Every restaurant should have its own signature Apple Pie dish. This one is Hilary and Ben’s, the two owners of The Restaurant @ The Mill. Of course, it’s a fictional story so I’m lending them an old-fashioned favourite that has long been one of my Christmas special puddings.

 

As this Winter Warmer feature continues in celebration of the very romantic new-look cover for this series of love stories, it has taken me back into the world of the characters in this novel. You can read an excerpt here:

Read chapter one here   viewBook.at/TheRestaurant

There is a love story for every decade in life, from a couple in their twenties through to the twilight years. The one thing that connects them all is fine dining at the mill! Food really is something that brings people together and sharing a meal out with someone special is wonderful, but staying in and cooking can be very relaxing too!

Coming soon – Heavenly Crepes and Haggis Bake (courtesy of Janice Horton) and don’t forget that the Winter Warmer recipe booklet will be free to download here on 2 February, 2014. 

So, now onto today’s treat:

Old fashioned Windfall Apple Pie (with a twist)

Serves: 4-6, best eaten hot

Pastry: 4oz plain flour
1oz butter
1oz lard
Juice of half a medium-sized orange

Filling: Grated rind of 1 orange
1½lbs windfall* cooking apples, peeled and sliced
5fl oz of single cream
Juice of half a medium-sized orange
3oz caster sugar

*Peel, core, slice and blanch them in the autumn, then freeze in ‘pie dish’ size portions. Defrost thoroughly before use.

Method:
Heat oven to 200ºC.
Rub together with your finger tips the flour, butter and lard until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Use enough orange juice to bind the pastry together. Chill the pastry in the fridge whilst you prepare the filling.
Put the sliced apples into a 1½ pint pie dish. Add the grated orange rind. Pour on the cream and coat the apples. Add the sugar to the remaining orange juice and sprinkle over the apples.
Gently knead the pastry and roll out to a little larger than the pie dish so that you can cut a narrow strip to line the edges of the pie dish and still have a large enough circle to cover the pie. Wet the edge of the pie dish with a little water and press a thin strip of pastry around the entire dish. Dampen the top of the strip, lift the circle of pastry and lay over the pie dish. Press down the edges and trim, using the handle end of a large spoon press down to make a small pattern on the edge of the pastry and to help seal it.
With any remaining cuttings, form a ball and roll it out. Cut out some pastry leaves. Cut a whole in the centre of the pie and lay the leaves around the hole. Score each of them with a knife to give them the markings of a leaf.
Place in the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180ºC and cook until golden brown – at least 10-15 minutes.

Serve: best served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

The very fabulous Caroline James is visiting and sharing a superb recipe that I can’t wait to try!

Caroline’s Red Lentil Dhal

This healthy dish is so simple to make and truly delicious. The flavours are even better the next day (if you can keep it that long!). It’s certainly a winter warmer/comfort food on a cold day. I use chicken stock but for vegetarians substitute a vegetable stock.

Ingredients:

1 Onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
550ml chicken or vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
5cm piece root ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tsp tumeric
2 tbsp medium curry powder
110g red lentils
50g puy lentils
1 large butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into small chunks
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into small chunks
4 large tomatoes – sliced thinly

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/ fan 160 degrees C / gas mark 4

• Add olive oil to a pan and gently sauté the onions and carrots, cook until slightly softened.
• Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and cook for one minute before adding the tumeric and curry powder. Blend together then pour in the stock and bring to the boil
• Add the red lentils and puy lentils
• Place the squash and carrots in a large oven proof dish and pour the lentil mixture over.
• Arrange tomatoes on top and cover
• Cook for an hour and a half on a low shelf

Serve with rice and a side dish of plain yogurt with a little chopped coriander or basil

©carolinejames

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caroline has been busy with the release of her smash hit So You Think You’re A Celebrity … Chef? She also had an exclusive interview on Loveahappyending Lifestyle magazine with Downton Abbey food stylist, Lisa Heathcote. A big THANK YOU for being my guest today on Winter Warmers!

Find out more about Caroline:

Facebook: Caroline James Author on Facebook
Twitter Account: @CarolineJames12
Author Blogs: carolinejamesblogspot
Author’s Website: www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk