Cooking Concentrate.  This was also fabulous and so quick and easy to do.  We both thoroughly enjoyed.

 Green Thai Curry Cooking Concentrate:  A spicy cream blend of green peppers, coconut milk and chilli.  Simply add chicken or prawns and coconut milk and you have an easy and delicious Thai Curry for four, with minimum effort!
£1.79 and available at ASDA or Tesco

I saved the best for last!



I was really looking forward to trying this little gem.  Apple Sauce has a natural affinity for pork . . . roasted, or chops . . . but they had included a delicious sounding recipe for some tasty Sausage Bakewell Tarts, created using this beautiful looking and smelling applesauce.  (£1.69 Available at ASDA and Tesco)

 

These were absolute winners and would be a fab addition to any Halloween Celebration or a Bon Fire Night Party.  Portable, and hand held, easy to make and even easier to eat!



The Toddster scarfed down two of them as soon as they came out of the oven.  There were mmmm's all around!

 

Crisp puff pastry base encasing some of that lovely applesauce, along with some sausage meat, onion, and apple  . . . and topped with some cheesy bread crumbs.  Fabulous!!!



*Sausage Bakewells*
Tarts with Lincolnshire Sausage, Apple and Cheese
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

These are very moreish with their crisp puff pastry shell, and that lovely applesauce.  Goes so well with the sausage and cheese!

225g of Lincolnshire chipolata sausages (1/2 pound)
(Suggested that you squeeze in half, twist and cut to make
two smaller chipolatas.  I did not do this.  I removed from the skins, and rolled each
into two balls and then flatted them into a disc)
500g of puff pastry ( a little over a pound)
English Provender Bramley Apple Sauce with Calvados
1 eating apple, cored and sliced
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
30g of Sage Derby Cheese or Cheddar, grated (about a third of a cup)
30g of breadcrumbs (1/3 cup  I used Panko)

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Butter a 12 cup medium muffin tin.  Roll out the pastry and cut into 12 rounds, large enough to fit in the muffin tin and up the sides.  Push the pastry into each buttered recess.  Spoon 1/2 tsp of the apple sauce into each.  Top the applesauce with a portion of sausage meat.  Top with some of the apple and onion.  Mix together the crumbs and cheese.  Divide and sprinkle this mixture over the top of each tart.

Bake for 25 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown and the sausage cooked.

I'll definitely be making those tarts again and I have a nice store of those cooking concentrates in my larder now.  They make a fab addition to my store cupboard and we really enjoyed everything we made  with them.  I am looking forward to using them again.

From the English Provender page:

We love good food and we know what tastes great. Quality ingredients packed with flavour and made with care - it's all in the making of good food. The English Provender Co.’s range of chutneys, condiments and dressings are made using nothing but good, honest ingredients from nature’s store cupboard. 

Our chefs are experts in flavour combinations and our traditional open pan cooking methods create naturally delicious combinations that taste every bit as good as home-made. 

We’ve been a bit saucy with our jars too! We’ve stripped them down so you can see all the natural beauty and juicy chunks inside our tasty creations. 

Follow them:
 BLOG
FACEBOOK
TWITTER 

  Many thanks to English Provender and Jess for sending me along these tasty  ingredients to try out.  Boy, I love my job!