Lemon Drizzle Loaf

The fam always asking for this cake, it is easy enough to whip up in the morning & serve it at tea time, still warm if your lucky.  

You can bake in a circular tin if you haven't got a loaf tin.

The recipe is from Peyton & Byrne's British Baking.

175g softened butter, plus extra for greasing

175g caster sugar

a pinch of salt

finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons

2 eggs

75ml milk

175g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Glaze

100g caster sugar

juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3. Butter a 900g loaf tin and line the bottom with baking paper.

Beat the softened butter, sugar and salt in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and whisk well until fully incorporated. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the milk. Sift the flour and baking powder together and gently fold into the mixture until well combined, but don't over mix

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level off the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. When the cake is completely cook, transfer to a serving plate.

Make the drizzle for the glaze by heating the caster sugar and the juice of the lemon in a heavy-bottomed pan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid becomes syrupy.

 Prick the top of the cake all over with a skewer and then pour the syrup over the top, letting it sink into the holes, to become absorbed by the cake, and drizzle down the sides. The cake will keep in an airtight tin for 3-4 days.

The BEST Sausage Rolls

Everyone loves sausage rolls right?  If you make these everyone will love you too.  

Please buy sausages from your butchers for these, supermarket ones just won't do the job.

The recipe can be found here on The Guardian's 'How to bake: hot crust sausage roll' by Dan Lepard.

Raspberry & Vanilla Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for my friend Chloe's hen weekend.  Pink, glitter, hearts & cake .... surely a combo that any girl would appreciate!

I bought ready made & coloured  icing, which I rolled out & cut heart shapes out of, I then sprayed the hearts with a little water & sprinkled some edible glitter over. 

Sponge

110g butter

110g caster sugar

2 eggs

110g self-raising flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

150g butter

300g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional filling

A few tablespoons of raspberry jam for the filling

Preheat the oven to 160oC

To make the cupcakes, mix all of the sponge ingredients together in a large bowl.

Put a spoonful of sponge mixture (around 50g) into a cupcake case.

Bake for around 20 minutes, or until springy when touched.

Leave to cool.

Beat together the butter, icing sugar & vanilla with an electric whisk until smooth & fluffy.  You may need to add a little milk if your icing appears too thick.

Place the icing into a piping bag.

If you are filling your cupcakes with jam, use a small round object (a small cosmetic bottle lid works well), or a knife to cut a round circle out of the top of the cupcake sponge.  If using a lid, push down into the surface of the sponge & twist a little, this should ease the sponge out from the centre & leave you with a small hole.

Put a couple of tablespoons of jam into a piping bag & pipe the jam into the holes.

Pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cakes in a swirl shape.

Roll out the coloured icing using a little icing sugar to stop it from stick to your work surface, cut heart shapes out of the icing using a cookie cutter.  

Spray the heart shape pieces of icing with water & sprinkle over the glitter, leave to cool then place on top of the buttercream icing.

Coconut & Lime Cake

I find people either love or hate coconut, I love it.  I guess that's alright then ....

I tweaked this recipe a little, adding lime curd to the filling & drizzling the sponges with rum, well, you can't have coconut without rum, can you?

The recipe is from Peyton & Byrne & has been adapted from the coconut & raspberry fairy cakes, I just doubled the mixture & divided it into two 10" tins.

Sponge

200g

4 eggs

300g self-raising flour

60g desiccated coconut

120g natural yogurt

Coconut Icing

2 large eggs 

115g caster sugar

175g unsalted butter

50 ml coconut milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 170oC/gas 3

Grease & line two 10" tins

In a bowl cream the butter & sugar & sugar together until pale & fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Sift the flour into the creamed mixture & mix until all the flour is well incorporated.  Add the coconut & yogurt and mix just until incorporated.  Divide the mixture between two tins & bake for about 35 - 40 minutes until the cakes are springy to touch.

Turn out out the cakes onto a cooling rack.

Combine the egg whites & caster sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water & whisk continuously by hand until the sugar has dissolved (about 8 - 10 minutes).  Test by rubbing a small amount between your fingertips; it should feel completely smooth, with no sugar grains.

When the sugar has dissolved & the syrup is warm to the touch, remove the bowl from the pan.

Using an electric had-held whisk, whisk for about 10 minutes until fluffy peaks form & the mixture has cooled (check by touching the bottom of the bowl).

The meringue needs to be completely cool before adding the butter.

Start by adding small lumps of the softened butter a little at a time, whisking well after each addition & scraping down the bowl from time to time.  The icing may appear to curdle & split  as you add the butter, but keep going & it will come back together again.

Gradually add the shaken coconut milk & the vanilla extract until everything is well incorporated & the icing is smooth.

Gluten-free Pecan Pie

First pecan pie I've made. Ever.  You don't have to make this gluten free, just make a normal sweet shortcrust pastry.  I must say, it was rather tasty.  Serve it warm with lashings of cream .....

The recipe is from Leon Baking & Puddings.

Serves 8 - 10

For the sweet pastry

150g butter

100g caster sugar

1 free-range egg, 1 yolk

270g gluten-free plain flour (I used Doves Farm)

For the Filling

50g butter

225g golden syrup

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 teaspoon cornflour

2 large free-range eggs

200g pecan nut halves

Cream together the butter & sugar until smooth.

Add the egg & egg yolk & mix until fully incorporated.  Add the flour & quickly bring it together in a ball.  Wrap the pastry in clingfilm & refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Butter a 23-25cm fluted flan till.

Roll the pastry out on a floured surface to about 3-5mm thick & line your tart case with it.  

Trim the edges & chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 160oC/325oF/gas mark 3

Line the chilled pastry case with baking paper , & fill it with baking beans.  Bake in the oven for 20 minutes then remove the baking beans.  Return to the oven for another 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Put the butter & golden syrup into a saucepan over a low heat.  When the mixture becomes runny, take it off the heat & whisk in the sugar.

In a bowl, whisk the cornflour & eggs until smooth then add it to the syrup & butter mixture.

Fill the pastry case with the pecan halves.  Pour the golden syrup mixture on top and fill it up to just below the edge of the case.  Put into the oven, making sure not to spill any liquid over the sides, this might make it difficult to remove from the tin once baked.

Bake for around 40 minutes, or until the tart is golden in colour & it has slightly risen in the middle.

Watermelon & Feta Salad

I don't like melon .... well, I didn't, until I made this little beaut of a salad.

It goes fantastically well with my Dr Pepper Ribs.

800g watermelon, chopped

 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

200g feta, crumbled 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

micro herbs

Put the watermelon, feta & red onion into a bowl & toss.

Drizzle with the olive oil, lemon juice & some seasoning.

Garnish with the micro herbs.

Dr Pepper Ribs

Once you have made these ribs, you will never want to order ribs off a menu again .... they just won't compare.  Try them & you'll know what I'm talking about.  This recipe is from Delicious Magazine.

Serves 4 as a main

1.5kg British pork spare ribs

2 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

2 litres Dr Pepper

125g soft brown sugar

60ml maple syrup

125ml tomato ketchup

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

60 ml soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 160oC/fan140oC/gas 3.  Line 2 large roasting trays will foil.

Divide the ribs, star anise & cinnamon between the trays & pour 750ml of Dr Pepper into each tray.

Cover with more foil and roast for 90 minutes or until the meat is tender & cooked through.

For the glaze, put the remaining 500ml of Dr Pepper and the remaining ingredients into a pan & cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes until reduces by about half.  Stir the mixture throughout to avoid burning.

Remove the ribs from the oven & discard any cooking liquid in the tin.

Turn the oven up to 180oC/160oC/gas 4.  

Put the ribs on a roasting rack set over a tray, using a pastry brush, coat the ribs with the glaze.

Roast for 15 minutes, turn the ribs over & baste with more glaze.

Cook the ribs, turning and basting every 15 minutes for a further 30 - 45 minutes or until dark & sticky.