Whether celebrating Thanksgiving in the USA, or just looking for a delicious desert, nothing quite matches warm apple pie.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

pastry for a 9 inch double-crust pie (a base and lid)
1/2 cup / 4 oz / 113 g unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup / 100 g white sugar
1/2 cup / 110 g packed brown sugar
1/4 cup / 60 ml water
8 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour to make a paste.
2. Add the white and brown sugar along with the water and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Line a 9-inch pie tin with the base of your crust. Fill with the apples, forming a slight hill in the middle of the pie.
4. Slice the lid of the pie into strips and cover the apples in a lattice.
5. Pour the sugar and butter mixture over the crust, taking care not to spill over the sides.
6. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 ° C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175° C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

Shared on Quit Eating Out

A light and tempting chocolate cake recipe, delicious when paired with tea.

Serves: 6-10
Prep time: less than 15 mins
Cooking time: 20-25 mins

Ingredients:

Preparation:

1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Gradually add beaten eggs
3. Fold in flour and cocoa powder
4. Pour in equal measure into two greased cake tins
5. Preheat oven to 180c / 350f
6. Place both tins on same shelf
7. Cook for 20-25 mins
8. Cooked when knife comes out clean.

Butter Cream Filling

1. Put in bowl and stir till smooth

photo credit: norwichnuts

A yummy summer treat!

Serves: 16
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Butter (for greasing)
500g/ 1 lb 2 oz plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
1 tbsp baking powder
250g / 8 oz caster sugar
185g / 6.5 oz fresh or  frozen blueberries
2 eggs
185 ml / 6 1/2 fl oz milk
185 ml / 6 1/2 fl oz sunflower or canola oil
yellow food coloring (optional)
icing or powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 190C or 375F.
2. Grease a muffin tin with butter and dust with flour. Shake out any excess flour.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the sugar and blueberries in a separate bowl. Mix together the eggs, milk, sunflower oil and, if you are using it, the food coloring.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients, add the milk mixture and combine.
5. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden and springy to the touch.
6. Wait until they cool and then dust with the icing sugar.

Serves: 12
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 30-40 mins

Ingredients:

285 g / 10 oz soft butter (plus extra for greasing)
285 g/ 10 oz caster sugar
285 g/ 10 oz self raising flour
5 eggs (beaten)
2 apples (diced)
rind and juice of 1 lemon
a pinch of mixed spice
a pinch of ground cinnamon
60 g / 2 oz of demerara sugar

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C / 375F.
2. Grease one large or two small baking tins with a little butter.
3. Mix the butter and caster sugar until lightly creamed.
4. Gradually beat in the flour and eggs until the mixture is smooth.
5. Gently stir in the apples, lemon rind, lemon juice, mixed spice and cinnamon.
6. Pour the mixture into the baking tray and spread out evenly.
7. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top
8. Cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven, allow to cool and then cut up to eat.

photo credit: LDHNY

Scones are a great accompaniment to a cup of tea in the afternoon!

Serves: 12
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

1 large egg
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ tsp salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
¾ cup raisins

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment
2. Stir together the egg and cream in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
4. Add the butter and rub the mixture between your fingertips. You want to rub all the ingredients in together until you get a bowl that resembles breadcrumbs.
5. Stir in the raisins.
6. Add the egg and cream and stir in with a fork. You just want to get the dough sticking together at this point so be careful not to overmix.
7. Once you have something that resembles dough, knead it by hand (this can be still in the bowl or on a lightly dusted work surface) 8-10 times to get some air into it.
8. Divide the dough in half and shape each into a rough circle about 3/4 of an inch thick and cut the circle into 6 slices like a pizza.
9. Bake the scones for 20 to 22 minutes, or until their tops are golden and firm.
10. Transfer them to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking from My Home to Yours”

photo credit: sk8geek

A tasty fruity snack, quick and simple to prepare and very tasty!

Serves: 10-15
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

9 oz / 250 g butter
9 oz / 250 g caster sugar
6oz / 175 g golden syrup or molasses
16oz / 450 g  oats
pinch of ground ginger
2 apples, peeled and chopped

Preparation:

1. Line an 8×12 cake tin with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350°F/180°C
2. Combine butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan, stirring to melt until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and add the apples and ginger, then the oats.
4. Transfer mixture to the cake tin and spread out evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
5. Cut into 10-15 slices and allow to cool before removing from cake tin.

Ingredients:

175 g unsalted butter, soft
175 g golden caster sugar
4 tbsp lemon curd
3 eggs, beaten
175 g self-raising flour
5 tbsp milk
200 g cherries, stoned and roughly chopped
450 ml double cream
5 tbsp elderflower cordial
icing sugar to dust

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 180c (160 fan)/Gas mk4
Line the base and sides of a 18cm x 25.5cm (7″ x 10″) cake tin with greaseproof paper.
Beat butter, sugar and lemon curd together until pale and fluffy.
Gradually add the eggs alternating each addition with 1 tbsp flour.
Using a metal spoon, fold in the remaining flour and the milk.
Gently stir in the cherries.
Spoon into the cake tin and level the surface.
Bake for 25 – 30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
If the cake is browning too quickly, cover with foil.
Meanwhile, whip together the cream and cordial until softly peaking.
When the cake is cool, remove greaseproof paper, cut into squares, dust with icing sugar and serve with the cream.