Lemon Drizzle Cake with Elderberries

This is the cake I made for my first Mill Bakers. Basically I have been accepted to be one of the bakers for events and bake sales at my local community centre. I set about making it a couple of Saturdays ago and I had some trouble!

First of all it wouldn't cook, I would guess that the added moisture of the berries caused it to cook slower than my normal lemon drizzle cake, and then I turned the temperature up and of course it burnt! So I did what any girl would do in that situation, I rang my Mum! and she suggested I chopped the top off and covered it in a mixture of lemon juice and icing. I did eat the burnt bits and they were very tasty, so definitely a good cake to make in Autumn when the elderberries are ripe.

Lemon Drizzle Cake with Elderberries
(Makes 1 2lb loaf tin sized cake)

225g unsalted butter, softened
225g caster sugar
4 eggs finely grated
zest 1 lemon
225g self-raising flour
200g elderberries

For the drizzle topping juice
1½ lemons
85g caster sugar

Heat oven to 180C. Beat together the butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. Sift in the flour, then add the lemon zest and mix until well combined. Add in the elderberries and mix carefully to combine.

Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon. Bake for 45 mins - 1 hour until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. 

While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the juice of the lemons and the caster sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle – the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve.

 

Elderberry Muffins

This was the second lot of cakes that I took into work. I picked elderberries from my parents garden last year and froze them. They were really lovely but went very moist and sticky very quickly, so best eaten quickly! I made lots of little muffins instead of big ones, more to go round!!

Elderberry Muffins (from Becky Doughty)
(Makes 12 large muffins)

113g butter or margarine
200g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
125ml milk
250g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
140g elderberries

For the topping
113g demerara suagr
42g plain flour
60g butter, softened, cubed
1½ tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a muffin tin.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the milk and vanilla and mix well.

Sieve in the flour, baking powder and salt and then fold into the wet ingredients with a metal spoon. Carefully fold in elderberries.

Spoon into the muffin tins and sprinkle with the crumb topping.

Bake in the oven for 20 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Apple and Elderberry Pie

I actually made this pie a little while ago and froze it, which is why it looks a but rough around the edges! It was delicious, I do love a good apple pie and I'm really enjoying the elderberries that I picked from my parents garden.

Apple and Elderberry Pie (from Becky Doughty)
(Serves 4-6)

For the pastry
175g plain flour
pinch salt
40g lard
40g butter

For the filling

200g elderberries

3 tbsp cornflour

113g caster sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice
4 cooking apple, thinly sliced

2 tsp cinnamon

60g butter

100g brown sugar

To make the pastry; sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, Then cut the fat into small cubes and add to the flour. Using your fingertips, lightly rub the pieces of fat into the flour.

When the mixture looks like bread crumbs, start to add 2 tbsp of cold water. Use a round-bladed knife to start the mixing, cutting and bringing the mixture together. Carefully add more water if needed, a little at a time, then finally bring the mixture together with your hands to form a smooth ball of dough that will leave the bowl clean.

Wrap the pastry in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Whilst the pastry is resting, mix the cornflour with 4 tbsp of water and add it to berries and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring , until it looks like syrup. Add more cornstarch if the mixture is not thick enough. Remove the pan from heat, add the lemon juice, and set aside.

Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the apples, saute until they are starting to soften but still hold their shape. Add the cinnamon and brown sugar and toss the apples to coat. Gently fold the berries into apples.

Meanwhile, remove your pastry from the fridge. Dust your work surface with flour, cut the pastry in half and, using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces out until it's just under 1cm thick. Butter a shallow 26cm pie dish and line with the pastry, trimming off any excess round the edges using a sharp knife.
Pour the apples and elderberries into pie dish, Brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg. Roll out the second piece of pastry, and lay it over the top of the pie. Trim the edges as before and crimp them together with your fingers. Brush the top of the pie with the rest of the beaten egg and make hole in the top of the pastry.
Bake at for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling.

Elderberry, Blackberry and Apple Pudding

I got a really fantastic pudding cookbook a couple of months ago full of good old-fashioned English puds. From steamed to baked to apple snow, they all look delicious. This is the first one I have made primarily because it used up some of the elderberries currently languishing in my freezer from the autumn and it was fantastic. Just what you want out of a pudding. When I make this recipe again I think I will add more apple as the sponge seemed to grow enormously and the fruit to sponge ratio was a little off but otherwise an awesome pudding.

Elderberry, Blackberry and Apple Pudding
(from Great British Puddings - The Pudding Club)
(Serves 6-8)

450g cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
110g blackberries
50g elderberries
1 heaped tsp raspberry jam
175g butter, softened
150g light brown sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
4 eggs, beaten
110g self raising flour
110g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder

Grease a 2 pint oven-proof dish.

Put the apples, blackberries, elderberries and jam into a saucepan, cover with a lid and cook gently for 8-10 mins. Pour into the oven-proof dish.

Preheat the oven to 170C.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and golden syrup until light fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well between each addition. Fold in the flour, ground almonds and baking powder with a metal spoon.

Pour the mixture on top of the fruit, smooth over the top and bake for 30-40 mins until the sponge is golden brown and firm to the touch.

Serve with ice cream.

Raised Pork, Apple and Elderberry Pie

I made a small Jamie's 6 Hour Slow Roast Pork a little while ago and with the remainder of that I made these Pork, Elderberry and Apple pies. The elderberries came from my parent's garden. I made a hot water crust pastry which I've never tried making before, but I didn't hand raise the pies, that I think would have been a step too far! So I made two smaller pies in tins which was much easier! I've posted the original recipe below as I can't remember in what quantity I used the ingredients I actually had, which didn't quite match the recipe.The pies were delicious though, I'll definitely be picking more elderberries last year.

Raised Pork, Apple and Elderberry Pie (from The Times)
(Makes a 20cm Pie, Serves 10)

for the filling

25g butter

100g chopped pancetta or bacon 

6 small shallots, finely chopped
1 tsp oregano leaves, fresh or dried
100g elderberries, mashed with a fork
1 apple, cored and grated
600g minced pork shoulder or other lean meat
100g minced pork belly
2 tbsp calvados
salt and pepper

for the pastry
450g plain flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 egg yolk
175g goose or duck fat, melted and kept warm
175ml boiling water
1 level tsp caster sugar
milk

Prepare the filling. Put the butter in a frying-pan and melt it over a medium heat. Add the pancetta, then the chopped shallots and oregano. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the elderberries and apple, then cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Put the pork in a bowl with the pancetta, onion mixture, calvados, pepper and salt and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Now make the pastry. Put the flour in a large bowl and stir in the egg and yolk. Add the goose fat and water with a teaspoon of salt and the sugar, then mix until you have a soft dough. Roll it out lightly on a floured worktop, then fold into three. Wrap in plastic or greaseproof paper and refrigerate for half an hour.

To make the pie, roll two thirds of the pastry out to a rough circle half a centimetre thick, or less if you want a thinner crust. Line the tin with the pastry, leaving a generous overhang, then roll out the second piece, about 3mm thick, to make a lid, again with an overhang. Fill the pastry case with the pork mixture, place the lid on top, using water to help stick it to the edge of the pastry case. Trim the edges, pressing them firmly together, then make a hole in the centre of the pie so steam can escape during cooking. Brush with milk. Bake the pie for 1½-1¾ hours, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out piping hot.

The pie can be eaten hot or cold.