Category: Tray-bakes

Apple and Cinnamon Swirl Cake

Oven – 160C (FAN). Line an 8″ square tim.

First off the apple –
2 apples – peeled and diced (1cm ish)
45g white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
– add apple to the sugar and cinnamon and mix – leave it on one side till you’re ready to pop it the cake batter.

The cinnamon swirl –
150g light brown sugar
2 tablespoons(!) of Cinnamon
120g melted butter
– Mix together, ready to dollop and swirl into the cake.

The cake batter-
300g plain flour
200g sugar
4 tsp baking powder
200g Milk
1tsp Vanilla
2 large eggs
110g melted butter
– Mix the batter ingedients together

The glaze –
200g icing sugar
40ml milk

Add the apple mix to the cake batter.
Add this to the lined cake tin, then dollop the cinnamon swirl mix into the batter, and swirl once with a back of a spoon.

Bake for 45 minutes at 160˚c
whilst still warm, glaze the cake, and let cool.

Poppy’s Chocolate Brownies

  • 185g Dark Chocolate
  • 185g Butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 275g Brown Sugar
  • 80g flour
  • 40g cocoa
  • 120g choc chips

Melt the butter and dark chocolate together, and let cool a little.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together until double the volume. Mix in with the chocolate/butter mix. Fold in the flour & cocoa then the chocolate chips.

Add to a lined 15cm square tin and cook for 25mins at 180ºc.

Cool in the pan, and cut into squares.

Coconut Raspberry Slice

Base:
2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
125g butter
1 egg
pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla essence

Topping:
3/4 cup raspberry jam
2 cups (c200g) desiccated coconut
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

Oven at 180ºc, and 10″ square pan lined.

For the base – rub the butter, sugar and flour into ‘breadcrumb’ consistancy. Add the egg, and pull into a dry-ish flaky dough – don’t overwork here – you don;t want a silky smooth pastry dough – it’ll get tough.

Spread over the bottom of the lined tin. blind bake for 15-20 mins till golden.

Whilst its still warm (but not fresh from the oven) spread the jam on top. Jam to the edges – it’ll stick in the pan lining a bit, but makes all peieces nicer.

for the coconut topping – beat the sugar and eggs till smooth abd shiny. Fold in the coconut and spread over the jammy base. Press it down so its flat and even.

Bake for another 25 minutes until golden topped.

Let it cool in the pan completely, then cut into squares.

Notes –

base is a bit heavy – maybe swap out for a shortbread, or maybe add some rice-flour?

I added more coconut and it was a bit too flakey – next time -50g coconut for a more together topping.

Current Squares

Pastry-
12oz plain flour
6oz butter
pinch salt
Cold water

filling-
6oz currents
2oz peel
2oz brown sugar
1 grated apple
1/2tsp mixed spice
1 lemon rind
1-2tsp lemon juice
1oz butter

Make a short crust pastry, and roll 1/2 into a 12″x8″ swiss roll tin

mix filling and spread evenly on the pastry

cover with other 1/2 of pastry & prick with fork

bake in a moderate oven for 25-35mins, dust with castor sugar and cut into squares whilst still hot.  allow to cool before removing from tin.

Chocolate nut brownie

6 oz good dark chocolate
1/3cup butter
3/4cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup all plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped nuts – hazelnuts or walnuts.
1/4 cup white chocolate chips

In a bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter together, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly, then stir in the sugar, followed by the vanilla.
Stir in the eggs 1 at a time, then add the flour and salt. Stir until no traces of flour are visible, then add the nuts. Pour into a lined 8×8 baking pan, then bake for 22 to 25 minutes.

Let cool, then cut into squares.

(I’ve not made this yet, but it’s on the list to try soon!)

Old Edinburgh Tart

I found this recipe as a hand-written note in my Mum’s cookbook. She’s never made it, but had copied it from somewhere a long time ago. I’ve not made it yet either, but as I now live in Edinburgh, I thought I’d save the recipe for posterity.

Pastry-
8oz plain flour,
5oz butter,
pinch of salt
cold water to mix

filling –
4oz butter
4oz caster sugar
4oz raisins
4oz mixed chopped peel
2oz glacé cherries
3 eggs
1-2 tblspn whisky

Breadcrumb the butter into the flour and add the salt. Add enough water to the crumb to make a firm pastry (takes 4-5tblspn of water).
Line a 9″ flan tin.

Place butter, sugar, raisins, minced peel, and cherries and heat until butter has melted and sugar dissolved. Leave to cool.

beat eggs and whisky together. Mix into main mixture and put into the lined tin. If there is spare pastry, decorate the top with a lattice.

Bake in a hot oven (400f) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Lardy Cake

Lardy cake originates from Wiltshire, and in the West Country local bakers still make it to their own recipes, cramming in as much lard, sugar and fruit as they or their customers choose.
Ingredients
15 Gram Yeast fresh (1 1/2 tsp dried + pinch of sugar) (1/2 oz)
300 ml Water, warmed (1/2 pint)
450 Gram Strong white flour (1 lb)
1 Teaspoon Salt
75 Gram Lard, diced (3 oz)
75 Gram Butter, diced (3 oz)
175 Gram Mixed sultanas and currants (6 oz)
50 Gram Chopped mixed peel (2 oz)
50 Gram Sugar (2 oz)
Method
Makes 12 slices

Preheat oven to 220 °C / 425 °F / Gas 7. Grease a 20 x 25 cm (8 x 10 inch) roasting tin. Blend the fresh yeast with the warm water. If using dried yeast, sprinkle it into the warm water with the pinch of sugar and leave for 15 minutes until frothy.

Put the flour and salt in a bowl and rub in 15g ( 1/2 oz) of the lard. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast liquid. Beat together to make a dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean, adding more water if necessary. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and knead well for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in a clean bowl. Cover with a clean tea-towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.

Turn the dough on to a floured surface and roll out to a rectangle about 0.5 cm ( 1/4 inch) thick. Dot one-third of the remaining lard and butter over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle over one-third of the fruit, peel and sugar. Fold the dough in three, folding the bottom third up and the top third down. Give a quarter turn, then repeat the process twice more.

Roll the dough out to fit the prepared tin. Put in the tin, cover and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes, until puffy. Score the top with a criss-cross pattern with a knife, then bake for about 30 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. Turn out and serve immediately or leave to cool on a wire rack. Serve plain or with butter.

Lardy Cake II
450g (1lb) Strong White Flour
300ml (½ pint) Lukewarm Milk
225g (8oz) Currants
110g (4oz) Sultanas
50g (2oz) Sugar
25g (1oz) Lard
25g (1oz) Fresh Yeast
1 tsp Salt

Filling
110g (4oz) Lard
110g (4oz) Soft Brown Sugar
1 level tsp Ground Mixed Spice

Mix the sieved flour and salt together, rub in the lard.
Dissolve the sugar in a little of the milk and use to mix the yeast into a smooth thin paste, then add to the remaining water.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the liquid.
Mix together well until it becomes a smooth, elastic dough.
Shape into a ball and place in a warmed lightly greased bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes to allow it to rise.
Lightly knead the currants and sultanas into the dough.
Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
Mix together the soft brown sugar, lard and mixed spice for the filling.
Roll the dough into a long rectangle approx. 45cm by 15cm (18 ins by 6ins)
Spread the filling over two thirds of rectangle 45cm by 10cm (18 ins by 4ins).
Fold the section which has no filling into the centre of the rectangle and then the remaining section to the centre.
Roll out the dough again to the same size as previously.
Starting at the short side 15cm (6ins), roll as if a swiss roll.
Cut the roll in half to produce two pieces each 9cm (3 ins) wide.
Place each piece in a well-greased round 15cm (6ins) round baking tin, cover and leave in a warm place for 35 – 40 minutes to allow them to rise
Preheat oven to 200°C: 400°C: Gas 6 and bake for 35 – 40 minutes.
Turn out immediately and pour over the hot filling to form a glaze.
Caution: The filling will be very hot, so care must be taken.

Triple Chocolate Brownies

I got this recipe from Caroline. It is the richest brownie I’ve ever tasted. For the absolute chocolate hit use Green and Black’s organic dark, white and milk. Don’t over cook it whatever you do- it’s better a under than over cooked. When it’s cooked and cooled, cut it into small squares- it’s very rich, and a large portion is just too much!

185g butter
185g dark chocolate, chopped
3 eggs
275g caster sugar
85g plain flour – sifted
65g cocoa powder – sifted
185g roughly chopped white chocolate
185g roughly chopped milk chocolate

Pre heat the oven to 180C
Line a 23cm square tin with baking parchment.
Place the butter and dark chocolate in a saucepan, melt over a very low heat, stir until smooth, do not allow the mixture to get hot. Allow to cool a little.
Beat the eggs and sugar until light and creamy.
Fold through the chocolate and butter mixture.
Re-slft the flour and cocoa over the mixture and, using a metal spoon or spatula, mix to combine.
Add the white and milk chocolate then pour into the lined tin.
Bake for about 35 minutes (no longer)
Allow to cool in the tin, then cut into small squares.