
As the weather turns, and the nights draw in, we’re in the mood for warming comfort food to see us through the chilly evenings. Some favourites to try
Sausage and Mash Pie
Ingredients
75g butter
6 pork sausages, roughly chopped
2 leeks, sliced
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
3 tbsp. onion gravy granules
200g frozen peas
500g floury potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp. wholegrain mustard
Method:- Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) Mark 6. Melt 25g butter in a medium casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add the sausage pieces, leeks, carrots and celery and cook for 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the sausages are golden. Stir in the gravy granules, 300ml water and plenty of seasoning. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2mins, stirring until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the peas. Make the mash. Put the potatoes into a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat and simmer for 10-15 mins, or until tender. Drain, reserving a cupful of the starchy cooking water. Leave the potatoes to steam dry for 5 mins. Return potatoes to the empty pan and mash. Mix in the remaining butter, season and a small splash of the reserved cooking water (add more if mash is dry). Stir in the mustard. Top the sausage mixture with the mash. Cook in the oven for 25mins, or until golden and bubbling.
Moist Ginger Cake
Ingredients
350g golden syrup
125g block butter
250g plain flour, sifted
½ level teaspoon salt
1 ¾ level teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 level teaspoon ground ginger
½ level teaspoon mixed spice
1 large egg
275ml milk
Method: – Pre – heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) gas mark 4. Weigh a saucepan on the scales and weigh the syrup into it. Then add the butter to the saucepan and melt the two together over a gentle heat. Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl, then gradually pour in the syrup mixture, mix well. Beat the egg and milk together in a separate basin then add that bit by bit, again mixing thoroughly. The cake batter will seem very liquid at this stage but that ’ s OK so don ’ t worry, just pour it into the prepared oblong tin, well buttered and with a liner. Bake near the centre of the oven for about 45 – 50 minutes or until the centre is springy. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire tray to cool. When it ’ s cold, cut it into squares .