Recipes

Basic Recipe to Make Crab Apple Jelly

1. Wash the crab apples, and put in a saucepan/preserving pan. Some people choose to slice the apples in half and remove the pips

2. Cover the apples with cold water, and then heat and simmer till fruit is soft.

3. Put the cooked fruit into a muslin bag, and suspend it above a suitable container, allowing the clear juice to drip into the container - this may take a few hours. Do not squeeze the muslin bag as this may cloud the jelly.

4. Measure the juice, and pour into a saucepan/preserving pan.

5. Measure out a similar volume of preserving or granulated sugar (some people use approx. 600 ml of juice to 500g of sugar)

6. Pour the sugar into the juice and dissolve over low heat stirring gently. Brush down, and boil rapidly until setting point is reached - test by putting a small amount on a cold saucer, then tilting the saucer to check that the juice is setting, with a "skin" forming on the surface.

7. Remove from heat, and pour the jelly into warm, sterilised jars.

8. Place a waxed paper seal on top of the jelly in each jar, and then "seal" each jar, either with a screw top, or clear cellophane secured with an elastic band.

Fruit Tart the Alsatian Way

Recipe for 6 people: using 400g of pastry, in a 28 cm diameter tart plate

PASTRY BASE

Ingredients:

250g flour

125g butter

100ml of water

Method:

Put the soft butter in the middle of the flour, stir firmly to combine the butter with the flour. Add water slowly. Stop stirring as soon as the flour disappears in the dough. Chill the dough for one or two hours. Roll out the dough and put it onto the tart plate. Use a fork to pierce the bottom.

FILLING

Ingredients:

1kg of fruit (slices of apples or pears, cherries, gages, plums, apricots, etc)

Add the fruit on top of pastry base and bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 240 degree C or Gas Mark 8

CUSTARD TOPPING

Ingredients:

75g sugar

200g single cream

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoured sugar

To make the custard topping:

Mix the eggs with the sugar, add the cream. When the fruit is almost cooked, pour the custard on the tart. Bake again until completely cooked.

Serve slightly warm.

Zari Apple and Cinnamon Muffin Recipe

Ingredients

225g butter

225g sugar

225g self raising flour

4 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

2 tsp cinnamon powder

5 apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped (Zari apples are best and big lumps of apple are best too as they then retain some bite)

Cinnamon Butter Icing

140g butter

280g icing sugar

2-4 tsp cinnamon powder (add cinnamon to taste)

Method:

Peel, core and chop apples before making the muffin mix, put the chopped apples in a bowl and squeeze over some lemon juice to stop them turning brown.

Cream the butter and sugar together.

Add all the eggs and mix well.

Sift flour into bowl a little at a time and mix.

Add baking powder and cinnamon - mix

Add vanilla bean paste - mix

Add apples - mix

Gas mark 4 or 170 degrees F for 20 minutes

Leave muffins to cool for at least 30 - 45 minutes before icing.

Makes 18