Now, I've often made recipes that are simple to make but this has to be one of the very easiest. It's basically a chocolate and butter base with all your favourite additions. You really can add almost anything you want to. I've chosen some chewy, some crunchy and a few extra flavours like vanilla, rum and chilli. It's beautifully sweet & delicious and will look fab on any afternoon tea table...
I had always thought this would be difficult to make but as it happens, I couldn't have been more wrong. Ready-made filo pastry, nuts, syrup, and a few flavours, and there's baklava! Love these, and they will be added to my list of regular bakes...
Here is a lovely simple bake that we used to often have as children. A cupcake with a butterfly topping. Jam and buttercream is a great filling or you can replace the buttercream with whipped cream. Whichever you use, this will always be a lovely quick and delicious bake …
I had a little Portuguese Tart this week with my coffee at a local cafe and it reminded me how lovely they really are. I have often thought about making some so today I did just that. They came out so well and are super easy to make. I have used shop bought flaky pastry this time and it works real well for this recipe I do hope you try these as they are such a treat...
Here is another simple treat for Valentine’s Day to surprise your loved ones. You can use readymade puff pastry or if you would like to make your own here is the link to my Puff Pastry Recipe: • The Perfect Puff ...
It’s always nice to make something sweet for Valentine’s Day and I thought these lovely little Honey Hearts would fit the bill nicely. Marshmallows can be made with corn syrup or in the UK, egg whites and glycerine seem to be preferred. Probably because corn syrup is not as readily available here. But for this recipe I’m using honey in place of the corn syrup which makes for a delicious honey treat…
A ‘Good Friday’ Special….
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Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters,
give them to your sons.
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns!
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Hot cross buns have a very strange history. I believe a monk in St Albans, England first made them to be given out to the poor in the 14th century. They are supposed to be eaten on Good Friday which was the day of the crucifixion of Jesus in Christian teaching, hence the cross on top. The spices have a gruesome origin too. They are supposed to symbolise the spices put into his body after he died.
Well if that story hasn’t put you off yet, they do actually taste delicious and are beautifully soft and fruity. I have added to the original recipe of mixed fruit, orange and lemon peel and have added glacé cherries and chocolate. Not to do anything by halves, I have also added a golden syrup glaze in order to make them sweet and sticky…
I made these tasty treats a little while ago. They include all the flavours of a Tiramisu inside a cupcake. The cake itself is a coffee madeleine sponge so light and beautifully textured. Filled with a gorgeous chocolate sauce and topped with mascarpone cream frosting laced with amaretto liquor and finished with chocolate covered coffee beans and grated chocolate… I’ve lost my voice this week, hence the music but will hopefully be back on form for next week so have a good one and I’ll catch you again very soon…
These are very popular in the UK. Angel cakes are a soft and delicious, tri colour, layered cake, not to be confused with the American, Angel Food Cake. These little beauties have been around since the late nineteenth century and they are also one of Mr Kipling’s most popular bakes. Traditionally they are pink, white and yellow and if like me, you remember having them as a child, I’m sure you will enjoy watching along. Today I am making the recipe but stay tuned for next week when I will be building the layers and completing the cakes…
These are very popular in the UK. Angel cakes are a soft and delicious, tri colour, layered cake. They have been around since the late nineteenth century and they are also one of Mr Kipling’s most popular cakes. Traditionally they are pink, white and yellow and if like me, you remember having them as a child, I’m sure you will enjoy watching along…
These little cookies are soft and spicy in the middle and covered completely with milk chocolate. Decorated in white chocolate snow and festive sprinkles. They are good to have on hand at this time of year and go real well with a glass of mulled wine.
I have tempered the chocolate so it gives a nice ‘snap’ when bitten into. Tempering small amounts of chocolate is real easy to do. You can’t just melt chocolate and expect it to set hard again, it just doesn’t work. It ends up soft and has no structure. Follow these easy steps to tempering and you’ll be keen to use it for lots of your bakes.
In the 80s there were a set of adverts in the UK put up by the Milk Marketing Board advertising cream cakes. It involved a number of famous stars of the day such as Franky Howard, Larry Grayson and Barbra Windsor. They always used to make us smile, featuring the innuendo based comedy of that era.
The theme was ‘Naughty but Nice,’ which is still a feature of the best fresh cream cakes today.
When I was growing up in the 60s we used to have them as a Friday treat. As children it was quite a ceremony as we queued at the bakery for our turn. The shopkeeper would use a giant set of tongs to carefully lift the cakes from the glass case in front of us which we could just see if we stood on the very tips of our toes. We would point to pick our favourite and choose the one which looked the very best to eat. Usually it was the one which had to most cream bursting out from inside.
I would always pick the meringue, because they were the biggest but also because of their crisp shells, gooey marshmallow centre and oodles of fresh whipped cream.
I have aimed to duplicate that delightfully delicious cream meringue here, I hope you enjoy watching…..
So What Can we Make with Pumpkin…
Well how about Pumpkin Cupcakes or a Pumpkin
This recipe is for my daughter who particularly enjoys a pumpkin spiced latte.
It's a tasty smooth hot drink for the kind of crisp bright autumn morning we have here in London today.
Pumpkin is just so versatile. I have seen some lovely treats this year using this tasty ingredient; soups, pies and salads can all benefit from it's flavour.
Here’s a recipe that we used to make at school during our Home Economics lessons in the 70s. It was during the lesson that we learned about yeast and we got very excited about the yeast being alive and growing in the milk; we were only young. Even now I find it very satisfying to see it bloom on the surface of the milk. Chelsea buns are the British version of the Cinnamon Roll; there are lots of similarities. It seems they both had their origins in Northern Europe in the 18th century. Apparently the cinnamon roll was invented in Sweden and the Chelsea Bun in Britain. They are both delicious and I wouldn’t say no to either one…….
This is a Great British Bakeoff favourite but they always make it so elaborate that we sit at home thinking. “I could never do that!” They make it into a Croquembouche with spun sugar & dripping caramel and let’s face it, when we watch, we are just waiting for it to lean over and fall into a heap of sweet messiness.
I’m simplifying it today to just delicious little chocolate & cream delights. If you want to pimp it up, then go ahead; but I promise you, the basic recipe is definitely achievable.
Have a go, you know you want to…..
The first time we had cornbread was on a trip to Florida just over 20 years ago. Being from the UK we had not heard of this amazing bake. It was presented to us with our roast chicken dinner and it went deliciously well with the chicken and gravy. I have to say, it made a real impression on me and I promised myself I would try making it when I got home. Well, after a couple of, not so good attempts, I finally came up with this recipe. It has been a favourite here for a number of years and I would like to share it with you today. It’s just as good by itself as it is with a chicken dinner. I like a couple warm, and fresh out of the oven with a slathering of butter or a large splurge of cream cheese for a delicious breakfast.
These little Mini Rum Babas are a lovely treat. Each one of them breaks inside your mouth with a beautiful sweet orangey rum syrup. As a child I used to dislike the Rum Babas we had then; I imagine it was the rum flavour which is of course, not very child friendly so this is definitely an adult only dessert. Couple it with fruit, raspberries are good, and a good quality ice-cream and you will be in ‘Dessert Heaven.’
Well, this is the closest thing I’VE found to healthy ice-cream.
There’s no sugar added because the bananas have a natural sweetness, avocados have a very good reputation, nuts I’ve always seen as a healthy option too. So maybe, it is. You’ll need to make your own mind up. However, one thing I am absolutely sure of is that it tastes delicious!
Fudge always adds a lovely favour to cakes and these little fudge-cakes are no exception. They can be eaten straight from the oven all soft and tasty with that lovely fudgy bit in the middle. Or cooled, decorated and popped into a tin for later. Either way they will be delicious.
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After last week's longer more complex recipe, this week I have exactly the opposite for you; quick and easy.
When you have a craving for something sweet and cakey, one of these 4 mugs of yummy goodness will likely fit the bill.
Why not kick back with a mug cake and a coffee......
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These are the old fashioned macaroons as opposed to the small pretty almondy macarons we see so much of these days. If baked just right, they have a lovely caramelised surface with a beautifully gooey bit in the middle. This really is a simple recipe and a good one to start with if you are new to baking.
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With flour being difficult to get at the moment in the UK, I have been hunting out a few recipes that either don’t need it or if they do, they need just a little bit. This recipe fits the bill. If you want really fudgy Brownies, you can use as little as 50g of flour or if you like them a little more firm, then use up to 100g. Two things to remember with Brownies:
1) Do make sure that when you take the Brownies out of the oven, they are still a little wobbly in the middle.
2) The eggs and sugar need to be whisked until light and fluffy but not over mixed.
If you these two tips, your Brownies will be entirely scrumptious!
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A Bunch of Roses
(or Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting)
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Valentine's Day is another good excuse to bake something special. I can’t help but think that it is also a good excuse for shops to sell yet more stuff. If you agree with this or not, they do say that the way to the heart is through the stomach and if your special someone loves red velvet cake, they will love these. They are moist and fluffy and the cream cheese frosting compliments the favour so well.
Pop them into a box. Add a few chocolates from last week's recipe and I don't think you can go far wrong.
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This recipe was part of a collaboration.
I joined with #YouTubeFoodChannels to make this ‘Quarantine Meal’ during the lockdown weeks.
Follow the hashtag #QuarantineCooking for lots of meal ideas who also joined the collaboration.
Each recipe uses ingredients already in our store cupboards. So you will find lots of fab ideas to create meals out of what you have already in your kitchen; a real bonus in the days when we were all #SafeAtHome.
Shout out to Mitch at #KitchenQueers who put me onto this idea, Thanks Mitch……
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Scones are quick to make.
Everything goes in one bowl and they bake in just 10 mins. These scones are my modern twist on a classic recipe. Using tinned peaches works well for this recipe as it gives texture as well as flavour. The compote is thickened to give a jammy consistency.
The result is delicious!
Tip: To make good use of any leftover peach puree make a Bellini, put a little puree into the bottom of a champagne flute and top up with prosecco.
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Breakfast muffins are such a nice treat that it’s good to have a choice of recipes. These little bites of yumminess are a great start to the day or nice to nibble with a cup of tea.
There’s really nothing like a freshly baked muffin for breakfast and these little cases of apple and coconut goodness are one of the best. Once you have weighed the ingredients they are super easy to make and only take 15 -20 mins in the oven.
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Now here's a memory for those like me, of a certain age. In the 1960s Lyons made the most delicious mini cakes. I often wonder if they were as tasty as I remember, or if I am just looking at the past through rose coloured glasses. At the time there was nothing else like them; it was long before cupcakes were invented.
These divine treats were called ‘Kunzel Showboats' and this recipe is my interpretation of this blast from the past.
Go on, give them a go......
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So, I have been making popcorn for years. Many a time we’ve sat down here to watch a film with an enormous bowl of lovely sticky toffee popcorn to devour. However, I was recently chatting with a new friend who tells me that the only way to make it is to bake it in the oven. She insists that it is so much better. I have to admit, it sounded a really good idea. Well, I can never resist a challenge so I made both for a taste test, just to see which one I really preferred. Watch how it went, checkout the video……