Sweet and savoury baking recipes for April and May’s seasonal fruit and veg

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Seasonal meals is more energizing, tastier and extra nutritious, having used much less pesticides, preservatives and chemical compounds.

Eating seasonal, native meals can also be higher for the environment, having travelled much less and contributing much less to greenhouse gasses produced from meals manufacturing and transport.

With Earth Day quick approaching on 22 April, it’s the proper time to deal with cooking with substances which can be meals for us and the planet.

These recipes take advantage of the fruit and veg in season this April and May – asparagus, spinach, lemon and rhubarb.

Cheese muffins with sweetcorn and spinach

Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

175g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

150g pre-grated cheese

50g child spinach, shredded

100g tinned sweetcorn, drained

2 eggs

150g unsalted butter, melted

150ml milk

Equipment:

Mixing bowl

Wooden spoon

Muffin tin

Muffin circumstances x 12

Measuring spoons

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Combine the flour, bicarbonate, cheese, spinach and sweetcorn within the mixing bowl.

3. Add the eggs, melted butter and milk and combine all of it collectively.

4. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin circumstances.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes till risen and golden. Serve heat.

Tip: Don’t have spinach or sweetcorn? Experiment along with your favorite fillings – chopped purple pepper, onions or cubed ham make for scrumptious options. You can even add finely chopped chili or chili pepper flakes so as to add a spicy kick!

Leek and asparagus traybake tart

Makes: one 20x30cm tart

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

400g plain flour

200g salted butter, plus 30g for the leeks

2 leeks (500g, finely shredded)

350g full fats cream cheese

150ml double cream

3 eggs, plus 1 for egg washing

2 packets of high quality asparagus (200g)

Equipment:

Frying pan

Wooden spoon or spatula

Large mixing bowl

Chopping board

Knife

20x30cm tin

Rolling pin

Pastry brush/finger

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan).

2. In the massive mixing bowl, mix the flour and butter along with your fingers till a crumb consistency is achieved. Add 4tbsp of chilly water and convey collectively to type a pastry dough.

3. Tip the dough out onto a evenly floured floor and roll right into a rectangle massive sufficient to line the baking tin.

4. Roll the pastry again onto the rolling pin, drape over the tin, then carry and tuck into the corners and up the edges. Trim any extra and place within the freezer.

5. Finely chop the leeks and soften in butter within the frying pan over a medium warmth till barely translucent. This ought to take 3-4 minutes. Set to 1 aspect.

6. Wipe out the massive mixing bowl and pour within the double cream, eggs and cream cheese and combine collectively till easy.

7. Add the leeks into the combination, season to style and then pour into the chilled pastry case.

8. Arrange the asparagus spears on high and evenly fold within the pastry across the edge. Beat the remaining egg and brush the pastry edges.

9. Bake for 30-35 minutes till the filling has set and the pastry is golden.

10. Allow to chill barely or fully earlier than slicing and serving.

Lemon and blueberry muffins

Makes: 12

Ingredients:

175g unsalted butter, softened, plus 60g additional for the buttercream

175g caster sugar

1 lemon, zested

3 eggs

200g self-raising flour

150g blueberries

250g icing sugar (for the buttercream)

Equipment:

Muffin tray

Muffin circumstances (or make your individual by shaping parchment squares over a glass)

Mixing bowl

Electric hand whisk

Tablespoons

Zester/grater

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C (fan) and line your muffin tray with circumstances.

2. In the blending bowl, cream collectively the 175g butter and caster sugar with the electrical hand whisk. Add the eggs and whisk to mix.

3. Add within the flour and the lemon zest and combine till easy, earlier than stirring by the blueberries.

4. Divide the batter evenly throughout the lined muffin tin, then bake within the oven for 20-25 minutes, till the muffins are golden and springy to the touch within the centre.

5. Whilst the muffins are baking, make the buttercream by mixing the 60g butter, icing sugar and juice of the lemon till easy.

6. Once the muffins have cooled, ice them with the buttercream and high with extra recent blueberries.

Rhubarb traybake tart

Makes: one 20x30cm tart

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

500g plain flour

250g unsalted butter

60g icing sugar

750g rhubarb

200g caster sugar, plus additional for sprinkling on high

40g cornflour

Zest of 1 orange

Egg for egg washing

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl

Knife

Chopping board

20x30cm traybake tin

Rolling pin

Different dimension cutters/cups/bottle lid

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan).

2. In the massive mixing bowl, rub collectively the flour, icing sugar and butter along with your fingertips till a crumb consistency is achieved. Add 5 tbsp of water and convey the combo collectively along with your hand to type a pastry dough.

3. Tip the dough out onto a evenly floured floor, break off a couple of quarter and set to 1 aspect (this would be the high of the tart) and roll the rest right into a rectangle massive sufficient to line the baking tin.

4. Roll the pastry again onto the rolling pin to select it up, then drape over the tin, and tuck into the corners and up the edges. Trim any extra (add this to the reserved quarter of dough) and place the lined tin within the freezer.

5. Chop the rhubarb into 2cm diagonal items and put into the (cleaned) massive mixing bowl. Add the 200g caster sugar, orange zest and cornflour and toss the rhubarb so it’s all coated.

6. Spread the coated rhubarb into the pastry-lined tin, and fold within the pastry across the edge to create a crust.

7. Roll out the reserved quarter of dough and minimize out some totally different sized circles utilizing cutters/a glass/a bottle lid then randomly place them on high of the rhubarb so there are nonetheless some gaps the place you may see the fruit.

8. Brush the pastry with egg wash, sprinkle with caster sugar and bake for 30-35 minutes till the rhubarb is tender and the pastry is golden.

9. Leave to chill barely earlier than serving with cream, custard or ice cream.

Recipe from the Easy Peasy Baking Campaign, launched by UK Flour Millers, making baking easy. You can discover extra recipes and info on the marketing campaign on the FAB Flour web site, fabflour.co.uk