Sometimes the simple things in life are great, bringing back happy memories. This is one.

Rather than explain in the recipe how to make a lattice pie topping, I looked for a video – this particular one gives the traditional method followed by an easy method, very simple to follow and easy to do.

While I have just given a couple of options for the jam filling, as long as the jam or conserve is high fruit and low sugar, it should be okay. My choice is the lovely fig jam made with agave nectar available here in Spain.

Pastry
250 grams unbleached plain white flour
100 grams unrefined caster sugar
1 tsp fine salt
125 grams unsalted butter
1 fresh egg, plus 1 egg yolk – lightly whisked
Filling
250 grams high fruit jam – apricot, black cherry

1. Wrap the butter in original wrapper, chill in freezer until very firm, not frozen.
2. Sift flour, sugar and salt into a large baking bowl
3. Remove butter from freezer – while dipping in flour frequently throughout the process and tossing the grated butter to coat in flour – grate butter over the dry ingredients.
4. Add the egg and mix briefly – just until the dough holds together – do not over mix or knead.
5. Remove one third of the pastry (wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge); roll out the larger piece on a lightly floured work surface to 3 mm thick.
6. Use to line a 23 cm shallow tart tin with removable base and fluted edges; the sides should be a little thicker, so fold the overhang over and press into the fluted edges then trim off excess.
7. Prick base with the tines of a fork; cover and chill for 30 minutes.
8. Remove tart tin and reserved piece of pastry from the fridge, spread the jam evenly over the base.
9. Roll out the reserved pastry as before and prepare the lattice top as per instructions in the video.
10. Preheat oven to 200ºC, 180ºC fan assisted, 390ºF.
11. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a light golden colour.
12. Immediately (and this step is important, you do not want a “soggy bottom” with this tart – remove from the tin, transfer to a wire rack to cool.

The ratio for making Mum´s Yorkshire puddings was 2 rounded tablespoons of plain white flour to each fresh egg, the ingredients were never weighed. Mum taught me that the secret of well risen Yorkshire puddings was the beating using a metal spoon, definitely not a whisk. Mum often used white bread flour. I wonder if Mum made me mix the puddings using a spoon to keep me occupied just a little longer.

This recipe was traditional in the area of the West Riding of Yorkshire in which I was “born and raised”; despite modern kitchen appliances, my friends (and their children) still use the traditional methods passed down from mother to daughter.

Plain white flour
Very fresh eggs
Milk or Milk/Water
Optional
Fine salt and white pepper
Light Yorkshire ale

1. So … measure the flour plus a little salt and pepper into a large strong baking bowl, make a well in the centre and add the whole eggs, stir with a metal spoon bringing the dry ingredients together, adding a little milk if necessary then beating (not whisking) until smooth, i.e. lump free.
2. Mum made me beat the pudding batter for about 15 minutes – or until my wrists hurt and I could not beat any more – when the batter was smooth, we slowly added the remaining liquid, while stirring until smooth.
3. The batter is better just a little thicker than single cream – Mum´s was between single and double cream.
4. The batter was rested (covered with a clean tea towel), at room temperature, for about an hour, sometimes longer.
5. The fats were heated until very hot, then the shelf was pulled out a little, the batter poured in and the door closed (the batter sizzled when poured into the tin).
6. The door was not opened until the pudding was ready – Mum said this was so heat was not lost, nothing to do with the pudding not rising – Mum´s Yorkshire Puddings never failed to rise.
7. Serve immediately with onion gravy.
8. Left overs – serve with fresh lemon juice with icing sugar sifted over the top, or jam/golden syrup.

These small cakes are traditionally made using olive oil, if you prefer use cooled melted butter in its place. Many of the Spaniards I have known while in Spain (both adults and children) ate these before leaving the house for work or school, served with a cup of milky coffee or milk, breakfast itself came later around 11 am.

2 large fresh eggs and their weight – in the shells in the following:

• unrefined caster sugar
• plain white flour
• olive oil (or unsalted butter)

Pinch fine sea salt
1.25 tsp baking powder
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
Granulated sugar – to sprinkle on top of the cakes (optional)

Tip – the mixture should be quite thick, but I found them a little easier to work with when I added a little milk or lemon juice; I added about a teaspoon.

Preheat oven to 180ºC
Line a muffin tray with cup liners – either standard or mini muffin tins

Method 1

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, reserve.
2. Whisk the eggs until frothy.
3. Add the zest, gradually add the sugar – while whisking constantly – until the batter is smooth.
4. Continue whisking, while pouring in the oil (or melted butter) in a slow steady stream.
5. Sift in the dry ingredients, fold in gently.
6. Spoon the batter into the cups.
7. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes – baking time varies depending on the size of cup.

Method 2

I watched a chef making these cakes without raising agent

1. Separate the eggs, put the yolks, sugar (reserve two tablespoons for the egg whites) and lemon zest into a bowl, whisk until pale and fluffy
2. Whisk in the oil – added in a thin steady steam.
3. Sift the flour and salt into the bowl, gently fold in.
4. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, gradually add the sugar while whisking until stiff peaks form.
5. Mix one third into the batter, fold in remainder.

Apparently, eggs are sized on their weight, as follows:-

1. Small – 53 grams and under
2. Medium eggs weigh between 53 – 63 grams
3. Large eggs weigh between 63 – 73 grams
4. Extra large eggs weigh more than 73 grams

Toffee made in Yorkshire on that important day – 5 November

455 grams Demerara sugar or soft brown sugar
190 ml cold water
60 grams unsalted butter
1 level tbsp golden syrup
1 level tbsp black treacle
1 tsp malt vinegar

Lightly butter a square shallow baking tin (or two if you prefer it to be quite thin)

Put all the ingredients into a strong saucepan over a medium heat – while stirring – until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil, reduce temperature and cook slowly, while stirring.
Drop half a teaspoonful into a cup of cold water, if it is still chewy, continue cooking, if hard – it is fully cooked – while you are testing, remove from the heat.
Pour into the tin/s and allow to cool a little, mark into squares when it has partially set.
Remove from tin and break.

*I like this toffee chewy – so I stop cooking when it is not quite hard when tested. Watch the fillings.

Just a note of caution – protect your hands and arms when making toffee – this is not a recipe for children to prepare!

1 x 250 to 300 gram floury potato per person (King Edward or Maris Piper)
Olive oil and sea salt flakes
55 grams unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Rarebit – for 2 to 3 people
90 grams mature Welsh farmhouse cheese or mature white Cheddar
75 ml Welsh stout or ale – warmed
12.5 grams unsalted butter
12.5 grams plain white flour
1/4 teaspoon mild mustard – ready prepared not powder (I use Dijon wholegrain)
1 large egg yolk, lightly whisked

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Wash the potatoes under cold running water, pat dry with kitchen paper towel then allow to dry at room temperature before baking.
Prick the skin several times with a fork or fine skewer.
Rub the skin with a little olive oil then sprinkle with sea salt.
Put them onto the middle shelf, bake for between up to 60 minutes.

Rarebit

Put the cheese and warmed ale into a saucepan, warm gently over a low heat, while stirring, until smooth then mix the flour and butter together, stir into the cheese mixture.
Bring to the boil while stirring constantly, reduce heat to low and cook for two minutes.
Remove from the hob, stir in the mustard and season to taste, allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk in the egg yolk.
When the potatoes are ready, halve the potatoes and scoop out the flesh leaving an half centimetre layer.
Mash the potatoes with butter, lightly season and return to the skins.
Top with the rarebit, return to the oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Just an idea for either Halloween or Guy Fawkes night for the children – young and not so young. Make either square – same shape as the puffs (or round). For a quick treat – buy frozen mini meatballs and ready made sauce plus ready rolled puff pastry.

Mini Turkey Burgers or Meatballs
900 grams fresh turkey mince
20 grams fresh breadcrumbs – either wholemeal or white
1 French shallot, peeled and finely diced
1 small egg white, lightly beaten
1 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
1/2 small garlic clove – peeled and puréed
Pinch fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauce
Either buy ready made, or make your own using your favourite recipe.
Method
Put all the ingredients into a bowl.
Mix until thoroughly combined, either using the hands or tines of a fork.
Shape into 32 mini burgers or meatballs.
Fry in olive oil over a medium-low until lightly browned on both sides.
Pour the tomato sauce into a large frying pan, add the burgers in one single layer, place over a gently heat, cover with a lid, simmer gently until the meatballs are cooked through.
Either put into a very low oven to keep warm, or turn the heat down to its lowest setting while you make the puffs.
While the meatballs are cooking, make the puffs.

Puffs
2 sheets ready rolled puff pastry – about 490 grams
32 turkey mini burgers
180 ml prepared sauce – or use basil pesto (green or white)
Italian Asiago d’allevo cheese, grated (Pecorino or Parmesan if not available)
Heat the oven to 200°F
Lay each pastry sheet onto a lightly floured work surface, cut each into 16 x 2.5 inches or 6.25 cm squares.
Transfer to 2 prepared baking sheets (lined with greaseproof paper).
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until puffed and light golden brown.
Allow to cool. for 5 minutes on the sheets then split each pastry into two layers, keeping the two halves together.
Spread one tablespoon of your favourite pasta sauce onto the bottom of each pastry.
Top with 1 mini burger and any other toppings of your choice – thin onion rings, rocket, pickles.
Top with cheese and replace the top onto each pastry.

If you do not fancy the Italian cheese, try replacing with English Cheddar, Wensleydale or Lancashire.

I am stressed – so what do I turn to to help combat my stress level – chocolate cake, more precisely chocolate fudge cake. This one will seriously affect the size of my bum but frankly, who cares.

Cake
125 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
225 grams natural brown sugar (process in a blender until similar to caster sugar)
2 large fresh eggs, room temperature
140 ml crème fraîche
100 grams plain white flour
75 grams wholemeal cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50 grams organic cocoa
1 large orange – finely grated zest only
20 ml fresh orange juice
Frosting
200 grams Lindt Excellence Orange Intense
2 rounded tbsp cocoa powder
150 ml double cream
To serve
Sliced fresh strawberries and crème fraîche

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC, 160ºC fan assisted, 350ºF, Gas 4
Grease and line two 20 cm sandwich tins with greaseproof paper

Cake

• Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs – one at a time – beating well between each addition.
• Beat in the crème fraîche.
• Sift in the white flour, wholemeal flour, BP, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa, add the orange zest – fold in until combined.
• Divide the mixture between the prepared tins, bake for between 30 to 35 minutes – insert a fine skewer into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is ready.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting/filling

• Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of hot water, stir until smooth.
• Sift the cocoa into a bowl, add sufficient water to form a smooth paste.
• Stir into the melted chocolate.
• Gradually add the cream, whisk until well combined and fluffy.

To finish

• Sandwich the cakes together with a third of the filling.
• Ice the cake using remaining frosting/filling.

Serve with fresh berries and lightly whipped cream/crème fraîche

When is a sandwich not a sandwich – when it is to all intent and purpose, a pie! This was served when I was young for school dinner, I “begged” the recipe from the cook, cos I loved it so much. I haven´t made it in years. Obviously the quantities have been reduced.

Fork Mix Pastry
8 ounces self raising flour
1/2 level tsp fine salt
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp cold water
4 oz trex or lard (I freeze a mix of lard and butter for about 15 minutes)

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, add remaining ingredients, mix with a fork for about two minutes until a dough ball forms. I now wrap in clingfilm and chill before rolling out.

Grease a 7 inch sandwich tin – they used lard for this as butter was too “precious”
Preheat oven to 400ºF

Filling
8 ounces sausage meat or pork mince
1/4 tsp dried mixed herbs (or half a teaspoon of fresh)
2 shallots or small onions, peeled and finely grated
Salt and pepper

Mix together the meat, herbs, shallots and seasoning.

Roll out two thirds of the pastry, use to line a buttered oven proof dish. Fill with meat. Roll out remaining piece of pastry, place on top of the filling. Seal edges, cut two vents in the top to allow any steam to escape. You could brush with milk or egg wash, but the cook didn´t.

Bake for 30 minutes in the centre of the preheated oven, or until the meat is cooked and the pastry lightly browned.

Serve, while hot, with gravy, mashed potatoes and fresh garden peas or carrots.

Buttery Mashed Potato

Clearly these are not the mashed potatoes we were given at school – if we were lucky, they were mashed with some hot milk. Certainly not cream or butter.

2 lbs King Edward or Maris Piper potatoes
Butter and milk or cream
Salt
White pepper – optional

Place the potatoes into a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil, add salt to taste (about 1 tsp) and boil for about 20 minutes or until soft – test with a knife to ascertain if cooked. Warm the milk or cream and butter in a small saucepan. Mash the potatoes until all the lumps are removed, add the butter/milk mixture and whisk to combine. Mash thoroughly and place in an oven to keep warm until ready to serve (cover with aluminium foil).

Tips – sour cream and chives, for an extra rich mash add a lightly whipped egg yolk

Mum made these for me when I was young, usually at our bonfire night party – I loved them then and admit to loving them just as much today even though they were regarded as a child´s bun or small cake. This is one recipe I have not felt the need to revise. Traditional and wonderful.

1 large fresh egg and its weight (in the shell) in:-
- self raising flour
- unrefined caster sugar
- unsalted butter or margarine (or a mixture)
- pinch fine salt
Decoration
- 2 tbsp good quality apricot jam
- desiccated coconut
- 3 natural glacé cherries
- Angelica leaves

Method:-
Grease 5 or 6 castle pudding tins
Preheat oven to 380ºF
Prepare by creaming method (cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, beat in the egg with 1 tablespoon flour, sift in remaining flour and salt, gently fold in)
Half fill each tin with the mixture
Bake for 20 minutes on the middle shelf of the preheated oven – or until well risen and firm when lightly pressed with the little finger
Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tins, remove and put onto a wire rack until cold

While the Madelines are cooling – warm two tablespoons of apricot jam, sieve
Place the coconut into a wide shallow bowl
When cold, trim off the rounded part (the risen rounded part at the top)
Brush the jam over the top and sides
Roll in the coconut, top with half a natural glacé cherry or a leaf of angelica

This a quick fix to right the wrongs of a very very bad day.

Quick Chocolate Custard

300 grams ready made custard
30 grams dark or milk chocolate – grated

Warm the custard, according to instructions on the tub
When the custard is hot stir in the chocolate
Serve immediately

This is lovely with a plain sponge or chocolate pudding; poured over bananas, cover with clingfilm so it touches the custard, chill in the fridge (classic old fashioned banana and custard with a twist); or just with the addition of cake, rather than pudding – its a “Mum” thing from when I was very very young!

Cake
225 grams unsalted butter
175 grams unrefined caster sugar
50 grams soft light brown sugar
4 large fresh eggs, lightly beaten
225 grams self raising flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
2 rounded tbsp organic cocoa
4 tbsp boiling water

Cream the butter and sugars together until smooth
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition
Mix the cocoa with the boiling water, fold into the batter with the sifted flour and baking powder
Bake for 30 minutes or until springy to the touch