A light and delicious chocolate sponge cake 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: D’Arcy Norman

Thicker than its European cousin the American pancake is a sweet treat for breakfast. Often served with maple syrup as a side to eggs and bacon.

Serves: 4-6 depending on thickness

Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: less than 10 minutes

Ingredients:

5oz / 135g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
5oz / 130ml milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp melted butter

Preparation:

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and mix in the remaining dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg and milk then add the melted butter.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir out the lumps
4. Leave to sit for half an hour
5. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter
6. Add half a ladle of mixture to the pan and leave until there are bubbles bursting on the top, at this point turn the pancake and cook until both sides are golden
7. Serve with maple syrup

To make blueberry pancakes add a handful of blueberries to the mixture before adding to the pan.

photo credit: LWY

Glazed pancakes with a grown-up apple filling.

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

Ingredients:

150g / 5 oz plain flour
3 eggs
Pinch salt
1tbsp caster sugar
250ml dry wine
25g / 1 oz melted butter
4 eating apples, peeled and diced
1tbsp lemon juice
2tbsp runny honey
2tbsp Calvados, whiskey or white wine
3 tbsp crème fraîche, plus extra to serve
3-4 tbsp icing sugar

Preparation:

Sift the flour into the bowl of blender.
Add eggs, salt, sugar, wine and butter.
Blend thoroughly.
Leave to rest for 30 minutes before using.

While the batter rests, prepare the apples.
Pour the lemon juice into a saucepamn that can comfortably accommodate the diced apple.
Stir in the honey and alcohol, stirring until the honey melts.
Quarter, core and peel the apples, preparing them one at a time and chopping the flesh into sugar lump-sized chunks, tossing them in the lemon juice as you go.
Cook gently, covered, tossing regularly, for about 15 minutes until the apples are almost tender.
Stir in the crème fraîche and continue cooking for a few minutes until the creamy juices are thick and luscious. Transfer to a bowl.

Use a 15cm, non-stick frying pan and have sheets of absorbent kitchen paper or a clean tea towel at the ready, and lay out the pancakes as each one is cooked. Heat ½ tsp oil and swirl it round the pan. Stir the batter and pour a small amount — a couple of tablespoons — into the pan, quickly lifting, tilting and swirling the batter evenly over the pan.
Cook over a medium heat for a minute or so until the surface is set and the base golden.
Toss or turn with a spatula and cook the other side as before. You need 18 pancakes.
Fill a quarter of each pancake with apple, fold in half and then fold into quarters.
Arrange in a shallow ovenproof dish.
Dust lavishly with icing sugar and glaze under a pre-heated grill. Serve with extra crème fraîche.

photo credit: avlxyz

These crepes take no time at all and are delicious with your favorite topping!

Serves: 6-12 depending on thickness

Prep time: less than 5 minutes

Cooking time: less than 5 minutes

Ingredients:

4-5 tbsp plain flour
2 eggs
8 fl oz / 1/2 pint of milk

Preparation:

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle
2. Break the eggs into the well and start mixing into the flour with a whisk
3. While whisking slowly add the milk until it is all combined.
4. Some people like to leave the batter for 30 minutes before making the pancakes, but if you are in a hurry you can start right away.
5. Add a drop of oil (or spray a coating) in a frying pan over a medium heat. Once the pan is hot add a ladle of batter and swirl around to cover the pan in a thin layer.
6. Once air bubbles start to lift the pancake or the surface is completely dry then turn it over, the second side will only need a few seconds then serve with your favorite topping.

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.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 to 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins to 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 pint / 570 ml milk
4 oz / 110 g fresh white breadcrumbs
1/2 oz / 10 g butter
2 oz / 50 g caster sugar
Grated rind of a small lemon
2 eggs
3 level tablespoons raspberry jam

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c / 350f / Gas mark 4
2. Generously butter a 1 1/2 pint / 845 ml oval pie-dish
3. Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, breadcrumbs, 1oz (25g) of the sugar and the lemon rind, and leave for 20 minuted to allow the breadcrumbs to swell.
4. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks and add them to the cooled breadcrumb mix. Pour it all into the pie dish and spread it out evenly. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 – 35 minutes or until set.
5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the jam over a low heat and, when the pudding is ready, remove it from the oven and spread the jam carefully and evenly over the top.
6. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in 1oz (25g) of caster sugar and spoon this meringue mixture over the pudding. Finally, sprinkle a teaspoon of caster sugar over it all and bake for a further 10 – 15 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

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.

Serves: 8 or more
Prep time: 15 to 30 mins
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

100g / 3.5 oz digestive biscuits or graham crackers
190g / 7 oz milk chocolate
60g / 2 oz softened butter
40g / 1.5 oz icing/powdered sugar
drinking chocolate

Preparation:

1. Crush the biscuits.
2. Put the chocolate into a bowl and melt.
3. Add the butter to chocolate, icing sugar and biscuits and mix. Leave the mixture in fridge for 10 mins roll into truffles roll in choc powder to coat.

Apple crumble with vanilla ice cream by chatirygirl on flickr

A British desert of an apple/cinnamon filling topped with a crumbly topping, similar to a fruit cobbler. Goes great served hot with ice cream or custard.

Serves: 8
Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Filling
1lb apples, peeled and sliced
2oz brown sugar
1tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
a sprinkle of cinnamon

Topping
10oz sieved plain
6oz brown sugar
7oz unsalted butter
pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F
2. Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Break up the butter into chunks and rub it and the flour mixture between your fingers until it all looks like breadcrumbs.
4. In a separate bowl mix together the filling ingredients and coat the apple slices without breaking them up into tiny pieces.
5. In a buttered 9 inch baking dish, first place the filling, then the topping ensuring a reasonably equal coverage across the dish
6. Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes until you can see the filling bubbling around the edges and the topping has browned.
7. Serve hot with ice cream.