Happy St George's Day!

From everyone at Country Warmth!

AGA marathon man Pete makes it in style

You’ll be thrilled to hear that charity runners Pete Digby and Paul Milson completed their challenge and ran the Virgin London Marathon in an amazing six hours and 28 minutes.

This is extraordinary when you consider they did this each carrying a pink replica AGA cooker, weighing just under a staggering 70lb!

It was an incredible challenge and Pete and Paul have done an amazing job and we are hugely proud of them.

Of course, no one completes such a challenge simply for fun and they did it to raise money for the Afganistan Trust.

It’s not too late to donate, so if you wish to help them reach their target please visit www.justgiving.com/agaman

National Bread Week

Did you know it's National Bread Week? An AGA cooker can produce particularly special bread. Here's a great recipe for an AGA Brioche.

HAZEL JORDAN’S AGA BRIOCHE

15g (½ oz)fresh yeast
¼ tsp caster sugar
3 tbsp lukewarm milk
85g (3 oz) butter
225g (8 oz) strong flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
a little softened butter, for greasing
1 egg, beaten, for glazing

Individual brioche tins

Method
Place the yeast and ¼ tsp of sugar into a bowl with the milk. Place on a cloth at the back of the AGA and leave until it becomes frothy. Rub the fat into the flour, then add the salt and sugar, finally the eggs and yeast mixture. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little extra milk. The dough should be silky in texture.

Knead well by hand for 5-8 minutes, or 1-2 minutes at a slow to medium speed using a dough hook in a stand mixer. Cover the bowl with oiled clingfilm and stand the bowl on a folded cloth next to the AGA. Allow the dough to double in size.

Knock back and divide the dough into small balls each about half the volume of the brioche moulds. Butter the moulds well and place the balls into them. Place on a tray and cover with oiled clingfilm. Leave to prove in a warm place adjacent to the AGA and allow them to rise out of the tins. Gently brush with beaten egg. Place onto a baking sheet or the cold plain shelf.

2, 3 and 4 oven AGA: Slide the cold plain shelf onto the third set of runners down in the Roasting Oven. Bake for about 12-15 minutes until well-risen and golden brown. Cool on a wire cooling rack.

Adapted by Dawn Roads from “A Lifetime of Aga, Recipes and Recollections”
by Hazel Jordan. (Out of Print)

AGA Cookery Doctor Tip:
Just before closing the oven door, throw in an ice cube onto the floor of the oven. It will melt and turn to steam, giving a perfect steam oven which is just right for cooking brioche. Live steam is used in the ovens of all the best Paris bakeries.

Do you have an email address?

We are trying to lower both our costs and impact on the environment by reducing our reliance on paper and postage. Our intention is to be able to contact customers by email if they are happy for us to do so! There is no obligation to do this, however if you have the facility and would like to be added to our email database for service reminders and other useful information please contact us.

We need:
Your name
Address
Mobile number
Email

All customers who submit their details will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a copy of the wonderful Mary Berry & Lucy Young Cookbook.

Effortless Entertaining for Easter and Beyond

Here are a few images to make your mouth water!

We had a great cookery demonstration for Easter cooking and entertaining.

Thank you to everyone who attended.

For more information about our cookery events visit our Demonstrations page on the website www.countrywarmth.co.uk