When something just works it’s the best. It could be a combination of flavours you tried by accident or using something perfectly for a different purpose than it was designed for. I made this Coconut, Sesame and Chocolate Shortbread for both of the aforementioned reasons. Recently I was enjoying my chocolate dessert when another coconut and sesame pudding was on the table, and as I like to try everything, I took a scoop of the coconut and sesame and gobbled it down. The flavours were so good together I thought it was well worth a try recreating it at home. Also, I always make shortbread in a cake ‘tin’ rather than on a tray. I have a silicone mould for cakes which I once used for shortbread when I couldn’t find anything else and it works perfectly every time.
Mini Cheesecake Mess with The Laughing Cow
I love cheesecake. This recipe for mini cheesecake mess is a great way of using up almost anything sweet you’ve got hanging around and, if I do say so myself, look pretty cute too. A lovely little sweet treat for lunch or after dinner. Have you ever tried to make cheesecake (or cream cheese icing) with low fat soft cheese? It never seems to work for me and just ends up all runny and no good at all. I thought I’d give it a try with some Laughing Cow Extra Light to see if that would work, and use up some leftover festive food in the cupboards, and I was so pleased with how they turned out!
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Some people bake bread when it rains. I bake whatever contains as much butter and sugar as possible to cheer myself up. I’m not a big fan of rain. I made cookies once before when I was much younger and they didn’t exactly work out like they were supposed to; I made one very large, thin cookie. With the recent bout of cold and rain I felt it was time I attempted cookies again; why not. Mint chocolate chip cookies are much more welcome than precipitation.This recipe makes around 16 cookies:
Coconut and Lime Biscuits
It’s February, apologies for stating the obvious. To me, February is the interim month; not as fresh as January when I’m enthusiastic about the New Year and not as good as March when you know that spring has pretty much arrived. So as far as I’m concerned February needs a bit of brightening up to get us all through the cold, grey days. That help can come in many forms; in this case coconut and lime biscuits. This particular flavour combination can transport you to a place of tropical tranquility and for a brief moment you can forget your February woes. *see below
Fairtrade Coffee Shortbread
It’s #befair fortnight until 12th October which is all about asking the question, “Are we really as fair as we think?”. The Fairtrade Foundation is working to make us aware of small acts of fairness that can make a big change; like switching your morning coffee to a fair trade coffee. The people at the Fairtrade Foundation sent me a variety of coffees to try and I set about making a fair bake. This recipe for chocolate and coffee shortbread uses fair trade chocolate, sugar and coffee.
Orange and Poppy Seed Biscuits
Hello and welcome to my new website; I hope you enjoy it! To kick things off on my new site it was only right that I baked something; I had to have something to keep me motivated during the changeover! These orange and poppy seed biscuits are a recipe from Cathryn Dresser (former Great British Bake Off contestant) author of Let’s Bake and she has teamed up with Pyrex to create a series of baking recipes for National Baking Week from 13th to 19th October. See below for details of the giveaway to win lots of Pyrex baking goodies in time for October 13th.
Dried Blueberry and Almond Cereal Bars
Ingredients
You will need (for 12 cereal bars):
- 225g oats
- 100ml maple syrup
- 150g butter
- 75g dried blueberries
- 50g flaked almonds
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
Method
Preheat an oven to 180C and lightly grease a baking tray. The one I used was about 20cm x 20cm.
Melt the maple syrup and butter together in a saucepan on a low heat until melted and well combined.
Mix the oats, dried blueberries, almonds and poppy seeds together then pour in the syrup and butter and stir together until well mixed.
Press the mixture into the prepared baking tray and then place into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Mark into pieces while still hot then remove from the tray when cooled.
Malted Chocolate Biscuits
ingredients
This recipe is on page 122 of the book.
You will need (I made 8 slices):
- 100g butter
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tbsp malted chocolate drink (I used just malted i.e. Horlicks)
- 225g malted milk biscuits
- 75g milk chocolate (you can also use dark)
- 25g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
Method
Grease and line a cake tin; mine was an 18cm loose bottomed one.
Put the butter, golden syrup and malted drink into a saucepan and heat gently until the mixture is well combined. I find when the butter melts at first it looks a bit separated but keep stirring and it will come together and be thick and glossy.
Bash up the malted milk biscuits until you have crumbs then mix these into the butter mixture.
Press the mixture down well in the cake tin.
Cinnamon Spiced Stained Glass Window Biscuits
Ingredients
You will need (for around 24 biscuits):
180g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
110g butter
50g caster sugar
1-2 tbsp milk
Boiled sweets, different colours and flavours
Greaseproof paper
Ribbon, string or other hanging devices
Method
Preheat an oven to 180C and line two baking trays with grease proof paper.
Rub together the flour, cinnamon and butter until you have a breadcrumb texture. Stir through the sugar and then bring the mixture together with drops of milk until it forms a ball.
Knead the mix lightly then chill for 30 minutes.
Baked Blackberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
You will need:
- 180g digestive biscuits
- 75g butter
- 600g cream cheese
- 220g caster sugar
- 150g sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp. plain flour
- Large handful blackberries
Method
Line the base of a 20cm spring form cake tin. Spring form is your friend for this.
Preheat an oven to 130C.
Crush the digestive biscuits in a bowl; I like to use the end of my rolling pin as it’s immensely satisfying. Melt the butter and mix this into the biscuits.
When the biscuits and butter are well combined press the mixture into the bottom of the cake tin and then chill in the fridge.
Whisk together the cream cheese and sugar then mix in the sour cream.
Add the eggs one at a time then add the flour.
