Welcome to week three of the St Chris Daily Lunch challenge!

This week includes the recipe for Mint Apple Buns – which was a request from an Old Scholar for a recipe from an old St Chris cookbook – a true taste of St Chris!

On Friday we’ve included a suitably patriotic scone recipe for VE day!

While there is no pressure at all to take part, our hope is that you will enjoy cooking a wide range of recipes and gain in confidence and vital skills in the kitchen.

If you require help with any recipes then please email becky.belson@stchris.co.uk.

We would also LOVE to see your brilliant creations so please send any pictures to rhiannon.butlin@stchris.co.uk

Here are next week’s recipes – you’ll find the details below, and on our Facebook and Instagram page each morning.

  • Monday 4 May – Mint Apple Buns
  • Tuesday 5 May – Easy Rustic Gnocchi
  • Wednesday 6 May – Chocolate and Pistachio Crunch Bars
  • Thursday 7 May – Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Quiche
  • Fr​iday 8 May – Scones with Cream and Jam to mark VE Day!
We hope you enjoy taking part and please let us know how you get on!

Monday 4 April

Mint Apple Buns

Recipe from: Kathleen Harris, Cornucopia, St Christopher Cookbook.

These are pleasant eaten buttered with tea or served hot with cheese and salad

Serves: makes 12-18

Ingredients:

  • 225g plain flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 pint milk
  • 85g melted butter
  • 1 large cooking apple
  • 4tsp baking powder
  • 1.5tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2tbsp chopped mint

Equipment needed:

  • Bun-tins
  • Sift
  • Whisk
  • 2 bowls and wooden spoon
  • Measuring jug
  • Chopping board and knife

Method:

  1. Butter and flour some bun tins
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together
  3. Beat the egg and add the milk and melted butter to it
  4. Chop the mint and apple
  5. Add the liquid to the flour mixture and stir lightly
  6. Stir in the apple and mint and spoon the mixture into the bun tins
  7. Bake for approximately 25mins at 200⁰C

Tuesday 5 May

Easy Rustic Gnocchi

Recipe from: 5 Ingredients, Jamie Oliver

Serves: Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • 400 g floury potatoes
  • 350 g asparagus
  • 50 g plain flour
  • ½ a bunch of fresh thyme (15g)
  • 50 g Parmesan cheese

Equipment needed:

  • Kitchen knife
  • Chopping board
  • Large saucepan,
  • Potato masher
  • Large non-stick frying pan
  • Slotted spoon
  • Fine cheese grater

Method:

  1. Wash the potatoes, chop into 3cm chunks and cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 12 minutes, or until tender.
  2. Meanwhile, line up the asparagus, trim off the woody ends, then slice the stalks 1cm thick, leaving the tips whole.
  3. Drain the potatoes and steam dry for 2 minutes, then return to the pan and mash well. Taste and season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, then tip on to a clean work surface.
  4. Fill the empty pan with boiling kettle water and place on a high heat.
  5. Use your hands to scrunch the flour with the potato, then divide into 24 pieces. Squeeze each in your palm to compress, into little uneven gnocchi, then drop into the boiling water for 1 minute, or until they float.
  6. Meanwhile, put the asparagus into a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, stirring occasionally.
  7. Strip in most of the thyme leaves, then use a slotted spoon to add the gnocchi straight in.
  8. Finely grate over most of the Parmesan and toss well, adding 100ml of gnocchi cooking water to emulsify it into a nice sauce. Taste, season to perfection, then dish up.
  9. Grate over the remaining Parmesan, strip over the remaining thyme, and finish with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Wednesday 6 May

Chocolate and Pistachio Crunch Bars

Recipe from: Gino D-Acampo, Buonissimo

Serves: Makes 24 fingers

Ingredients:

  • 50g salted butter
  • 300g good quality dark chocolate (70%) broken into pieces
  • 3 tbs golden syrup
  • 200g rich tea biscuits
  • 80g mini marshmallows
  • 80g crushed pistachios
  • Icing sugar to dust

Equipment needed:

  • Heavy based saucepan
  • Large bowl
  • 25cm square baking tray lined with baking paper or foil container
  • Spatula
  • Cling film
  • Knife
  • Chopping board

Method:

  1. Place butter, chocolate and syrup in a heavy based saucepan and gently heat until melted. Pour 150ml of the mixture out of the pan and set aside.
  2. Place the biscuits into a large bowl and crush into rough crumbs with your hands. Fold into the chocolate mixture in the saucepan along with the marshmallows and pistachio nuts
  3. Pour the mix into a lined baking tray or a 25cm square foil tray, use a spatula to flatten it as best as you can. Pour over the reserved melted chocolate and smooth the top.
  4. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for about 3 hours or over night.
  5. To serve, push out the cake on a chopping board and cut into 24 fingers. dust with icing sugar and enjoy!

Thursday 7 May

Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Quiche

Recipe from: Veggie Centre Recipe

Serves: Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • The roasted vegetables: 12 Cherry Tomatoes, halved; ½ courgette, chopped into 1cm cubes; 1 red pepper, chopped into 1cm cubes; ½ onion, chopped or sliced; Drizzle olive oil
  • 75g grated cheddar cheese
  • 4 eggs
  • 125 ml double cream
  • 1 tsp mixed herbs
  • For the pastry
  • 200g plain flour
  • 100g cold butter, cut into pieces
  • 4 tbs cold water

Equipment needed:

  • Bowl
  • Rolling pin
  • 23cm tart tin
  • Knife and chopping board
  • Baking tray
  • Whisk
  • Cheese grater

Method:

  1. Heat oven to 200C/ Fan 180C / Gas 6.
  2. To make the pastry, tip the flour and butter into a bowl, then rub together with your fingertips until completely mixed and crumbly. Add 1-2 tbsp cold water, then bring everything together until combined. Alternately this can be done in the food processor.
  3. Roll the dough on a lightly floured, cold work surface into a circle large enough to line the tart tin and roughly 3mm thick, leaving a generous edge to allow for shrinking in the oven. Lay the pastry in the tin and push it gently into the corners where the base meets the sides. Prick the base and sides of the pastry with a fork and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
  4. Place the vegetables on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking, until tender and golden.
  5. Meanwhile, whisk together the cream, eggs and half the grated cheese. season well with salt/pepper
  6. Once the vegetables are roasted, sprinkle the remaining cheese on to the base of the pastry case, pile in the vegetables – spreading them out so evenly distributed. Pour over the cream mixture.
  7. Reduce the oven temperature back down to 180C/gas mark 4 and bake the quiche for 25-35 minutes or until the filling is set and golden on top.
  8. Take out of the oven and allow cooling slightly before removing from the tin and transferring to a plate. Serve warm.

Friday 8 May

Scones with Cream and Jam

Recipe from: Recipe from https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tea_time_scones_77839

Serves: makes 16 small scones

Ingredients:

  • 450g self-raising flour
  • 2 level tsp baking powder
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 100g butter, softened, cut into pieces
  • 2 free-range eggs
  • a little milk
  • handful sultanas (optional)

To serve

  • Strawberry jam and clotted jam – which way around is up to you!

Equipment needed:

  • Large Bowl
  • Measuring jug
  • Rolling pin
  • Fluted cutter
  • Pastry brush
  • Wire cooling rack

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Lightly grease two baking trays.
  2. Put the flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Crack the eggs into a measuring jug, then add enough milk to make the total liquid 300ml/10fl oz. Stir the egg and milk into the flour – you may not need it all – and mix to a soft, sticky dough.
  4. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, knead lightly and work in the sultanas, if using. Roll out to a rectangle about 2cm/¾in thick.
  5. Cut into as many rounds as possible with a fluted 5cm/2in cutter and place them on the prepared baking trays. Brush the tops of the scones with a little extra milk, or any egg and milk left in the jug.
  6. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the scones are well risen and a pale, golden-brown colour. Lift onto a wire rack to cool. Eat as fresh as possible.
  7. To serve, split the scones and serve with strawberry jam on the plain scones along with a good dollop of clotted cream.

Recipe Tips

  • Once the scones are cool, they can be frozen. To eat, defrost at room temp and then reheat in a hot oven for 10 minutes. The scone dough should be slightly sticky to give the best results.
  • Don’t over handle the dough or it will be tough and don’t be tempted to roll it out too thinly or you won’t get good deep scones.
  • For larger 5cm/2in scones, bake for 10-12 minutes

We really want to see your cooking/baking successes please email images to becky.belson@stchris.co.uk and Rhiannon.butlin@stchris.co.uk