2023's Santa run a success in Cuckfield

The Independent State of Cuckfield (ISOC) teamed up with Mid Sussex Round Table for the third year in a row to bring Santa to the streets of Cuckfield in December.
Over two consecutive evenings, Santa visited most of the village on his musical sleigh, greeting all the good children with a cheery smile and festive spirit - raising over £1,000 for local causes in the process. Organiser, and village resident, Gareth Nelson said, “As ex-members of Round Table, Steve Wilcock and I had supported the Christmas collections in and around Burgess Hill for many years. We approached Round Table in 2021 to see if we could organise the same in Cuckfield with the support of the ISOC. We were delighted that Mid Sussex Round Table agreed. Now in its third year, the event has become a popular annual activity which we hope will continue for many years to come. It is truly wonderful to see the smiles on the faces of children and adults alike. We’d like to thank Mid Sussex Round Table and the ISOC for their continued support and the whole community for their generosity.”

Bolnore resident Annika shares pecan pie recipe

By Annika Patel

It’s been three years since our arrival, and even now, some mornings, I must pinch myself to fully grasp the fortune of calling this place home. Despite my deep appreciation for this new chapter, October stirs nostalgia within me. To soothe that longing, we’re indulging in the delight of American pecan pie, enriched with the sweetness of Canadian maple syrup, at our table this month. I hope you’ll join us in savouring this delicious treat!


Method

1. Blind bake a 24cm pie crust of your choice and set it aside.
2. Lightly toast the pecans. Set aside enough pecan halves to arrange in a circular pattern in the pie plate and coarsely chop the rest.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the last two.
5. Sprinkle the chopped pecans onto the pie shell. Pour in the filling. Arrange the pecan halves on top in a circular pattern.
6. Bake for 20 minutes. Cover pie with aluminium foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the filling is firm. Remove foil and bake for an extra 1-2 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt flakes.

Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 100g unrefined molasses sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla bean extract
• 320g maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp wholemeal flour
• 275g pecan halves
• Maldon sea salt flakes for topping