Shortbread Worthy of a Millionaire

The best thing about millionaire shortbread is the variety of textures. You get the crumbly base, the gooey caramel and the melt in your mouth chocolate which all come together to creat a lovely, but pretty sinful, treat,

Ingredients for the shortbread

250g Plain Flour

75g Caster sugar

175g Butter

Ingredients for the caramel

100g Butter or Margarine

100g Light muscovado sugar

2 397g tins Condensed milk

Ingredients for the topping

200g plain or milk chocolate broken into pieces

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Lightly grease a rectangle tin
2. To make the shortbread, mix the flour and caster sugar in a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Squeeze the bread crumbs into a ball and place in the baking tray. Then press into the base of the prepared tin. Prick the shortbread lightly with a fork and bake in the Pre heated oven for about 20 mins or until firm to the touch and very lightly browned.
3. Leave to cool in the tin.
4. To make the caramel, measure the butter, sugar and condensed milk into a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
5. Bring to boil, stirring all the time, then reduce the heat a gently simmer stirring all the time for approximately 5 mins when you will be able to feel that the mixture has thickened. Once done pour over the shortbread and Leave to cool.
6. For topping, melt the chocolate slowly. And pour over the cold caramel and leave to set.
7. Once set, cut into squares carefully. And then help yourself.

Raspberry and white Chocolate wonders

We had a mother daughter bring your own cake afternoon, And my chosen treat to bring was the luxurious white chocolate and raspberry muffins and they were made in minutes and tasted great.

Ingredients

300g Plain flour

1tbsp Baking powder

100g Caster sugar

100g Unsalted butter

2 Large eggs

200ml semi-skimmed milk

150g Fresh Raspberries

100g White chocolate

1. Preheat the one to 200 degrees, line your muffin tins with 12 cases.
2. Mix together the flour, baking powder and sugar.
3. In a separate bowl melt the butter, the add the milk and eggs to it. Combined all well and then transfer the liquid into the dry ingredients.
4. Make sure you mix thoroughly so the baking powder is all combined.
5. Stir in the raspberries but leave 12 to put on top of the cupcakes, then add the chocolate and spread equally.
6. Spoon the mixture 3/4s full into the muffin cases and then top each with the saved raspberries.
7. Cook for 15 to 20mins or until golden on top.

These muffins contain such lovely ingredients that I don't think anything can top them if you want a quick and easy beautiful cakes.

Once it's Scone it's Gone

You can't beat an Beautiful Afternoon tea spread. And these scones make the perfect treat with a slight twist. Three ingredients is all it takes to make a luxurious scone.

Ingredients
325g Self-raising flour
170ml Lemonade
170ml

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees, line a baking tray with grease proof paper and sprinkle over a little bit of flour.
2. In one bowl sift the flour, in a jug measure out the two liquids. Pour over the flour and fold in to form a wet dough. But make sure you don't over fold or the dough will become to tough.
3. Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Then flatten out to approximately 2cm thick.
4. Using a cutter to make your scone shapes. And move onto the prepared tray. Once on brush over a small amount of eggs. Make sure not to put to much as it will give a strong taste to your scones.
5. Place into the oven for 15 mins, or until lightly golden on top and make a hollow noise when you tap the bottom.

For a perfect tea time scone make sure to fill with clotted cream and jam of your choosing (my favourite is strawberry). Tea with a cup of tea out of the pot and enjoy.

Coca cola cake

I love it when a birthday comes in the family (obviously the most when it's mine) because it gives me an excuse to get my bake on. And as it was my mothers birthday I thought only except able to make the biggest chocolate cake I know. I decided on a chocolate coca cola cake, the tastiest chocolate cake I know. The extra coca cola makes a moist and delicious cake.

Ingredients For the cake

250g Self raising flour

300g Golden caster sugar

3 Heaped tbsp cocoa

Generous pinch bicarbonate of soda

250g Butter

250ml Coca cola

125ml Milk

2 Eggs beaten

1 Tsp Vanilla extract

For the Icing

100g Butter

2 Tbsp Coca cola

2 Tbsp Cocoa

200g Icing sugar

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. Sift all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combined.

3. Melt the butter in a pan the pour in the cocoa cola, on a gentle heat but don't let boil. Then add to the dry mixture.

4. Also mix in the milk, eggs and vanilla and combined all together gentle but thoroughly.

5. Pour the mixture into a well greased and floured removable bottoms tin. Bake for about 50mins or until firm and no loose mixture if skewered inserted in the centre.

6. While cooking make the icing, put the butter cocoa cola and cocoa in a pan and melt slowly. Bring mixture to boil and then pour onto icing sugar. And combined well.

7. Once cooked bring out of the oven and leave to cool slightly for 15 mins.

8. Before completely cooled pour the icing over the cake. Then leave the cake to cool.

9. Slice and enjoy.

Banana and Butterscotch Pudding

I am finally home for Easter and can now bake lots again!

What is even better is that I have 4 weeks to bake with Imogen and we have some awesome things to make and decorate.

Today we had our own Mother's day seeing as we are now all home. We split the meals, my brother took on the brunch with eggs Benedict it was soooo good I wish he had made lots more! My sister made a seafood pasta for our main and I made the banana and butterscotch pudding. 

I followed a simple recipe on the internet, and really enjoyed making it as you think it shouldn't work but it does....I'll explain.

Ingredients 

For the banana cake:

120g plain flour

1 pinch salt

120g caster sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 banana, mashed

200ml milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

85g unsalted butter, melted

For the butterscotch sauce:

140g brown sugar

4 tbsp golden syrup

250ml water, boiling

1. My First step was to preheat the oven to 180C. Then sift the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in a bowl.
2. Next add the banana, milk, egg, butter and vanilla and whisk together until everything is well combined. (Now i'm back home I get to use my mum's Kenwood Mixer!!)
3. Once combined, pour the mix into a greased dish a put aside.

4. The next job is the sauce, place the sugar syrup and water in a pan and bring to the boil. When it becomes runny and most of the sugar is dissolved, it's ready!

5. Here's the bit that makes you think, how does this work?!? Pour the sauce over the banana mixture, try pouring evenly around the entire dish and watch the butterscotch sink to the bottom.

6. Pop in the over and bake for approximately 35 minutes. 

When baked the pudding will be very hot because of the butterscotch sauce so be careful. This dish is best served straight out of the oven with vanilla ice-cream or custard.

As you break into the pudding, the banana bread should be light and steaming, with the bottom soaked in the sauce, fill each bowl and make sure you scoop the extra sauce in the bottom of the dish!!

Unfortunately within seconds this bake was almost gone, but i managed to save one picture for you, I promise I'll do better in the future, I know how important pictures are, I LOVE staring at food!!

(I know it looks a bit soggy but trust me the butterscotch is delicious!)

Enjoy...

Ginger Goodies

A classic for me is the good old ginger bread man. I got my recipe from Blue Peter years ago. And now I will show you a few I made earlier!
Going with my decorating theme, today was the first time I have completed the whole process of baking and decorating a ginger bread man - usually they are scoffed before they get anywhere near a piping bag!

Gingerbread Men

Ingredients for biscuits

250g Plain flour

100g Margarine

1 tsp orange juice

100g Brown sugar

2 tsps Ground ginger

1 tbsp Black treacle

1 tbsp Golden syrup

Ingredients for decoration

5 tbsp Icing sugar

1 tbsp water

Pink food colouring

Smarties (or chosen sweet)

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. Weigh out the flour, margarine and orange juice, stir together.

3. When mixed add the sugar and ginger.

4. Put 2 table spoons into a cup of boiled water to warm.

5. Using the warmed spoons, add the golden syrup and black treacle and gradually stir in with your hands to form a stiffer mix.

6. Once combined form into a ball and place onto a lightly floured surface.

7. Roll out mixture to the thickness of 1cm or to your own choice depending on the texture of biscuit you desire. The thicker the softer.

8. Using chosen cutters cut out biscuits and place onto a grease proof paper lined tray.

9. Re roll the excess mixture. And cut out again. Try and use as much of the mixture as possible. ( fun tip, if you have kids let them try and making other objects with the left overs, my favourite used to be a snail simple and easily recognisable)

10. Cook in the Pre heated over for 10 mins

11. Once cooked bring out to cool. While cooling start on the icing.

12. Mix icing sugar in a bowl with water. Add extra if needed to make the correct consistency

13. Place cooled ginger bread men on a tray for decoration.

14. Simply pipe 2 white dots for eyes and 2 large dollops on the tummy for the buttons.

15. When all the white icing is done add a few drops of food colouring. Use this coloured icing to make a mouth on the face. And add the smarties onto the white dollops on the stomach.

Now enjoy these easy to make and personalised biscuits. Great for all ages. And the perfect ginger goody.

Although these are great for all ages another ginger treat enjoyed more by the adults are the ginger tray bakes. A more cakey product which can be enjoyed with a cup of tea or an after dinner treat warmed up served with ice cream

Ginger Tray Bake

Ingredients

175g Unsalted butter

150g Muscavado sugar

175g Golden syrup

2 large eggs beaten

225g Self raising flour

100g Wholemeal flour

2 tsp ground ginger

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease a deep square tin and Lin the base with greaseproof paper.

2. Place the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a sauce pan and heat gently, stirring until melted, remove from heat.

3. Beat in the eggs, flour and ground ginger, beat thoroughly to mix evenly.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and cook for 40-45 mins or until risen and firm to touch.

5. Allow to cool in the tray, the remove and cut into square.

6. Enjoy!

A yummy treat with a full ginger flavour. You could even add some decoration or icing to make it a more tempting snack.

Iced To Perfection

So I have never been to into decorating the goodies I bake. Souly because I am to desperate to get them in my stomach and the waiting for them to cool and then ice just takes much to long. But this weekend I was brought a decorating magazine. And now I am desperate to get icing.

I can not wait until the Easter holiday where some of the amazing looking treats in this magazine will be part of our mass bake. And by the end of 4 weeks hopefully they will look just as tasty as they do in the magazine.

There are examples of royals icing designs, biscuit treats, and even the extra decorations to add to your iced products. And the brilliance of this present is the freebies. A free cake stand, two butterfly cutters and some lovely pink glitter. All the things you need to make some good looking snacks.