Curd it be any more delicious? (groan)

Whoops! Just putting a P.S. in here as I completely forgot to tell you about our new bottle - called Alto - which has great Italian style and would be brilliant for Christmas presents. You can buy them singly at just £1.98 plus the cork, or in boxes of 35 at just 99p each!( Don't forget to order the corks as well ) I'll be making something to put in them soon so will post some pictures. They are 500ml capacity but as they are so tall it looks a lot more generous than that - take a look. These are a special deal so get some while stocks last . . .

If you are looking for that perfect Summer into Autumn recipe then I am going to come to your rescue today. Blackberry & Apple Curd. There. I've said it - so now I suppose, you will want the recipe? It is quite simple but a little more bother than lemon curd..

This will make about 4 x 280g/8oz jars so make sure you have them, that they are washed and drying in a warm oven.

250g/8oz cooking apples
250g/8oz blackberries
250g/8oz caster sugar
125g/4oz butter
2 large eggs
juice 1 lemon

Peel, core and chop the apples and put into a pan with the blackberries. Heat them gently, increasing slightly once the juices start to run. Cook on until the mixture is nice and soft, around 10 mins.

Push the mixture through a sieve into a heatproof bowl to remove the pips - use a wooden spoon and some elbow grease!

Add the sugar and lemon juice to the mixture, stirring to dissolve the sugar as much as possible

Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl

Beat the eggs together and pour through a sieve into the mixture which removes any strands and lumps of egg white

Now, you can either set the bowl over a pan of simmering water to cook slowly, stirring most of the time to evenly distribute the heat. This will take about 20 minutes. Or, you can microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring between each session. Cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon

Jar up into the warm jars, allow to cool and then keep refrigerated for up to 6 weeks


Trev and I had some with warm scones today and it was really delicious - not too sweet

Home made scones are so easy to do and taste so different - here is my recipe.

Heat the oven to 200 deg C

Have a flat baking sheet ready

I mix 340g/12oz SR Flour with a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 125g/4oz butter, and enough milk to combine the ingredients into a soft dough. I mix the butter in with one of those pastry cutters, and then pour in the milk a little at a time. I draw the mixture together with a round bladed dinner knife, just using my hands if absolutely necessary.

I turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it to about 2.5cm/1 inch deep - the key to light scones is to handle as little as possible and to eat them fresh.

I use a medium cutter, placing the scones straight onto a baking sheet and then put into the hot oven. I don't brush them with anything. Cook for about 15 minutes when they should be risen and lightly coloured.

Cool slightly before serving with the Blackberry & Apple Curd. Yum.