Best of British

British Food Fortnight runs from 21st September until the 6th October, so it’s time to get swept up in some best of British baking! When you buy your ingredients look out for the Red Tractor symbol on packets of flour, sugar and butter, choose the tastiest free-range eggs and make sure your Bramleys are British.

Sticky toffee apple puddings
Makes 6

175 g medjool dates, stoned and chopped
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
60 g butter, softened
175 g granulated sugar
225 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 bramley apple, peeled, cored, quartered and thinly sliced

For the sauce:
100 g butter
100 g brown sugar
100 g golden syrup
100 ml double cream

• Preheat the oven to 180c / gas 4 and butter 6 mini pudding basins.
• Put all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
• Add a tablespoon of the sauce to the bottom of each pudding basin and reserve the rest for later. Chill the pudding basins to set the sauce.
• Sprinkle the dates with the bicarb, then pour over 275 ml of boiling water. Leave to stand for 15 minutes.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then sift in the flour and baking powder. Add the egg and vanilla extract and pour in the date mixture, then whisk with an electric whisk for 2 minutes.
• Layer the cake mixture with the apple slices in the pudding basins, then sit them on a baking tray and transfer to the oven. Bake the puddings for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Unmould the puddings and spoon over the rest of the sauce before serving with cream, custard or ice cream.


Happy nibbling!
Fiona B xx