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.

Italian Limoncello

I haven't tried this yet, but hope to soon!  Watch this space.....

Ingredients

• 15 lemons*
• 1 (750 ml) bottle of Everclear (grain) (190-proof) alcohol  (Strong, unflavoured vodka works too)
• 900g / 4 cups granulated sugar
• 1.1litre / 5 cups water (filtered tap water or distilled water)
  * Choose thick-skinned lemons because they are easier to zest. The lemons must be yellow and not tinted with green.

Method

1. Wash the lemons with a vegetable brush and hot water to remove any residue of pesticides or wax; pat the lemons dry.
2. Carefully peel with a vegetable peeler so there is no white pith on the peel. NOTE: Use only the outer part of the rind. The pith, the white part underneath the rind, is too bitter and will spoil your limoncello.
3. In a large glass jar (1-gallon jar with lid), add Everclear.
4. Add the lemon zest as it is zested.
5. Cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for at least ten (10) days and up to forty (40) days in a cool dark place.
6. The longer the mixture rests, the better the end taste will be. (There is no need to stir - all you have to do is wait.) As the limoncello sits, the alcohol slowly takes on the flavor and rich yellow color of the lemon zest.
7. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water; bring to a gentle boil and let boil, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool before adding it to the limoncello mixture.
8. Add cooled sugar mixture to the limoncello mixture (from Step One).
9. Cover jar and allow to rest for another 10 to 40 days.
10. After the rest period, strain the limoncello; discarding the lemon zest. Pour strained limoncello in bottle/bottles (of your choice) and seal tightly.
    
    NOTE: Coffee filters or cheesecloth work great for straining the mixture. Moisten the filters before beginning the straining process.
    
    Keep your bottle/bottles of limoncello in the freezer until ready to serve. Serve ice cold.

Drop Scones (Scotch Pancakes)

Ingredients

• 150g/5oz of Self Raising Flour
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 Large Egg (beaten)
• 150ml / quarter pint of Milk
• butter for greasing the frying pan

Method

1. Sieve the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl.
2. Beat in the egg and then start to add the milk a bit at a time - don't make it too thin & runny - just pourable.
3. Heat up the frying pan (skillet) to a medium heat and coat the base with butter.
4. Pour the batter on one tablespoon at a time, not too close together, to make little pancakes. (Maybe do a single one as a test)
5. As soon as bubbles start to appear and then burst - turn the pancakes over. This should take about one minute per side or until golden. If the pan is too hot they'll brown too quickly before the bubbles burst.
6. Let the scotch pancakes cool for a minute before trying.
7. Eat with honey, syrup or butter and jam.

Pancakes (Crepes)

It's Shrove Tuesday tomorrow, so in celebration here is a recipe for simple pancakes(or crepes).

In Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, pancakes are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, which is also known as "Pancake Day" and, particularly in Ireland, as "Pancake Tuesday". (Shrove Tuesday is better known in the United States, France and other countries as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.) Historically, pancakes were made on Shrove Tuesday so that the last of the fatty and rich foods could be used up before Lent. (from Wikipeadia)

Ingredients

• 100g/4oz plain flour
• 250ml/Half a Pint of milk
• 1 egg
• pinch of salt

Method

1. In measuring jug measure out the milk, sift in the flour and add the egg.
2. Add in the pinch of salt.
3. Beat together until a smooth batter has formed.
4. Leave to sit for at least half an hour.
5. Heat a small frying pan (skillet) on a medium heat and add a small knob of butter.
6. Pour a small amount of the batter into the pan until a thin layer is formed.
7. Once bubbles start to appear on your pancake it is ready to turn. Tossing pancakes is the traditional method.
8. Cook briefly on other side and layer between sheets of greaseproof / parchment paper.
9. Eat with lemon and sugar (or cheese and ham or chocolate and bananas or golden syrup).

Rolled pancakes with lemon and sugar.

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.

Quick Chocolate Steamed Pudding

This is a recipe I copied really quickly from one of those TV cooking game shows (Ready, Steady, Cook) and I found it written on an old Diary page from January 2001. I used to make it quite a lot and it is so easy and really quick.

Ingredients

• 110g (4oz) Butter
• 110g (4oz) Caster Sugar
• 110g (4oz) Self Raising Flour
• 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 2 Eggs

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in a microwavable bowl
2. Pop in Microwave for 4min on high
3. Eat!!! (Be careful! It's really hot straight out of the microwave but cools down quickly)

Oatie Flapjacks

Ingredients

• 75g (2 3/4oz) butter or margarine
• 50 - 75g (1 3/4 - 2 3/4oz) light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 175g (6oz) porridge oats

Method

1. Put the butter or margarine, sugar and golden syrup into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the fat and sugar have melted.
2. Add the porridge oats and mix thoroughly.
3. Press into a well greased 18cm square sandwich tin.
4. Bake in the centre of a moderate oven at 180°C or 350°F or gas mark 4 for 25 minutes or until evenly golden brown.
5. Mark into squares while still warm.
6. Allow to become almost cold in the tin before removing.

You can also add dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, small pieces of fudge or toffee to the recipe if you like.

Caramel Cream Toffees

Makes: 300g (10 1/2oz)

Ingredients

• 250g (9oz) granulated sugar
• 250 ml (9fl oz) double cream
• 25g (1oz) butter
• 50g (1 3/4oz) runny honey

Method

1. Lightly oil a 20cm (8in) square cake tin.
2. Pop the sugar, cream, butter and honey into a heavy bottomed pan and heat gently till the sugar is dissolved, swirling the pan occasionally (don't stir).
3. Bring to the boil and boil until the mixture reaches 120°C on a sugar thermometer (hard ball stage).
4. Pour the mixture into the tin and leave to set.
5. Turn toffee out if the tin and cut into strips and then squares with oiled scissors.

This will keep for 2-3 days but best to wrap in cellophane to prevent from going sticky.

White Chocolate Coconut Ice

Makes: 20

Ingredients

• 150g (5 1/2oz) white chocolate
• 4tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• a few drops of vanilla essence
• 75g (2 1/2oz) desiccated coconut

Method

1. Place the chocolate and condensed milk in a small pan with a drop of the vanilla essence. Stir over a low heat until the chocolate is melted.
2. stir in 50g (1 3/4oz) of the coconut and roll into small balls. Roll in the remaining coconut and place in little paper cases.

These will keep for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.

Snowy Marshmallows

Makes: 30 cubes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 450g (1lb) caster sugar
• 1 tbsp liquid glucose (buy from chemist)
• 12 sheets or 20g (1/2oz) leaf gelatine
• 2 egg whites
• 1tsp Vanilla essence

Method

1. Lightly oil a shallow baking tray (30 x 20cm, 12 x 8in). Dust with half the icing sugar and cornflour.
2. Pop the caster sugar, liquid glucose and 200ml (7fl oz) cold water in a medium, heavy bottomed pan and heat gently till the sugar has dissolved (swirl the pan occasionally).
3. Bring to the boil for about 15 mins until the mixture reaches 120° on a sugar thermometer (Hard Ball stage).
4. While the sugar is boiling, soften the gelatine in 150ml (5fl oz) cold water.
5. As soon as the sugar has reached the correct temperature, pour in the gelatine withe the soaking water and swirl the pan till it is dissolved. Pour the syrup into a heat proof jug so that it is easier to pour.
6. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until the hold stiff peaks, the gradually whisk in the sugar syrup and vanilla essence. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens enough to hold it's shape when the whisk is lifted (this will take about 10 mins with an electric whisk, be patient).
7. Spoon the mixture into the oiled tin and leave for 1 - 2 hours or until set.
8. Loosen the mixture from the edges of the tin with a hot knife and turn out onto a board dusted withe rest of the cornflour and icing sugar. Cut into 3cm (1 1/2in) cubes, rolling each in the sugar and cornflour.
9. These will store in an airtight container for 3 - 4 days.

Chocolate Honeycomb Chunks (Cinder Toffee)

Makes: 12 chunks

Ingredients

• 300g (10 1/2oz) caster sugar
• 200g (7oz) golden syrup
• 2tbsp white vinegar
• 2 heaped tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 300g (10 1/2oz) milk chocolate

Method

1. Line a medium sized roasting tin with foil and oil the foil well.
2. Place the sugar, 150ml (5fl oz) cold water, syrup and vinegar in a very large pan (the mixture will foam up). Place over a low heat and cook gently without stirring until the sugar has dissolved (swirl the pan gently from time to time).
3. Bring the pan to the boil until it reaches 150°C on a sugar thermometer (hard crack stage).
4. As soon as it reaches the correct temperature, remove from heat.
5. Stir the bicarb of soda into 1 dessert spoon of cold water and add to the pan. Swirl the pan and the mixture will foam up. Let it bubble for a minute or so until it subsides a little, then pour into the tin and leave to set.
6. When cool enough to touch, score the top into squares if you want nice squares.
7. When set break up into the squares or random pieces if you prefer.
8. Melt the chocolate and dip the honeycomb into it and leave to set on parchment.