Home-made yogurt in the AGA

Home Made Yoghurt in the AGA

- thank you to Helen B for this recipe.

This is a recipe designed for an AGA, but it should in principle work just as well in a slow cooker or the airing cupboard!

1 tablespoon natural yoghurt

1 tablespoon dried milk

1 pint (600ml) sterilised milk*

Cream together the natural yoghurt and dried milk with a little of the cold milk. Heat the remaining milk in a saucepan to blood temperature. Pour the warmed milk onto the yoghurt mix and stir to combine.

Cover the bowl with a plate, then a tea cosy or towel.

If you have an AGA stand in a colander on top of the simmering plate and leave overnight to set. Next day transfer to the refrigerator to cool.

If using a slow cooker the low setting should work. Airing cupboards may require some experimentation.

Use to make a yoghurt sundae. Spoon fruit puree, coulis or honey into the base of a sundae glass, cover with a layer of home- made yoghurt, and top generously with granola** or muesli.

*Your milkman will deliver sterilised milk on request or it can be readily found in the milk section of your local supermarket.

**Jordan’s granola is especially good for this.

Toffee Apples

For Halloween party this week. So much better made with local apples. This recipe is so easy too. I did have the help of a sugar thermometer though, which is a worthwhile investment if you make jam or sweets.

Makes: 15 toffee apples

• 15 apples
• 400g caster sugar
• 350g golden syrup
• 350ml water
• lollipop sticks

Lightly grease a few baking trays. Insert lollipop sticks into the whole, stemmed apples.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar, golden syrup and water. Heat to 149 to 154 degrees C or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard, brittle threads. Remove from heat and stir in food colouring.

Holding the apple by its stick, dip in syrup and remove and turn to coat evenly. Place on prepared trays to harden.

Raspberry Frangipane Tart

Thanks to Katherine for this delicious recipe.  The tart is beautiful and I thought the raspberries looked like love hearts, so it would be a great one to make for your true love (although not on Valentine's Day as raspberries wouldn't be in season!)

 from ‘ The New Vegetarian’ by Heather Thomas

Frangipan filling

115g/ 4oz Butter

115g/ 4 oz Caster Sugar ( I used Demerara though)

2 eggs

115g / 4 oz ground almonds

15g / ½  oz plain flour

About 220 g of raspberries (but could be a pear or strawberries cherries any summer fruit)

Pastry

200g / 7 oz plain flour

Pinch of salt (I didn’t bother with this)

100g/ 3 ½ oz butter cut into dice

1 table spoon vanilla sugar (just used some Demerara )

1 large egg yolk

Cold water / for mixing.

Make the pastry – sift flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter. Add the sugar and then bind with the egg yolk and a little cold water if necessary.  Chill for ½ an hour (that’s the pastry!).  Roll out and line a well buttered 25cm, 10inch tart tin. You can chill while you make the filling.

Cream the butter and sugar together beat in the eggs, beat in the ground almonds. Spread over the pastry and then pop in the raspberries in a nice pattern

Bake for 15 mins at 200C 400F gas mark 6 then turn down heat to 170C 325F Gas mark 3 for another 15 or until frangipan is firm and golden. (I think I just turned it down to 180C though. I dusted with icing sugar but you could do like a honey or an apricot glaze. Looks impressive but is quite simple to make.

Gooseberry ice-cream

Thank you to Helen for making this delicious ice-cream for our summer fruit evening.  I think this is definitely one for people who think they don't like gooseberries!

To serve 6-8
Place 1 kilo of gooseberries in a saucepan with a dribble of water to get them started and 125g caster sugar.  Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes, until the gooseberries are completely soft and mostly broken.  Rub the mixture through a sieve into a bowl.
Measure 500ml double cream and combine half of it with 250ml whole milk.  Scald this mixture in a pan until almost boiling.  Mix 4 egg yolks with 125g caster sugar, then pour in the hot milk and cream, whisking all the time.  Return this custard to the pan and stir constantly over a very gentle heat until it starts to thicken.  Remove from the heat and keep stirring as it cools and thickens further. 
Combine the custard with the sievved gooseberry puree, mixing thoroughly.  Lightly whip the remaining double cream and fold it in.  You've pretty much made a rich gooseberry fool and you could chill it and serve it as such at this point - or press on and make your ice-cream. Taste the mixture and add more sugar if you think it needs it.  An ice-cream mixture before freezing should always taste a little too sweet, as sweetness is muted in the freezing process.
Now either pour the mixture into an ice-cream machine and churn until frozen or freeze churn the old-fashioned way, by putting the mixing basin in the freezer and removing it every hour or so to whisk up and emulsify the half-frozen mixture.
Pack into tubs and freeze.  Leave at room temperature for a good half an hour before serving.  Serve with shortbread or other sweet biscuits.

Summer Pudding

This is an absolute must each year and a real indication that the summer fruit is here.  I normally just wing it with the mix of fruit and sugar, depending on what I have and how sweet the fruit is, but here is a Nigel Slater recipe, which is really comprehensive.

850g mixed raspberries and currants, with an emphasis on raspberries
7-8 slices firm, good quality white bread
3 tbsps white sugar
3 tbsps water
cream to serve
Sort through the fruit, tenderly, picking out any that are unripe or mouldy. There's nearly always a few. Pull the currants from their stems then put them, with the raspberries, in a stainless-steel saucepan over a low heat. Taste the fruit for sweetness and add sugar accordingly. For normal, sweet raspberries and slightly tart currants, I add 3 tablespoons or so of sugar. Sometimes you may need slightly less or more. Use your own judgment, bearing in mind that the finished pudding should have a bit of sharpness to it. Pour in a little water, a couple of tablespoons will do, then bring it to the boil.
The currants will start to burst and give out their juice. They need no longer than three or four minutes at a cautious simmer. The fruit should be shiny and there should be much magenta juice in the pan. Turn off the heat.
Slice the bread thickly. Each slice should be about as thick as your little finger. (Thinner if you are making several smaller puddings in individual moulds.) Cut the crusts off the bread. Set one piece aside, then cut the rest into 'soldiers', that is, each slice of bread into three long fingers. Using a glass or cup as a template, cut a disc of bread from the reserved slice and push it into the bottom of the pudding basin.
Line the inside of the basin with the strips of bread, pushing them together snugly so that no fruit can escape, and keeping a few strips for the top. Fill the bread-lined basin with the fruit and its juice - it should come almost to the rim. Lay the remaining bread on top of the fruit, tearing and patching where necessary, so no fruit is showing.
Put the basin in a shallow dish or bowl to catch any juice, then lay a flat plate or small tray on top with a heavy weight to squash the fruit down. Some juice may escape, but most will soak into the bread. Leave overnight in the fridge. (You may have to remove a shelf depending on how deep your fridge shelves are.)

Remove the weights, slide a palette knife around the edge, pushing carefully down between bread and basin so as not to tear the bread. Put a plate on top, and then, holding the plate in place, turn quickly upside down and shake firmly to dislodge the pud. It should slide out and sit proud. Pass a jug of cream around - it is an essential part of the pudding. Serves 6-8.

One-crust gooseberry pie

This is a Delia recipe that Jo and I made for the summer fruit evening.  For the filling

1½ lb (700 g) prepared gooseberries

3 oz (75 g) caster sugar

2 rounded tablespoons semolina

1 small egg yolk

For the glaze

1 small egg white

6 sugar cubes, crushed

For the shortcrust pastry:

6 oz (175 g) plain flour

1½ oz (40 g) lard, at room temperature

1½ oz (40 g) butter or margarine, at room temperature

Equipment
You will also need a solid baking sheet, lightly greased.

This recipe is taken from Delia's Summer Collection.

Method

Make up the pastry by sifting the flour into a large mixing bowl, then rubbing the fats into it lightly with your fingertips, lifting everything up and letting it fall back into the bowl to give it a good airing.

When the mixture reaches the crumb stage, sprinkle in enough cold water to bring it together to a smooth dough that leaves the bowl absolutely clean, with no crumbs left. Give it a little light knead to bring it fully together, then place the pastry in a polythene bag in the fridge for 30 minutes. After that, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C). Then roll the pastry out on a flat surface to a round of approximately 14 inches (35 cm) – as you roll, give it quarter turns so that it ends up as round as you can make it (don't worry, though, about ragged edges: they're fine).
Now carefully roll the pastry round the rolling pin and transfer it to the centre of the lightly greased baking sheet.To prevent the pastry getting soggy from any excess juice, paint the base with egg yolk (you'll need to cover approximately a 10 inch (25.5 cm) circle in the centre), then sprinkle the semolina lightly over this. The semolina is there to absorb the juices and the egg provides a waterproof coating. Now simply pile the gooseberries in the centre of the pastry, sprinkling them with sugar as you go. Then all you do is turn in the edges of the pastry: if any breaks, just patch it back on again – it's all meant to be ragged and interesting.
Brush the pastry surface all round with the egg white, then crush the sugar cubes with a rolling pin and sprinkle over the pastry (the idea of using crushed cubes is to get a less uniform look than with granulated). Now pop the pie on to the highest shelf of the oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm with chilled crème fraîche or ice cream.

Blackcurrant ripple

This recipe was in this week's Observer food monthly, courtesy of Nigel Slater, so I thought I'd give it a go for the summer fruit evening as it looked so easy.  I suppose you could do a raspberry or strawberry version too.

An easy ice cream terrine requiring no ice cream machine.

Serves 6

For the fruit

blackcurrants 250g
sugar 2 tbsp
water 2 tbsp

For the ice cream

eggs 3
caster sugar 80g
vanilla extract a few drops
double cream 300ml

Line a loaf tin approximately 22cm x 12cm with cling film.

Remove the blackcurrants from their stalks, drop into a small saucepan and add the sugar and water. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and continue cooking until the fruit has started to burst and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool.

Separate the eggs, put the yolks in the bowl of a food mixer with the sugar and whisk till thick and creamy. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Whisk cream till thick but not stiff. It should still be able to slide a little in the bowl.  Whist the egg whites and fold into cream.   Fold the cream gently into the egg and sugar. Transfer to the tin.

Lightly crush blackcurrants with a fork then, holding back the juice, spoon the currants into the tin and gently swirl them through the mixture. Take care not to overmix. Fold film over the top and freeze for a good 6 hours before turning out and slicing

Individual meringues

Try "freestyling" with your meringues by adding extras, eg pureed summer fruit.

• 4 large organic egg whites , at room temperature
• 115g caster sugar
• 115g icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to fan 100C/ conventional 110C/gas 1⁄4. Line 2 baking sheets with Bake-O-Glide non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue can stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
2. Tip the egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
3. Now turn the speed up and start to add the caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It's important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don't over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
4. Sift a third of the icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy, almost like a snow drift.
5. Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape (pic 3). Or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer. Bake for 1 1⁄2-1 3⁄4 hours in a fan oven, 1 1⁄4 hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour. Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.) Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream.

Rhubarb Kulfi

Serves 6
250ml evaporated milk
250ml condensed milk
250ml double cream
4 cardamom pods, crushed slightly
1.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
150g roasted rhubarb, strained

Pour the evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream into a pan and whist together until well combined: add the cardamom pods and ginger.  Bring to a bare simmer over a low heat and stir for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and leave to cool and infuse for at least 2 hours.  Strain the mixture into a bowl: discard the ginger and cardamom.
Blitz the rhubarb in a food processor or with a stick blender, or pass it through a fine-meshed plastic sieve, to make a very fine pulp.  Whisk the rhubarb into the infused cream until very well combined and ladle into dariole mould or ramekin dishes.  Frezze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To make the kulfi easier to unmould, briefly dip each mould into a bowl of very hot water before turning out into a bowl.

Fruit Leathers

Blackberry & apple leather

This recipe comes from Pam Corbin, aka Pam The Jam, the author of River Cottage Handbook No 2: Preserves.  They are so more-ish - I'm going to have to hide them to stop then being polished off by the children.  Jo and I had fun rolling them up into fun shapes.  We made apple and blackcurrant and apple and raspberry.  Fresh from the garden.

Her fruit leathers are addictively simple to make – once you've made one, you'll soon be experimenting (apricots, plums and peaches all make good leathers). Cut off strips to add a healthy, fruity punch to lunchboxes and picnics. Makes two sheets.
500g blackberries
500g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
150g honey
A little groundnut oil, for greasing
Preheat the oven to very low – 60C/gas mark ⅛ is good, though the lowest setting you can manage is fine. Put the blackberries, apples and lemon juice in a pan, cook gently, partially covered at first, until soft and pulpy, about 20 minutes. Rub through a sieve or mouli into a bowl – you should have about 700g smooth purée. Mix in the honey.
Divide between two baking sheets lined with oiled baking parchment or foil, spreading out the purée thickly with a spatula until the sheets are covered with a smooth, even layer about 5mm deep. Bake for 10-12 hours, until it is completely dry and peels off easily. Roll up in greaseproof paper or clingfilm, store in an airtight container in a cool place and use within four months; or freeze it, well sealed, for up to a year.

This is what the leather looks like when it's peeled off the tray.

Heavenly summer berry cheesecake

Rhubarb and lemon tart

Made by Jo for a bring and share lunch. The pastry is like a sponge but made from Quinoa.  It was delicious and almost like a sponge.  Can we have the recipe Jo?

Eton Mess

Made by Helen for a bring and share lunch with home-grown strawberries.

Blackcurrant lollies

These were made from the home-made cordial I made this week. Great for a vitamin C fix for the kids on a hot day like today. I also made elderflower cordial lollies, which I prefer myself.

Chocolate and damson gin cake

What a beautiful cake and edible flowers. Thanks Jo.

Pavlova, raspberries and ice-cream

Pavlova is so easy to make, it's just egg whites and sugar, but makes the most luxurious desert. I served it today with home-grown raspberries from the freezer and Needwood Dairy ice-cream from near Burton on Trent, bought in Scaddows Farm Shop.

Deconstructed Rhubarb Crumble

This is stewed rhubarb with a separate oat crumble topping, which is a really great way to stop the topping going soggy. The rhubarb is home-grown.

Gooseberry meringue pie

As I took a bite out of the delicious gooseberry meringue pie, the flavour sparkled in my mouth. As I gulped down the soothing pie many spectacular tastes entered my mouth. I totally recommend the ornate recipe and hope you try it yourself. By KS

As you can see my son was taken with this recipe - the only positive reviews I've ever had for a gooseberry recipe!  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 375g shortcrust pastry
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 400g gooseberries , topped and tailed
• 2 tbsp elderflower cordial
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 3 egg yolks
• 75g butter , at room temperature

MERINGUE

• 3 egg whites
• 175g golden caster sugar

1. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line a 22cm pie dish or tart tin with the pastry and bake blind for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and lightly browned. Turn the oven down to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
2. Put the caster sugar, gooseberries and 275ml water in a pan and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes until the gooseberries are just soft (you can add more sugar at this point). Stir in the cordial. Drain the liquid into a small pan and use 2 tbsp to make a paste with the cornflour, then return to the rest of the liquid, stirring to dissolve. Bring to a simmer and stir until it thickens. Beat in the yolks and butter and stir in the gooseberries. Pour into the tart case.
3. Beat the egg whites until stiff then beat in the sugar in 2 batches. Pipe or spoon the meringue onto the pie and bake for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.

Per serving

456 kcalories, protein 5.9g, carbohydrate 58.7g, fat 23.6 g, saturated fat 10.7g, fibre 2.1g, salt 0.71 g

Recipe from olive magazine, June 2008