Chickpea and Spinach Gratin
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp plain flour
450ml hot vegetable stock
2 cans chickpeas, drained
400ml crème fraiche
400 gram blanched or frozen spinach
75 gram fresh brown breadcrumbs
50 gram grated parmesan
Gently fry the onion in the olive oil until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the flour and fry for 1 minute and allow to colour slightly. (A Spon is good for this ). Add the vegetable stock in three goes, letting the roux thicken each time.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chickpeas and crème fraiche, check seasoning.
Tip the mixture into an oven dish approx. 20 cm square and level, scatter the spinach on top then combine the parmesan and breadcrumbs and sprinkle over.
Bake at gas4/180c/350f for 45 minutes until crisp and brown on top.
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Double Choc Chip Cookies
- 4oz butter or marg
- 2oz caster sugar
- 5oz self raising flour
- 4oz dark choc chips
- 4oz milk choc chips
Beat together the butter and sugar, beat in the flour and then the chocolates.
Shape the dough into cookies, 8 large or up to 50 small, on baking sheets and press them down slightly, allowing space for them to spread.
Bake at gas mark 4 for about 20 minutes until golden, cool and serve.
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The Spon Sponge
- 8oz butter or margarine
- 8oz golden caster sugar
- 8oz self raising flour
- 2tsp baking powder
- 4 large eggs
Measure ingredients into a large bowl and beat with the spon until creamy.
Grease and base line two 8 inch round tins and split the mixture between them.
Bake at gas mark 4 for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and shrinking in from the sides of the tins.
Cover and cool completely on a wire rack before turning out.
Sandwich together with strawberry jam and dust top with icing dugar. |
Neal’s Crunchy Top Lemon and Lime Cake
For the cake:
- Finely grated rind of 1lemon and 2 limes
- 8oz soft margarine
- 12oz golden caster sugar
- 12oz self raising flour
- 1 and a half tsp baking powder
- 4 large eggs
- 6 fl oz milk
For the topping:
- 8oz golden caster sugar
- Juice of the lemon and limes
I find the limes give this cake a fresher zing than a straight lemon version.
Grate the rinds off into a large mixing bowl, I use an 8 litre, and measure everything else in on top.
Spon it all together until creamy, it may need a little extra milk if it is too stiff.
Grease and fully line a 26cm sprung cake tin, I do this with one large piece of greaseproof, crushing it against the sides, it gives a crinkly “home made” look to the cake.
Tip the mixture into the tin and shake to level. Bake at 180c/350f/gas4 for about 40 minutes until shrunk slightly from the sides.
Mix together the juices and sugar ready for the cake coming out of the oven, pierce the top quite fiercely with a fork and spread on the topping.
Leave on a rack until completely cool before turning out.
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