Recipe | Orange and Cardamom Galettes

Bring a bit of sunshine to your coffee time or enjoy as a light but sweet pudding in the garden

These pretty orange galettes are super simple to make, with only five ingredients but look so impressive and authentically Spanish. They’re part of our tapas feast in our August issue, with recipes by Kay Prestney, including parma ham and peach bites, garlic prawns, kolokithokeftedes and more.

Serves 4

320g ready rolled puff pastry
3 tbsp marmalade
3 large oranges
1 tsp cardamom seeds
2 tbsp honey

1 Preheat oven to 160C/Fan 140C/ Gas 3. Unroll the dough and cut out four circles, then place into individual greased baking tins and prick with a fork several times.
2 Spread a layer of marmalade onto the bottom of each circle. Peel and slice the oranges and lay the segments on top of the marmalade, then scatter the cardamom pods evenly between the four tarts. Bake for 20-25 mins or until the pastry turns golden.
3 In a small saucepan, gently bring the honey to a simmer until it's liquid. Using a baking brush, lightly coat each warm tart with the honey. Serve warm with a glass of sherry.

Find the rest of the tapas gathering recipes in our August issue.

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Recipe | rhubarb jelly and custard pots

Jewel-coloured grown-up jelly and creamy, sweet custard? We’re a trifle impressed!

These pretty little puds are part of our Low and Slow menu on our Gathering pages in the March ‘Blossom’ issue. The menu is intended to be cooked slowly so you can enjoy the day, either heading out for a walk or having a board games marathon - the ideal way to spend a Sunday. All parts of the meal are either ‘let it sing to itself’ dishes or ‘prepare ahead’ ideas, like these jelly and custard pots.

Pass the crossword and Scrabble, please. We’re very busy idling away the day.

Photography by Jonathan Cherry, styling Gemma Cherry, Recipes Bex Long.

Serves 6

Ingredients
800g rhubarb, cut into 1in pieces
80g caster sugar
5 gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water for 5 mins
500g custard – homemade or shop-bought
Handful of amaretti biscuits

To make

1 Place the rhubarb and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan over a low heat. Place a lid on the pan and allow the rhubarb to cook in the sugar until all of its juices have been released, stirring occasionally.
2 Pass the liquid and fruit pulp through a sieve and then strain the liquid through a muslin.
3 Once strained, transfer the liquid to a saucepan along with the soaked gelatine. Stirring constantly, gently heat until the gelatine has dissolved.
4 Pour the jelly into six small glasses and leave to cool, before transferring to the fridge to set overnight.
5 To serve, top each jelly with custard and sprinkle over some crushed amaretti biscuits.

You can find the rest of the Low and Slow recipes in our March issue, on sale now.

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Recipe | Banoffee pie

This sweet and sticky pud is a welcome end to any meal. Find the rest of this fair trade menu in our February issue

Serves 4-6

300g chocolate Hobnobs
160g butter, melted
397g tin Carnation caramel
2 large ripe bananas (Fairtrade), finely sliced
300ml double cream, whipped
70% cocoa dark chocolate shavings (Sainsbury’s Santo Domingo Organic Fairtrade chocolate)

1 Add the Hobnobs and butter to a food processor and pulse until you have fine breadcrumbs. Tip into a fluted loose-bottomed tin and press the mixture in firmly and evenly.
2 Chill in the fridge for 1 hr, then top with the caramel and a layer of bananas. Return to the fridge and, when ready to serve, pipe or spoon on the cream and serve sprinkled with the chocolate shavings.

This recipe is the pudding from our ‘gathering’ menu, Fare Trade, in our February issue, a dinner menu for friends that makes the most of fair-trade products. Fair-trade Fortnight begins on 24 February. Hurrah for good food that’s good for everyone!

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Recipe: Ploughman's scones

Cheesy scones. With cheese… What? This is fine.

We’re big fans of a Ploughman’s Lunch here at The Simple Things. And, while you might think the story of The Ploughman’s would be something of a pastoral, in fact it’s something more prosaic altogether.

Of course, farming types have been slinging a cloth filled with bread, a hunk of cheese and an apple in their bags for centuries. But it was The Cheese Bureau which first germinated the idea. The Bureau wrote in its monthly bulletin in 1956 that it “exists for the admirable purpose of popularising cheese and, as a corollary, the public house lunch of bread, beer, cheese and pickle. This traditional combination was broken by rationing; the Cheese Bureau hopes, by demonstrating the natural affinity of the two parties, to effect a remarriage”. To be honest, we’re just thrilled to hear there is such a thing as The Cheese Bureau and we’re wondering if we can arrange some work experience with them… We digress.

The Cheese Bureau clearly made sterling efforts to put the component part of a Ploughman’s back on the pub table. But it was The Milk Marketing Board which picked up the idea in the 1960s and ran with it, coining the phrase ‘Ploughman’s Lunch’ to describe this combination of bread, cheese, apple (and, one hopes, a huge brown pickled onion and a stick of crunchy celery). The Ploughman’s Lunch was hoped to boost the sale of cheese, particularly through pubs and it worked a treat. We’re still eating Ploughman’s Lunches with gusto half a century later.

So, in the spirit of entrepeneurship, in our April issue’s Gathering, we have this jolly little recipe for Ploughman’s Scones. We recommend you serve them stuffed with cheese and chutney alongside an apple and a pickled onion or two.

The Ploughman’s Scones are part of our Any-Time Tea Party feature by Catherine Frawley, which also includes recipes for Hot Cross Bun Loaf, Mini Egg Rocky Road, Mini Victoria Sponges and Marshmallow Pops. Make it for an Easter treat or just, you know, any time. The recipes are in our April issue, which is in the shops now.

Makes 10–12

225g self-raising flour, plus extra to dust

1 tsp baking powder 55g butter, cubed

125g cheddar, grated

60ml milk, plus extra to glaze to serve

Cheddar cheese

Branston pickle

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/ Gas 6 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

2 Sift the flour, baking power and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Add the butter and rub with your fingertips until you have a breadcrumb mixture.

3 Gently mix in 100g grated cheese, make a well in the centre, then pour in the milk slowly, mixing until you have a soft but firm dough.

4 Dust the work surface with flour and roll the dough to about 2cm thick. Using a 5cm cutter, cut out your scones, re-rolling and cutting the remaining dough, until it’s all used.

5 Place the scones on the baking tray, brush with milk and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Bake for 12–15 mins or until golden brown. Leave to cool on a rack, then serve with slices of cheddar and pickle.

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Brunch: a potted history

How to really make a meal of it…

As we sit over French toast, fruit salad, yoghurt, pastries and fancy eggs of a Saturday morning, we often find ourselves thinking ‘Brunch is a genius idea. Who thought of that?’ Well, we’ll tell you…

It was the English writer, Guy Beringer, who, well acquainted with the weekend hangover, decided Saturdays and Sundays needed moulding more sympathetically to the average carouser of 1895.

Empathetic to the party-goer who, on being roused late morning, might not wish to partake of a heavy lunch, he instead proposed, in his essay entitled ‘Brunch: a plea’ that we partake of a more hybrid meal that took in some of the light components of breakfast - pastry, tea and the like - alongside more hearty lunch-type fare for those up to it. He even had the bright idea of making cocktails a part of the meal for those who like their dog a little more hairy in the mornings.

He also made clear that it should be a sociable occasion, ideal for dissecting the events of the night before: “Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting. It is talk-compelling,” he wrote.

The following year, Punch magazine gave more detail and even differentiated brunch from ‘blunch’, reminding its readers: “The combination-meal, when nearer the usual breakfast hour is ‘brunch’ and when nearer luncheon is ‘blunch. Please don’t forget this.” As if we would!

In our February issue, our ‘Gathering’ feature is a spring weekend brunch. Here’s one of the recipes from the spread, a spring vegetable frittata. For the rest of the menu, buy our March issue, in shops now

Spring frittata

Serves 6

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

100g baby spinach

150g frozen peas

8 free range eggs

100ml semi-skimmed milk

Fresh herbs (we used thyme,  basil and sage)

50g wild rocket, to serve

1 Melt the coconut oil in a frying  pan over a medium heat and add the chopped onion and garlic. Fry for 3–4 mins until they soften.

2 Add the spinach (washed and drained) and frozen peas to the pan and stir for 3–4 mins until the spinach is starting to wilt and the vegetables are mixed in with the onion and garlic.

3 Whisk the eggs and milk in a large jug or bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into the frying pan and mix to evenly distribute the vegetables. Sprinkle fresh herbs on top and cook over a medium heat for approx 15 mins, or until you can easily slide a spatula underneath.

4 Heat the grill to a medium heat and place the frying pan under for approx 10 mins, checking at intervals to make sure the top doesn’t burn, until it is a golden colour and the egg is cooked.

5 Leave to cool before covering the frying pan with a large plate and tipping it upside down to release the frittata on to the serving plate. Sprinkle with more fresh herbs and some wild rocket to serve.

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More from our March issue…

Twelfth Night: a tale of two titles (and cake)

Why Shakespeare didn’t much care for detail, and thought we should eat more cake

With Twelfth Night upon us, we are all for one last hurrah, a bit of feasting, foolery and festive merriment to see in the first week of January. And, for that reason, Twelfth Night is right up there with our favourites of Shakespeare’s plays. It’s been purported that the play was first performed (for Queen Elizabeth) on Twelfth Night, though that has never been proved. What is certain, however, is that it is the only of the Bard’s plays with not one, but two, titles. The play is officially entitled Twelfth Night or What You Will.

What Will’s aim was with the ‘What You Will’ bit, no one is entirely sure. It’s possible the ‘what you will’ is simply a nod to the topsy-turviness of the night before Epiphany, a day when young boys were chosen to play the king - the lords of misrule - and a night that celebrates illusion, disguise and mishap. So ‘what you will’ simply means: ‘Twelfth Night, a night when you can do what you like’.

A second theory guesses that the alternative title is a nod to the audience: ‘Here’s my play, Twelfth Night - make of it What You Will.’

The third theory, and our favourite by far, is that it was a total afterthought. The theory goes that Shakespeare was asked to give his play a title and he essentially said: “Oh… call it Twelfth Night… or whatever you like to be honest, I don’t give a monkey’s…” (we are paraphrasing, here) - it was a sort of Elizabethan “whatevs, mate”.

Titular queries aside, we’re a big fan of the script that gave us Sir Toby Belch and his famous words “Does thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?”

We agree that virtue and cakes (and ale) go hand in hand at this time of year. And to celebrate that, here’s our recipe, from our January issue, for a Galette des Rois, a traditional French cake-style pud designed to be eaten on Twelfth Night.

Serves 6

1 x 400g block ready-made  puff pastry

2 tbsp apricot jam

100g butter

100g caster sugar

1 egg

100g ground almonds

2 tbsp Calvados

1 tbsp whole milk

1 small plastic coin (as found in a child’s shop till)*

300ml fresh double cream, to serve

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/ Gas 6. Cut the puff in half and roll out each piece into a circle about 25cm across.

2 Grease a baking tray and place one puff pastry circle on the tray. Spread with the apricot jam, leaving an edge of 2cm around the outside. Place the coin (fève – see below) to one side of the circle on top of the jam.

3 Whisk the butter and sugar in a bowl until fluffy, then beat in the  egg. Next, add the ground almonds and Calvados.

4 Spoon this fragipane mixture over the jam, keeping within the border. Brush the edges with the milk and cover with the second circle of pastry, pressing the edges together.

5 Using a sharp knife, score the top with vertical lines 4–5cm apart. Then score diagonally across within each line, alternating direction, to create  a chevron effect. Brush the top with a little milk to help it go a lovely golden brown when baking. Cook for 25–30 mins.

6 Serve the galette warm with double cream in a pouring jug, alongside a small glass of Calvados for each guest to toast the person who discovers the fève. The lucky guest is crowned King (Le Roi) or Queen (La Reine) of the Fête and chooses their partner to rule with them for the rest of the evening!

* We used a toy plastic coin to avoid anyone breaking their teeth and it didn’t melt. You could of course use a real one, just make guests aware.

This recipe is from our ‘Gathering’ feature in the January issue, in shops now, which includes a whole menu for a Twelfth Night Supper, with recipes by Kay Prestney and photography by Cathy Pyle.

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More desserts to delight guests…

Tipple: cheering cider cocktail

Entertaining this evening? Warm your guests’ tummies and souls with this rustic winter tipple

Serves 6
1l fresh apple cider
750ml dry red wine
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 oranges, thinly sliced
1 apple, sliced
4 whole cloves

1 Combine all ingredients (reserving 6 orange slices) in a large saucepan and warm on a medium heat for 10 mins, stirring continually.
2 Once gently bubbling, let it cool slighty and pour into (heatproof) glasses, serve with a slice of orange over the glass and a sprig of rosemary as a stirring stick.

This cocktail recipe is from our January issue’s Gathering feature for a Twelfth-Night-inspired party. The issue is on sale now or you can buy it online.

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Meet a lesser known Guy Fawkes

An homage to a forgotten bonfire night (anti)hero

Photography: Jonathan Cherry Styling: Gemma Cherry

Every dog has his day, and every dastardly plot has its poster boy. But we do think Guy Fawkes unfairly got all the glory where the - let’s not forget, murderous but poorly organised - Gunpowder Plot of 1605 is concerned.

For starters, it was Robert Catesby, rather than Fawkes himself, that orchestrated the plan. Fawkes may have been in charge of the explosives, but really he is Robin to Catesby’s Batman. It seems odd Fawkes should be the one to emerge with a national celebration named for him.

But most schoolchildren could name Catesby and Fawkes with little strain. What of the other Gunpowder Plotters*?

We at The Simple Things love an underdog, so here are a few words in celebration of Francis Tresham. Tresham was a key part of the plot and possibly was himself the undoing of the entire thing. So, if you think about it, he changed the course of British history (there might have been no English Civil War for starters).

Tresham had been imprisoned for his part in the failed rebellion against the Government in 1601. He got in on the Gunpowder Plot quite late - in October 1605. He was asked to provide a large sum of cash and use of property to the plotters, but refused, instead coughing up a rather more menial amount. Clearly he had concerns about the whole shebang from the off.

It is thought that Tresham was the author of ‘the Monteagle letter’, a note penned to Lord Monteagle (Tresham’s brother-in-law) which was passed to the Secretary of State, warning Monteagle not to attend parliament on the day of the plot, and thus tipping off the Government. It’s historically been accepted that Tresham wrote the letter, though he denied it to his co-conspirators, and never mentioned it, even at the moment of his death (of natural causes) in the Tower of London.

So, did Tresham single-handedly alter the course of history with his alleged anonymous note? Well, not entirely. Yes, it was the catalyst that blew the plot apart (pun intended) but in fact, by November 5th, the gunpowder the plotters had stored away had gone the way of all gunpowder and split into its component parts, rendering it completely harmless. Had Fawkes managed to get a light to it under Parliament, it’s safe to say it would have gone off not with a bang but a whimper. It had been stored too long to do any damage.

So on Guy Fawkes’ night, let’s hear it for slightly reticent, fearful tell-tales who may not have changed history but played their part. And didn’t get caught with their hand in the gunpowder and a guilty look on their face.

Happy Francis Tresham Night! And if you’re celebrating this weekend, in the November issue of The Simple Things we have Bonfire Night recipes that will garner oohs and aahs galore, from pumpkin scones, through popcorn, to pesto for your hotdog. Sure to create more of a spark than Guy Fawkes’s November 5th efforts did, at any rate.

*The other plotters, in case you are interested, or are attending a pub quiz tonight, were: John Wright, Thomas Wintour, Thomas Percy, Robert Keyes, Thomas Bates, Robert Wintour, Christopher Wright, John Grant, Ambrose Rookwood and Sir Everard Digby.

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In defence of the pear

Why we think it’s time the pear stepped into the limelight

Photography: Kirstie Young

Goodness, but we love a pear. The combination of crisp and soft, sweet and refreshing, and so versatile. A pear is just as joyful whether eaten as a simple finishing point to a lunchbreak sarnie, as it is poached in wine, sunk into a crumbly cake or layered atop a tart.

But we have to say, and we don’t think we are courting controversy here, we think pears aren’t getting the love they deserve.

There’s the expression ‘pear-shaped’. In body shape terms, it may be preferable to being an ‘apple’ (or a melon soon after Christmas) but why the negative connotation in a plan ‘going pear-shaped’? Isn’t pear-shaped a beautiful and natural thing, the glorious juicy contents expanding generously towards the bottom and easing slowly outwards? If a plan goes hideously awry surely it’s starfruit-shaped? Or dragon-fruit shaped? Or pancake-shaped, even? It just seems undeserved.

We hate to take sides but our difficulty really is with the apple as pear-opponent, particularly at this time of year.

We like an apple, too, of course (some of our best friends are apples) but sometimes it seems that it’s all about apples just now. We bob for apples, we eat them from a string in silly party games, we stick the pips to our head to tell who our true love will be… October even has its own apple DAY, we recently noted. Our November issue has a rather splendid recipe for toffee apples. And we liked the results so much we even put them on the front cover, as you might have seen. You see, even we are not immune to the charms of the apple. Who doesn’t love a toffee apple?

However, we can’t help feeling that the cumulative effect of all this apple love is sometimes at the expense of the lovely, unassuming pear.

Pears have been growing in England since the year 995, so they should really have their feet firmly under the table. A pear tree may survive for up to 250 years, so it’s no surprise that the pear is a symbol of immortality in Chinese culture. Take note, apple trees, with your paltry 100-year lifespan.

An apple a day may be known for ‘keeping the doctor away’ but a pear is one of the highest-fibre fruits you can treat yourself to. It also includes calcium, magnesium, copper and manganese, as well as the antioxidant quercetin, which, according to Sunday supplements, helps prevent cancer and reduces blood pressure. Basically, if the pear were newer to the supermarket than the sun-dried tomato, we’d be calling it a superfood.

And finally, m’lud, we would like to point out that a griddled slice of pear on a crusty piece of bread with a sliver of blue cheese reclined louchely upon it is a food of the Gods, and an apple, while delicious, butters no parsnips in this circumstance. <Gavel>

We accept that may be a fruit ‘n’ veg metaphor too far, so we will bow out gracefully now, but will first give a nod to the lovely feature in our November issue on things you can do with pears today, tomorrow and next year. It’s written by Lia Leendertz who knows a thing or two about how to use orchard fruit well, with photography by Kirstie Young. One not to miss. Do send us a slice of the dark chocolate and pear cake when you’ve made it, please.

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Recipe | Summer strawberry tart

A light dessert that’s really easy to make, really lovely to eat

Serves 4–6
2 tbsp melted butter
1 sheet of puff pastry
400g strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp golden caster sugar
Sprigs of mint, to garnish
Icing sugar, to dust
300ml double cream

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/ Gas 6. Grease a rectangular baking tray with half of the butter and place the pastry on the tray.
2 In a large bowl, add the strawberries, vanilla extract and caster sugar. Stir gently to evenly coat the fruit.
3 Arrange the berries in rows, leaving a 2.5cm border of pastry all the way round. Brush this edge with the remaining butter and then place in the oven for 15–20 mins or until golden.
4 Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and top with a dusting of icing sugar and sprigs of mint.
5 Whisk the cream until soft peaks form; transfer to a bowl to serve.

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View the sampler here.

More from the June issue:

More strawberry recipes:

Recipe: Ricotta and tomato tart

Turn May’s bank holidays into a reason to invite friends over, to linger over cocktails, moreish nibbles, a savoury tart and salad. The trick is not to plan anything too formal – just a chance to enjoy good company and the garden in its ready-for-summer prime. Dust down the garden furniture, hang the fairy lights and let the sun set on your holiday-at-home weekend in style.

Ricotta and tomato tart

Tangy mustard and sweet tomatoes with creamy cheese – the vibrant colours of the veg in this line-up celebrate spring’s fresh flavours

Serves 6
1 readymade sheet puff pastry
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
250g ricotta
5 small tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/350F. Lightly grease a tart dish with butter and line with the puff pastry, leaving an overhang to allow for shrinkage. Leave to rest in the fridge for 20 mins.
2 Spread the mustard over the pastry base then top with ricotta. Slice the tomatoes and dot them on top of the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3 Bake for 35 mins until the pastry is cooked and the filling firm to touch. Leave to cool in the dish for a couple of mins before turning out to cool on a wire rack. Serve hot or cold.

Turn to page 24 of May’s The Simple Things for more of our long weekend get together menu, including Blueberry & thyme gin & tonic, Pear & blue cheese crostini, Roasted broccoli & quinoa, Parmesan crackers, Caramelised onions, Grape & raisin salad with honey mustard dressing and Raspberry & pistachio pavlovas.

More from the May issue:

More gathering inspiration:

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Recipe: Charred brassicas with tahini yogurt & sumac

Everyday veg get a fiery makeover fit for a feast. This tangy recipe works with broccoli, cauliflower or any other brassicas you care to dress

Serves 6
Pinch of saffron
1⁄2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 heaped tsp dried oregano
1⁄2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (a mixture of black and white if you can get both)
1kg brassicas (such as broccoli and romanesco cauliflower)
Olive oil
250g Greek yogurt
2 tbsp tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
1⁄2 garlic clove
1⁄4 tsp sumac

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/ 400F. Place the saffron in a small bowl or teacup and cover with 2 tbsp of just-boiled water. Give it a stir, then leave to one side.
2 Using a pestle and mortar, bash together the chilli flakes, oregano, sesame seeds and 1 tsp of sea salt until you have a finer-textured salt.
3 Slice your veg up into a mixture of florets and slices, including the stalks, so that they are evenly sized, and spread them over a couple of roasting trays. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle all over with flavoured salt. Toss everything together, then spread out into one layer.
4 Pop into the oven for 25–30 mins, and roast until the veg are just cooked through but lovely and charred at the edges.
5 While the brassicas are in the oven, make the yogurt dressing. Spoon the yogurt and tahini into a mixing bowl and squeeze in the lemon juice; mix until smooth. Peel and finely grate in the garlic and season well. The saffron water should now be cool, and a vibrant gold colour. Pour the liquid – saffron threads and all – into the yogurt, and stir it through.
6 Spread the yogurt on your serving platter and, when the veg are ready, arrange them on top. Finish by sprinkling over the sumac, and serve. This is delicious served at room temperature, too, making it a great get-ahead side dish.

Turn to page 24 of March's The Simple Things for more from our Cookbook Club Gathering, including recipes for Herby puy lentils, greens and smoked mackerel, Roast harissa butter chicken with cracked wheat, Creamy rice pudding with sherry and rosemary poached prunes and Special mint tea. Recipes from Stirring Slowly by Georgina Hayden (Square Peg). 

More from the March issue:

More Gathering recipes:

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Recipe: DIY tortilla chips

As inviting as just-baked bread - with a kick of spice

Serves 3–4
3 large tortilla wraps, torn into chunky strips
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
1⁄2 tsp chilli flakes
1⁄2 tsp salt flakes

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F. Line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment. Spread the torn wraps on the parchment without overlapping the pieces.
2 In a bowl add the oil, fennel, chilli and salt; mix together and, using a pastry brush, coat the torn tortilla with spiced oil.
3 Bake in the oven for 3–5 minutes or until golden. Serve with dips.

Turn to page 24 of the January 2017 issue for the rest of our box set supper menu including Hot artichoke & spinach dip, Feta, cream cheese & parsley dip, Flatbreads with three-herb garlic butter, Mushroom, pancetta & sage tagliatelle, and Pile-it-up apple crumble with custard & maple syrup.
 

More from the January issue:

More Gathering recipes:

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Recipe: Apricot, almond, cardamom and honey Chelsea buns

Warming cardamom plus golden apricots equal autumn in a bun

Makes 10

300ml milk
40g butter
500g strong white flour
1 tsp salt
7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
1 egg, beaten
20 cardamom pods
60ml runny honey
250g dried apricots, chopped
100g almonds, roughly chopped For the glaze
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp caster sugar

For the icing
2 tbsp icing sugar

1 Gently warm the milk and butter in a pan until the butter has melted. Set aside to cool a little. Put the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl. Pour in the warm milk mixture and beaten egg, and mix to a dough with your hands.

2 Start kneading in the bowl to bring the dough together, then transfer to a floured surface and knead for a further 5–10 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl and set aside to rise for 20 minutes.

3 Knead the dough again briefly in the bowl to knock it back to its original size, then tip it onto a floured surface. Stretch and push it into a rectangle, pulling and pushing until the dough is about 1cm thick all over.

4 Using a pestle and mortar, lightly bash the cardamom pods until they crack and release the seeds. Remove the papery cases and grind the seeds to a powder.

5 Turn the rectangle so the long edges lie widthways. Drizzle honey over the rectangle of dough, then sprinkle over the cardamom, apricots and almonds evenly.

6 Put both hands at the bottom of the longer side and roll away from you. Cut the roll into ten even pieces with a sharp knife, and place on a baking tray, space a little apart. Cover with
a tea towel and leave to rise for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/375F. Bake the buns for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.

7 Meanwhile, make the glaze by heating the milk and sugar in a pan until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is starting to bubble. Paint the buns with the glaze as soon as they come out of the oven, then leave to cool.

8 To make the icing, mix the icing sugar with 1 tbsp water. Drizzle over the cooled buns and tear apart to eat. 

For the rest of our afternoon tea menu – including Lapsang souchong tea bread, Crumpets, Smoked cheddar and chocolate stout rarebits, Coffee and walnut cake, and Orange and lemon battenberg – turn to page 24 of November's The Simple Things. 

More from the November issue:

More afternoon tea recipes:

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Recipe: Rustic autumnal fruit tart

This is the simplest tart you can make. Just bake a rustic circle or square of puff pastry. Pile on some fruit such as grapes, raspberries, figs, slices of apple or pear; gloss with a little honey or maple syrup and bake till the fruit’s just softened. A stunning showstopper

Rustic autumnal fruit tart

Serves 6-8

A rectangle of puff pastry (for homemade see below)
2 tbsp melted butter
5-6 handfuls of autumnal fruits
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F. Cut a piece of greaseproof paper roughly the size of a baking tray. Lightly dust with flour. Roll your pastry out on the paper till 1cm-thick and transfer to the baking tray. 

2 Use the tip of a knife to score the pastry 2-3cm from the edge, all the way around, which effectively marks the sides of your tart. Brush with the melted butter. Bake for 15-20 mins or till golden.

3 Arrange your fruits on the tart, scattering them in an even layer. Drizzle honey or maple syrup over the top. Return to the oven for 10-15 mins or till the fruits are just softened.
 

Rough puff pastry

If you can’t find a good, all-butter puff pastry, this recipe is a dream and easy to whip up, too

Makes enough for 1 larger or 2 smaller pies

150g plain white flour
pinch sea salt
¼ tsp baking powder
75g unsalted butter, fridge cold
4-5 tbsp cold water

1 Mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Cut the butter into 1-2cm cubes. Bit by bit add them to the flour, coating the butter in flour as you add them. Rub the butter into the flour till it’s almost at the breadcrumb-like consistency stage. Leave some lumps of butter less rubbed in. It's all part of the masterflan plan.

2 Add enough water to bring it together into a soft, silky (not sticky) dough. Use very cold water so the butter doesn't melt.

3 On a floured surface, pat the dough into a rectangle. Roll until 1-2cm thick.

4 Fold in the sides as if you're folding a letter. Rotate the rectangle 90°. Roll out again. Repeat this five times, ending with a letter-folded piece of dough.

5 Wrap up in a clean tea towel. Refrigerate for 30 mins before rolling out or freeze it for up to a month. 

Turn to page 25 of October's The Simple Things for the full Thanksgiving menu:

Cider & sage turkey
Fresh cranberry sauce
Apple sourdough stuffing

Persian pilaf pumpkin
Rosemary and ginger carrots
Brown butter sweet potato gratin

Deep dish apple pie
Pumpkin pie with hazelnut crust 

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Recipe: Pea, mint, spinach and goat’s cheese quiche

This quiche is simple to make and packed with summery flavours

Turn to page 34 of August's The Simple Things for the full riverbank picnic menu: Pork and egg pie with a lattice top, Pea, mint, spinach and goat’s cheese quiche, Potato salad, and Meringue kisses. 

Pea, mint, spinach and goat’s cheese quiche

280g plain flour, plus extra for dusting the work surface
140g cold butter, cut into little pieces
6 tbsp cold water
300g frozen peas
handful of mint leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
284ml double cream
200g goat’s cheese
handful of baby spinach, wilted and water squeezed out in a tea towel

1 In a blender, combine the butter, water and flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Roll up in to a ball and cover in clingfilm and rest in the fridge until ready*.

2 Cook the peas for 3 mins in boiling water, then drain and chill under the cold tap. In a hand blender, whizz together the peas, mint and olive oil, and season to taste.

3 Preheat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F.

4 Roll the pastry out on a floured surface to a circle about 3cm bigger than a 25cm tin. Drape the pastry over the tin and gently push the pastry into place using a little scrap of pastry. Leave a little pastry over the edge of the tin; this can be removed later. Chill in fridge for 10-15 mins.

5 Lightly prick the base of the tart and line with baking paper and ceramic baking beans. Blind bake for 20 mins, then carefully remove the beans and bake for a further 5-10 mins until lightly browned.

6 While the pastry is baking, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the cream and season.

7 When the case is ready, spread the pea mixture over the bottom of the tart case. Pour over the egg mixture. Scatter the crumbled goat’s cheese and wilted spinach over the top of the quiche.

8 Bake for 20-25 mins until set and the top is browned. Trim the edges of the pastry off and leave to cool on a wire rack. 

*Or buy shortcrust pastry readymade from the supermarket if you’re short on time or inclination. 

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Recipe: Smoked bitter chocolate

In July's The Simple Things, we throw a grown-up barbecue; where veggies and even desserts go on the grill. Ben Tish is chef director at the Salt Yard Group, which runs four restaurants in London. Recipes are taken from his new book Grill Smoke BBQ. 

Try the recipe for Smoky bitter-chocolate puddings with melting whipped cream on page 39 - you can just use plain chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) or try this recipe for smoked bitter chocolate.   

'Smoked chocolate is a revelation, whether you eat it raw or melted and cooked into a pudding. At Ember Yard, we tried several methods and types of chocolate but found that those with a cocoa content of 70% or more works best. I’ve used pistols (buttons) as they are all the same size, so they absorb the smoke evenly. It’s imperative that you leave the chocolate for 24 hours after smoking to allow the flavours to settle and balance.' Ben Tish

Smoked bitter chocolate

Makes about 250g (9oz)

250g (9oz) bitter chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) buttons, or a block cut into small, even-sized chunks
You’ll also need a cold-smoking device and some oak wood dust

Set up the cold-smoking device in the barbecue with the wood dust and get it going.

Place the chocolate in a single layer on a baking sheet. Transfer to the barbecue, then close the lid and vent and cold-smoke the chocolate for 45 minutes. Transfer the chocolate to a container, seal and leave for24 hours before using.

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Recipe: Cherry pie

‘No one does fruit pies quite like our cousins across the pond. When I lived in North America, I ate more than my fair share of pie. I couldn’t pass a bakery or coffee shop without being lured in by golden sugared crusts spilling with bubbling, sweet fruit fillings. This is my version of the ubiquitous cherry pie. I use a small heart- shaped cookie cutter to make holes in the top crust, and it always goes down a storm. Eat it for afters with a mug of ‘joe’, like in Twin Peaks.’ - Rosie Birkett

Cherry pie

SERVES 8

for the pastry
2 tbsp granulated sugar
260g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
40g ground almonds pinch of salt
180g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg, beaten
1 tbsp demerara sugar, for sprinkling

for the filling
100g good-quality black cherry jam
1 tbsp cherry brandy, kirsch or amaretto (optional)
1⁄2 tsp grated nutmeg
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cornflour, mixed to a paste with 2 tsp cold water
500g fresh black or red cherries, pitted and halved

1 For the pastry, put the sugar, flour, ground almonds, salt and butter in a food processor, and blitz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add 3 tbsp of the egg and 2 tbsp of ice-cold water, and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together into a dough.
2 Divide the dough into two, flatten each portion into discs, wrap each disc in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
3 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/400F and grease a 24cm pie dish. Remove a disc of pastry from the fridge, unwrap it and roll it out on a floured work surface to 3mm thick and about 2cm wider than the dish. Transfer to a floured baking sheet and chill for 10 minutes. Repeat this with the remaining disc of pastry.
4 Heat the jam for the filling in a saucepan with 100ml water, the alcohol (if using), nutmeg and the vanilla extract. When it’s all melted together, add the diluted cornflour, and stir together until smooth and thickened. Add the cherries and gently coat them in the mixture, being careful not to mush them up. Remove from the heat and set aside. 
5 Using a floured rolling pin, transfer one of the chilled pastry sheets to the greased pie dish and drape it across
the dish. Let it sink into the dish, and, holding on to the edges, lift and tuck the pastry into the edges of the dish, all the way round, to line it. Trim off any excess pastry, and lightly prick the base with a fork. Fill the dish with the cherry filling. Use a pastry cutter to cut holes in the remaining pastry sheet, covering an area just smaller than the diameter of the pie dish, leaving a large border intact. Place it
over the pie filling, and fold the edge of the top crust over the edge of the bottom crust, crimping it together with your fingers to seal.
6 Brush the pastry with the remains of the beaten egg and sprinkle over the demerara sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, until the crust is golden, and then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/Fan 160C/350F, covering the top of the pastry with foil if need be, and bake for a further 35–40 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is golden and firm. Allow to cool and serve with cream.

Rosie Birkett is a food writer, food stylist and home cook living in Hackney, east London. Her book, A Lot On Her Plate (Hardie Grant) speaks of her love of a good meal and enthusiasm for food generally.

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Recipe: Guacamole

Guacamole is an authentic accompaniment to the tacos on page 38 of June's The Simple Things. The rest of the menu? Baby potato and rosemary pizzas, Bagna càuda Melting pork tacos, Cumin and garlic black beans, Cherry pie...

Guacamole

1 tomato, finely chopped
2 ripe avocados, stoned and chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed with ½ tsp sea salt
½ red onion, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
15g coriander, leaves and stems chopped, and some leaves reserved for garnish
juice of ½ lime

Put the tomato, avocado, garlic and onion in a bowl and mash together with a fork. Season with sea salt and pepper, then add the chilli, coriander and lime juice and incorporate. Taste for seasoning and garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: If you’re making the guacamole in advance, pop the avocado stone into the bowl with the guacamole and cover with cling film (plastic wrap) to stop it from going brown.

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Recipe: Rhubarb and rosewater tart with cardamom and honey cream

A delicious frangipane that balances sweet and sharp flavours, this rhubarb and rosewater tart is the triumphant finale to our supper club menu on page 24 of April’s The Simple Things. 

Rhubarb and rosewater tart with cardamom and honey cream

Serves 10
For the pastry
225g plain flour
100g chilled, salted butter, cubed
50g caster sugar
1 large egg
1⁄4 tsp rosewater
2 tbsp chilled water

For the filling
175g butter
175g caster sugar
4 large eggs
175g ground almonds
1 tsp almond extract
1⁄4 tsp rosewater
110g rhubarb cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tbsp slivered almonds

1 To make the pastry, put the flour and butter into a food processor and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and whizz again, then add the egg, rosewater and water and pulse until the mixture starts to come together a little. Tip it into a large bowl and bring together with your hands, kneading briefly until it is a soft ball. Slightly flatten it with one hand, wrap in cling film, and chill for 30 minutes.
2 Roll the pastry out on a floured surface and use it to carefully line a 28cm loose-bottomed flan tin, pushing it gently into all of the corners but leaving the extra hanging over the edge. Prick the base all over using a fork and then chill again for ten minutes.
3 Preheat oven to 190C/Fan 170/375F and place a flat baking tray on the oven’s middle shelf. Take a large piece of kitchen foil, scrunch it up to soften it, then spread it out and use it to cover the pastry. Tip in baking beads to cover the surface well (use rice if you don’t have beads), then place this carefully onto the heated tray and cook for 15 minutes. Remove foil and beads and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully trim off the excess pastry, using a serrated knife drawn in small movements horizontally across the edges.
4 Make the filling by blending the butter and sugar in a food processor or with a handheld electric whisk (or even a wooden spoon and elbow grease) until fluffy. Add the eggs, ground almonds, almond extract and rosewater and blend again. Tip into the pastry base and scatter over the rhubarb pieces and the almonds. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

This fragrant rhubarb and rosewater tart combines with a punchy cream and sweet syrup to make a memorable finale

Rhubarb syrup
250g rhubarb
300ml water
sugar

1 Chop the rhubarb into 2-inch pieces and put it into a small saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until the colour has leached out of the rhubarb, staining the water pink.
2 Strain the liquid into a measuring jug and discard the fruit pieces. Note the level of the liquid and then pour it back into the (washed) saucepan, and wash and dry the measuring jug before measuring out double the volume of sugar.
3 Tip this into the rhubarb liquid and heat slowly, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Then simmer gently for about 10 minutes until the syrup starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Honey and cardamom cream
6 cardamom pods
300ml crème fraîche
1 tbsp runny honey

With a pestle and mortar, lightly bash at the cardamom pods to release the seeds, fish out the seed cases, and grind the seeds to a fine powder. Put the crème fraîche, honey and cardamom into a bowl and mix well.

Come to The Simple Things Supper Club!

Want to see how it’s done, or just enjoy an evening out with other readers and The Simple Things team? We are co-hosting events in Dorset, Brighton, London and Manchester in May #supperclubsaturday, thanks to support from Neptune. Book now.
British brand, Neptune, is renowned for its hand-crafted furniture, gorgeous textiles and home accessories. They curate the finest designs for every room of the home, indoors and out. 

Want to run your own supper club?

Download our free supper club stationery. There are three designs to choose from, including menus, invitations, place cards and a donations envelope.

Read more:

From the April issue

Rhubarb recipes

Gathering menus

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