Appleby Farm (48 page)

You will need . . .

• Grease 2 x 20cm sandwich tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350F/gas mark 4). Combine the butter and sugar and beat until really light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs together and then add them to the mixture gradually. Fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and salt (I usually use a spatula to do this part.)
  
• Divide the batter between the two tins, spread the top to smooth it out a little and pop them into the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes. Don’t open the oven for at least 20 minutes! The sponge is cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  
• Allow to cool in the tin completely and then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Choose the nicest one to be the top. Place the other one on a plate and smother it with generously with strawberry jam (avoid big fruity lumps). Add the other sponge cake and sprinkle with caster sugar.
  
• Serve as soon as possible for maximum fluffiness!
  

Dried fruit has its place. Christmas cake, for example, and mince pies. But I think scones are better unadulterated, just meltingly soft as soon as they are cool enough to slice and spread with clotted cream and a dollop of jam! According to Auntie Sue, the secret to perfect scones is in the mixing: over-mix and you’ve got yourself a batch of primitive weapons . . .

You will need . . .

• Preheat the oven to 220°C (425F/gas mark 7). Grease a large baking sheet (unless it’s non-stick). Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the salt. Chop the butter into small cubes and add to the bowl. Rub the butter into the flour swiftly to make crumbs, lifting the mixture as you go to aerate it. Stir in the sugar.
  
• Add the milk to the buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the mixing bowl and add nearly all of the milk mixture. Use a palette knife or spatula to gently work the milk into the mixture to form a soft dough. Add the rest of the milk if needed to draw in any dry bits. Don’t over-work the dough or you’ll end up with tough scones.
  
• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and press it down with the palm of your hand to a thickness of 2.5cm. Dip a 5.5cm fluted cutter into the flour and cut out the scones by pressing firmly into the dough and not twisting. Gather the leftovers, pat them out again and cut out as many scones as you can. Arrange them on the baking sheet and sift a little flour over the tops. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.
  
• Allow to cool on a wire rack and serve with jam and clotted cream straight from the fridge. Yum.
  

This recipe comes from my editor – it’s a tasty, sweet loaf cake that her mother has made for years and is a true family favourite. The bananas are best when very ripe, so there’s no need to throw away those forgotten blackened bananas left in your fruit bowl at the end of the week: you can make this delicious treat instead! It goes perfectly with a cup of Earl Grey tea.

You will need . . .

• Grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin and heat the oven to 160°C (320F/gas mark 3).
  
• Into a large bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Add the other ingredients and mix (either with a wooden spoon or an electric hand mixer) just until smooth.
  
• Put into the loaf tin, level the surface, and sprinkle the Demerara evenly over the cake. Bake for 50-60 minutes, then test with a cake tester or fine skewer – poke the centre of the cake, it shouldn’t stick to the skewer. The cake may need 5-10 minutes more; ovens can vary!
  
• Cool in the tin for a few minutes and then on a rack. Serve with tea and be prepared for it to go quickly . . .
  

This is one of my daughter Isabel’s favourite recipes: she even made it on Christmas Day as an alternative to Christmas pudding! It’s supposed to make 16 pieces, but in our house, we cut it into 12 . . . They will last for days (in theory!) in an airtight container.

You will need . . .

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4). Line a 20cm square cake tin or baking dish with greaseproof paper and grease lightly.
  
• Gently melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl above a pan of simmering water.
  
• While it’s melting, beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the flour and mix well. Pour the melted butter and chocolate mixture into the bowl and stir until combined.
  
• Pour into the tin and bake for 35–40 minutes. Remove from the oven when the edges are beginning to crack but the centre is still slightly squidgy. Allow to cool in the tin, sprinkle with icing sugar and cut into squares as big as you like!
  
• Delicious served with crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream.
  

My mum rarely arrives at our house without a cake, and this is one of our favourites! Some recipes melt the sugar and lemon juice to pour over the cake at the end, but the Bramleys prefer the crunchy top of this version.

You will need . . .

• Line a well-greased 1lb loaf tin with baking parchment and pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).
  
• Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, margarine and lemon zest in a mixing bowl until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs a little at a time to avoid them curdling. Carefully fold in the flour, baking powder and salt.
  
• Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 30–35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the cake is firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin on a cooling rack.
  
• To make the topping, simply stir the sugar into the lemon juice and pour over the still-warm cake. Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin, shout ‘The cake is ready!’ and stand back!
  

I’m thrilled to include a recipe from my agent, Hannah Ferguson . . .

I can’t count the number of times I’ve made these glorious stem ginger cookies for friends and family. They go down especially well with my niece and nephews, and those three mini bakers have now mastered the art of the stem ginger cookie for themselves. Their favourite part is scooping out that magical golden syrup from the tin and watching it run into the weighing scales . . . and of course the messy icing at the end!

You will need . . .

• Pre-heat the oven to 170°C (325°F/gas mark 3). Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper and then lightly grease with a small knob of butter.
  
• Slowly melt the butter with the golden syrup in a pan over a low heat, stirring as you go. Be careful not to let it get too hot and boil! Once it is completely melted set it aside to cool.
  
• Sift the self-raising flour, ground ginger, bicarbonate of soda and sugar into a mixing bowl. Then, once the butter and syrup mixture is barely warm, add it to all the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.
  
• Beat one egg and finely chop the crystallized ginger and then add both of these to the mixing bowl. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon making sure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Once mixed well, divide into 24 equal sized portions and, using your hands, roll each one into a smooth ball, about the size of a conker.
  
• Place on to the baking tray – it’s important to leave enough space between each ball as the cookies will spread when baking, so do in two batches if it is easier. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15–20 minutes until a golden brown colour.
  
• Remove from the oven and transfer onto a wire cooling rack. Once completely cooled you can prepare your icing!
  
• For the icing, weigh out 300g of icing sugar. Add 5–6 teaspoons of water a little at a time until you reach a smooth and runny consistency. Using a teaspoon, scoop up a little of the icing at a time and run in a zigzag motion over the biscuits to create a random stripy pattern. Don’t worry if it gets messy – these biscuits aren’t meant to look perfect.
  
• Leave the icing to dry – and then enjoy. Please note: these go exceptionally well with a large, hot mug of tea.
  

My friend Alison made this at her Christmas Party last year and it disappeared in minutes! It looks amazing and is very light. It doesn’t contain any flour, so perfect for people on a gluten-free diet!

You will need . . .

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4). Line a swiss roll tin with greaseproof paper and grease lightly.
  
• Gently melt the chocolate in a bowl above a pan of simmering water.
  
• Separate the eggs, and mix the egg yolks with the caster sugar and melted chocolate. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and fold thoroughly into the chocolate mixture.
  
• Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven when the sponge is springy to the touch, and allow the cake to cool completely in the tin, preferably overnight.
  
• Turn the sponge out onto a clean piece of greaseproof paper. Whisk the double cream until thick but not solid and spread over the cake. Using the paper, roll the cake up carefully and decorate with icing sugar.
  

My friend Rachel is an excellent cook and we all tuck into her cakes eagerly. It was only after I’d declared this cake to be delicious that she told me what was in it. A-maz-ing.

You will need . . .

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4). Grease and line two 21cm sandwich tins.
  
• Beat together the eggs, oil and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Sift in the flour, bicarbonate soda and baking powder and mix well. Stir in the grated courgettes until well combined. Divide the mixture into the cake tins and bake in the middle of the oven for 25–30 minutes.
  
• Remove the cakes from the oven and carefully turn out onto a wire rack. Carefully peel off the paper lining and leave to cool.
  
• For the icing, beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and stir in the lime juice.
  
• For the icing, beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and stir in the lime juice.
  
• Use a bread knife to level one of the cakes if necessary. Use 2/3 of the icing to sandwich the 2 cakes together, the levelled one on the bottom, and use the remaining icing to cover the top of the cake.
  
• Sprinkle with the pistachio nuts and lime zest and serve immediately.
  

This is my grandmother, Mary’s recipe. She used to make these when she had her ladies’ coffee evenings and she always seemed to have a box of them in the fridge whenever I went round to visit her. They are absolutely delicious but very rich so cut them into small squares.

You will need . . .

• Line a tin with silver foil. Melt the chocolate and pour over the foil. Place into the fridge until set.
  
• Roughly chop the cherries and sultanas and add to a bowl with the sugar, coconut and egg. Mix well and spread over the chocolate.
  
• Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F/gas mark 5) and bake for 20 minutes.
  
• Allow to completely cool, pop it into to fridge to chill for half an hour and then cut into small squares. They will keep for quite a while in an airtight box in the fridge.