Coffee & walnut cake difficulty ** #77

Cuts into 10

Preparing time: 25 minutes 

Cooking time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder 
• 1 tablespoon boiling water 
• 175 g slightly salted butter, softened 
• 175 g golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs 
• 175 g self-raising flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 50 walnuts, finely chopped, plus extra walnut halves to decorate 

For the buttercream 

• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons boiling water 
• 100 g unsalted butter, softened 
• 150 g golden icing sugar 

1. Dissolve the coffee in the measurement water 
2. Beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder in a bowl until pale and creamy 
3. Beat in the coffee and chopped walnuts 
4. Divide the mixture evenly between 2 greased, base-lined and floured 18 cm sandwich tins and level surface 
5. Bake in a preheated oven, 180 C(350 F),Gas Mark 4, for 25 minutes or until firm to the touch 
6. Loosen the edges, turn out on to a wire rack and peel off the lining paper 
7. Leave to cool 
8. Make the buttercream 
9. Dissolve the coffee in the measurement water 
10. Beat together the butter, icing sugar and coffee in a bowl until smooth and creamy 
11. Use half the buttercream to sandwich the cakes together, then spread the remaining buttercream over the top and decorate with the walnut halves. 
12. Enjoy! :-)

Red onion & herb soda bread difficulty ** #76

Makes 1 loaf 

Preparing time: 15 minutes, + standing 

Cooking time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 325 ml milk, + extra if required 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 small red onion
• 1 egg 
• 250 g plain white flour, + extra for dusting 
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 
• 25 g mixed herbs, such as parsley, chervil, dill and chives 
• 40 g butter 

1. Mix together the milk and lemon juice in a jug and leave to stand for 5 minutes 
2. Stir in the onion and egg 
3. Put the flours, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a separate bowl and stir on the herbs 
4. Add the butter and rub in with the fingertips until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs 
5. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl and add mix to the dough, add a little bit more milk if the dough feels dry 
6. Shape the dough into a ball on a lightly floured surface, then place on a greased baking sheet and flatten slightly 
7. Dust generously with extra flour 
8. Using a sharp knife, cut a 2.5 cm deep cross through the top pf the dough 
9. Bake in a preheated oven, 200 C(400 F),Gas Mark 6, for about 30 minutes until risen and deep golden 
10. The base of the bread should sound hollow when tapped 
11. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
12. Enjoy! :-) 

Candied pecan twists difficult *** #75 

Makes 24 

Preparing time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon egg white 
• 50 g pecan nuts 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar 
• 5 tablespoons golden caster sugar 
• 375 g ready-made puff pastry
• plain flour, for dusting 

1. Whisk the egg white in a bowl to break it up 
2. Add the pecans and coat thinly in the egg white 
3. Sprinkle in the vanilla sugar, turning the nuts to coat, then spread out on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment 
4. Bake in a preheated oven, 160 C(325 F),Gas Mark 3,for about 5 minutes until beginning to colour 
5. Leave to cool, then finely chop 
6. Increase the oven temperature to 220 C(425 F),Gas Mark 7
7. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the caster sugar on the work area
8. Roll out the pastry on the surface to a 25 x 15 cm rectangle 
9. Sprinkle the pastry with another tablespoon of the sugar and roll in gently 
10. Halve the pastry and place one piece on top pf the other
11. Flatten slightly with the rolling pin and sprinkle with another tablespoon of the sugar and the chopped nuts
12. Roll out again to a 24 cm square, lightly flouring the work surface of the mixture is sticky 
13. Sprinkle with another tablespoon of the sugar and roll gently 
14.  Trim the edges, cut in half, then cut each half across into 2 cm wide strips
15. Twist each strip several times and place slightly apart on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment 
16. Sprinkle the remaining sugar along each twist 
17. Bake  for about 20 minutes until puffer and golden 
18. Transfer to a wire rack to cool
19. Serve with Vanilla Cheesecake Dip, if  liked 

Recipe for Vanilla cheesecake dip

1. For vanilla cheesecake dip, to serve as an accompaniment, beat 200 g mascarpone cheese in a bowl to soften 
2. Then beat 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
3. 2 tablespoons caster sugar and 4 tablespoons single cream 
4. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

White chocolate & nut blondies difficulty ** #74

Cuts into: 15

Preparing time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 400 g white chocolate 
• 75 g slightly salted butter 
• 3 eggs 
• 175 g light sugar 
• 150 g self-raising flour
• 150 g unblanched hazelnuts or Brazil nuts, chopped

1. Milt 100 g of the chocolate and the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (don't let the base to touch the water)
2. Beat the eggs and sugar in a separate bowl until light and foamy 
3. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture 
4. Tip in the flour, remaining chopped chocolate and the nuts and mix together until just combined 
5. Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 28 x 18 cm shallow baking tin or roasting tin and level the surface 
6. Bake in a preheated oven, 190 C( 375 F),Gas Mark 5, for about 35 minutes ir until deep golden and just firm to the touch 
7. Leave to cool in the tin, then transfer to a board and cut into small squares 
8. Peel off the lining paper
9. Enjoy! :-)

Sour cream cake difficulty * #73

Makes 16

Preparing time: 15 minutes 

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

 

Ingredients:

• 420 g lady fingers 
• 500 g sour cream 
• 500 g cherry 
• 200 g icing sugar 
• 300 ml double cream 
• cocoa powder, for decoration 

1. Put half of the lady fingers on the bottom of the tin 
2. In the big bowl add sour cream, cherry and icing sugar 
3. Mix well on the slowest speed
4. Put the mixture over the lady fingers 
5. Add one more row of the lady fingers over the cherry mixture 
6. In the other bowl mix well double cream 
7. When cream become solid, overflow over second row of lady fingers 
8. Put the cocoa powder over double cream, if liked 
9. Leave in the fridge over night 
10. Enjoy! :-)

Very chocolatey muffins difficulty ** #72

Makes 12

Preparing time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 175 g plain dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 50 g slightly salted butter 
• 275 g self-raising flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 50 g cocoa powder 
• 125 g light sugar 
• 150 g milk chocolate 
• 1 egg, beaten 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 275 ml milk 

1. Melt the plain dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (don't let the base to touch the water)
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, sugar and milk chocolate in a large bowl 
3. Beat together the eggs, vanilla and milk in a jug 
4. Pour a little into the melted chocolate and stir well until smooth 
5. Stir in the remaining milk mixture, then pour into the dry ingredients 
6. Stir together using a large metal spoon until just combined 
7. Divide the mixture evenly between paper muffin cases arranged in a 12-hole muffin tray 
8. Bake in a preheated oven, 190 C(375 F),Gas Mark 5, for about 20 minutes until well risen and just firm to the touch 
9. Transfer to the wire rack to cool
10. Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice-cream, if liked. 
11. Enjoy! :-)  

Date and sesame bars difficulty * #71

Cuts into 16

Preparing time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 25-30 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 125 g unsalted butter 
• 75 g golden caster sugar 
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 150 g stoned dates
• 125 g self-raising flour 
• 125 g medium oatmeal 
• 50 g sesame seeds 

1. Put the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan and heat gently until butter has melted 
2. Then remove from the heat and stir in the dates 
3. Place the flour and oatmeal in a bowl 
4. Add the sesame seeds,reserving 2 tablespoons
5. Pour in the butter mixture and mix until combined
6. Spoon into a greased 28 x 18 cm shallow baking tin and level the surface 
7. Scatter with the reserved seeds
8. Bake in a preheated oven, 180 C(350 F),Gas Mark 4, for about 25-30 minutes, or until pale golden and firm to the touch 
9. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out on to a board and cut into bars
10. Enjoy! :-)