Sticky gingerbread difficulty *** #34 

Cuts into 12

Preparing time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 225 g plain flour 
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 
• 2 teaspoons ginger 
• 75 g slightly salted butter 
• 125 g light sugar
• 75 g golden syrup 
• 75 g black treacle 
• 125 ml buttermilk 
• 1 egg
• 75 g sultanas 

For the glaze

• 3 tablespoons ginger marmalade or jam 
• 1 teaspoon water

1. Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger into a bowl
2. Put the butter, sugar, golden syrup and treacle into saucepan and heat gently without boiling until the butter has melted 
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter milk, then beat the egg 
4. Add to the dry ingredients with the sultanas and beat well to mix 
5. Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 20 cm square cake tin or shallow baking tin 
6. Spread the mixture into the corners 
7. Bake in a preheated oven, 160 C (325 F),Gas Mark 3, for about 30 minutes, 
8. Leave to cool in the tin 
9. Transfer to a board and peel off the lining paper 
10. Make the glaze 
11. Put the marmalade or jam and measurement water in a small saucepan and heat gently 
12. Press through a sieve to remove and lumps and brush over the gingerbread 
13. Cut into bars.
14. Enjooooy! :-D 

Almond biscuits difficulty * #33 

Makes about 14

Preparing time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 150 g ground almonds
• 1 tablespoon plain flour 
• 175 g caster sugar ( + extra for coating)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 egg white 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Mix together the ground almonds, flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl 
2. Whisk the egg white in a separate clean bowl until it holds its shape 
3. Fold into the almonds mixture 
4. Add the vanilla extract and mix to a dough 
5. Dust a work surface with caster sugar 
6. Shape 1 tablespoon of the dough into a sausage about 6 cm long, then roll in the sugar 
7. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment 
8. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing them well apart on the baking sheet 
9. Bake in a preheated oven, 200 C (400 F),Gas Mark 6, for 10 minutes until lightly golden 
10. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 
11. Easy and delicious, good combination :-)

Lemon & cardamon cupcakes difficulty ** #32

Makes 12

Preparing time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon cardamom pods
• finely grated rind of 2 lemons 
• 150 g caster sugar 
• 150 g slightly salted butter 
• 2 eggs 
• 175 g self-raising flour 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• chopped lemon jellies to decorate 

For the icing

• 175 g icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
• yellow food colouring (optional)

1. Crush the cardamom pods using a pestle and mortar or a small bowl and the end of a rolling pin 
2. Discard the husks and crush the seeds as finely as possible 
3. Reserve 1/4 teaspoon of the crushed seeds for the decoration and put the remaining seeds in a food processor with lemon rind and sugar
4. Process lightly until the sugar is almost powdered 
5. Add the butter, eggs, flour and lemon juice 
6. Blend until soft and creamy, scraping the mixture down from the side of the bowl 
7. Divide the mixture evenly between paper cupcake vases arranged in a 12-hole cupcake tray 
8. Bake in a preheated oven, 180 C (350 F),Gas Mark 4, for 20-25 minutes until just firm to the touch 
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 
10. Make the icing 
11. Beat together the icing sugar and lemon juice in a bowl until combined 
12. Add a dash of yellow food colouring, if using, and a few drops of water or extra lemon juice to make a smooth, spreadable icing 
13. Spread over the cupcakes, then decorate with chopped lemon jellies and sprinkles with the reserved cardamom.
14. Enjoy! ;-)

Chocolate chip teabread difficulty ** #31

Cuts into: 8

Preparing time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 125 g slightly salted butter
• 125 g light muscovado sugar
• 2 eggs 
• 125 g self-raising flour
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 150 g milk chocolate, chopped into pieces 

For the buttercream

• 50 g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
• 50 g unsalted butter 
• 75 g golden icing sugar 

1. Beat together the butte, sugar, eggs, flour and cocoa powder in a bowl until smooth and creamy 
2. Add 125 g of the chopped chocolate to the bowl 
3. Mix well
4. Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 500 g or 740 ml loaf tin and level the surface 
5. Bake in a preheated oven, 160 C (325 F),Gas Mark 3 for about 50 minutes 
6. Loosen the cream at the ends and transfer to a wire rack 
7. Peel off the lining paper and leave to cool 
8. Make the buttercream 
9. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (don't let the base of the bowl touch the water)
10. Meanwhile, beat together the butter and icing sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy 
11. Beat in the melted chocolate 
12. Spread over the top of the cake and scatter with the reserved chopped chocolate 
13. Have a nice meal! :-) 

Cheesecake with raspberry difficulty ** #30

Cuts into 12
Preparing time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: ------

Ingredients:

• 200 g ground biscuits
• 125 g butter, melted 
• 300 g cream cheese
• 160 g icing sugar
• 250 ml double cream 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 2 pouches gelatin 
• 300 g raspberries 
• 200 ml water 
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar

1. Mix ground biscuits and melted butter together
2. Puts it on the bottom of the cake mold (size 25 cm)
3. Cream cheese and icing sugar mix together, then add a lemon juice
4. In a separate bowl whisk double cream, and then add in the cheese 
5. Prepare one gelatin like it as it is written on the bag 
6. Lets it cool a little bit, and then mix it with the cheese
7. Mix everything and then pour in the cake mold over the biscuit
8. Level surface and puts it in the fridge 
9. Prepare second gelatin and lets it cool a little bit 
10. Overflow raspberries with water
11. Add sugar and cook 
12. Cooks it for about 10 minutes
13. Remove from the fire and leaves it to cool for several minutes 
14. Then add gelatin in the mixture 
15. Pour in over cheese and leaves it in the fridge over night
16. Enjoy :-)

Parmesan & chive grissini difficulty ** #29

Makes about 30

Preparing time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 500 strong white bread flour
• 2 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 50 g Parmesan cheese 
• 4 tablespoons chopped chives 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 300 ml hand-hot water
• semolina 
• beaten egg, to glaze

1. Mix together the flour, yeast,salt, cheese and chives in a bowl
2. Add the oil and measurement water and mix to a dough, adding a dash more water if the dough feels dry
3. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic
4. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size
5. Sprinkle 2 light oiled baking sheets with semolina
6. Punch the dough to deflate it, then roll out on a floured surface to a 30 x 20 cm rectangle
7. Cut across into 1 cm strips, then stretch each one slightly and place on a baking sheet 
8. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with extra semolina
9. Bake in a preheated oven, 220 C ( 425 F),Gas Mark 7, for 15-20 minutes 
10. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 
11. Best eaten freshly baked.
12. I hope, you'll enjoy in something new on my blog! 

Mini custard tarts difficulty *** #28

Makes 12 

Preparing time:30 minutes

Cooking time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 500 g ready-made puff pastry 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar 
• 3 eggs
• 2 eggs yolks 
• 75 g caster sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 300 ml single cream 
• sifted icing sugar for dusting

1. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to 5 mm thick
2. Cut in half and sprinkle one half with the vanilla sugar
3. Lay the second piece on top and thinly roll out the pastry 
4. Cut out 12 rounds using a 9 cm plain biscuit cutter
5. Re-roll the trimmings to make more
6. Press the rounds into the holes of a 12-hole nonstick muffin tray, pressing firmly into the sections
7. Line the pastry cases with squares of foil 
8. Bake in a preheated oven, 200 C(400 F),Gas Mark 6 for 15 minutes
9. Reduce the oven temperature to 160 C(325 F),Gas Mark 3
10. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, egg yolks, caster sugar and vanilla in heatproof bowl
11. Bring the cream to the boil in a saucepan and pour over the egg mixture, whisking well
12. Strain into a jug and pour into the cases
13. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes
14. Leave to cool in the tin
15. Serve dusted with sifted icing sugar.
16. Hope, you'll enjoy! :-)