Rock cakes
Makes 10
Ingredients
200g self raising flour
75g caster sugar
100g butter
1 egg
1 tsp. mixed spice
100g dried fruit
1 tbsp. milk
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
- Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl and rub in the cubed butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, then mix in the dried fruit.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg and milk together with the vanilla extract.
- Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until the mixture just comes together as a thick, lumpy dough. Add a teaspoon more milk if you really need it to make the mixture stick together.
- Place golfball-sized spoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking tray. Leave space between them as they will flatten and spread out to double their size during baking.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden-brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a couple of minutes then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool.
Clementine and Almond Cake
This is a Nigella recipe, I’m often sceptical about cooks who declare that, “This is the easiest cake ever.” In this case, though, she’s right. Thanks Nigella!
Ingredients
Approx 375g clementines (I used 5)
250g ground almonds
225g sugar
6 eggs
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas 5
Prick the clementines all over. Place in a microwave bowl and half fill with water. Microwave on full power until the clementines have softened. This will vary depending on your microwave – mine took about 4 minutes.
Drain the clementines and set aside to cool.
Once cool, place the clementines (whole, skin and all) in a food processor and blitz until smoothish.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs lightly, add the sugar, ground almonds and finally, the clementine puree.
Pour the mixture into an 8″ greased and lined springform pan (I use cake liners from the pound shop!) and bake for approx 1hr.
Check after 40 minutes, and cover the cake with tin foil if it is starting to brown too much – I didn’t have any foil, so i used a metal casserole lid, which worked just as well.
Once the cake is cooked, remove from the oven, and allow to cool completely in the tin.
This is a “damp” cake, so you will need to keep it refrigerated. It will keep for3 or 4 days (if it lasts that long!)
Chocolate and Beetroot Cake
Serves 8
Ingredients
250g plain cooked (vacuum packed) beetroot drained
200g quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
200g plain flour
200g unsalted butter*, melted
100g dark brown sugar
100g caster sugar
3 large eggs
2tbsp cocoa powder
2tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla extract
Icing sugar for dusting
Method
- Pre heat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 23cm loose bottomed cake tin.
- Chop the beetroot into quarters and puree in a food processor.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and put to one side – some larger pieces will give the cake a great texture.
- Add the remaining ingredients, including the broken chocolate, to the processor and whizz until well mixed. Pour into the prepared cake tin and lightly level out the surface.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The surface of the cake may have cracked a little. Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes in the tin before removing to a cooling rack.
- Dust lightly with icing sugar and serve in wedges.
Green Smoothie
Ingredients
2 cups fresh spinach
2 cups water or dairy free ‘milk’
1/4 medium pineapple
1 mango
1 frozen banana (chopped into chunks)
Method
Blend the spinach and water/ milk until smooth. Add the other ingredients and blend until smooth.
Jaffa Pudding
A fabulous, yummy dessert. Once tried, you will always make it. Make it now! Go on!
For the pudding:
Preheat the oven to Gas 5
100g butter, melted, plus a little extra for the dish
250g self-raising flour
140g caster sugar
50g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
Zest and juice of 1 orange
3 eggs
150ml milk
100g orange milk chocolate, broken into chunks
For the sauce:
200g light muscavado sugar
25g cocoa
300ml boiling water
Method
Mix all of the pudding ingredients together in a large bowl.
Place into a greased casserole or pyrex bowl.
Mix the sauce ingredients together and pour over the pudding mixture. Don’t be alarmed, there looks like there is way too much liquid, but it will be fine.
Pop in the oven for around 40 minutes, or until the pudding springs back. You will be left with a rich, chocolate sauce at the bottom of the pan.
Serve with ice cream or cream.
Coconut Ice Smoothie
Serves 2
1 frozen banana
1 handful frozen raspberries
1 dessert spoon coconut oil
500ml milk
Pop all the ingredients in a blender, and whizz until smooth. This tastes like summer holidays at the seaside; delicious!
This is also delicious with almond milk.
Date, Walnut, Coconut and Apple Traybake
Ingredients
150g dark brown sugar
150g butter
75g dessicated coconut
100g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
100g dates, finely chopped
50g walnuts, chopped
2tbsp Greek natural yogurt
2 apples
Method
Preheat oven to Gas 4. Grease and line a baking tray (suitable for brownies)
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, flour, coconut, baking powder. Add dates, walnuts, yogurt.
Pour into greased, lined tray. Top with finely sliced apples.
Bake for 45 mins, or until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
These are great to make on a chilly winter’s day. They are light, yet comforting and the smell of yeasted buns and spices fills the house with a warm, Christmassy smell.
Ingredients
450g plain flour
7g dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
50g caster sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
50g melted Trex (vegetable lard)
150ml tepid milk
175g mixed fruit
1 teaspoon mixed spices
To finish
1 egg to glaze
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1/2/ teaspoon cinnamon
Method
Measure the flour, yeast, salt, spices and caster sugar into a large bowl (the bigger, the better) and mix well. Make a well in the middle and pour in the melted Trex, eggs and milk, adding the mixed fruit last. Mix to a smooth, soft dough.
Turn the mixture out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (approx 5 minutes). Place in an oiled bowl and cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hr). My house is quite chilly, so I put a doubled over clean tea towel on top of the cling film for some extra insulation!
Lightly grease a deep 12 hole muffin tin.
Turn the risen dough out of the bowl and knead well until it is smooth and elastic – this won’t take long at all. Divide into 12 equal pieces and place in the greased muffin tin. Cover again with the oiled cling film (and tea towel, if using) and leave until doubled in size again (about 30 minutes).
Preheat the oven to Gas5/ 190C/ 375F.
Mix the beaten egg, caster sugar and cinnamon together and brush over the buns. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.
These are delicious served with butter and a nice cup of tea.
cheap, healthy, delicious.
Date and Walnut Cake
Ingredients
6oz self-raising flour
6oz sugar
6oz butter
3 eggs
Handful of finely chopped walnuts
Handful of finely chopped dates
Splash of strong, black coffee
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas 4
Grease and line a 9″ round cake tin (I use cake tin liners, they are cheap and guarantee you can remove your cake from the tin successfully!)
Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until thoroughly mixed
OR… Cream the butter and sugar until pale and smooth. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly (don’t worry if it curdles). Fold in the flour, dates and walnuts. Finally, stir in the coffee
Spoon into the lined cake tin and bake for around 50 minutes. Keep an eye on it, if it is going brown too quickly, pop a double layer of tin foil over it.
It’s easiest to remove from the tin after it has cooled.
