Recipes

Following the success of the Community Cookbook, recipes are now being published monthly in the Village Newsletter and will also be available here:

Mel’s Magnificent Monday Morning Victoria Sandwich
Mel bakes for the Maple Tree on a Monday morning. This is a recipe taught to her by her Mum and Grandma and our customers love it!

Ingredients
10 oz/280g SR flour
5 eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Milk
Mel’s Tip : vary size of cake by using 2oz ingredients to 1 egg
Method
Cream together sugar and butter in food processor
Add eggs (if mixture shows signs of curdling, add 2 tbsp flour)
Add remaining flour
Divide mixture between 2 x 8 inch sandwich tins
Bake at 170C for 35 mins /40 mins
Check with skewer in the centre - if it comes out clean the cake should be cooked
Leave to cool on wire rack
Filling:
Raspberry or Strawberry Jam
Lemon Curd is also lovely!
Butter Cream - ingredients and method below
Butter Cream
Beat together 250g icing sugar & 80g butter
Add 25 ml milk & few drops of vanilla extract

Once the cake is completely cooled, assemble and dust with a little icing sugar on top and enjoy.

ELAINE’S BANANA AND CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS - very easy, makes 12 and are delicious!
Ingredients
100g unsalted butter softened
2 eggs
175g caster sugar
225g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp milk
2 very ripe bananas
100g chocolate chips
Method
1 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4
2.Line 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases
3.Place all ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth
4.Spoon the mixture into baking cases
5.Cook for 25 mins until muffins are golden brown and skewer comes out clean
6.Remove and cool on a rack

Natalie’s Coffee and Walnut Cake
Ingredients
250g Stork margarine
100ml strong black coffee
280g self raising flour
250g caster sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
85g walnuts finely chopped
Filling
100g icing sugar
150 ml double cream 100g mascarpone
Method
Heat oven to 180 degrees C/160 degrees C Fan/ Gas 4
Butter 2 round cake tins and line with baking parchment.
Set aside 1 tablespoon of the coffee for the filling.
Beat the butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, vanilla extract and half the remaining coffee in a large bowl and beat until smooth.
Fold in the finely chopped walnuts and divide between the tins.
Bake for 25/30 minutes.
Drizzle the cake with the remaining coffee and cool the cakes in the tins.
For the filling, beat the icing sugar, cream and mascarpone and then fold in the reserved coffee.

Noreen's Cupcakes
Noreen has been baking cupcakes since she was about nine years old when her grandmother in the North
East showed her how. Now we can all enjoy them.
Ingredients
110g of softened butter or baking margarine

110g of caster sugar
2 medium eggs

110g self-raising flour
1tsp vanilla extract or other flavouring of your choice

(2tbsp of cocoa powder for chocolate cupcakes).
You will also need 12 paper cupcake cases.

Butter icing
150g of softened butter or baking margarine

300g of icing sugar

3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract or other flavouring of your choice.

Food colouring if required.

Method
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and fill a 12 cupcake tray with the paper cases.
Beat 110g softened butter and 110g golden caster sugar together until pale and fluffy.
Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and then mix into the mixture a bit at a time along with some of the flour (and cocoa powder if using) to prevent the mixture curdling.
Add ½ tsp vanilla extract, other flavouring or food colouring and spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases.
Bake for 15 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean.
Leave to cool completely on wire rack.
To make the buttercream, whisk 150g softened butter until it is very soft and then add 300g icing sugar along with the vanilla extract or other flavouring.
Whisk together until smooth and then beat in 3 tbsp milk.
If you want to add colour, stir in the food colouring now.
Spoon or pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.
Now for the good part, decorating the iced cupcakes. You can keep them deliciously plain or you can use your imagination. Shop bought cake decorations such as sprinkles, rice paper flowers, novelty toppers, mini biscuits – Oreos or Party Rings are all great. You could even explore your store cupboard, in this time of lockdown and use whatever you’ve got, chopped nuts, grated chocolate, glace cherries or desiccated coconut.

Recipe Trail

Created as part of the Village Show Celebrations, the Recipe Trail took place at the beginning of September, organised by Caroline. These recipes are also being published here for everyone to enjoy!

Vegetable Pakoras

A delicious savoury recipe from Herbie, a member of the fantastic Repton Community Covid19 Support Team

Ingredients
1 onion finely chopped
1 large potato grated
A selection of any available vegetables, could include: aubergine, cauliflower, broccoli (small cubes or pieces), frozen peas
2 chillies finely chopped
Handful chopped coriander
Dry Spices: ½ tsp Turmeric, ½ tsp Chilli Powder, 1 tsp jeera (cumin), 1 tsp fenugreek, 1 tsp garam masala
100g Gram flour (chickpea flour)
Oil
Method
Sieve flour into bowl
Add vegetables
Mix together by hand
Tip: The vegetable liquid should bind the mixture together.

If dry, add a small amount of water or small amount of

tinned tomatoes until you have a mixture of a sticky texture.
Heat oil in large wok or pan
Tip: Test a small amount of the mixture by dropping into hot oil.

It should drop in and then rise to the surface.
Take a handful of mixture & place gently into the hot oil.
Move gently around the pan
Tip: Pakora should be golden in colour and rise to the top when cooked.

Batch cook and drain
Serve with Mint and Lemon Chutney or Tamarind Sauce

Easy Peasy Rub in Fruit Cake
Margaret remembers her grandmother making this cake and putting a buttered slice, together with an apple and some cheese, into a pack up for her Grandad when he went out on ARP duties during WW2.
A lovely easy recipe to try with children.
Ingredients
8 oz self-raising flour
4 oz margarine
Pinch of salt
1 tsp mixed spice
1 egg with 2 tbs milk
Add a good mix of dried fruit to your taste – around 6 oz
1 tbs of marmalade to keep it moist
Optional extras: Coconut, cherries, store cupboard leftover fruits.
Method
Step 1 Rub in the flour and margarine until like fine breadcrumbs.
Step 2 Add all the fruit and spices then blend in all the other ingredients.
Step 3 Pour into a 2lb loaf tin and bake on the middle shelf for 45 minutes at Gas Mark 4 (Electric 180 or Fan 160)
Tip: Microwave a slice for a few seconds then serve with custard or cream for a quick pudding.

Jenny’s Lettuce Soup

Jenny came up with the idea after her online shop mistakenly delivered 4 Romaine Lettuces and two bags of washed spicy lettuce! Not to be deterred it was transformed into a tasty green soup.

Ingredients

1 small chopped onion

2 cloves of crushed garlic

1 medium chopped potato

Lettuce Hearts – shredded

A good handful of spicy lettuce leaves

Another good handful of frozen peas or frozen peas/sweetcorn mix

1 herb infusion stock pot

Pepper and a little salt if required

Method

Gently sweat the onion and garlic until soft

Add the chopped potato for 2 minutes