Date and Walnut Loaf

This is a lovely moist cake, can be eaten by itself, or with best butter!

5oz SR Flour
4oz Margarine
4oz Demerara Sugar
2 Eggs
3oz Chopped Walnuts
4oz Dates
1tsp Baking Powder
1tsp Cinnamon


Soak dates in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and break up a little bit.
Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon into bowl.
In separate bowl, cream sugar and margarine till light and fluffy, then add beaten eggs in a little at a time.
Fold in flour mixture, then finally dates and walnuts.

Place into greased and floured loaf tin, and bake on Gas 5 for aprox 30 mins, until skewer comes out clean from middle.

Remove from tin and cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Caramel and Apple Cupcakes

Thought I would use the caramel up left from doing the cheesecake, and oh my word! I'm glad I did, these cupcakes are yummy!

For cakes:

4oz Margarine
4oz Castor sugar
4oz SR Flour
2 Eggs (beaten with 2tbsp milk)
1tsp Baking powder
2 tbsp chopped dried apple pieces
1 tsp caramel flavouring

For frosting:

8oz Double cream
4oz Mascarpone
1 tbsp Icing sugar
Nestles Caramel and peanut M&Ms for decoration

Make cupcakes by creaming margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg mixture a little at a time along with the caramel flavouring, and continue beating, ( add a little flour at same time to prevent curdling mix).
Scrape down bowl, then fold in rest of flour, baking powder and apple pieces.

Divide into 12 paper cases in muffin tray.
Bake Gas 6, aprox 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool,
(This is good time for a cup of tea!) 

To make frosting, whisk cream and mascarpone until thickens a little, then add icing sugar and whisk until thick and creamy.
Pipe frosting onto cupcakes in design of your choice, and add M&M in middle, then drizzle a little caramel over tops.

Enjoy! (I certainly did lol )

No Bake Rolo Caramel Cheesecake

This is so scrummy! A firm favourite if your having family or friends around, they won't believe you've made it...

For the base:

300g Digestives
120g Butter

For filling:

500g Cream Cheese
100g Icing Sugar
300 ml Double Cream
1tsp vanilla essence

For decoration:

sml bag or tube of Rolo's


Melt butter in pan and stir in crushed digestives.
Place in 8" loose bottomed cake tin, and place in fridge to cool.

In large bowl, whisk double cream till thick but not too stiff.
Add cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla, and continue to whisk until mixture is thick and creamy.

Put filling on top of biscuit base, smoothing out, then make swirls on top.
Decorate with Rolo's and drizzle a little caramel over top.

Chill in fridge before releasing from spring form tin.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Millionaire Shortbread

This is one of Mums recipes handed down, and a firm favourite with everyone!

For the Shortbread:

9oz Plain Flour
3oz Castor Sugar
6oz Butter

For the Toffee:

4oz Butter
4oz soft brown sugar
Small tin of condensed milk
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 large bar good quality milk  chocolate


To make shortbread put flour, sugar and butter in large bowl and rub all ingredients together until crumbly mixture.

Place in greased and lined tray bake tin, press down evenly and firmly.
Bake in oven, Gas 5 until light golden, aprox 20 mins.

Leave to cool.

For toffee:
Add butter, brown sugar, syrup condensed milk and vanilla in to heavy bottom pan, bring to boil (stirring), and simmer for 7 minutes.
Pour toffee over shortbread. Allow to cool.

Break chocolate down into squares and place in bowl, which is placed over pan of simmering water (do not let water touch bottom of bowl), allow chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally, then pour over cooled toffee.
When chocolate is partially set, you can make swirls with a fork.
Allow to set completely before removing from tin and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortbread

This is absolutely scrumptious, and ideal as a valentines gift! Please let me know if you try these.....

9oz Plain Flour
3oz Castor sugar
6oz Butter
1tsp strawberry flavouring
2 tbsp freeze dried strawberry pieces

Combine all ingredients in large bowl until it starts to clump together.
Place on lightly floured surface and knead gently until its smooth enough to roll out to about 1/2 depth with heart shaped cutter.

Place on greased baking tray and bake in oven Gas 5, until it just starts to colour, aprox 10-15 mins.

When baked, place on wire rack to cool and sprinkle lightly with castor sugar, Yum!

Enjoy!

Cherry and Almond Scones

Although I've used cherry and almond, you can substitute any dry fruit and flavouring of your choice.

6oz SR Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 oz Margarine
1oz castor sugar
2oz chopped glaze cherries
1/2 tsp almond essence
milk

beaten egg

Rub in flour, baking powder and margarine till resembles breadcrumbs.
Mix in sugar and cherries.
Add almond essence to enough milk to combine scone mix to a soft dough texture, do not over knead.
Roll out on floured surface and use scone cutters to about 1" depth.

Place on greased tray and brush beaten egg over tops.
Bake in oven, Gas 6 until tops are golden brown.
Place on wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Double Mint Chocolate Muffins

This recipe makes aprox 12 muffins, you could make them any flavour or decoration that you wish, but the basic recipe would be the same.

For the cakes:

4oz Margarine
4oz Castor sugar
4oz SR Flour
1oz cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Eggs (beaten)
2oz chocolate chips


For Icing:
3oz Softened butter
6oz Icing sugar
Few drops green colouring
Few drops of mint food flavouring


Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa into a bowl.

In another bowl cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs a little at a time, with a little flour ( to prevent mixture from curdling).
Scrape down bowl.
Fold in flour mix and chocolate chips until all combined.
Divide mixture  into 12 paper cases that are already placed in muffin tray.
Bake in oven Gas 6 until risen and tops spring back when touched gently, aprox 20 mins.

Place muffins on wire rack to cool.

For icing, beat icing and butter, with colouring and flavouring till light and fluffy.

When cakes cool, pipe icing on top of cakes in any style you like, add a few sprinkles or chocolate chips for decoration if you wish.

Enjoy!

Giant Caramel and Honeycomb Biscuits/Cookies

Oh my word, the smell from these when you open the tin is incredible! and they taste gorgeous too...

4oz butter
2oz castor sugar
6oz plain flour
1tsp caramel food flavouring
1tbsp small honeycomb pieces

Cream together softened butter and sugar till light and fluffy, then mix in flour, flavouring and honeycomb till combined, do not over mix though.

Roll out on well floured surface and cut out with your preferred cutter.
Bake on greased tray well apart, Gas 5, for aprox 10/15 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before place on wire rack to cool completely.

mmmmm...

Enjoy

Chocolate Strawberry Cake

The ingredients listed below made two 6" cakes, one round and one heart shaped spring form loose bottomed tins.

4oz Margarine
4oz Castor Sugar
2 Eggs (beaten)
4oz SR Flour
1\2 tsp baking powder
3oz Freeze dried strawberries
Red food colouring

For fillings and covering:
2oz Icing sugar
2oz butter (softened)
1 small tub chocolate mirror glaze

To make cakes, grease and flour tins.

Cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy, (scrape down bowl).
Add beaten eggs and beat in a little at a time, with a little flour to stop it curdling, (scrape down bowl again).
Fold in rest of flour with 2oz of the strawberries, and share mix between tins.

Bake in centre of oven Gas 5 for aprox 20-30 mins until baked.

Allow to cool slightly before turning out on to wire rack to cool completely.

Make butter icing with icing sugar and butter, finally adding in last of strawberries.
Slice cakes in half, and sandwich together with a little buttercream, and spread rest onto one of the cakes and fluff up.

Put other cake on to wire rack resting on large bowl, bigger than the cake, heat chocolate mirror glaze, as per instructions on tub, and pour over cake, allow to set a little before transferring to plate.
I sprinkled some edible gold glitter on top of chocolate cake too.

Enjoy!

Poached Caramel Pears

For this recipe I used 3 pears, but you can do as many as you like, ideal for showing off when you have friends over for dinner, and so simple..

Soft pears
Red wine
Nestles caramel covering
Chocolate
Coconut or chopped nuts

Firstly peel pears keeping stalk and slice a little from the bottom of the pear ( this helps them to stand up).

Put about 1/3 of a bottle wine in saucepan with pears and simmer for 20 minutes, keep turning so they get equal coverage.
Remove and let drain on kitchen paper.

When cool cover with caramel and place on grease proof paper.

Melt a little chocolate in bowl over pan, or in microwave, and dip pears in to cover bottom half, then immediately dip in coconut or chopped nuts.

Hope you  enjoy these as much as I did!

Lemon Meringue Pie

This recipe makes two 6" pies or one 10", if you use ready made pastry cases then that saves time.

If not, then line 2 loose bottom 6" flan tines with shortcrust pastry and blind bake.

For filling:
200g castor sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp cornflour
1/4 tsp salt
350 ml water
2 lemons, juiced and zested
30g butter
4 egg yolks

For meringue:

4 egg whites
75g castor sugar

In pan, mix together 200g sugar, cornflour, p.flour and salt, stir in water slowly, then lemon juice and zest.
Cook gently till mixture comes to boil.
Remove from heat and stir in butter, then add a little of the mixture to egg yolks in small bowl.
Add egg mix back to pan with rest of lemon mix, put back in medium heat and whisk slowly until comes back to boil and thickens.

Divide lemon mixture between pastry cases.

Whisk eggs whites until forms peaks, then add rest of sugar a little at a time, and whisk till thick again.
Spread meringue on pies making sure edges are sealed.
Bake in centre of oven Gas 5, till tops are coloured slightly.

Any meringue mix left over can be piped and used to make meringue shells.

Enjoy!

Individual Cheese and Ham Quiche's

Another use for these fantastic tartlet tins, ( 4") I got mine on sale from Sainsbury's.



Shortcrust Pastry ( as in previous post)

2 Eggs
2 slices cooked ham
100ml of single cream
1 tomato
Grated Cheese

Grease 4 tartlet tins and line with shortcrust pastry ( do not bake blind)
Place the tartlets onto baking tray.

Sprinkle a little cheese on base of tartlets.
Chop ham into squares and share out between 4.
Slice tomatoes and cut each slice into 4, place these on top, then add some more grated cheese.

Mix eggs with cream in jug, add salt and pepper to taste, and gently pour a little at a time in each of the quiches, covering all ingredients as near to the top as possible.

Put quiches into centre of oven and cook for aprox 30 mins, Gas 5/6, until risen and golden brown.

Enjoy!

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Shortcrust Pastry

This is a lovely light pastry that I use for all my pies and flans etc, I know some people like use plain flour, but I personally think it makes it a quite hard pastry, so here goes..

8oz SR  Flour
4oz Margarine ( straight from the fridge)
1/2 tsp salt
cold water

Put flour and salt into large bowl, then add margarine, and cut into smaller lumps.
Rub together until resembles breadcrumbs.
Add cold water a little at a time until pastry combines (do not knead)

Wrap in cling film and place in fridge for later use, can be kept for several days.

Let me know if you try this version of pastry.

Thanks :)

Floured Baps

Lovely soft bread buns/baps

1lb Strong bread flour
7g sachet of fast acting dried yeast
1/2 pint lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Place all dried ingredients into large mixing bowl.

Using the dough hook, add warm water gradually to form soft dough.

Place on floured surface and knead until smooth, and place in bowl in a warm place with damp cloth over bowl till double in size ( roughly)

Remove dough from bowl and divide into 8 equal size portions.

With floured hand, cup each piece and make circular movement on bench until ball form.

Place these buns on greased tray in warm place, with damp cloth over again, for 30 minutes.

When risen, remove cloth and bake in oven middle/top shelf, Gas 7, aprox 15 minutes until tops start to colour.

To test if cooked inside, lift one and tap bottom, should have hollow sound.

Best served with real butter! yum!

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Goji Granola Bars

Healthy energy bars with no added sugar or butter!

200g Granola
100g Sesame seeds
50g chopped pecan nuts
2 tbsp Honey
2 tsp ground cinnamon
100g dried Goji berries
2 Egg Whites


Put granola, sesame seeds, pecans and berries in roasting tin and toast in oven.

Whisk eggs whites until peaks form.

Put granola mix in large bowl and mix in honey and cinnamon throughly.

Gently fold in egg whites.

Put in tray bake tinned with greaseproof paper, spread out and flatten down.

Cook in centre of oven for aprox 20 minutes.

Leave in tin until cooled then cut into bars.

Enjoy!

New Recipes coming!

Thought I'd write a quick note while stuff is baking...

My grown up sons have kept asking me for healthy energy bars, so I have done some Granola Cinnamon Gojo bars, they are now cooling off, so will have them on the blog soon.

I also have some bread dough proving, and will make floured baps with these. Some shortcrust pastry made and in fridge for tomorrow for some individual Quiches.

Don't forget to follow my blog so you don't miss these and other upcoming recipes!

Bye for now

Coconut Snowballs

This is a quick and easy recipe and they can be frozen.

6oz condensed milk
12oz desiccated coconut
pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 tbsp icing sugar
2 large egg whites

glace cherries for decoration

Whisk egg whites and tartar till forms peaks, add icing sugar a little at time, then continue to whisk till peaks form.

In another large bowl mix together coconut, condensed milk, salt and vanilla thoroughly.

Fold coconut mixture into egg whites.

Line 2 baking trays with non stick parchment paper.

Roll mix into balls and place on trays, add half a cherry on tops.

Bake in centre of oven, Gas 5 for aprox 15-20 mins until lightly brown.

Leave on trays to cool slightly before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy!

Nutella Macarons

2 Large egg whites
150g Icing Sugar
70g Ground Almonds
food colouring
Edible Rice paper ( i got mine from Amazon)

Whisk egg whites in large grease free bowl until soft peaks form.

Whisk in icing sugar 1tbsp at a time, whisking well in-between each addition.
Add a couple of drops of food colouring of your choice on las addition.
Continue whisking on high speed until thick and glossy a bit like shaving foam.

Gently fold in ground almonds with large metal spoon or spatula.

Put mixture in piping bag with large round nozzle.
Place rice paper on to baking sheet, and pipe rounds, in 1 squeeze, do not use circular motion.

Leave on tray for 30 minutes to form a skin ( this is important), then cook in centre of oven, gas 4 for aprox 20 minutes until just crisp.

Leave to cool, then remove excess paper from around Macarons, and sandwich together with Nutella!
Yum!

Enjoy!

Mini Bakewell Tartlets

Shortcrust pastry ( as done in previous post)

1tbsp jam

2oz margarine
2oz castor sugar
1oz SR Flour
1oz Ground Almonds
1 egg
1tsp Almond Essence

2tbsp icing sugar
Pink food colouring

Grease 4 tartlet cases lightly (mine were 4")
Line cases with shortcrust pastry and bake blind, without colouring.

Make cake mix by creaming together sugar and margarine till fluffy.
Beat in egg and almond essence,
Fold in flour and ground almonds.

Spread 1tsp jam in bottom of each pastry case, then divide cake mix between tartlets and smooth out.

Bake in centre of oven, Gas 6, till golden brown, (aprox 20 mins).

Allow to cool on wire rack.

Mix icing sugar in bowl with a little water, but not too runny, put a little mix in another small bowl and mix in a tiny bit of pink food colouring.

When tarts are cool, spread white icing on top, put pink icing in small icing bag, with small plain nozzle and pipe parallel lines across, then with toothpick, drag gently across line to create feather effect.

Enjoy!

Coffee and Walnut Cake

An old classic today from Mums recipe book!

8ox SR flour
4oz Margarine
2 eggs (beaten)
6oz Walnuts
1tbsp instant coffee granules (diluted in a little warm water)

8oz Icing sugar
2oz butter

Make cake by creaming margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs a little at a time, with a little flour to stop curdling.
Fold in rest of flour with half of the coffee, and half of the walnuts (chopped).
Bake cake in deep round 8" cake tin (greased and floured) for 30-40 minutes Gas 5.

Test cake is cooked by using skewer in centre of cake, if it comes out clean it is done.

Cool cake on wire rack.

Beat icing sugar and softened butter till light and fluffy, add a little of the coffee essence for flavour.

When cake is fully cooled, slice through horizontally and sandwich together with half of the butter icing.
Spread rest of icing on top of cake and drag fork through lightly, 1st one way, then opposite to pattern on top,
Decorate with halved walnuts.

Enjoy!

Mini Corned Beef Pasties

Pastry

8oz SR Flour
4oz Margarine
cold water

Filling

8oz mashed potato
1 finely chopped onion
1 tin corned beef

1 egg beaten, for brushing tops

Rub margarine into flour until resembles breadcrumbs.
Add a little water at a time until pastry combined, wrap in clingfilm, and place in fridge while making filling.

Mash together warm mash potato, onion and corned beef till combined, add a little butter and seasoning.
Roll out pastry on floured surface and use small saucer or similar size tin lid to cut out rounds.

Place a small amount of filling in centre of rounds (do not over fill), damp around edges with water and fold over.
Seal all way round and crimp.

Place on greased baking tray, cut 2 small holes in tops to allow steam to escape, then brush all over with beaten egg.

Bake middle/top of oven gas 6, until golden brown, then place on wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Moist Ginger Cake

Lovely light moist ginger cake!

8oz SR flour
1/2 tsp salt
4tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp bicarb
2oz butter
2oz soft brown sugar
4oz golden syrup
1 egg with enough milk to make 1/4 pint

Mix flour, salt, ginger and bicarb in large bowl.

Melt butter, sugar and golden syrup in pan, add to flour mix along with egg and milk.
Mix well, but do not over beat.

Pour into greased loaf tin, or use paper liners in loaf tin.

Bake on gas 5, until cooked through, arrow 30-40 mins, use skewer to test middle, if it comes out clean, then done.

Enjoy!

Lime and Coconut Biscuits

Lovely light buttery biscuit, very moreish!

14oz plain flour
7oz butter
8oz castor sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
1tsp bicarb
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp salt
2 limes
4oz coconut

Sift flour, bicarb, salt and sugar into large bowl.
Add butter and coconut and mix till combined and like breadcrumbs.

Grate limes on small grater to gather zest, then juice both limes.

Mix lime zest into mixture.
Beat eggs in separate small bowl or jug, add vanilla and lime juice, then add to biscuit mixture and mix till combined.

Place mix on floured surface and knead lightly, ( the mix will be a little sticky at this stage)
Put in fridge for 30 minutes.

Grease 2 large baking sheets.
Remove biscuit mix from fridge, and divide into 4, roll out one portion at a time on generously floured surface, and use small biscuit cutter of your choice.
Place on tray very widely spaced, as they will spread, prick with fork gently.
Place in middle/top of oven, Gas 4 and bake 10-15 minutes, or until lightly brown.
When you remove from oven, lightly sprinkle with castor sugar and place on cooling rack.

This recipe makes quite a generous batch! You can divide the ingredients in half, or use lemons instead of limes.

Enjoy!

NB: on a personal note, do not grate thumb on grater and get lime juice in! :)

My Recipies

No Bake Dog Treats

Thought I'd make a change today, and make some treats for my 2 VERY fussy Chihuahuas......

6oz oats
3oz peanut butter
2oz honey
2oz granola
1tbsp coconut oil

Mix all ingredients in bowl till thoroughly combined.

Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.

Remove from fridge and roll into small ball. ( I found passing from hand to hand gently squeezing forms well).

Store in air tight box in cool place for up to a week.

Hope your dogs enjoy them as much as my little ones!

Sultana Scones

Ingredients

8oz SR Flour
2oz Margarine
1oz sugar
2oz sultanans
1/2 tsp baking powder
milk

Method

Rub flour, baking powder and margarine till resembles breadcrumbs.
Mix in sugar and sultanas.
Add a little milk at a time till mixture is combined, but bot too sticky.

Roll out on floured surface and cut out with scone cutter, about half the depth of the cutter.

Place on greased baking tray, and brush tops with beaten egg.
Leave to rest for 10 mins, then brush with egg again, ( this gives a better golden top).

Place in top of oven, gas 6, for aprox 10-15 minutes until golden colour on top.

Place on cooling wire.

Fill with strawberry jam and clotted cream (yum!)

Enjoy

Viennese Whirls

9oz very soft butter
2oz icing sugar
8oz plain flour
1oz cornflour

Mix all ingredients till throughly mixed and creamy.

Spoon into piping bag with large star nozzle and pipe equal size swirled rounds onto non stick baking sheets.

Cook in centre of oven, gas 5, until just starting to change colour.
Place on wire rack to cool.

Sandwich together with a little jam and buttercream, and sprinkle a little icing sugar over tops.

Enjoy!

Apple and Blackberry Cobbler

Lovely hot dessert ideal for hungry families on a cold winters day.

4 large Bramley cooking apples
1lb blackberries
demerara sugar
1lb SR Flour
4oz margarine
milk
1tsp nutmeg

Peel and core apples, cut into large chunks and simmer in pan with a squeeze of lemon juice and aprox 2 oz sugar. Bring to boil then take off heat and strain.

Mix flour and margarine till resembles breadcrumbs, then mix in 2oz sugar, add milk till mixture combined.

Mix cooked apples and blackberries together gently and place in bottom of oven proof dish.
Sprinkle sugar all over mixture.

Divide cobbler mix into equal portions and roll gently into ball shapes and place on top of fruit mix.

Bake in middle of oven, temp gas 6 until cobblers are golden brown.

Serve hot with cream, ice-cream or custard.

Enjoy