COOKBOOKS GALORE

I don't really do much baking now that I'm on my own, but sometimes I have a need to make a cake! I bought some blueberries from our local market. They're one of my favourites fruits, and I used to have a bush in my garden. Sadly the winter before last killed it. I love them on porridge, but I had an urge to make a cake with them. I decided on a streusel cake - I love these cakes with the crumbly topping. So you need: For the topping 25g caster sugar, 2 tbspn flour and 55g soft butter For the cake 3 eggs, 200g caster sugar, 220g melted butter, 1 tbspn vanilla extract, 250ml buttermilk, 320g flour, 1 tbspn baking powder, pinch salt,  400g blueberries [washed and dried] Preheat oven 180C/gas4         Grease and flour a 9"x13"  [23x33cm] cake tin For the topping - mix the sugar, butter and flour together till like crumbs. For the cake - In a large bowl beat together the eggs then gradually whisk in the sugar till the batter is nic...

I made Mary Berry's Chocolate Cappuccino Tart as our Easter dessert from her recent Quick Cooking series. My son and family were due to arrive for Easter Sunday lunch, but he had to go into work for an emergency, so my daughter and I were left with a huge leg of lamb and Mary's dessert! It took us all week to eat it!   https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/mary-berrys-chocolate-cappuccino-tart I didn't finish the top in the same way as Mary, just added some Easter eggs. Thought enough cream had gone into it! It's extremely rich and a small slice is enough. Maybe I should have tried to freeze it rather than to eat it all! My neighbour was given several slices, as was a friend. Yesterday my son and family did finally arrive to eat with us, so I decided to make a special cake. My son loves anything caramel, so this recipe seems just the thing. I found the recipe on an American site, but changed the recipe to suit us, and changed the cups into grams. Cake : 150g ...

I love the little spicy biscuits you get with a coffee, and this cake is made using these and the spread you can now buy which is made with the same mixture - Lotus Biscoff biscuits and spread. They're also called Speculoos biscuits, and my Dutch friend sends me the spice mixture every year. You can buy fantastic wooden moulds to make them. I bought my jar of their version of the spread from Lidl at Christmas, but am not sure if they sell it all year round. It's a loaf cake, which I love making, and it has a great mix of ingredients. You need: 150g butter, 3 eggs, 100g caster sugar, 100g sr flour, 100g praline chocolate, 50g Lotus spread, 20g ground hazelnuts, 1 tspn vanilla extract and 5 Lotus biscuits. Preheat oven 180C/gas4                    Grease and line a 900g loaf tin Break the chocolate into pieces and crush the biscuits into smallish lumps. Beat the eggs and sugar together for 10 mins in a mixer or using an elect...

This cake is another result of a baking cupboard sort out. I had some brazils, apricots and dates to use up, but not enough of each to use on their own. I love loaf cakes, and just took out the mixed dried fruit from the recipe I usually use in this cake, and added my store cupboard finds. 140g soft margarine 2 large eggs 250g self raising flour 60ml milk 140g caster sugar – reserve 1-2tbspn for cake topping 125g each of dried apricots and pitted dates - each piece cut into 3 65g chopped brazil nuts 1 level tspn mixed spice    Preheat oven 150C/Gas 2  Grease and line a 900g loaf tin.   Cream margarine and sugar together until soft and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs to the mixture a little at a time and one by one, mixing well .  Put the fruit and nuts into a bowl and add 2 or 3 tbspn of the flour to coat the fruit and nuts. Sieve the rest of the flour and the mixed spice into the cake mixture.  Fo...

My daughter loves dark chocolate and raspberries, and as she was coming up for the weekend, I found this recipe in my scrapbook which was perfect for her. I know raspberries aren't in season, and I know you could use frozen ones, but I found some at a reasonable price in my local market. For the cake you need:  250g dark chocolate (70% cocoa) 200g butter 1 tspn instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tbspn hot water 5 eggs 100g caster sugar 75g plain flour 100g raspberries  Preheat oven 170C/gas3                    Grease and line a 20cm springform tin In a saucepan, put the chocolate, butter and coffee and heat over a low heat till melted and glossy. In  a bowl beat the eggs till pale and fluffy.  Pour in the chocolate mixture, add the flour and fold together gently. Pour this batter into the tin and sprinkle the raspberries over the top. Bake for about 40 mins till the cake is firm. This cake is good with a ...

As it's National Pie Week, I thought I'd post a pie recipe that's one of my family's favourites. The leeks are a belated homage to St David's Day [I did make Welsh cakes and have daffodils!]. It's an easy pie to make as you use ready made puff pastry.  So for 6 people you need:  2 tbspn oil - I used rapeseed 6 skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes 2 medium leeks - sliced 4 tbspn white wine [opt] 15g butter 1 tbspn plain flour 750ml milk 1 chicken stock cube s & p 500g butter puff pastry 1 egg to brush top of pie Preheat oven 200C/gas6           23 x30 cm pie dish Heat 1 tbspn of the oil in a pan and add the chicken. Brown all over then take out. Add the other tbspn of oil [and the wine if you're using it] and then cook the leeks till tender [and the wine has evaporated]. Melt the butter in another pan then stir in the flour to make a paste. Add the milk a bit at a time, stirring continuously till th...

And now for something completely different! I fancied something a bit exotic and fresh, so found this recipe in an old cookery book I picked up in a jumble sale years ago. It has lots of recipes for using fruit, so as I had a grapefruit and some lemons, decided to try this tart. It's fairly easy to make, but does need time chilling before you eat it. You need:  150g caster sugar, 70g soft butter, 4 eggs, 2 lemons, 1/2 grapefruit, a pack of shortcrust pastry [or make your own] and 1 tspn cornflour Preheat oven 200C.   You need a 23cm Tart tin Roll out the pastry to fit the tart tin. Line base with piece parchment paper or foil and cover with baking beans or rice. Bake for 15 mins, remove beans and paper or foil and bake for another 19 mins. Cool. Wash and dry the fruit then grate the zests. Put a pan of water on to simmer and in a bowl put the zests, the juice of the fruits, the beaten eggs, sugar and cornflour. Beat this over the pan of water till it thickens. Once ...