COOKBOOKS GALORE

This is a 'healthier' version of my favourite cake! By this I mean that it uses oil instead of butter! I love the combination of coffee and walnuts, and this loaf cake is cut into three layers, which are filled with a cream mixture, and then the top is iced and decorated with walnuts.  Preheat oven 190C/gas5 and grease and line a 900g loaf tin. In a large bowl put 225g light muscovado sugar, 225g sr flour and1/2tpsn salt and mix together. Add 225ml vegetable oil [I used rapeseed], 4 egg yolks, 50ml strong espresso coffee and 50ml milk; beat in until well mixed and smooth. Beat the egg whites till stiff and fold into the batter, half at a time. Stir in 75g of chopped walnuts. Pour the mixture into the tin and tap to level it. Bake for about 50 mins till well risen. leave to cool in the tin for about 10 mins then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. In a bowl pour 300ml of double cream;  add 1 tspn of strong coffee powder and 1 tbspn of caster sugar and beat well...

Yet another loaf cake to add to my repertoire - well the recipe used a 900g loaf tin, but I wanted a round cake so used a 20cm springform tin. Inspiration for the cake was a few very ripe bananas in the fruit bowl. I rarely use alcohol in cakes, but this time I did what the recipe said, and soaked the sultanas in the rum. I wanted to try a different topping so I used a butterscotch one I'd wanted to try for ages - I know it has a lot of sugar in it, but for a special occasion..........! 100g sultanas 50ml rum 185g plain flour 2 tspn baking powder ½ tspn bicarb pinch salt 2 tspn cinnamon - I used 3 tspns 125g soft unsalted butter 150g light soft brown sugar 2 large eggs 4 small very ripe bananas 1 tspn vanilla extract For the icing: 75g golden caster sugar 15g butter 50g light muscovado sugar 1 tbspn golden syrup 75ml double cream In a small pan pour the rum over the sultanas and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to soak. Preheat the oven 17...

Most of the supermarkets seem to have nuts on offer at the moment, so I've stocked up and now need to use some of them. I love pecan pie, but it can be very sweet and rich. These tarts are little versions, but still give you that lovely pecan fix. The recipe comes from a magazine supplement on 'Nuts', from Woman's Weekly, I think. As it's Thanksgiving Day today, pecans seem appropriate. Recipe makes 18 tartlets, so you need 2 x 12 bun tins. I love this pastry as it uses ground almonds as well as flour, which gives it a soft texture. You need: Pastry: 150g plain flour 25g caster sugar [golden's best] 50g ground almonds 85g butter, cubed 1 medium beaten egg 2 tspns lemon juice Filling: 70g melted butter 50g light muscovado sugar 2 medium beaten eggs 2 tbspns golden syrup juice of 1/2 lemon 100g pecan nuts, chopped but not finely The pastry is easy to make as you put the flour, sugar, almonds and butter into a food processor and whizz it ...

We love teabreads and have a slice with a cuppa in the afternoon. Very British! This one is very moist and moreish. Try it! 225g dried cranberries 225g sultanas 350ml black tea [warm] preheat oven 160C/gas 3/325F soak the fruit in the tea for about an hour [I used earl grey tea and it was a lovely flavour] then add 250g wholemeal flour with 1 tspn baking powder added to it  2 tbspn brown or muscovado sugar 25g melted butter 1 beaten egg mix it all together with a spoon grease a 2lb cake tin and pour in the cake mixture and level the top bake for about an hour; cover the cake with foil for the first half hour then take it off test to see if it's cooked and if not, give it another 5-10 mins and then check again let the cake rest in the tin for 15 mins, then cool on a wire rack eat it with some nice butter! you can use any dried fruit that you have; I didn't have enough cranberries, so chopped up a few dried apricots to make up the weight you can also try ...