Breakfast Muffins

An easy muffin recipe for a healthy start to the day. Ready in a jiffy, they are best served warm but will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I found this recipe in my mother's book and they are now a firm favourite in our house.

155g flour

50g caster sugar

30g wheatgerm

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

sprinkle of nutmeg

4 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp vanilla

75ml vegetable oil

240ml water

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 190ºC

Grease your muffin tins. No need if you're using muffin liners.

The recipe says this amount makes 12, but if, like me, you use large muffin cups it will make six. Double the recipe if you want more.

Measure out all the dry ingredients and mix them together in a bowl or measuring jug.

In a separate bowl, beat together the oil and egg, then add the water and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat to blend.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your tins.

Best served warm.

This recipe is for plain muffins and the batter is quite liquid, which gives them a light fluffy texture. For extra flavour, you could add more cinnamon but if you want to add fruit or nuts (I added blueberries to my second batch), they may sink to the bottom of the muffin case.

Still taste good though!

Mini Summer Puddings

A classic English summer pudding, traditionally made when the soft fruits are in season. It involves no baking - you just have to assemble it. But once you've mastered that, you're set to go and you'll be making these all summer.

My mother's summer pudding was scrumptious made with fruit from her garden supplemented with a visit to the local fruit farm. She would make four at a time and freeze them, always prepared for unexpected family visits. I've chosen to adapt her recipe and make mini puddings.

The fruit

The amount of fruit you need depends on the size of your pudding basin. For 4-6 individual puddings, you will need -

800g fruit

(raspberries, blackberries, red and white currants or strawberries)

170g sugar (depending on the sort of fruit)

My mother's recipe uses slightly less fruit, but one thing her years of experience taught her was that, for the best flavour, blackcurrants should make up a third of the weight.

The bread

White bread is essential for this - not brown or wholemeal. I would recommend a good quality white sandwich loaf, which will soak up the fruit juices without going soggy.

Mum used shop-bought sliced white bread - the sort my father used to call ‘kleenex’! I am sure it is better these days …

The juice

When cooking the fruit and sugar, you need to add a small amount of water or the juice from an orange. I have also been known to add the blackcurrant liqueur, Crème de Cassis.

First of all, prepare the fruit - hull the strawberries, strip the berries from their stalks and top and tail them. Put all the fruit into a saucepan with the sugar and your liquid of choice. Stir and heat slowly for about 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and when cooled, strain off the juice into a separate bowl.

For individual puddings

Cut the crusts off the bread and then cut a circle for the bottom and fingers for the sides. I like to dip one side of the bread into the juice before lining the ramekin. So, starting at the bottom, dip one side of the circle in the juice and lay it juice side down at the bottom of the ramekin. Do the same with the fingers, juicy side laid horizontally against the edge. Press everything firmly in, making sure you have no gaps.

Now fill with the strained fruit mixture, a couple of tablespoons of the juice, and top with a further circle, dipped into the juice and juice side up. Cover the ramekins with tin foil and place a small saucer on top, one that fits inside the rim of the ramekin - an espresso saucer should do. Then place a weight on top. If you don't have a small saucer, try a tin of tuna which, I discovered, was exactly the right size! Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, use a palette knife to go around the edge of the puddings and carefully turn them out onto serving plates. Serve with double cream or ice-cream.

Red Onion Marmalade

The perfect balance of savoury and sweet, red onion marmalade is superb paired with pates, cheeses or cold meats. Also good as a topping for a burger or steak sandwich and I've even used it for making sausage rolls.

This recipe is very easy to make though the slicing of so many onions can lead to tears! I am lucky enough to own a mandoline, which makes it much quicker and the slices more uniform. Others tell me, swimming goggles are the answer! This is from my own recipe collection ...

1½ kg red onions

(after peeling and slicing, so you will need a few extra)

300ml red wine vinegar

(or 150ml each of balsamic and red wine vinegar)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp ground ginger

350g soft brown sugar

Put the sliced onions and vinegar into a saucepan and simmer over a low heat until soft - about 20-30 minutes. Add the spices, salt and sugar and continue to boil until the mixture thickens.

Spoon into sterilised jars and seal.

To learn about sterilising jars and other hints and tips, check out 'all you need to know about making chutney'