Wharfe Valley Farms Recipes Articles

Wharfe Valley Wilfra cakes – a twist on a Yorkshire classic!

We have a delicious Yorkshire recipe to share given to us by Steph Moon,  a well known Yorkshire chef. Steph represented the North East on BBC2’s Great British Menu in 2011 and is a consultant chef in her own business ‘All things food’. She recently prepared this treat for us whilst recording an episode of Made in Leeds at our rapeseed farm in Collingham, Yorkshire.

This is a traditional Yorkshire recipe for a cake which was historically baked and given out to the people  of Ripon to celebrate the return of St Wilfred from exile in the 7th Century.

For the short crust pastry:

  • 8 oz plain flour,
  • 1 oz Wharfe Valley rapeseed oil,
  • 2 oz butter or margarine,
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar,
  • 1 pinch of salt,
  • 1 egg yolk,
  • 1-2 teaspoons water

 

Filling:

  • 1.5 lb peeled and thinly sliced cooking apples,
  • 3 oz demerara sugar,
  • 3 oz grated Wensleydale cheese,
  • lemon rapeseed oil to drizzle.

 

Method:

Rub the Wharfe Valley rapeseed oil and butter into the flour, sugar and salt. Mix to a stiff paste with the egg yolk and a little water. Leave to rest in a cool place until required.

Line a swiss roll tin with half the pastry and lightly prick the bottom. Lay on the finely sliced apples and add the sugar. Grate the cheese onto the top. Put on a pastry lid and brush with milk and sugar. Make a few slits along the top and bake for 10 minutes at 425oF, 220o, Gas Mark 7; for 10 minutes and then lower to 350oF, 180oc, Gas Mark 4; for a further 30 minutes. Serve with custard or cream.

The combination of apple and cheese is one much loved by Yorkshire men and women, “An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze,” or so the little jingle would have it!

Have your cake and eat it! Our delicious HEALTHIER SPONGE CAKE …

Ingredients

  • 280g Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil
  • 280g Caster Sugar
  • 280g Self Raising Flour
  • 5 Eggs (Free Range preferred)
  • 2 tablespoons Vanilla Essence

Choice of filling:

Add lemon curd, jam, cream, whipped cream, frosting.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c, and prepare two 8 inch round baking tins – grease if necessary (silicon recommended)
  2. Place the oil and eggs into a mixing bowl and stir them together
  3. Add the sugar then sieve the flour into the mixture and stir well
  4. Pour the mixture into the two tins ensuring evenly divided then place them in the oven for 30 minutes
  5. Once cooked, cool in the tin slightly for approx 5-10 minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack
  6. Leave to cool then add the topping of your choice
  7. Enjoy!

HEALTHY FRUITY FLAPJACK made with rapeseed oil

Here’s a tried and tested LOWER FAT  baking recipe made with rapeseed oil that we think you’ll love:

FRUITY FLAPJACK

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe Banana
  • 50g Soft Apricots OR Sultanas OR Cooked Apple OR Mango
  • 25g Light Brown Muscovado Sugar
  • 100g Porridge Oats
  • 3tbsp Cold-pressed Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil

 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c, and prepare a 17cm Square baking tin – grease if necessary (silicon recommended)
  2. Place the banana in a mixing bowl and mush up then chop up the soft apricots (or sultanas/cooked apple chunks) and add them to the banana
  3. Add the sugar and the oil and stir well then mix in the porridge oats
  4. Place the mixture in the tin ensuring evenly spread and place in the oven for 15 minutes until golden colored
  5. Once cooked, cool in the tin slightly for approx 5-10mins, then cut into squares and place on a cooling rack
  6. Leave to cool then enjoy!

BUTTER versus OIL – Let’s help you to weigh it up!

If, like us, you love to bake but don’t love the high content of saturated fat in the butter needed, there is a healthier solution. Simply substitute the butter for lower fat rapeseed oil, coconut oil, fruit puree or a combination of all three.

The facts about butter:

Butter is over 80% oil and the rest is water. It’s made of milk; delicious creamy fat molecules suspended in water. This creates layers, adds texture, lends moisture and adds flavor to our recipes alongside saturated fat. When baking with butter the moisture warms up and expands, creating pockets of air. The fat in butter traps air and moisture and results in a lovely, light texture in baking.

So here’s how can you reduce the fat in your baking to make it healthier?

The most suitable butter substitutes will be those that have a similar fat + water makeup. Some common substitutes are:

  • Rapeseed oil/Olive oil: if you have a recipe that calls for melted butter, lower fat rapeseed oil will work equally as well. Simply use our recommended conversion for cakes: swap 1 : 1, ounce for ounce, plus a tablespoon of milk.
  • Coconut oil/Coconut butter (manna): At Wharfe Valley we offer a coconut and rapeseed mix which is a perfect baking combination. You can substitute it 1:1 in most recipes and I like it in everything from cookies, scones and cakes. Anything that calls for room temperature.
  • Apple sauce/Banana purée: this is more commonly used to replace oil in recipes, but if can also be used to substitute butter and works best in loaf recipes where you want a light texture. As a general rule, you can replace up to half the amount of butter in your recipe with applesauce; if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, use half a cup of butter and half a cup of applesauce. This is suggested because you still want some fat to trap those little air molecules! If you don’t mind a more dense, moist crumb, you could replace all the butter with applesauce.

We’ve included some cake recipes to try, with the rapeseed and fruit substitutions included, which we’ve tried and tested at Wharfe Valley Farms ourselves.

Carrot and Coriander Cake

Healthy Sponge Cake

Fruity Flapjack

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-make-healthier-bakes

Wharfe Valley support Macmillan Cancer Support’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN  ….

Time to get together over a cuppa and a delicious cake and celebrate the work done by the fabulous charity, Macmillan Cancer Support.

 

SUPPORTING A MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING AT WHARFE VALLEY HQ

Wharfe Valley would like to invite you to come in and meet the team and enjoy a cuppa and a cake (including some of our rapeseed oil baking recipes).

It’s your chance to get a real taste of life on Lilac Farm in Collingham … and our delicious rapeseed oil recipes.

Let us know if you are hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning this week and we’ll share it online for you!

We’re also sharing a healthier way to have cake!

We have some great recipes available on our website – you can add a healthier oil to your baking without compromising on the taste!

For our favourite recipes: CLICK HERE

Find out more about how to substitute butter with healthier rapeseed oil. We help you to weigh up the benefits: CLICK HERE: 

 

Carrot and Coriander Cake

Developed by Jo Mountain

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time

300g organic carrot grated

3 large organic free range eggs

50g creme fraich

160g Wharfe valley rapeseed and coconut oil 250g plain wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 heaped teaspoon cinnamon

Method

Add everything in the Kenwood mixer for about 30 seconds scrape down sides and mixed again for a few seconds Pour the cake batter into a buttered and lined 20cm diameter cake tin Bake at 180c/350f/gas 4 Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours until cake springs back when pressed with finger tip I finished and decorated it with a cream cheese

1 large unwaxed orange finely grated zest only

300 g Philadelphia full fat cream cheese 20g runny honey I put this over the top of cake but if you prefer you can put it on the side!!!

Teriyaki Salmon with Coriander Mayonnaise

Preparation time – 30 mins to 1 hour
Cooking time – less than 10 mins

Ingredients:

  • 125 ml Shaoxing rice wine
  • 125 ml Sake
  • 125 ml Mirin
  • 125 ml Soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp. Caster sugar
  • 4 x 175g Salmon fillets

For the mayonnaise:

  • 2 handfuls coriander, roughly chopped
  • 200ml ‘Wharfe Valley rapeseed oil’
  • 2 free range eggs, yolks only
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 lemon, juice only

Preparation:

  • Heat the frying pan until hot and add rice wine vinegar, sake, mirin, soy sauce and caster sugar – simmer.
  • Reduce liquid down a little then remove from heat and allow to cool.
  • Place salmon in a bowl and pour over half the sauce and leave to marinade in fridge for 1 hour.
  • Heat frying pan and add salmon (presentation side down). Cook for 1 – 2 mins and then turn.
  • Pour over remainder of teriyaki sauce and cook for another 2 – 3 mins or until cooked through.
  • For coriander mayonnaise, add coriander to pan of boiling water and cook for one minute. Transfer then into a bowl of iced water.
  • Place into a blender with ‘Wharfe Valley rapeseed oil’ and blend until a fine puree.
  • Place egg yolks, vinegar, mustard, salt and lemon juice into a clean food processor. Blend to combine and then gradually with motor still going, add the coriander oil.
  • Continue until the mayonnaise has thickened.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • To serve, place salmon on a plate and drizzle with the coriander mayonnaise.
Prawn Cocktail with Crayfish Dish

Prawn and Crayfish Cocktail

Preparation time – less than 30 mins
Cooking time – less than 10 mins
Serves – 4

For the prawn and crayfish cocktail:

  • 350g raw tiger prawns
  • 350g raw crayfish
  • 2 Little Gems Lettuces, leaves separated
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

For the cocktail sauce:

  • 2 free range egg yolks
  • 2 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 300ml ‘Wharfe Valley rapeseed oil’
  • 2 tbsp. tomato ketchup
  • 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 dashes of tabasco
  • 1/2 lemon, juice only
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

  • Place prawns and crayfish in a steamer. Cook for 4—5 mins until pink and remove, cool and peel the shells.
  • Place egg yolks, white wine vinegar and mustard into a food processor and blend until pale and creamy. 
  • With motor running gradually poor in ‘Wharfe Valley rapeseed oil’ until you have a thick mayonnaise.
  • Place mayonnaise into a bowl and add tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco and lemon juice and 
  • mix. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add prawns and crayfish to sauce and stir.
  • Spoon into cocktail glasses and sprinkle with cayenne pepper to serve.
Garlic Rosemary Bread

Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Preparation time — 2 hours
Cooking time — 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 500g strong white bread flour
  • 2 x tsp salt
  • 2 x sachets dried easy blend yeast
  • 2 x tbsp Valley Garlic and Rosemary Rapeseed Oil
  • 400ml cold water
  • Wharfe Valley Garlic and Rosemary Rapeseed
  • Oil for drizzling and dipping

Preparation Method:

  • Place the flour, salt, yeast, Wharfe Valley Garlic and Rosemary Rapeseed Oil and 300ml of water into a large bowl.
  • Gently stir the ingredients to form a dough and then knead the dough in the bowl for 5 minutes, gradually adding the remaining water.
  • Stretch the dough by hand for five minutes. Tip the dough out on to an oiled work surface and knead for a further five minutes.
  • Return the dough to the bowl, cover, place in a warm room and leave until the mixture doubles in size.
  • Line two large baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Tip the dough out of the bowl, knock back and then divide into two portions. Spread each portion out on the baking sheets, ensuring it stretches to the corners, then leave to prove for an hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 220C. Drizzle the dough with the Wharfe Valley Garlic and Rosemary
  • Rapeseed Oil, sprinkle with fine sea salt and bake in the over for 20 minutes.
  • When baked, drizzle with a little more Wharfe Valley Garlic and Rosemary Rapeseed Oil.
herby beer battered lemon

Herby Beer Battered Lemon Sole Goujons and Rapeseed Tartare Sauce

Preparation time —30 mins
Cooking time —1 to 2 hours
Serves 4

For the herby beer battered lemon sole:

  • 5g of fresh yeast
  • Pinch salt
  • Pinch caster sugar
  • 250ml beer
  • 1 tsp cider vinegar
  • 200g plain flour
  • 4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley & chives
  • ‘Wharfe Valley’ rapeseed oil for deep frying
  • 450g lemon sole fillet cut into strips
  • For the rapeseed tartare sauce:
  • 3 free range egg yolks
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 300ml ‘’rapeseed oil
  • 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
  • 150g gherkins chopped
  • 110g capers

Preparation Method:
For the beer battered lemon sole, sprinkle the yeast, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl, whisk in the beer and vinegar, then the flour and herbs.
Set aside to ferment for one hour or until the mixture begins to bubble.
Meanwhile for the rapeseed tartare sauce, whisk the egg yolks and vinegar together in a bowl.
Continue to whisk the mixture and slowly pour in the ‘Wharfe Valley rapeseed oil’ until all of the oil is incorporated and the mixture is thick and light.
Stir in the capers, gherkins, shallot and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice—set aside in fridge.
Heat ‘Wharfe Valley rapeseed oil’ in a deep based frying pan until a bread crumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it.
Dip the lemon sole goujons into the batter and fry for 3– 4 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to drain on kitchen paper.
Serve with a bowl of the ‘Wharfe Valley rapeseed’ tartare sauce.

For the herby beer battered lemon sole:
15g of fresh yeast
Pinch salt
Pinch caster sugar
250ml beer
1 tsp cider vinegar
200g plain flour
4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley & chives
‘Wharfe Valley’ rapeseed oil for deep frying
450g lemon sole fillet cut into strips

For the rapeseed tartare sauce:
3 free range egg yolks
2 tbsp cider vinegar
300ml ‘’rapeseed oil
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
150g gherkins chopped
110g capers

Hazelnut Torte

Hazelnut Torte

Preparation time—30 mins
Cooking time 10—30 mins
Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 free range egg
  • 100ml clear honey
  • 75ml ‘Wharfe Valley’ rapeseed oil’
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp apple juice
  • 100g ground hazelnuts
  • 100g wholemeal self raising flour

Preparation method:

  • Preheat oven to 160C. Brush a 20cm cake tin with melted butter, to grease.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, honey, ‘Wharfe Valley rapeseed oil’, butter and apple juice until well combined.
  • Add the ground hazelnuts and the flour and stir gently until well combined.
  • Transfer the cake mixture to the greased tin, level the mixture out using a palette knife or spatula, then transfer to the oven and bake for 15—20 minutes, or until the cake has risen and is golden brown.
  • Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
  • To serve, place on a large serving plate and decorate with raspberries dusted with icing sugar.

Home Made Lemon Hummus

Preparation time – 20 mins

Ingredients:

  • 2 x 400g tins of chick peas
  • 2 x desert spoon of Tahini paste
  • 4 x cloves of garlic
  • 100ml Lemon infused Wharfe Valley Rapeseed Oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Method:

  • Drain the contents of both tins of chick peas and poor into a magimix.
  • Add the two desert spoons of Tahini paste.
  • Peel and chop the cloves of Garlic and add to the magimix also.
  • Mix all of the ingredients together until you can no longer see the skins of the chick peas
  • Then gradually add the Lemon Infused Wharfe Valley Rapeseed Oil through the funnel and watch as it turns into a smooth paste. Add more or less oil to suit, depending upon preferred texture.
  • Serve with warm pitta breads or crusty bread a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and a dash of lemon.