Spring Eating

Easter was a family do here with lots of ready eaters. I did a neat demonstration of how cooking really works sometimes - for me at least. Lots of pleasurable time thinking of which recipes to use, which meals for when and then no attention to detail. Just two examples - the Sussex Pond Pudding I decided quite randomly to turn out onto a plate (never bothered before) so that the lid split and the 'pond' went all over the kitchen floor, and my slippers. And then there was the pastry made in advance and frozen - yes, marks for good planning - but it hadn't defrosted in time and I hadn't checked so it was hard, didn't cook properly and was really almost nasty to eat. I am not interested in the MasterChef obsessive twiddling type of cooking, but there is level of care which matters.

Still the baking was fine. Perhaps because you can't mess with a recipe for a cake, not much anyway, and exact weighing of the ingredients is absolutely necessary.

I filled the tins with these reliable standbys/old favourites.

Date Crunchies

5 oz flour
3 oz sugar
4 oz oats
5 oz butter

Rub the butter into the dry ingredients.

12 oz dates - the squashed packet ones are what you need for this
Rind and juice of 1 lemon (at least - have another handy)
3 tbs water

1. Heat these in a pan, stirring and letting the dates soften so that you get a thick paste. Add some drops more water if you have to.
2. Taste and check it is sharp and lemony and add more juice if necessary.
3. Now layer half the dry mixture in a 7'' square tin; spread the paste over and then add the rest of the crust.
4. Bake at No 4 for about 1 hour, checking after 45 mins and taking out when the crust is just going golden.
5. Cut into smallish squares.

Banana Bread

8 oz SR flour plus 1/4 tsp salt
4 oz butter
6 oz castor sugar
4 oz sultanas
1 oz walnuts, chopped
4 oz naturally coloured cherries, halved
2 eggs
3 large ripe bananas mashed

1. Rub the butter into the flour
2. Add the dry stuff, then beat in the eggs and lastly mix in the bananas. Don't use the processor for any of this - not often I say that.
3. The mixture should be of dropping consistency and shouldn't need any extra liquid - but if it needs it, add a tiny amount of milk.
4. Put into a 2lb greased and lined loaf tin.
5. Bake at No 4/150 for 1 - 1/1/2 hours.
6. Butter the slices if you like to serve when cold, but it will be moist to eat anyway.

NB You can vary the dry fruit - add more walnuts and fewer cherries for instance or even choc chips - as you like if you keep the weight the same overall.

And also - well, there were a lot of us

Lemon Tartlets

These have 4 components and so might look difficult but in fact are easy peasy - and if you have made Lemon Curd are a very good way to use a little of it.

Pastry

6 oz P flour
3 oz butter

1. Make this into a shortcrust with approx 1 1/2 tbs water - use the processor if you have one.
2. When it has rested 30 mins in the fridge, wrapped, roll it out to line some tart tins; I find it makes 12 but you could use a small cutter to get 18 small tarts.
3. Put a little lemon curd into each case - 2 tbs is about what you will need overall.

Sponge

2 oz soft butter
2 oz castor sugar
2 oz P flour plus 1/2 level tsp baking powder
1 egg
Rind 1 lemon finely grated

1. Put all into a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon till smooth - you could use something electric but if the butter is soft you really don't need to for this amount.
2. Divide between the tarts, covering the curd, but don't worry too much, it will spread.
3. Bake at No 5 for 20 mins when they will be nicely risen and golden.
4. When cold, ice them with lemon icing made from 4 oz icing sugar mixed to a stiff paste with 2 tbs lemon juice.

Very Good!