Victoria sandwich cake difficulty ** #115

Cuts into 8

Preparing time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 175 g slightly salted butter, softened
• 175 g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 
• 3 eggs
• 175 g self-raising flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract 
• 1-2 tablespoons milk 

For the filling 

• 150 ml double cream 
• 5 tablespoons raspberry or strawberry jam 

1. Beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and vanilla in a bowl until pale and creamy 
2. Stir in the little milk so that the mixture drops easily from a wooden spoon when tapped against the side of the bowl 
3. Divide the mixture evenly between 2 greased, base-lined and floured 18 cm sandwich tins and level the surface 
4. Bake in preheated oven, 180 C( 350 F),Gas Mark 4, for 25 minutes or until risen and just firm to the touch 
5. Loosen the edges, turn out onto a wire rack and peel off the lining paper
6. Leave to cool 
7. Make the filling 
8. Whip double cream in a bowl until just holding its shape 
9. Sandwich the cakes together using the jam and cream 
10. Serve sprinkled generously with caster sugar
11. Enjoy! :-)

A very happy birthday cake difficulty ** #114

Cuts into 12

Preparing time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 35-40 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 175 g slightly salted butter, softened
• 175 g caster sugar 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 300 g self-raising flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 eggs 
• 50 g ground rice
• 150 ml low-fat natural yoghurt 
• 175 g strawberries

To finish

• 300 ml double cream 
• 3 tablespoons reduces-sugar strawberry jam 

1. Put the butter, sugar and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth 
2. Sift in the flour and baking powder, add the eggs, ground rice and yoghurt and whizz together until creamy
3. Divide the mixture between 2 greased and base-lined 20 cm sandwich tins and level the surface 
4. Bake in a preheated oven, 180 C(350 F),Gas Mark 4, for about 35-40 minutes until risen, golden and springy to the touch 
5. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to peel off the lining paper
6. Leave to cool completely 
7. Whip the cream in a bowl until soft peaks form
8. Cut the top off the cakes to level it, then spread with the jam and then half of the cream to the edge
9. Scatter with two-thirds of the strawberries 
10. Place the second cake on top and spread with remaining cream 
11. Scatter with remaining strawberries or form them into the birthday girl or boy;s initials 
12. Add candles 
13. Enjoy! :-)

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! :-)

Chilli & chorizo roly polys difficulty * #110

Makes 30

Preparing time: 15 minutes 

Cooking time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1/2 medium-strength red chilli, finely chopped 
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 75 g chorizo, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander 
• 500 g ready-made puff pastry 
• 1 egg yolk 
• 2 teaspoons water 
• salt

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chilli and onion and gently fry for 5 minutes until softened 
2. Remove from the heat and leave to cool 
3. Stir in the chorizo, coriander and a little salt
4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 40 x 30 cm rectengle
5. Mix the egg yolk with the measurement water and brush thinly over the pastry
6. Spread the chorizo mixture in an even layer on top 
7. Roll up the pastry, starting from a long side 
8. Wrap in clingfilm and freeze for 30 minutes 
9. Trim off the ends of the pastry log and cut across into 1 cm thick slices
10. Lay the lices on a floured surface abd roll lightly with the rolling pin to flatter
11. Place on 2 greased baking sheets
12. Brush with a little more of the egg yolk mixture and bake in a preheated oven, 220C( 425 F), Gas Mark 7, for 10 minutes
13. Press down the centres of the pastries using the back of a spoon if risen, then return to the oven and cook for further 5 minutes or until golden 
14. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, then serve warm or cold 
15. Enjoy! :-)

Citrus spiced Madeira cake difficulty * #109 

Cuts into 10

Preparing time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 4 star anise, broken into pieces 
• 175 g caster sugar
• 175 g slightly salted butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• finely rind of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons orange juice 
• 250 g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• small piece of candied orange peel, cut into thin strips

1. Put the star anise and 50 g of the sugar in a small food processor, blender or coffee grinder and grind until the star anise is completely ground and the sugar is flecked with colour
2. Tip into a bowl, add the butter, remaining sugar, eggs, orange rind and juice, flour and baking powder and beat together until pale and creamy
3. Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 18 cm round cake tin and level the surface 
4. Place the strips of candied peel on the center of the cake
5. Bake in a preheated oven, 160C(325 F),Gas Mark 3, for about 50 minutes or until just firm to the touch and skewer inserted into the center comes out clean 
6. Loosen the edge, turn out on to a wire rack to peel off the lining paper 
7. Leave to cool
8. Enjoy! :-)