Peach Cobbler (Serves 6)

Ingredients

·         2 x 400g tins of Peaches in juice

·         4 teaspoons corn flour

·         200g/ 8 oz plain flour

·         3 teaspoons baking powder

·         50g/2 oz margarine

·         50g/ 2 oz caster sugar

·         50g/2 oz dried apricots, finely chopped

·         150ml/ ¼ pint milk

Method

1.       Grease a large pudding basin, or 3 small bowls, and add in the peaches. Squash the peaches between your fingers, to make a chunky mush, and then stir in the corn flour and half the juice from one can of the peaches.

2.       Now to make the cobbler topping, sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and rub in the margarine until you have the consistency of breadcrumbs.

3.       Stir in the sugar and dried apricots, then add in the milk and mix lightly to form dough.

4.       Roll out the dough, using an extra dusting of flour to prevent sticking, and cut out rounds of the dough.

5.       Place the rounds on top of the peaches, adding an extra sprinkle of sugar to bring an interesting crunch to the topping.

6.       Put to Pudding, or puddings, in the oven at 160°C for 35- 40 minutes until they are golden and bubbling.

7.       Best served hot with custard, to warm you up on cold winter nights.

To add an extra flourish the cobbler topping can be cut out using different cutters, such as hearts or stars.

Valentine's Marshmallows

Ingredients

·         16 oz granulated sugar

·         2 x 7g sachets gelatine powder

·         2 egg whites

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         A few drops of red food colouring

·         3 Tablespoons Corn flour

·         3 Tablespoons Icing Sugar

Method

1.       Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks using an electric whisk, this recipe shouldn’t be attempted without an electric whisk as you will not be able to achieve the correct thickness. Set aside the whites for use later.

2.       Add the sugar, along with 150ml water, to a medium pan. Leave on a high heat until the mixture reaches 127°C/260°F. Do not stir the sugar mixture, though you may swirl the pan to disperse the sugar.

3.       Melt gelatine into 100ml boiling water, and whisk into the hot sugar.

4.       Now go back to the egg whites and start to whisk again, this time gradually adding in the sugar mixture in a slow stream, until you have a thick and glossy mixture. This should take about 10 minutes.

5.       Add in a teaspoon of vanilla extract and, if making desired, a few drops of red food colouring to bring a rosy shade to the marshmallows.

6.       Mix the corn flour and icing sugar, and sift over 2 baking sheets. Leave the rest of this mix for later

7.       Pour the marshmallow mixture evenly between the 2 sheets, and leave to cool for 3 hours.

8.       Using a sharp knife cut the marshmallow into cubes and roll in the remaining corn flour and icing sugar.

9.       These can then be tied up in cellophane and ribbons for the perfect thrifty Valentine’s treat.

Sparkling Citrus Jellies

Sparkling Citrus Jellies

A beautifully refreshing dessert, perfect as part of a light lunch or supper.

Serves 2

Preparation time:  5 Minutes, + 5 hours setting time

Cooking time: 5minutes

Ingredients

1x 11g sachet vegegel powder

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 orange (approx 100ml/3½ fl oz)

150ml/ 5 fl oz Lemonade

2 Tangerines/Satsumas

Method

1.       Peel and segment the tangerines and place in two small ramekins or glasses

2.       Heat the orange juice in a pan until it begins to bubble, remove from the heat and stir in the vegegel.

3.       When all the vegegel has dissolved add in the lemonade, and pour over the fruit.

4.       Place the jellies in the fridge, and leave to set for 5 hours.

5.       To release from the moulds dip ramekins into boiling water and turn them out onto a plate.

Mediterranean Peppers

Mediteranean Peppers

A great meal for adding some Mediterranean warmth to your evening, best served with rice, pasta, or a rustic Italian loaf. 

Serves 2

Preparation time: 10minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small onion

3 medium peppers

½ tin chopped tomatoes 200g (8oz)

1 dessertspoon tomato puree

½ teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1.      Finely chop the onion, and fry in 1 teaspoon of olive oil for 2-3 minutes on a low heat until golden.

2.      Deseed and finely slice the peppers, and add into the pan along with another teaspoon of oil. Continue to fry for a further 3 minutes.

3.       Add in the tomatoes, tomato puree and sugar and bring to the simmer for 15 minutes.

4.       Check the sauce for seasoning, and add salt and pepper to taste.

5.       Serve up a gererous spoonful of peppers alongside rice or pasta.