Sausage, Squash and Apple Traybake & Blackberry and Lemon Cake
September’s abundance of fresh produce helps to soothe any sadness surrounding the end of summer….
An easy tray bake and a creamy layer cake to follow which is complemented by bursts of blackberries for a real teatime treat or halve the recipe to make 12 fairy cakes.
Sausage, Squash and Apple Traybake
Ingredients
1 small butternut squash, about 750g/1lb 10oz
2 red onions, sliced into rings
2 apples, unpeeled, cored and sliced
12 pork sausages
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tsp English mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15g/½oz fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, to garnish (optional)
Method
• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
• Cut the squash into quarters and leave it unpeeled. Remove the seeds then cut each quarter into 5mm/¼in slices.
• Place the squash in a very large baking tray with the onion, apple and sausages. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the honey, mustard and remaining oil in a small bowl. Drizzle over the sausages and vegetables and turn to coat everything in the dressing.
• Return to the oven for 10 minutes until the sausages are browned and cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle over the parsley, if using, and serve.
Blackberry And Lemon Cake
Ingredients
250g softened butter
250g soft brown sugar
4 eggs beaten
1 lemon zest and juice
150g ground almonds
100g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
2tsp vanilla extract
200g blackberries halved
For the icing
200g blackberries
1.5tsp honey
500g mascarpone
80g icing sugar sifted
1 lemon, juice only
Method
• Beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy using an electric whisk. Gradually add the egg, and then beat in the lemon, almonds, flour, baking powder and vanilla. Fold in the blackberries.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Split the batter between 2 greased and lined 20cm sandwich tins and bake for 40-45 minutes, until cooked through. Leave to cool.
• Prepare the blackberries for the icing. Simmer the berries with the honey over a gentle heat to form a coulis. Strain through a sieve and chill.
• Whisk together the remaining icing ingredients until light and fluffy. Once the coulis has cooled, mix it evenly through the icing.
• To assemble, sandwich the sponges together between a third of the icing, then smooth the rest over the top and side. Decorate with left over berries.