COOKBOOKS GALORE

I made a couple of batches of cookies recently, so thought I'd post the recipes here. They're both very easy and quick to make. The first one is for Chocolate-chip and Oats cookies, and the second one is for Ginger and Chocolate cookies. For the Choc-chip and Oats ones  - Preheat oven 180C/gas4  Mixture makes enough cookies to cover 3 baking sheets, but I did it in 2 batches, as I only have 2 baking sheets. Beat together 125g butter, 100g soft brown sugar, 110g caster sugar and 1/2 tspn vanilla extract till pale and thick, using an electric hand beater, then beat in 1 egg. Fold in 110g oats [not the jumbo ones]. sieve 150g plain flour with 1/2 tspn baking powder and 1/2 tspn bicarb. together and fold into mixture. Finally fold in 175g dark chocolate which has been chopped [not too small] and 150g peeled and chopped hazelnuts [you could toast them first]. Using a tablespoon or an ice cream scoop, put balls of dough onto the baking sheets, leaving a space between eac...

Ever since Paul Hollywood made some biscotti on GBBO, I've wanted to make some. I found a couple of recipes on line that I liked, so I took ideas from them and made some chocolate ones. Also had a packet of hazelnuts in the cupboard that needed using, so added those to the mix. Preheat oven 180c/gas4          Line 2 baking trays with silicone or baking parchment I used a food processor  - put in 320g plain flour, 30g cocoa, 1 tspn bicarbonate of soda, 160g chocolate chunks, milk or plain, 250g hazelnuts and 1 tspn salt and pulse till the chocolate and hazelnuts are pea size. Beat 4 large eggs and 200g caster sugar till fluffy then add the flour mixture and fold in - or use a food mixer on low speed. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and divide into 3. Shape each into a 45cm log. Put onto the baking trays and flatten gently. Brush the tops with egg wash made from a beaten egg white and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 20-25mins then c...

 Yet another loaf cake to add to my collection! This is basically a pound cake or Sandkuchen with the addition of ground hazelnuts. 250g unsalted butter at room temperature 250g caster sugar 4 large eggs 250g plain flour 2 tspns baking powder 100g ground hazelnuts Preheat oven to 180°C/ gas 4 Grease a 900g loaf tin. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 5 with a hand-held. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually add the sieved flour and baking powder, a third at a time, until each third is well incorporated. Finally add the ground hazelnuts and mix them in well.  Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for about 60 minutes until it is well risen and firm to the touch. If it starts to brown too much cover the top with foil. When it's cooked, cool on a wire rack. You can ring the changes by adding two chopped apples instead for an apple cake, 150g chopped...

I've started making bread again and trying different flours. I bought some spelt last week and made a lovely loaf with it. I had some left, so made some of these little cakes for my friend, who came to have a cuppa with me yesterday. The recipe was on my bag of flour. 175g butter, softened 175g caster sugar 3 eggs 150g spelt flour pinch of salt 1 tspn baking powder 25g cornflour 3 tbspn milk 10tbspn honey, warmed 25g hazelnuts or pistachios, chopped Preheat oven 180C/gas4 Grease 10 - 12 small rectangular tins, a 12 hole 'financier' tin [I bought mine in France] or a 12 hole muffin tin. Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly, beating between each addition. Fold in the spelt flour, the salt and the cornflour. Add the milk and mix till smooth. Divide into the tins and bake for 20 mins, till golden and firm. When cool, drizzle each cake with a tbspn of warm honey and sprinkle with the nuts. You can make a loaf cake in a 900g ...

There seem to be a lot of blueberries on offer in the supermarkets, so decided to buy some to try out a recipe given to me by my friend. She says it's a cross between a blueberry muffin and an old fashioned cheesecake with a cream cheese filling. Sounds interesting. I think the original recipe must be American, as it's called a coffeecake. Topping : 120g butter, softened 150g sugar 30g brown sugar 60g chopped nuts 11/2 tspn cinnamon 1/2tspn nutmeg Cream cheese filling : 375g cream cheese 90g sugar 1 egg grated rind of a lemon 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tspn almond essence Cake : 500g plain flour 4 tspn baking powder 1 tspn salt 120g butter, softened 300g sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1 tspn almond essence 300ml milk 750g fresh blueberries Preheat oven 375F/190C/gas 5 Generously butter a 32x22cm [13x9"] glass baking dish Topping - rub all the ingredients together till large crumbs. Filling - soften cheese and beat with the sugar using an electric mixer t...

Apparently today is National Nutella day. I love any combination of chocolate and hazelnuts, so I decided to make a really easy biscuit that I've made many times for my children and grandchildren. Don't know where the original recipe came from - it's in my handwritten notebook. I've made them with jam and with lemon curd, as well as with Nutella. It makes about 18 biscuits. 175g butter 175g caster sugar 1 egg 175g plain flour 125g plain flour Nutella Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper. Preheat oven 180C/gas 4 Beat the butter and sugar together using a mixer till nice and fluffy. Beat in the egg then add the flours, a bit at a time. Leave the dough for about an hour to rest. Take out tbspns of the mixture, roll into a ball then flatten on the baking sheet. Press your thumb in the top to make a hole. Fill the hole with Nutella. Make sure you space the biscuits out on the baking sheet, because they spread. Bake for about 12 mins. Cool on a wi...

This recipe is supposed to have Romanian origins. I've tweaked it a bit, substituting hazelnuts for the original walnuts, and making it a coffee cake, as I love the combination of hazelnuts and coffee. It's the filling that makes this different from the usual Victoria sandwich. 175g butter 175g caster sugar 175g sr flour 1 tspn vanilla essence 3 eggs 2 tbspns coffee essence [I used Camp] or you could use instant coffee dissolved in hot water Filling : 100g ground hazelnuts 1 tbspn milk 1 tbspn rum 25g sugar icing sugar for the top Preheat oven 180C/350F/gas 4 Grease and line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins Cream together the butter and sugar, add the eggs and vanilla essence and fold in the flour. Divide the mixture between the 2 tins. Bake for 20-25 mins till golden. Leave to cool in the tins for about 5 mins then put the cakes onto a wire rack. Filling - you can grind whole hazelnuts finely in a coffee grinder or, as I did, buy them ready ground...

I love traybakes, so I've treated myself to a new tin - the Wilton 'Biscuit/Brownie' pan [28x18cm]. Now I'm fired up to try it out! I bought some hazelnuts in Waitrose recently, so thought I'd make something using them. This recipe is adapted from one that was in a magazine some time ago. I like the idea of a crumble base and then the cake mixture on top of it. 300g plain flour 175g butter cut into pieces 350g demerara sugar 200ml creme fraiche 2 eggs 3 tspns baking powder [level] 150g hazelnuts chopped in half preheat oven 180C/gas4 Grease and line the tin with baking parchment. Sift flour into a bowl and rub in the butter. Stir in the sugar. Sprinkle 350g of this mixture into the tin and press it down. Beat the eggs and creme fraiche together and stir in the rest of the crumble mixture and baking powder. Pour this over the crumble mixture. Arrange the hazelnuts on top, pressing gently. Bake in middle of the oven for about 45 mins. I found that the n...