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Lemon Drizzle Cake

Cakes, Desserts, Fruit

Chef’s tip: To add something special, mix some icing sugar with lemon juice, grate in a small amount of lemon zest and decorate the top of the cake with lines/squiggles.

Ingredients for the cake

  • 225g unsalted butter
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 225g self-raising flour

Ingredients for the drizzle

  • Juice of 1.5 lemons
  • 85g caster sugar

Method

  • Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan, gas mark 4)
  • Beat the butter and sugar together
  • Mix in the eggs one at a time
  • Mix in the flour and then the lemon zest
  • Bake for 45-50mins
  • Mix together the drizzle, poke some holes in the top of the cake and drizzle the drizzle in a drizzly way to cover the whole cake. It will go nice and sugary/crunchy on top.

 

Raspberry Ripple Cake

Cakes, Desserts, Fruit

Chef’s Tip: Mix the leftover raspberry juice with icing sugar to make a drizzle that you can pour on top or use to decorate with squiggly lines.

Ingredients

  • 300g frozen raspberries
  • 250g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 125g unsalted butter, softened
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 250g sour cream (a regular 300ml pot will get you this, just make sure you pour 250g into a bowl)

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180C (160 Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4)
  • Grease and line a 23cm tin.
  • Put the raspberries into a bowl and lightly crush them with a masher – try to release as much juice as possible so it’s worth getting them out early.
  • Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, cream the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs and whisk.
  • Mix in 2 spoons of the dry ingredients.
  • Mix in 2 spoons of the sour cream
  • Alternate dry and sour cream until it’s all in and mixed up.
  • Spoon approximately a third of the batter into the bottom of your tin, then spoon over half the raspberries.
  • Repeat with another third of the batter, then the remaining raspberries, and top with the rest of the batter.
  • Don’t worry if the batter and raspberries mix a bit when you’re spreading it all out.
  • Bake for 45-50mins (check how it’s going after 30mins) or until a skewer comes out clean.

 

Vanilla Fudge

Christmas, Sweets and Biscuits

This recipe is huge and makes about 77 squares, so I usually just do a half batch.

Intro

You need to use your own instinct as to how long to cook the fudge. It can range from 10-20 minutes. Just make sure you have a bowl of cold water nearby. Drop small amounts of the molten fudge into the water and if it sets (known as soft ball stage) it’s ready. Or you can use a sugar thermometer, which will indicate ‘soft-ball stage’.

Ingredients

  • 250g soft butter
  • 1x 397g tin of condensed milk
  • 175ml milk
  • 2tbsp golden syrup
  • 800g golden caster sugar
  • 2tsp vanilla extract

Method

  • Fill a small bowl or jug with ice cold water and put near the stove. Grease a tin of approx. 30 x 20cm / 12 x 8 inch or 25cm / 10 inch square, or use a throwaway foil tin.
  • Put all the ingredients, apart from the vanilla, into a large, heavy bottomed pan and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
  • Boil for 12-20 minutes, still stirring all the time, until the mixture is golden and, when a bit is dropped into the water, it turns solid but still squidgy, i.e., till soft-ball stage (see intro). How long this takes depends on how ferociously it bubbles as well as on the properties and dimensions of the pan. This is hot work!
  • When the fudge is at soft-ball stage, very carefully remove the pan from the stove and stir in the vanilla.
  • Preferably using an electric whisk beat for about five minutes, by which time the fudge will have thickened to the texture of stiff peanut butter – this is quite steamy and strenuous.
  • Pour and push into the prepared tin. Smooth the top as well as you can.
  • Put in the fridge to cool, but don’t keep it there for more than 2 hours, or it will set too hard, then remove and using a sharp knife, cut into squares.

Sczechuan Beef

Beef, Mains

Chef’s Tip: This is delicious with brown rice and some broccoli. You don’t have to stick to the exact recipe when it comes to the vegetables. Feel free to add whatever you want – some people enjoy bean sprouts, carrots, green beans. It’s flexible and up to you.

Ingredients

  • 400-500g frying beef
  • 1.5-2cm knob of ginger chopped into small strips
  • 2 cloves of garlic chopped into small strips
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 2 spring onions, chopped small
  • 0.5-1 red chilli, chopped
  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1tsp cornflour mixed with some water
  • 2tsp red wine
  • Chinese five spice
  • 1tsp brown sugar

Method

  • Put a non-stick frying pan or wok on a relatively high heat with a tablespoon of sunflower or vegetable oil.
  • Cook the beef until it’s almost all brown but still with bits of pink. This will product a load of liquid, so at this point drain it in a colander and leave to one side.
  • Clean the pan and put back on the heat with another tablespoon of oil.
  • Add the ginger and garlic, and stir for a minute until just before the garlic starts to brown.
  • Add the onion and pepper and cook until soft.
  • Add the chilli and stir it in.
  • Re-add the beef to the pan and sprinkle with the five spice (no set amount, but not too much as it’s quite strong).
  • Add 2tbsp of the soy sauce and stir for a couple of minutes
  • Add the wine and stir for a few minutes
  • Add the cornflour mix until the mixture has thickened as you like it
  • Add the spring onions and sugar. Stir.
  • Add the final tbsp of soy sauce, turn the heat to a medium-low heat and cover the pan with a lid for 5-10mins to simmer.

 

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sweets and Biscuits

Makes: 25-30 cookies

Ingredients

  • 150g salted butter
  • 80g light brown muscovado sugar
  • 80g granulated sugar
  • 2tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 225g plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 200g chocolate chips or regular chocolate chopped into chunks (white/milk/dark)

HELPFUL TIP: If you don’t have any eggs, or you want to make a half batch and can’t measure half an egg, use this helpful guide: http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/955371/baking-without-eggs

Method

  • Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan/Gas 5
  • Combine the butter and both sugars in a bowl and mix until creamy
  • Mix in the vanilla extract and egg
  • Mix in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt
  • Add the chocolate and stir well
  • Using a spoon, roll the mixture into walnut sized pieces and place on a baking tray, making sure they are at least a few centimetres apart (using a regular 30cm baking tray, I would place no more than 6 on each tray).
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are starting to brown but still squidgy in the middle.
  • They will come out the oven a lot squidgier than you expect but will settle once they start to cool.
  • When they have cooled for 3-5mins, transfer them to a cooling rack (or a plate if you want to eat them warm!)

Chocolate Buttercream

Chocolate, Desserts

Covers a 20cm round cake. Make a smaller batch just for filling.

Ingredients

  • 150g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 0.5tsp vanilla extract
  • 375g icing sugar
  • 75g white/milk chocolate

Method

  • Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a bowl over a saucepan of water.
  • Cream the butter, vanilla and sugar together.
  • Mix in the melted chocolate and leave to cool.

No-Bake Chocolate Strawberry Tart with an Oreo Base

Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Fruit

Chef’s tip: Serve with ice cream or clotted cream. If you’re feeling fancy, you could melt some extra chocolate and drizzle it on baking paper to make pretty patterns. Once it’s dry, you can use these as toppers to the cake.

Original recipe video can be found here so you can follow along: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4fbOGxiFDc

Ingredients (makes 10-12 slices, or halve the ingredients to make 6 slices)

  • 32 (330g) Oreo cookies, whole
  • 110g butter, melted
  • 7 oz/200g milk chocolate
  • 3.5 oz/100g plain/dark chocolate (I use 85%)
  • 200 ml heavy cream
  • 300g fresh strawberries
  • OPTIONAL: chopped nuts

Method

  • Place Oreo cookies (with filling) into a food processor and blend until it turns to crumbs.
  • Pour the melted butter into the crushed Oreos. Process until evenly moistened, or you could mix them with a spoon if you haven’t used a blender.
  • Press cookie mixture with the back of the spoon and your fingers where necessary, into the bottom and edges of a rectangular 5×14 inch (12 x 36 cm) tart pan.
  • Really press it in and up the sides to make a nice edge.
  • Freeze the base while you prepare the filling, just for few minutes.
  • Prepare your strawberries by removing the greenery.
  • Pour the cream into a saucepan and heat on medium-low for a few minutes. No boiling or simmering needed. This doesn’t take very long so keep an eye on it!
  • Remove the cream from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until it has all melted and is smooth. 
  • Pour the chocolate filling into the Oreo crust and make sure it’s level, then get your strawberries and press them gently into the chocolate so that they are half submerged.
  • If you imagine the slices you’ll cut, you can arrange the strawberries alternately in the large part of the slice.
  • Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Flapjacks

Sweets and Biscuits

Makes: 12-16 small squares

Ingredients

  • 150g salted butter
  • 75g light soft brown sugar or golden caster sugar
  • 3tbsp golden syrup
  • 250g porridge oats

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 180C (160C fan/Gas Mark 4)
  • Line a shallow 20cm square tin with parchment or greaseproof paper.
  • Put the butter, sugar and Golden Syrup into a medium pan and gently heat until melted.
  • Take off the heat and stir in the oats.
  • Turn into the tin, level and press the mixture evenly and firmly with the back of a spoon.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
  • Remove from the oven and cool completely before turning out onto a board and cutting with a sharp knife.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Starters

Serves: 6-8 people

Chef’s tip: You should taste the soup at various stages once it’s all in the pan. You may want to add more salt/pepper/stock as you go. This is a complicated recipe and should be tailored to your personal taste along the way.

Ingredients

  • 4 large sweet red peppers
  • 3lbs or 1.36kg of plum tomatoes
  • 1tbsp dried basil
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • OPTIONAL: granulated garlic
  • 1/3 tube of tomato puree (add more if you think it needs)
  • 1 shallot peeled and diced
  • 1 clove of garlic, diced
  • 1.1l chicken stock (usually I use less than this to keep the soup a bit thicker)
  • 115ml double cream
  • 1tbsp sugar

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4
  • Cut the tomatoes in half and lay flat side up in an oiled baking tray. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and basil (add granulated garlic if you have).
  • Bake tomatoes in the oven for 1 hour, shaking the pan every 30mins.
  • While the tomatoes are roasting, add 2tbsp of olive oil to a large heavy based pan (not on any heat). Add the diced shallot and chopped garlic. You will cook these later.
  • When the hour is up, turn the oven down to 150C/130C fan/Gas 2 and bake the tomatoes for another hour, again shaking the pan every 30mins.
  • While the tomatoes are still cooking, you can roast the peppers. If you have access to an open flame like a BBQ or gas hob, you can use this to burn the outside of your peppers but I find it much easier to grill them on high. Chop them into quarters, lay skin side up on a baking tray and grill on the highest heat and keep an eye on them until the skins are black.
  • Place the peppers into a bowl and cover with clingfilm for 15mins to cool down.
  • Now it’s time to remove the skins. Run the peppers under cold water while you do this as it makes this easier. Rub the skin and it should come off. Get all of the black parts off, and all bits of unburnt skin.
  • Cut the peppers into small pieces, about 2cm square, and leave in a bowl.
  • When your tomatoes are done, use a potato masher to mash them up. You can do this through a sieve if you want to remove the skins, but they will get whizzed up later anyway.
  • Now cook the shallots and garlic on a medium heat for 2-3mins.
  • Add the peppers, tomatoes, puree and half the stock.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30mins.
  • At this point, use a stick blender or food processor to blend to a smooth soup. If it’s too thick for you at this point, add a bit more stock.
  • Add the cream and the sugar and give it another quick blend.

 

Custard

Desserts

Ingredients

  • 575ml of milk
  • 1-2tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour

Method

  • Pour the milk into a saucepan and put on a low heat so that it comes to a gentle simmer
  • In the mean time, beat the eggs, sugar and cornflour together in a large heatproof bowl.
  • When the milk is hot and simmering, take it off the heat and add the vanilla essence.
  • Pour the milk onto the egg mixture and make sure you keep stirring it (or whisking)
  • Put the mixture back into the saucepan and back on a low heat.
  • Keep stirring until it thickens.