Yorkshire Puddings

I have been so scared to make Yorkies for such a long time now that they have almost reached legendary status.  I found this recipe and tried it to make Toad in the Hole and it worked perfectly! Not as difficult as I had feared! :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup of flour
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup of eggs (I find 3 fits in my cup)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 3 drops vinegar
• vegetable oil - enough to cover the base of each well in your pudding tray.

Method

1. Put everything into your mixing bowl and give it a good whisk. 
2. Once combined and bubbly, pour into a jug and leave to settle for 15 mins.
3. When your ready, heat your oil in the oven, when the oil is smoking, remove your tray from oven and pour in your batter. 
4. Cook until golden and well risen.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Ingredients

• 225g/8oz baking spread, straight from the fridge, or butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 275g/10oz self-raising flour
• 2 level tsp baking powder
• 4 free-range eggs
• 4 tbsp milk
• 2 lemons, zest only
• 1 heaped tbsp very finely chopped lemon verbena (optional) 

For the glaze:

• 175g/6oz granulated sugar
• 2 lemons, juice only 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. 
2. Grease the tin with baking spread and line the base with baking paper. 
3. Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl and beat for 2 minutes, or until well blended. 
4. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top. 
5. Bake for 35–40 minutes until the cake has shrunk a little from the sides of the tin and springs back when lightly touched with a fingertip in the centre of the cake. 
6. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Mix the granulated sugar with the lemon juice and stir to a runny consistency.
7. Leave the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then lift out, with the lining paper still attached, and place on wire rack set over a tray. 
8. Brush the glaze all over the surface of the warm cake and leave to set. 
9. Remove the lining paper and cut into slices to serve.

Christmas Cake

This is the recipe for the Christmas Cake that my Mum in Law and her best friend bake every year. This year however as my mum in law is overseas visiting her daughter I though I would bake the cake for her. I've never baked a fruit cake before so this could be wonderful or disastrous!! Unfortunately I won't know for a couple of weeks as you have to let it sit for a while.  Wish me luck!!

Ingredients

• 350 g (12 oz) Plain Flour
• 1 x 5 ml spoon (1 tsp) mixed spice
• 100 g (4 oz) ground almonds
• 4 medium eggs
• 150 ml (¼ pint) milk (or ½ milk, ½ brandy)
• 225 g (8 oz) butter
• 225 g (8 oz) caster sugar
• 225 g (8 oz) currants
• 225 g (8 oz) sultanas
• 225 g (8 oz) raisins
• 100 g (4 oz) glacé cherries, halved
• 100 g (4 oz) cut mixed peel

Method
Cake

1. Heat oven to 150ºC, 300ºF, Gas Mark 2. Grease and line a 23 cm (9 inch) round or 20.5 cm (8 inch) square tin.
2. Sieve together flour, spice and ground almonds. Beat eggs with milk.
3. Cream butter and sugar, stir in flour mixture and egg mixture alternately, a little at a time.
4. Lastly add fruit. Mix thoroughly. Place mixture in prepared tin and protect with brown paper.
5. Bake for about 3½-4 hours.
6. Allow to cool then cover with almond paste and leave for 1 week.

N.B. If you prefer a more open texture use self raising flour in place of plain.

Royal Icing

1. If possible, stand the cake on a revolving cake stand or upturned cake tin.
2. Spread the icing on with a palette knife dipped in hot water to ease smoothness of the finish - but avoid making the icing too wet.
3. Cover the cake completely with icing, using sweeping strokes of the knife. Then spread the top smooth. To make the sides straight, bring the palette knife around the cake continuously, holding the knife upright.

N.B. If the cake is to be iced further e.g. piping, leave to stand for 24 hours.

Royal Icing

Use this recipe to decorate fruit cakes and celebration cakes. This will be enough for top of 20-23 cm (8-9 inch) cake.

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2 lb) icing sugar
• 5 medium egg whites
• 2 x 5 ml spoon (2 tsp) lemon juice for firm icing
  OR
  2 x 5 ml spoon (2 tsp) glycerine may be added to keep icing soft

Method

1. Lightly beat egg whites with glycerine or lemon juice.
2. Sieve icing sugar, add half to egg whites, beat well.
3. Add remainder of sugar gradually stirring well until stiff enough to stand in peaks in the bowl.

Mini Eclairs

Makes: 30
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 75g/3oz butter
• 100g/3½ oz plain flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 600ml /1 pint double cream 
• 200g/7oz dark chocolate 
• 1 tbsp golden syrup 

• You will need: a piping bag and nozzle

Method

1. Preheat oven to gas mark 6 / 200°C(19O°C in a fan oven). 
2. In a saucepan. melt butter with 200 ml /7 fl oz cold water and bring to boil. 
3. As soon as it's boiling  remove from heat and tip in flour. Beat well to combine. 
4. Then, whisk in eggs a little at a time to make a smooth, shiny dough that easily comes away from the sides of the saucepan.
5. Pipe dough onto baking sheets lined with baking paper. You need éclairs about 5cm/2in long. 
6. Cook for 20 mins till golden brown, then remove from oven and make a slit in sides. 
7. Return to oven for 5 mins, till centres are cooked through and dry. 
8. Leave to Cool completely. If making ahead of time, store in an airtight container, till ready to fill.
9. ln a bowl, whisk 500 ml / 16 fl oz cream, till fairly stiff peaks. 
10. Fill piping bag with cream then pipe éclairs with cream. ln a small saucepan, gently melt remaining cream with chocolate and syrup, till smooth. 
11. Spoon over éclairs before serving.

Chicken and Leek Pie

This is a recipe I saw on the television the other night. On Nigel Slaters Dish of the Day he made this pie as a  way to use a small piece of good but inexpensive chicken, we had some chicken in the freezer, so I thought I would give it a go and boy was I glad I did! This was a hit with the whole family and was really easy to do!
This is definitely going to to be a family staple from now on..... thanks Nigel!

Ingredients

• 2 chicken thighs
• 2 chicken legs
• 8 peppercorns
• ½ onion
• 1 bay leaf
• milk (enough to cover chicken pieces)
• 6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, cut into postage stamp-size pieces
• 30g/1oz butter
• 2 leeks, sliced into ½ inch discs
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 3 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 x 375g/13oz packs of puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
• parmesan, grated, for topping

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. In a saucepan add the chicken, peppercorns, onion and bay leaf. Cover with milk. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
3. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in the butter. Add the sliced leeks and allow to soften.
4. When the chicken is cooked remove from the milk and flake the chicken meat into the pan with the leaks, discarding the bones.
5. Add the flour and cook through for two minutes before adding the milk through a sieve to remove peppercorns and bay leaf. Add the Dijon mustard. Stir constantly to make a thick sauce.
6. Roll out the sheets of puff pastry to a rectangular shape at a pound coin thickness. Lay the filling on one sheet and then cover with the second sheet and crimp the edges.
7. Brush the pie with a beaten egg and sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the top. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes

I made a few changes to the recipe.... I knew that I wanted this to do the 4 of us for 2 nights so I bulked out the filling a little by adding mushrooms to the frying pan once I had fried off the bacon.  I also used chicken drumsticks instead of thighs as that was what I had in the freezer. I didn't add the mustard or sprinkle with parmesan as my husband and son are not keen, although I would have loved it!!

Marble Cake

Ingredients

• 125g/4oz butter
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 5ml/1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 225g/8oz self raising flour
• 45-60ml/3-4tbsp milk
• 30ml/2tsp cocoa power dissolved in same of water
• 2.5ml/½tsp red food colouring

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Cream the butter and the sugar together until fluffy.
3. Beat in the vanilla and eggs.
4. Fold in the flour with the milk.
5. Divide batter into three.
6. Add the red food colouring to one third and the cocoa to another. Leave the last third as is.
7. Spoon the mixtures into a well greased 18cm / 7in cake tin in alternate colours.
8. Cut through and swirl the mixture using a skewer.
9. Bake for 50 min to an hour, or until a knife inserted into the centre come out clean.
10. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

I never use the red food colouring and instead only have choc and vanilla marble cake.

We have this cake un-iced but one of my friends has a recipe for icing this type of cake. I will ask if I can post her recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 75g/3oz butter
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 125g/4oz self raising flour
• 50g/2oz plain chocolate chips

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Cream the butter and the sugar together until fluffy.
3. Fold in the flour to get a smooth paste.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Roll in to small balls and space evenly on a well greased baking tray (I use a piece of baking parchment to stop them from sticking).
6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

I can never get the mixture to bind once all of the ingredients are added so I always add a tiny splash of milk to bind them. My cookies need slightly longer baking but are always lovely.

You can change the type of chocolate chip (milk, white) or even add fudge pieces and you can make double chocolate chip by adding some cocoa power in place of the flour.

Shortbread

Ingredients

• 125g/4oz butter
• 55g/2oz caster sugar
• 180g/6oz plain flour

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
2. Beat the butter and the sugar together until smooth.
3. Stir in the flour to get a smooth paste. Turn on to a work surface and gently roll out until the paste is 1cm/½in thick.
4. Cut into rounds or fingers and place onto a baking tray. Sprinkle with icing sugar and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

So I'm going to try shortbread this year as well as the gingerbread . I have made this before but not since I was a teenager.

I'll let you know how it goes!!!

Sadie's Gingerbread

Ingredients

• 300g (10oz) self raising flour
• pinch of salt
• 3 x 5ml spoon (3 tsp) ground ginger
• 100g (4oz) caster sugar
• 50g (2oz) margarine
• 3 x 15ml spoon (3 tbsp) golden syrup
• 4 x 15ml spoon (4 tbsp) milk
• glace icing

Method

1. Heat oven to 160°C, 325°F, Gas Mark 3. Grease a baking tray.
2. Place flour, salt and ginger in a bowl.
3. Warm sugar, fat and syrup together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well.
4. Add milk and mix to a firm consistency. Knead lightly with hands.
5. Roll out and cut out shapes and place on the baking tray.
6. Bake for about 10-15 minutes.
7. Allow to cool slightly then carefully lift onto a wire rack. Decorate with coloured Glace Icing.

This isn't my recipe, but one that came from one of my best friend's cousin (tenuous, huh?). Here are her tips for great gingerbread:

"I used soft brown sugar…if you don’t use this make sure it is caster sugar and I use 6 teaspoons of ground ginger because we like things gingery!!!"

I have made this gingerbread every Christmas since I received the recipe in December 2007 and it is the best gingerbread ever. Be careful not to over bake as the gingerbread goes very hard!! It may not look golden enough when you take it out, but it will be done enough.

I

Churros

Ingredients for chocolate sauce

• 100g/3½oz good-quality dark chocolate
• 25g/1oz milk chocolate
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream

Ingredients for churros

• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 125g/4½oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250ml/9fl oz freshly boiled water
• approx. 500ml/17fl oz corn (or vegetable) oil, for deep-frying

Method

• For the chocolate sauce, melt all the chocolate sauce ingredients, gently in a heavy-based saucepan Once chocolate starts to melt, stir everything together, take off the heat and leave in a warm place.
• For churros, mix the sugar and cinnamon in a wide, shallow dish: this is for shaking the cooked churros about in, to coat them later.
• To make churros, put the flour into a bowl and stir in the baking powder, then beat in the olive oil and freshly boiled water from a kettle. Keep mixing until you have a warm, sticky dough, and leave to rest for about 10 minutes or for as long as it takes for the corn (or vegetable) oil to heat up.
• Heat the oil in a small-ish saucepan; it should come about one-third of the way up the sides of the pan. When you think it’s hot enough, toss in a cube of bread and if it sizzles and browns in about 30 seconds, the oil’s hot enough; or if you’re using an electric deep-fat fryer or otherwise have the means to check the temperature, it should be at 170C/325F.
• When you are ready, load up a piping bag with a large star-shaped nozzle (8mm/½in) and fill with the churros dough. Squeeze short lengths (approx. 4–5cm/1½-2in) of dough into the hot oil, snipping them off with a pair of scissors as you go.
• Cook about 3 or 4 churros at a time and, once they turn a rich golden-brown, fish them out of the oil with a slotted spoon, spatula or tongs onto a baking sheet lined with some kitchen roll. To keep the cooked churros warm while you fry the remaining dough, blot with kitchen roll, transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in a low oven (100C/220F/Gas ¼). Even if you want to eat them immediately, they do need 5–10 minutes to rest before you eat them, to allow them to set inside.
• Just before serving, toss all the hot churros in the sugar and cinnamon mixture and shake them about to get a good covering.
• Once you have finished making the churros, pour the chocolate sauce into individual pots.

Fairy Cakes

Method

• 175g Flour
• 115g Sugar
• 115g Butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp milk

Ingredients

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C
2. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients
4. Bind the mixture using the slowest setting on the electric whisk, when combined mix on a faster setting and beat until the mixture has turned pale and creamy.
5. Spoon into cupcake cases and bake in the oven for 15 – 20 mins.

Makes 12

Ice with a little icing sugar mixed with water. Make chocolate fairy cakes by adding a little cocoa powder at the same time as the flour.

I use this recipe all the time. I have made these with my son and Brownies and Guides with great success. They always turn out great.

Shortcrust Pastry

This is the recipe for shortcrust pastry that my Mum uses. I think that it probably came from the BeRo cookbook she has. This book is older that me and my Mum. I think she got it from one of her Aunties when she first got married. The BeRo book is a baking bible in her house.

Ingredients

• 225 g (8 oz) Plain Flour
• pinch salt
• 50 g (2 oz) butter (I think you can use all of one type of fat if you want, ie all butter or all baking marg)
  
• 50 g (2 oz) margarine
• 30 ml (approx. 2 tbsp.) cold water to mix
  
• 25 g (1 oz) caster sugar if making sweet pastry
  

Method

1. Mix flour and salt in bowl, rub in fat
2. Using a knife to cut and stir, mix with cold water to form a stiff dough
3. Turn dough on to a floured surface and knead lightly
4. Roll out and use as required