Treacle Scones



Treacle gives a distinct flavour to these scones. If you want them more subtle just use golden syrup in place of the treacle.

Rub using fingers 200g SR flour, 25g sugar, pinch salt and 50g butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add half tsp each of baking powder, mixed spice and cinnamon.

Lightly oil a tablespoon and the treacle will fall easily into a jug. Mix together 1.5tbs treacle to a jug with 3tbsp natural yoghurt and 1tbsp milk (you can substitute the yoghurt and milk with 125ml milk). Mix until a dough is formed (the dough shouldn't be too sticky and a well formed ball so add a bit at a time). Allow the dough to rest 5 mins.

Firmly press the dough into roughly a 6" round 3cm thick. Cut into small rounds gathering scraps together to make more scones. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. 180 fan oven, 200 C.
Tip : when you cut the scones in half to eat use a fork instead of a knife to pierce all around and this will stop the scone from crumbling.

Hot Cross Bun Loaf



Seasonal Grub can be expensive when shop bought, you can make your own at a fraction of the price and get more per person to eat.

Can't get enough of Hot Cross Bun Loaf. I especially like waiting for the dough to prove as the mixed spices fill the room with a wonderful aura.

• Sift 250g bread flour, 250g plain flour, 1tsp ground mixed spice, 1 tsp cinnamon and pinch salt. Add 7g fast action yeast, top that with 75g castor sugar and 250g mixed dried fruit, zest of 1 orange.
• Heat 50g butter with 250ml milk in the microwave for 1 minute swirl around until the butter is dissolved. Add 1 lightly beaten egg to the mixture and pour into the flour mixture to form a dough. Knead for 10 minutes in a mixer with dough hook attachment or do it the hard way with your hands stretching and pummelling until a ball can be formed. Cover with clingfilm and leave for 2 hours in a wam place until doubled in size.
• Divide into two halves and cut each half into 6 equal portions. Oil two 24cm loaf tins. Shape each peice of dough into a ball and put 6 in each tin. Cover again with film and leave for 1 hour to double in size.
• To decorate mix together 25g plain flour half tsp rapeseed oil, 1 level tsp icing sugar and 4tsp water to make a paste then pipe crosses on each bun. Bake 25 mins at 200c, 180fan, gas 6.
• Heat 2tbsp milk and 3 tbsp castor sugar until sugar has dissolved then use to brush the tops of the buns whilst still hot. Leave at least 10 minutes before turning out to cool then scoff the lot with lashings of butter and jam!

Pear Cake



One of the processes manufacturers use for fruit is delaying the ripening by keeping the fruit in darkness so they keep longer on the supermarket shelves and when bought. With pears the result can be too hard pears unsuitable for eating as they sometimes never ripen soft enough to eat and this is the perfect recipe to use them up.

It's healthy too as it contains fruit, wholemeal flour and rapeseed oil instead of butter. The fruit enables a softer, moist cake. The darkness process is also used for bananas which why you sometimes get a less tasty dry, firm banana.

13" x 9" x 2" baking tin.

Mix well 450g sugar with 360ml rapeseed oil. Add 2 beaten eggs mixing in 1 tsp baking powder, 1tsp cinnamon and 1tsp salt. Add 450g wholemeal SR flour, 2tsp vanilla essence and 5 grated hard funsize pears or apples, 110g chopped nuts.

Pour into the baking dish. When there is over half the amount of fat amount to the whole flour amount it is not necessary to grease the baking tin. Bake for 1hr 160 fan or 180c. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into 16 even pieces.

I like eating this sliced longways and topped with homemade blackberry fruit spread: -

Put 8oz berries and 2oz sugar into a saucepan and bring to boil. Turn the heat off. Mix 1tsp cornflour with 1tsp water until smooth and add it to the saucepan stirring continuously until thickened (about 2 minutes). Use as topping for the peach cake portions. 

Gingerbread cake



In a bowl mix together 200g SR wholemeal flour, 50g brown sugar,      1 tsp mixed spice and 2tsp ground ginger.

Gently melt together 100g butter, 2tbsp black treacle, 3tbsp golden syrup and add 150ml milk.

Stir this into the flour blend.

Beat in 1 egg.

Pour into an oiled and lined 9" x 7"baking tray.

Bake in a preheated oven for 25/30 minutes. 160 fan

Cool gingerbread in tin before cutting into squares.

Christmas Panettone with rum butter



For the panettone, grease a 12-hole, deep-sided muffin tin with butter.
In a bowl, mix the 50g candied peel, 100g sultanas and 100g dried cranberries with 2tbs rum or boiling water until combined. Set aside.
Add 425g strong white bread flour, 60g castor sugar and 1tsp salt to the bowl of a food mixer. Add 1 packet of instant active yeast to the flour, then add 160ml tepid water and the 2 whole eggs and beat until the mixture comes together as a dough. (This can also be done by hand or using a hand-held electric whisk.)
Beat in the 75g softened butter a little at a time, then add the orange zest from 1 orange and continue to beat for 4-5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth.
Set the dough aside, covered, in its bowl, to prove for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

 

Knock back the dough, sprinkle over the dried fruit, then knead the fruit into the dough, either in the bowl, or on a lightly floured work surface (it will feel very sticky).
Roll the dough into a ball and cut it into 10-12 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball on a lightly floured work surface. Place one into each hole of the muffin tin. Cover the tin with cling film then set aside to prove again for about 45 minutes, until risen.
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
Brush the top of the risen panettone dough with the egg wash, then bake in the oven for 17 minutes, or until golden-brown and risen. Remove from the tin and set aside to cool on a wire rack.


For the rum butter
500ml/18fl oz double cream
125g/4½oz soft light brown sugar
5 tbsp rum
For the rum butter, beat the double cream in the bowl of a free-standing food mixer for 3-5 minutes, or until it turns to solid fatty lumps with a liquid base. Cover the mixer with a clean tea towel or muslin cloth halfway through beating, because the liquid will spatter everywhere as it starts to separate.
Line a large bowl with the same tea towel or muslin, then tip in the mixture. Bring the cloth together at the edges to encase the solid butter and squeeze out all the liquid. Discard the liquid.
Tip the butter back into the bowl and beat in the soft light brown sugar for 3-4 minutes, or until pale and fluffy, adding the rum a little at a time.
Spoon the rum butter into sterilised jars and seal. Chill in the fridge or freeze until needed, or serve immediately alongside the warm panettones.
Throughout the year make a less rich panettone using just the sultanas and minus the rum butter.

Last minute Christmas cake

 

For the cake:





500g mixed dried fruit
125ml/4fl oz brandy
1 orange zest and juice
175g/6oz soft dark brown sugar
175g/6oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
3 eggs
175g/6oz plain flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground ginger

For the icing:

200g/7oz icing sugar
1 egg white
1 tbsp glycerine
 

Place the mixed dried fruit into a bowl and pour over 100ml/3½fl oz of the brandy. Stir in the orange zest and juice to combine, then cover and set aside overnight until the fruit has absorbed all of the liquid.

When the fruit has soaked, preheat the oven to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1. Grease the inside of a 20cm/8in non-stick cake tin with butter. Fold a large sheet of baking paper into a strip that is 3 layers thick and big enough to wrap around the outside of the tin making a high 'collar' (this will help the cake bake evenly and prevent it over-browning as it bakes). Secure the collar with string.

Beat the sugar and butter in a free-standing food mixer or large bowl for at least 3-4 minutes, or until it has turned a light caramel colour and is fluffy. Crack in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in the flour, mixed spice, ground ginger and the soaked fruit until completely combined. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top using a palette knife.

Bake the cake for 1½ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (if it does not, cook the cake for a further 10 minutes and check once more).

Remove the cake from the oven and drizzle with the remaining brandy. Set aside to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack (see tip about feeding the cake).

For the icing, in a free-standing food mixer, whisk together the icing sugar, egg white and glycerine until thick enough to hold its shape – this will take 3-4 minutes.

When the cake is cold, dollop the icing on top and spread all over the cake using a palette knife.

Rock Drops



Rub in 100g butter or marg in 7oz plain wholemeal flour with 2tsp baking powder until like breadcrumbs. Stir in 75g sugar, 10oz sultanas and 25g glace cherries. Add 1 beaten egg to bind and 2tbsp milk. Divide mixture into 6 equal pieces. Hand roll into rough circles. Place on baking sheet one inch apart flattening each drop slightly.

Bake for 15 minutes in 180 degrees fan oven.