Toad–in–the-Hole

Ingredients:
350g or 12oz chuck steak cut into small cubes.
25g or 1oz dripping (or lard)
Course black pepper
Yorkshire Pudding batter  

Ingredients (Yorkshire Pudding):
110g / 10oz of plain flour (sifted)
1 large egg
A large pinch of salt
150ml / 5oz water
150ml / 5oz milk
Beef dripping or cooking fat

Method:
1. Heat the oven to 230ºC / 450′ºF / gas mark 8
2. Put the dripping into a deep sided baking tray until it just starts to smoke.
3. Take the baking tray out of the oven, Pour in about a quarter of the batter mixture and return to the oven until the mixture just starts to go solid. This will take about 10 minutes or so.
4. Whilst the batter is cooking rub the outside of the meat with black pepper then fry it until the outside is sealed. This will take about 10 minutes.
5. Remove the tray of partially cooked batter from the oven. Spread the sealed meat on top of the solid batter in the tray. The pour the remainder of the batter on top of the meat.
6. Return the tray to the centre of the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
7. After 20 minutes keep the tray in the oven, turn down the heat to 200′C / 400′F / gas mark 6, and cook for another 15 minutes. DO NOT open the oven door or the rising batter mixture might collapse.
8. Once cooked, take out of the oven and cut into 4 pieces.

Trifle

Ingredients:
1 swiss roll or sponge cake
1 packet of fruit flavoured jelly (Jell-O)
1 tin fruit
custard
fruit/chocolate/decorations*
sherry**

* This is for decoration – try using bananas, grated chocolate, pistachio etc – but try to co-ordinate with the flavour of the jelly.
** Optional – use about 2 tablespoons maximum.

Method:
1. Cut the swiss roll into slices about ½ to ¾ inch thick.
2. Get a large glass serving dish or bowl. Line the bottom and sides with the swiss roll slices.
3. Sprinkle the sherry over the bottom (but do not use too much or you will destroy the trifle flavour) and pour the canned fruit (complete with its juice) into the bottom – do it carefully so as not to disturb the swiss roll slices. 
4. Prepare the fruit jelly (Jell-O) to the manufacturer’s instructions. Put it in the fridge until ALMOST set.
5. Now spread the nearly set jelly over the swiss roll slices and the fruit. Leave to set.  (WARNING: If you pour the hot/warm jelly over the swiss roll it will be absorbed and there will be no ‘jelly’ layer).
6. Make the custard, but ensure it is thick (but not lumpy!). Leave it to cool.
7. When the custard is cool pour it over the jelly layer in the bowl. Make sure the custard is NOT hot – if it is it will melt the jelly and make a mess of the whole trifle.
8. Allow the whole to cool – preferable in the fridge.
9. Just before serving decorate the top layer of custard. You can drop on banana slices, grate chocolate, add cherries, cream – let your imagination run riot – but try to do something that will not ‘clash’ with the fruit in the trifle or the jelly.