COLLEGIATE PUDDING

I am a great believer in "Waste not, want not".  Here is a good recipe to use up bread.  You will need to make it into breadcrumbs.  This is easy these days with a food processor.  Just pop in chunks of bread and whizz for a couple of minutes and you have perfect bread crumbs.

Ingredients

100g/4 oz breadcrumbs
50g/2 oz currants
50g/2 oz sultanas
50g/2 oz sugar
100g/4 oz shredded suet
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
Level teaspoon mixed spice
and some freshly grated nutmeg



Make the breadcrumbs and mix in all the ingredients until combined. 

Place in a greased pudding basin and press down gently.

Cover with a piece of baking parchment or greaseproof paper with a folded pleat in the middle to allow for the mixture to swell. Cover with foil and twist around the rim or tie, if preferred.

Place in a steamer or in a saucepan of simmering water coming halfway up the sides of the basin.

Steam for one and a half hours.

If using a saucepan, keep an eye on the water level, do not let it boil dry.

When cooked, remove the paper and foil and turn out onto a plate.

Serve with custard or a white sauce.
I made a sweet white sauce with a good dash of sherry.

Delicious. Enjoy!

CHEESE SCONES

Friends popped around for a coffee so I made a few cheese scones to go with it. This is a quick and easy recipe and the scones are light and delicious. They also keep well if you don't eat them all on the day they are made.

Ingredients

225g/8oz Self raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon each of mustard powder and cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

25g/1oz diced butter

50g/2oz mature cheddar cheese or hard goat cheese

150ml/1/4 pint semi-skimmed milk

Extra milk to glaze

Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Stir in the grated cheese.

Beat the egg with the milk and add to the dry ingredients.

Mix to a soft dough and turn onto a lightly floured work surface.

Pat out to about 2.5cm/1inch thick and cut out discs with a cutter.

Place on a baking sheet and brush the tops with milk.

Cook in the centre of a pre-heated oven 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for ten to twelve minutes until risen and golden.

Cool on a wire rack.

Serve split in two with butter.

Alternative:

Add chopped black olives to the mixture.

Cut into very small scones to make canapes.

Spread each half with creme fraiche and ribbons of smoked salmon.

Garnish with a small sprig of parsley.

They look great and taste delicious!

VICTORIA PLUM CRUMBLE

Last autumn I  froze several bags of Victoria plums. Today I took out a bag to make a plum and cinnamon crumble.

Ingredients:

Plums - equivalent to one punnet

4 oz/100g S R Flour

3oz/ 75 g Butter

3 oz/75g Sugar

Oats/Crunchy oat cereal

Level teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Lightly poach the frozen plums in a light syrup (granulated sugar and water).

To make the crumble topping:

Whizz together the flour, butter, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor (or do it by hand rubbing the butter into the flour until is resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the other ingredients).

Use a slotted spoon to remove the plums from the syrup and place in an ovenproof dish.

Spread the crumble topping over the plums.

Sprinkle some oats, museli or crunchy oat cereal on the top to make a crunchy topping.

Bake in a moderate oven for about 40 minutes.

Serve with custard or cream.

Delicious!