Almond muffins

Today I have been in the kitchen sorting out a cupboard (one day soon the rest may get sorted) seeing what products need to used up or given to the birds and squirrels (the birds and squirrels are going to be very happy). I found a large bag of almonds and decided to make some muffins. I went to the London crochet meet up group meeting earlier this month. It was in a bookstore/ coffee shop and I ended up buying some nice small cookery books from the Australian Women's Weekly series (more for the collection) and one of them was a muffin book with almond muffins. So here are the tasty results (the baking tray was a present from my students)

Pt 2 Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie

Shortcrust pastry
8 oz/ 200grams Plain White Flour
4oz/ 100grams Block Margarine at room temperature cut into small pieces
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1oz/ 25 grams ground rice or semolina (this helps keep the pasty bottom from going soggy and soaks up some of the juices that can bubble out all over your oven)
Cold Water
Sift flour and salt into a bowl, rub the margarine into flour using finger tips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add a little cold water to bind the breadcrumbs together, knead for a 1 minute than put in a plastic bag or wrap in cling film. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest and cool, before rolling out.

Roll out pastry and cut 1 circle for the bottom of your pie and 1 for the top (or whatever shape your pie tray is) line the bottom of your pie tray with the pastry and add a few cuts

Add approx. equal amounts of rhubarb and strawberry (both roughly cut to about the same size pieces)
Add sugar to taste (depends on how sour your rhubarb is and how sweet your strawberries are approx. 2oz/ 50grams)

You can add a little ground ginger and cinnamon if you like.

Wet the edges of the pastry with water and add the pastry top pressing the edges together and again make a few cuts (lets steam out helps stop the pastry cracking) brush with milk and sprinkle with a little sugar.

Bake at gas mark Gas 5, 190C for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly and brown.

Sorry I only have the before picture, the pie was eaten by someone (they know who they are tu tu tu) before I found my camera

Rhubarb

Part 1. This is the rhubarb growing in our very small piece of garden. It has no nasties put on it and this year it has grown extra large. It will be pulled very soon (a few stalks can be pulled and the rest will continue to grow) and I will made some pies.

Part 2 Making the pies coming soon :)