Oat Biscuit Cookie Recipe!

Happy Pancake Day everyone! As I'm sure you're all well prepared for cooking pancakes later, I thought I'd bring you an alternative recipe, one that I wont be giving up for lent (as it's just too yummy!) So today I am bringing you our Oat Biscuit/Cookie Recipe!

What You'll Need

4ozs / 100g Plain flour
4ozs / 100g Margarine
1/2 level tsp Baking powder
4ozs / 100g Caster sugar
Large pinch Cream of tartar
4ozs / 100g Rolled oats
1/2 tsp Salt
1 level tsp Bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons Golden syrup
1 dessertspoon Hot water

Step 1

Preheat your oven at 350F, 180C, 160C for fan ovens, Gas 4. In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar.

Step 2

Beat the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the rolled oats.

Step 3

Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the hot water. Warm the syrup and add this and the bicarbonate of soda to the flour mixture. Then mix this together with the oat mixture. Leave to stand for about 20 mins.

Step 4

Place neat teaspoonfuls onto a greased or lined baking tray. Make sure they are spaced apart as they will spread.

Step 5

Bake in the oven for 10-15 mins until golden. Then cool on a wire rack.

A Valentine Banoffee Cheesecake Recipe!

I am a huge fan of anything Banoffee flavoured. I'm not sure who first combined Banana and Toffee, but whoever they were, they were a genius! So in honour of Banoffee I thought I'd bring you our Banoffee Cheesecake Recipe. In honour of the impending romantic season I felt it had to be heart shaped.

What You'll Need

Base:
10 Digestive biscuits
6 Oat biscuits
85g (3oz) Butter
Filling:
675g (24oz) Cream Cheese
150ml (5fl oz) Double Cream
140g (5oz) Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
3 Bananas
Topping:
3 Bananas
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Sauce:
50g (2oz) Butter
75g (3oz) Soft Brown Sugar
150g (5oz) Golden Syrup
150ml (5fl oz) Double Cream
Couple of Drops Vanilla Extract

Step 1

Begin by making the base. Melt the butter in a pan. Then using either a rolling pin or food processor crush the digestive and oat biscuits until fine. Add the melted butted and blend until fully mixed.

Press the mixture into a lined and greased heart shaped tin. For a healthier option you can use a silicon baking tray as I have, it requires no greasing.

Step 2

Bake the base in a preheated oven at 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2 for 10-15 minutes. Remove when just lightly browned and let cool for 5 minutes.

 Step 3

Mix all the filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour them onto the cooled base and place back in the oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to cool completely before removing and placing in the fridge.

Step 4

Taking the 3 bananas for your topping, slice them at a slight angle. Place them in a bowl and toss them in the Lemon Juice to prevent browning. Now lay them on top of your cheesecake, each slice overlapping slightly. Place cheesecake back in fridge.


Step 5

Next we will make the sauce. In a saucepan melt together the butter, sugars and syrup. Do this over a very low heat. You need to make sure the sugar has completed dissolved, this can take a little while, but your sauce will be grainy if you rush. Once dissolved continued to cook the sauce for 5 minutes. Now add the double cream and vanilla extract. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before serving in a jug.





Step 6

Try not to eat it all at once!

Burns Night Cranachan Recipe!

If you didn't already know, tonight is Burns Night. Traditionally this is a day to celebrate the life and poetry of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns who was born on this day. While we're not massive followers of the tradition, my last Scottish relative being born in the late 18th century, we certainly enjoy the traditional foods that are eaten on this night. So in honour of Robert Burns and Burns Night itself I thought we'd bring you our favourite Cranachan Recipe. Cranachan is one of several desserts traditionally eaten on this day.

What You'll Need

75g (2 3/4oz) Oatmeal
30g (1oz) Sugar
3 Tbsp Whisky (for a child friendly version substitute with Orange Juice)
4 Tbsp Honey
300g (10 1/2oz) Raspberries
500ml (1lb 2floz) Double Cream

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/ Gas Mark 4. Mix the Oatmeal and sugar together and spread out evenly on a baking tray. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stir at least twice to ensure even browning without burning.

Step 2

Put the double cream into a large mixing bowl and whip until firm.

Step 3

Add the Oatmeal, Honey and Whisky (or Orange juice if making the non alcoholic version) to the cream and gently fold in to combine.

Step 4

Now the fun part! In a glass pot spoon in a layer of the cream mixture and then a layer of the raspberries. Keep layering like this until your pots are full.

Sit back and enjoy your delicious Cranachan!

Butterscotch Cookies Recipe!

Mmmmm... 30 year old biscuits! Well alright they aren't really 30 years old, but the recipe is. It comes from a book that has been in our family for a long time; it's cover is long gone, it's pages are soft and yellowed, but we love this book and the recipes it contains. Last year the page that contained these cookies fell out and a period of genuine distress ensued. Luckily it was eventually found among the pages of another book. So today I am sharing it with all of you, which also ensures that should the page go walkies again I can always look back here to find it.

What You'll Need

6oz/ 150g SR flour
4oz/ 100g Soft brown sugar
4oz/ 100g Butter
1 Tablespoon Syrup
Pinch of Salt

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 160C, 325F, Gas Mark 3. In a large bowl cream the butter, sugar and syrup until soft.

Step 2

Now add the flour and salt and mix to form a soft dough.

 
Step 3

Using your hands roll the balls into small balls, flatten slightly by hand and space evenly on a baking tray.

Step 4

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.


Tip

We usually make double the quantity as they disappear so fast!

Make Your Own Pasta Recipe!!

There is nothing more satisfying or delicious than making and eating your own Pasta. My husband is getting to be quite the expert at homemade pasta and one batch usually makes us a lasagna, ravioli and tagliatelle. So I thought it was about time I shared his recipe.

What You'll Need

15oz Plain White or Wholemeal Flour
4 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Salt (optional)
2 Tsp Olive Oil

Step 1


Place your flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and break the eggs into it. Beat the eggs, gently working in some flour from the edges of the well. Keep mixing a little at a time until a soft dough has been formed. Add the Olive Oil to make the dough easier to work. Use your hands if this is easier.

Step 2

Sprinkle your worktop with flour and begin kneading the dough by hand. Keep going for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic feeling.

Step 3

Make the dough into 3 balls, wrap in cling film and let it rest for about 15 minutes.

Step 4

Take one of the balls and place on a floured surface. Start rolling your dough using a rolling pin. It's a good idea to also stretch the dough with your hands. Continue to roll and stretch until it is about 1/16 of an inch thick. Once rolled you can let your dough rest again for about 15 minutes.


Options

This dough can make any kind of pasta you fancy. We particularly enjoy rolling sheets to use for lasagna. Or making a yummy filling and making ravioli. It's also easy to score with a knife and make noodles/tagliatelle.

Cooking

As this is fresh pasta it only takes about 3 minutes to cook with boiled in water. When used in lasagna it shouldn't need to be precooked.

I hope you give it a go and enjoy it as much as we do. I'm told it's also a good workout for the arms :)

New Year, New Habits and Nigel Slater!

It's a brand new year and this always seems like a good time to develop some new habits. So far I'm mildly addicted to watching/reading anything by the chef Nigel Slater. I watched the drama of his life 'Toast' at Christmastime and now I'm a big fan of his show Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers. For more info on the show take a look at his webpage on the BBC.

His food always looks quite simple, but really tasty. So this week we attempted his Lazy Loaf! All the ingredients were easy to find and the instructions easy to follow, which is always a relief, especially with bread recipes.




The end result looked divine and tasted even better with soup. There was a definite moment of pride at having created something so pretty, that we felt we had to share it with you all :)

If you have a moment definitely take a look at the webpage and give some of his recipes a try.

The Best Mars Bar Cake Recipe!!

Sorry for the late blogging this week, I haven't been at the peak of health, but I'm back now and bringing you a recipe!

From childhood I have been a fan of Mars Bar Cakes, everyone usually makes them slightly differently but they're always over the top sweet and incredibly moreish. So today I'm bringing you my favourite Mars Bar Cake Recipe (My Mum's!)

What You'll Need

4 Mars Bars
4oz (100g) Margarine
4 oz (100g) Rice Krispies
9oz (225g) Milk Chocolate

Step 1

Melt the margarine and Mars Bars together, if you are very careful you can do this in a pan directly on the heat, otherwise put the mixture in a bowl above a pan of boiling water.

Step 2

Add the Rice Krispies and stir carefully until they are evenly coated. Put the mixture in a square tin (about 10" square) and put in the fridge to cool for about 2 hours.



 
Step 3

When the cake has cooled melt the milk chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water and stir until smooth. Pour over the cake and with a flat knife or spatula spread out evenly. Put back in the fridge for about an hour.

Step 4

Remove the cake from the tin by sliding a knife around the edges, turn upside down onto a board and tap the bottom of the tin. Cut into fingers or squares and enjoy!

Autumn Watch

Keeping on my theme for the week, Autumn Watch starts this evening on BBC Two at 8.30pm. Time to start hunting for nature in your garden, making bird feeders and preparing for the season ahead.

It's also the time of year when I start wanting to eat comforting food whether savoury or sweet. My husband jokes that I'm trying to put on weight for winter, in reality the large jumpers and big fluffy coats means we're probably all a little less self conscious.

Our garden has been full to the brim with blackberries (or Brambles as my Dad calls them). I love this simple way of using them to decorate cupcakes. Just pipe a little cream, pop on a fresh blackberry and ta da you have a really yummy cake!

The dark evenings also drive me to revive hobbies that had fallen by the wayside during the summer months. Currently my knitting needles are getting a work out, keep your eyes peeled as this is to do with an upcoming tutorial!

From a work point of view we're gearing up for the festive season with new products, old favourites and more. We have launched another new craft kit online this week, our Cupcake Badge!

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

It feels like I haven't posted a recipe for quite sometime, so true to form today I am bringing you a childhood favourite Peanut Butter Cookies! These are so quick and simple and very moreish.

What You'll Need

5 oz S.R. flour
4 oz caster sugar
4 oz soft margarine
1 tablespoon liquid coffee
1 desert spoon crunchy peanut butter

Oven 350F, 180C (or adjust for a fan oven), Gas 4.

Step 1
Cream the margarine and sugar thoroughly.

Step 2
Mix in the liquid coffee and peanut butter.

Step 3

Add the flour and roll handfuls of the mixture into walnut sized balls and place on a greased backing tray. I prefer to use baking parchment so that you do not need to put grease on the tray but either works. I flatten the balls with my fingertips.

Step 4
Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 mins.

Note. My picture of ingredients show Morrisons but I am not being paid by them it is my nearest supermarket.

We love sweets - Gulab Jaman Recipe

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending an Indian wedding. It lasted for days and was the most opulent event I think I've ever attended. I'm still in awe of the jewellery, saris and entertainment. The other thing that stuck me was the immense amount of food on offer. Some things were familiar, while others I had not tried before. But one pudding was so delicious I had to find out not only what it was but how to make it. The recipe I am sharing is for Gulab Jaman and it was given to me very generously by the mother of the bride:


What You'll Need

100g dried milk
25g plain four
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp melted ghee (or butter)
Whole milk
200ml vegetable oil (for frying)
100ml water
250g caster sugar
3 cardamon pods

Step 1


In a large bowl mix together the dried milk, flour, baking powder and ghee. Add milk slowly until a soft dough is formed. Divide mixture into 11-12 balls.

Step 2

In a saucepan begin heating the water, add the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved add the cardmon pods (broken in a pestle & mortar). Simmer for ten minutes.



Step 3

Heat the oil in a frying pan, keep the heat low and add the balls a few at a time. They need to be cooked slowly so they cook evenly and don't toughen.

Step 4

Place the cooked balls into the sugar syrup. Leave to soak for at least one hour. They can be eaten hot or cold. Enjoy!