September 2011 Recipes - (Provided by Sarah Mellersh)

Brandy Snaps

• 50 g butter
• 50 g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• Pinch salt
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• 50 g plain flour, sieved
• 1 tsp brandy

For the hazelnut cream

• 300 ml double cream
• 1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
• 100 g chocolate hazelnut spread
• Hazelnuts, finely chopped, to serve
• Icing sugar, to serve
• Mixed fresh berries, to serve

For the bramble filling

• 200 ml/7fl oz. double cream
• 1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
• 75 g/3oz icing sugar
• 25 ml/1fl oz. Kirsch
• 200 g/7oz blackberries

Preheat the oven to 175°C/Gas mark 4. Melt the butter, sugar, syrup, together. Take off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients.

Place teaspoons of the mixture on to baking parchment and cook for 8-10 mins. The mixture will spread so space out.

Once the circles are golden brown and lacy looking, take out. Allow to cool slightly and then either mould around a wooden spoon/rolling pin for cigar shapes or around a greased ramekin/ladle/dariole mould for a container shape. Then fill with either of the below fillings.

For the hazelnut cream , whisk together the cream, vanilla and chocolate hazelnut spread until well combined.

For the bramble filling, place the double cream, vanilla seeds, icing sugar, kirsch and

50 g/2oz of the blackberries into a large bowl and whip together until thickened and purple from the bramble juice.

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Spiced Lentil Soup

Serves 4

• 100 g red lentils
• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 1-2 Sticks of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 150 ml tomato juice or tinned tomatoes 
• 855 ml -1.2 litres vegetable stock 
• 1 tbsp curry powder 
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger 
• 50 g creamed coconut (or coconut milk) 
• Salt and pepper 
• Fresh coriander to garnish 

Sweat the chopped onion, carrot, celery in the oil until soft. About 5 mins.

Add garlic and spices cook for a min or until smelling fragrant. Then add lentils, stock and tomato juice.

Cover the pan with a lid and simmer until everything is soft, about 20 mins.

Remove from the heat and add creamed coconut. Process in a blender or use a hand blender until smooth.

Season, garnish with the coriander and serve.

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Cheese Scones

• 225 g self raising flour
• Pinch of salt
• 25 g butter
• 30 g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 150 ml milk

Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter. Stir in the cheese and then the milk to get a soft dough.

Turn on to a floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out to a round 2 cm/¾ inch thick.

Use a 5 cm/2in cutter to stamp out rounds and place on the baking sheet. Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up.

Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

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Steak au Poivre

Serves 4

• 4 buffalo or beef sirloin, or fillet, steaks weighing about 180-200 g each
• 2-4tbsp of green peppercorns in brine, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp Rapeseed oil
• Salt and Pepper
• A good knob of butter
• 2 small shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp brandy, or Cognac
• 100ml beef stock
• 150ml double cream

Brush the steaks with the oil and season well with salt and a grinding of pepper. Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan, until hot. Place the steaks in the pan.

Cook over a medium heat until done to your likeness (see below for cooking times. Remove the steaks and keep warm.

Add the butter and shallots to the pan and stir well on a low heat for a minute or so.

Add the brandy and turn the heat up so it ignites then pour in the stock and cream, add the green peppercorns and boil rapidly until it reduces by half and thickens.

Season if necessary and pour over the steaks.

Serve with salad and good chips.

Guide to steak cooking times

The times given here are a guide only and refer to a steak that is approximately 2.5cm or 1" thick. Thicker steaks may require a longer cooking time and vice versa for thinner steaks.

• Rare : 1-2 minutes per side - rest for 6-8 minutes
• Medium rare : 2-2 ½ minutes per side - rest for 5 minutes
• Medium : 3 minutes per side - rest for 4 minutes
• Well done : 4.5 minutes per side - rest for 1 minute