Sweet Stuff

Blue n Purple Frozen Fruit Salad

berries This is brilliant for when fresh fruit is out of season and it also keeps well in the fridge for days (and impresses dinner guests!)

1 large tin Black Doris Plums
1 packet frozen blueberries/raspberries/boysenberries or mixed berries
fresh fruit if desired (do NOT use bananas) - red or purple fruit is best e.g. strawberries, grapes, plums

Open tin of plums, remove stones and cut into bite size pieces.
Put juice & plums in attractive dish
Add frozen fruit and mix. Leave to defrost in fridge for a few hours for icy cold puddy.
Just before serving add sliced fresh fruit if required.

Great for hot summer nights & on top of your favourite cereal.

Great for Christmas nibbles

Over a gentle heat cook the almonds and sugar until the sugar melts and darkens. This takes a long time and requires almost constant strirring or it will burn and stick. You will know that its ready when a drop dropped into cold water hardens rapidly
Drop spoonfuls onto an oiled tray - the toffee should harden rapdily (if it doesn't you can scrape it back into the pot and cook a bit more).
Once it's cool, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and dip one end of each toffee into it and put back on the tray to cool

Ingredients:

Sift flour & salt & make a well in the centre
Drop in egg and stir lightly (a hand whisk will do the job really well) adding half the milk GRADUALLY - otherwise it’ll go really lumpy. Beat for about 5 mins (if your wrist can take it)
Add remainder of milk & if you’re not in a hurry leave the mixture to stand for about 30 mins in a cool place
Heat a very small knob of butter in (non-stick)fry pan and pour in enough batter to thinly cover the bottom of the pan. Turn heat down to medium.
Cook till lightly brown, loosen edges and TOSS.
Cook other side.

Tastes great with just a squeeze of lemon juice and dollop of your favourite ice-cream.

For the cake

What to do

Heat oven @ 160
Grease, flour and line 24 cm cake tin (preferably one of the spring variety so cake pings out easily)
Mix water, butter, chocolate and sugar in saucepan and stir on low heat until sugar dissolves. Allow to cool to room temp.
Sift together flour & cocoa (make sure you do this coz it IS IMPORTANT!!) and GENTLY stir into cooled saucepan mixture
Finally, lightly whisk in the eggs & vanilla essence
Pour into cake tin & bake for about an hour (if you’re not sure if it’s cooked, get a fine bladed knife and stick it in the cake. If it comes out clean with no raw cake mixture on it - it’s cooked!)
Leave to cool a bit and then run knife round edge of tin and gently turn out onto plate

And For the Best-ever Gooey Icing:

Melt chocolate - CAREFULLY (if you burn it, you’ll destroy everything!!) either in a bowl over hot water or gently in a saucepan or microwave.
Add sour cream and mix to a smooth paste and pour over cake.

Melt chocky and peanut butter together in large saucepan, stir until smooth & remove from heat
Add rice bubbles & marshmallows & mix well
Press mixture into buttered 8-inch square pan
Chill in fridge until firm
Scoff & enjoy