Spiced Flapjacks

I am a believer that the humble flapjack shouldn't be played around with too much but adding a bit of ginger (thank you Sally Lockyer and not for the obvious reasons) and cinnamon adds a bit of warmth. I also think that if you overlook the buttery, syrupy parts with all of those oats in them they must be tremendously good for you!

150g butter
75g light soft  brown sugar
3 rounded tbsp Lyle's Golden Syrup
250g oats
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon


Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160Cfan/ gas 4. Grease and line a shallow 20cm square tin with baking parchment.

2. Put the butter, sugar and Golden Syrup into a medium pan and gently heat until melted stir in the spices. 

3. Stir in the oats. Turn into the tin, level and press the mixture evenly and firmly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 25 minutes, or until just golden around the edges.

4. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes then mark into 12 or 16 pieces whilst still warm. Cool completely before turning out onto a board and cutting again with a sharp knife.

Tip: Flapjacks will keep up to a week in an airtight container.

Lemon Drizzle Challenge

Thank you so much to everyone who took part in the challenge, 27 of you in all, it was an overwhelming success. We have made bakers of all of you, even those of you who have never baked anything before. here are some of the wonderful photo's that you posted on the what's not to love about baking facebook page.



Sue's beautifully dressed traditional
Lemon Drizzle and a crumble topped version



Bev's beautiful mini version sandwiched with lemon curd







  

 Some of the Children getting stuck in to the challenge!

 



First time baking in 30 years!



Gemma and the boys making their first successful cake ever!



Sandie and Oscar's delicious cake (I tasted it)
So Heather what have you done today to make you feel proud!!!!

 



Fiona Thomas looks lovely



Claire Cooper and family polised there's off nicely



Leigh's looks fab



Lydia got there in the end!



Team Conyards yummy succesful bake



Lucy took hers to family who had just had a baby 




 

Matt even made his own lemon curd!



10 year old Nicole made this fabulous cake, her brother marked her 5/5




 

Tonya's looks like sunshine on a plate!



Rufus looks like he enjoyed Lorna's cake made with dark soft brown sugar

 



OK so this is what you need to make your cake. The challenge has been set for the weekend of 17/18th November and there are lots of people taking part.

I will post step by step pictures and the method during the week.

Equipment

I x bowl

I x wooden spoon

I x tin mine is 22cm x 11cm but don't worry too much if yours is smaller then you will have more mixture to lick out the bowl and if it's bigger then make 1 and a half times the mixture.

A hand held electric mixer will really help if you intend to make an occasional cake. I found one is Argos for £5.97 http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4219529.htm. Of course if you have a free standing mixer then you can and should use that instead.

You will also need a grater for the zest of the lemon but I forgot to put it in the photo!

Ingredients

5oz Self raising flour

4oz Soft margarine such as stork

4oz caster sugar

1 tablespoon (or 2 level dessert spoons) lemon curd

2 Large eggs

grated zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

For the lemony crystallised topping

the grated zest and juice of the other half of the lemon

1 dessert spoon granulated sugar

Method



1. Preheat the oven to between gas 3 and 4 or 150c

2. Grease the inside of your tin with some of the stork on a piece of greaseproof or baking paper. Cut out a rectangle of baking paper and place it in the bottom of the tin so it doesn't stick.

3. Measure all of the ingredients carefully and place in a large bowl

4.Using an electric whisk (or a wooden spoon and lots of elbow grease) combine all of the ingredients until pale in colour and light and fluffy.

5.Spoon the prepared mixture into your lined tin, fill to a little over 3/4 full and smooth the top.

6.Put on a high shelf in the oven and bake for 4o minutes. Check the cake is ready by pressing the top lightly, if it springs back then the cake is ready, if not then put it back in for 5 minutes.

7. Whilst the cake is in the oven combine the topping ingredients.

 8. As soon as you remove the cake form the oven spoon over the topping making sure the whole cake is coated in a thin layer.

9.Leave to cool in the tin and then run a knife carefully around the edge of the tin, remove and serve sliced.

When you have made your cake take a picture of it and post it on my what's not to love about baking facebook page. Ask a family member or friend to rate it out of 5 for taste and texture and let us know the outcome.

1= yuck  2= alright  3= pretty good  4=rising star 5=blooming fantastic





Andy Wood's Chocolate Malteaser Cake

I made the cakes for this creation and my sister Ria decorted them. I use Peggy Porschen's chocolate cake recipe which is absolutley marvellous and works for any sized cake from cup cakes to big cutting cakes.

Peggy Porschen Chocolate Cake

This makes an 8" round cake or 20 - 24 cupcakes

125g plain chocolate (same as above) chopped or buttons

165ml milk

285g light brown sugar

105g unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

180g plain flour

pinch of salt

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarb of soda

8g cocoa powder

1. Pre heat your oven to Gas mark 3
2. Place the chocolate, milk, and half the sugar to a saucepan and gently bring to a boil while stirring.
3. Cream the butter and the remaining sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Lightly beat the eggs together then slowly mix into the butter mixture. 
5. Sift all the dry ingredients together; then add to the butter mixture in two batches. Slowly mix until combined.
6. Again slowly add the hot chocolate mixture into the batter and mix. Scrape the bowl down with a spatula to make sure it’s well combined. If using for cupcakest ransfer to a measuring jug as the mixture is a batter. Pour into the cases until 2/3 full only and bake for 15 minutes.
7. For a big cake line the bottom and the sides of the tin with baking parchment. Pour the batter into the tim and bake in the oven for 55 - 65 minutes.

The Fabulous Funky Little Choir at Glastonbury

I love these guys.

I am in the third row chatting, not at all like me and Fiona's head far left appears to have turned into a microphone or some such device!

My Ella making some bread

Best to get them started early!

UK Handmade Winter Edition

http://ukhandmade.co.uk/magazine

This magazine is edited by my lovely friend Bebe Bradley and has some wonderfully creative contributors. If you take a peek at page 42 you will see my retro finger piece buffet recipes which were great fun to put together.

Sticky Toffee Apple Crumble

I made this as a bonfire night pudding but have decided that I will need to make it more than just once a year because it's super delicious. the caramel oozed over the top of the crumble making it even more toffified. It would be a sin not to serve this with custard.

Ingredients

For the toffee apples

• 100ml/3½fl oz water
• 225g/8oz granulated sugar
• 30ml/1fl oz golden syrup
• 30g/1oz unsalted butter
• 450g/1lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced into wedges
• 450g/1lb eating apples, peeled, cored and sliced into wedges

For the crumble

• 150g/5oz plain flour
• 150g/5oz unsalted butter
• 150g/5oz demerara sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. For the toffee apples, place the water and sugar into a saucepan and slowly bring up to the boil. Reduce the heat once the sugar has melted, add the syrup and butter and then bring up to the boil again, stirring constantly.
3. Turn down the heat, add the apples and cook, stirring gently, until just soft. Place into an ovenproof dish.
4. For the crumble, rub the flour, butter and sugar together in a bowl with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Spoon the crumble evenly over the toffee apple mixture and place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown.

Bonfire Night Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes using Jo Wheatley's recipe from her 'A passion for baking' book. I used yellow and orange butter icing together in a piping bag to get the flame effect. I cut our the flames from yellow fondant icing and piped around it in red and finished off the effect using orange matchmakers.

Whiz, bang cake pops

Cake pops make a fabulous children's party gift, favour or centre piece. These cake pops have red cake centres for an added wow factor.

I made these cake pops from a Victoria sponge recipe that I coloured red (add the colouring after you have added the eggs and before you add the flour).

Once baked and completely cool crumble the cake in your fingers or using a food processor until the cake resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in a half quantity of butter cream to cake until the mixture comes together and you can easily roll it into firm balls.

Take a tablespoon size scoop (30g) and form it into a ball and place them onto a sheet of greaseproof paper. refrigerate the balls for 3-4 hours. Meanwhile melt some candy melts, this should pour off of the spoon easily, if not then loosen with some vegetable oil. Remove the balls from the fridge and dip the end of the stick in the candy melt and stick into the cake balls.

Dip the cake pops into the candy melt until completely covered, tap off the excess and place the stick into either some polystyrene or some regalice to dry.

Decorate immediately with sprinkles, smarties and icing.

Keep refrigerated once covered and they will keep for a week.