Chestnut Mushroom Pate

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Ingredients:

• 60 g unsalted butter
• 1 onion chopped
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 500 g chestnut mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 100 g cream cheese
• 100 ml fromage frais
• 1 cup slivered almonds reserve a handful for garnish
• 1 cup walnuts chopped

Steps:

• Chop the chestnut mushrooms
• melt the butter and saut the onion and garlic for 5 minutes Add the mushrooms and thyme
• and saut for 8 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked
• Reserving the juices in case you need to add a little moisture in step three
• drain the onion/garlic/mushroom mixture
• and blend it with the cream cheese and fromage frais
• Reserving some slivered almonds for garnish
• process the nuts in the food processor then add them to the onion/garlic/mushroom mixture OR
• if you prefer a finer
• smoother pat
• add the onion/garlic/mushroom to the food processor and process OR
• for a more varied texture
• process some of the onion/garlic/mushroom mixture with the nuts
• then fold both mixtures together until they are well-combined If the mixture becomes too dry which is unlikely
• add a little of the juice reserved in step two
• Chill the pat for 2 hours
• then scatter the reserved slivered almonds on top and serve the pat with crusty bread
• pita bread
• crackers or vegetable sticks This pat is best eaten within 2 days
• Chefs Note Chestnut mushrooms are a closed cup mushroom with a wonderfully rich flavour If you cannot find these
• use flat field mushrooms which are always great
• but may need a little more cooking

Christmas Dried-Fruit Jam

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Ingredients:

• 3 lbs tart apples cored wedges
• 6 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups dried figs chopped
• 1 1/2 cups dried apricots chopped
• 1 1/2 cups dried pears chopped
• 1 cup dried dates pitted chopped
• 1 cup dried prune pitted chopped
• 1/4 cup candied lemon peel
• 1/4 cup candied orange peel
• 1/4 cup candied cherry
• 1 orange juice and zest of finely grated
• 1 lemon juice and zest of finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon anise seed crushed
• 4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Steps:

• Place apples in large pot with water
• simmer until soft
• In a large bowl
• add all the chopped amp; pitted fruit
• Press soft apples with a potato masher
• then spoon into a square of cheesecloth clipped to a footed colander
• suspended over the bowl of fruit
• Let apples drip over fruit WITHOUT squeezing or forcing--overnight
• Next morning add remaining ingredients EXCEPT for nuts to a large sauce-pot
• adding soaked fruit
• Stir
• then simmer gently until sugar dissolves; bring to a boil; boiling for five minutes
• Skim survace
• add nuts
• boil another five minutes until 200F sea level
• Remove pan from heat; spoon jam into hot jars
• add two-part lids; process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes sea level
• Label and store in cool
• dark cupboard
• GIFT GIVING Use pretty jars and add a decorative label -- include in a basket with other home-made kitchen gifts How nice of you
• USES As described above OR as a replacement for traditional with suet mincemeat

Easy Sticky Toffee, Apple and Cognac Pudding

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Ingredients:

• 200 g stoned dates
• 100 g shelled walnuts or 100 g shelled pecans
• 2 dessert apples peeled cored chopped
• 3 tablespoons golden syrup
• 4 tablespoons cognac
• 100 g butter cut into cubes
• 2 eggs beaten
• 140 g soft brown sugar
• 170 g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 180 g soft brown sugar
• 100 g butter
• 6 tablespoons double cream
• 50 g walnuts roughly chopped or 50 g pecans

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C or 320F
• Whizz up the dates in a food processor until chopped up a little and then add the walnuts or pecans apple golden syrup amp; cognac Pulse a few times until coarsely chopped amp; mixed together but still chunky
• Add the butter eggs amp; sugar amp; pulse a few times to combine
• Finally add the flour amp; bicarbonate of soda amp; keep pulsing until everything comes together amp; is mixed well
• Butter a 15 litre pudding basin amp; tip in all the mixture
• Smooth and level the top amp; bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 hr 20 mins or 1 hr 30 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out almost clean
• While the pudding is baking make the toffee sauce; tip the sugar into a saucepan and add the butter amp; the cream Bring to a rapid boil amp; then simmer until the sugar is dissolved amp; the mixture has thickened amp; is caramel in colour
• To serve turn out the pudding and place the walnuts or pecans over the top of the pudding amp; pour over the toffee sauce; place pudding under a grill and cook until the sauce is bubbling
• Serve with Ice Cream Creme fraiche or Chantilly Cream
• FREEZER
• Make the pudding ahead of time and freeze in the pudding container for up to 1 month To reheat defrost amp; cook in the microwave for 8-10 minutes on mediumMake the toffee sauce and serve as before

English Pea Salad

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Ingredients:

• 2 15 ounce cans English peas well drained
• 2 hard-boiled eggs boiled and peeled
• 1/2 medium onion peeled and minced
• 4 tablespoons pickle relish
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise

Steps:

• Place peas in a large bowl
• Chop hard boiled eggs and add to peas along with the minced onion pickle relish and mayonnaise
• Stir gently to combine
• Chill until ready to serve

French Lavender and Vanilla Sugar for Elegant Cakes and Bakes

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Ingredients:

• 200 g white caster sugar
• 6 -10 heads dried lavender
• 3 vanilla pod

Steps:

• Place the lavender heads and about 2 tablespoons sugar into a food mixer or coffee/spice blender Pulse together for about 1 minute or until the lavender is ground the same consistency as ground spices
• Place the rest of the sugar into a large mixing bowl amp; add the ground lavender and sugar mix
• Mix well
• In tall jar Kilner jars are good pour half the lavender sugar; place the three vanilla pods in the jar towards the outside so they may be seen
• Carefully add the rest of the sugar so the vanilla pods are standing up in the sugar
• Seal and keep for about 2 weeks before using
• Store in a dark dry and cool place
• This lasts up to 1 year and the vanilla pods can be used numerous times again after the sugar has finished
• Use in cakes biscuits cookies jams cream desserts ice-cream pies and tarts crumbles trifles and junkets etc

Insanely Chocolatey - Chocolate Nemesis Cake

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Ingredients:

• 12 ounces dark chocolate broken into small pieces really good quality
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 1 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whipped cream to serve
• 1 cup fresh raspberry to serve
• chocolate curls

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300F; line an 8-inch diameter shallow cake pan 2 inches deep with nonstick baking paper
• then grease it with butter and sprinkle with flour
• Beat the eggs with one third of the sugar until the mixture quadruples in volume this operation will require beating for around 10 minutes with an electric beater Heat the rest of the sugar in a saucepan with 1 cup water until the sugar dissolves into a syrup
• Add the chocolate pieces and the butter Mix well When smooth
• remove from the heat and leave to cool Pour the mixture over the eggs while it is still slightly warm and continue to beat gently until it is smooth no more than 20 seconds
• Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and place the pan in a roasting pan of hot water The water must come right up to the top of the mold
• so that the cooking is uniform
• Bake it for 30 minutes in the oven until it has set Check for doneness by gently placing the palm of your hand on the surface If it is not set
• continue cooking
• Cool the cake in the pan before turning upside down to unmold onto a cake plate Serve with a spoonful of whipped cream some fresh raspberries or just inhale the cake straight off the plate If youre feeling really crazy for chocolate
• top the cake with chocolate curls too ;

Old Fashioned Scottish Apple and Ginger Chutney

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Ingredients:

• 1 lb onion weight is for onions when peeled and finely chopped
• 2 lbs cooking apples weight is for apples when peeled cored and roughly chopped
• 4 ounces sultanas
• 1 ounce fresh gingerroot grated
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger powder
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice
• 1 lb soft brown sugar
• 1/2 pint malt vinegar
• 1/2 pint cider apple cider vinegar
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Steps:

• Place all the prepared onions and apples into a large preserving pan and add the remaining ingredients
• Bring slowly to the boil and then lower the heat so that chutney cooks at a rolling boil
• Stir the chutney regularly and make sure it does not catch and burn on the base of the preserving pan
• Keep on cooking until the chutney is the consistency of a thick jam and all the liquids have dissolved
• A trick to check if it is cooked is to draw your wooden spoon across the chutney
• if the space that is left fills up with liquid
• the chutney is not ready yet
• Spoon the hot chutney into hot and sterile jars and seal immediately
• Makes about 4 lbs chutney
• Store in a dark and cool place and leave to mature for at least 2 weeks
• Will keep in ideal storage conditions for up to 2 years

Yorkshire Parkin

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Ingredients:

• 125 g butter 4oz or 125 g lard 4oz
• 125 g golden syrup 4oz
• 125 g black treacle 4oz
• 125 g sugar 4oz
• 250 g plain flour 8oz
• 250 g medium oatmeal 8oz
• 1 pinch salt
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg beaten

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 150C/Gas 2/300F and grease an oven proof dish approx 10x10 or equivalent
• Over a very low heat melt the butter with the golden syrup treacle and sugar stirring continuously until the sugar is all melted
• In a bowl sift together flour oatmeal baking soda salt ginger and cinnamon
• Make a well in the centre and pour in the melted butter mixture
• Beat together
• When combined add the egg and mix until you have a smooth soft batter
• If the batter seems to be stiff add 1tbsp of milk
• Pour into the greased oven dish and bake 50-60 minutes in the top half of your oven
• Cool and cut into squares
• This will last a long time if you store it in an airtight cookie tin