Apricot Albaricoques Torta y Reina Maxima

Apricot Albaricoques Torta y Reina Maxima



Shopping List:

200 gr butter, softened
200 gr caster sugar
200 gr self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (backing)
4 large eggs, free range
1/2 - 1 teaspoon almond essence (if you want)
410 gr apricot halves (can) in juice, drained, 100 gr roughly chopped, remainder halved or
or: 200 gr dried, soaked and sieved and chopped apricots use half half for the two mixtures.

85 gr amaretti or cantucinni biscuits broken
25 gr flaked almonds


Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease or spray and line your 22cm loose - bottom cake tin.

Mix the butter, sugar, flour and baking powder into one of your large bowls until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, almond essence, if you want, and mix well to a smooth consistency.
Set aside a quarter of this mixture. Stir into the rest of the mixture the 100 gr chopped apricots and 25 gr of the biscuits. Spoon this into your prepared tin. Bake for about 25 minutes until nearly set into your preheated oven. In the meantime, stir the apricot halves, if using tinned ones, the remaining biscuits and the flaked almonds into the mixture that you set aside. Mix well.

Dot the cake mixture on top of the part baked cake and quickly return it back to your oven to bake for 20 minutes more or until your cake skewer comes out clean.

                                                           "Enjoy"

Triple Chocolate Biscuits with a hint of Cayenne

Triple Chocolate Biscuits with a hint of Cayenne



Crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside: Delicious!




Shopping List:

(yields about 40-45 biscuits)

225 gr butter, softened
100 gr caster sugar
175 gr dark muscovado sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs, free range, beaten
pinch of salt

300 gr plain flour
50 gr cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder ( backing)
1 and a half teaspoons of Cayenne pepper (to taste)

100 gr of chilli or bitter chocolate, chopped roughly
100 gr white chocolate, chopped roughly
100 gr pure dark chocolate, chopped roughly


Mix the softened butter and the sugars together until well combined. Then gradually add the vanilla extract and the beaten eggs. In a seperate bowl you can combine the flour, cocoa, pinch of salt, baking powder and the cayenne pepper and add all this to the butter mixture until again well combined.
Fold in the 3 assorti roughly chopped chocolates.

Preheat your oven to 180C. and have your baking trays all lined and ready. Drop walnut size dollops on the prepared trays with a little bit of space inbetween so they don't melt together. Use a large teaspoon for this if you want.

Bake the biscuits in batches in your preheated oven. For about 10-15 minutes, or how gooey you want them to be. Allow the biscuits to cool for about 2 minutes on the tray before you take them of gently with your palette knife to transfer them onto your wire rack. Let them cool completely.

These biscuits are an excellent dessert if you serve them with some ice cream and/or with something strong to drink alongside with an espresso perhaps.


                                                                    "Enjoy"

Charming Chocolate-Coffeebeans Traybake

Charming Chocolate-Coffeebeans Traybake


Shopping List:

250 gr butter to melt in pan
300 gr golden caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs, free range
200 gr self-raising flour
50 gr cocoa
100 gr milk chocolate drops (tröpfen)


For the topping:

85 gr butter to melt in pan
85 gr caster sugar
200 gr light condensed milk
50 gr chocolate drops or chopped up chocolate (milk) to melt
50 gr  little chocolate coffee beans to decorate


Grease or spray your traybake or roasting tin and line it. (about 20x30cm).
Preheat your oven to 180C. 
Gently melt the butter in one of your larger saucepans and cool this for 5 minutes before you add the sugar, vanilla and the eggs. Beat the mixture until well combined and smooth. Stir in the flour, cocoa and a good 1/4 little teaspoon of salt. Then you can stir in the chocolate drops. (Not the chocolate coffee beans).
Pour into your prepared tin and level it out as best you can.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 35 minutes until risen and your cake skewer comes out not clean but slightly sticky. Let the cake cool completely in the tin and turn it out onto your wire rack ready to be having the toplayer put on.

For the topping we gently warm the butter and the sugar until both are well combined and melted. Stir in the condensed milk and bring it all to a boil. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in 50 gr milk chocolate drops or ordinary chocolate to melt. Spread this mixture over the now cold cake, but have some paper towel underneathe your wire rack for drips and drops.
Scatter the traybake with the chocolate coffee beans and cut into squares the size you like. Or do it the other way around; cut in squares first then decorate with the chocolate beans.


                                                                  "Enjoy"



Did you know that you can make Dolce de Leche from condensed milk?

Pepper's Pear & Ginger Loaf

Pepper's Pear & Ginger Loaf





Shopping List:

200 gr butter, softened and unsalted
100 gr caster sugar
100 gr soft brown sugar
2 large eggs, free range, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200 gr self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 stemginger balls from the syrup, chopped
2 nice pears, roughly chopped ( i used Conference)

For the topping:

3 tablespoons syrup from the ginger jar
3 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat your oven to 160C. Grease or spray and line your loaf tin. Let the paper stick out in "Wings". Beat the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Then gradually add the beaten eggs and the vanilla extract. Then fold the flour, baking powder (backing) and a pinch of salt into the mixture ( you will find the mixture very thick now and not very much in quantity) and then stir through the ginger and the pears.
Pour this mixture into your prepared loaf tin with the paper wings, and level it out. If you have problems getting your mixture in the tin because of the wings, put some clothes pegs on the paper. But make sure you take them off as soon as you put the tin in the oven.

Bake your cake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes into your preheated oven. If your cake is getting too dark put some alufoil over the cake the last 10 minutes. Check with your cake tester to see if it comes out clean,when done. Leave the cake in your tin to cool down.

To make the topping: Mix the syrup with 1 teaspoon of water and the granulated sugar. Poke the cake with your cake tester and pour the syrup all over the little holes you've made. You can serve it warm or cold. With all sorts of creams and ice creams. Use the "wings"of the paper to lift out your cake.


                                                                   "Enjoy"

Chummie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chummie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

They are simply delicious!

Shopping List:

150 gr softened salted butter
80 gr light brown soft sugar
80 gr granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, free range
225 gr plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
200 gr plain chocolate chips or chunks, which happens when you drop the bar of chocolate and bang it some more, with a rolling pin maybe.




Preheat your oven to 190C. Line your baking trays with baking paper.

Put the butter and the sugars into one of your bowls and beat it until light, fluffy and creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beat again. Sieve the flour, bicarb, and the salt over the mixture and mix it with your wooden spoon. Stir in the chocolate chip/chunks.

Place small mounds of the cookie dough on your trays, using a teaspoon. Have some space between them as they  flatten out. Bake your cookies in batches for 7-10 minutes until light brown on the bottom edges and still deliciously soft in the middle.

Leave them on your tray for 4-5 minutes so they can firm up and then get a palette knife to put them on your wire rack(s)



                                                         "Enjoy"

Sydney's Cinnamon Biscuits

Sydney's Cinnamon Biscuits




Shopping List:
225 gr butter, softened or maragrine
225 gr fine or soft sugar white or light brown
2 eggs, free range
400 gr self-raising flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
100 gr fine white sugar


Mix together the butter or margarine with the sugar and cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Gently mix this with the butter/marg mixture until well combined. Put the bowl in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. This will make the dough easier to handle.
(Put it back in the fridge inbetween rolling the batches of balls if you can, especially in a warm kitchen.)

Preheat your oven to 200C. Line your baking trays.
In one of your smaller bowls mix the sugar and the cinnamon together. Set it aside.
Shape your dough into balls the size of a big walnut ( 2-2.5 cm). Then you roll them in your cinnamon sugar and place them about 3.5 cm apart from eachother on your prepared baking trays.

Bake the biscuits in your preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes making sure they don't get too dark.   Let them cool down for 2 minutes on the tray and then let them cool and harden completely on your wire rack(s).


                                                                   "Enjoy"

Cherry & Almond Bakewell Cake

Cherry & Almond Bakewell Cake

Shopping List:

200 gr butter, very soft
200 gr golden caster sugar
100 gr ground almonds
100 gr self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 large eggs, free range
pinch of salt

For the topping and the filling:

1/2 of a 340 gr jar of cherry jam  (170 gr )
175 gr icing sugar
5-6 teaspoons water or lemon juice
1 tablespoon of flaked almonds


For this cake we are going to use the easy all-in-one method!

Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease or spray and line 2 x 20cm round tins.

Beat together all the cake ingredients with a pinch of salt until welll combined. Divide over your two prepared tins and bake them in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch.

Cool in your tins for about 5-6 minutes and then turn them out onto your wire rack. Cool the cakes completely.

Spread  the jam over one of the cakes and sandwich both of them together. Sieve the icing sugar in one of your large bowls. Add the water (or lemon juice) and stir until it is smooth and thick. Spread evenly over the top and let it course its own way down. Scatter the almond flakes over the topping and leave to set.   Excellent with a nice cup of tea!



                                                             "Enjoy"

Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Icing

Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Icing


Shopping List:

The zest and the juice of 1 Orange
50 gr sultanas

If you have the time for it, put the orange zest and juice in a bowl with the sultanas and leave them overnight. If not blitz them in the microwave for about 1 minute.

150 ml sunflower oil
2 eggs, free range
140 gr light brown sugar
85 gr wholemeal self-raising flour
85 gr self-raising flour
2 teaspoons each ground cinnamon and mixed spice
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
140 gr carrots, grated
50 gr walnuts, chopped

For the topping:

200 gr soft cheese
50 gr butter, softened
85 gr icing sugar, sifted
a pinch of ground cinnamon
walnut halves to decorate

Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease or spray and line your loaf tin. Whisk the eggs together with the oil. In a seperate large bowl mix together the sugar, flours, mixed spice, cinnamon and the bicarbonate of soda. Add the sultanas and the juice, grated carrot, walnuts and the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Thoroughly mix with a wooden spoon. Pour it into your prepared tin and bake it in your preheated oven for about 1 hour until your skewer comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin to cool.

When your cake has cooled properly turn it out onto your wire rack take of the paper and prepare the icing. Beat together the soft cheese, butter, icing sugar and cinnamon until nice and smooth. Put some paper towel underneath your wire rack and decorate your cake by spreading the icing over it and put some walnut halves on top.



                                                             "Enjoy"

Bacon & Cheese Biscuits

Bacon & Cheese Biscuits

They are scrumptious!  Great Party Food! 

Shopping List:  40-45 bics!

260 gr plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder (backing)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
250 ml milk
110 gr butter, melted
8-10 strips bacon, baked until crispy and crumbled or cut in pieces
100 gr shredded cheese (chedder is good but i used ordinary)
1 egg whisked for glazing


Preheat your oven to 200C. Prepare your oven trays with baking paper.
Put flour, baking powder, salt, paprika and onion powder into your large bowl. Stir and make a well in the middle of these dry ingredients and add the milk, butter, bacon and cheese. Mix this mixture with a wooden spoon. You will find that the dough is wet and sticky.

Use a large teaspoon to put dollops the size of a big walnut onto your prepared tray.
Brush them a little with the beaten egg for a glaze. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes in your preheated oven until golden brown and your cake tester comes out clean.  Careful, they brown quickly at the end of baking time.

Great Party Food!

                     

                                                        "Enjoy"

Banana, Chocolate and Walnut bread

Banana, Chocolate and Walnut Bread


Shopping List:

3-4 ripe bananas
250 gr caster sugar
2 eggs, free range
140 gr butter softened
250 gr plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder (backing)
100 gr walnut pieces
100 gr chocolate chips


Preheat your oven to 190C. Grease or spray and line your loaftin.
In your large bowl, mash together the peeled bananas and the sugar with a fork. Then you add the eggs and mix well. Add the soft butter and mix some more. Sieve in the flour with the baking powder and fold and mix it all together with your spatula. Add the walnut pieces and chocolate chips and give it all a good swirl before you put it into your prepared tin.

Bake it in your preheated oven for about 1 hour until your skewer comes out clean and all that.
leave to cool in the tin before you turn it out onto your wire rack to cool completely.
Serve into thick slices. With ice cream or cream or whipped cream.... mmmmmmm.


                                                           "Enjoy"

Maple, Nut & Papaya Mix Cookies

Maple, Nut & Papaya Mix Cookies

Nice and Chewey!


Shopping List:

140 gr rolled oats
50 gr dessicated coconut
225 gr plain flour
140 gr unsalted roughly chopped mixed nuts
100 gr papaya mix
140 gr butter
225 gr light soft brown sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

preheat your oven to 160C. Line your bakingtrays. In one of your medium bowls mix the oats, coconut, flour, nuts and papaya mix. Set this aside but not too far away.

In one of your smaller saucepans, melt the butter, sugar and bothe the syrups and remove from the heat. Combine the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water and add this to the sugar mix. Pour this mixture into your oat mixture and stir well until combined. Form neat balls ( I used an ice cream scoop) from the mixture and place them on your prepared trays. Make sure there is enough room for the cookies to spread, and flatten them just a little.

Bake them in your preheated oven for about 14-16 minutes. it depends really on how chewey you want them.
Leave them on your tray for about a minute or so and then put them on your wire rack to cool completely.

If you want you can freeze them for up to 3 months, or put them in an airtight container for about a week if you want.

You can chop and change with these cookies, any nut or fruit will do really.

                                                             "Enjoy"