06/03/2012 by D.

These are adapted from the Peyton & Byrne British Baking cookbook.

240g self raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
40g caster sugar
pinch salt
60g chilled unsalted butter
175ml buttermilk (or 90ml milk, 90ml plain yoghurt)
60g sultanas (optional)
milk for glaze

Preheat oven to 170c.  Line or grease a baking tray. 

Blitz flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter in food processor for 30 seconds until fine.  (or gently cut up butter into everything else, then blend with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs).  Add sultanas if using.

Carefully stir in buttermilk or milk/yoghurt combo with a knife until it comes together as a dough.

Flour a surface and pat the dough into an oblong which is about 2cm thick.  Cut into even sized squares - 8 or 12, and brush with milk.  Bake for 15-25 mins until light brown on top.

Serve with jam & cream.

Posted in Sugar, Raisins, Milk, Yoghurt, Vegetarian, Butter, Recipe | Print | Comments Off

08/02/2011 by D.

These sweet little potato cakes from Saxony in Germany can be eaten as either a filling pudding, supper or brunch.  NB this recipe makes quite a lot, you may want to halve it for the first go!

1kg potatoes
150g flour
1 tsp baking powder
500g quark
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g raisins
butter to fry

Peel, chop and boil the potatoes until tender.  Push through a fine sieve, potato ricer, or mash extremely well and leave to cool.

Stir the flour and baking powder into the potatoes, then mix in the quark.  Whisk the eggs with the salt, nutmeg, lemon peel, sugar, vanilla extract and raisins. 

Add the egg mixture to the potato mixture and knead the mixture to ensure everything is thoroughly combined, but don’t overwork it.

Flour your hands and the work surface, then shape the dough into a 6cm thick roll.  Cut off 1.5cm pieces and flatten each one slightly.

Heat a frying pan to a good heat, then turn down a little.  Melt 2 tsp butter in the pan and fry the little cakes for about 2 mins on each side until golden brown.  You will need to do more than one batch.  Adjust the amount of butter accordingly so they don’t stick.

Serve warm with cinnamon sugar and some fruit compote (stewed apples, pears, cranberries, apricots or bottled cherries).

These freeze well and make great quick breakfasts!

Posted in Supper, Butter, Raisins, Flour, Quark, Pudding, Brunch, Potato, Vegetarian, Lemon, Eggs, Recipe | Print | No Comments »

01/02/2010 by D.

This is a very easy cake I made recently for a child’s birthday party and am posting the recipe as several of you have requested it!  There are no organic veg in here though…

We made a tray of brownies and a tray of flapjack, let them cool, and cut them into small squares.  We then laid the squares out alternately in a snake shape on a low table, and decorated the snake with smarties and candles.

As soon as the last candle had been blown out… the hordes descended and within 20 minutes all that was left were a few crumbs.  Highly popular with parents and babies alike and not a smudge of icing in sight.

Brownies

200g butter
100g cocoa powder (the posher the better)
4 eggs
400g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
100g wholemeal SR flour
100g choc chips (or cranberries; raisins; dried apricots; dried cherries…)

Preheat oven to 180c.  Line a shallow baking tin with baking paper.

Melt the butter in a pan, then stir in cocoa powder well to remove any lumps.  Beat the eggs in a bowl, then beat in the sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Add cocoa/butter mixture and stir.

Slowly add flour and choc chips until all well combined.  Pour into tray and bake for 20-25mins.  The less time you bake them for, the softer and gooier they will be.  For making this cake, you may need a couple more minutes as they need to be firm enough for little hands to grab. 

NB For more depth of flavour I sometimes substitute 20g of the cocoa for green & blacks drinking chocolate.

Flapjacks

150g butter
150g muscovado sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
450g oats
75g mixed fruit (or raisins etc as above or just add more oats for plain)

Preheat oven to 160c.

Grease a shallow tin.  Melt the butter in a pan, then stir in the sugar, syrup, oats and fruit.

Press mixture into tin until flat using a spoon and bake for 30mins.  Leave to cool before cutting and removing.  Again the timing on this one depends on how crunchy/chewy you like your flapjacks to be.  I’ve given a slightly firmer timing to make them work for the cake.

Posted in Chocolate, Dried Apricot, Vanilla Extract, Cake, Party, Baking, Raisins, Flapjack, Eggs, Recipe, Butter, Oats, Brownie, Sugar, Organic Box | Print | No Comments »