The Good Food Guide

50 grams butter
2 egg yolks
100 grams icing sugar
Grated rind of ½ orange
350 grams plain chocolate
6 tablespoons strong black tea, cooled
50 grams drinking chocolate powder

Method

-Line a 7 inch shallow square tin with foil or greaseproof paper.
-Beat the butter with the egg yolks and sifted icing sugar until pale and creamy.
-Stir in the grated orange rind.
-Coarsely chop the chocolate and melt in a basin over a pan of hot water.
-Stir the cooled tea and melted chocolate into the butter mixture and pour into the prepared tin.
-Place in the refrigerator to set.
-When firm cut into 1 inch squares and dip in the sifted chocolate powder.

Pastry
225 grams plain flour
1 egg
1-2 tablespoons cold water
100 grams soft butter
Filling
3 medium onions
100 grams smoked or boiled ham
2 tablespoons oil
100 grams Parmesan or Cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 eggs
150 ml double cream
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper

Method
-Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and form a well in the centre.
-Tip the egg and water into the centre, flake the butter round the edge and work all the ingredients together into a dough. Cover in cooking foil and leave to stand in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
-Then roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface and use to line eight 4 inch tartlet cases.
-Prick the bases several times with a fork and bake in a hot oven 220*C for 10 minutes. Leave the tart cases to cool.
-Peel the onions and dice finely, together with the ham.
-Heat the oil and fry the onion until soft, then remove from pan and leave to cool.
-Mix together the onion, ham, grated cheese and parsley and spoon the mixture into the tarts.
-Beat the eggs with the cream, salt and pepper, and pour over the ham and cheese mixture.
-Return the tartlets to the oven, turn the oven to moderately hot 22*C and bake for further 10-12 minutes. Cover with cooking foil if necessary to avoid burning.

50 grams soft butter
100 grams sugar
3 eggs
100 grams plain chocolate
50 grams ground almonds
100 grams self raising flour

Method

-Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
-Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks into the sugar and butter to give a smooth, creamy mixture.
-Break the chocolate into pieces and put the pieces in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Melt the chocolate over low heat.
-Stir the melted chocolate, sifted flour and ground almonds into the creamy mixture to give a dropping consistency.
-Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold them slowly into the mixture.
-Grease a pudding basin with butter and fill with the mixture.
-Cover and stand the basin in gently boiling water to come two thirds of the way up the basin. Boil for 2 ½ hours. Alternatively, cook the sponge in a steamer.
-Turn the chocolate sponge out on to a plate and serve hot.
-Serve with vanilla flavoured whipped cream and strawberries.

400 grams plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
30 grams butter or margarine cut into flakes
50 grams castor sugar
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
6 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon brandy
Icing sugar to sprinkle
Oil to deep fry

Method

-Sift the flour with the baking powder into a bowl. Dot over the butter.
-Add the sugar, salt, eggs, milk and brandy, and knead all the ingredients to a smooth dough.
-Heat the oil for frying to 180*C.
-Roll out the dough on to a floured board to 3 mm thick and cut into 3.5 cm squares.
-Add few fritters at a time to the hot oil and fry for 4-6 minutes until golden; turn halfway through cooking with a draining spoon.
-Lift out the fritters when cooked and drain on absorbent paper.
-Sift icing sugar over them while still warm.

225 grams dates
100 grams almond paste
40 grams pistachio nuts, finely chopped
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Method

-Stone the dates.
-Knead the almond paste with the pistachios and liqueur on a clean surface sprinkled with a little icing sugar.
-Form the marzipan into small balls and dip in the granulated sugar.
-Press the marzipan balls into the stoned dates, mark into ridges with a knife and sprinkle with a little extra sugar.
-Can also be dipped in melted chocolate and served.

300 grams granulated sugar
125 ml boiling water
25 grams butter
125 ml double cream
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar

Method

-Line an 18 cm shallow square tin with foil and brush with oil
-Carefully cook the sugar in a frying pan over a very low heat, stirring continuously until it forms a caramel.
-Gradually add the boiling water, then stir in the butter, cream, and vanilla sugar. Bring this mixture to boiling point and continue to cook until a 116*C is reached.
-Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
-When it begins to set, cut into 1.5cm squares with a sharp pointed knife.
-Separate the sweets so they don’t stick together and leave to cool completely.

500 grams cottage cheese
500 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
150 grams castor sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon chopped almonds
1 tablespoon raisins
2 tablespoons chopped mixed candied fruit
2 tablespoons chopped mixed peel

TOPPING

15 grams butter melted
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar

Method

-Grease a baking tray with butter or margarine and sprinkle with flour.
-Preheat oven to moderately hot (190*C).
-Press the cottage cheese through a sieve or liquidize.
-Sift the flour with the baking powder on to a pastry board and form a well in the centre.
-Add the cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, lemon rind, nuts, fruit and peel.
-Mix to a firm dough, knead lightly and form into a loaf.
-Place on a baking tray and bake for 50-60 minutes.
-Transfer the loaf to a wire cooling rack and brush with melted butter while still hot.
-Mix the icing sugar and vanilla sugar and sift generously over the loaf.

5 egg whites
250 grams icing sugar
225 grams ground almonds
225 grams desiccated coconut
Grated rind of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon rum
Icing sugar to sprinkle
100 grams plain chocolate

Method

-Line a large baking tray with butter paper. Preheat oven to cool (150*C).
-Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold in half the sifted icing sugar and the ground almonds.
-Add the coconut, remaining icing sugar, lemon rind and rum and work altogether to a sticky dough.
-Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle, and pipe walnut sized drops onto the butter paper.
-Sprinkle the macaroons with icing sugar and bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes.
-They should have a golden crust on the outside but remain soft inside.
-Allow to cool on a wire rack.
-Melt the chocolate in a basin over hot water and dip a third of each macaroon in it to coat the end. Leave the chocolate to set before serving.

1 chicken (about 1.5 kg)
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
100 grams breadcrumbs
50 grams melted butter

Method

-Set the oven at moderately hot (200*C)
-Cut the chicken into four joints.
-Sift the flour and salt together and use to coat the chicken.
-Beat the egg with the water.
-Coat the chicken with the egg mixture, and then with the breadcrumbs.
-Place the chicken in a roasting tin and sprinkle with the melted butter.
-Bake the chicken in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
-Serve hot.

400 grams cold boiled potatoes
50 grams raisins
2 eggs
25 grams flour
Generous pinch of salt
400 grams curd cheese
5 tablespoons sugar
Grated rind of ½ lemon
4 tablespoons oil
Sugar and ground cinnamon for dusting

Method

-Peel the potatoes and press them through a metal sieve.
-Wash the raisins in hot water and drain.
-Work together the potato, raisins, eggs, flour, salt, curd cheese, sugar and lemon rind to form dough.
-With floured hands shape the mixture into flat cakes, 2 inches in diameter.
-Set the oven to very cool at 110*C.
-Heat the oil in a frying pan.
-Cook the cakes, a few at a time, for about 8 minutes, until golden brown on both sides.
-Keep the cooked cakes warm in the oven.
-Mix together a little sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle the cakes on both sides.
-Serve with any stewed fruit.