Triple Malt Chocolate Cake

It's not that I have given up taking pictures - I've just been quite busy with work. Personally I don't like to cook anything that you can't see the finished result of first, but you'll have to trust me on this one. It is in fact a slightly altered version of this from Chow's website, and there's a picture there for reference.I cooked mine slightly less then they have recommended to get a fudgey brownie like consistency in the middle.

Triple Malt Chocolate cake

240g malted milk powder (like Ovaltine)
200g Plain flour
90g good quality cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
230g caster sugar
160 ml vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
320 ml whole milk

To Frost:
1 big bag of Maltesers, coarsely chopped
Vanilla Malt Icing - see below

Heat the oven to 180C and arrange the rack in the middle. Line 2 8-inch cake pans (or one large brownie tin if you fancy a tray bake) with baking paper.

Combine malted milk powder, flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl, and stir to combine.

Beat the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla in a separate large bowl, and whisk until combined and smooth. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, and whisk until just incorporated. Add 1/2 of the milk, and whisk until smooth. Continue with remaining flour mixture and milk, alternating between each and whisking until all ingredients are just incorporated and smooth.

Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cakes start pulling away from the sides of the pans, about 4o minutes. Remove cakes from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

To Frost:
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
350g icing sugar
3/4 cup malted milk powder
120 ml whole milk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream the butter and sugar (use a whisk attachment) until mixture is light and whipped, about 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients continue to whip at medium high speed until frosting is evenly combined and light, about another 3 minutes.

To frost, place a cake layer a cake plate. Evenly spread about 1/3 of the frosting over the top of the layer then stack the second layer on the top (pick the flattest side to face upward on the top), and evenly spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the whole cake. Press the crushed Maltesers into the frosting around the sides of the cake and serve.

The only chocolate chip cookie recipe you will ever need

I'm skipping the usual preamble as these will speak for themselves. I've made them twice in 3 weeks they are so good.

Note: The dough needs at least 24 hours in the fridge - it's a must, though it does mean you can whip up the dough in a few minutes of spare time, to bake later in the week when you can.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is adapted from The New York Times recipe by Jack Torres.

Makes about 36 4-inch cookies

17oz plain flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

10oz unsalted butter (at room temp)

10 oz soft brown sugar (light)

8 oz caster sugar

2 large eggs (at room temp)

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate chips - at least 60% cocoa

Sea salt (optional - for sprinkling)

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder into a bowl and the salt and set aside.

Cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined - only 5 to 10 seconds. Add the chocolate drops in and stir briefly to incorporate through the dough.

Wrap the dough in cling film or pop into a Tupperware container and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. The dough can be frozen if you don't want to use it all at once.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper . Using a table spoon, scoop 6 mounds of dough (the size of small golf balls) onto baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt (optional) and bake until golden brown but still soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Leave to cool briefly on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.

Variations: swap into 3oz of good quality cocoa powder for 3oz of the flour, and subsitute half the chococlate chips with Reeses peanut butter chips. Fantasic.

Blondies

I was meant to be making gorgeous chocolate chip cookies today, but in my foray to Wellcome to pick up a few bits and bobs, they didn't have the type chocolate chips I was after - what they did have was exactly the sort I didn't want, so I embraced serendipity, grabbed a few bags and opted to make some blondies. Truth be told I they were on my list of things to bake, but just not today. Maybe it's a sign.

So, not sure where you stand on the volume vs weight debate, but I'm definitely in the "cups are for people who don't really cook" camp - sounds militant I know, but one mans cup of flour is anothers US/UK/Aussie sized, humidity effected, quality varying ingredient. You can't go wrong with weight measurements, even if your scales are cheap and have been carted round the world, spilt on, dropped, wiped, dropped again and stashed unceremoniously in the cupboard. Whereas my forlorn plastic 1/2 cup (nationality unknown) is scratched to bits and doesn't fit into the necks of any of my jars. Anyway, as many recipes still use them, especially in the US, there are some excellent conversions here from a fantastic blog worth browsing.

So, the baking - Much as we all love a brownie, Blondies, unlike in real life, are a little more subtle that their brunette counterpart. The brown sugar makes for a light butterscotchy taste and are not as sweet as you would expect. I've put white choc chips in here, but your could skip them, or use milk chocolate or butterscotch chips instead.

Blondies
makes 12-16 bars

170g unsalted butter - melted
230g soft brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs (room temp, lightly beaten)
150g plain flour
100g nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
160g good quality white chocolate chips (not chocolate-flavoured ones - big difference!)

Heat the oven to 180C.

Beat the melted butter and brown sugar in your mixer until smooth. Add vanilla then beat in the eggs until thoroughly mixed. Add flour, baking powder and salt, and fold in by hand (or with just a few quick turns on your mixer - no flour should be left showing, but don't beat it in, you want air). Stir in nuts and chips until just combined. Transfer batter to a baking try lined with baking paper, and bake until golden brown and set, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.

As with brownies, you don't want to over cook them - no one is going to turn down a crisp topped, soft middled Blondie.

Banana Cake

Whilst I was knocking up the previous recipe, I spied a few sad looking bananas in my fruit bowl - way past the point by which I would usually eat them, but perfect for banana cake - the sweeter and mushier, the better. Bananas, oddly (to me anyway), freeze really well - and if you are so inclined, can be peeled, popped onto lollysticks and placed in the freezer for a summery icepop version of one of your five a day.

In the past, this type of loaf cake was eaten sliced and spread with butter, but it certainly doesn't need it. Brown caster sugar, if you have it, works very well - adds a hint of toffee flavour and in fact, if you make extra of the icing for the Sticky toffee pudding cupcakes, that would be excellent smeared over the top of this.

I did throw in the walnuts and cinnamon as it only adds to the flavour - and I did have some buttermilk left over in the fridge, so I used that instead of milk for a creamier taste.

Banana Cake

100g Butter
175g caster sugar
2 eggs (lightly whisked)
2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas, mashed
225g self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons milk or buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
2 big handfuls of walnuts (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 180C

Cream the butter and the sugar together very well using your mixer (can you see a reoccurring theme here? This is the opening line to pretty much ALL my cakes, so you should know the drill by now). Add the eggs slowly, beating all the while. Turn your mixer to low and add the flour,baking powder and cinnamon (mix only briefly) then stir though by hand the mashed banana, walnuts, and milk/buttermilk. Pour into a lined loaf tin (a 2lb size) and bake in the centre of the oven at 180c for about 45 mins to an hour.

You will get a crisp surface to this one and a densish cake - test for doneness by inserting a skewer into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done. As you can see from the pictures I used two smaller loaf tins - this is because it wasn't until I had started that I realised I couldn't find my loaf tin, but fortunately I had two small cardboard ones from a $10 store that I brought for cuteness value. These don't work brilliantly - cakes tins are metal for a reason (heat conducting properties) which is why I always sneer at those flash gaudy silicon molds everyone bangs on about - no thanks.

Sticky Toffee Pudding and Sticky Toffee Cupcakes

This is a proper rib sticking hearty affair that will definitely make you feel a bit too full afterwards. Now, I have done this as cupcake size portions, because although the original recipe says that it serves 8 (cooked in a retangular dish), I realized that my way gets 24 good sized portions with pretty presentation and gives you thrice as many overfed satisfied guests for your buck, so to speak. So, either pour your mixture into a large oven proof ceramic serving dish, or like me, divide the mixture between 24 lined cupcake moulds.

Having used cupcakes portions, and having a few left over, I discovered that this sponge delicious in it's own right, so this Friday I am experimenting with a cupcake version that can been eaten as a cake rather than pudding - the sponge freezes like a dream, so if you have any left over, be sure to hang onto them (and defrost them with a unceramonous blast in the microwave).

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Date Puree
375g dates, with stones removed
375 ml water

Toffee Sauce
600ml cream
300g sugar
130g unsalted butter

Sponge
130g unsalted butter
375g soft dark brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten and at room temperature
450g plain flour
10g baking powder (sifted into the flour)
3g bicarbonate of soda (sifted into the flour)

Plus creme fraiche or good vanilla ice cream to serve.

Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Make the date puree: Simmer the dates in the water over a low heat for 10-15 minutes until they are soft and the water has almost evaporated. Process them in a blender until they are smooth.
Make the sponge: In a food processor or mixer, cream the butter and sugar with the paddle on a medium speed until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly , taking care the mixture doesn't separate (add a bit of the flour with the eggs to prevent this). Then fold in the sifted flour mixture slowly until smooth. Finally, add the warm date puree and mix well. Transfer your mixture to your baking receptacle of choice and bake for about 50 minutes in a dish, or 25 minutes in cupcakes cases or until the sponge is firm to the touch.
Make the toffee sauce: Whilst your sponge is in the oven (or before if you want to do as much prep in advance), pour half the cream and the sugar and butter into a thick bottomed pan and mix well. Bring the sauce to the boil stirring with a wooden spoon, and continue until the sauce is golden brown. This will take a while but persevere. When it goes golden brown, remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, and then whisk in remaining cream.
To assemble: If you've made cupcakes, remove the papers and arrange on a serving dish (a slightly lipped one is fine). Pierce the sponge all over with a fine skewer and the cover with about a third of the toffee sauce. Return to the oven at 175C for 10 minutes to warm through then remove.
To serve: Put the remaining sauce in a jug and heat (in the microwave). As you remove the sponge from the ovem, drizzle with a little more sauce and the serve at the table with the left over sauce on the side - encourage people to help themselves to extra sauce with thier pudding and a big dollop of creamy ice cream.

Now, if you've made these, then the above is the follow-on recipe of choice, as all you need to do is pour the leftover caramel syrup into some cream and whisk over a bit of heat to get your toffee sauce - a much faster option and worth considering to make the most of leftovers.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING CUPCAKES Follow the recipe as above (without the sauce), making the sponge with date puree in cupcakes.

Make the icing as follows:
Using your mixer with a whisk attachment, beat 140g of butter and 280g of sifted icing sugar together (you may want to add a bit more to get a good consistency for pipping). Add a few tablespoons of caramel syrup (either one you made here or a shop brought one is fine) and continue to beat. Taste and if overly sweet, add a squeeze of lemon juice to calm it down. Pipe onto you cooled cakes as desired.

Two treats from one recipe - I personally would use half as pudding and half as cakes, freezing the ones you don't use for later and recycling as required.

Red Velvet Cake

It's Valentines tomorrow and much as I don't embrace it, I did decide to take the opportunity to make lurid, E number laced cakes for Friday baking. Sugar hearts, pink food colour spray, a lot of food dye - the works.

I too baulked at the amount of red food colouring - personally I found the super cheap liquid one worked MUCH better than the expensive gel ones (and you need less). My kitchen is still covered with a fine film of tinted pink stickiness but the result was worth it. The hurriedly taken pictures don't do the kitsch cakes justice.

Next time, I'd be tempted to swap the baking soda/vinegar for good baking powder - much less hassle. I also passed on the original icing - although many recipes use a cream cheese frosting, the correct one is in fact a creamed butter/sugar whisked with warm milk and flour - it sounds pretty grim and indeed it was. In fact I started it and it looked and smelt so awful I had to reject it - there's times when this is completely acceptable - the incident where my profiteroles came out of the oven in perfectly spherical hard shiny ping pong ball like forms but welded to the baking sheet springs to mind - the whole lot went straight in the bin.
Anyway, I opted for a whipped meringue based icing that colours like a dream, holds a shape and comes from Nigella Lawson. The texture of this is just brilliant with the delicate sponge.

Red Velvet Cake:

250 grams sifted plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder
115 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
300 grams caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
240 ml buttermilk
2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 175 C and line your muffins tin with suitable paper cases (I chose heart pattern ones, but as the mixture is very liquidy, the oil soaked through and obscured them, so metal silver ones may have been a better choice)

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

Beat the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 - 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

The Frosting

• 2 egg whites
• 4 tablespoons of golden syrup
• 100g caster sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pink food colour (small amount, adjust as desired)
  

Sit a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, and put all of the ingredients for the frosting, except for the vanilla and food colouring, into the bowl. Whisk everything with an electric beater until the icing becomes thick and holds peaks like a meringue. This will take about 5 minutes, so be patient.Take the bowl off the saucepan and onto a cool surface and keep whisking while you add the vanilla. Then keep whisking until the mixture cools a little - you should have firm stiff peaks by the end of it.

Fill a piping bag, and using a 1M tip (or other large tip), pipe your glossy frosting onto the top of the cooled cakes. Immediately cover with spray pink colour, sprinkles, hearts - what ever you have. There's no such thing as being OTT here.

Coffee Grinds Cake

One of the many pleasures of cooking is getting run your finger over then empty mixing bowl and taste the last vestiges of your hard work - and although I don't like the raw mixture, I can't get enough of this coffee icing

This is another variation on a simple sponge, that can turn into a yummy cakey treat (see here and here for previous versions). As I have said before, I know no-one uses ounces, but it does make this totally memorable - 1 egg per 2 oz of flour/sugar/butter and scale accordingly. And as we all seem to use electric scales, you can make the use of the lb/kg button for once and get an instant conversion. I've done a purists version, but you can add a handful of chopped walnuts to cake mixture for a bit of texture, or pop a few on top.

I've done a tray bake, but you could easily make cup cakes or two rounds which you can sandwich together with the thick unctuous icing.

Coffee Sponge
4 eggs (at room temperature)
8 oz each of butter, caster sugar, self-raising flour (all at room temperature)
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of freshly ground coffee beans mixed into 2 tablespoons of boiling water

Fluffy Coffee Icing
4oz butter
8oz Icing sugar
1 tsp of freshly ground coffee beans mixed into 2 tablespoons of boiling water

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy - it should go very pale.
Very very slowly add the eggs one at a time, with a tablespoon of the flour with each egg to stop the mix from separating. Once all the eggs are incorporated, add the two tablespoon of coffee to the mix. turn the mixer onto it's lowest setting and add the remaining flour and the baking powder until just folded in (don't beat - the folding in of the flour is to incorporate air into your mixture to get a fluffy cake). Turn this into a baking tin (about 10in x 6in) and bake at 180c for 20-25 mins

To make the icing put your butter, coffee, and sifted icing sugar into your mixer with a whisk attachment and beat until light and fluffy.

Remove the cake from the oven, turn out onto a rack and allow to cool before spreading a thick layer of icing over the top. Cut into squares or rectangles and serve.

Tip: cutting up a good sponge can be a nightmare - it's so soft and you get crumbs everywhere - so to prevent this, once you have iced your sponge, pop it into a large Tupperware container (I put mine on greaseproof paper on the lid and the box part over the top to save me having to try to lift it out again) and refrigerate for 30 mins to an hour. Remove and slice - it will be SO much easier as the sponge and the icing will be much more firm, though remember not to serve this cold - cold sponges have a horrid texture, make sure it's up to room temp before indulging.

Caramel Cupcakes (with Caramel Icing)

Friday Baking on a Thursday afternoon has become something of an tea drinking, diet coke sipping, magazine flipping institution here with the venerable 太太 Haynes for company and taste testing, and I enjoy the chance flex my baking skills and dust off the mixer. This recipe is a version of Caramel Cake by Eggbeater

I've used cups below, as the conversion was a real pain - I'm not a fan as I can never work out if my rather battered plastic Ikea one (have lost the rest and am down to a forlorn 1/2 cup) is a US cup size or not. Anyway, half a cup (in my kitchen) is 125ml if that helps at all.

I had some golden caster sugar than I used for the sponge - it's adds a nice tone I think, but bog-standard white is fine. Please note that the cases are cup cake cases and not muffin cases - these are more of a dainty cake. Don't expect a mountainous rise either, these are quite subtle, and you'll get a nice flat top for your squeeze of icing.

Makes 24 (as per the picture)

Caramel Sponge:
140g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon good quality salt (I grind up a bit of Maldon)
1/3 cup of Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)
2 eggs at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 cups of plain flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of milk at room temperature

Preheat oven to 175C.

Cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.
Slowly add the caramel syrup and beat until incorporated.
Add eggs and vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Beat mixture until light and uniform.

Sift flour and baking powder. Turn mixer to lowest speed and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. As there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter - watch carefully to see that the mixture doesn't curdle - Make sure you mix each addition well, before you add the next.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Spoon the mix into paper cakes case in a cupcake tin, making them about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 mins until golden and springy to the touch.

Caramel Syrup:
1 cup caster sugar and 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup water (for "stopping" the caramelizing process)

Put the caster sugar and water into a small stainless steal pan (the high the sides the better). Turn on heat to highest flame. Allow to cook until dark amber.
When this colour is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. The caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back. Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers - Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it, sugar burns are not good.

Caraml Butter Icing:
85g unsalted butter
500g icing sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
sea salt to taste

Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into your mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment and allow to cool a bit before adding the sifted icing sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all icing sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

Note: I'm sure that in France you can buy jars of caramel syrup in the supermarche - might be worth an experiment to cut down on the time, 3rd degree sugar burns and oodles of left over syrup.

Edit: Keep the left over syrup - I popped mine in a jar in the freezer - but the fridge is fine, as if won't go off (like honey) and use it to make caramel icing or sauce as found here.

Madeleines

These were a first for me, I got to go out and buy a new cake tin - just to add to the piles of baking equipment I already have, including several sandwich cake tins, none of which seem to match.

These are surprisingly light - best straight out of the oven I think, a crisp outside with a light as a feather middle - the lemon is only a fleeting hint. These are Madeleines in their purest form - I know you can make every flavour under the sun but why gild the lily, non?

200g unsalted butter with about 2 tablespoons extra for greasing the tin
100g plain flour
4 large eggs
a pinch of salt
140g caster sugar
zest of one large lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing sugar to dust

Preheat oven to 180C

Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat until it's brown, roughly 15 minutes. Strain (using a paper towel over a fine sieve) leaving a clear liquid. Set the butter to one side to cool, whilst you carry on as below.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and use a brush to coat the tin - make sure you get in all the ridges.

Put the eggs and salt in the bowl of your mixer and whisk on high speed until thick - they should double or triple in volume (about 3 mins). Continue to mix on high speed, slowly add the sugar until mixture is thick and ribbony.

Take the bowl off the mixer and fold in the lemon zest and vanilla briefly. Add the flour, and gently fold in, then fold in the butter, only stirring enough to bring everything together.

Pour the batter into the molds, filling each mold 3/4 full. I used a jug filled with batter, as it's too runny for a spoon.

Bake the madeleines for 12 minutes ish or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and unmold immediately. Cool on racks and dust with a little sugar.

Makes 2 -3 dozen.

Mince Pies

I often forget how English mince pies are - always causing lot of confusion to the uninitiated (mince? is it meat? are you sure? - whilst being eyed when they take a bite), but once you've tasted one, you'll be coming back for more, and they also smell divine, filling your kitchen with a lovely Christmassy aroma.

Of course I rather smugly make my own mincemeat most years (and it keeps for ages, often to be recycled at Easter for something a little festive in filo pastry). You've missed the boat to make it this year, so you can cheat and use a ready made one, but I recommend you make you at least make some shortcrust pastry.

You can use a normal or mini muffin tin for these. They also freeze very well and can be made in advance, so all you need to do is heat them up and dust with icing sugar and a bit of gold dust. Make a big batch - it's worth it, you will run out surprisingly quickly.


Shortcrust Pastry for mince pies

• 225g plain Flour
• 100g Butter
• Zest from ½ an orange
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tbsp very cold water (or a hand full of ice cubes works well)
• 1 egg yolk

Sieve the flour into a bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and using your fingers, rub the butter lightly into flour, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the zest and mix into the breadcrumbs.
Lightly whisk the water, orange juice and egg yolk together with a folk and begin to add gradually to the butter and flour mixture, stirring it in with a spoon, until a soft but not sticky pastry is formed (you may want to use you hands to bring it together at the last minute). The pastry should leave the sides of the bowl clean.
At this stage the pastry can be frozen in a plastic bag, if required.

Mince Pies - Makes 18-24

• One quantity of shortcrust pastry for mince pies above
• 1 jar of homemade mincemeat (or shop brought, sigh)
• Icing sugar to serve
Roll out half of your pastry between two sheets of greaseproof paper to about 3mm thick. Using a round or fluted cutter, cut out 12 rounds, gathering up the scraps and re-rolling. Then do the same with the other half of the pastry, this time using the star-shaped cutter.

Now pop festive paper cups into a muffin tin (or just lightly grease it) and line them with the round pastry rounds. Fill these with mincemeat to the level of the edges of the pastry - not too full). Dampen the edges of the pastry stars with milk and press them lightly into position to form lids over the mincemeat. Brush each one with milk. Bake near the top of the oven for 25-30 minutes until light golden brown.

When you remove them from the oven, if you haven't use paper cups, take them out of the tin immediately - once they cool and the sugar sets, you'll never get them out in one piece.

Cool on a wire tray and store in an airtight container until needed. To serve, warm them in the oven for 5 minutes and dust with icing sugar and a bit of gold dust.

Tips on Pastry:

1. Don't over work it - it's not a dough - basically treat it nicely - no pummeling or over keen handling.
   
2. I know you are supposed to rest it, but I don't - they will be OK as long as you take heed of point 1.
3. When rolling, do it between two sheets of greaseproof paper - saves throwing flour all over the kitchen and it won't stick to everything either - after every few strokes of the rolling pin, lift the paper away, return paper, then turn the whole thing over and repeat.
   

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone has their own favourite type of chocolate chip cookie – soft and chewy, thin and crispy – double chocolate, simple choc chip – the list goes on. These are one of my favourites – soft and thick with lots of chocolate. Don’t be afraid to throw in a bit if what you fancy – a handful of peanut butter chips – a bit of orange zest? Or see of you can find your own favourites – there’s a wealth of recipes out there and it worth experimenting to find your perfect one.

Makes 20 cookies

115 g of unsweetened baking chocolate - Like Bakers Squares or 70% upwards dark chocolate
170 g butter
300g caster sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
320g plain flour
80g of chocolate chips – white, dark or milk - whatever your preference.

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a pan over a low heat.
3. Measure out your sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter mixture to the sugar and mix well until combined.
4. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
5. Mix in the flour.
6. Mix in the chocolate chips.
7. Cover and refrigerate for a few minutes to make the dough easier to handle.
8. Remove from the fridge and shape dough into 2 inch balls on a lined baking tray.
9. Bake for 8-10 mins.

Classic Choc chip muffins

This is a Nigella recipe, but an American version. It is so quick to put together and completely fail-safe. The other great thing is that the muffins are not too sweet, especially if you use bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips. Make sure you fill the cases to the top - then you will get those ones with the big fat tops, a la the classic American muffin.








This recipe will get you 12 large muffins.

250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp cocoa powder
175g caster sugar
150g semi or bittersweet chocolate chips
250ml milk
90ml vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 200˚C and pop muffin cases into a 12 cup muffin tin.

1. Combine the plain flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, caster sugar and chocolate chips in a large bowl. Whisk the milk, vegetable oil, the egg and vanilla extract in big jug.
2. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix till the mixture just turns runny. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or a toothpick inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.

Oaty Anzacs

These have just gone down a storm on my cooking class - and now I am wondering weather to make them for my friday baking (though I get the feeling they all feel a bit short changed if they don't get something that's either sponge, or chocolaty). Anyway, these are a bit of a classic - coconuty, oaty biscuits always got down well and they take just 5 minutes to throw together. The huge bonus is that they're made in one bowl, so minimal washing up as well.

Makes 20

100g rolled oats
135g plain flour
110g caster sugar
65g desiccated coconut
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 heaped tablespoons of golden syrup
125g butter

1. Pre heat oven to 170C
2. Weigh the flour, oats, sugar, and bicarb and coconut into a bowl
3. Melt the syrup and butter in a pan over a low heat
4. Pour butter mix into dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon
5. Put tablespoons of the mixture onto a lined baking tray and flatten slightly.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until starting to turn golden.

Friands

Another huge success on the baking front - I can never make enough of these - deliciously sweet and moist, with a tart berry centre.
A recent discovery was the bags of frozen berries in the freezer section of the supermarket which saves a few pennies in comparison to seeking out the fresh ones and it always means you have them to hand in the freezer.

Fruit Friands - makes about 12

125g unsalted butter
210g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
100g plain flour
110g ground almonds
5 egg whites
about 85g berries - blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries (my favourite)

Preheat oven 180c and pop paper cases into a 12 cup muffin tin.

Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat until golden.
Sift the icing sugar and flour into a bowl. Add the almonds and mix everything between your fingers.
Whisk the egg whites in clean bowl until they form a light, floppy foam.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, tip in the egg whites and fold, then lightly stir in the butter to form a soft batter. Divide the batter among the muffins cases.

Sprinkle 2 to 3 berries over each cake and bake for 15-20 minutes until just firm to the touch and golden brown. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

To serve, dust lightly with icing sugar.

I know this recipe means you have a lots of unused eggs yolks, so I'm trying to come up with another recipe to counteract this (or freezing them). Currently thinking ice cream or custard....

Moist Chocolate Cake (Tray Bake)

Ok, I know most people don't use ounces much anymore, but it's how I remember the recipe - You can do a million types and size of sponge scaling the basic recipe of 1 large egg to 2oz sugar/ self-raising flour/butter. It also reminds me of my mum cooking at home (and teaching me how to make these cakes), radio four on in the back ground, dog next to the aga, happy days.

You can knock this up in no time - I can't stress how simple this is - literally, 10 mins to make the batter, then you just shove it in the oven - it's pretty fail safe as long as you don't peek in the oven during baking, but it looks and tastes like you've slaved away in the kitchen for hours!

5 large organic eggs
10 oz Butter
10 oz Caster sugar
8 0z self-raising flour
2.5 oz cocoa powder
2.5 oz melted 70% chocolate

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c. Cream (i.e. beat on a high speed) the butter and the sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy - this is a very important step - they should be well combined and it will take quite a while (3-4 mins) using a Kitchen-aid type mixer (or similar). Add the melted chocolate and beat again.

2. Beat the eggs in a jug with a fork to break them up, then pour VERY slowly to the creamed butter and sugar mixture whilst mixing on a high speed. Note: pour a little, then mix very well, then pour a little more and more mixing etc - if the mixture looks like it will curdle, add a tablespoon from your flour and carry on mixing.

3. Add the remaining flour and cocoa powder and mix very briefly on a VERY LOW speed (to keep the air in the mixture) – only mix until the flour can’t be seen – no longer!! This will take 15 seconds max.

4. Spread the mixture into your pan (lined) and bake in the middle of your pre-heated oven until pale golden. A large tray can take up 25-30 minutes, cupcakes maybe only 12 minutes.

5. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.

Extra Moist!!
If you intend to eat the cake that day, the above will suffice, however if you are eating the cake over a few days, this next bit is a tip from the pros.

Sugar Syrup
100ml caster sugar
100ml water

Place the water and sugar in a pan, stir and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and let it cool and refrigerate.
When your cake is cooled, using a brush, brush plenty of the sugar syrup all over your cake, then ice as required.

Icing:
I iced this with a fudge chocolate icing - Melt 200g of 70% chocolate with 100g butter. Add sifted icing sugar (and a 2 tablespoons of water) until you get the consistency that you want (piping, spreading, runny, whatever you desire)

Enjoy!

Classic Carrot Cake

To be honest, I was never a fan of carrot cakes until I had this one. It's very easy to throw together and has all the right flavours coming together - a hint of spice, unctuous raisins with a coconut undertow. Try not to baulk at the oil - it makes for a beautifully moist cake. This recipe is courtesy of Mrs Herringbone-Chive - an excellent cook, friend and all round goddess.

Weapons of choice: you can either use a large ring tin, cupcakes, or sandwich tins

Classic Carrot Cake

Pre-heat the oven to 140c

9oz self-raising wholemeal flour
12oz soft brown sugar
3 large free range eggs
6 floz sunflower oil
2 floz soured cream
2tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
11 oz grated carrot
3 oz desiccated coconut
2 oz raisins

Bowl 1 (make it the biggest one):
Add the eggs, oil, vanilla, sour cream, and sugar.

Bowl 2:
Sift the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda, and the salt.

Bowl 3:
carrot, raisins, and coconut.

Beat bowl 1 thoroughly. Then fold the contents of bowl 2 into bowl 1. Then mix in the contents of bowl 3.

Turn into your selected tin and bake for 1.5-2 hours.

Icing

8oz Cream Cheese (not Philadelphia)
4 oz butter
4 oz icing sugar
Juice 1/2 a lemon.

Beat the cheese, butter and icing sugar together to get a thick creamy icing. Add the lemon to taste. This can either be spread on thickly, used to sandwich cakes together or piped into big swirls.

Lemon and Poppy Seed Squares with drizzly icing

Last Friday I went back to sponges and although they have had the cupcake version before, this one is the tray bake version and you can get a lot more bite sized squares out of it.

5 eggs
10 oz each of butter, caster sugar, self-raising flour
1 tsp of baking powder
zest and juice of two lemons
2 tblsps of poppy seeds

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy - it should go very pale.
Very very slowly add the eggs one at a time, with a tablespoon of the flour with each egg to stop the mix from separating.
Once all the eggs are incorporated, add the zest of two lemons and the juice from one of them, along with the poppy seeds, to the mix, and beat.
Turn the mixer onto it's lowest setting and add the remaining flour and the baking powder until just folded in (don't beat - the folding in of the flour is to incorporate air into your mixture to get a fluffy cake).
Turn this into a baking tin (about 10inx6in) and bake at 180c for 20-25 mins.

This week I am feeling a carrot cake tray bake coming on...

My Mum's Tray Bake

After E, slightly sniffley, told me these were too sweet, this Friday (well Monday, as Friday was canceled due to Typhon Nuri) these went down a storm - some people had four apparently. So, if you need a large tray bake for coffee or a tea party this is great. For added stickiness you can slightly caramalise the butter/sugar/syrup mixture if you have a bit of time.

Line a tray bake tin with baking paper and melt in a pan:

250g butter
100g caster sugar
4 tbsps golden syrup

when melted add:-

4 tbsp drinking chocolate
2 tbsp cocoa powder
500 g of a mixture of coconut biscuits and rich tea
100g Madeira cake crumbs
100g raisins (optional)

Press into the baking tray and chill for 1 hour

Then: melt in a pan
300g milk chocolate
20g butter

Spread over the cake mixture and when cold cut into fingers.

Grown up Chocolate Cornflake Cakes

So, we didn't end up having the marinated beef on Thursday, instead we gave in and hit Pizza Express for an American (for me), American Hot (for E) and two bottles of red (for sharing). Very naughty indeed. So we'll be having the beef on Sunday and there'll be No Drinking this week from Sunday to Thursday, honest.

Was a bit all out of ideas this Friday for the baking, so I whipped up some chocolate cornflake cakes.

Melt lot's of 70% Green and Black chocolate in the microwave, and stir in Kelloggs (a must) cornflakes. Spoon the mixture into foil cups and pipe with melted white for milk chocolate for prettiness.

Really, it doesn't get any easier than that. As a trial, I also did some where I used chocolate with Chilli - using either 70% chocolate or the chilli variation is a great grownup twist on a classic kids food - which is always well received.

I need to get thinking for more Friday Baking ideas - this week I think I might make my ginger cookies - tiny gingery mouthfuls that disappear in minutes - I don't think they have ever hung around for more than a day.

Weather: Glorious - just did 20 minutes each side by the pool.

Breakfast Bars

Thursday is my Cantonese lesson, so no dinner last night - probably not a good idea as I feel a little woozy from the beer - I was practicing my ordering ok?

E was dispatched to school with his box of goodies - I bake something on Fridays for his morning meeting, which works out very well as it means I get to bake, which I love, without the consequences of having piles of cookie/cakes sitting around the house for us to eat - I try a couple, and then send the rest away.

So far the Friday meeting have had:

• Brownies
• Chocolate chocolate-chip cookies (Bakers)
• Chocolate chocolate chip cookies (Nigella's) - these were the best cookies, though probably something to do with the fact that they are more chocolate than cookie
• Raspberry Friands
• Buttermilk muffins with choc chips
• Millionaires Shortbread
• Carrot cupcakes
• Lemon Poppyseed cupcakes
  

Todays treat was a chewy breakfast bar - a kind of variation on a flapjack/muesli bar but with no fat and using condensed milk to get a milky taste for the breakfast theme. However, good though they were, I don't think they go moist enough without butter. The great thing with this recipe is rather than buy lots of separate ingredients you can just use a good quality sugar free muesli (such as Dorset Cereals - full of nuts and fruit). Feel free to throw in a bit more to your mix - sesame seeds, raisins, sunflower seeds etc - a rummage in the cupboard will usually produce something.

Take a box (about 800g) of the best sugar free muesli you can find and pour into a large mixing bowl. Warm a can and a half of condensed milk in a pan and when runny add to the muesli and stir until it's all completely coated. Scrape into a baking tin (about 32x22x4 should do it) and bake at 140c for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15-20 mins before cutting them with a sharp knife into bars, then leave to cook completely - you should get either 16 big ones or 24 small ones.

Enjoy!


Weather: Rain, cloud and gloom - currently a thunder and lighting storm going on behind me.