Banana Galaxy Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients

2 large ripe bananas (the more black the better!)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
175grams margarine
200grams light brown sugar
275grams self-raising flour
pinch salt
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 medium eggs beaten
150grams Cadburys chocolate/your favourite chocolate


Equipment

Saucepan
Muffin tin with 12 muffin cases


Method

• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3, 325°F (170°C).
• Peel & mash the bananas until smooth, mix in the vanilla essence.

• Heat the margarine & sugar in a saucepan over a low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.

• Remove from the heat and stir in the sifted flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda.

• Beat in the eggs & mashed banana. Don't worry if it looks curdled.

• Leave the mixture to cool.
• Stir in the chocolate chunks and then spoon the mixture into the individual muffin cases.

• Bake for 30mins
• Insert a skewer into the centre of a muffin and if it comes out clean then the muffins are cooked.

The Ultimate Party Cheesecake

Apologies for not posting in a long time! But I hope I've made up for it with this yummy recipe!

Line a 23cm springform cake tin (8inch sides) with baking paper at the bottom.

Cheesecake Base
100g digestive biscuits
150g ginger nut biscuits
75g butter
2 tbsp soft brown sugar

Crush all the biscuits either in a food processor or using a food bag and rolling pin. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Once melted remove from the heat and add the crushed biscuits and sugar. Mixing to make sure it is fully incorporated. Then put into the baking tin using a spoon to press it down gently until it has formed a dense base. This will take 5-10mins. Then refrigerate.

Cheesecake Filling
800g full fat soft cream cheese
800ml double cream
2 lemons zest
75g icing sugar

Put the soft cream cheese and lemon zest in your largest bowl. Then mix together, but don't over mix otherwise it will go too soft.
Then in another large bowl add the double cream and sift the icing sugar on top. Then using an electric whisk or hand whisk, whisk the cream and sugar together until you have a slightly thinner consistency to that of the cream cheese. But don't over whip otherwise the cream will split and go hard and grainy.
Then add the cream to the cream cheese mix and very carefully incorporate the two mixtures. Make sure to be gentle and not to over stir it!
Then remove the base from the fridge and add the mixture on top. Make sure to get the mixture at the bottom of the tin so you don't get any holes when you take it out. Then smooth the top and put it back in the refrigerator for at least 4hrs or overnight. (You can put it in the freezer for 30mins if time is against you!)

Chocolate ganache
75g dark/milk chocolate in small chunks
90ml double cream

Heat the cream in a saucepan until it's close to simmering (starts to get a skin on the top) then remove from the heat and add the chocolate chunks and stir continuously until all the chocolate is melted. You want a dripping consistency so if it's not runny enough add a splash of milk or more chocolate if it's too runny. Then using a spoon add the ganache around the top edges of the cheesecake and allow the chocolate to drip down.

Now place your chocolate bars on how you would like them displayed. Store in the fridge until needed. Remove from the fridge 10mins before serving to warm up a bit. But don't leave it for hours as it will go a bit soft.

Enjoy!

Flapjack Oat Crumble Topping

With Winter coming soon, get ready to make the very traditional English crumble. This has a fantastic twist that gives it a gooey texture like flapjack.

Serves 6 (with a thick crumble topping)

Ingredients
170g Plain Flour\Wholemeal Flour
170g Rolled Oats
75g Butter
130g-150g Soft brown sugar (depending on how tart your fruit is)
2-3 tablespoons Golden syrup

Method

1. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips. You want to make sure you don't melt the butter. It should resemble breadcrumbs.
2. Now rub the oats into the flour and butter mixture.
3. Once completely mixed, stir in the sugar using a spoon.
4. Add the golden syrup gradually and not it large clumps. Move it evenly around the bowl.
5. Mix the golden syrup into the crumble mixture so that it forms small balls of mixture.
6. Add to the top of your favourite fruit: apple, apple and blackberry, blackcurrant, raspberry etc. 

Plain Scones - very easy to make and easy to eat!

I love summer and Cornwall. We recently went on holiday to the North Coast of Cornwall and I baked some truly west country scones. Did you know they are so simple to make and taste better than any bought scone!

You only need four ingredients to make scones: flour, butter, milk & sugar.

Makes 8 large scones or 16 medium scones

Ingredients

450g plain flour
80g butter at room temperature
30g caster sugar
two pinches of salt
300ml milk

To serve:
A jar of strawberry or raspberry jam
Clotted cream


Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 220°C (Fan 200°C).
2. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub the butter into it rapidly, using your fingertips. You use your fingertips so you don't get it warm by using your hands. Being quick is essential to good quality scones.
3. Once it's rubbed in add the sugar and salt.
4. Then take a knife and use it to mx in the milk little by little. Mix using a cutting action through the mixture.
5. Flour your hands a little and knead the mixture to a soft dough. If it feels dry after kneading for a minute or two add a little milk. Make sure the mixture is completely combined, don't over knead about 1min will be fine.
6. Flour a clean kitchen worktop and roll out, with a floured rolling pin, gently your scone dough. You are aiming for a thickness no less than 2cm.
7. Now use a pastry cutter (or I've used a pint glass before) place it on the dough and tap it sharply so it goes straight through the dough. Don't twist otherwise they end up a funny shape.
8. Get as many scones out of the dough as possible. Knead the dough leftovers again and repeat steps 6 & 7 until you have used all the dough. Although I find it easier to just make the last of the dough into a scone like shape!
9. Place them onto a baking tray and bake near the top of the oven for 12-15mins.
10. Once they turn a golden colour they are ready to be cooled on a wire rack.
11. Serve by cutting them in half, adding a layer of jam and clotted cream.
12. Eat the same day or they freeze fantastically if you are planning an afternoon tea party.

Lemon Drizzle Traybake - Mary Berry's Recipe

This is one of my favourite cakes. It is really easy to make and tastes great. You need to add the topping to the cake while the cake is still warm. It will then absorb the lemon syrup easily. If the cake is too hot the syrup will tend to run straight through.


Ingredients

225g softened butter
225g caster sugar
275g self-raising flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons milk
finely grated rind of 2 lemons

For the crunchy topping:
175g granulated sugar
juice of 2 lemons


Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3, 160°C (Fan 140°C).
2. Grease a 20 x 20cm tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
3. Measure all the ingredients from the traybake into a large bowl and beat until well blended. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top gently with the back of a spatula.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the cake has shrunk from the sides of the tin and springs back when pressed in the centre with your fingertips.
5. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out, carefully peel of the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack.
6. To make the crunchy topping, mix the granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl to give a runny consistency.
7. Stand the wire rack on a tray to catch any drips of the topping.
8. Spoon the lemon syrup evenly over the traybake while it is still a little warm.
9. Cut into 30 squares when cold.
10. Can be stored in greaseproof paper and in an air-tight container.

Healthy Granola Bars - under 100 calories each!

 



There are many 'so called' healthy bars on offer in supermarkets however when you look at the ingredients they are normally full of refined sugar or glucose syrup. There has been a recent craze of breakfast bars and these are full of sugar! Basically refined sugar is bad for your health.

 

These bars are designed to give you a slow release of energy through the oats, nuts and seeds. The only sweet element comes from the fruit and a small amount of honey (a natural sweetener).

 

Makes 8 Granola Bars

 

Ingredients

 

100g Oats

30g Whole Almonds

15g Pumpkin Seeds

15g Sunflower Seeds

2 teaspoons Organic Cinnamon

3 tablespoons Apple Juice

 

4 Apricots (optional)

4 Prunes/Dates

30g Raisins

2 tablespoons of melted Honey

3 tablespoons of Apple Juice

 

 

Method

 

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, Fan 180°C, 200°C.
2. Mix together in a bowl the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon & apple juice.
3. Place a sheet of baking paper onto a baking tray.
4. Spread the above oat mixture out onto the baking paper.
5. Put into the oven for 10 minutes, mixing the oat mixture half way.
6. While the oat mixture is in the oven, cut the apricots in half and then into small chunks. Then cut the prunes/dates into very small pieces (the smaller the better).
7. Once the oat mixture is baked, put the oat mixture back into the bowl.
8. Add the apricots, prunes/dates, raisins, melted honey and apple juice to the oat mixture.
9. Mix it all together.
10. Then cut out a square piece of baking paper. In the middle of the baking paper add a small line of mixture.
11. Then squeeze the mixture together to resemble a log (about 6-7cm long) and to make sure the mixture is forced together.
12. Then place the bars onto the baking paper on the baking tray, used to make the oat mixture.
13. Once all 8 bars are on the baking paper, if you like cinnamon, sprinkle a little over the bars.
14. Bake the bars for 30 minutes, after 15 minutes turn the bars over to bake the other side.
15. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a wire rack to cool.
16. Once cool you can store in a box or place two of them in food bags into the freezer for a quick snack.

 

Lactose Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Sugar Free, Wheat Free, Yeast Free, Vegetarian.

 

The Nation's Top 5 Favourite Cakes by Waitrose Kitchen

The UK's 50 most influential bakers vote for Britain's best cake. Among them are baking legends Mary Berry & Delia Smith, taking respective first and second place in Waitrose's Baking Power List.

Britain's Best Cakes:

1. Chocolate Cake
2. Lemon Drizzle Cake
3. Victoria Sandwich
4. Carrot Cake
5. Fruit Cake

I will be attempting to find the best recipes for each of the above to share with you in time. My next blog will be a Lemon Drizzle Cake as it is one of my favourites.