Welcome to my new blog!

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Spring is now officially here. I love this time of year with everything growing anew in the garden and the thought of long warm summer days ahead. It always seems to be a time of new beginnings and in that light I’m excited to start my Recipes to Remember blog.

There are lots of recipe blogs out there, I know. So what’s different about this one?

Well, I have enjoyed cooking for my family for many years and now our four children have grown up and flown the nest. I have gathered quite a collection of recipes over this time from many different sources. And so they have been tried and tested many times!

Having lived in both England and Canada, I have had to deal with differences in things like terminology, weights and measures, and ingredients. So all my recipes list the appropriate ingredients for both U.K. and North America. It’s amazing how differences in the make-up of some ingredients can affect the success of a recipe and I have had to learn this – the hard way!

Along the way I have also collected tips and information on all kinds of culinary topics and will be adding these to the Tips section over time.

Also I have divided up recipes into the seasons. For example, we enjoy heart warming casseroles and puddings in the winter but in summer the dinners are lighter and quick to prepare, and desserts are defined by the abundance of local fresh fruits. I would rather spend warm summer days outside with our labrador, Shandy, than in the kitchen! So, as I gradually add recipes onto my blog, they will be representative of the time of year.

I hope you will enjoy the recipes I have chosen to share with you.

By the way, where it has been possible, I have written them up to serve four. I think it is easy to work from this. Generally, you can halve the amounts for two as easily as you can increase them to serve six or eight.

So, with Easter weekend fast approaching, I’ve posted a few of my favourite Easter recipes below for you to try. I hope you enjoy them and invite you to comment on them if you’d like to.

Angie

Crusty French Bread

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Crusty French Bread

This crusty French bread is light and airy, with a beautiful crisp crust.

Baking bread isn’t difficult if you break the process down into 3 steps. Each step involves a ‘wait period’ during which you can get on with something else. For more information about the technique I use, here’s a link to my page on Breadmaking.

Crusty French Bread

1 loaf
  • Step 1
  • Preparation time: 5–10 minutes
  • Waiting time: 30 minutes
  • Step 2
  • Preparation time: 5 minutes
  • Waiting time: About 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Step 3
  • Preparation time: 10–15 minutes
  • Waiting time: 1 hour
  • Cooking time: 35–40 minutes

  • Ingredients
  • 520 g (1 lb 2 oz) strong white/all purpose flour (3⅔ cups)
  • 10 g (1½ tsp) salt
  • 10 g (1 tbsp) instant yeast
  • 345 ml (12 fl oz) water (1½ cups less 1 tbsp)
  • olive oil for oiling the bowl and tin


  • Method

  • Step 1
  • Pour the flour into a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Add most of the water and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or a plastic dough scraper. If some flour is left in the bottom, add the remainder of the water. It may not need it all. Just make sure that all the flour has been taken up.

  • Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it to stand for 20–30 minutes.
  • In the meantime, prepare for the next step by weighing out the salt and yeast.

  • Step 2
  • At the end of the 20–30 minutes, add the salt and yeast to the mixture, making sure that the yeast doesn’t come into contact with a wodge of salt, and mix well.

  • Cover the bowl with the tea towel and leave for 10 minutes.

  • Lightly oil your hands and the work surface, and tip the dough out. Take the edge of the dough that’s furthest away from you and fold it towards you to meet the near edge. Push it into the dough with your fingers or the heel of your hand, stretching it gently away from you. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat. Do this 8 to 10 times, then rotate the dough into a ball and put it back in the bowl.

  • Cover with the tea towel again, leave for 10 minutes, and repeat the fold and stretch.

  • Cover again and leave for 10 minutes. While waiting, lightly oil another large bowl for the dough to rise in. Then fold and stretch the dough for a third time.

  • The dough should now be smooth and silky. Tip it out and shape it into a ball. Put it into the lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel or cling film.

  • Leave it to rise until it's at least doubled in size.* At room temperature, this should take a minimum of an hour but it's fine to leave it for 2–3 hours. The longer the better – it improves the flavour.

  • While waiting, prepare a baking tray and line with baking parchment.

  • Step 3
  • Tip out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and knock the air out by folding it in on itself a few times. It should feel smooth. Then flatten it out into a rectangle, with a short side towards you. Lift the dough from the furthest edge and fold it down towards you about half way. Press the edge down with the heel of your hand. Turn the dough round and repeat. Then roll the dough up away from you making sure that the join ends up at the bottom.

  • Place the dough on the baking tray, shaping how you want the loaf to end up. Lightly dust with flour and cover with the tea towel or cling film and leave to prove for at least another hour. You can tell when it's ready when it's doubled in size again and the dough springs back readily if you poke it gently with your finger.

  • Before the end of the hour, preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F (gas mark 7).

  • Dust the top of the dough with flour and slash the top diagonally with a sharp knife. Add about 250 ml (½ pint) of boiling water to a roasting tray and place it on a rack at the bottom of the oven to create some steam (this makes the crust crispy). Then bake for 35–40 minutes or until nicely browned. Turn out the loaf and tap it on the bottom – it should sound hollow. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Tip

  • Many recipes recommend using warm water to make the yeast work more quickly. However, the flavour is improved if the process takes place more slowly. I use water at room temperature or even a little cooler.

Note

  • * Doubled in size means doubled in volume. This means that if the dough is in the shape of a ball, the diameter increases by about 25%.
Print Recipe

Updated: March 10, 2017

Steamed Treacle Sponge Pudding

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Steamed Treacle Sponge Pudding

Black treacle or molasses added to this syrup sponge pudding gives it a more intense flavour. It really is a delicious pud.

Steamed Treacle Sponge Pudding

4 servings
  • Preparation time: 20 minutes
  • Cooking time: 1½ hours

  • Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup, plus 2 tbsp to serve
  • 85 g (3 oz) self-raising flour
  • ½ rounded tsp baking powder
  • 85 g (3 oz) very soft butter
  • 2 eggs, large (U.K.)/extra large (N.A.)
  • 85 g (3 oz) light brown soft sugar
  • ½ tbsp black treacle/fancy molasses

Equipment

  • 600 ml (1 pint) pudding basin, buttered
  • A steamer


  • Method
  • Spoon 2 tablespoons of golden syrup into the bottom of the pudding basin.

  • Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl and add the butter, eggs, sugar and black treacle. Beat the mixture for about 2 minutes until it is thoroughly blended using an electric hand mixer or a food mixer.

  • Spoon the mixture into the basin and level the top.

  • Cut a piece of foil large enough to cover the top of the basin and come halfway down the sides. Make a pleat in the foil to allow for expansion of the mixture, then place the foil over the basin folding it down the sides. Take a piece of string and tie it round the basin under the lip, then take it over the top and tie it on the other side to make a handle. This makes it easy to lift from the pan. Bring 2 inches of water to the boil in the pan. Place the pudding in the steamer over the pan of boiling water, cover and steam for 1½ hours.
  • To serve, loosen the pudding all round using a palette knife. Invert the pudding basin onto a warmed plate and pour 2 tablespoons of golden syrup over.

  • Serve with custard or chilled crème frâiche.
Print Recipe

Soda Bread

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Soda Bread

Soda bread is delicious in its own right with soup or stews, with cheese, or just spread with butter. And it’s also a quick and easy solution if you want a homemade bread and you suddenly find you’re out of yeast.

Soda Bread

  • Preparation time: About 15 minutes
  • Cooking time: 30 minutes

  • Ingredients
  • 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) plain white/cake & pastry flour* (3½ cups)
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
  • 400 ml (14 fl oz) buttermilk (1⅔ cups)


  • Method
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

  • Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and then stir in the buttermilk. Once all the flour has been taken up by the liquid, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured worktop, fold it in on itself a few times and shape it into a ball. It doesn’t need kneading.

  • Place on the baking tray and flatten it slightly. Then cut a cross deeply into the dough, almost cutting it into quarters. A deep cut is essential to get the heat into the loaf. Lightly dust with flour.

  • Bake for 30 minutes until nicely browned. Turn over the loaf and tap it on the bottom – it should sound hollow. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

  • Soda bread doesn’t keep as well as yeast bread, so either eat the same day or freeze.

Note

  • *An alternative is to use 250g (9 oz) plain/cake & pastry flour and 250g (9 oz) wholemeal/whole wheat flour (shown above).
Print Recipe

Updated: March 10, 2017

Whole Wheat Bread

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Whole Wheat Bread

Baking a wholemeal, or whole wheat, loaf is very similar to White Bread. It just needs a little more water, as wholemeal flour absorbs more liquid than white flour. You can use wholemeal flour alone, which I prefer, but you can add white flour which gives a slightly less dense texture (about 425g wholemeal/75g white).

Baking bread isn’t difficult if you break the process down into 3 steps. Each step involves a ‘wait period’ during which you can get on with something else. For more information about the technique I use, here’s a link to my page on Breadmaking.

Whole Wheat Bread

  • Step 1
  • Preparation time: 5–10 minutes
  • Waiting time: 30 minutes
  • Step 2
  • Preparation time: 5 minutes
  • Waiting time: About 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Step 3
  • Preparation time: 10–15 minutes
  • Waiting time: 1 hour
  • Cooking time: 35–40 minutes

  • Ingredients
  • 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) wholemeal/whole wheat flour (3½ cups)
  • 10 g (1½ tsp) salt
  • 10 g (1 tbsp) instant yeast
  • 1 tbsp Demerara sugar
  • ½ × 500 mg tablet of vitamin C
  • 55 g (2 oz) unsalted butter (¼ cup, or ½ stick)
  • 335 ml (12 fl oz) water (1¼ cups + 2½ tbsp)
  • olive oil for oiling the bowl and tin


  • Method

  • Step 1
  • Pour the flour into a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Add most of the water and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or a plastic dough scraper. If some flour is left in the bottom, add the remainder of the water. It may not need it all. Just make sure that all the flour has been taken up.

  • Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it to stand for 20–30 minutes.

  • In the meantime, prepare for the next step by weighing out the salt, yeast, sugar, and butter. Grind up half a tablet of vitamin C, either with a mortar and pestle or between two teaspoons.

  • Step 2
  • At the end of the 20–30 minutes, melt the butter and add it with the salt, yeast, sugar and vitamin C to the mixture, making sure that the yeast doesn’t come into contact with a wodge of salt, and mix well.

  • Cover the bowl with the tea towel and leave for 10 minutes.

  • Lightly oil your hands and the work surface, and tip the dough out. Take the edge of the dough that’s furthest away from you and fold it towards you to meet the near edge. Push it into the dough with your fingers or the heel of your hand, stretching it gently away from you. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat. Do this 8 to 10 times, then rotate the dough into a ball and put it back in the bowl.

  • Cover with the tea towel again, leave for 10 minutes, and repeat the fold and stretch.

  • Cover again and leave for 10 minutes. While waiting, lightly oil another large bowl for the dough to rise in. Then fold and stretch the dough for a third time.

  • The dough should now be smooth and silky. Tip it out and shape it into a ball. Put it into the lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel or cling film.

  • Leave it to rise until it's at least doubled in size.* At room temperature, this should take a minimum of an hour but it's fine to leave it for 2–3 hours. The longer the better – it improves the flavour.

  • Depending on the kind of loaf you want, prepare for the shaping while you wait. If you want a classic rectangular shape as shown in the photograph, prepare a loaf tin. (For this amount of dough, I use one which measures 23.5 × 13.3 × 7 cm /9¼ × 5¼ × 3 in. Lightly oil the whole of the inside to prevent the loaf sticking.) If making a natural-shaped loaf, say a cob or a boule, line a baking tray with baking parchment.
  • Step 3
  • Tip out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and knock the air out by folding it in on itself a few times. It should feel smooth. Then flatten it out into a rectangle, with a short side towards you. Lift the dough from the furthest edge and fold it down towards you about half way. Press the edge down with the heel of your hand. Turn the dough round and repeat. Then shape the dough.

  • For the classic shape
  • Flatten the dough into a rectangle, short side towards you, with the width about the length of the loaf tin. Roll the dough up away from you making sure that the join ends up at the bottom. Place the dough in the tin, moulding as necessary to make sure it's even along its length.

  • For a natural shape
  • Rotate the dough into a ball and shape appropriately. Place on the baking tray.

  • Cover with the tea towel or cling film and leave to prove for at least another hour. You can tell when it's ready when it's doubled in size again and the dough springs back readily if you poke it gently with your finger.

  • Before the end of the hour, preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F (gas 8).
  • Dust the top of the dough with flour and slash the top lengthways with a sharp knife. Add about 250 ml/½ pint of boiling water to a roasting tray and place it on a rack at the bottom of the oven to create some steam (this makes the crust crisper). Then bake for 20 minutes, turning the oven down to 200°C/400°F (gas 6) for a further 20 minutes, or until nicely browned. Turn out the loaf and tap it on the bottom – it should sound hollow. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Tip

  • Many recipes recommend using warm water to make the yeast work more quickly. However, the flavour is improved if the process takes place more slowly. I use water at room temperature or even a little cooler.

Note

  • * Doubled in size means doubled in volume. This means that if the dough is in the shape of a ball, the diameter increases by about 25%.
Print Recipe

Updated: March 10, 2017

Religieuses

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Religieuses

Religieuses – a classic French pastry made up of two choux buns filled with crème pâtissière, topped with a rich chocolate ganache and decorated with a whipped cream collar. These take a while to prepare but the result is quite charming for a special occasion.

Religieuses

8
  • Preparation time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Cooking time: 30 minutes
  • Chilling time: About 30 minutes

Equipment

  • A piping bag with a 1.5 cm (½ inch) plain nozzle, a small star nozzle, a long thin nozzle (or a jam syringe), and a skewer.
  • Ingredients
  • For the choux buns
  • 60 g (2¼ oz) butter, cut into cubes
  • 75 g (2½ oz) plain flour/cake and pastry flour, sifted
  • 2 eggs, large (U.K.)/extra large (N.A.), lightly beaten
  • For the crème pâtissière
  • 500 ml (18 fl oz) full-fat milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 egg yolks, medium (U.K.)/large (N.A.)
  • 70 g (2½ oz) caster sugar/fine white sugar
  • 20 g (¾ oz) cornflour/cornstarch
  • 25 g (1 oz) plain flour/all purpose flour
  • For the chocolate ganache
  • 142 ml (5 fl oz) double cream/whipping cream
  • 170 g (6 oz) good quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • For the collar
  • 142 ml (5 fl oz) double cream/whipping cream


  • Method
  • Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.

  • Draw eight circles 5 cm (2 inches) across and another eight circles 2.5 cm (1 inch) across onto a sheet of baking parchment. Turn the paper over so the drawn side faces down and place on a baking tray.
  • For the choux buns
  • Heat the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat with 150 ml (5 fl oz) of water until the butter melts. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and then immediately remove from the heat.
  • Quickly tip in the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a soft ball. Return to the heat and cook over a low heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring constantly. Then leave to cool slightly. Gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition to form a smooth, shiny paste.

  • Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with the 1.5 cm (½ inch) plain nozzle. Pipe to fill the inside of the marked circles on the baking parchment, pressing down in the centre as you pipe to form round discs. Using a damp finger, smooth over the top of each disc and make a slight depression in the centre of the larger ones (this makes it easier to sit the smaller ones on top of the larger ones).
  • Bake in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 and cook for a further 10–15 minutes until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from the oven and pierce a small hole into each choux bun with a skewer to allow the steam to escape. Return to the oven for 4–5 minutes to dry out. Then leave to cool on a wire rack. 


  • For the crème pâtissière
  • Pour the milk and vanilla extract into a heavy-based pan and gradually bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly, about 30 seconds. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale in colour, then whisk in the cornflour and plain flour. Pour milk onto the egg mixture, whisking constantly, then pour back into the pan.

  • Bring back to the boil, over a medium heat, whisking constantly, and cook for one minute. Pour the crème pâtissière into a bowl and cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin from forming and leave to cool. Then refrigerate to chill. 


  • For the chocolate ganache
  • Bring the cream to the boil in a small pan. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and stir until melted and shiny. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool. Then refrigerate the ganache until it has thickened to a spreadable consistency. 


  • To assemble the religieuses
  • Remove the crème pâtissière and the chocolate ganache from the fridge. Spoon the crème pâtissière into a piping bag fitted with a long thin nozzle (or a jam syringe). Pierce a small hole in the base of each choux bun and fill them with the crème pâtissière.

  • Dip the top of the filled buns into the chocolate ganache to coat half-way down the sides. Sit the small buns on top of the larger ones. 


  • For the collars, whip the cream until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Spoon the cream into a piping bag fitted with the small star nozzle. Pipe lines of cream around the join where the small bun sits on top of the large bun to form a collar.
Print Recipe

Simple White Bread

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Simple White Bread

A basic white bread to start with, if you’re just getting into baking.

Bread isn’t difficult if you break the process down into 3 steps. Each step involves a ‘wait period’ during which you can get on with something else. For more information about the technique I use, here’s a link to my page on Breadmaking.

Simple White Bread

  • Step 1
  • Preparation time: 5–10 minutes
  • Waiting time: 30 minutes
  • Step 2
  • Preparation time: 5 minutes
  • Waiting time: About 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Step 3
  • Preparation time: 10–15 minutes
  • Waiting time: 1 hour
  • Cooking time: 35–40 minutes

  • Ingredients
  • 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) strong white/all purpose flour (3½ cups)
  • 10 g (1½ tsp) salt
  • 10 g (1 tbsp) instant yeast
  • 30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter (2 tbsp, or ¼ stick)
  • 325 ml (11 fl oz) water (1⅓ cups)
  • olive oil for oiling the bowl and tin


  • Method

  • Step 1
  • Pour the flour into a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Add most of the water and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or a plastic dough scraper. If some flour is left in the bottom, add the remainder of the water. It may not need it all. Just make sure that all the flour has been taken up.

  • Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it to stand for 20–30 minutes.

  • In the meantime, prepare for the next step by weighing out the salt, yeast, and butter.

  • Step 2
  • At the end of the 20–30 minutes, melt the butter and add it with the salt and yeast to the mixture, making sure that the yeast doesn’t come into contact with a wodge of salt, and mix well.

  • Cover the bowl with the tea towel and leave for 10 minutes.

  • Lightly oil your hands and the work surface, and tip the dough out. Take the edge of the dough that’s furthest away from you and fold it towards you to meet the near edge. Push it into the dough with your fingers or the heel of your hand, stretching it gently away from you. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat. Do this 8 to 10 times, then rotate the dough into a ball and put it back in the bowl.

  • Cover with the tea towel again, leave for 10 minutes, and repeat the fold and stretch.

  • Cover again and leave for 10 minutes. While waiting, lightly oil another large bowl for the dough to rise in. Then fold and stretch the dough for a third time.

  • The dough should now be smooth and silky. Tip it out and shape it into a ball. Put it into the lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel or cling film.

  • Leave it to rise until it's at least doubled in size.* At room temperature, this should take a minimum of an hour but it's fine to leave it for 2–3 hours. The longer the better – it improves the flavour.

  • Depending on the kind of loaf you want, prepare for the shaping while you wait. If you want a classic rectangular shape as shown in the photograph, prepare a loaf tin. (For this amount of dough, I use one which measures 23.5 × 13.3 × 7 cm /9¼ × 5¼ × 3 in. Lightly oil the whole of the inside to prevent the loaf sticking.) If making a natural-shaped loaf, say a cob or a boule, line a baking tray with baking parchment.
  • Step 3
  • Tip out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and knock the air out by folding it in on itself a few times. It should feel smooth. Then flatten it out into a rectangle, with a short side towards you. Lift the dough from the furthest edge and fold it down towards you about half way. Press the edge down with the heel of your hand. Turn the dough round and repeat. Then shape the dough.

  • For the classic shape
  • Flatten the dough into a rectangle, short side towards you, with the width about the length of the loaf tin. Roll the dough up away from you making sure that the join ends up at the bottom. Place the dough in the tin, moulding as necessary to make sure it's even along its length.

  • For a natural shape
  • Rotate the dough into a ball and shape appropriately. Place on the baking tray.

  • Cover with the tea towel or cling film and leave to prove for at least another hour. You can tell when it's ready when it's doubled in size again and the dough springs back readily if you poke it gently with your finger.

  • Before the end of the hour, preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F (gas mark 8).
  • Dust the top of the dough with flour and slash the top lengthways with a sharp knife. Add about 250ml/½ pint of boiling water to a roasting tray and place it on a rack at the bottom of the oven to create some steam (this makes the crust crisper). Then bake for 20 minutes, turning the oven down to 200°C/400°F (gas mark 6) for a further 20 minutes, or until nicely browned. Turn out the loaf and tap it on the bottom – it should sound hollow. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Tip

  • Many recipes recommend using warm water to make the yeast work more quickly. However, the flavour is improved if the process takes place more slowly. I use water at room temperature or even a little cooler.

Note

  • * Doubled in size means doubled in volume. This means that if the dough is in the shape of a ball, the diameter increases by about 25%.
Print Recipe

Updated: March 10, 2017

Real Orange Jelly

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Real Orange Jelly

Real orange jelly is simple to make and full of flavour. All you need is orange juice, a lemon, a little sugar and gelatine. Decorate it with slices of orange and serve for a refreshing dessert.

Real Orange Jelly

4 servings
  • Preparation time: About 20–25 minutes
  • Standing time: 30 minutes
  • Refrigeration time: At least 5 hours or overnight
  • Ingredients
  • 140 ml (5 fl oz) water
  • 50 g (2 oz) caster sugar/fine white sugar
  • 1 lemon
  • 4–5 oranges, OR
  • 1 orange plus 425 ml (15 fl oz) orange juice from a carton, without pulp
  • powdered gelatine, enough to set 565 ml (20 fl oz) of liquid
  • orange slices to decorate

Equipment

  • 565 ml (1 pint) (20 fl oz) jelly mould


  • Method
  • Thinly pare the rind from the lemon and one orange and place in a saucepan with the water and sugar. Over a medium-low heat stir to dissolve the sugar and then bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, squeeze the juice from the lemon into a large bowl.

  • If using the whole oranges, squeeze out the juice until there is 425 ml (15 fl oz) and add to the lemon juice. If using a carton of orange juice, add 425ml/15 fl oz to the lemon juice.
  • Strain the sugar syrup into the bowl and stir into the juices.

  • Dissolve the gelatine. Follow the instructions on the packet of the gelatine to set 20 fl oz of liquid. Then thoroughly stir the gelatine into the orange mixture until evenly distributed.

  • Wet the jelly mould, pour in the jelly and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or overnight, until firmly set.

  • To serve, dip the jelly mould up to the rim in very hot water for 5 seconds, place a flat serving plate on top of the mould, then invert the mould and plate together. Holding both plate and mould firmly together, give the jelly a good shake to free it from the mould. Remove the mould, then decorate the jelly with oranges slices.
Print Recipe

Croutons

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Herby Croutons

Herby Croutons

These croutons are so simple to make and you don’t end up with a store bought packet where they always seem to get crushed.

  • Method
  • Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2

  • For plain croutons
  • Take three thick slices of day-old bread – can be sourdough, ciabatta or white loaf. Remove the crusts and cut into cubes.

  • Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss.

  • Spread on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10–15 minutes, depending on the size of your cubes.

  • Variations
  • For herby ones
  • Add some parsley (or other dried herbs) and black pepper to the plain croutons and toss with olive oil to combine. Then bake.

  • For scattering on a Caesar salad
  • Add some dried Italian seasoning and garlic powder to the plain croutons and toss with olive oil. Then bake.

  • For cheesy ones
  • Add some grated parmesan cheese and black pepper to the plain croutons and toss with olive oil. Then bake.
Print Recipe