Apple Muffins
Ingredients
250g butter
300g golden caster sugar
675g self-raising flour
675ml buttermilk
300g apples peeled, cored and chopped
Pinch of ground ginger
Method
These delightful light and fluffy muffins are lovely for breakfast as well as a relatively healthy snack at any time.
Line a muffin tin with 16 paper cases. Beat the butter and sugar and fold in the self-raising flour and buttermilk.
Add the apples and a pinch of ground ginger.
Place in the baking oven of the Aga for 25 minutes until the muffins are golden and risen.
Betty's super rich chocolate beetroot cake
You can convince yourself that this beautiful rich chocolate cake is a little bit healthy – it does contain one of your five a day! Cooking time one hour, serves six greedy folk
Ingredients
For the cake
100g (3½oz) drinking chocolate
230g (8oz) self-raising flour
200g (7oz) caster sugar
100g (3½oz) dark chocolate (good quality)
125g (4½oz) unsalted butter
250g (9oz) cooked beetroot (not pickled)
3 large eggs beaten
For the cream cheese frosting
250g (9oz) cream cheese
60g (2oz) unsalted butter
200g (7oz) icing sugar
1tsp of vanilla sugar
A dollop of Betty’s blackcurrant jam
Grated dark and white chocolate to decorate
Method
Grease and line a 20cm deep round cake tin
Sift the drinking chocolate with the self raising flour into a mixing bowl and then mix in the sugar.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl in the simmering oven.
Puree the cooked beetroot in a food processor, then whisk in the beaten eggs
Add the beetroot and the chocolate mixtures to the dry ingredients and mix together thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into the greased lined cake tin and bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean either in a baking oven or in a cake baker in the roasting oven.
Remove from the oven and leave the cake to stand in the tin for ten minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool. Split the cake in half.
To make the filling beat the cream cheese frosting ingredients together until creamy. Spread the cake with a layer of Betty’s blackcurrant jam and half of the cream cheese frosting.
Use the rest of the frosting for the top of the cake and sprinkle with a mix of white and dark chocolate.
Orange in Caramel
Ingredients
6-8 sweet oranges, medium in size
225g sugar (I know!)
300ml water
Method
Remove the outer orange skin with a sharp knife, keeping the roundness of the orange in tact. Cut the skin into very thin, longish pieces, place into a saucepan of water and bring to the boil and then remove. Drain and refresh.
Remove the pith from the oranges, and slice them into fine rounds, discarding any pips that may be lurking. Place the sliced oranges in a glass bowl, in layers.
On the simmering plate of your AGA Cooker, place a heavy bottomed saucepan with half of the water and the sugar, to dissolve slowly. When this has been achieved, boil rapidly until the syrup turns a caramel colour. Remove from the heat and gingerly add the rest of the water, be careful not to splash. Return to the simmering plate to dissolve the caramel gently. Remove and leave to cool before pouring over the oranges. Sprinkle with the orange rind and chill in the fridge. Sweet and not too fattening, as long as you don’t eat it all at one sitting. To make this extra special, you could add 1 tablespoon Contreau.
Elderflower Cordial on the AGA
Ingredients
30 elderflower heads
1.7litres (3pts) boiling water
900g (2lb) caster sugar
50g (2oz) citric acid (available from chemists)
2 unwaxed oranges, sliced
3 unwaxed lemons, sliced
Method
Gently rinse over the elderflowers to remove any dirt or little creatures. Using the Aga kettle, boil three pints water and pour over the sugar in a large mixing bowl and leave to cool. Add the citric acid, the orange and lemon slices, and then the flowers. Leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain through some muslin and transfer to sterilised bottles.
Betty’s Luscious Lemon Curd
Ingredients
100g (4oz) butter
225g (8oz) castor sugar
3 lemons
3 eggs
Method
Place a jam jar in the simmering oven of the AGA. Once it is hot remove from the oven and melt the butter in the jar and return to the simmering oven.
Break the eggs into a bowl and beat the eggs.
In another bowl weigh out the sugar, add the finely grated lemon rind and juice from the lemons.
Once the butter has melted in the jar, add the lemon and sugar then sieve the beaten egg into the jar.
Shake well.
Place in the simmering oven. Check after an hour.
To test, coat a wooden spoon in the mixture. Run another implement through it and if the mixture stays parted, it is ready.
Cool and spread over hot buttered toast.