Little One loves to bake so much, so when Littlest One is at nursery we always make sure that we bake something. A few weeks ago, we made these cherry and almond cupcakes. The day we baked them also happened to be her first day not being at nursery anymore, so we wanted to make something extra yummy. It’s lovely spending time baking together, and it’s a lovely thing to do when her little brother is at nursery! She always wants to know what we’ll be making, and I think it will be a lovely tradition. She chose how we would decorate them, and was very pleased that they look “a bit like space, Mummy!”. This recipe is actually originally for a cake, but it worked really well for cupcakes too. We used a muffin tray to make them.

Ingredients

200g glacé cherries

200g self-raising white flour

175g unsalted butter, softened

175g caster sugar

3 eggs (medium)

50g ground almonds 

1 tsp almond extract

2 tbsp flaked almonds – only use these if you’re making a cake version

For the frosting

250g icing sugar, sifted (plus extra for dusting)

80g unsalted butter, at room temperature

25ml semi skimmed milk

A few drops of almond extract

Food colouring (optional)

A few sprinkles (we used white chocolate stars)

Method

1.Preheat the oven to 170°C, (fan 150°C, gas mark 3). Cut the cherries in half and rinse in hot water to remove all the syrup. Pat dry with kitchen paper.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, then gradually beat in the eggs a little at a time until well mixed, adding a little of the flour if the mixture curdles.

3. Fold in the flour, salt, cherries, ground almonds and almond extract until evenly mixed.

4. Spread the mixture into a 7 inch cake tin, top with flaked almonds and bake for 60-75 minutes, until firm to the touch and the cake has just begun to shrink from the side of the tin. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and cool completely.

I’m definitely going to make this as a celebration cake at some point. In my new book, Colourful Fun Embroidery, I have created a super sweet bunting cake topper that I think would look fab on top of this! If you’d like to order a copy, you can do that here.

The original recipe for cherry and almond cupcakes can be found here.

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There’s something about being really heavily pregnant that makes me just want to bake! Maybe it’s a nesting thing, or maybe it’s just because it’s something easy to do with delicious results – who knows?! When I was pregnant with Little One, I made a batch of lemon curd and some flapjacks the day before she was born. It has been lovely to make things with her this time round – although I made these during her nap time so that she wouldn’t eat all of the mini eggs in the process! I found this recipe on the Lakeland blog, and it’s really easy to make this delicious Easter treat.

Ingredients

270g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

170g unsalted butter, softened

100g caster sugar

135g light soft brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs, beaten

200g white chocolate chips (or a block of chocolate chopped into small chunks works fine)

1 or 2 90g packets of mini eggs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190c/Gas 5. Lightly grease a 12″ x 9″ traybake tin (I used my brownie pan – anything roughly 1″ deep will be fine).

2. Place the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and mix together. Set aside.

3. Place the butter, sugars and vanilla extract in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, cream together until combined.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

5. Add the flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix. Stir in the white chocolate chips and mini eggs until combined.

6. Press the mix into the traybake tin, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting into 12 squares. Enjoy!

These blondies are so yummy, they didn’t really last long! I’ll have to make another batch before Easter I think. Depending on what happens with our new arrival! I’m hoping to get back into blogging more regularly once things have settled down a bit – I know that’s not the first time I have said that here, but I know I’ve been neglecting this little space a lot and I want to get back to it. So fingers crossed, there will be more posts in the not too distant future!

The post White chocolate mini egg blondies appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

The original recipe for this almond and apricot cake can be found here.

Ingredients

230g fresh apricots, chopped (or a drained 411g tin if they aren’t in season)

200g unsalted butter

200g golden caster sugar

3 large eggs

75g ground almonds

1 tsp almond extract

200g self raising flour

A handful of flaked almonds to decorate

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160 C /140 C fan / Gas 2/3. Line a deep loose bottomed 20cm (8 in) cake tin with baking parchment.

2. Drain the tinned apricots in a colander (see tip) and cut the drained apricots into pieces and keep to one side.

3. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Beat the eggs into the mix one at a time with an electric whisk. Stir in the ground almonds and the almond extract. Then sift the flour onto the mixture and fold in thoroughly. Gently fold in the reserved apricots.

4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin, and smooth the top, pushing down any apricot pieces that appear on the surface. Sprinkle the top with the flaked almonds and press slightly to flatten.

5. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Test with a skewer inserted into the cake to ensure it is cooked. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is cooked, otherwise give it a further 5 or 10 minutes until done. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool in the tin.

6. Place on a cooling rack and when completely cool remove the parchment.

This cake is delicious served on its own, or with cream or ice cream. Why not try custard on a chilly day?! Yum!

The post Almond and apricot cake appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

Long-time readers of my blog will know that I love picking up recipes here and there, and that I love the Waitrose recipe cards. I only ever really pop in there for the odd thing because it’s near to where I work at the day job, so I always look and see what the recipes are for the month. I knew I’d have to give these ginger spiced crunch biscuits a try! Tom is a huge fan of anything with ginger, but we often find that biscuits are nice but without that real spicy kick. But these are perfect!

These biscuits have a crunchy (but not too crunchy) outside with a chewy centre, which is delicious. If you’re looking for more of a ginger cookie, just leave out the bicarbonate of soda. I did this with my first batch because I thought I had some in the cupboard, but I didn’t! But we actually really loved them with the slightly less crunchy, cookie-like texture. I also had a little play around with the recipe and added some dark chocolate to some of these, and the combination works really well.

Ingredients (makes 24)

75g (roughly 4 balls) stem ginger in syrup, plus 3 tbsp of the syrup

150g soft light brown sugar

150g unsalted butter (or margarine), softened

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground mixed spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 tbsp ground ginger

Optional: 100g dark chocolate (I used Green and Black’s 85%)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas mark 3. Line two large baking sheets with baking parchment.

2. Chop the stem ginger into very small dice and set aside. Place the brown sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and, using an electric handheld mixer, beat together until creamy.

3. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice, cinnamon and ground ginger into the bowl. Stir in the stem ginger and syrup, until everything comes together to form a dough. Tip onto a work surface and gently knead until smooth.

4. Break up the dough into 24 even-sized pieces and roll into balls. Place 6 on each of the prepared baking sheets, spaced well apart. Flatten each ball a little, then bake for 15 minutes until golden. They will still feel a little soft but will firm up as they cool. Repeat with the remaining dough until you have used up all the mixture.

Adding a little dark chocolate makes these ginger spiced crunch biscuits extra special. Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of boiling water. Place the biscuits on a sheet of greaseproof paper on top of a cooling rack to decorate them. If you don’t want loads of chocolate, you could drizzle a little of the melted chocolate over the top like I have done with the ones above. Or, you could dip them in so that half of the biscuit is covered in chocolate. I used a spoon to do this as the chocolate wasn’t that deep in the bowl! Leave to set in the fridge – the greaseproof paper will easily peel off once the chocolate is set.

Freeze the biscuit dough!

According to the recipe card, the uncooked dough freezes well. Roll it into balls, flatten slightly and freeze layered up between baking parchment. To bake, take out the number you want and bake from frozen for 3-4 minutes longer. Excellent! Time to enjoy one of these with a cuppa Hope you have a great weekend!

If you missed out on a recipe card, you can also find the original recipe here.

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Hello friends! Sorry for being a bit quiet here lately – the weeks are just going by so fast! Not long until I go back to the day job so I’m enjoying every moment with Little One. Have you made any Christmassy plans? I’ve been working on a few handmade bits that I can’t share with you yet…and also doing a bit of baking. I love trying out new recipes for Christmas each year, and this one is so good. These Christmas brownies are the perfect treat – the fruit, nuts, hint of spice and brandy all work so well with the chocolate. They really are a taste of Christmas! Even Tom enjoyed them and he’s not usually a fan of fruit and nuts, so that’s saying something!

This recipe is originally from the BBC Food website.

Ingredients

30ml/1fl oz/2 tbsp brandy

100g/3½oz dried cranberries

300g/10½oz dark chocolate, broken into chunks

200g/7oz butter

4 free-range eggs

300g/10½oz light muscovado sugar

200g/7oz plain flour

1 tsp mixed spice

100g/3½oz pecans, roughly chopped icing sugar, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 30x20cm/12x8in tin with baking parchment.

2. Gently heat the brandy then add the cranberries and leave to soak while you prepare the brownie mix.

3. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave. Stir gently until smooth then set aside to cool slightly.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy.

5. Whisk the chocolate and butter mix into the eggs then gently fold in the flour, mixed spice, pecans, cranberries and brandy until fully incorporated.

6. Pour into the prepared tin, smooth the surface then bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the brownie is firm to the touch.

7. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then place on a wire rack until cooled completely. Once cool, cut into squares and dust the tops with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

The post Christmas brownies appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

This recipe is originally from the BBC food website. It is part of a recipe for parkin with roast rhubarb, if that’s your thing!

Ingredients

170g/6oz self-raising flour

pinch salt

2 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp ground mixed spice

120g/5oz oat flakes

250ml/8fl oz golden syrup

75ml/2fl oz black treacle

150g/6oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

150g/6oz soft dark brown sugar

2 medium free-range eggs, beaten

25ml/1fl oz milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Grease a 20 x 30cm/8 x 12in cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.

2. Sieve the flour, salt, ginger, nutmeg and mixed spice into a large bowl. Mix in the oats.

3. Place the golden syrup, treacle, butter and sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently until melted and well combined. Stir this mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

4. Add the beaten egg and milk to the bowl and mix to make a soft, almost pouring, consistency. Pour the mixture into the cake tin.

5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1-1¼ hours, or until firm in the centre. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5-10 minutes before turning out. Enjoy with a cuppa

I bought this beautiful Yorkshire Rose pennant from Amy Panda – it’s such a lovely thing! Do visit her lovely Etsy shop and support UK handmade. Happy Yorkshire Day!

The post Yorkshire Day parkin appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

Before I go ahead with sharing this recipe with you, I have a few things to admit. 1 – I didn’t make the ice cream for this (I don’t have an ice cream maker, and it would have been a bit difficult with Little One). 2 – the ice cream we bought instead was essentially strawberry ripple – but it did go well! And finally, 3 – I still don’t own an ice cream scoop! Must get around to getting one…I’ve included the ice cream recipe here though in case you want to give it a go, and I’ll certainly be making it one day! The recipe is originally from Delicious Magazine.

Ingredients

150g light muscovado sugar

200g unsalted butter, softened

350g pecans, whizzed to fine crumbs in a food processor

3 large free-range eggs

100ml maple syrup

150g self-raising flour

For the ice cream

500ml whole milk

250ml double cream

1 vanilla pod, split

6 medium free-range egg yolks

250g caster sugar

300g raspberries (see tip)

Juice 1 lemon

For the toffee sauce

100g caster sugar

50ml maple syrup

25g butter

60ml double cream

You’ll also need a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin

Method

1. To make the ice cream, heat the milk, cream and vanilla pod in a medium pan over a low heat until steaming (don’t boil). In a large heatproof mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together with a balloon whisk. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture over, whisking.

2. Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a simmer. Sit the mixing bowl with the custard in it on top of the pan (it needs to sit snugly without the bottom of the bowl touching the water). Slowly heat the custard over a low heat, stirring, until thick. As soon as the custard starts to bubble, pour it into a clean bowl and leave to cool completely. Lightly crush the raspberries with a fork, making sure they still have texture. Set aside. If you have an ice cream machine, pour the custard into the machine and churn as per the instructions. When the ice cream is almost set, transfer to a container and, using a dessert spoon, swirl through the raspberries and lemon juice to create a ripple effect. Cover and freeze (see Make Ahead). If you don’t have an ice cream machine, pour the custard into a sealed container and freeze for 40 minutes. Whizz the semi-frozen ice cream in a food processor, then return to a container to freeze for another 30 minutes. Repeat once more, swirl through the raspberries and lemon juice, then freeze completely.

3. Meanwhile make the cake. Line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking paper. Heat the oven to 170°C/ fan 150°C/gas 3½. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the pecans, then beat in the whole eggs one at a time.

4. Add the 100ml maple syrup and sift over the flour. Fold everything together using a large metal spoon, then spoon into the lined cake tin. Bake for 1 hour or until risen, golden and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

5. For the toffee sauce, melt the sugar in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat without stirring (shake now and then). When deep golden, add the 50ml syrup and the butter, then stir until combined. Take off the heat, then stir in the cream until smooth. Set aside to cool.

6. Serve the cake in slices with the sauce and a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy!

The post Pecan cake with raspberry ripple ice cream appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

This recipe is originally from Delicious Magazine.

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra to grease
250g golden caster sugar
5 medium free-range eggs
175g self-raising flour
75g ground almonds
For the filling
150g unsalted butter, softened
150g icing sugar, plus extra to dust
Zest of 1 large orange
Squeeze of lemon juice
Splash of milk or cream
3 tbsp raspberry jam, at room temperature

Method

1.Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease and line 2 x 20cm shallow sandwich tins with baking paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the 250g butter and golden caster sugar with an electric hand whisk until really light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then fold in the flour and ground almonds.

3. Divide the mixture between the 2 tins, then bake on the middle oven shelf for 20-25 minutes until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Remove the sponges from the oven and leave in the tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To make the filling, put the 150g butter, icing sugar, orange zest and lemon juice into a mixing bowl, then beat together to make a light butter icing. Add a splash of milk or cream if you need to loosen it a little.

5. Put one of the sponges on a serving plate. Spread with the buttercream, then top with the jam Place the other sponge on top, flat side facing down, and press down lightly. Dust with icing sugar, then slice and serve with a mug of tea Enjoy!

If you’d like to see my other Victoria sponge recipes, I have the classic recipe here and a delicious lemon version by Mary Berry here. You may also enjoy this Bakewell cake with raspberry curd filling

Happy baking!

The post Orange and almond Victoria sponge cake appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

The original recipe comes from the Stork website. I also used real butter instead (sorry, Stork!).

Ingredients

For the cake

175g (6 oz) butter

175g (6 oz) caster sugar

175g (6 oz) self raising flour

½ level teaspoon baking powder

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon elderflower cordial

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For the syrup

Juice of 1 lemon, strained

1 tablespoon elderflower cordial

55g (2 oz) caster sugar

For the filling

115g (4 oz) icing sugar

40g (1 ½ oz) butter

1-2 teaspoons elderflower cordial

3-4 tablespoons lemon curd (click here for my recipe – homemade is amazing!)

55g (2 oz) icing sugar for glace icing OR just some for dusting

Method

1. Cream the sugar and butter together until smooth – either in a mixer or by hand. Mix the eggs and the cordial together and then add a little bit at a time until combined. Stir through the lemon zest and then add the flower and baking powder, mixing until combined.

2. Spoon the mixture into 2 greased and base lined 20cm cake tins. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C, 160°C fan oven, Gas 4 for around 30 minutes or until cooked, and then turn out on to a wire tray.

3.  Then put the lemon juice, elderflower and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Whilst cake is still warm, make a few deep holes with a skewer and pour the syrupy mixture over the cake so that it soaks into the cake.

4. Place the icing sugar, butter and elderflower in a bowl and beat well until smooth. Spread the base cake half with 1/3 of the icing and 1/3 lemon curd, and then top with the second cake. You can decorate with a thin glace icing made with the icing sugar and a little lemon juice and drizzled over the top of the cake, or you could just dust it with icing sugar instead.

Enjoy!

The post Lemon and elderflower drizzle cake appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

This recipe is taken from the July 2015 issue of Olive Magazine.

Ingredients

200g shortcrust pastry (I made my own – see this recipe for quantities and method)

150g fat-free quark

1 egg, beaten

1 lemon, zested

A small bunch of dill, finely chopped

3 courgettes, sliced into long thin strips

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Roll out the pastry to fit a 21cm x 4cm deep tart tin. Cover with baking parchment and pour in some baking beans, before blind baking for 15 minutes or until the pastry is set and the base no longer looks damp. Remove the beans and cook for another 5 minutes.

2. Mix the quark, egg, lemon zest, dill and season well. Spread into the cooked pastry case.

3. Stack a handful of the courgette ribbons on top of each other, then start to roll into a pinwheel, continually adding lengths. Position this i the centre of the pastry case, on top of the quark mix, and keep adding new outer layers to the wheel to create the circle (holding on to what you have already put in as you do so). Keep adding the slices until the courgette slices start to lean on the edge of the case and hold themselves in.

4. Cook for 40-50 minutes, or until the courgette has softened and is turning golden, and the liquid given off by the courgette has evaporated. Rest the tart for 10 minutes before cutting into slices. Serve with salad and a few new potatoes – yum!

Hope you’ve all had a super weekend!

The post Spiral courgette tart appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

Martha very kindly wrote out the recipe for me – thanks to Mum for passing it on!

Ingredients

175g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

150g butter

150g caster sugar

2 large eggs

150g plain natural yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 apple (peeled, cored and chopped)

50g oats

250g cherries (washed and stones removed – you could use frozen but fresh are better)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (160 fan) gas mark 4. Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl and set aside.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in 2 tbsp of the flour mixture and then add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat well.

3. Gradually add in the flour mix and the yoghurt until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chopped apple, oats and cherries and then pour into a lined tin – I used my brownie pan which was the perfect size. Level the mixture with a palette knife.

4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, cover and then bake for a further 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin.

Enjoy! It is delicious on its own or with custard!

The post Martha’s apple and cherry traybake appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

Ingredients (serves 8)

175g butter, softened

100g light muscovado sugar

200g canned caramel

1 x 9g sachet vanilla paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

2 large eggs

175g plain flour

100g ground almonds

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of ground ginger

Chocolate decorations (optional)

For the caramel buttercream

45g butter, softened

100g canned caramel

300g icing sugar

Pinch of cinnamon

1-2 tbsp milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C (180 fan)/gas mark 6. Grease and line two 18cm round sandwich tine.

2. Beat the butter, sugar and caramel using a wooden spoon or electric mixer until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla paste or extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and adding a tablespoon of flour with the final egg to prevent curdling.

3. Add the rest of the flour, almonds, baking powder and spices and continue beating until thoroughly combined. Divide the mixture between the tins, spreading it evenly.

4. Bake the sponges for 25-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into each centre comes out clean and the tops are springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Meanwhile, make the buttercream. Beat the butter and caramel until creamy, then sift in the icing sugar and cinnamon and beat until smooth. Add the milk a little at a time, until the mixture has a spreading consistency.

6. To assemble the cake, spread a layer of buttercream over one of the cooled sponges, then top with the other spine and cover the top of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Decorate with sprinkles and then cut a big slice – enjoy!

The post Caramel cake appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

This recipe comes from the BBC Good Food Magazine website, and originally appeared in the magazine in January 2002.

Ingredients

For the cake

225g softened butter, plus extra for greasing

225g golden caster sugar

4 medium eggs

2 limes, grated zest and juice

250g self-raising flour, sifted with a pinch of salt, plus extra flour

25g ground almonds

100g each blueberries and raspberries

For the syrup

8 tbsp lime juice (about 4 limes)

1 lime, grated zest

140g golden caster sugar

Method

1. Line the base and sides of a 20cm/8in square cake tin (not loose-based) with greaseproof paper and butter the paper. Set oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour towards the end to prevent curdling. Beat in the lime zest, then fold in the flour and almonds. Fold in enough lime juice – about 3 tablespoons – to give you a good dropping consistency (the mixture should drop easily from the spoon when tapped).

3. Fold in three quarters of the blueberries and raspberries and turn into the prepared tin. Smooth the surface, then scatter the remaining fruit on top – it will sink as the cake rises.

4. Bake for about 1 hour (cover with foil if beginning to brown too much), or until firm to a gentle prod in the centre. A skewer pushed into the centre should be clean when removed.

5. Meanwhile make the syrup: put the lime juice, zest and sugar in a small saucepan. Put over a gentle heat and stir, without allowing to bubble. The sugar should dissolve a little. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, prick all over with a skewer then spoon the syrup over it. To store, cool before wrapping in paper and/or foil.

6. Carefully remove the cake from the tin, discard the lining paper and cut into 12 pieces to serve. Enjoy!

The post Raspberry and blueberry lime drizzle cake appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

The recipe I used for these is the same one that I used for my Pac Man Biscuits, and I also made a batch of vanilla buttercream (the same one I used here). It makes about 24 biscuits (with both layers) and I only used half of the buttercream, so froze the rest.

Ingredients

For the biscuits

100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
100g/3½oz caster sugar
1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
275g/10oz plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling

250g icing sugar, sifted (plus extra for dusting)

80g unsalted butter, at room temperature

25ml semi skimmed milk

A drop of good quality vanilla extract

Seedless raspberry jam

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, a little at a time, until well combined.

3. Stir in the flour until the mixture comes together as a dough. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1cm/½in.

4.Using biscuit cutters, cut biscuits out of the dough and carefully place onto the baking tray. I found that the star shape was the most difficult to cut out (you may need a knife to help you get them out), but managed to cut the others just fine.

5. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Keep an eye on them as they turn brown very quickly! Set aside to harden for 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

6. To make the buttercream, cream together the butter and icing sugar. Add the milk and vanilla extract and beat until smooth – if you can do this bit in a mixer or with a handheld mixer, you’ll get it really smooth!

7. Take a cold biscuit base and spread a little buttercream over it. Repeat with the jam – place a little in a bowl and give it a good stir to loosen in first (you don’t need to heat it as you would with a cake). Don’t go mad with the spreading of the jam or it will just go everywhere when you put the top on, but make sure that there is enough jam where the face will be! Place the top in position, and repeat until all the biscuits are done.

I think it’s definitely time to enjoy at least one of these with a cuppa now!

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Ingredients

150g/5oz light brown sugar

50g/2oz butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 tbsp water

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

200g/7oz plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, water and bananas until well blended. Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and baking powder, and mix well until everything is combined.

3. Pour into the loaf tin – it will rise well so leave a couple of centimetres from the top to allow for this (you can make muffins if there’s any mixture left).

4. Bake for about an hour until the top is firm and golden brown. When removed from the oven, allow to cool on its side in the tin for 10 minutes, before removing and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack.

This banana bread will keep in an air-tight tin for a few days – if it lasts that long!

Post updated 2nd July 2016.

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I’ve had a few recipes saved up for the time when we don’t have a kitchen, and this recipe for chocolate and salted caramel squares is one of them. I apologise if you’re trying to be healthy there are some links to healthier things at the bottom of this post! The original title of this recipe (which I found on the BBC website) is ‘Salted chocolate and caramel squares’ – but as you can see, I’ve changed it slightly as it makes far more sense to me this way around! Whatever you decide to call them, this is a delicious twist on the traditional millionaire’s shortbread and the almonds and vanilla in the base are simply delicious. The caramel here is fairly runny and I could not get it to thicken up, so next time I make it I might use the recipe that I use for millionnaire’s flapjack with the addition of some salt. But if you prefer your caramel slightly thinner, this works just fine (and it tastes delicious anyway!).

Chocolate and salted caramel squares: ingredients

For the base
2 tbsp butter, for greasing
175g/6oz plain flour
25g/1oz cornflour
50g/2oz golden caster sugar
85g/3oz finely chopped toasted almonds
140g/5oz unsalted butter
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out

For the caramel
225g/8oz golden caster sugar
100ml/3½fl oz water
150ml/5fl oz single cream
50g/2oz butter, cubed
½ tsp salt

For the topping
225g/9oz dark chocolate, 70 per cent cocoa solids
85g/3oz butter

Method

1. For the base, preheat the oven to 160C/310F/Gas 3. Grease a 20cm x 23cm/8in x 9in baking tin with butter.

2. Sift the flour, cornflour and sugar into a large bowl. Stir in the almonds, then rub in the butter and vanilla seeds.

3. Press the mixture into the base of the prepared tin. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until lightly golden. Allow to cool.

4. For the caramel, place the sugar and water into a heavy-based pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until it turns dark amber.

5. Stir in the cream, taking care as it will bubble up. Stir in the butter and salt. Pour the caramel over the shortbread and leave to cool (I put it in the fridge overnight, but a few hours would do it).

6. For the topping, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Pour the chocolate over the caramel and smooth out with a wet palette knife.

7. Place into the fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes, until firm. Cut into 16 pieces and serve.

Post updated 2nd October 2020.

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I had a look on the internet and came across this recipe on This Cotswold Girl‘s blog (which is fab – lots of lovely recipes and things!). Let’s face it, anything with Nutella in it has to be good. And a little bit dangerous. My mission is to not eat what’s left out of the jar with a spoon…but I did test it out beforehand, just to check it was ok… I did also overfill the loaf tin slightly, on account of the fact that we had already packed the muffin tin and cases, so it isn’t the prettiest cake I’ve ever made – BUT it would look better if I hadn’t done that, so I’m sure yours will look amazing! It tastes SO good though, and you just have to give it a go – we only eat bananas in cake and we love this one.

Ingredients

4 large / 5 small black / old bananas (don’t use ripe ones – it doesn’t taste as good)

100g butter

140g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 eggs

140g light brown sugar

4 heaped tbsp Nutella

2 tbsp milk

Method

1. Mash up the bananas with a fork in a mixing bowl

2. Add in all other ingredients – bar the milk and Nutella – and stir until it forms a smooth mixture. (You could soften the butter in the bowl first and mix in a bit of sugar to get it going – I’m going to do this next time.)

3. Heat the milk and Nutella in a pan over a low heat to form a smooth, chocolatey liquid

4. Pour the Nutella into the mixing bowl and roughly fold in. Don’t mix in completely as you’ll want it to form a marbled mixture.

5. Pour into a loaf tin and bake for 30-40 minutes at 180C (it took about 55 in our oven, so just keep an eye on it!). Leave to cool before removing from the tin and eating. Best enjoyed with a cuppa

The post Banana and Nutella cake appeared first on Hello! Hooray!.

Ingredients

225g self-raising flour
¼ tsp salt
50g slightly salted butter, chilled, cut in small pieces
25g golden caster sugar
100g glacé cherries, chopped (optional)
125ml buttermilk
4 tbsp full-fat milk
a little extra flour for dusting
strawberry jam and clotted cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C and lightly butter a baking sheet (unless you’re using a non-stick sheet). Tip the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt. Add the butter, then rub together with your fingers to make a reasonably fine crumbed mixture, lifting to aerate the mixture as you go. Try not to overrub, as the mixture will be lighter if it’s a little bit flaky. Now stir in the sugar before adding the cherries. Mix well.

2. Measure the buttermilk, then mix in the milk to slacken it. Make a bit of a well in the middle of the flour mixture with a round-bladed knife, then pour in most of this buttermilk mixture, holding a little bit back in case it’s not needed. Using the knife, gently work the mixture together until it forms a soft, almost sticky, dough. Work in any loose dry bits of mixture with the rest of the buttermilk. Don’t overwork at this point or you will toughen the dough.

3. Lift the ball of soft dough out of the bowl and put it on to a very lightly floured surface. Knead the mixture just 3-4 times to get rid of the cracks.

4. Pat the dough gently with your hands to a thickness of no less than 2cm and no more than 2.5cm. Dip a 5.5cm round fluted cutter into a bowl of flour – this helps to stop the dough sticking to it, then cut out the scones by pushing down quickly and firmly on the cutter with the palm of your hand – don’t twist it.You will hear the dough give a big sigh as the cutter goes in. Gather the trimmings lightly then pat and cut out a couple more scones.

5. Place on the baking sheet and sift over a light dusting of flour or glaze if you wish. Bake for 10-12 minutes until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack, uncovered if you prefer crisp tops, or covered loosely with a cloth for soft ones.

6. Serve with jam and a generous mound of clotted cream (Cornish people put cream first, then jam, Devonians the other way round). Eat them as fresh as you can – or pop them in the freezer once cooled.

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