Chocolate and caramel flapjacks

This recipe is very similar to millionaire shortbread, however instead of shortbread, it has flapjack and tastes a whole lot nicer. It is slightly time consuming but is really worth it in the end. Enjoy!

Image from BBC goodfood

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 55 mins
(Plus chilling overnight)

MODERATELY EASY                    

  Cuts into 12 mini squares

   Ingredients:

• 200g soft brown sugar
• 200g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 350g whole oats
• 397g can caramel (we used Carnation Caramel)
• 200g plain chocolate
• 1 tbsp unflavoured oil, like sunflower

Method

1. Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Place the sugar, butter and golden syrup together in a saucepan and gently heat until the butter has melted, stirring occasionally. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the oats, mixing thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a lined and lightly greased 22cm square tin, pressing it out evenly using the back of a wooden spoon. Bake in the centre of the oven for 40-45 mins.
2. Allow the mixture to cool completely overnight, then evenly spread over the caramel (you may not need to use the whole tin, otherwise it gets soggy and messy) Then leave to cool - it should be thicker. Chill until firm.
3. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then stir in the oil and pour over the chilled caramel flapjack base. Let the chocolate set, then cut into squares. Setting chocolate on top of something squidgy can make it difficult to cut, this is why the oil is added.

*NOTE* this bake is very messy, when I made it I used the whole tin of caramel and when cutting up had to scrape half of it off! So i would recommend only using 1/2 or 3/4 of the tin. Apart from that it is scrumptious!

Coconut and raspberry cupcakes

Hi! This is a recipe for some cute cupcakes which doesn't just look good, but they taste delicious as well! And I think that out of all the 14 cake recipes I've tried, these have to be my favorite. These are ones you have to try!                          MODERATELY EASY

Makes 12

Ingredients:

175g self raising flour

140g caster sugar

50g designated coconut

140g butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4tbsp milk
140g raspberries, fresh or frozen

For the frosting
280g icing sugar
85g butter, softened
4tbsp raspberry couples, from a bottle or fresh
A little designated coconut to decorate

1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases. Tip all the cake ingredients except the raspberries into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer (or by hand)  for 1-2 mins until light and fluffy. Gently fold in the raspberries.
2. Divide the mixture between the cases and bake for 18-20 mins until golden brown and firm to the touch. Leave to cool.
3. Beat together the icing sugar, butter and raspberry coulis to make a light, fluffy icing. Spoon or pipe onto the cakes and sprinkle with coconut to finish!

Peach melba squares

Hi! I had a lot of requests to put this yummy unique recipe on my blog so here it is!

EASY

Makes 12

Ingredients:
250g pack unsalted butter
300g golden caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract200g self raising flour
3 large eggs
50g ground almonds
2 peaches, fresh or tinned stoned, halved then cut into 3
100g raspberries
1tbsp icing sugar, to finish

1. Butter and line a traybake or small roasting tin, about 20 x 30cm. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Gently melt the butter in a saucepan, cool for 5 mins. Pour into a bowl and add the sugar, vanilla and eggs, then beat until smooth with a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour, almonds and ¼ tsp salt.
2. Tip the mix into the tin, then lay the peach slices evenly on top - that way each square of cake will have a bite of fruit. Scatter the raspberries over, then bake for 1 hr-1 hr 10 mins, covering with foil after 40 mins. Test with a skewer: the middle should have just a tiny hint of squidginess, which will firm up once the cake cools. Cool in the tin for 20 mins, then lift out onto a cooling rack. Once cold, cut into squares then dredge in icing sugar.

Blueberry and white chocolate muffins

I made these cakes for my dads work and they all loved them. I also tried them and they were very different from normal blueberry muffins as the white chocolate gives it a really different taste.           EASY

Makes 12
Ingredients:
300g plain flour
100g golden caster sugar
1tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
100g butter, melted and cooled
200g milk
150g blueberries
150g white chocolate, chopped into chunks


1. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and line a 6-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

2. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. Then in another bowl mix the eggs, melted butter and milk quickly into the dry ingredients with the blueberries and chocolate (don't overmix, it should be a bit lumpy). 

4. Divide between the cases and bake for 25 minutes until risen and golden and cooked through.

Piedmont Roasted Peppers

This is a delicious recipe I got from Delia online that I have changed a bit too make it my own. It says it is for a starter but you can have it as a vegetable in a main dish instead.

Sorry forgot to take a photo so this is delias 

Ingredients:

2 large red, yellow or orange peppers (green are not suitable)
400g tinned tomatoes
4 fillets from a tin of anchovies
1 clove of garlic
4 dessert spoons of extra virgin oil
Milled black pepper



1. Preheat the oven too 200°C or 180°C fan. Begin by cutting the peppers in half and removing the seeds but leaving the stalk intact (they're not edible but they do look attractive and they help the pepper maintain shape.) 

2. Lay the pepper halves in the lightly oiled roasting tray. Then drain the tinned tomatoes and put in each pepper. 

3. After that, snip one anchovy fillet per pepper half into rough pieces and add to the tomatoes. 

4. Peel the garlic cloves, slice them thinly and divide the slices equally among the tomatoes and anchovies. Now spoon 1 dessertspoon of olive oil into each pepper, season with milled pepper (but no salt because of the anchovies) and place the tray on a high shelf in the oven for the peppers to roast for 50 minutes too an hour. 

5. Then the cooked peppers to a serving dish, with all the precious juices poured over, and garnish with a sprig of basil leaves. These do need good bread to go with them as the juices are sublime – focaccia would be perfect. Or you could serve with a meal.

Black forest cheesecake

I made this black forest cheesecake for a party and it was very popular all around! This is definetly one to try!         EASY

Cuts into 12 slices

Ingredients:

250g chocolate chip digestives

100g butter,melted

A few drops of vanilla extract

600g soft cheese

100g icing sugar

285g double cream

For the topping

300g Morello cherry jam

A few fresh or tinned cherries for on top

EQUIPMENT: 23cm loose-bottomed tin, baking parchment, plastic food bag, rolling pin, large bowl, dessert spoon, chopping board, kitchen knife, electric mixer, spatula, serving plate, blender or food processor, sieve

1. Remove the vanilla seeds from 1 pod: Slice the vanilla pod in half length ways, leaving the tip intact, so that the two halves are still joined. Holding onto the tip of the pod, scrape out the seeds using the back of a kitchen knife.

2. Make the filling: Place 600g soft cheese, 100g icing sugar and the vanilla seeds in a bowl, then beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Tip in 284ml pot double cream and continue beating until the mixture is completely combined. Now spoon the cream onto the biscuit base, working from the edges inwards and making sure that there are no air bubbles. Smooth the top of the cheesecake down with the back of a dessert spoon or spatula. Leave to set in the fridge overnight.

3. Un-moulding and topping: Bring the cheesecake to room temperature, about 30 mins before serving. To un-mould, place the base on top of a can, then gradually pull the sides of the tin down. Slip the cake onto a serving plate, removing the lining. Then spread on 300g Morello cherry jam and place some fresh or tinned cherries on top.

Microwave banana pudding

Hi! This is a really easy pudding that only takes about 7 minutes! When I first saw it and it said it only takes 10 minutes I thought it was another one of those which really takes about 30 mins but this does really only take under 9 minutes!                SUPER DUPER EASY
                           

 Serves2-4

Ingredients:
50g butter , softened, plus extra for greasing

1 ripe banana 

50g light muscovado sugar

50g self-raising flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg

1 tbsp icing sugar , toffee sauce and ice cream, to serve, if you like

1. Put the butter in a 1-litre baking dish and microwave on High for 30 secs-1 min until its melted. Add ½ a banana, mash into the melted butter, then add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, eggs and milk. Mix together well.

2. Slice the remaining banana over the top, then return to the microwave and cook on High for 8 mins until cooked through and risen. Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar and if you like with a drizzle of toffe sauce and a scoop of ice
cream.

Classic Victoria Sponge

I made this lovely Victoria sponge cake for my dads birthday and everyone agreed that it was the best Victoria sponge they had ever tasted! So give it a go.            EASY

Cuts into 10 slices

Ingredients:
FOR THE CAKE
200g caster sugar
200g softened butter
4 eggs, beaten
200g self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
2tbsp milk

FOR THE FILLING
100g butter, softened
140g icing sugar
A few drops of vanilla extract
About 150g jam (but however much suites you)
Icing sugar and a few strawberries to decorate

1. Heat oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper. In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients together until you have a smooth, soft batter (preferably the butter and sugar first if you are mixing by hand.)
2. Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
3. To make the filling, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in icing sugar. Beat in vanilla extract if you're using it. Spread the butter cream over the bottom of one of the sponges, top it with jam and sandwich the second sponge on top. Dust with a little icing sugar and top with a few strawberries (I used three) in a triangle all pointing outwards looked nice. Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.  

Poll!

Chicken and chorizo paella

If like me, you are not so keen on seafood, then here is a seafood free paella! Try it!

Serves 4          MODERATELY EASY

:

Ingredients:
400-500g chicken mini fillets

4tbsp olive oil

1 onion , finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1tsp ground tumeric

115g cooking chorizo sausage, peeled

225g long grain rice

600ml chicken stock

4 tomatoes, skinned peeled and chopped

1 red pepper seeded and sliced

Salt and black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and brown the chicken on both sides. Add the onion and garlic, and stir in the turmeric. Cook for 2 minutes.
2. Slice the chorizo and add to the pan with the rice and stock. Bring to the boil and season to taste, then cover and continue to cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, sliced red pepper and frozen peas, and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the rice has absorbed the stock.
   

Healthy Carrot Cake

I baked this cake for my mums birthday as it is her favorite type of cake and she loved it.    Serves 7.          EASY

Ingredients:

75g butter or margarine

125g soft light brown sugar

3 eggs

1/2 liter of carrots (about 4 medium carrots)

peel of 1 orange

125g flour

2tsp baking powder

1tsp cinnamon

50g chopped nuts (hazel nuts almonds and walnuts

For the butter cream:

65g butter or margarine

115g icing sugar, sifted

1-2 tbsp orange juice

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Then grease and line the base and sides of a 18cm cake tin.

2. Mix together the butter and sugar until smooth. Blend in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the grated carrots and orange peel.Then put in the milk, baking powder, cinnamon and nuts and stir well.

3. Pour the mix into the cake tin and cook in the oven for 50 mins. Then let the cake cool.

4. For the butter cream: Cream the butter until soft. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, adding the vanilla essence and orange juice, to form a smooth icing.

Paul Hollywood's hot cross buns

This recipe is slightly different from the traditional recipe but is a whole lot nicer!                          
                                                   MODERATELY EASY
Makes 15

Ingredients:
300ml full fat or semi skimmed milk

50g butter
500g strong bread flour
1tsp salt
75g caster sugar
1tbsp sunflower oil
7g sachet fast-action or easy-blend yeast
1 egg beaten
75g sultanas
50g mixed peel
Zest 1 orange
1 apple peeled, cored and finely chopped
1tsp ground cinnamon
75g plain flour
3tbsp apricot jam or 3tbsp boiling water and 3tsp sugar

1. Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture, then add the egg. Using a wooden spoon, mix well, then bring everything together with your hands until you have a sticky dough.
2. Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead by holding the dough with one hand and stretching it with the heal of the other hand, then folding it back on itself (but you can just kneed it). Repeat for 5 mins until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size and a finger pressed into it leaves a dent.
3. With the dough still in the bowl, tip in the sultanas, mixed peel, orange zest, apple and cinnamon. Knead into the dough well making sure everything is well distributed. Leave to rise for 1 hr more, or until doubled in size, again covered by some well-oiled cling film to stop the dough getting a crust.
4. Divide the dough into 15 even pieces (about 75g per piece - see Tip below). Roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface. Arrange the buns on one or two baking trays lined with parchment, leaving enough space for the dough to expand. Cover (but don't wrap) with more oiled cling film, or a clean tea towel, then set aside to prove for 1 hr more.
5. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix the flour with about 5 tbsp water to make the paste for the cross - add the water 1 tbsp at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses (see Tip below). Bake for 20 mins on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.
6. Gently heat the apricot jam to melt, then sieve to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool. Or instead of using apricot jam you can use a sugar and water paste.

Easter cockerels

This recipe should traditionally be made on Palm Sunday but they taste just as good any day!                            EASY

500g wholemeal flour.                        
1tsp salt
1tsp cinnamon
40g butter or margarine
250g hand-hot water and/or milk
100g sugar
1 heaped tsp dried yeast
1 large egg, beaten

1. Dissolve some of the sugar with the water and add the yeast. Leave in a warm place until frothy. (15-20mins). Mix flour, salt, sugar,and cinnamon in a warm bowl. Rub in the butter. Keep a little beaten egg and add the rest with the yeast mixture to the flour. Mix to a smooth dough by hand, adding more flour if necessary. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour. Knead briefly and divide into 100g pieces (About 9). Make the pieces into cockerel shapes.

2. Make the dough into a curved shape then, using scissors, snip the dough to make the tail feathers, comb, beak and wattle.

Add a current or clove for an eye on both sides of the head, and a clove for
the feat.

3. Place on a greased baking sheet. Add a little sugar to the reserved egg and brush on the cockerels. Leave to rise in a warm place (30-60 mins.). Bake for 20 mins at around 180°C

Don't despair if your cockerel looks like a walrus,it will still taste delicious!

This is my whole family of cockerels (well walruses!)

Just want to say thanks

Hi! I just want too say a massive thank you to the people who have been looking at my blog. It means a lot to me as I am only 11.
Thanks!

Upside down peaches and cream cake

This is my lovely recipe to make an upside down cake with peaches and cream!               EASY

Makes 8 slices

Ingredients:

200g soft butter or margarine.                
200g self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
200g golden caster sugar
4 eggs
2tbsp milk
3 ripe peaches (or 1 tin of halved peaches in fruit juice)
85g light brown sugar
One 230g pot of clotted cream

2tbsp raspberry jam
2tbsp golden caster sugar

1/2tsp vanilla extract


1. Heat oven to 180C/ 160C fan/gas 4. Grease and base-line a 2 x 20cm sandwich tins with baking paper then lightly grease the paper.

2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then tip in all the other sponge ingredients. Using an electric whisk, beat everything together until smooth. (if you don't have an electric whisk, mix together the butter and sugar then add the eggs then the flour) 


3. Stone the peaches, then cut then cut into thin slices. Toss the peaches with the sugar, then arrange in a single layer in one of the tins. Tip half the cake mix over the peaches and the other half into the second tin. Bake for 20-25 mins until cooked and golden - the tin containing the peaches may take 5-10 mins longer than the other.

4. Leave to cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.
Whisk the clotted cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff. Spread on the jam then the clotted cream mix over the plain sponge, then carefully top with the peach sponge.




* again I made this with gluten free flour and that taste brilliant*

Chocolate brownies with fudge icing

Here is a recipe to make some lovely chocolate brownies!
I made these for my class and they all went down a treat!

EASY

Makes 20

Ingredients:                                 
140g plain chocolate
140g milk chocolate
115g butter
100g brown granulated sugar
2 medium eggs
1tbsp vanilla extract
70g plain flour
100g white (or milk) chocolate chopped

Fudge icing ingredients:

170g plain chocolate

55g butter

2tbsp golden syrup
2tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm square baking tray.

2. In a saucepan on a low heat, melt the 140g milk and 140g plain chocolate with 115g butter till smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then add the flour and the chopped chocolate.

3. Tip the mixture into that 10 and bake for 25 minutes Cool for 30 minutes.

4. Fudge icing: melt all the ingredients together in a saucepan then cool in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once its cooled down  spread onto the brownies then cut them up.

Homemade easy pizza in 3 steps!

This is how to make an easy delicious healthy pizza!      EASY

Sorry ate it all and forgot to take a pic! Here is one slice!

Ingredients:                                                               Serves 2-3

Pizza Dough:
175g strong flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried yeast
15 ml olive oil


Tomato Sauce:                               
1 tin of tomatoes
1 onion
2 tbsp tomato puree.                       Black (or green) olives
1 clove of garlic.                               Toppings
1 tsp olive oil.                                    Chorizo
1 tsp olive oil.                                    Courgette
1 tsp oregano.                                   Red onion
Salt                                                       Sweet-corn
Pepper.                                               Mozzarella or cheddar
                                                              Red pepper


How to make the dough:
1. Mix the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl. Then add 150ml of warm water and olive oil.

2. Then put the dough on a floured surface and knead it for 5 minutes. Then leave it to rise for 45 minutes in a warm place.

3. When the dough has risen, roll it in to an even circle. Then add the toppings and drizzle over a bit of olive oil. Then put it in the oven for about 25 minutes on 224°C.

How to make the tomato sauce:

1. Simply fry the onion and garlic in olive oil. Then add the tin of tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, salt and pepper.
When it looks ready, spread it onto the pizza.

Simple stir fry idea

For this meal I didn't use a recipe but just simply used my past knowledge but here is a rough guide of what to do:-).  

MODERATELY EASY

                                      Serves 4

1. Chop up some vegetables. Any vegetables that you can easily fry. I used French beans (chopped into small pieces), tender stem broccoli (chopped into long thin prices), yellow pepper (thinly sliced), mushrooms (thinly sliced) and carrots (thinly sliced.) Then I chopped up the chicken into strips then put them in the pan. When the chicken got slightly brown, I put in all the vegetables and stir fried until the vegetables looked nice and tender (usually after about 6 minutes) I put in the sauce (Wagamamas fragrant coconut, ginger and lemon grass stir fry sauce.)

2. Then put some rice ( which my mum helped me cook) in some bowls then put the stir fry on top!

This can be served with some spring rolls.