Easiest Ever Vanilla Fudge

This fudge is great. You have all the ingredients in the house already and don't need to go to the corner shop in the rain looking for a large tin of condensed milk as you would for most other fudges. You can make it right now as long as you've got a sugar thermometer or don't mind taking a risk.

Makes enough for 2 last-minute Christmas Eve gift bags
350g golden cater sugar
300ml whole milk (would probably work with semi-skimmed too)
100g butter
few drops of vanilla extract

1 Place the milk, sugar and butter in a pan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves. You get a better end texture if you make sure all the sure has dissolved before you start to boil the mixture.

2 Bring to the boil and bubble vigorously for 20 minutes, stirring regularly until it reaches past 116C on the sugar thermometer. This is the soft ball stage, if you don't have a thermometer, drop a spot into a cup of cold water and see if sets squidgily for you.

3 Turn off the heat and beat in the vanilla extract, keep stirring for about 5 minutes until the fudge starts to thicken.Pour into a buttered or lined non-stick tin (I used a small square one but it depends on how thick you want your fudge).

4 Leave it to set for a few hours, if you remember, mark out the little squares with a knife before it's fully set - we forgot to so the surface wrinkled a little but was otherwise fine. Cut into squares, pack into gift boxes or cellophane bags.

Jamaican Ginger Cake

Thanks to all this damp and misty weather, Landcroft House is currently going through an afternoon tea and cake obsession. Here's today's simple offering. I like the last minute addition of a sticky orange glaze but it isn't very authentic and traditional Jamaican ginger cake often has grated root ginger in for a bit of heat - try adding some if you fancy it.
Serves 10
175g butter
175g light brown or muscovado sugar
175g black treacle
250g plain flour
11/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 - 3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
200ml milk
2 eggs
finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
50g caster sugar

1 Preheat the oven to 180C / Gas 4. Melt then butter, brown sugar and treacle together in a pan.
Scrape into a bowl and add the flour, bicarb, spices, milk, eggs and orange zest and beat with a hand-held whisk for a couple of minutes until smooth.

2 Pour into a lined tin (mine was 20cm x 26cm) and bake for 30 - 40 minutes.

3 While the cake is baking, squeeze the orange juice into a small bowl, add the caster sugar, stir well together and set aside.

4 Take the cake out of the oven, drizzle over the orange sugar and leave to cool before cutting.

Child-friendly Cucumber Sushi

Cucumber rolls are a good introduction to sushi. They're enjoyable to make and there's nothing in them even the terrible two year old could object to eating. This will be us next week !

Serves 2
150g sushi rice
1 tbsp rice vinegar
large pinch caster sugar
5cm piece cucumber, cut into batons
2 sheets nori seaweed
1 tbsp sesame seeds
sweet soy sauce

1 Put the rice in a small pan with 300ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Stir in the vinegar and sugar, cover and leave to cool completely.

2 Divide the rice between the 2 sheets of nori, spreading it out evenly over the seaweed but leave a 1cm clear border at the bottom. and 3cm at the top. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the rice then lay the cucumber batons across the centre.

3 Fold the bottom edge of the seaweed over the filling then roll it up firmly. Dampen the top border with a little water to help it to seal the roll. Continue with the second roll then wrap them individually in cling film and chill until ready to serve.

4 Using a serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 rounds. Serve with sweet soy sauce for dipping.

Fishy Fingers

Makes 12
250g skinless, boneless white fish
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
6 tbsp bread crumbs
2 tbsp plain flour
1 egg, beaten
olive oil, for shallow frying

1 Cut the fish into chunky fingers.

2 Mix together the cheese and breadcrumbs.

3 Dip the fish first in the flour, then the egg and finally the cheesy crumbs.

4 Heat some oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Cook the fish fingers for 5 - 8 minutes until crunchy and dark golden.

Squashy Marshmallows

This is not one for children to attempt on their own as it involves boiling sugar but the finished marshmallows are so much yummier than commercial ones, they're really worth having a go. The liquid glucose is not strictly necessary but is an insurance against the sugar crystalising and you having to start all over again.

Makes 100
30g icing sugar
30g cornflour
9 sheets gelatine
450g granulated sugar
1 tbsp liquid glucose
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Line a 20cm x 30cm tin with baking paper.

2 Sift together the icing sugar and cornflour and sprinkle half into the tin.

3 Put the gelatine into a large glass jug with 150ml water and set aside.

4 Put the sugar, glucose and 200ml of water into a pan and bring gently to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes without stirring until the syrup reaches 125C on a thermometer.

5 Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until stiff.

6 Take the syrup off the heat and let the bubbles subside. Carefully pour the syrup into the gelatine jug and mix well.

7 With the beaters switched on, steadily pour in the hot syrup and the vanilla. The mixture will slacked but keep whisking on full speed (5 - 10 minutes) and once it's nicely thickened, pour into the prepared tin. Leave to set for a couple of hours.

8 Peel off the parchment and cut into squers, rolling them in the reserved icing sugar mixture. Store in an airtight container.

Summer School - Buttermilk Pancakes

Given a choice between two pages from a writing workbook or to cook a dish and write up a recipe every day, Fabio has chosen the second option. Say hello, to the Landcroft House cookery school for seven year olds. So far, we have made toad in the hole, fruit smoothies, chorizo omlettes, chocolate chip cookies and fresh pesto (not used any knives yet...)
Today, buttermilk pancakes for breakfast

Makes a lot
You could halve the recipe but then you're left with half a pot of buttermilk you'll never use. Any leftover pancakes can be toasted tomorrow.
250g self raising flour
3 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
100ml milk
2 eggs
284ml buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp melted butter
sunflower oil
butter and maple syrup, to serve

1 In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder.

2 Pour the milk into a jug, crack in the eggs and beat well. Whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla and butter then mix into the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter.

3 Pour a tiny bit of oil into a large, non-stick frying pan and cook spoonfuls for a minute or 2 on each side until puffed and golden brown. Eat with butter and maple syrup - also good with a handful of blueberries or some sausages.

Limoncello

The 4 litres of limoncello I made in July ready for Christmas have now mostly been drunk. To be honest it only takes three weeks to make so I was a bit ahead of myself really and anyway I needed the bottles emptying so they could be ready again for this new batch.
I work on an equal quantities method (equal sugar to water for the syrup then equal syrup to vodka) but you can adjust yours, even each bottle, depending on how you like it and who you're giving it too. I serve mine with Prosecco, Kir Royale style before lunch and with ice after dinner.
Makes 2 litres
1 litre of basic vodka
5 unwaxed (preferably organic) lemons
500g caster sugar
500g boiling water

1 Peel the lemons using a swivel-style peeler. Scrape off any white pith, turn the radio on and sit comfortably at the kitchen table as this bit does take ages but it's very important as the pith will make the limoncello taste bitter.

2 Place the peel in a 2 litre kilner jar and pour in the vodka. Leave in a cupboard for a week, shaking the jar every day.

3 Put the sugar in a heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water, stir until the sugar dissolves then leave until completely cool.

4 Stir the syrup into the vodka, seal the lid and leave for at least another two weeks, again shaking every day or two if you remember. Taste the limoncello at this stage and sweeten with more syrup or top up more vodka as suits your taste then strain into bottles. Pop one in the fridge and keep the rest on the shelf or give as gifts.

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Suddenly Baby turned one this week. Don't know how it happened so quickly but there we are. As she doesn't have any friends yet, she had to have her cake in the middle of Scrap's Hallowe'en party, in amongst the bats and the eyeball jellies. Not that she noticed.
This is a good chocolate cake for kids as it's very light and not actually very chocolatey and I find that it suits those below five better that way. It's basically a big red velvet cupcake but a lot easier and without all the unnecessary red food colouring.

Serves 18 - 20
300g caster sugar
120g butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
280ml carton of buttermilk
25g cocoa powder
300ml plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tbsp wine vinegar
sprinkles, to decorate
FOR THE FROSTING
600g icing sugar
150g butter
200g soft cheese
75g milk chocolate, chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 170C / Gas 3. Using an electric whisk, beat the sugar and butter together until soft and pale - this takes a while and once you've had enough of whisking add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla and buttermilk then cocoa and flour. Add the bicarb and vinegar and whisk again for a couple of minutes until light and voluminous.

2 Divide between three buttered and lined 20cm cake tins and bake for 25 minutes. Lift onto wire racks and leave to cool.

3 Whisk together the icing sugar and butter - I find it easier to add the icing sugar a bit at a time so the whole kitchen doesn't get coated in a fine layer of dust. Once it's well beaten, add the soft cheese and whisk again - don't over beat at this stage or the icing can start to over-soften.

4 Take a third of the mixture and stir in the chopped ch0colate, use this to sandwhich the cakes toegther then swirl the rest of the icing all over. Decorate with sprinkles (I cut a heart out of a piece of paper and used as a template) and leave to set. Happy Birthday!

Sweet Potato & Goats Cheese Tarts

These are nice - they're easy to make, they're packed with goodness and they taste yum. Eat hot from the oven or wrap and pack in your bag.
Makes 6
2 small sweet potatoes
375g sheet ready rolled puff pastry
2 tbsp sun dried tomato paste or red pesto
handful baby tomatoes, halved
100g goats cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
drizzle of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas 6. Bake the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes or so until just about cooked through but not soft. Peel and slice.

Meanwhile, cut the pastry into six rectangles. Spread the the pastry with the sun dried tomato paste and top with the sliced sweet potato. Scatter with the tomatoes, cheese, pumpkin seeds and finally a drizzle of oil. Bake for 20 minutes until puffed and dark golden.

The Bellenden Bun Fight

Your local charity bake-off is back! You have exactly two weeks to get your jams, jellies, biscuits and scones up to scratch. This season's Classic Cake category is The Lemon Drizzle. We have brilliant prizes courtesy of our friends at delicious and yours truly is in charge of the judging panel! Hurrah!
More details here.

Hannah Jones' Prize-Winning Chocolate Ginger Biscuits

225g soft unsalted butter

110g caster sugar

275g plain flour

25g crystallised ginger

200g bar dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 170C. Cream the butter, then add in the sugar and beat until pale and soft. Chop the ginger into small pieces and mix it with the flour. Add the ginger and flour to the sugar and butter and mix until you have a dough.

Break off walnut-sized balls and roll in your hands until smooth. Place on a baking tray and press into them with the back of a fork to pattern 'n' flatten. Bake for around 15 minutes or until they are nice and golden brown. Near the end of the cooking time, watch them obsessively so you don't miss the optimum colour, as biscuits are sly and will burn on you in a second.

Take them out of the oven and immediately transfer them from the tray to a wire rack. When they're cold, melt the chocolate in a bowl. You will have far more chocolate than you need, but melting a large quantity makes it much easier to coat the biscuits smoothly. Dip the biscuits halfway into the chocolate, gently combing off any drips or runners with a teaspoon. Leave on greaseproof paper until the chocolate has set.

Jellied Ham

My grandma used to have us screaming from the kitchen when she made this using a whole pig's head. I kid myself I can remember back to my childhood and what it tasted like though in reality, I'm sure I never was brave enough to even try it. She had enough natural gelatine from the head to make her 'jelly meat' set very firmly but I add a few extra leaves to make sure I get a good wobble. Following her lead, I set it in a bowl and scoop it out rather than in a classic terrine which is turned out and carefully sliced but you can do that, if you prefer.

Serves 4
1.5kg unsmoked gammon knuckle
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
few parsley stalks
few peppercorns/star anise/cloves/whatever whole spices you like
sprig of rosemary/thyme/bay leaf
4 sheets of leaf gelatine
5 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp capers
2 bunches of parsley, finely chopped

Place the gammon and the flavourings in a large pan, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 - 21/2 hours until the meat is fully cooked through, skimming the surface from time to time to help keep the stock clear.

Strain through a colander into a large bowl. Set the gammon on a board and leave to cool. Line a fine sieve with some muslin and pour through the stock. If it's a little cloudy, rinse out the muslin and pass it through again. Pour 750 ml into a pan (use the remainder of the stock and bit of the gammon for a classic pea soup) and bring to the boil then turn off the heat, stir in the vinegar and leave to cool a little.

Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes.

Cut the fat away from the gammon then tear or chop the meat into small pieces. Place in a serving bowl with the capers and parsley.

Squeeze the water out of the gelatine and stir into the hot but not boiling stock. Once dissolved, pour over the ham. Mix gently together, leave to cool then cover and chill overnight. Serve with stacks of hot, buttered toast.

Preserved Lemons

It's Scrap's school summer fair tomorrow and somehow, I am in charge of the cafe. We've got a barbecue, home-made scones and cakes, organic strawberries and cream and a very carefully planned rota. The stand I always wish I could work on (apart from whack-the-rat) is the home produce - this year, as well as my usual cheat's jam, and Scrap's elderflower cordial, I've made them some preserved lemons, small jars each with one whole lemon in. They take a least a month to soften so give yourself a bit more time than I did, if you've got a deadline.

Place a tablespoon of coarse sea salt in some small, sterilized jars. Quarter the lemons but don't cut through the base so they remain joined. Sprinkle a tablespoon of salt into each lemon then press it back into shape. Push a lemon into each jar and tuck in some dried herbs and whole spices. Top up with freshly squeezed lemon juice (I had plenty left over from making Limoncello, I'll post the recipe next week). Leave for 6 weeks, turning every once in a while.

Baby's Oatcakes

8 months old and still no teeth, Baby's gums are giving her gip. Oatcakes take minutes to make and are good for gnawing. Add salt, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, cumin seeds or grated Parmesan for the grown ups.
Whizz together 120g oats, 100g plain flour and 80g unsalted butter. When well blended add 4 tablespoons of cold water to make a firm dough. Roll out fairly thinly and bake at 180C / Gas 4 for 10 minutes or so. Cool then keep in an air tight box.

Portuguese Pork And Clams

We eat here a lot and one or other of us always orders the pork and clams. This is my home-made attempt at it and it's not bad but not quite as good as theirs. But they are from Portugal and I am from Derby, so what can you expect?

Serves 4
500g pork fillet, diced
1 smallish glass of rose or white wine
2 garlic cloves, halved
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500g live clams
large bunch of parsley, chopped

In a large non-reactive bowl, mix together the pork, wine, halved garlic cloves and paprika. Mix well together, cover and chill for 2 - 8 hours. Drain the pork, keeping the marinating liquid, and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Heat the oil in a saute pan and cook the pork over a high heat until nicely browned and cooked through. Remove with slotted spoon. Add the onion and chopped garlic to the pan and cook for a few minutes until softened.

Return the pork to the pan, add the marinade (ditch the halved garlic cloves) and bring to a simmer. Scatter over the clams, cover and cook for a few minutes until all the shells have opened, Stir through the parsley and serve swiftly.

Poached Sea Trout

Apparently, they're only around for about three weeks and they were on special offer at £13.50 a kilo instead of the usual £20 and although I already had a whole shoulder of lamb, a large free range chicken and a lot of sausages tucked under the buggy, I bought one (£12.10). And a pot of Moxon's home-made extra-virgin rapeseed oil mayonnaise to go with it.
Generally, I'm not keen on trout, it's a dirty, muddy-tasting fish but the sea trout is like a softer, more delicate salmon so I thought I'd cook it the same way and poach it whole. Old-fashioned I know but gorgeous served chilled with a proper spring salad of asparagus and young watercress. Any leftover fish (and we did have some) can be mashed into mayonnaise with a bit of soft cheese and spread onto hot granary toast for tea.
Serves 4
1 whole sea trout, (or salmon) cleaned
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
few parsley stalks
1 chilli
1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)
a few allspice berries
2 tsp sea salt
lemon wedges and mayonnaise, to serve
Place the fish in a roasting tin (or fish kettle if you have one). Scatter over the onion, carrot, celery, parsley stalks, chilli, bay leaf, berries and salt. Just cover with cold water, set it over two rings of your hob and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes then turn off the heat and leave to cool completely. Skin and de-bone then chill until ready to serve. A lovely weekend lunch!

Baby-Friendly Frittata

We're at the 'stuff everything you can grab into your mouth' stage with baby this week. The lovingly steamed butternut puree rarely gets close to her mouth before she's yanked the spoon off me and shoved it into her ear. Despite my best efforts with a damp flannel, she trundles through East Dulwich with her wispy hair plastered to her head in various veggie shades of green and orange. So now I'm introducing food she can hold herself and gum away at without causing too much destruction. Frittata seemed to be a good place start (its easy to sweep up) and Scrap went for it too and with a few sticky chipolatas on the side, he didn't notice the complete lack of seasoning.
Serves 2 - 3
1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
handful of fine green beans, halved
4 Clarence Court eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
chunk of Cheddar, diced

Add the potato to a small pan of cold water and bring to the boil. When almost done, add the beans and cook for 4 minutes until just tender then drain.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl and stir in the drained veg. Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan and pour in the mixture. Scatter over the cheese and cook very slowly until set almost all the way through.

Pop the pan under a medium, preheated grill for a few minutes until golden and completely cooked through. Cut into fingers or wedges and serve warm or cold.

Crispy Fried Salt Cod (Spanish Style)

I love salt cod but almost always make it into fritters and serve with loads of alioli. This recipe is based on the classic Basque dish bacalao al ajoarriero where the fish is usually flaked into the sauce. I like to keep the pieces whole and serve the sauce on the side. Make sure you get nice thick cod loin not the tail ends and remember to change the soaking water 3 - 4 times otherwise the fish will still be overly salty.
Serves 4
600g salt cod, cut into pieces and soaked for 24 hours
olive oil
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
2 - 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lemon, cut into wedges
roughly chopped parsley

Cook the fish in a pan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

Heat 2cm or so of olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the garlic and chilli for few seconds until golden. Tip into a bowl then quickly lift out the chilli and garlic with a fork and drain on kitchen paper. Spoon a tablespoon or two of the oil back into the hot pan (keep the rest of the chilli-garlic oil and use for frying eggs or whatever you like).

Fry the fish in the hot pan for 5 minutes or so on each side until crispy and golden. Fry the lemon wedges at the same time. Place the fish on plates, scatter with the garlic, chilli and parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Tomato and egg sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 eggs, beaten

Heat the oil in a small pan and cook the onion for a few minutes until softened. Add the paprika, cook for a minute more. Add the tomatoes and simmer together for 15 minutes or so until pulpy. Whizz with a hand blender until smooth then return to the heat and mix in the beaten eggs, stirring for a couple of minutes or so until the egg is cooked and the suace has a lovely velvety texture.

Winter Carrot Cake

This cake really is for idiots - there's no technique required, not even any vigorous whisking, just a bit of grating and stirring and it turns out beautifully. Top with traditional frosting or just mix together the juice and zest of a clementine and a bit of icing sugar and drizzle over the top.
It sets rather firmly so it's good for baking and taking.
Enough for 8
200g coarsely grated carrot
100g sultanas
250g self raising flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
2 tsp baking powder
150g light muscovado sugar
150ml vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 160 C / Gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm spring form tin and sit it on a baking sheet. Mix together all the ingredients and spoon into the tin. Level off the surface and bake for an hour or so until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for a few minutes then turn onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

Toad In The Hole

Had your barbecue lit much this month? Nope, us neither. Here's a nice warming supper dish for you.

Wrap the sausages in streaky bacon first if you've got some.

Serves 3
splash of olive oil
6 fat and herby pork sausages
100g plain flour
bit of English mustard powder or 1 tbsp wholegrain
1 egg
150ml milk
150ml water

Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas 6. Place the sausages and oil in a small ovenproof dish - metal is probably best as it will rise more easily and not stick to the sides. Roast for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the flour and mustard in a bowl with a bit of salt and pepper and make a well in the centre. Crack in the egg then gradually beat and in the liquid to make a smoothish batter.

Pour round the hot sausages and bake for 30 - 40 miutes until cirps and golden brown. Serve sizzling.

Summer Berry Jam

I am not very good at jam making really. I think it's a tricky business, it usually takes ages and there's always a risk it might not set properly. But if, like me, you've agreed to contribute to the school summer fair and you're not a natural, make your jam as foolproof as possible - this method takes about 15 minutes. Especially simple if you use frozen summer berries (currently £5 for 3 x 500g bags in Sainsbury's). It's a bit on the sweet side but it definitely sets.

Makes about 8 jars
1.5kg prepared summer berries
4 star anise
1 tsp black peppercorns
2kg jam sugar

Place the fruit in a large pan and heat gently to warm it through and get the juices flowing. Add the spices and sugar and heat gently until the sugar completely dissolves. Bring to the boil and once on a full rollling boil, set the timer for 5 minutes. Leave to cool a little then use a big jug to pour into hot-from-the-dishwasher jam jars.