Chef Martin Anderson
Just sitting here tonight watching another bakery programme and it reminded me of the first time I made real scones in college .
The wonderfully talented Noleen Boyle asked me what my father did for a living. When I explained he was a coal Man she just laughed and asked would he have as much coal on his boots as I had flour on mine!!
In those days the norm was to wear Doc Martin boots in the kitchen not like today where crocs or safety shoes are recommended .
I had flour all of the place but with a little practice I managed to produce some fine scones and other seriously tasty baked goods .
Over the years I have tried to excel at baking but it really is a fine art. If I have the time I find it a great way to relax and you get to eat the food afterwards .
Baking is unlike cooking savoury dishes where you can get away with a little trial and error , it really has to be precise .
The correct ingredients are essential, the correct weights, an extra 20g of flour can ruin a chox pastry mix , the correct cooking temperatures ......... too hot ...... it's burnt , to cool and your sponges might not rise to their full potential , also the correct equipment , if the recipes says use a muffin tin then get one !!
Another very important rule is never bake when you're angry ........ especially bread ......it really shows through in your final dish .
Bake with love , pay attention to every detail , every instruction in the recipe must be followed , sure there are recipes where you can take short cuts but only try that when you are confident that you know what you are doing .
So many disasters in baking can be avoided by just paying attention .
Start off with a simple scone recipe. Give them a go on a Saturday afternoon and they will be an excellent treat for Sunday morning . Work your way up to simple Madeira sponges easy to cook and with fresh jam filling and whipped cream it can be a nice surprise after the dinner.
When you have practiced these try some sweet pastry for apple pie , Halloween will be here soon and apples will be plentiful . It will then soon be time to make the dreaded Christmas cake , usually made towards the end of November is preparation for the big day , I'll post a great Christmas cake recipe after Halloween .
Sometimes the simplest of recipes can be the best , is there anything more tasty than fresh queen cakes scented with orange , smothered in icing served with a hot cup of coffee , divine !!
So lets get the oven cleaned up , look under the sink to see is there loaf tin lying idle and try some baking this weekend .
I have for you this week a simple recipe for Apple & red berry crumble , I love crumble with a crunchy topping , served warm with Icecream or custard if you wish. I use eating apples for this recipe , you won't need as much sugar and you can use the frozen berries straight from the freezer .
Apple & red berry crumble
You will need.
For the filling.
2 eating apples per person , minimum 8 apples for this recipe .
Castor sugar to sweeten.
Powered cinnamon.
500g bag or packet of frozen summer berries
For the crumble.
300gof plain flour.
150g of castor sugar.
150g of real butter.
Method.
Peel and slice the apples.
Gently cook in a little butter until softened.
Add a little sugar.
Place into an oven proof deep dish , make sure you have at least 2 inches of Apple
Fold in the frozen berries .
For the toping
Mix the castor sugar with the flour and rub in the butter until it resembles bread crumbs.
Spice it up with a little cinnamon.
Pre-heat your oven to 180c.
Top the Apple & berry mix with the crumble sealing in the fruit.
Bake for 40/45 minutes until golden in colour and crisp.
The apples are pre cooked so they will be full cooked by the time the crumble topping is ready .