Bacon, thyme & potato muffins difficulty ** #113

Makes 12

Preparing time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 400 g waxy potatoes, peeled and diced
• 100 g smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
• 275 g self-raising flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme, plus extra springs for scattering 
• 175 ml milk 
• 5 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper 

1. Cook the potatoes in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 5-6 minutes until softened 
2. Drain and leave to cool 
3. Heat a dry frying pan and fry the bacon until golden and crisp 
4. Leave to cool 
5. Mix together the flour, baking powder, chopped thyme and a little salt and pepper in a bowl 
6. Stir in the potatoes and bacon 
7. Beat together the milk, oil and egg in a jug 
8. Add to the dry ingredients and stir together using a large metal spoon until just combined 
9. Divide the mixture evenly between paper muffin cases arranged in a 12-hole muffin tray 
10. Sprinkle with a little salt and scatter with thyme 
11. Bake in a preheated oven, 220 C(425 F),Gas Mark 7, 15-20 minutes until risen and golden 
12. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 
13. Serve warm or cold, scattered with extra thyme sprigs.
14. Enjoy! :-)

Rum & raisin chocolate brownies difficulty *** #112

Cuts into 20

Preparing time: 30 minutes 

Cooking time: 30-35 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons white or dark rum 
• 100 g raising 
• 250 g plain dark chocolate, broken into pieces 
• 250 g butter 
• 4 eggs 
• 200 g caster sugar 
• 75 g raising-flour flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 100 g white or milk chocolate, broken into pieces 

1. Warm the rum gently in a small saucepan 
2. Add the raisins and leave to soak for 2 hours or overnight 
3. Heat the dark chocolate and butter gently in a saucepan until both have just melted, taking care not to scorch the chocolate 
4. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a bowl using a hand-held electric whisk until the mixture is very thick and the whisk leaves a trail when lifted about it 
5. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then fold in 
6. Pour the mixture into a greased and lined 28 x 18 cm shallow baking tin or roasting tin and spread into the corners 
7. Spoon the rum-soaked raisins over the top 
8. Bake in a preheated oven, 180 C(350 F),Gas Mark 4, for 25-30 minutes until well risen (the top should be crusty and cracked and the center still slightly soft)
9. Leave to cool in the tin, then transfer to a board
10. Melt the white or milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (don't let the base of the bowl touch the water)
11. Then drizzle over the top of the brownies 
12. Leave to harden, then cut into squares
13. Peel off the lining paper
14. Enjoy!

Banana split difficulty / #111

Makes 1

Preparing time: 5 minutes 

Cooking time: ---------

Ingredients:

• 1 large banana 
• ice-cream 

1. Cut banana in circle shape
2. Put around the plate
3. Put ice-cream on the top of the banana 
4. Decorate with chocolate, if liked 
5. Enjoy! :-)