This is an adaptation of a recipe I regularly use where I’ve change the flavour to make a light, moist and refreshingly fruity cake.

Cuts into 12-16 slices. Cake can be frozen undecorated.

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE
225g butter , softened
225g golden caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 small orange & 2 tbsp juice
4 large eggs
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder

FOR THE TOPPING
100g white chocolate
50g butter, softened
3 tbsp milk
175g sifted icing sugar
finely grated zest of 1 small orange
3-4 tbsp passion fruit curd
23cm spring-form cake tin greased and lined
Oven 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C

How to make it

• Place all of the cake ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and mix until combined. Alternatively place in a large mixing bowl and using a hand whisk mix for about 2 minutes.
• Spoon into prepared tin and level the surface.
• Bake for 30-40 mins, until risen and firm to the touch.
• Cool for 30 mins, remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
• For the topping, carefully melt the chocolate, butter and milk in a bowl over simmering water.
• Remove the bowl and beat in the icing sugar until smooth. Finally beat in the orange zest.
• Leave to cool and set.
• When the icing is a suitable consistency spread over the cooled cake.
• Beat the curd to loosen off and then drizzle a rough circle near the edge of the cake. Using a skewer or teaspoon handle swirl the curd in to icing.

Less formal than a traditional simnel cake, there are lots of variations depending on how much time you have or how fancy you want to make the cake. This version is a combination of different cake recipes I use, and the cake in the accompanying photo was made with gluten free flour.

Can be made ahead and frozen

Cuts into 12-16 pieces.

Ingredients

250g mixed dried fruit
100g chopped dried apricots
85g chopped glacé cherries
zest & juice of an orange
200g softened butter
200g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs
200g self-raising flour
50g ground almonds
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
200g readymade marzipan rolled in to circle approx 20cm diameter

For the topping (optional)
50g butter
50g light muscovado sugar
100g plain flour
100g flaked almonds
3 tbsp golden syrup
100g readymade marzipan grated

23cm springform cake tin lined with baking parchment

Oven 160C/Gas 3/fan oven 140C

How to make it

• Soak all the dried fruit in the orange juice for 1-2 hrs, or longer if possible

• Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.

• Add the flour, ground almonds and spices to the bowl and mix in. Add the zest and dried fruit with any remaining juice, stir well to combine.

• Tip half the cake mix into the prepared tin, level and place the marzipan disc on top. Add the remaining cake mix, smooth the surface, and bake for 45 mins

• Meanwhile make the topping by rubbing the butter, sugar and flour together with your fingers to a crumbly texture. Add the grated marzipan, flaked almonds and golden syrup. Mix everything with a fork.

• After 45 mins remove the cake from the oven and sprinkle the topping over the cake.

• Return the cake to the oven at an increased temperature 200C/Gas 6/fan oven 180C for 12-15 mins.

• Remove the cake from the oven once cooked through and allow to cool in the tin before slicing.

• You can now decorate more if you wish; I have used chocolate mini eggs, but you could use balls of marzipan

Alternatives

1) Make as above, but instead of rolled marzipan, just cut into chunks and stir into the mix with the dried fruits

2) For a more traditional cake, make as above, but instead of using the topping mix just cover the top of the cake with more rolled marzipan and 11 marzipan balls

3) Bake in a or 20 x 30cm baking tin lined with baking parchment and use the cubed marzipan option. Cut finished cake into squares and decorate each portion with a chocolate egg or ball of marzipan

Over the weekend of Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 March, Beechwood Fine Foods, the café deli in the market town of Tring in Hertfordshire, will join many other businesses in support of Fairtrade Fortnight. For every Fairtrade drink bought over the weekend, owners Toby and Sarah Murray, will donate 25p to the Fairtrade Foundation.

Beechwood Fine Foods’ Fairtrade products include Eros Coffee from Peros of High Wycombe, Hot Chocolate from Café Direct, Tea from The London Tea Company and Billingtons’ unrefined cane sugar.

Fairtrade Fortnight is the nationwide effort to promote awareness of Fairtrade and urge people to buy products carrying the Fairtrade Mark. It unites all Fairtrade supporters, bringing together retailers, manufacturers, producers and consumers.

The two-week long campaign will highlight the need to think about where our food comes from and, through an interactive petition, will call on the government to take action before the 2013 G8 Summit. The petition will signal the start of a three-year long campaign by Fairtrade Foundation – ‘Make Food Fair’.

“Smallholders in developing countries are increasingly hit by fluctuating commodity prices affecting their income and the prices they pay for the food they buy themselves”, said Toby. “Choosing Fairtrade is one way to help secure a better deal for millions of people in developing countries, so we are asking our customers to support us over the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd March to assist in this quest”.

For further information on Fairtrade Fortnight, visit www.fairtrade.org.uk/gofurther. Alternatively, visit www.beechwoodfinefoods.com or contact Toby and Sarah Murray on tel: 01442 828812.

A dense chocolaty torte quite like a brownie in texture. Serve in slices or cut individual shapes, like the heart in the photograph, perfect for Valentines!

Can be made ahead and frozen

Cuts into 10-12 pieces.

Ingredients
200g unsalted butter
200g plain chocolate
4 large eggs
200g golden caster sugar
50g plain flour
50g ground almonds
cocoa powder and icing sugar for dusting

23cm springform cake tin lined with baking parchment

Oven 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C

How to make it

• Put the butter and chocolate into a saucepan and gently melt together until smooth.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar together for 5 mins until a trail is left on the surface when you draw the whisk from the mix.
• Pour the chocolate and butter mix into the whisked egg and sugar, then fold it in very carefully using a large metal spoon.
• Mix the flour, almonds and ¼ tsp salt together and fold into the mix.
• Pour into the tin and bake for 35-40 mins until evenly set. A crust will form over the top.
• Leave the cake to cool before releasing from the tin.
• Dust with cocoa and icing sugar and cut as required.
• Serve with your favourite ice cream or fruit, or lashings of cream.

Makes enough for 4-6

Ingredients

1kg Parsnip, peeled, cored and chopped (in to 2-3 cm pieces) (keep in water to stop browning)
1 large white onion roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tsp local runny honey
3 tbsp olive oil
1 litre hot vegetable stock
Freshly ground black pepper

How to make it

• Roast the chopped parsnip on a preheated baking tray with a tbsp of olive oil and the honey drizzled over the top with a good sprinkling of ground black pepper for approximately 20mins at 180 c, in the meantime……
• Heat the remaining oil in large saucepan and sweat the onion until soft (do not allow to go brown). Add garlic and fry for 2 minutes more
• Add the roasted parsnip to the pan and fry for a further few minutes before
• Adding hot stock and bring to the boil, and simmer gently for approximately 20 minutes, or until the parsnips are soft.
• Blend until smooth adding further ground pepper, and additional stock or hot water to desired consistency and taste.
• Reheat, serve with warmed crusty bread and butter

All the flavours of Christmas in a really easy cake. Can be made ahead and frozen.

Cuts into 10-12 pieces.

Ingredients

200g self-raising flour
100g cold butter
85g light muscovado sugar
85g ready made marzipan
2 eggs, beaten
jar mincemeat (approx 300g)
flaked almonds
1kg loaf cake tin
Oven 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C

How to make it

• Preheat the oven and grease and line cake tin.
• Place the flour in a large bowl, dice the butter, and rub into the flour until the mixture is like bread crumbs (this can also be done in a food processor, but the mix would need to be transferred to a mixing bowl).
• Dice the marzipan into 1cm cubes and stir into the flour mix with the sugar.
• Stir the mincemeat into the beaten eggs, and stir this into the flour mix.
• Spoon into the tin, smooth, and sprinkle with a few flaked almonds.
• Bake for approx 1 hour, until golden, and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Cool before removing from tin and peeling off lining paper
• Dust with icing sugar to serve

We were delighted recently to be offered the opportunity for a full page of editorial in Berkhamsted Life Magazine and its associated publications.

This article subsequently featured in six editions of the Buckinghamshire & Chilterns group magazines.  You can read the full article here.

I have adapted a cake recipe to make what has become a seasonal favourite at Beechwood.

Cuts into 12-16 pieces.

Cake Ingredients

225g butter, softened
450g Bramley apples
225g light muscovado sugar
3 large eggs
225g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder

For the Topping

50g butter, softened
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
20ml golden syrup (1 large tbsp)
200g unrefined golden icing sugar (normal will do)
23cm round spring form tin greased and lined

Oven 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C

How to make it

• Using an electric hand whisk, cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
• Sift the flour and the baking powder into the bowl and fold in.
• Peel, core and cut the apples into 1cm pieces then stir into the mixture.
• Spoon into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top.
• Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until well-risen, brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If the cake starts to look a little too brown, reduce the oven temperature slightly and extend the cooking time. Take care opening the oven before the cooking time is up as this cake has a tendency to sink in the middle!
• Leave to cool in the tin.
• Make the toffee fudge butter icing by melting the butter, milk, muscovado sugar and syrup in a small pan. Beat in the sifted icing sugar. Spread over the top of the cooled cake and serve.

It can be quite tricky to find flapjacks with just the right crunchy edges and sticky middle. I have found this to be a great basic recipe. You can add flavours of your choice; I have made a few suggestions below.

Cuts into 12-16 pieces.

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter
200g light muscovado sugar
200g golden syrup
250g porridge oats
150g jumbo porridge oats

20 x 30cm tin greased and lined

Oven 190C/Gas 5/fan oven 170C

How to make it

• Melt butter, sugar and syrup in a large saucepan.
• Stir in oats until evenly coated.
• Spoon into the prepared tin, and spread evenly.
• Bake for 15 minutes and check. Turn the tin if necessary and continue cooking checking every 5 minutes. The edges will brown first, but you need the middle to be golden too. Turn the oven temperature down if necessary. As ovens vary it may take a couple of goes before you get the temperature and timing just right for the flapjack you want.
• Cool completely before removing from the tin; flapjack is quite fragile until fully cooled.

Variations

Orange & Sultana

Add the grated zest of 1 orange and 100g sultanas to the mix

Marmalade & Walnut

Add 2 tbsp orange marmalade and 100g chopped walnuts to the mix

Maple & Pecan

Use maple ‘flavoured’ golden syrup (pure maple syrup would be too thin and very expensive) and add 100g chopped pecan nuts to the mix

Toby and Sarah Murray, owners of the café deli – Beechwood Fine Foods – based in Tring Hertfordshire have announced a new addition to their range of produce: ‘Beechwood Country Preserves’.

Beechwood Country Preserves is the deli’s own-brand of preserves and chutneys produced at the farm shop in Tring.  All preserves are made on-site, using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible, many from Grove Farm in Ivinghoe.  Initially the range consisted of just five products: Piccalilli, Old Doverhouse Chutney, Raspberry Jam, Victoria Plum Jam and Blackcurrant Jam.

The range now extends to 11 preserves, the most recent additions being ‘Cherry & Berry’ and ‘Curried Apple & Date’.  Sarah is continuing to develop many new recipes and combinations including one using beer from Tring Brewery, which will be available to purchase early October.

“Sarah personally makes small batches at a time and they are proving very successful,” said Toby.  “At the Bucks County show recently held at Weedon near Aylesbury, our savoury ‘Old Doverhouse Chutney’ and ‘Curried Apple & Date’ proved runaway successes, as did our ‘Victoria Plum Jam’ and ‘Summer Berry’ for those with a sweeter tooth.

For further information, visit www.beechwoodfinefoods.com or contact Toby and Sarah Murray on tel: 01442 828812.

Ends

Note to editors:

In addition to their homemade cakes, ice cream sundaes and Fairtrade coffee, to eat in or takeaway, the essence of Beechwood Fine Foods is their love of British and locally sourced produce, including cheese, hams, freshly baked bread, soups, herbs and relishes.  Beechwood also sell a range of gifts such as scented candles, chocolates, hampers and greeting cards and are the appointed Box Office for the Court Theatre.