David’s Aubergine Chutney

2.3kg aubergines
700g onions
4 long red chillies, deseeded and chopped
750ml white malt vinegar
100g tomato puree
7 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2x 15ml measuring spoons hot smoked paprika
2x 5ml teaspoons ground fenugreek
2x 15ml spoons cumin seeds
1x 15ml spoon ground coriander
1x 15ml spoon tamarind paste
¼ tsp ground cloves
770g soft dark brown sugar

Cut the aubergines in half lengthways. Place cut-side down, and cut into 4 lengthways, then into
slices 1cm across. Finely chop the onions, place in a large pan with the aubergines and chillies,
add everything but the sugar and stew gently until much reduced, with almost all the liquid
evaporated. Add the sugar (which will make the mixture go liquid again), cook down once more
making sure the temperature doesn’t go above 105ºC.

Sterilise your jam jars in the oven at 140ºC for at least 10 minutes. Remove jars from the oven,
cool for a few minutes, then pour in the hot chutney, and cover immediately. If you use acid- and
vinegar-proof screw-top metal lids, the chutney will retain its moisture content and remain quite
soft, but if you use cellophane covers held in place with elastic bands, some of the moisture will
gradually evaporate, giving you a denser chutney.

Muscovado peanut cookies

by Dan Lepard

from The Guardian

Unrefined sugar gives this cookie recipe a rich dark flavour, but it can taste slightly bitter with a
strong mineral kick. That’s where the lemon and cocoa come in, as lemon brightens the flavour
on the first bite, while the cocoa help to push the aftertaste towards chocolate. Adding a high c
and a low b to this peanut cookie number.

75g unsalted butter, softened

50g crunchy peanut butter
225g Muscovado or dark molasses sugar
1 good tbsp black treacle or molasses
finely grated zest of one lemon
1 large egg
175g salted peanuts
200g plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar, treacle and lemon until smooth. Add the egg and beat it in
really well. Add the flour, cocoa and soda and mix until the soft dough is smooth then stir in the
peanuts. Heat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/gas 4 and line a baking tray with foil or non-
stick paper. Round teaspoon sized balls of the dough onto the tray, spaced 5cm apart, and bake
for about 12 – 14 minutes until puffed. Remove the tray from the oven and leave for 5 minutes to
set slightly then use a spatula to move the cookies to a wire rack or cold plate to cool.