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Today is RU OK day. And it really couldn’t have come at a more timely time.

At ACC we’re focusing on the positives of living a contracted neighbourhood life, celebrating the daily things and little joys in these strange times. We’re hoping that our efforts are making a bit a difference to your life. And in addition we’re hoping that you are coping okay with all the other things.

So today we’re taking this opportunity to let you know that we are sincerely here and willing to listen and help as much as we can if you are feeling down or overwhelmed.

Call us if you need a one-off chat. If you need ongoing support we can facilitate a regular catch-up. We can connect you to fresh food services if you are struggling with bills and to pre-prepared food if you are struggling to get around to eating healthy meals.

If you are feeling completely or even mildly overwhelmed financially, we can help you navigate a raft of support and services.

We can also connect you to neighbours willing to shop for you, pick up prescriptions, or even bake you something to cheer you up (the offer is out there friends - community bakers with a good heart are LOOKING to share their talents … so don’t be shy to put your hand up for this one). And of course we can deliver you a mask if you need one.

Throughout this pandemic we’ve been talking to people regularly and responding to individual needs through little things like helping people access jam jars for pickling, helping people de-clutter through our op shop, helping out with IT questions, providing one-on-one zoom tutorials to get people digitally connected … and this week we’ve even taken delivery of some polyester stuffing that needed a good home. Nothing is too big or too small.

So, today we ask you again, R U OK? And if the answer is no … please get in contact and let us know how we can support you.

Suzanne’s ‘comfort eating’ winter puddings series has received lots of great community feedback. Thanks to everyone who let us know they’d tried them!

And today, inspired, our local friend Michelle Fidler is sharing one of her go-to pudding recipes.

I reckon my kids are going to lap this one up (they are really into the chocolate cake in a mug thing already). Thanks Mish.

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The recent mouth watering pudding recipes has brought to mind a dessert that has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. 

The great thing about this one is that there is no need to pre-plan. You might have just finished a great dinner with family and friends (soon!), and decide you would like to finish off with dessert. 

15 minutes later it will be on the table. So here it is.

Vi Bussell's Jam (or Honey) Pudding

Mix together with a fork:

• 125gm (1/2 cup) sugar

• 125gm (1 cup) SR flour

• 90gm melted butter

• 75ml (1/3 cup) milk

• 2 eggs

• vanilla

Then place 90gm (4 tablespoons) of jam or honey in a microwave suitable casserole dish. Pour the pudding mix over it, cover and cook on high in the microwave for 6 minutes.

That's it! Serve with cream, ice cream, custard - whatever floats your boat. And one last tip - my family is split down the middle on jam and honey - so I just split the mixture between two smaller microwave bowls - one with jam and one with honey, and cook them together for the same time!

Banoffee Pie - so wrong it’s right.

Banoffee Pie was a staple of 70s / 80s dinner parties (After Dinner Mint anyone?), and for some of us (well, me anyway…) it has a special place in our hearts, and rightly so - this stuff is the bees-knees of deliciousness.

My mum used to make the caramel for her Banoffee Pie by boiling an unopened tin of sweetened condensed milk for about 3 hrs - this sounds to me like a receipe for an explosion followed by a trip to A & E - none of us need that right now, so I’ve plumped for a less risky version of the recipe…

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Banoffee Pie

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust

• 125 g salted butter

• 250 g digestive biscuits or granita biscuits (crushed)

For the filling

• 110 g butter

• 110 g dark brown soft sugar

• 400 g canned condensed milk

• 350 ml double cream (lightly whipped)

• 2 small ripe bananas

• 2 squares dark chocolate (finely grated)

METHOD:

To make the base:

1. Heat the butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted. 

2. Put the biscuits into a large, resealable/Ziploc bag. Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin to create a fine sand-like texture.

3. Tip the crumbs into a mixing bowl, pour over the melted butter and stir well to make sure all the crumbs are coated. 

4. Grease a 20cm loose-bottomed tart tin with a little butter. Using the back of a tablespoon, press the biscuit crumb/butter mixture into and up the sides of the tin to create an even, level pie base. Put the tin into the fridge to chill while you make the filling. 

To make the filling:

1. Cut the butter into small cubes, pop into a saucepan, add the sugar and over a low heat cook through until the sugar has melted, stirring constantly. 

2. Raise the heat, add the condensed milk and bring to a boil for 5 minutes, ensuring the mixture does not burn.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and leave this caramel sauce to cool down (if you pour the sauce onto the biscuit base without cooling, it will melt the crust and make a right old mess).

4. Stir the sauce from time to time as it cools. 

5. While the sauce is cooling, whip the cream to light peaks, put to one side. 

To assemble the pie:

1. Once the sauce is cooled, pour over the chilled biscuit base, return to the fridge to chill for at least a couple of hours.

2. When ready to serve, slice the bananas and pile them onto the caramel, then cover with the whipped cream. Grate over a little chocolate for decoration. Keep chilled until serving.

Apple Crumble - why wasn’t this higher on the list? It’s OBVIOUS.

Served with thick double cream or custard (yes!) this winter warmer is a sure-fire hit on a cold, rainy day…or on a fine, sunny day, let’s be honest.

It’s a pretty flexible pud - apple is the classic go-to filling, but how about rhubarb , plum or pear & blackberry? You can use the old-school crumble topping of flour-butter-brown sugar or health-it-up by adding oats, nuts and seeds (this is very much frowned upon by my family who are highly suspicious of any attempt to jazz-up baked goods with nutritious ingredients).

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Classic Apple Crumble

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 kg mixed apples (good to use at least half sharp green apples like Granny Smith)

• 100 g caster sugar

• generous pinch of cinnamon

• 50 g unsalted butter (cold, straight from the fridge)

• 100 g plain flour

• 50 g demerara / brown sugar

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Peel and core the apples, chop into 3cm chunks.

3. Place in a saucepan on a medium heat with 100g of caster sugar and a generous pinch of cinnamon.

4. Put the lid on and cook for 5 minutes, or until the apples have softened. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

5. Straight from the fridge, so it’s nice and hard, cube the butter and place it in a mixing bowl with the flour. Rub together with your fingertips until it resembles chunky breadcrumbs, then add the demerara sugar.

6. Transfer the apples to a 25cm x 30cm baking dish and sprinkle over the crumble topping.

7. Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve with a large dollop of thick cream or a generous pour of custard.

Rice Pudding - Queen of the comfort pud!

If we’re talking old-school, winter-warming, comfort food (we are) this is actually the best. It’s creamy and dreamy and dangerously easy to make. Let’s get cracking.

INGREDIENTS:

• 40g of butter

• 100g of pudding rice (as it’s known in the UK) I think it’s called short-grained white rice here.

• 75g caster sugar

• 1 litre full-fat milk

• 150ml of double cream

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• pinch salt

• nutmeg

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 140C.

2. Melt the butter in a heavy-based casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Continue stirring until the rice swells and becomes sticky with sugar.

3. Pour in the milk and keep stirring until no lumps remain. Add the cream and vanilla and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once this is reached, give the mixture a final stir and sprinkle nutmeg over the surface. Bake for 1-1½ hours and cover with foil if the surfaces browns too quickly.

4. Once there is a thin, tarpaulin-like skin on the surface, and the pudding only just wobbles in the centre, it is ready. Serve at room temperature.