Kids Fruit Pizzas

Ingredients:

Base: 4 Tortilla wraps

Sauce: 125ml yoghurt (I used dairy-free coconut based yoghurt),
1 tsp runny honey,
half teaspoon vanilla extract,
3/4 teaspoon orange juice

Fruit: Any fruit, but berries, chopped apple, tinned pineapple chunks, tinned mandarin slices all work well

Method:

1. Using a round biscuit cutter, cut the tortilla wraps.
2. Mix together in a bowl the sauce ingredients.
3. Spread the sauce on the tortilla rounds.
4. Top with the prepared fruit.

Pear Jam

Ingredients:

2 kg of fruit, consisting of 2 peaches, 2 plums, 2 apples & the rest pears, peeled and cored

2 oranges, zested & juiced

1 kg jam sugar

750 ml water

Method:

1. Place 2-3 plates in the fridge.
2. Preheat oven to 140C.
3. Place all the prepared fruit, orange zest & juice and the water into a large pan.
4. Simmer until the pears are soft.
5. Meanwhile wash the jars in warm soapy water & then place face down in the oven to dry & sterilise.
6. Add the sugar & continue to simmer on a low/medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
7. Turn up the heat & allow to boil hard for 10-15 minutes.
8. Test for a set, by drizzling some of the jam onto a cold plate from the fridge. Place the plate in the fridge for 2 mins. After 2 mins run your finger over the jam & if it leave a crinkly track then it is ready for putting into the jars. If it is still runny then continue to boil, checking it every few minutes.
9. Once ready put into the jars & seal.
10. Store in a cool, dark place until ready to use, then refrigerate.

Toffee Apple Pudding

This is an amazing dessert, perfect for a cold winters day! I found the recipe on the BBC Food website

Toffee Apple Pudding (BBC Food Website, accessed 17th January 2015)

Ingredients:

For cake:

2 Bramley apples - peeled & sliced

140g self raising flour

100g caster sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 egg, beaten

85g melted butter

1 tsp vanilla essense

For topping:

140g brown sugar

250ml boiled water

Method:

See the BBC Food website

The final piece should involve the toffee sauce in the bottom of the dish with the sponge including the apples on top!

Can be served hot or cold, with ice cream, cream or custard....YUMMY!

Blackberry & Apple Tarts

Blackberry & Apple Tarts

Do you enjoy foraging in the autumn for blackberries?

When I was a child we always had a family day out picking blackberries. It was always great fun, but it is not something I have been organised to do since I left home.

Ingredients:

225g blackberries (frozen or fresh)

40g caster sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp orange rind

250g ready made puff pastry

2 tbsp demerara sugar

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced

Before heading into the oven

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5 or 190C.
2. Place the blackberries, caster sugar, lemon juice and orange rind into a pan and heat gently until the fruit is mushy. Allow to simmer until the mix is syrupy.
3. Roll out the pastry to <5mm thick and using a pastry cutter, cut out 12 rounds.
4. Place the pastry rounds into a greased bun baking tray.
5. Spoon about 1.5 tsp of the blackberry mix into each pastry case.
6. Place a piece of chopped apple on top of each tart and then sprinkle with demerara sugar.
7. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

NB If you have some leftover pastry, blackberry syrup and apple chunks you can make a flat tart but just fold over the edges to make the crust thicker.

Spiced Bramley Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Butter Icing

Ingredients:

Spiced Bramley Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Butter Icing

Cakes:

3 Bramley apples

340g caster sugar

120g butter

2 eggs

220g plain flour

2 tsps baking powder

4 tsps ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp vanilla essence

Icing:

75g butter

175g icing sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1-2 tbsps milk

Method:

Cakes:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180C.
2. Peel, core and grate the apples.
3. Cream butter and sugar together.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla essence.
5. Add the grated apple (at this stage the mix looked disgusting but it will turn out ok in the end!)
6. Add flour, baking powder and spices slowly whilst continually mixing.
7. Fill each cupcake case with approximately 2 tsps of the cake mix.
8. Bake in the oven for about 25 mins or until golden brown.
9. Allow to cool before icing.

Icing:

1. Soften the butter in a bowl and fold in the icing sugar and cinnamon.
2. Add the milk a spoonful at a time and mix well until at the desired consistency for piping or spreading onto the cakes with the back of the spoon.

ENJOY with a good cuppa and company :)

Recipe adapted from the blog post: Designer Dishes: Bramley Apple Cupcakes