Step 1-Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a work surface, using some flour to ensure that the pastry doesn’t stick. Once you have rolled out your pastry, use it to line a 26cm tart tin. Cover this with cling film and place in the fridge to rest for an hour or so.

Step 2-Heat your oven to 190 degrees celcius/170 degrees celcius for a fan oven/gas mark 5..

Step 3- Start making the filling of your raspberry bakewell tart by placing the softened butter, caster sugar and lemon juice in to a food processor. Mix this together until it turns light and fluffy. Turn the food processor to full speed and add the eggs and the almond extract. Mix again until it is well combined and takes the consistency of a smooth paste. Then gently fold in the breadcrumbs and ground almonds.

Step 4-Remove the tart case from the fridge and line it with baking paper and baking beans. Place on an oven tray and bake for 20 minutes or so until the sides are set. Remove from the oven and take out the baking beads and baking paper. Place back in the oven to bake for another 10 minutes until the base is a biscuity consistency.

Step 5- Take the bakewell tart base out of the oven and spread the raspberry jam on the base and top with the filling you prepared earlier. Place this back in the oven and bake for a further 25 minutes or until the filling is cooked.

Step 6-Once the raspberry bakewell tart has cooled, remove it from the tin by carefully tipping the bottom of the tin out. Place the tart to one side. Prepare the icing for the tart by adding 5 tbsp of water to the icing sugar. Cover the top of the raspberry bakewell tart will icing, leaving some to one side. Place the fresh raspberries on top before adding the remaining icing and any leftover almonds. Allow the icing set before slicing and serving.

Happy St Georges Day everyone! To celebrate, have a go at this traditional Eton mess recipe at home!.

If you are looking for a traditional English desert, it doesn’t get any more classic than an Eton mess! This fantastic recipe from great British chefs will leave your mouth watering! The brilliant combination of crispy meringue with the sweetness of the strawberry is hard to say no to! This is a very simple desert, but it’s incredibly hard to beat for flavour!

Ingredients:

For the Meringue

• 175g of caster sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 1 vanilla pod, remove the seeds
• A pinch of salt

For the Eton Mess

• 500g of fresh strawberries, sliced
• 500ml of double cream
• 1 tbsp of icing sugar

Instructions:

Source: Great British Chefs 

Step 1-Start by taking the your beef and seasoning to taste with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle the beef with flour and ensure it is well covered.

Step 2-Pour 2 to 3 large glugs of olive oil in to heated casserole dish or frying pan and fry the beef until it is browned.

Step 3- Add in the onion and fry for a minute or so, then add the carrots, celery and the herbs in to the pan. Cook all of this for a further 5 minutes before adding in the bottle of Guinness.

Step 4-Add the chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil. Give it a good stir and allow it to slow cook for a further 2 hours until the meat is tender.

Step 5-After 2 hours check how it is doing. The sauce should have thickened and all of the ingredients should have provided a delicious flavour. Add further seasoning if you think it needs it.

Step 6-Now it is time to pre heat your oven. Set it to 190 degrees Celsius or gas mark 5. Place the meat filling and sauce in to a large pie tin.

Step 7-Roll out your puff pastry and place it over the pie tin. Please make sure it is slightly bigger than the tin itself.

Step 8-Beat the egg and then brush the edge of your tin with it. Place the pastry on top of the large pie tin and use the extra pastry around the outside of the dish to secure it. Use a knife to score the pastry on top and brush with more of the egg.

Step 9-Place the pie on a baking tray or in a roasting tin and place in the middle of your pre heated oven for around 45 minutes. You will know it is done when it turns a golden colour and starts to bubble around the edge of the pastry.

Step 10-Allow the pie to cool for a few minutes before serving, and that’s it! This delicious steak and Guinness pie is ready to be served. We recommend serving with some delicious new potatoes and some green beans!

Step 1- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celcius/400 degrees Fahrenheit/Gask mark 6.

Step 2-Peel and core the apples and set them to one side. Mix the flour, brown sugar orange zest and mixed spice together.

Step 3-Take about one third of the apples and place them in a pie dish. Sprinkle around half of the flour, brown sugar, orange zest and mixed spice mixture over the apples, before adding about half of the remaining apples and mixture on top again. Then neatly arrange any of the remaining apples on top and pour the orange juice on.

Step 4-Cut the butter in the pieces and place evenly among the apples.

Step 5- Take the shortcrust pastry and roll it out until it is about 4cm longer than the pie dish you are using. Cut a 1.25cm strip of pastry, wet the edges of the pie dish and stick the 1.25cm strip of pastry around the edge of the dish.

Step 6- Wet the pastry edge and place the main piece of pastry over the top of the pie dish. It is important to ensure that the edges of the pastry and pressed firmly together.

Step 7- Before placing in the oven, brush the pastry with water and sprinkle the caster sugar over it. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees celcius/400 degrees Fahrenheit/Gas Mark 6 before reducing the temperature to 180 celcius/350 fahrenheit/gas mark 4 to cook for a further 30 minutes until the pastry turns a delicious golden brown colour.

Step 8-We love our apple pie with custard, but it is equally as delicious served with cream or ice cream. Enjoy!