Dorset – A Different Kitchen

Having invited friends over this week for coffee and cake in the garden, I was keen to bake something tasty and seasonal for us all to enjoy. The previous few days had been spent down in Dorset (home of the famous Dorset Apple Cake), which started me thinking, as the apple trees in the ADK garden are now laden with fruit (see below). With a bit of help from a recipe on BBC Good Food, the idea for this traybake slowly came together.

Servings

Makes at least 16 squares.

Timings

15 mins to prepare, 45 mins in a fan oven at 160C.

You Will Need

400g apple
half a lemon
220g butter, softened
250g caster sugar
4 eggs
350g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
ground cinnamon and dark brown sugar, to sprinkle

Method

Grease a baking tray and line with baking paper. The one I used is 22cm square. Switch the oven on to 160C.
Peel and finely chop the apple. Place in a bowl and squeeze the lemon over. Stir so that the apple is coated in the lemony juice.
Place the butter and caster sugar in a separate bowl and cream with an electric mixer. Crack in the eggs and mix.
Sieve in the flour and baking powder, and fold in with a spatula, so that there are no dry ingredients.
Tip in about 75% of the chopped apple and stir to incorporate.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tray and level with the back of a metal spoon. Sprinkle over a dusting of ground cinnamon, and then crumble over the dark brown sugar. Gently press in the remaining pieces of apple.
Place in the oven at 160C for 45 mins, by which time a skewer inserted in the middle should come out dry.
Remove and leave in the tin for 10 mins, before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cut into 16 squares.

Customise It!

Use mixed spice or grated nutmeg in place of the cinnamon if you wish. Enjoy a square on its own to accompany a tea or coffee, or with a few dollops of cream or natural yoghurt alongside.

I heard this track on the radio recently, and was impressed by its fresh and distinctive sound. This is Sub Focus with Off the Ground.

Dorset Calling

This week, while staying close to the English south coast, I enjoyed a day in the old town of Wimborne in the county of Dorset.

At the centre of the town is the impressive Minster, a church that has stood here since the 12th Century, no less (see my photos above and below). It is still in service and visitors can enter for free to explore its charms.

The surrounding market town is home to many other very old buildings, some dating from the 15th, 16th and 17th Centuries. Many are now independent cafes and delicatessens, with an accent on food and drink produced locally.

Unable to resist its foodie charms, temptation got the better of me and I came back with a reasonable haul of local produce.

Initially I was looking for some Dorset Blue Vinny, a well-regarded local cheese, but opted instead for the less well-known Cranborne Blue from the Book & Bucket Cheese Company. A local producer, they started up during Covid to make use of a nearby farmer’s milk surplus. They are now thriving and winning awards.

I am slowly working my way through the complete range of Dorset Tea, a company with its origins in Bournemouth, and bought some of their Mint Tea blend on this occasion.

Apples feature strongly in foods around here (it is said that Dorset was once home to 10,000 acres of apple orchards). I picked up a Cider Chutney from Southbourne producer Dorset Made Food , and a can of Muddy Scamp from the Purbeck Cider Company.

I couldn’t leave Wimborne without a can of Corbel, a West Coast IPA from the town’s own craft brewery Eight Arch Brewing Company.

Here’s a shot of all this Dorset booty – a memory of a very enjoyable day.

You’ll see that I have included links to the websites of these local producers, so do please feel free to check them out.

I’m pleased to report that, since my previous post (see Cranberry and Pistachio Cookies) the sun has indeed come out again, and that I have been back to the beach for more sea swimming. Music wise, I was ecstatic to get a ticket for Queens of the Stone Age when they tour this November. I have seen them three times before and they bring a lot of excitement to the stage. You can expect this to be the subject of a future post.

All in all, this seems an aptly titled track to add to the ADK Playlist (I can’t recommend the nutrition-free diet that Josh Homme sings about, however): QOTSA with Feel Good Hit of the Summer.