Very Nutty Energy Bars

Thank you to Fred & George Seedhouse for this brilliant recipe which won the Under 8s category. It is adapted from a Jane Clarke recipe from a Sainsbury's magazine.

175g butter
100g soft brown sugar
50g runny honey
50g malt extract
25g apricot conserve

250g oats
50g pecan nut halves
50g walnut halves
50g pistachios
30g pumpkin seeds
30g sunflower seeds
30g hemp seeds
75g dried apricots
75g dried dates
75g dried figs
50g sultanas
50g dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to gas 5 and line a 26 x 17 cm tin with baking parchment.

Chop the pistachios, walnuts and pecan halves into pieces (try to make them about the same size as the pumpkin and sunflower seeds).
Cut the apricots, dates and figs into chunks about the same size as the cranberries.
Stir the nuts, seeds and chopped fruit together with the oats until well mixed.

Meanwhile, ask an adult to melt the butter with the sugar, honey, apricot conserve and malt extract in a large saucepan, and stir until the sugar disolves. Let the mixture boil for a couple of minutes and keep stirring.

Take the saucepan off the heat, add all the other ingredients and stir well. Spoon the mixture into the tin and spread it out evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn out and cool completely before cutting into bars.

These keep well for 10 days and are great as an after school snack, or to take on days out or camping trips.

Classic Victoria Sponge

This year's champion sponge cake by Nikki Sims
200g SR flour
25g cornflour
225g unrefined caster sugar
225g very soft salted butter
1 teasp baking powder
1 teasp vanilla extract
4 eggs
3-4 tbsp milk

Put all but milk in food processor and whiz but not too long. Then add bit of milk and pulse a couple of times. Pour into two greased pans and bake at 180C for 25 minutes. That's it

I sandwich first with Tiptree raspberry jam, a punnet of raspberries and then about 250ml double cream whipped with a tiny bit of icing sugar and second sponge. Then sprinkle a dusting of icing sugar over finished cake. Voila!

Black Forest Gateau Tribute Cupcakes

Here is the winning cake recipe from Sally Williams
125g butter
165g caster sugar
2 eggs
190g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tblsp cocoa powder
125ml milk
100g dark chocolate melted
TO FINISH
200ml double cream
vanilla icing sugar
dark cherry conserve

Preheat oven to 160c. Cream butter + sugar till light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Sift over flour, baking powder + cocoa and beat till combined. Fold through milk and stir in melted chocolate. Spoon mixture into cake cases and bake for 25 - 30 mins till well risen and springs back when touched. Cool thoroughly.

Cut a slanted circle around top of cupcakes, 8mm in from edge - the top will pop out. Whip 200ml double cream with a dessertspoon of vanilla icing sugar (vanilla pod kept in jar with sugar) till it holds its shape, but not too firm. spoon a generous teaspoon into one side of the hole. Fill the other half with cherry conserve, replace sponge top and sprinkle with icing sugar.

And The Winners Are....

Thank you to everyone who joined the Bunfight this year. We had more than 60 fabulous entries and are very pleased to have raised over £200 for Gumboots Community Nursery.
We hope to post as many recipes onto the blog as possible so please do send us yours.
The judges begin their task

Fred and George Seedhouse fought off tough competition in the most popular category of Under 8s with their Very Nutty Energy Bars

For the second year running, champion chutney maker Col Baldwin picks up first prize, this time for his delicious Cottage Chutney

Hannah Jones winner of the Biscuits & Cookies category with her Chocolate & Crystallised Ginger Biscuits

Sally Williams cleaned up in the Cake category with her mini Black Forest Gateaux

Triumphant tart-maker Ralph Sinclair with his scrumptious Peanut Butter & Chocolate Tart

Sweeping the board with her Damson & Star Anise Preserve is a delighted Tamsin Thorne who picked up the top prizes in both the Sweet Preserves and the coveted Best in Show Award

Queen of the Classic Victoria Sponge, Nikki Sims

Top baker in the Over 8s , Anna Dillon and her Banana Bread

Bunfight 2009

Our 3rd annual cookery competition is taking place this year outside the Review Bookshop on

Saturday 10th October

Please drop off entries between 10am - 12pm.

Winners to be announced at 3.00pm followed by the cake sale (of any entries that have been donated to the event) at 4.00pm.

Brownie points will be given for any cracking stories behind your entry. All winners and runners up will be awarded a lovely prize.

Entry forms and further info are available from Review.

All proceeds raised will be donated to Gumboots Community Nursery. Please contact us with details of any charity you'd like to nominate for next year.

Congratulations!

Well done to all who entered the cookery competition.
The continual down-pours did nothing to dampen the spirits of our local cooks and this year saw some fantastic entries.

Best in Show winner Charlie Fox with his champion Victoria Sponge

Radish snail!

Vegetable Hat Parade and Best in Horti Show winner Loveday Corden

Mr Col Baldwin, worthy winner of the Savoury Preserves Category  with his delicious Sweet Chilli Sauce with Basil

Crab Apple Jelly

First prize in the Sweet Preserves Category

Crab apples contain so much pectin that unless you really add too much water, the jelly will always set and you'll have something delicious to show for your efforts.

Wash the crab apples well, removing the leaves and stalks. Place in a large pan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer on the lowest heat for one hour until the apples are very, very soft. Line a large sieve or colander with a muslin cloth and tip in the mixture. Leave the liquid to drip through for a couple of hours - if you push it with a wooden spoon, you will get more out but the finished jelly will be cloudy. Measure the apple liquid and pour into a very large clean pan. Add roughly three quarters of the same volume of granulated sugar ( I had 2.5 litres liquid, added 1.8 litres sugar and got 9 jars of jelly) and gently bring to the boil, stirring from time to time until the sugar has completely dissolved. Boil hard for 10 minutes then cool a little, pour into jars and seal.

Hello and Welcome

This year's cookery competition is taking place outside the Review Bookshop on Sunday 5th October

Please drop off entries between 10am - 12pm.

Winners to be announced at 3.00pm followed by the cake sale (of any entries that have been donated to the event) at 4.00pm.

Brownie points will be given for any cracking stories behind your entry. All winners and runners up will be awarded a lovely prize.

Entry forms and further info will be available soon from the Review Bookshop. All proceeds raised will be donated to a local charity.

This year we will also be running a sister horticultural event on the same weekend. Categories include giant vegetables, floral arrangements and a vegetable hat parade.

For more details click here.

Victoria Sandwich

I've been practicing for the all-new category of Classic Victoria Sandwich this week. I started with the oldest recipe I had which is this one here:

Isabella Beeton is one of the most famous cookery writers in British history. The Book of Household Management, first published in 1861, was a best-seller and a guide to how to run a household in Victorian Britain.

Time: 20 mins
Serves 5-6

Ingredients
4 eggs; their weight in pounded sugar, butter and flour; 1/4 spoonful of salt, a layer of any kind of jam or marmalade.

1. Beat the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour and pounded sugar; stir these ingredients well together, and add the eggs, which should be previously thoroughly whisked.
2. When the mixture has been well beaten for about 10 minutes, butter a Yorkshire-pudding tin, pour in the batter, and bake it in a moderate oven for 20 minutes.
3. Let it cool, spread one half of the cake with a layer of nice preserve, place over it the other half of the cake, press the pieces slightly together, and then cut it into long finger-pieces; pile them in cross bars on a glass dish, and serve.

Recipe taken from Mrs. Beeton's Cookery and Household Management, Isabella Beeton [1874] London.

Could this be the return of the legendary Spicy tomato ketchup?? ketchup

as photographed at 11.49pm, Friday Pm. We know how to whoop up on a Friday night..