Red Berry and White Chocolate Muffins

These lovely muffins are from Make Bake Love, a book I have baked and enjoyed lots of recipes from. Although as I've said previously there seems to be quite a few typos and the baking times are off. For example these muffins needed extra time in the oven as they weren't golden enough after 20 minutes. Despite that minor glitch these muffins were divine and I love the idea of using frozen berries as they don't break up while mixing into the batter. They went down very well with hubby and didn't last long!

Red Berry and White Chocolate Muffins

Makes 12 small muffins


Ingredients
225g plain flour
1tbsp baking powder
75g caster sugar
1 egg
150ml milk
40ml sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
160g frozen red berries
70g white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 190oC/170oC fan. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Sieve the flour and baking powder together in a bowl, then stir in the sugar.

Whisk the egg, milk, oil and vanilla together in a jug. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix gently. Fold in the berries and the chocolate chips.

Use an ice cream scoop or spoon to divide the batter evenly amongst the muffin cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and risen. Remove the muffins from the tin and allow to cool on a rack.

Nutty Chicken Curry

For dinner this evening Nutty Chicken Curry was on the menu. I am enjoying trying new recipes and this is another I had bookmarked to try which I tweaked, adding more stock and using fat free Greek yoghurt. Hubby and I loved this flavoursome creamy curry. For those of you worried about whether it is too spicy, the peanut butter and yoghurt combine well to soften the spiciness. Next time I will use crunchy peanut butter to add more texture to the curry and make it more nutty!

Nutty Chicken Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 large red chilli, deseeded
1/2 finger-length piece ginger, roughly chopped
1 fat garlic clove
small bunch of coriander, stalks roughly chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil (I used olive oil)
4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
5 tbsp peanut butter
150ml chicken stock (I added more stock, 350ml)

200g Greek yogurt (I used low fat)
cooked rice, to serve

Finely slice a quarter of the chilli, then put the rest in a food processor with the ginger, garlic, coriander stalks and one-third of the leaves. Whizz to a rough paste with a splash of water, if needed.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, then quickly brown the chicken for 1 min. Stir in the paste for 1 min more, then add the peanut butter, stock and yogurt. When the sauce is gently bubbling, cook for 10 mins until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Stir in most of the remaining coriander, then scatter the rest on top with the chilli. Serve with rice.

Garlic Chilli Prawns with Sesame Noodles

My revitalised life style continues with regular sessions at the gym and healthy eating and I am starting to see great results. I've decided to get back to weekly meal planning as a way of trying out new recipes and providing material to blog about. I still plan on blogging bakes as frequently as my hubby can get through them. This delicious garlic chilli prawns with sesame noodles is a quick and easy low calorie meal that was thoroughly enjoyed by hubby and me. Definitely one we will enjoy again!

Garlic Chilli Prawns with Sesame Noodles

Serves 4

Ingredients
250g medium egg noodles
1 tbsp sesame oil, plus extra to serve (optional)
1 tbsp groundnut oil
bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced lengthways
300g bag beansprouts
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
400g raw peeled tiger prawns
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Cook the noodles following pack instructions, then rinse with cold water and drain. Toss with 1 tsp of the sesame oil.

Heat 2 tsp of the groundnut oil in a non-stick wok. Stir-fry most of the spring onions and all the beansprouts for a couple of mins until tender. Add the noodles and warm through. Stir through the remaining sesame oil and tip out of the wok onto a serving dish.

Carefully wipe out the wok and add the remaining groundnut oil. Toss in the garlic and chilli, and cook for 10 secs. Pop in the prawns and stir-fry for a couple of mins until they have just turned pink. Stir in the sugar and soy, then bubble until the sugar has melted and prawns are cooked through. Spoon on top of the noodles and sprinkle with the remaining spring onions. Add an extra drizzle of sesame oil, if you like.

Apple Crumble Loaf

It's been a while since I last blogged, I lost my baking mojo due to changing my eating habits and a desire to get fit and lose weight. I've gone back to the gym and I am loving it, I already feel so much better and seeing great results. Of course my boys have been deprived since Easter of home-baked goodies and so I decided to treat them with this Apple Crumble Loaf. Suffice to say it didn't even last 2 days, it flew off the cake plate, I guess they really did miss my baking. This moist loaf cake delivers wonderful different textures and really is like an apple crumble in cake form. It would easily make a great pudding too, served with custard or cream.

Apple Crumble Loaf

Cuts into 10 slices

Ingredients
140g butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for the tin
250g self-raising flour
2 tsp mixed spice
140g light muscovado sugar
100g raisins
3 large eggs, beaten
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped (Swap the apples, for peaches, apricots or plums when they're in season)
5 tbsp milk

For the topping:
1 rounded tbsp plain flour
25g butter
25g light muscovado sugar
1 rounded tbsp roughly chopped hazelnuts

Heat the oven 160oc/140c fan/gas 3. Butter and line the base of a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. Tip the flour and spice into a food processor and add the butter. Whizz to make fine crumbs, then mix in the sugar. Tip into a mixing bowl and stir in the raisins, eggs, apples and milk. Mix well until everything is evenly combined, then spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top.

To make the topping, rub the flour, butter and sugar through your fingers to make a rough crumble, then stir in the nuts. Sprinkle evenly over the cake mixture and bake for 50-55 mins, until firm to the touch and a fine skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Revisited Chocolate Guinness Cake

Sorry for my lack of blogging, I've been unwell with a dreadful cold (3rd one this year and better be the last) and my hubby went on a back to back business trip to Buenos Aires and New York. So not much baking has been done, except for some cookies and muffins for my son and his friends. My hubby arrived back from New York early on St Patrick's Day so I was pleased to have an excuse to bake our favourite Chocolate Guinness Cake again. After 10 days of dining out everyday he was very happy to come home to my home-baked goodies.


Chocolate Guinness Cake

Ingredients
For the cake
250ml Guinness
250g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
75g cocoa
400g caster sugar
142ml sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
275g plain flour
2 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the topping
300g Philadelphia cream cheese
150g icing sugar
125ml double or whipping cream
edible green glitter or shamrock sprinkles

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180˚C/fan oven 160˚C. Line a 23cm/9inch springform tin. Start by pouring the Guinness into a large, wide saucepan and add the butter; heat until the butter's melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with eggs and vanilla and then pour in the pan of brown, buttery, beer and finally whisk in the flour and bicarbonate of soda.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it's quite a damp cake.

When the cake's cold sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency.

Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint. Sprinkle with edible green glitter or shamrock sprinkles.

Nutty Nuggets of Deliciousness

I was watching This Morning last week and I always enjoy the cooking segment. That day Fay Ripley was making a few recipes from her new cookbook, What's for dinner? and these Nutty Nuggets were one of the recipes. I knew I had to make these asap and was happy to discover I had all the ingredients in my cupboards, yay! I can not begin to describe how absolutely divine these nuggets of deliciousness are, let's just say they are seriously addictive, they melt in your mouth and did not last long. These sweet hazelnut, almond and chocolate nuggets are a must bake!


Nutty Nuggets of Deliciousness

Ingredients
100g whole blanched hazelnuts
100g ground almonds
150g plain flour
60g golden caster sugar
150g butter, softened
0.3 x 400g jar of chocolate hazelnut spread (nutella)

Preheat the oven to 180oc/fan oven 160oc/gas mark 4.

Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment. Spread the hazelnuts out on a roasting tray and place in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Leave to cool slightly, then blitz the nuts in a food processor into fine crumbs.

Add the almonds, flour, sugar and butter to the processor and whizz until it all comes together.

Roll little teaspoon-sized amounts of the mixture in your hands to make balls of dough the size of large marbles. Slightly flatten, then space out on baking trays and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Cool completely on the trays then sandwich together with a blob of chocolate spread. Store in the fridge and take out shortly before serving.

Tea Brack

I've never baked a Tea Brack but it's really very similar to a tea/fruit loaf which I have baked many times. This traditional Irish cake is normally baked at Halloween and the Irish word 'breac' means speckled, which refers to all the fruit. This delicious tea-time treat is moist and full of flavour, the orange liqueur really adds to that. You can't beat a slice of buttered brack with a hot cup of tea!

Tea Brack

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
300ml hot tea (use 2 normal teabags and 1 Earl Grey)
180g sultanas
180g raisins
100g dried stone dates, chopped (I used currants)
1 eggs, beaten
225g self-raising flour
150g light brown sugar
1-2 tbsp Cointreau or other orange-flavoured liqueur
2 tsp mixed spice
2 tbsp honey, to glaze

The day before you want to make the brack, make the tea and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.

Place the sultanas, raisins, chopped dates (currants) into a bowl. Remove the teabags from the pot and pour the hot tea over the fruit. Cover and leave overnight to soak.

The next day, preheat the oven to 180oC/fan 160oc/gas mark 4. Line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper.

Add the beaten egg to the fruit mix along with the flour, sugar, Cointreau and mixed spice. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to rest in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. While the cake is still quite warm, brush the top with the honey.

Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake

This Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake recipe hails from another new addition to my cookbook collection, The Primrose Bakery Book. I am in love with this book, it is brimming with lots of delicious and yummy cupcakes, cakes, biscuits and other bakes. There are so many recipes I want to try but I opted for this simple and classical Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake to begin with. This recipe was very easy and quick, only complaint I would have is the baking times were off considerably, had to bake for an extra 20 minutes. Despite that small issue this cake is very yummy and moreish. The sponge is fluffy yet moist with its sweet tart flavour and finished off with a crunchy tangy sugar topping.


Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake

Makes 8-10 slices

Ingredients
155g self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
155g golden caster sugar
20g cornflour
155g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the tin
3 large eggs
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

For the drizzle
160g granulated sugar
juice of 2 lemons

Preheat the oven to 180oC/fan 160oC/gas mark 4. Grease 1 x 900g/2lb loaf tin and line with baking paper or a loaf tin liner.

Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and cornflour into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture for about 4 seconds until evenly mixed. Add the butter, eggs and lemon zest and juice and process briefly until evenly blended (about 10 seconds).

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and level the top with a spatula. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf coms out clean. Let the loaf cool in its tin.

Make up the drizzle by stirring the sugar into the lemon juice in a jug and mixing well. Prick the surface of the loaf all over with a fork. Pour the drizzle over the loaf and allow it to set, before removing the loaf from the tin and serving. Keep any uneaten loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Orange and Passion Fruit Cake

A few weeks back I bought The Boy who Bakes by Edd Kimber after reading good reviews about it. Edd Kimber was the winner of BBC Two series The Great British Bake Off in 2010 and his recipes are testament to why he won. During an afternoon spent flicking through the book I decided this Orange and Passion Fruit Cake was to be the first recipe I tried. This moist but not too sweet orange cake delivered a fresh and tropical taste with it's fragrant passion fruit glaze. Definitely a must bake and one I will make again!

Orange and Passion Fruit Cake

Serves 10

Ingredients
225g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
255g caster sugar
zest of 2 large oranges
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
juice of 1 orange

For the passion fruit glaze:
3 passion fruits
125g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180oC/fan 160oC/gas mark 4. Butter a 2lb/900g loaf tin and line with a strip of baking parchment leaving about 2.5cm or so to hang over the edges, to make removing the cake easier. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, and set aside.

Using an electric mixer beat the butter, 225g of the sugar and the zest until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and 3 tbsp orange juice, a little at a time, until fully incorporated.

Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture. Scrape into the prepared tin, then level the top. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until risen and golden, and a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup by putting the remaining orange juice and sugar into a small pan and simmering for a few minutes or until the sugar has dissolved.

Make holes all over the cake using a cocktail stick or skewer and brush with the orange syrup, allowing it to soak into the cake. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, scoop out the seeds and pulp from the passion fruits and press through a sieve, retaining about 1 tbsp of the seeds. Mix the juice, icing sugar and reserved seeds together until thick and smooth, then pour over the cake, letting it drip down the sides.

Revisting Blueberry and Apple Loaf

This Blueberry and Apple Loaf has been a firm favourite in my home for many years. I first came across this recipe in an edition of Delicious magazine and it was true love all round from the first time I baked it. I decided to revisit and blog about this beautiful loaf again as many new followers would probably appreciate this lovely recipe. This loaf cake has a delicious combination of blueberry and apple within a moist and tender sponge. Perfect to have with your afternoon cup of tea.

Blueberry and Apple Loaf

Ingredients:
125g chilled butter, diced, plus extra for greasing
225g self-raising flour
175g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2-3tbsp milk
2 large eating apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
125g blueberries
2 tbsp apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 190oC/fan 170oC/gas 5. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line with baking paper or a paper loaf tin liner.

Sieve the flour into a food processor with a pinch of salt and add the butter. Whizz until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, eggs and milk and whiz again to make a smooth mixture.

Pour half the cake mixture into the loaf tin, then scatter with half the apples and half the blueberries. Pour over the remaining cake mixture, then scatter with the remaining fruit. Bake for 1 hour, or until risen and firm. To test it, insert a skewer into the centre- it should come out clean.

Put the apricot jam into a small bowl and microwave the jam on high for 20 seconds to melt. Brush the glaze over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Valentines for me is always the perfect excuse to bake something special for my hubby and this year I decided to bake these delectable Red Velvet Cupcakes. These rich and sweet cupcakes are topped with dreamy, creamy cream cheese frosting and will not fail to enchant. Happy Valentines Day everyone, hope you are all being showered with lots of love!


Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes 24

Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
250g plain flour
2 x 15ml tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g soft unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
1 x heaped 15ml tbsp red paste food colouring
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
175ml buttermilk
1 tsp cider vinegar or other vinegar

Buttery Cream-cheese frosting
500g icing sugar, no need to sift if using a processor)
125g cream cheese
125g soft unsalted butter
1 tsp cider vinegar or lemon juice (I used vanilla extract)
red velvet cake crumbs or chocolate sprinkles or red sugar for decoration

Preheat the oven to 170oC/fan oven 150oC/gas mark 3 and line the muffin tins with paper cases.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarb in a bowl.

In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar, beating well, and when you have a soft pale mixture beat in the food colouring - yes, all of it - and the vanilla.

Into this vividly coloured mixture, still beating, add 1 spoonful of the dried ingredients, then 1 egg, followed by some more dried ingredients, then the other egg, followed by the rest of the dried ingredients.

Finally, beat in the buttermilk and vinegar and divide this extraordinary batter between the 24 cases. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes by which time the redcurrant-sorbet-coloured batter will have morphed into a more sombre, but still juicily tinted, sponge - more maroon acrylic than red velvet, to be honest.

Leave them to cool on a wire rack and do not ice with the frosting till absolutely cold.

Put the icing sugar into a processor and whizz to remove lumps.

Add the cream cheese and butter and process to mix. Pour in the cider vinegar (or lemon juice or vanilla extract) and process again to make a smooth icing.

Ice each cupcake, using a teaspoon or small spatula.

Decorate with red velvet cake crumbs or chocolate sprinkles or red sugar.

Banoffee Cake

It's been a while since I last baked a banana cake/loaf which is quite surprising as banana bakes normally feature quite a bit in my kitchen. So I decided to make use of my ripe bananas and try out this banana cake from my new book, perfect! This butterless cake is really moist and delish but the real star of the show is the amazing toffee icing, it balances the cake beautifully! This is definitely a recipe to be book-marked and made again and again.

Banoffee Cake

Serves 10-12

Ingredients
For the cake:
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
170g Demerara sugar
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
225ml vegetable oil (or olive oil)

For the toffee icing:
220g Demerara sugar
60g butter
60ml milk
240g icing sugar, sieved
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

banana chips, to decorate (or a sprinkling of cocoa)

Preheat the oven to 180oc/fan oven 160oc/Gas mark 4. Butter a 23cm springform tin and dust with flour or Demerara sugar.

Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar on high with an electric mixer until thickened and light in colour. Fold in the mashed banana and vanilla. Slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil while still mixing.

Add the flour mixture and mix on a low speed, taking care not to overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden. Cool fully on a rack before icing.

To make the icing, place the sugar, butter and milk into a pan over a high heat. Stir everything well and bring to the boil. Keep stirring and boil for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and beat in half of the icing sugar. Allow to cool slightly, then add the vanilla and the rest of the icing sugar. Beat well until it thickens.

Spread the icing over the cake straightaway, as the icing will harden slightly. Top with banana chips or a sprinkling of cocoa.

Coconut Loaf Cake

I have been feeling under the weather with a head cold since Sunday, which my grandson was so kind to share with me. After a few days of nursing this cold I have reached my limit of sitting about and doing nothing, (yes I'm a lousy patient) and today decided to cheer myself up with a spot of therapeutic baking. I decided to continue my mission trying out another recipe from my new cookbook and bake this Coconut Loaf Cake. This retro style cake really reminded me of a school dinner pudding often served with custard. Unfortunately in reading the recipe it was clear to me that there was something not quite right. The first thing was the size of the tin, there was no way that the sum of the ingredients would fit into a 1lb loaf tin as specified! So I went with my baking experience and used a 2lb loaf tin instead. The second anomaly was in relation to the cooking time stated in the recipe, I had to extent the cooking time by a further 20 minutes. At first I was thinking it might be a typo regarding the size of loaf tin but upon further reading of other loaf cake recipes in the book a 1lb tin is used through-out. Some of the other recipes also appear to have more ingredients than would fit in a tin of that size. It's a shame that these types of errors exist as they could throw off a less experience baker.

Besides the above, this cake turned out to be everything I expected it to be. I can confirm it is very addictive and popular, with hubby having finished his third slice of the day after his evening meal. This recipe is well worth trying and if you follow my adaptations, included in the recipe below, it should turn out just fine!


Coconut Loaf Cake

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
For the cake:
225g butter, softened
225g caster sugar
2 large eggs
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
60g desiccated coconut
3 tbsp milk

For the topping:
60g raspberry jam
30g desiccated coconut, toasted

Preheat the oven to 180oC/fan oven 160oC/Gas mark 4. Butter and flour a 2lb loaf tin.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition.

Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then add to the egg mixture along with the coconut. Beat for a few seconds to combine. Add the milk and mix until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the tin and bake for 45-50 (mine needed 70) minutes, until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes or so before turning onto a rack to cool.

Once the cake is fully cool, spread the jam onto the top and cover in the toasted coconut.