Delicious winter comfort food

I have chosen these recipes because we all have food memories and one of my everlasting memories is the smell of an Apple Pie being baked in the oven. The deep apple pie is really juicy and the pastry is lovely and buttery.

The Beef and Guinness casserole is a slow cooked dish, the cut of meat I am using is shin and extremely flavoursome. You just leave it in the oven on a low heat and when it is cooked the meat comes away really easy.

The result is a combination of jelly like juice from the meat combined with the vegetables and onions which will have caramelized.

It’s the kind of dinner you dream of having after a busy day, and it tastes even nicer the following day, so can be made in advance.

It’s also perfect for this time of year when it’s a little colder and when people are tight on time trying to get prepared for Christmas.

Bramley Apple Pie

8 Bramley Apples

6oz Sugar

1 Egg, beaten

Pastry:

1lb Plain Flour

Butter

Pinch Salt

4oz Sugar

1 Egg

4 - 5 tbsp. Milk

Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl; rub in the butter with your fingertips until like fine breadcrumbs, add the sugar.

Make a well in the centre and add the egg and milk and form into a soft ball of pastry. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Grease a 10 inch deep pie dish, roll out a little more than half of the pastry and line the dish with it, trim the edges.

Peel and slice the apples onto the pastry then sprinkle with the sugar, at this stage if you wish you can add 2 or 3 whole cloves to the tart for flavour.

Roll out the remaining pastry into a round disc and lift onto the pie with the apples, press down the edge of the tart and trim off.

Brush the top with beaten egg and with a fork make some holes in the top to release steam. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160º for 55 – 60 minutes.

Beef & Guinness

Casserole

2lb Shin Beef, left in piece

4 medium Onions

Few Sprigs Fresh Thyme

Few Fresh Sage Leaves

1 Can Guinness

½ pt. Stock

2oz Butter

1tbsp Apple or Redcurrant Jelly

2tbsp Flour

1 Parsnip, chunks

1 Carrot, chunks

¼ Turnip, chunks

Set the oven to 160º. Melt the butter in a large casserole dish, cut the beef into 4 equal pieces and add to the butter, add salt and pepper and brown evenly on both sides.

Remove the meat to a plate and lower the heat under the casserole, add the onions and cook for about 15 minutes until soft and brown.

Next add the thyme and sage followed by the flour and Guinness and cook to boiling point.

Remove from the heat, add back in the beef, the carrot, parsnip and turnip and cover with a lid or tinfoil and place in a preheated oven for 2 hours.

Remove from oven stir well and return to oven for a further 1½ to 2 hours. When the meat is cooked stir the redcurrant jelly and serve with a jacket potato or a bowl of mash.