Blackberry and Apple Cake
Tradition says that after Michaelmas we shouldn’t pick blackberries because the devil has breathed on them; this cake is worth the risk, though!
Recipe provided by the Southwater Horticultural Society.
250g self-raising flour
175g butter
175g light muscovado sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
2 rounded tbsp demerara sugar
1 small eating apple ,quartered (not cored or peeled)
2 large eggs , beaten
1 orange , finely grated zest
1 tsp baking powder
225g blackberries
Line a large loaf tin. Rub together flour, butter and muscovado sugar in a large bowl to make fine crumbs .
Set aside 5 level tbsp of this mixture for the topping, adding cinnamon and demerara sugar
Coarsely grate the apple down to the core and mix with the eggs and the zest. Stir the baking powder into the rubbed-in mixture, then quickly and lightly stir in. Don’t overmix.
Gently fold in three quarters of the berries with a metal spoon, trying not to break them up. Spoon into the tin and level off, Scatter the remaining berries on top and sprinkle over the topping.
Bake for 1 -1¼hr at 160c Check after 50 minutes and cover loosely with foil if it is browning.
Leave in tin for 30 minutes, turn out and cool on a wire rack.
Our gardens and allotments have been so important over these trying months and will no doubt continue to be some consolation as the year marches on. No matter how large or small, there's always something going on and encouraging you to make plans.
Pots and planters can be refilled with seasonal flowers or foliage plants; borders can be tidied (but not too much - remember your wildlife friends. If you have bird feeders, you’ll be getting lots of visitors now, so keep them topped up and don’t forget some water for them too!
If veg growing is your thing, sow some broad beans and peas. If you start them in a greenhouse or conservatory, you’ll have the benefit of knowing how many have germinated - sown direct you may find that mice have enjoyed them first!
Ms N Brock Secretary (730449) Mrs R. Dawes Membership (730897) Mrs A Tuckwell Show Secretary (710266)