Simnel Cake

Ingredients
175g Light Brown Sugar
175g Butter
175g Self Raising Flour
3 Eggs
25g Ground Almonds
2 Tablespoon Milk
100g Sultanas
100g Cherries (quartered, washed and dried)
100g Dried Apricots (chopped into small pieces)
100g Fresh Ginger (finely chopped)
1 Teaspoon Mixed Spice
2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
450g Golden Marzipan
3 Tablespoons Apricot Jam
1 Egg (beaten)

Equipment
Greaseproof Paper
1 Round Cake Tin 20cm
1 Wire Rack
1 Rolling Pin
1 SHARP Knife

The Good Bit

1. Preheat your oven to 160c 320f gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of an 20cm/8in deep, round cake tin with baking parchment, measure all the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat well until thoroughly blended. Place half the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
2. Take one third of the marzipan and roll into a circle the same size as the cake tin, place the circle on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the remaining mixture on top of the marzipan and level the surface and cook for about one and three-quarter hours or until golden brown and firm in the middle. If toward the end of the cooking time the cake is getting too brown, loosely cover with a piece of foil. Allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning onto a cooling rack.
3. When the cake is cool. Brush the top with a little warmed apricot jam. Roll out half the remaining marzipan to the size of the cake and sit it on the top. Crimp the edges of the marzipan and make a lattice pattern in the centre of the marzipan using a sharp knife. Make 11 even sized balls from the remaining marzipan and arrange around the edge
4. Brush with beaten egg and glaze under a hot grill for about five minutes, turning the cake round so it browns evenly, so the marzipan is tinged brown all over.
   
   

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients
150g Plain Chocolate (chopped into small chunks)
4 Tablespoons Chocolate chips
65g Self Raising Flour
4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
215g Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
120ml Sunflower Oil
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
75g Chopped Mixed Nuts (or just chopped nuts that you like, walnuts? pecans?)

Equipment
1x19cm Square Cake Tin (greased)
1 Sauce Pan (half filled with boiling water and a bowl sat in it to melt the chocolate)
1 Large Mixing Bowl
1 Electric Whisk (although a balloon whisk/fork will do)
1 Sieve
1 Spatula/Wooden Spoon (for mixing and spreading out mixture)
1 Wire Rack

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 180c 350f gas 4, start by melting the chocolate in the bowl over just barely simmering water, beat the eggs, oil sugar and vanilla essence together in your mixing bowl then stir in the melted chocolate (this is where the whisk comes in handy)
2. Once you have a smooth mixture sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold in with either the spatula or the wooden spoon, finally stir in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips then tip out into the cake tin and smooth over the top.
3. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is crusty then allow to cool slightly before moving onto the wire rack, when it is cold enough, cut into chunks and serve (cream or custard goes really well)
   

Thai Pork and Lime

Ingredients
600g Pork (cut into strips)
4 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Pepper
20 Cloves Garlic (thinly chopped)
30 Small Green Chillies (chopped thinly, DE SEED IF YOU WANT THIS TO BE MILDER)
8 Tablespoons Lime Juice
8 Tablespoons Thai Fish Sauce
2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
30g Fresh Mint Leaves (Finely chopped)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
2 Mixing Bowls
1 Wok
1 Spatula

The Good Bit

1. Mix the pork, soy sauce and pepper in a bowl, then add the pork mixture and cook for about 7-8 minutes until the pork is well cooked.
2. Place the pork in the other mixing bowl now and stir in the rest of the ingredients, now this takes some mixing so mix well for a couple of minutes than either leave in the mixing bowl to serve or transfer to a serving dish and let people get there own.
   

Serves 4

Thai Vegetable Stock

Ingredients
2 Onions (quartered)
4 Red Chillies
250g Carrots (halved)
1/2 White Cabbage (Halved)
1 Bunch Celery (Chopped, including leaves)
50g Fresh Coriander (with stalks)
25g Basil (with stalks)
25 Black Peppercorns
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Muscovado Sugar
2l Water
If you can get hold of the next 2 ingredients your stock will be great but they can be left out
1/2 Head of Chinese Leaves
1/2 Mooli Radish (peeled)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan (or Casserole Dish)
1 Sieve

The Good Bit

1. Whack all the ingredients into a large pan and bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1hr.
2. Take the lid off then boil hard for 10mins to reduce the stock, cool then strain, freeze any stock that you will not be using straight away.
   

Makes 1.8l

Warrens Chocolate Orange

Ingredients
2 Oranges
2 Pears (peeled, cored and halved)
2 Apples (peeled, cored and quartered)
1 Lemon (juiced)
50g Butter
4 Tablespoons Muscovado Sugar
75g Chocolate
4 Tablespoons Double/Whipping Cream

Equipment
1 Zester/Juicer
1 Chopping Board
1 SHARP Knife
1 Frying Pan
1 Glass Bowl
1 Large Pan
1 Spoon
1 Grater

The Good Bit

1. Remove the zest from one orange and keep to one side then grate 1 teaspoon of zest from the second, now remove the rest of the skin from both oranges and slice into thick chunks saving any juice.
   
2. Melt your butter in the frying pan and add the sugar until dissolved then add the zest from the first orange along with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, the apples pears and orange slices, cook for 5 minutes until soft.
3. Heat some water in the pan and put your glass bowl in it, break the chocolate into the glass bowl and melt (or you can do this without the water and pan using a microwave, trying 30seconds at a time) add in the grated orange rind and juice and the cream and stir well.
4. Serve the fruit between four bowls and drizzle over the chocolate.

Serves 4

Bananas in Coconut Milk

Ingredients
2 Large Bananas (4 small)
1 400ml Can Coconut Milk (if you have half a can of coconut milk left over from one of the earlier recipes, half the ingredients in this recipe to make it do for two people.)
200ml Water
6 Tablespoons Light Muscovado Sugar

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan

The Good Bit

1. Start by peeling and cutting your bananas (i suggest lengthways and then quarters)
2. Put the rest of the ingredients into a pan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 6 -8 minutes then add the banana and cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Serve hot

Serves 4