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We hope you will enjoy making and eating the recipes featured below. They have been grouped to give a recipe for each month of the year, but could easily be adapted for use at any time. They could also be used as a way of raising funds for FARM by selling what you have made or serving them at any fundraising events.

JanuaRyameRican caRRot cakeinGReDients – seRves 8

280g self-raising flour ➤

1 tspn baking powder ➤

50g pecan nuts, chopped ➤

175g soft light brown sugar ➤

2 medium bananas, mashed ➤

175g carrots, scrubbed and grated ➤

3 medium eggs, beaten ➤

175ml sunflower oil ➤

metHoDPre-heat the oven to 180°C. Sift the flour with the baking powder, then ➤

stir in nuts and sugar. Beat together the bananas, carrots, eggs and oil and stir into the flour mixture. Spoon into a base-lined 20.5cm cake tin and bake for 45-50 minutes. Test if cooked with a wooden toothpick, which should come out clean. Turn on to a wire rack and leave to cool.

For the icing, beat the butter until really soft, then beat in the soft ➤

cheese, icing sugar and vanilla. Use a palette or cutlery knife to swirl the icing on top of the cakes, then sprinkle with decorations.

aLteRnative seRvinGInstead of making one cake, why not make this recipe as cup cakes, spread on the icing and sprinkle them with hundred and thousands.

febRuaRyGoLDen pecan anD Raisin HeaRtsinGReDients – makes about 20 smaLL HeaRts

100g butter ➤

25g caster sugar ➤

100g plain flour ➤

25g cornflour ➤

50g chopped pecan nuts ➤

25g raisins ➤

metHoDPreheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF, gas mark 4. ➤

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Fold in the flour ➤

and cornflour and then add the pecan nuts and raisins. Roll out the mixture into a large flat piece of dough and then cut using a heart-shaped cutter, or form into nuggets, rounds, squares or your preferred shape, using either a cutter or your hands if you prefer.

Bake them for 25-30 minutes until golden. Leave them to cool before ➤

serving.

top tips: Try adding the finely grated zest of half a lemon or orange to give a real ➤

flavour boost. You can also use hazelnuts or walnuts instead of pecan nuts.

For an even tastier finish, mix ➤ ½ tsp cinnamon with 15g caster sugar.

While they are still warm, roll them in the flavoured sugar for a fresh, ➤

zingy taste.

maRcHsupeR Lent pieWhen Lent was strictly observed, many cooks became very clever at thinking up new dishes to break the monotony of their restricted diet.

This recipe, sometimes called Pudding Pie, is rather like a baked cheesecake and made a pleasant change.

inGReDients – seRves 4–6175g plain wholemeal flour ➤

Pinch of salt ➤

150g butter ➤

300ml fresh milk ➤

25g ground rice ➤

50g sugar ➤

2 eggs ➤

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon ➤

¼ ➤ tsp grated nutmeg

25g currants ➤

metHoDTo make the pastry, put the flour and salt in a bowl and rub in 75g of the ➤

butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in 3-4 tbsp cold water to bind the mixture together into dough. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a greased 20.5cm fluted flan dish or tin. Bake blind at 200°C/ 400°F, gas mark 6, for 10-15 minutes, until set.

Meanwhile, put the milk and ground rice in a pan and bring to the boil, ➤

stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. When the mixture is cold, cream the remaining butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the lemon rind, salt, nutmeg ➤

and the ground rice mixture. Mix thoroughly together and pour into the flan case. Sprinkle with currants on top.

Bake at 190°C/ 375°F, gas mark 5, for 40-45 minutes, until firm to the ➤

touch and golden brown. Serve the pie warm.

apRiLeasteR biscuitsinGReDients – makes about 30

100g butter ➤

75g caster sugar ➤

1 egg, separated ➤

200g plain flour ➤

Pinch of salt ➤

½ ➤ tsp ground mixed spice

½ ➤ tsp ground cinnamon

50g currants ➤

1 tbsp chopped mixed peel ➤

15-30 ml milk ➤

Caster sugar for sprinkling ➤

metHoDCream the butter and sugar together using a fork until pale and fluffy, ➤

then beat in the separated egg yolk. Carefully sift in the flour, salt and spices using a sieve and mix well. Add the fruit and peel and enough milk to give a fairly soft dough.

Knead lightly on a lightly floured surface and roll out until about 0.5cm ➤

thick. Cut into 6cm rounds using a fluted cutter. Place the rounds on to greased baking sheets and bake in a pre-heated oven at 220°C, 425°F, gas mark 6 for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, brush with the lightly beaten egg white, sprinkle ➤

with caster sugar and return them to the oven. Bake for another 5 minutes longer, until the tops are a delicious golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

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mayQuick-mix cakeinGReDients – seRves 8

176g (6oz) self-raising flour ➤

2 cups caster sugar ➤

5ml (1 tsp) baking powder ➤

175g (6oz) caster sugar ➤

175g (6oz) soft margarine ➤

3 medium eggs, beaten ➤

15ml vanilla ➤

45-60 ml jam ➤

Caster sugar, for dredging ➤

metHoDGrease two 18cm (7-inch) sandwich tins and line the bases with buttered ➤

sheets of greaseproof paper. Sprinkle a little flour in the tins, tapping and tilting each tin until flour thinly coats the base and sides. Tip out any excess flour.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar, margarine ➤

and eggs. Mix together with a wooden spoon, then beat with an electric mixer, or in a food processor, for 1-2 minutes until smooth and glossy. Divide the mixture evenly between the two sandwich tins and carefully level with a palette knife.

Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven at 190oC (375oF), gas mark 5 for ➤

about 20 minutes until well risen. When cooked the cakes should spring back when lightly pressed in the centre, leaving no finger marks. Loosen the edges of the cakes with a palette knife and leave on the side to cool in the tins. After a minimum of at least 5 minutes, turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.

Sandwich the cakes together with the jam and sprinkle the top with ➤

caster sugar.

JunestRawbeRRy yoGHuRt cake inGReDients – seRves 6–8

200g plain flour ➤

50g margarine ➤

175g sugar ➤

1 egg ➤

25g gelatine ➤

3 tbs water ➤

50g strawberries ➤

900ml natural yoghurt ➤

150ml double cream ➤

1 small apricot ➤

metHoDSieve the flour on to a working surface. Make a well in the centre and put ➤

in the margarine, cut into small pieces, 100g of the sugar and the egg. Mix quickly together to form a dough.

Press firmly into the base of a greased 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin. ➤

Prick all over with a fork and bake blind in a moderately hot oven (220°C, 400°F, gas mark 6) for 25 minutes or until cooked. Leave to cool.

Sprinkle the gelatine over the water and leave to soften. ➤

Hull the strawberries, then sieve or liquidise three-quarters of them. Mix ➤

with the yoghurt and the remaining sugar. Dissolve the gelatine in a bowl over hot water, then strain into the yoghurt mixture.

Put aside a few strawberries for decoration and halve the rest. ➤

Arrange the halves, cut side down, on the pastry base. Spoon over the ➤

yoghurt mixture and chill until set. Remove from the tin.

Whip the cream and pipe on top of the cake. Decorate with pieces of ➤

strawberry and pieces of apricot.

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JuLyspiceD-up buRGeRstop tips

Burgers can be livened up even more if served with a tangy sauce. ➤

Serve lamb burgers with tzatziki. ➤

Serve pork burgers with sweet and sour sauce. ➤

Serve beefburgers with barbecue sauce. ➤

inGReDients – seRves 4-6

beefbuRGeR450g lean minced beef ➤

2 x 15ml sp tomato ketchup ➤

1 x 15ml sp Worcestershire sauce ➤

Salt and black pepper ➤

Lamb buRGeR450g lean minced lamb ➤

50g Feta cheese, crumbled ➤

1 x 5ml sp dried mixed herbs ➤

Salt and black pepper ➤

poRk buRGeR450g lean minced pork ➤

227g can pineapple in natural juice, ➤

2 rings finely chopped ➤

1 spring onion, finely chopped ➤

Salt and black pepper ➤

metHoDPlace the ingredients for your chosen burger into a large bowl and mix ➤

thoroughly. Divide the mixture into four or six equal parts and shape into burgers. Place on the barbecue (or under a preheated grill) for 4-6 minutes each side, turning once. Serve the burgers with a large bread bun, salad of your choice and sauce.

Recipe for barbecue sauce to be served with beefburgers: ➤

Mix 5 x 15ml sp tomato sauce, 2 x 15ml sp Worcestershire sauce, 1 x 2¼ml sp English mustard and 1 clove garlic, crushed together in a bowl, and serve either hot or cold with the burger.

auGusttasty bRoccoLi anD cHeese fLaninGReDients – seRves 6

225-300g broccoli, cut into chunks ➤

2 eggs ➤

150ml double cream ➤

90ml milk ➤

Pinch of salt ➤

Pinch of cayenne pepper ➤

175g Gorgonzola cheese, grated ➤

1 x 18-20cm cooked shortcrust pastry flan case ➤

Flat-leaved parsley to garnish ➤

metHoDPreheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/ gas mark 4. ➤

Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the broccoli pieces ➤

for 4-5 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and refresh in iced water, then set aside.

Beat the eggs, then add the cream and milk and season with the salt and ➤

cayenne pepper. Add the grated Gorgonzola cheese. Arrange the broccoli pieces in the flan case and pour the cheese mixture on top.

Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until set and golden. ➤

Serve hot or cold, decorated with parsley sprigs. New potatoes are an ➤

ideal accompaniment to the meal with a leafy green salad and halved tomatoes for colour on your plate.

tip:During the last five minutes of cooking you could sprinkle over extra ➤

Gorgonzola cheese to give the flan an irresistible sticky finish.

If you don’t have Gorgonzola cheese, you could use Stilton, Roquefort or ➤

mature Cheddar.

As an alternative make as individual flans in patty tins. These would be ➤

ideal to sell or take on a picnic.

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septembeRautumn puDDinGThis tasty treat is exactly the same as summer pudding, but this time the bread-lined basin is filled with a juicy mixture of the finest autumn fruits. Keep any left-over juice to ‘top up’ any dry patches of bread.

inGReDients – seRves 4–6700g prepared mixed autumn fruit, such as apples, blackberries, plums, ➤

8-10 thick slices of day-old bread, crusts removed ➤

Fresh fruit and mint sprigs, to decorate ➤

metHoDStew the fruit gently with 60-90ml of water and sugar until soft but still ➤

retaining their shape. The exact amounts of water and sugar depend on the ripeness and sweetness of the fruit.

Meanwhile, cut a round from one slice of bread to neatly fit the bottom ➤

of a 1.1 litre pudding basin and cut 6-8 slices of the bread into fingers about 5cm wide. Put the round at the bottom of the basin and arrange the fingers around the sides, overlapping them so there are no spaces.

When the fruit is cooked and still hot, pour it gently into the basin, being ➤

careful not to disturb the bread framework. Reserve about 45ml of the juice. When the basin is full, cut the remaining bread and use to cover the fruit so a lid is formed. Cover with foil, then a plate or saucer that fits just inside the bowl and put a weight on top. Leave the pudding until cold, then put into the refrigerator and chill overnight.

To serve, run a knife carefully round the edge to loosen, and then invert ➤

the pudding on to a serving dish. Pour the reserved juice over the top.

Decorate with fruit and mint sprigs and serve cold with cream. ➤

octobeRHaRvest fiDGet pieThis is a lovely old-fashioned recipe that will satisfy hungry appetites. The bacon, onions and apples are the traditional filling, The pie was originally made around harvest time to feed hungry workers.

Potatoes can be added to make the dish even more filling.

inGReDients – seRves 4250g plain flour ➤

100g butter ➤

Salt and pepper ➤

220g back bacon, rinded and roughly chopped ➤

1 medium onion, skinned and roughly chopped ➤

225g cooking apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped ➤

1 tsp chopped fresh parsley ➤

150ml apple juice ➤

1 egg, beaten ➤

metHoDTo make the pastry, sift 225g of the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. ➤

Rub the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add just enough water to mix into a firm dough. Gather the dough into a ball and knead lightly. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the bacon, onion and apples in a 568ml pie dish. ➤

Add the parsley and season to taste. Blend the remaining flour with the apple juice, a little at a time, then pour into the pie dish.

Roll out the pastry. Cut out a thin strip long enough to go around the top ➤

of the pie dish. Moisten the rim with water and place the pastry strip on the rim. Press down lightly all the way around. Moisten the strip of pastry, then place the lid on top and press to seal. Knock up and flute the edge. Make a diagonal cross in the centre almost to the edges of the dish, then fold the pastry back to reveal the filling.

Brush the pastry with the egg. Bake at 190°C, 375°F, gas mark 5 for about ➤

45 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is cooked.

Serve the pie hot with a green vegetable or cold with salad. ➤

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novembeRpeanut bRittLeSweet-making is often only attempted on bonfire night with toffee – try this instead.

inGReDients325g loaf or cube sugar ➤

125ml water ➤

500g golden syrup ➤

2 level tspns powdered glucose ➤

25g butter ➤

40g browned peanuts ➤

½ ➤ tspn lemon essence

2 tspns bicarbonate of soda ➤

metHoD Dissolve the sugar in water, together with syrup and glucose, in a large, ➤

heavy-based saucepan set over a low heat. Bring to boil and gently simmer until the mixture starts to thicken. Add the butter, warmed nuts (rub off skins first) and lemon essence, then heat until butter is just melted. Stir in bicarbonate of soda – mixture will now froth rapidly for a few minutes, but don’t worry! Pour it quickly on to a large, oiled, clean non-stick baking tray, and leave to cool.

When cold, break brittle into pieces. ➤

Store in an airtight container in single layers between greaseproof paper. ➤

DecembeRfestive Roast Never again will Christmas dinner be a problem for vegetarians with this festive roast.

This is an excellent dish to freeze cooked or uncooked, although a slightly better result is obtained if frozen uncooked and thawed overnight in the refrigerator.

inGReDients – seRves 82 tbsp sunflower oil ➤

2 medium onions, finely chopped ➤

2 cloves garlic, crushed ➤

450g finely ground cashew nuts ➤

225g wholemeal breadcrumbs ➤

2 beaten eggs or 4 tbsp soya flour mixed with a little water ➤

1 heaped tbsp mixed herbs ➤

2 tsps yeast extract ➤

280ml boiling water ➤

salt and pepper ➤

metHoDHeat the oil and fry the onion and garlic until soft. Place the onions and ➤

garlic into a large bowl. Add all the ingredients and mix well.

Butter or line a loaf tin and spoon in the mixture. Cover with a double ➤

thickness of foil and cook at 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4, for about 1 hour 20 minutes until firm.

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the tin before turning out. ➤

Serve with a vegetable gravy and decorate with sprigs of holly! ➤Reci

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extRa Recipes

waRminG potato anD caRRot soupinGReDients – seRves 6

3 large floury potatoes ➤

3 carrots ➤

1 small parsnip (optional) ➤

1 ➤ ½ litres beef stock

30g butter ➤

1 large, mild onion, finely chopped ➤

1 tbsp flour ➤

Pinch of marjoram ➤

Milk or single cream ➤

Salt and freshly ground black pepper ➤

Small croutons to garnish ➤

metHoDPeel and slice the potatoes. Scrape the carrots, and parsnip if used, and ➤

slice thickly. Put the sliced vegetables into a large pan. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, half cover the pan and cook gently for about 45 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.

While the vegetables are cooking, melt the butter in another large pan. ➤

Add the onion and fry gently, stirring frequently, taking care not to let it burn, until it is a rich golden colour. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and blend it smoothly into the fat. Stir over a low heat for 2 minutes longer to make a golden roux. Stir in a pinch of marjoram.

Rub the vegetables and stock through a fine sieve or purée in an electric ➤

blender. Add the puréed mixture, a little at a time, to the onion in the pan, stirring well to prevent lumps forming.

Bring the soup to the boil, stirring, and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Thin ➤

the soup as desired with milk or thin cream and season to taste.

Bring to the boil again and serve with a bowl of croutons to sprinkle over ➤

each portion.

banana cakeinGReDients – seRves 6–8

150g butter ➤

150g sugar ➤

Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon ➤

2 eggs ➤

200g plain flour ➤

50g cornflour ➤

1 tsp baking powder ➤

Pinch each of salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg ➤

4 bananas ➤

metHoDCream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon rind ➤

and eggs. Sieve 150g of the flour, the cornflour, baking powder, salt and spices into the creamed mixture and fold in. If the mixture is too dry to combine, add a little milk (it should not be too soft).

Use half the mixture to line the base of a greased loose-bottomed 23cm ➤

cake tin. Bake in a moderate oven (180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4–5) for 25 minutes. When cooking is complete, allow to cool.

Peel the bananas and slice or dice them. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, ➤

then spoon into the tin above the cooked cake mixture and spread out.

Mix the remaining cake mixture with the remaining flour to form a ➤

dough. Roll out a circle of the dough to cover the tin and lay this over the filling, pressing to seal the edges.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. ➤

Sprinkle with icing sugar and leave to cool in the tin before removing. ➤Reci

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cHocoLate LoGinGReDients – seRves 4

90g melted dark chocolate ➤

30 blanched almonds ➤

30g mixed fruit mix ➤

30g raisins ➤

30g icing sugar ➤

Dash honey ➤

Dash chicory and coffee essence ➤

40g melted chocolate for the outside ➤

metHoDCoarsely chop almonds, raisins and fruit mix. Stir in the icing sugar, honey ➤

and coffee essence. Bind with 90g of melted dark chocolate. Refrigerate for five to 10 minutes.

Remove from fridge, place on greaseproof paper and form into tube ➤

shape, 2cm in diameter. Refrigerate again for 10 minutes.

Remove from fridge and brush with 40g of melted chocolate until all ➤

exposed part of the log is covered. Refrigerate again for a few minutes until chocolate hardens, then coat other side with remaining melted chocolate.

Leave in the refrigerator until ready to serve, then cut it with a hot sharp ➤

knife to the length desired.

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