91Èȱ¬

Stick of good quality black pudding

One sheet of all butter ready-made puff pastry

A jar of relish – apple, plum, fig – whatever you fancy

An eating apple

A beaten egg to glaze

Should make 12 puffs

Method

Heat oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4.

Dust your board well with plain flour to stop it sticking. Unroll your sheet of pastry and cut it evenly in two.

Cover each half with a generous spread of chutney, taking it to about an inch or 2.5 cms from the edge.

ÌýPeel and chop your apple into small pieces and scatter evenly on the chutney.

ÌýCut your stick of black pudding into either half or quarters – depending on the size – and lay it down the middle of the sheet.

Using a pastry brush moisten all the edges of the sheets with water and carefully bring the two long sides up to meet in the middle over the filling. You’ll have two long sausages now, so turn them over so that the seam is underneath.Ìý

Glaze the top with egg wash and cut each sausage into approximately six puffs.Ìý Make an insertion in the tip of each puff to let the steam out.

Place them on a baking sheet covered in non-stick parchment and bake in the oven for around 25 minutes or until the puffs are risen and golden. Serve hot.

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165g of plain flour sifted

25g of ground almonds

one pinch of salt

120g of unsalted butter [ salted will be ok ]

55g of casterÌýsugar sifted

one medium eggÌý

two large Bramley apples or three medium

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Method

1. Measure all of the ingredients and have them atÌý hand. Lightly oil a plate. Turn oven to 160Ìý degrees for fan oven or 180 degrees for non-fan.

2. Combine flour and almonds, cut butter into small chunks and rub into flour mixtureÌýwith finger tips or give a quick whiz in the food processor.

3. Add sugar, and saltÌý, give a quick stir.

4. Add the egg and mix with a round bladed knife until it all comes together into a soft dough. Do not add water.

5.ÌýCover and put into fridge.

6. Peel apples and slice adding sugar to taste.

7. cook apples inÌý microwave high for 4 minutesÌý and then give them a stir to make sure sugar is evenly distributed.

8. Divide pastry into two and turn out on to a well-floured board. Form into a circle and roll out to fit your plate.

9. Carefully lift pastry onto plate, [it's easier if you roll it round the rolling pin] and trim edges,

10. Place apples on pastry and roll out lid of tart.

11. Wet edges of bottom layer of pastry and put the top layer on using a fork to sealÌý the two edges together. Make a little hole to let out steam

12. Place in oven for approx. 30 mins, but keep an eye on it as ovens vary, it should be a ÌýgoldenÌý colour.

13. Sprinkle with a little sugar.

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Variations. You can add cinnamon or cloves or the juice and zest of an orange with sultanas..

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I have files upon files of recipes torn from newspapers and magazines. This recipe is based on one that originally featured in the 91Èȱ¬ Good Food Magazine years ago and I’ve been cooking it in some form or other ever since.

1 kg pumpkin or butternut squash cut into bite sized chunks

3 tbsp good quality Thai red curry paste

2 onions finely chopped

3 stalks lemongrass - kept whole but bashed to release the flavourÌý

6 cardamom pods

1 tbsp mustard seeds

250ml vegetable stock

400ml tin coconut milk

400g tin chickpeas

1 lime

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Method

Add rapeseed oil to the pan and for a few minutes gently fry the onions, cardamom, mustard seeds and lemongrass with the curry paste until softened. The smell will be fantastic. Add the pumpkin and coat with the mixture before stirring in the coconut milk, stock and chickpeas. Simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes until the pumpkin is soft but not mushy.

Squeeze on the juice of the lime and serve with rice and naan bread.

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