Welcome autumn with these recipes

 It’s harvest season. Loads of things to take advantage of right now - saying bye to summer but welcoming autumn; and what better way to start than by making some truly autumnal treats? 

We’ve put together a few recipes, some our own, that we hope you’ll like, even if you just enjoy reading them!!

Ginger cordial (Joy’s recipe) - hot, fiery and good for colds

A warming, hot and fiery winter drink. Delicious hot or cold.

You will need...

2 pints water                                                                                        
6 cloves                                                               
1 chilly - roughly chopped                                        
8oz root ginger  -  bashed to smithereens
2 cinnamon sticks
5 lemons - zest and juice of                                   
2 oranges - zest and juice of      
1lb light brown soft sugar        

Joy says...

Dissolve sugar in water over a gentle heat.
Add cloves, chilly, ginger & cinnamon to pan.
Bring to the boil then simmer 1.5hs
Add fruit zest and simmer 15mins more.
Add fruit juice and simmer 20mins more.                          .

Store in a clean bottle. Add hot, cold or sparkling water to dilute to taste.

N.B. to make sure the bottle you use is sterile shove it in the oven (150*c) for 15mins or boil it in water for 10mins. Clean the top in boiling water too. Make sure you don’t put any rubber seals in the oven.

Apple cake.

By Nigella Lawson. Easy. Bake in an Elephant Box

(N.B. best to reduce ingredients by ⅓ if you bake it in an Elephant Box - you can still use 2 eggs though and a whole lemon! And don’t forget to line it)
This is a delicious cake. First I’ll give you Nigella’s original recipe and then
some notes!

You will need...

20cm springform tin. lined
100g sultanas
75ml rum
150ml walnut oil
200g caster sugar
2 eggs
350g plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp cream of tartar
1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
450g cox’s apples
Zest 1 lemon
100g walnuts

Nigella says...

Put the raisins and sultanas in a pan, bring to boil then leave so the raisins soak up the rum.

Mix together the oil, sugar and eggs in a bowl.

Sieve together the flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, bicarb and salt and add to oil mix. Stir til combined.

Peel and core the apples and rough chop them into 1.5cm chunks. Add to the mix with the lemon zest, raisins with their juice and walnuts.

Put the stiff batter into the lined tins and bake for 1hr-ish at 160*c. A knife will come out clean so long as you miss the apple chunks!

Joy says...

If you don’t want to use walnut oil just use veg oil.

You can use brandy instead of rum or just water to plump the raisins.

Any firm apple is fine. Or a mixture.

I prefer half tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp mixed spice.

I’ve never added walnuts - sorry Nigella!

You can make this gluten free by substituting the flour with 175g ground almonds and 175g brown rice flour. I add a tablespoon of agar flakes too.

Add a drop of vanilla essence.

A splash more veg/walnut oil doesn’t go amiss.

Sprinkle the top with demerara sugar or granulated before it goes into the oven.

Rosehip syrup from our friends at River Cottage

Here is a nice recipe forrosehip syrup from our friends at River Cottage

Sterilise a couple of bottles and vinegar-proof screw-tops or stoppers by washing thoroughly in hot soapy water, rinsing well, then putting them on a tray in a low oven (at 120°C/Gas 1⁄2) to dry out and heat up.

Roughly chop the rosehips in a food processor in batches, then transfer to a large saucepan and add 1.25 litres water.

Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for around 15 minutes.

Strain through a double layer of muslin, letting the pulp sit for a good half hour so that all the juice passes through.

Wash out the muslin, or cut a fresh piece, fold to double it and pass the strained juice through it again.

Measure the rosehip juice into a large saucepan.

For every 500ml, add 325g sugar.

Heat slowly, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil and boil for 3 minutes, skimming off any scum if necessary.

Decant immediately into the prepared bottles and seal.

Label when the bottles have cooled completely.

Use within 4 months and refrigerate once opened.

As well as storing food Elephant Boxes can be used to cook in, get yours here.