Easy Peasy Shortbread Biscuits

I was always terrible at making biscuits, and after failing several times when I was younger I didn't try for many years. Until my cousin gave me this recipe for these impossible to mess up shortbread biscuits that her Nain (Grandmother in Welsh) gave her. These are only 3 ingredients, so what could go wrong? :) 
I gave them a try and they really were good and gave me the confidence to try other more complicated recipes.
They are perfect for beginners or for baking with the kids. 

Easy Shortbread Biscuits.

Ingredients

190g Plain Flour

125g of Butter (I use salted but you can use unsalted if you prefer)

55g of Caster Sugar (plus extra for dusting)

Instructions

1, Before you start pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gasmark 4.

Cream together the butter and sugar, sift in the flour and mix well, until you have a smooth dough.

2, Transfer to a floured surface and roll out to approximately 1cm thick and cut. I used a round 58mm/2 1/4ins cutter but you can use any size or shape you'd like. Keep rolling and cutting until you've used up all your dough.

3, Place on a tray lined with greaseproof paper and pop in the oven for 15 minutes. Check regularly taking care not to let them turn a golden colour. 

4, When they're baked sprinkle with a little caster sugar and enjoy warm or cold with a nice cup of tea. 

Blackberry, Apple and Chilli Chutney

I made this chutney to use up some of the glut of, apples and chillies I grew this year along with the blacberries OH and I found on our early morning mushroom hunt yesterday.

Blackberry, Apple and Chilli Chutney

Ingredients

1. 500g blackberries
2. 500g apples peeled and finely chopped
3. 1 tbsp vegetable oil
4. 3 heaped tsp mustard seeds
5. 3 chillies, finely chopped or chilli seeds
6. 2 onions peeled and finely chopped
7. 6 garlic cloves roughly chopped
8. 25g root ginger roughly chopped
9. 100ml balsamic vinegar
10. 150ml apple cider vinegar
11. 230g sugar

1. Instructions

1. 1, Before you start wash your jars in warm soapy water and pop into the oven
2. at 140C/120C fan/gas 1 for 10 mins.
3. Put the blackberries in a pan over a gentle and mush with a potato masher.
4. Add the apples. Cook until the fruit is very soft. Push the pulp through a
5. course sieve using the back of a spoon
6. 
   
7. 2, Add the oil to a clean pan and gently heat the mustard seeds until they start
8. to pop, add the onions, garlic, chillies and ginger and cook on a low heat until
9. soft.
10. 
    
11. 3, Add the balsamic and cider vinegar and turn up the heat slowly, then add
12. the sugar and stir until dissolved. 

   4, Add your fruit pulp and simmer until your chutney starts to thicken. Spoon into your prepared jars, seal, label and store in a cool dark place for up to 6 months.

  Enjoy on a cracker with some nice smelly blue cheese, or with a homemade pork pie :-)

Rosehip and Crab Apple Jelly

As everyone does on a cold autumn Sunday morning OH and I decided mushroom picking was the way to go, so we dragged ourselves out of bed donned our fleece and waterproof clothing and ventured out into the wilds of Shropshire.
Our Mushrooming was unsuccessful to say the least (we found one lone field mushroom) fortunately we did manage to get a good crop of Rosehips, Crab Apples and Blackberries, which we weren't really expecting at the end of October, so I decided to try my hand at Rosehip and Crab Apple Jelly and Blackberry, Apple and Chilli Chutney.
I apologise for the lack of photo's, this is my first blag post so I forgot to take photo's as I was going. I will do better next time :)

Rosehip and Crab apple Jelly.

500g Rose Hips
500g Crab Apples (any variety)
1 lemon
1 lime
1 tbsp Honey
1 kg of Sugar (you probably wont use it all)

1, Before you start your jelly, put a saucer in the freezer. wash y6our jars in warm soapy water and pop into the oven at 140C/120C fan/gas 1 for 10 mins.
Thoroughly wash the rosehips and apples. Your rosehips will take a long time to cook, so put them in a pan with water to generously cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 mins, topping up with hot water from the kettle when necessary.

2, Halve the crab apples (no need to peel or core) and pare wide strips of peel from the lemon. Add to the pan, along with the juice from the lemon, add more hot water to cover the fruit. Return to the boil, then simmer for 20 mins until the apples and rosehips are very soft. I mash the fruit slightly with a potato masher at this point, but if you want really clear jelly just leave it whole.

3, Pour the fruit and liquid into a jelly bag and squeeze all the liquid out. if you want a really clear jelly, don't squeeze your jelly bag, leave it overnight to drip through instead.

4, Measure the juice and pour into a large clean pan, this jelly will bubble up the sides. For every litre of juice, add 800g sugar (or 80g sugar per 100g juice). Add the honey and juice from the lime.

5, Bring the mixture slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil hard for 5-15 mins until setting point is reached. You can check the to see if the setting point has been reached by spooning a small amount onto the plate you had in the freezer and running your finger through it. If it's ready the jelly will wrinkle softly. If it doesn't pop your pan back on the heat for a few more minuets and test again.

6, Pour into the prepared jars, seal, label and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

This jelly can be enjoyed with roast meats, cold cuts or with ice cream or cheesecake :)