BERRY CONTAINER RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the flour, oats, butter and sugar in a bowl, squash together with your fingers into a crumble texture, sprinkle over a baking tray and bake for 10 mins, stirring and roughly breaking up halfway through cooking. Can be done up to 2 days ahead, and stored in an airtight container.
• Meanwhile, put the strawberries, sugar and cornflour in a large pan. Stir together and set over a medium heat. Cook until the strawberries just start to release their juices and soften, then stir in the remaining berries. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish.
• When the crumble topping is cooked, sprinkle it over the fruit, and place back in the oven for a further 15 mins until bubbling and golden. Leave for 5 mins before serving with ice cream or custard.

Steps:

• 1. Measure the flour, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl and add the orange zest. Mix together, then make a well in the centre and add the egg and half the milk. Beat well, with a whisk, until you have a smooth thick batter, then beat in enough of the remaining milk to make a batter the consistency of thick pouring cream.

  2. Heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Drop the batter in dessertspoonfuls into the hot pan, spacing each dollop of the mixture well apart to allow it to spread. Cook for about 2 minutes or until bubbles start to appear on the surface, then turn over with a non-stick blunt-ended palette knife or spatula, and cook on the other side for a further 30–60 seconds or until lightly golden brown on both sides.

  3. Use the palette knife to lift the scones on to a wire rack, then cover them with a clean tea towel to keep them soft and warm. Continue more scones in the same way with the remaining, adding a splash more oil if the pan gets too dry.

  4. Serve at once spread with butter, syrup or honey, or with Greek yoghurt and blueberries or raspberries or other seasonal fruits.

  Cook time: 2-3 minutes per batch.

  Prepare Ahead:

  Can be made up to 6 hours ahead and reheated to serve. Arrange in a single layer on a baking tray, cover tightly with foil and warm through in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes.

  Freeze: The drop scones freeze well (see tip); defrost and warm through as above.

  Mary’s Classic Tip:
  * Before freezing the drop pancakes, wrap them in greaseproof paper and pack in a freezer-proof container to prevent them getting damaged edges.