Opening times
2012

25g /1oz soft butter
350g/ 12oz plain flour
2 tbsp baking powder
150g/ 5oz shredded suet
75g/ 3oz caster sugar
150g/5oz currants
25g/1oz butter melted
Zest & juice 2 lemons
1 egg
150ml/5floz milk
150ml/5floz double cream

Butter a piece of greaseproof paper with the soft butter measuring about 60cm sq.
Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl, add the melted butter.
Stir in the lemon juice & zest, egg then slowly add the milk & cream until a dropping consistency is reached.
Spoon the mixture into the paper and roll up into a sausage shape about 6cm in diameter. Don’t roll it too tight as the pudding will rise during cooking.
Tie at the ends with string and place into a steamer fitted with a lid and steam for about 1¼ hours.
Serve with lashings of hot custard or as my grandmother used to serve it with plain butter or a sprinkling of sugar.

250ml / 9floz full fat milk
125ml /4flozdouble cream
60g/2½oz caster sugar
1 tbsp corn flour
35g/1½oz cocoa powder
2 tbsp hot water
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g/2½oz dark chocolate (minimum 70% Cocoa solids) finely chopped

Put kettle on. Warm cream & milk together in a pan or in microwave.
Put sugar & cornflour into another pan and sieve in cocoa powder. Add the 2 tbsp boiling water and mix to a smooth paste.
Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the warmed milk, then add vanilla.
Over a low heat whisk and cook the mixture for about 5 minutes until it thickens to a mayonnaise like consistency.
Take off the heat and whisk in the finely chopped chocolate. Spoon into 4 or 6 small glasses or demi-tasse cups.
Cover with cling film allowing the film to rest on the chocolate surface, this prevents a skin forming. Chill.

400g/14oz strawberries
25g/1oz butter
2tbsp caster sugar
150ml/5floz red wine
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Fresh ground black pepper

Hull strawberries and cut in half.
Melt butter in pan, stir in strawberries.
Sprinkle in sugar & stir until bubbling.
Stir in red wine & allow to boil for 30 seconds.
Using a draining spoon remove strawberries.
Boil the juice left in the pan for a further 3-4 minutes to reduce the quantity by half.
Add the balsamic vinegar & black pepper, remove the pan from the heat.
Spoon the hot sauce over the strawberries and serve immediately with cream, ice cream, shortbread or pannacotta.

300ml/10floz double cream
300ml/10floz full fat milk
100g/4oz caster sugar
1 packet powdered gelatine
2 tbsp cold water
1 vanilla pod

Place cream, milk and sugar into a saucepan with the vanilla pod whole, heat on a low heat until just below boiling point.
Dissolve the gelatine in the 2 tbsp of water , stir and place in microwave for 30 seconds, stir again, do not allow to boil. If no microwave dissolve in a bowl over a pan of boiling water.
Remove the vanilla pod and whisk gelatine into the cream/milk.
Slit the pod lengthways then scrape out the vanilla seeds with the point of the knife, add to the cream mixture and whisk again.
Pour into moulds, allow to cool at room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator. The secret of a good pannacotta is the wobble factor!

For the pastry:
250g/9oz plain flour
75g/3oz icing sugar
¾tsp ground ginger
175g/6oz butter
1 egg + 1tbsp cold water

For the filling:
350g/12oz rhubarb trimmed
120g/4½oz sugar
3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped finely
400ml/¾pint cream
6 egg yolks
2 tbsp honey
3 pieces of stem ginger in syrup, chopped
Juice of ½ lemon

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Make pastry as for shortcrust:
Sieve flours & ginger into a bowl and rub in butter until resembles breadcrumbs.
Beat egg with water and add a little a time to the flour until it binds together. Knead lightly and place in fridge for 10 minutes.
Lightly grease a 30cm/12inch fluted tart tin.
Roll pastry out being careful not to stretch it too much and line the tart tin allow to rest in fridge for a further 30 minutes.

Cut rhubarb into 2cm chunks and place in a pan with the ginger and sugar. Cook for about 8 minutes until just soft. Add a little water if necessary.
Mix the eggs, cream, honey, lemon juice & ginger together.
Put the rhubarb into the pastry case and pour in the cream mixture.
Bake for at 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2 for about 50 minutes until the centre is firm and a light golden brown colour.
Serve with saffron cream—dry fry a few strands of saffron until just turning a darker colour, crush in a pestle & mortar. Add to 150ml/¼pint cream, leave in for at least an hour best overnight to allow the colour to infuse.

For the pudding:
200g/7oz self raising flour
¼tsp bicarbonate of soda
½tsp salt
75g/3oz butter
175g/6oz dark brown sugar
2 eggs beaten
450g/1lb bananas, mashed
100g/4oz pecan nuts chopped coarsely

For the toffee sauce:
4 tbsp granulated sugar
75g/3oz butter
300ml/½ pint cream

Preheat oven 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4
Grease & line a tin about 15cm/6 inch square.
Sift flour, bicarb & salt into a bowl.
Cream the butter & sugar until pale & creamy and add egg a little at a time.
Add the bananas and mix well.
Stir in flour & nuts.
Put into the tin and bake for about 1 hr
until well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Turn out onto a wire cooling rack and allow to cool before cutting into portions.

Put the sugar into a heavy based saucepan and heat until the sugar melts and turns a nutty brown colour.
The depth of the colour at this stage will determine a toffee sauce or a butterscotch sauce.
Add the butter and stir until melted.
Then add the cream and allow to simmer gently until all the ingredients are amalgamated.
Serve hot drizzled over the banana pudding and with a scoop of ice cream.