Tarte Tatin

A French classic which is the ultimate in upside-down desserts. A combination of soft caramelised apples and puff pastry, we are told it originates from the two Tatin sisters who ran a small hotel in the Loire Valley region of France in the late 1800s. It has been adapted by chefs over the years to include other fruit such as plums or pears ... I think apples are best.

This is a recipe I found in my mother's book, scribbled on to a piece of paper by one of my children, presumably for me! I have adapted it slightly. You will need a tarte tatin dish or a 20cm heavy-based ovenproof frying pan

50g unsalted butter

50g light muscovado sugar

1kg dessert apples, cored peeled and quartered

(this is about 5-6 medium sized apples)

approx 300g puff pastry

I used a store bought ready-made all butter puff pastry sheet

Preheat the oven to 200ºC

The first thing to do is to cut a circle out of your pastry, slightly larger than the pan, and place it in the fridge until you're ready to use it.

Put the sugar into your pan with a small amount of water and place on the hob. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and is starting to colour. Take off the heat and add the butter until it melts into the mix. Now add the apples, round side down, filling in any gaps with smaller pieces of apple. Return to the heat and cook gently for 15-20 minutes on a medium heat until the apples have caramelised and are golden. Keep an eye on it as you don't want the sugar to burn. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Take the pastry out of the fridge and carefully place it on top of the apples, tucking the edges in all around the fruit. Prick the top of the pastry a few times to let the steam out and place it in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is crisp and brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning it out onto your serving plate. Serve warm with whipped cream or crème fraîche. Divine!

Sultana Cake

My grandmother's recipe, a simple sponge cake dotted with sultanas. A quick and tasty recipe that is perfect with a cup of afternoon tea.

This recipe makes a large sultana cake so I have halved the amount to suit a 20cm sandwich tin. Or you can do what I did and use two 11cm springform tins. The perfect size for two! This amount makes two small cakes so if you want just one, halve the recipe again.

225g plain flour

110g caster sugar

110g unsalted butter, softened

60g sultanas

2 eggs

½ tsp baking powder

40g peel and grated lemon zest (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200ºC

Line the base of your tin with baking paper.

Sieve the flour and baking powder.

Cream the softened butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time alternating with the flour mixture and beating well. Add the remainder of the flour and then fold in the sultanas, peel and lemon zest, if using.

If you're using small tins, like me, bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. If you're using a sandwich tin, you may need to give it another 10 minutes or so. And if you make the original recipe in a large cake tin, you should give it an hour.

Runner Bean Chutney

Runner beans do not seem an obvious choice for chutney but here’s a recipe I found in my mother’s book given to her by ‘old Joe’s wife’. This is marvellous, has a mild curry flavour and a wonderful yellow tinge thanks to the mustard and turmeric. I have made it over the years when I’ve had a glut of runner beans in the garden.

1 kg runner beans, topped, tailed and sliced

5 medium onions, chopped small

700g demerara sugar

1½ tbsp turmeric

1½ tbsp English mustard powder

1½ tbsp cornflour

900ml cider or white wine vinegar

First of all, sterilise your jars.

Have a look at 'all you need to know about making chutney' if you’re not sure how to do this.

Slice the beans and put them into a saucepan - I have a bean slicer which makes this very easy. Add the chopped onions and cover with water. Cook until tender - about 15 minutes.

Strain and cut everything up quite small. Return to the pan and add the sugar and most of the vinegar, keeping a small amount aside. Boil for 15 minutes.

Mix together the cornflour, turmeric, and mustard powder in a small bowl and blend with the remaining vinegar. Add to the beans mixture and boil for a further 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Make sure it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.

Draw your spoon through the mixture and if it does not immediately fill with juice, the chutney is ready. Allow to cool slightly, spoon into your prepared jars and put the lids on.

This makes about five jars.