Fruit Shoot Farm Day Recipes

Morning!

I’m back. It’s been quite a while since I posted a recipe on here. What can I say? There’s so much to tell you but I’m feeling less than confessional at the moment. Instead I want to tell you about a day I spent at a farm with the Fruit Shoot gang.

It was glorious. The weather was sunny (remember when the weather was sunny?) and we had a picnic and we picked fruit and we ate lots of fruity bakes. And that’s what I wanted to give you today – all the fruity recipes all in one place. Ready?

Lots of great recipes like this in my books, Recipes from a Normal Mum, (available on Amazon, at The Works, Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets) and The Power of Frozen (available through Amazon)

Last year: Lemon tart, Brazil nut baklava, Coronation chicken, Coriander falafel, Red pepper soup and Lotus bread.

Two year ago: Lemon cupcakes with coconut buttercream, Thai spiced sweet potato, squash and coconut soup, Veggie no meatballs, Back to school rocky roadand Popcorn caramel cheesecake.

Three years ago: Black forest brownies, Double orange choc chip bundt cake,Sunshine cake and Bonfire cupcakes.

Four years ago: Hazelnut cupcakes with Nutella buttercream, Red root reblochon bake and a Simple banana cake.

Five years ago: Cherry tomato frittata, Lemon brioche and Death by chocolate cake.

Six years ago: Tiramisu profiteroles, Drunken cherry brandy mincemeatandMacarons.

Seven years ago: Easy cheesy pasta, Almond coated chicken and Mince pies for mince pie haters.

Orange & raisin fat free tealoaf

Ingredients:

• A little butter or oil for greasing the tin
• 245ml strong, hot tea (can use decaf if you prefer)
• Zest of 1 orange
• Juice of 1 orange (55mls)
• 280g raisins
• 330g self-raising flour
• 55g dark brown muscavado sugar
• 60g caster sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly whisked

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4 and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.

Make the tea in a jug, add the orange zest, juice and raisins. Leave for 20 minutes for the flavours and liquid to absorb into the fruit.

Stir together the flour and sugars until well combined. Use the back of a spoon to squash any lumps of brown sugar if yours has clumped together. Add the tea mixture including all the liquid, stir, then add the egg and mix until just combined, but beware over mixing.

Spoon into the tin, level and bake for 50 minutes – 1 hour until a skewer comes out of the centre of the loaf clean. Cool on a wire rack in the tin.

This loaf keeps well for up to 5 days kept in a tin in a cool place. It can also be frozen as a whole loaf or in slices for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature.

Spiced apple & blackcurrant cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 175mls oil (sunflower, groundnut, rapeseed – anything flavourless but beware extra virgin olive oil as it has a strong flavour and not everyone likes it in baked goods)
• 180g muscavado sugar
• 170g self raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 160g grated apple (cooking or eating)
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinammon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 150g blackcurrants, fresh, dried or frozen

Preheat the oven to gas 4/180C and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with large cupcake cases or muffin cases. Once the oven has preheated mix all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon until there aren’t any lumps or traces of egg yolk visible. Pay particular attention to the sugar as it can sit in lumps. Stir through the blackcurrants carefully. Spoon into the cases evenly and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until well risen and a toothpick comes out of the middle of the centre cupcakes clean. Cool on a wire rack out of the tin.

Banana & raspberry no refined sugar flapjacks

Makes about 16, but depends how large you cut them

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana
• 150g dates
• 70mls boiling water
• 85g dried figs
• 40g dried apricots
• 160g oats
• 100g raspberries

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 2 and pop the kettle on. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm tin.

Peel the banana and break into pieces. Place in a jug with the dates and boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes and in the meantime chop the figs and apricots into 1/2 cm chunks using scissors. Use a stick blender to blitz the banana mixture to a fine purée, being careful not to spray yourself with boiling water.

Combine the puree, oats and chopped fruit in a bowl until well mixed, carefully stir through the raspberries, then press into the prepared tin. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are starting to brown and the top feel firm. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack then cut with a very sharp knife once cool. Store in a tin for up to 5 days. Freeze, well wrapped for up to a month. Defrost at room temperature before serving.

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