Fruit compote

Getting your five a day isn't always easy, so anything nice that helps boost your intake can't be all bad.

There were some nectarines that had seen better days, there was also some dried fruit and the tail end of a bottle of cooking brandy. Start by simmering some water and a glug of brandy in a small pan with some dried fruit. (I used dates and raisins and dried pineapple) As you simmer you'll notice that it starts to form a sort of syrup. Continue to simmer until the juice thickens and the fruit plumps up.

While it's cooking cut up the nectarines into eighths. (Peaches would do, apricots, any soft fruit really.) Add the pieces to the pan and cook for about another minute until they soften slightly. Crumble some walnuts on top.

Take off the heat. Cover. Serve cold with ice cream or cream.

Rhubarb season

You're all aware that I'm a Yorkshire lass, right? And there are plenty of yummy things that come out of Yorkshire: the best fish and chips in the world, Yorkshire pudding; Taylor's of Harrogate tea; Betty's chocolate cake; lots of stuff. But at this time of the year it's rhubarb. It's a vegetable - yes it is! - that grows profusely in a triangle of the world based around Wakefield. This time of year it's forced (that means it's kept in the dark to make it grow quickly and tall and sweet) and it's sometimes called champagne rhubarb.  The best thing you can do with it is turn it into crumble:

4oz self raising flour
2oz butter or margarine
2oz sugar (or sweetener equivalent) plus about a tablespoonful for the rhubarb
3 or 4 sticks of rhubarb

Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs (that means using your fingertips, a bit like you would if you were snapping your fingers, to mix the fat into the flour) then stir in the sugar.  Wash and trim the rhubarb to get rid of any leafy bits and the weird shaped bits at the bottom. Cut it into 1" lengths and put it into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle a bit more sugar over the rhubarb. Pile the crumble on the top and put it in a preheated oven (200C)  for 20-30 minutes until it's browned on top. Serve with custard.

Auntie Anne's quick steamed sponge pudding

You remember those gorgeous gooey sponge puddings you used to have when you were little? Well they haven't gone away.
What's gone is the old way of making them. Back in the day you used to have to plan about three hours in advance because they needed hours to steam. Not so any more.
And if you insist on using those nasty gram things you can work out the maths yourself!

Home made jam - perfect for sponge pudding!

You will need:

3 oz self raising flour
1.5 oz white bread crumbs
Pinch of salt
Teaspoon of baking powder
2 oz margarine (low fat spread is fine)
2 oz sugar (or equivalent in substitute if you aren't allowed it)
An egg
A bit of milk

Sift the flour and baking powder and salt together into a bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and sugar and stir.
Rub in the fat. Break the egg into a small dish and beat it a bit with a fork. Add it in and give it a good mix.
Now add the milk a little at a time until you get a mixture that will drop off your spoon easily.
Grease a small bowl or a couple of mugs. Put a large dollop of jam in the bottom and put the pudding mixture on top.
Now stick it in your microwave. If you've got a fancy 1000 watt one it should take about three minutes. If it's less than that, adjust your time accordingly.
The mixture will rise nicely and you'll be able to see when it's cooked.
Turn out the pud onto a plate and add extra jam if you like it very sweet.
Pour custard over it and enjoy.