BREAD PUDDING and APPLE CAKE

OVER THE WEEKEND among many other things we went to the Food Festival at Broadstairs, Kent.  Now I am not the best person to go to these events (I have the same problem at craft fairs) because instead of buying everything in sight I go away inspired to bake, preserve and create.  So Sunday was baking day ........ with me making a DORSET APPLE CAKE, some LEMON CURD (I have seen this in the supermarkets priced at 29p it cannot even have seen a lemon if it can be sold at that price), LEMONADE and a BREAD PUDDING for a couple of addicts that I know.

from the GOOD HOUSEKEEPING BOOK OF HOME PRESERVING

FOR LEMON CURD YOU WILL NEED
grated rind and juice of 4 lemons
4 eggs
4 ounces butter
12 ounces Castor sugar

Place all ingredients in a bowl standing over a pan of simmering water.
Stir until the sugar disolves and continue heating gently for about 20 minutes until the curd thickens.
Pour into jars and cover in the usual way. 

MEASURED, WEIGHED AND READY TO COOK

 SIMMER GENTLY OVER A BAIN MARIE, BE CAREFUL NOT TO LET THE BOTTOM OF THE BOWL TOUCH THE WATER OR THE EGG COOKS IN LUMPS.

THICKENED  AND READY TO JAR

home made lemon curd should be made in small quantities as it only keeps for about one month 

Bread Pudding is such a good way to use up left over bread, I don't like it but my Mother loves it.  This is a DELIA SMITH RECIPE FROM 1978 you cannot go wrong with DELIA.

bread soaking in milk

8 ounces bread (doesnt matter if this is white or brown but cut off crusts)
1/2 pint milk
2 ounces melted butter
3 ounces soft brown sugar
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 egg beaten
6 ounces mixed dried fruit
grated rind of half an orange
freshly grated nutmeg

BEGIN BY breaking the bread into suitable size pieces.  Pour over the milk, stir well and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

NOW ADD THE melted butter,sugar,mixed spice and egg.  Using a fork beat the mixture well to make sure there are no lumps.  Then stir in the mixed fruit and orange rind.  Spead the mixture into prepared 2pint dish and sprinkle with grated nutmeg.

BAKE IN preheated oven gas mark 4 for 11/4 hours

ALL MIXED UP

PUT INTO PERPARED TIN AND BAKE

I usually sprinkle a little sugar on top

DORSET APPLE CAKE
RUBBING THE BUTTER INTO THE FLOUR 

SOME OF THIS YEARS APPLES  JUST PICKED FROM THE GARDEN

ROUGHLY CHOP APPLES

DORSET APPLE CAKE
8 ounces self raising flour
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
3-4 ounces caster sugar
8 ounces butter
8 ounces apples - roughly chopped
2 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar

SIEVE flour and cinnemon into a bowl and rub in butter.  Add castor sugar,eggs and apples.
Stir into stiff dough.  Spread into prepared 9inch tin.  Mix brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnemon together and sprinkle on top of cake.  Bake at gas reg 5 for 30 minutes cover with foil and bake for a further 30 minutes.
test that cake is cooked right through.