dicky & debbie.com

Ingredients

10 large lemons
4 cups water
4 cups of sugar

Method

Thinly peel the lemons trying to not get any of the white pith. Finely slice the peel into ribbons, reserve.

Cut the remaining pith from the lemons and segment, reserving the fruit and discarding the hard, fibrous bits left over.

In a bowl, combine the peel, the fruit sections and the water.  Cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Place in a 5 litre saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Add the sugar and return to the bo before rducing to a simmer for around an hour or until the setting point is reached (105°C).  Jar in steralised jars.

Makes about 3 pints.

I was watching the Market Kitchen and Chef Paul Merritt made an amazing dessert.  Tart Tartin is basically a caramel lining on the bottom of a dish, topped with quartered apples (or pears or apricots or peaches) then pastry and baked in the oven.

Following is the easiest recipe to prepare I think I have ever come across.

Ingredients

50 grams or so of butter
caster sugar to cover
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Trim the pastry to fit inside the frypan by turning it over.  Allow to soften slightly on the bench while assembling the dish.

Slice the butter into thin slices and lay on the bottom of a cold frypan.  Cover with the castor sugar then the apples.  Place the pastry sheet on top.

Place over a medium heat on the stove for about 12-15 minutes or until the juice that bubbles up around the edge of teh pastry has started to form a caramel.

Place in the oven for 12 minutes.

Invert on a plate and serve cut into wedges.

I love fruit pastes.  I love them on cheese boards, but I do not love the price.  This recipe makes about 450 grams and keeps for absolutely ages.

Ingredients

6 or 7 medium pears
2 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 cup of water
juice of 1/2 a lemon
4 tablespoons of liquid pectin or the equivalent

Methid

Boil the pears whole and unpeeled until soft.  Remove from the water and when cool enough to handle, peel with a sharp knife and puree through a mouli (food mill).  This should give around 3 cups of pear puree.

Weigh the puree and dissolve 3/4 of the pear puree weight in sugar in the  water.  Once boiling, add the pear puree, lemin juice and pectin.  Boil repidly for a few minutesthen reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or so, or until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pans.  Fill moulds and cool completely before refrigerating until set completely.