Apple and Raspberry Meringue Pie with Sweetcrust pastry

Isn't this weather gorgeous?! With weather like this I think there's nothing better than fruity dessert to satisfy the taste buds- and this one is certainly full of flavour. It's a recipe from my favourite cookbook-Jo Wheatley A Passion for Baking- and as always Jo didn't let me down. Whilst looking back at some older posts I realised that my bakes weren't very adventurous with flavour so I've made a vow to start branching out with more flavoursome bakes, hopefully this is more interesting. I also love making meringue so this was my perfect summer bake!

For the the pastry you'll need:

225g Plain Flour, plus extra for rolling out

100g Unsalted butter or margarine

25g Icing Sugar

Pinch of Sat

1 egg yolk (reserve egg white for later)

3-4 tbsp Milk

If you have a food processor, put the flour, butter (diced), sugar and salt into the bowl and whizz with the pulse button until you have a breadcrumbs consistency. If like me you don't have a food processor, putt he flour, salt and sugar into a bowl. Before hand, freeze your butter/ margarine and then grate it into the bowl and use the "rubbing in" method to create a breadcrumbs consistency. Freezing the butter helps to keep the the butter/margarine from melting too quickly whilst using your hands. Add the egg yolk and 2 tbsp of milk and whizz/mix until the dough comes together. You may need more milk if mixing by hand. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and work briefly into a ball. Chill in the fridge for approx. 20 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas Mark 5. Roll our your pastry into a disc with a thickness of about 2mm. I used a 21cm tart tin but this recipe is for a 23cm one. Line the tart tin carefully, being sure to push the pastry into all the corners. Trim off any excess. Prick the base several times. Screw up some baking parchment to line the pastry tin and fill with baking beans. (Screwing up the parchment helps the beans to sit easier.) Bake for 20-25 minutes until pale golden. Reduce the oven to 170oC/ Gas Mark, remove the beans and parchment and bake for further 5 minutes. 

For the filling:

3 Medium-Large Bramley Cooking Apples, peeled and sliced

30g Butter or Margarine

185g Caster Sugar

Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon

1 tbsp Cornflour

2 Eggs, separated

Egg white from Pastry

200-300g Raspberries

Meanwhile, add the apples, butter, 60g of the caster sugar and lemon juice and zest to a saucepan. Cook teh apples until they have become soft and puréed. Stir frequently. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Add the cornflour to the apple along with the two egg yolks. I found that there was a lot liquid with my apples so had to add a bit more cornflour. Beat until smooth and combined.

Spoon the apple into the pastry case and place the raspberries evenly on top. 

For the meringue, whisk the 3 egg whites in a clean, oil-free bowl until stiff. Gradually beat in the remaining 125g Caster Sugar, whisking well between each addition. The meringue should be stiff and glossy. Spoon the meringue on top of the apple and raspberries. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on how cooked you liked your meringue. I cooked it for 15 minutes but the meringue was very soft. I would be inclined to cook it for longer at a lower temperature to get a crunchy outside and chewy middle. Make sure you leave the pie to cool and then chill in the fridge before serving. I was too hasty when eating mine, so the filling hadn't set properly! 

I'm entering this into Tea Time Treats held by Lavender and Lovage and What Kate Baked with this month's host being Karen at Lavender and Lovage. This months theme is fresh fruit! 

Happy Baking! 

x

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Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake

It's show time! The last 6 months has been leading up to this week as the show I'm in (along with Lottie from Lottie's World of Cakes and Bakes)  starts this week- Half a Sixpence. I spend the whole of today at the Epsom Playhouse settling into the theatre as the orchestra rehearse with us for the first time and the scenery is put up. Then in the evening, we have a technical rehearsal for the backstage crew. It's an exciting, but very long, day and so I thought I'd make a refreshing lemon cake to perk every one up in the teas breaks. 

So not only have I got a week of fabulous musical theatre, but I went to see Chicago the Musical on tour on Friday. It's practically my favourite musical and I know the film inside out, so it had been something I was dying to see. It was on at Woking theatre so we went along after school for the 5.30 show and it didn't disappoint! The costumes were the sultry, revealing type and everyone was in black. The choreography and dancing amazed me, especially in numbers like All That Jazz and The Cell Block Tango, but even the subtle moves during the dialogue were affective. Bernie Nolan was to play Mama Morton but unfortunately didn't perform in the show we saw and Steven Booth (who played Greg in EastEnders) played  Billy Flynn. It was a great show and I'd really recommend it! 

This recipe comes from my Mum's friend, Lorraine. 

You'll need: 

230g (8oz) Self Raising Flour, Sifted

170g (6oz) Caster Sugar

170g (6oz) Butter/Margarine, at room temperature

2 Eggs, at room temperature

Rind of 1 Lemon

Juice of 1 Lemon

Milk, to loosen the mixture

Preheat the oven to 180^oC/375^oF/Gas Mark 5. Grease your loaf tin (I think mine is a 2lb one but I'm never sure!) 

Put the flour, sugar, butter/margarine and eggs in a bowl and mix until it's a smooth consistency. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix. You then need to add milk, a little at a time, to get the mixture to a dropping consistency. be careful not to get it too runny as it will take longer to cook. 

Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for approx. 1 hour. When the cake has a nice golden look, place some foil over the top and this will stop the top from burning and it will speed up the cooking of the insides. The cake will be cooked when a skewer is inserted and it comes out clean. 

Tip the cake onto a cooling rack to cool down. Once cooled use the Juice of half a lemon and a tiny bit of water and mix with sifted icing sugar. WARNING. Don't over do the liquid as it makes the icing runny and it won't stay on top of the cake. "Drizzle" over the icing and use lemon zest to finish. 

Happy Baking! 

x

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Lemon Chicken and Roast Vegetables on a bed of Couscous

I've always been a fan of Mediterranean vegetables and so this was a very simple, quick and easy recipe to cook when I offer to cook dinner (which admittedly, isn't very often!) I always find cakes and puddings so much more interesting as I've found that you can think up a meal in seconds with what's in the fridge, where as producing a cake is more like an art form. Am I alone in thinking this? I'm not saying that savoury cooking is boring, it's far from it, but I don't get as much pleasure from pouring over savoury recipes than sweet. 

It was not long ago that I discovered my love for couscous; when I found out how easy it is to make it was an added bonus! It certainly makes a change from when you don't fancy stodgy potatoes or chips. And so chicken seemed like the obvious answer to pull this meal together, with a few added flavourings.  

To serve 2, you'll need:
Half a Red Onion
1 Courgette
Half a Red Pepper
Half a Yellow Pepper
Handful of Cherry or Vine Tomatoes
Olive Oil
2 Chicken Breasts
1 Lemon
Oregano
Half a chicken or Vegetable Stock Cube
250ml (approx.) Boiling Water
200g (approx.) Dried Couscous

Preheat the oven to 200^oC/400^oF/Gas Mark 6. Chop up the vegetables into chunky pieces and place in a roasting tin. Drizzle over some olive oil. Prick the chicken breasts and squeeze over some lemon juice and sprinkle on the oregano. Place 2 slices on lemon on top. Lay some foil in another roasting tin and put the chicken inside. Drizzle over some olive oil and close the foil over the chicken, creating a little parcel.

Place both tins into the oven and roast for 35-45 minutes. The vegetable should be soft and beginning to char and the chicken should no longer be pink. Before serving dissolve the stockcube into the boiling water ans pour over the couscous in a jug and leave to absorb. This should take 5 minutes. Drain away any excess liquid from the couscous and serve.

Happy Baking! 

x

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P.S  I am in a show at the Epsom Playhouse called Half A Sixpence with Lottie from Lottie's World of Cakes and Bakes from Tuesday 9th-Saturday 13th October. We play the parts of two shopgirls called Kate and Flo!

Zingy Zesty Lemon Meringue Pie

My love for lemon is never ending! It's refreshing, tasty, versatile  and oh so simple. I've wanted to make a lemon meringue pie for a while now; ever since seeing an amazing picture in a food magazine. It was of a slice of pie with a perfectly structured lemon layer and then this mountain of pillowy, marshmellowey, I-want-to-eat-that-now-ey meringue on top. I'd said to my mum that I'd had enough of baking cakes for a while and was moving on to puddings. What with going to visit my Auntie for a few days, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to make one. I also wanted to practise making pastry and this recipe required baking blind, which I'd never done before, but there's always a first for everything!  So after a busy day catching up with a friends, it was lovely to return to the kitchen and do some good ol' baking.

 For the Pastry, you'll need:
250g (9oz) Plain Flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
1 Tablespoon of Icing Sugar, sifted
125g (4oz) Unsalted Butter/Margarine, chilled and diced
1 Egg, beaten with half a tablespoon of chilled water

If you have a food processor:
Whizz the flour, sugar, and diced butter/marg until it resembles breadcrumbs.

If not, mix the flour and sugar together and then add the diced butter/marg. With your fingertips, rub the flour mixture and butter/marg together until you have a breadcrumb consistancy. Be light on the fingers and pick out any lumps and rub them to make them smaller.

In a large bowl, add the egg mixture to the breadcrumbs and stir with a palette knife. Using your hands, bring the mixture together to form a dough, adding a SMALL bit of extra water if the pastry seems dry. Work it into a ball, wrap in cling-film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. I was in a bit of a hurry, so I did 15 minutes in the freezer.

Preheat the oven to 180^oC/Gas Mark 4. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to a thickness of just under a £1 coin. Line a fluted tart tin (24/23cm) , loose bottomed being best, with the pastry. I used my finger tips to work the pastry into the grooves of the tin, and then a sharp knife to cut off excess pastry. Prick the base with a fork and place into the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. If there's no room in the freezer, 15-20 minutes in the fridge will do.

After 10 minutes, place some greaseproof paper into the tin and fill with baking beans or rice and bake blind for 15 minutes or until the edges are firm. Remove the greaseproof paper and beans/rice and bake for a further 5-10 minute or until lightly golden brown. 

For the filling, you'll need:

the Zest and Juice of 3 lemons

40g (1.5oz) Cornflour, sifted

100g (3.5oz) Caster Sugar

275ml Water

50g (2oz) Butter/Margarine

5 Egg Yolks (Whites to be used later)

Stir the lemon juice and zest with the cornflour and caster sugar, until a smooth paste is formed. Bring the water to boil in a pan and add the lemon mixture. Keep stirring until it has thickened and then simmer for 1 minute, stirring continuously.  (Note: The mixture will very suddenly thicken and then start to bubble. At this point, turn the heat down to a simmer.) Remove from the heat and beat in the butter/marg, followed by the egg yolks, until smooth. Leave to cool and then pour into the pastry case. 

For the Meringue, you'll need: 

5 Egg Whites

250g (9oz) Caster Sugar

2 Teaspoons Cornflour

Use an electric hand mixer to beat the egg whites until they become stiff. Add the caster sugar in 4 stages, beating thoroughly each time and until it's stiff and shiny. Whisk in the cornflour. Spoon over the filling and use a fork or skewer to create a swirly design. Place on a baking tray and bake for 20-30 minutes at 130^oC at the bottom of the oven. 

 

And it seemed to be a hit with my family too! 

Happy Baking! 

x

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I'm entering this into Calendar Cakes by Dolly Bakes and Laura Loves Cakes as this month's theme is British Summertime and lemon is just so summery and fruity.

Also, into Lottie's World of Cakes and Bakes challenge- Lottie's Bake Off Challenge as this weeks theme on The Great British Bake Off was pastry.

Saucy Lemon Puddings

The sun has got his hat on! Hip hip hip hooray! Finally, some well-deserved sun! Having broken up from school for 6 weeks now (lucky, I know) it was great to start off the holidays with such lovely weather. 

Now, I am someone who defiantly has a sweet tooth and I love my puddings. But in this heat, you don't often want a heavy, stodgy dessert to make you feel bloated. This pudding is perfect for that sweet summery satisfaction but without the guilty feeling after. It has a gorgeous saucy base with a light sponge topping so it feels satisfying and refreshing. 

For 4 puddings, You will need:

50g (2oz) Butter/Margarine
125g (4oz) Caster Sugar
Zest and Juice of 2 lemons 
2 Eggs, separated
40g (1½oz) Self Raising Flour, Sifted
300ml Milk
1 tbsp Icing Sugar


Preheat the oven to 180^oC/160^oC Fan/Gas Mark 4. Grease 4x200ml oven-proof dishes. 


Put butter, caster sugar and lemon zest in a bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the egg yolks and then fold in the flour. Stir in the milk and lemon juice.
In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are softly peaking. Gently fold them into the mixture. 


Spoon the mixture into the greased dishes and stand them in a roasting tin. Fill the roasting tin with boiling water until it reaches half way up the sides. Bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden. Dust with icing sugar to serve. 


An alternate option is to use 1 lemon and 1 lime to give it a different citrus flavour! 

Happy Baking! 

x

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Light and Fluffy Lemon Cupcakes

Sometimes I find it really refreshing to bake fruity cupcakes as opposed to the classics vanilla and chocolate that everyone loves. I also wanted to try out some a new icing kit that my friend gave me. It was one that had  squeezy bottles to put he icing in and an assortment of nozzles to pump the icing through. I love the nozzles but the bottles were awkward to fill and a nightmare to clean! They also discoloured making them look horrible. 

But that aside, they produced good results. And they went down a treat with my friends! Baking them also gave me chance to mess around with different styles (hence the sprinkles!) as usually I am baking for an event which means the cupcakes are under strict instructions to look perfect! 

The recipe is from my very first cupcake book: Cupcakes by Susanna Tee. I really recommend it has some great recipes in and I always seem to get success! 

For the Cupcakes:

115g (4oz) Self Raising Flour, Sifted

½ tsp Baking Powder, sifted

115g (4oz) Margarine, at room temperature (I used Stork)

115g (4oz) Caster Sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

Rind of a lemon (You can vary this depending on how lemony you want them to be)

2 tbsp Milk

Preheat the oven to 190^oC/375^oF/ Gas Mark 5. Place 12 paper baking cases in a bun tray.

Put the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the margarine, sugar, eggs, lemon rind and milk. Mix together until smooth. For best results, use and electric hand mixer.

Spoon the mixture into the baking cases until they just under half full.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are well risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

For the icing: 

85g (3oz) Butter, at room temperature (Again, I used Stork)

175g (6oz) Icing Sugar, Sifted

Juice of 1 Lemon

Beat the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add a third of the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Repeat for the rest of the icing sugar. Add the lemon juice and beat until smooth and creamy.

Personally, I would ice them to look smooth and fluffy but the choice is yours as these are so versatile. Adding colourful sprinkles contrasts from the yellow icing making them ideal for children. Or adding lemon jelly sweets, like these ones, can give them a professional finish!

Happy Baking! 

x

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