Blueberry and oat bars difficulty ** #47

Cuts into 12

Preparing time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 100 g plain wholemeal flour 
• 75 g self-raising flour 
• 175 g slightly salted butter 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 175 g porridge oats 
• 150 g light sugar 
• 200 g fresh blueberries 
• vanilla sugar

1. Put the flour in a bowl or food processor 
2. Add the butter and rub in with the fingertips or process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs 
3. Add the cinnamon, oat and sugar and stir in or blend briefly until the mixture makes coarse crumbs and starts to cling together 
4. Tip about half the mixture into a greased 28 x 18 cm shallow baking tin and spread in an even layer 
5. Pack down with the back of spoon to make a firm base 
6. Scatter with the blueberries and sprinkle with the remaining crumble mixture 
7. Bake in a preheated oven, 180 C (350 F),Gas Mark 4, for about 50-60 minutes until the crumble is deep golden 
8. Leave to cool in the tin, then sprinkle with vanilla sugar and cut into bars.
9. Enjoy! :-)

Lemon drizzle cake difficulty*** #46

Cuts into 8 

Preparing time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 22-28 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 5 eggs 
• 100 g caster sugar 
• pinch of salt 
• 125 g plain flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• finely grated rind of 1 lemon 
• 100 g butter, melted 

For the syrup

• 250 g icing sugar 
• 125 ml lemon juice 
• finely grated rind of 1 lemon
• seed scraped from 1 vanilla pod 

1. Put the eggs, sugar and salt in a large heatproof bowl
2. Set over a saucepan of barely simmering water and beat with a hand-held electric whisk for 2-3 minutes or until it triples in a volume and thickens to the consistency of lightly whipped cream 
3. Remove from the heat 
4. Sift in the flour and baking powder, add the lemon rind and juice and drizzle the butter down the side of the bowl 
5. Fold in gently 
6. Pour the mixture into a greased and lined 22 cm square cake tin 
7. Bake in a preheated oven, 180 C(350 F),Gas Mark 4, for 20- 25 minutes or until risen, golden and coming away from the sides of the tin 
8. Meanwhile, put all the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently until sugar dissolves 
9. Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 4-5 minutes 
10. Set aside to cool a little 
11. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then make holes over the surface with a skewer 
12. Drizzle over two-thirds of warm syrup 
13. Leave the cake to cool and absorb the syrup 
14. Turn the cake out of the tin and peel off the lining paper 
15. Cut into squared or slices and serve with heaped spoonful of cream fraiche or soured cream and an extra drizzle of syrup! 
16. Enjoy! :-)

Rock buns difficulty * #45 

Makes 18-20 

Preparing time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 125 slightly salted butter 
• 100 g demerara sugar 
• 225 g self-raising flour 
• 2 teaspoons ground mixed spice
• 1 egg
• 150 ml buttermilk 
• 175 g raisins

1. Beat together the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy 
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until evenly combined
3. Using 2 forks place small heaps of the mixture, spaced slightly apart, on 2 greased baking sheets
4. Sprinkle with extra demerara sugar 
5. Bake in a preheated oven, 190 C(375 F),Gas Mark 5, for 15-20 minutes or until deep golden
6. Transfer to the wire rack to cool 
7. Serve on the same day! 
8. Enjoy! 

Brown sugar meringues difficulty * #44

Makes about 15

Preparing time: 25 minutes 

Cooking time: 1 h

Ingredients: 

• 100 g light sugar 
• 75 g caster sugar 
• 3 egg whites 
• 200 g clotted cream 

1. Mix together the sugars in a bowl
2. Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl with a hand-held electric whisk until peaking 
3. Whisk in a tablespoonful of sugar mixture and continue to whisk for about 15 seconds
4. Gradually add the remaining sugar, a spoonful at the time and whisking well between each addition, until thick and glossy
5. Spoon about 30 dessertspoonfuls of the mixture into roughly swirled mounds on 2 baking sheets lined with baking parchment
6. Alternatively, spoon into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle and pipe swirls on to the baking sheets
7. Bake in a preheated oven, 120 C( 250 F),Gas Mark 1/2, for about 1 hour 
8. Leave on the paper to cool, then use the clotted cream to sandwich the meringues together in pairs.
9. Enjoy! :-D