Sunflower seed & rye bread difficulty ** #87

Makes 1 loaf 

Preparing time: 10 minutes 

Cooking time: 50 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 200 g plain flour 
• 200 g wholemeal spelt flour 
• 100 rye flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 75 g sunflowers seeds, plus 2 tablespoons 
• 500 g natural yogurt 
• milk, to glaze

1. Mix together the flours, baking powder, salt and the 75 g sunflowers seeds in a bowl 
2. Stir in the yogurt and mix to a fairly soft dough 
3. Shape the dough into a log on a floured surface, then drop into a greased 1.25 kg or 1.5 liter loaf tin 
4. Brush with a little milk and sprinkle with the remaining sunflower seeds
5. Bake in a preheated oven, 220 C(425 F),Gas Mark 7, for 20 minutes
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 160 C(325 F),Gas Mark 3, and bake for a further 30 minutes 
7. The base of the bread should sound hollow when tapped
8. If necessary, return to the oven for a little longer 
9. Transfer to the wire rack to cool
10. Serve with cheese, if liked 
11. Enjoy! :-) 

Raspberry muffins difficulty * #86 

Makes 6

Preparing time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 200 g plain flour 
• 75 g caster sugar 
• 2 tablespoons ground almonds 
• grated rind of 1 lemon 
• 150 ml buttermilk 
• 1 egg
• 50 g butter, melted 
• 150 g fresh or frozen raspberries

1. Mix together the flour, sugar, ground almonds, baking powder and lemon rind in a large bowl 
2. Mix together the buttermilk, egg, melted butter and raspberries in a jug 
3. Add the dry ingredients and stir together using a large metal spoon until just combined and slightly lumpy 
4. Divide the mixture evenly between 6 paper muffins cases arranged in a 12-hole muffin tray and bake in a preheated oven, 180 C(350 F),Gas Mark 4, for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden 
5. Enjoy! :-)

Candied pistachio cake difficulty *** #85

Cuts into 8

Preparing time: 25 minutes, plus cooling 

Cooking time: 55 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 2 teaspoons egg white 
• 150 g shelled pistachio nuts 
• 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar 
• 125 g slightly salted butter, softened 
• 100 g caster sugar 
• finely grated rind of 1 lemon 
• 2 eggs, separated 
• 75 g plain flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• sifted icing sugar, for dusting 

1. Whisk the 2 teaspoons egg white in a bowl to break it up 
2. Add the pistachio nuts 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 10 minutes
5. Leave to cool, then roughly chop
6. Beat together the butter, 75 g of caster sugar and the lemon rind in a bowl until very pale and fluffy 
7. Beat in the egg yolks
8. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then stir in the nuts, reserving 3 tablespoons 
9. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl with the hand-held electric whisk until peaking 
10. Gradually whisk in the remaining sugar, a spoonful at a time 
11. Stir a third of the mixture into the creamed mixture using a large metal spoon 
12. Gently stir in the remaining egg whites 
13. Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 1 kg or 1.3 liter loaf tin and level the surface 
14. Scatter with reserved nuts and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until firm to touch and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean 
15. Loosen the cake at the ends and transfer to a wire rack to cool 
16. Peel off the lining paper and dust with sifted icing sugar 
17. Enjoy! :-)

Carrot sandwich cake difficulty ** #84

Cuts into 12

Preparing time: 25 minutes 

Cooking time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients: 

• 175 g slightly salted butter, softened 
• 175 g light sugar 
• 3 eggs 
• 225 g self-raising flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 2 teaspoons ground mixed spice 
• 75 g ground almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts 
• 200 g carrots, finely grated 
• 75 g sultanas 

For the frosting

• 300 g cream cheese 
• 75 g unsalted butter, softened 
• 100 g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting 
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice 

1. Beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, mixed spice and ground nuts in a bowl until smooth and creamy 
2. Stir in the carrots and sultanas until evenly combined
3. Divide the mixture evenly between 2 greased, base-lined and floured 20 cm sandwich tins and level the surface 
4. Bake in a preheated oven, 180 C( 350 F),Gas Mark 4, for about 30 minutes or until risen and just firm to touch 
5. Loosen the edges, turn out on to a wire rack and peel off the lining paper
6. Leave to cool 
7. Make the frosting 
8. Beat together the cream cheese and butter n a bowl until smooth 
9. Stir in the icing sugar and lemon juice ,then use half to sandwich the cakes together 
10. Spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake 
11. Enjoy! :-)

Ham & tomato scones difficulty ** #83

Makes about 12

Preparing time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 12-15 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 125 ml milk, plus extra to glaze 
• 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
• 50 g Serrano ham, finely diced
• 250 g self-raising flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 40 g butter, chilled and diced
• ground paprika, for sprinkling 

1. Beat together the milk, tomato paste and ham in a jug 
2. Put the flour and baking powder in a bowl or food processor
3. Add the butter and rub in with the fingertips or process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs 
4. Add the milk mixture and mix or blend briefly to a soft dough 
5. Shape the dough into a ball on a lightly floured surface, then roll out to 1.5 cm thick 
6. Cit out about 12 rounds using a 4 cm plain biscuit cutter, re-rolling the trimmings to make more 
7. Place slightly apart on a greased baking sheet, then lightly apart on a greased baking sheet, then brush with milk and sprinkle with paprika 
8. Bake in a preheated oven, 220 C(425 F),Gas Mark 7, for 12-15 minutes or until risen and golden 
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 
10. Serve warm or cold, split and buttered with Chilli & parsley butter, if liked (see below)
11. For chilli & parsley butter
12. To serve as an accompaniment
13. Beat together 100 g softened slightly salted butter, 1/2 deseeded and finely chopped medium-strength red chilli 
14. 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley and 1 crushed garlic clove in a bowl 
15. Turn into a small dish, cover and cilli until ready to serve 
16. Enjoy! :-)

Brown sugar meringues difficulty * #82

Makes about 15

Preparing time: 25 minutes 

Cooking time: 60 minutes 

Ingredients: 

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

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 the sugar mixture and continue to whisk for about 15 seconds 
4. Gradually add the remaining sugar, a spoonful at a 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 60 minutes until the meringues are crisp and come away easily from the paper 
8. Leave on the paper to cool, then use the clotted cream to sandwich the meringues together in pairs.
9. Enjoy! :-)

Flourless chocolate cake difficulty ** #81

Cuts into: 12

Preparing time: 25 minutes 

Cooking time: 60 minutes 

 

Ingredients:

• 125 g blanched almonds 
• 125 g Brazil nuts 
• 225 g plain dark chocolate 
• 225 g slightly salted butter 
• 4 eggs, separate 
• 225 g golden caster sugar 
• sifted cocoa powder 

1. Put the almond, Brazil nut and chocolate in a food processor and process until consistency of ground almonds
2. Beat together the butter, egg yolks and 175 g of the sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy
3. Stir in the chocolate mixture
4. Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl with a hand-held electric whisk until peaking 
5. Gradually whisk in the remaining sugar, a spoonful at a time
6. Stir a quarter of the mixture into the creamed mixture using a large metal spoon 
7. Add the remaining egg whites and stir gently to mix 
8. Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 23 cm loose-bottomed or spring-form cake tin and level the surface 
9. Bake in a preheated oven, 160 C(325 F),Gas Mark 3, for about 60 minutes or until just firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean
10. Leave to cool in the tin, then remove the ring and base and dust with sifted cocoa powder 
11. Serve with fresh raspberry compote, if liked 

For the raspberry compote, to serve as an accompaniment, put 75 g fresh raspberries, 40 g caster sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the raspberries are soft and mushy. Strain through a sieve into a bowl and stir in a further 225 g raspberries. Mix gently until coated in the sauce. Chill until ready to serve. 

Enjoy! :-)