Victoria Sponge

Hello again foodie peeps,

Having had a mini-moan about the rubbish British Summer last time, someone seems to have been listening because the last week has been hot Hot HOT!

So today I decided to mix a British summer classic and give it an autumnal twist for this strange summer/autumn weather.

Having made blackberry jam, I decided to use it to fill a Victoria Sandwich. 

Well, here is the basic principle of a Victoria Sandwich...

You can make it in various sizes/amounts depending on the size of your tin or how many eggs you happen to have in your fridge.

The important thing to remember is that your flour, butter and sugar should each weigh the same as your eggs. So, if the 2 eggs you’re using weigh 100g, then you need to weigh out 100g of butter, sugar and flour too. 

Your average medium sized egg weighs around 110g. So bearing that in mind...

110g butter (room temperature)

110g caster sugar

110g self-raising flour

2 eggs

•          Preheat the oven to 170 c.
•          Grease or line 2 sandwich tins (18cm)
•          Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
•          Then continue to whisk/beat the mixture and add 2 eggs a tiny bit at a time.
•          As you add the egg also add small amounts of the flour too (no more than ¾ of it)
•          Use a metal spoon and gently fold in the remaining flour until combined
•          I’d also recommend adding a few drops of vanilla too
•          If the mixture is a little too thick (it should easily drop off the spoon) then just add a  
      desert spoon of milk
•     Bake for around 25mins
•     Once baked leave for 2 mins to cook slightly. Then turn them out onto wire racks to
      cool.

  

Once cakes are completely cool you can add jam and/or cream and sandwich them together.

·         Dust with icing sugar and enjoy.

Making Blackberry Jam to celebrate Autumn

So, after a long (and not particularly hot) summer, today is the first official day of autumn.

Early autumn is one of my favorite times of year - the colours, the conkers, the mist.. beautiful.

Autumn demands a new approach to cooking that takes full advantage of the abundant fruits, vegetables and meats that come into season. Right now the hedgerows are heavy with blackberries - delicious fruits and totally free. 

I first went blackberry picking when I was five with my mum and for many years after that. As soon as little bro and sis were old enough they came too and then it became a competition - a mad rush of scratched hands to bring home the biggest, best and most juicy berries. 

Blackberries are totally delicious and can be used to create so many tasty delights. 


Plus, if you don't know what you want to make with them yet, just pick them while they're here and freeze them until you do know!


Just one word of advice - I've seen so many people picking them on busy roadsides but fumes from the traffic can ruin the fruit and may mean that you're consuming all sorts of nasties.






Today, I wanted to make blackberry jam.
I am no expert at jam making and have chosen not to use pectin (often used for thickening jam) but kept my recipe as simple as possible.

Carefully wash 1kg of blackberries well under cold running water.

Add 1kg of caster sugar.

Add the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt.

Stir and heat to a rolling boil.

Cook for aprox. 20 mins stirring regularly.

Allow to cool slightly and then transfer to sterile jars. Leave a 1cm gap at the top.

Seal and store in the fridge once completely cool.

Enjoy on hot buttered toast - heaven.

P.S. The Daily Mail tells me that blackberry picking is in decline even though "the current economic climate makes it the perfect time to plunder nature's bountiful store cupboard". This seems such a shame. Blackberry picking is as quintessentially British at this time of year as tea and cricket. 
I would urge everyone to head out and pick as many as you can - they are free people, FREE!