Apple Dappy Recipe and what we've been up to

APPLE DAPPY (Serves 6)

8 oz (225g) S-R flour
2 oz (50 g) margarine
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 pint (150 ml) milk
Pinch salt
1 tblspn Demerara sugar
1/2 level tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves or mixed spice
2 good-size apples (I use cookers, but dessert will do)

Syrup:

1 (washed) lemon or a little lemon essence
1 tblspn golden syrup
1/2 oz (15g) margarine
4 oz (100g) sugar
7 fl. oz (200 ml) water

Make syrup first.  Peel fine strips of lemon rind and squeeze lemon.  Put rind, juice and all other syrup ingredients into a pan and stir over a gentle heat until sugar is dissolved.  Leave to cool.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and rub in marg.  Mix to dough with milk.  Roll into 8" x 5" x 1/4" thick rectangle on floured board.  (20 x 13cm x 7 mm thick).

Peel, core and chop apples and spread on pastry.  Mix sugar and spice together and sprinkle over apple.  Roll up pastry and apple like a swiss roll.  Then cut into slices about 1" (2.5 cm) thick.

Grease an oven-proof dish  and lay slices flat on it.  Remove lemon rind from syrup and pour over the apple slices.  Bake in a moderately hot oven, Gas 6, 375 deg. F, 190 deg. C for about 30 mins.

Serve with cream or custard.

This is an old Devon recipe .

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Now, update on what we've been doing.  Well, after REALLY enjoying the sunshine these past few days, I am now paying the price with an asthma as there must be some tree pollen about I am allergic too.  It could be Ash - half of Wales is covered in Ash trees! - and I was washing my hair at 11p.m. last night as the pollen settles in my hair and I take it to bed with me.  When the grass pollen's about, I have to wash my hair every evening, which is a PITA!  Anyway, I have thrown everything at it that I can and my peak flow has risen to take me out of needing steroids territory - biggest help was my antihistamine, rather than my inhalers . . .

Well, walks up the hill to get fitter and see the views, and forget about the scary world out there.  Who'd have ever thought that shopping for food could ever be a terrifying experience?  The Italianate tower of Pantglas (now a holiday village) is all that remains of the beautiful mansion.

Violets enjoying the spring sunshine too.

As we pause for breath on the steep bit of hill which merits a VV on the map, dreamy Dryslwyn Castle in the distance.

Looking East.  It's too hazy to see the mountains properly (on the left).

Looking across our valley on the way back down the hill.  You can see how far apart the farmsteads are here - think an average of 1/4 mile apart.

Pantglas centre and Pantglas Home Farm to the left.

The Stitchworts have started to flower now too.

A longer view across the valley.

Today I shall have to stay indoors - such a pain when we get so little sunshine this early in the year, but needs must.  I have about a dozen different sewing UFOs I need to work on, and some good programmes recorded on telly to watch.  Then there's always housework . . .

P.S.  I've just found out that our local community shop is now gearing up to DO DELIVERIES!  You have no idea what a weight off my mind that is - we can get milk and fresh fruit/vegetables from there.  I have already arranged to get fresh eggs from my smallholding neighbour, so can do without the supermarkets completely thank heavens.  We will get our meat supplies from Dewi Roberts, the wonderful butcher at Ffairfach, Llandeilo.  He does home deliveries or you can place an order/pay and just have it brought out to your car . . .