Peanut Butter, Chocolate chip & Oat cookies

Makes 24

130 g chunky peanut butter

115 g unsalted butter, softened

100 g caster sugar

75 g light muscovado sugar

1 medium egg, at room temperature

½ tsp vanilla extract

150 g porridge oat           

70 g plain flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp ground cinnamon

100 g chocolate chips (milk or plain) OR 100 g raisins

2 baking sheets, lined with baking paper

Combine the peanut butter, softened butter and both sugar in a mixing bowl.  Set the bowl on a damp cloth to prevent it from wobbling, then mix everything together with a wooden spoon.  Once all the ingredient are amalgamated, beat the mixture well for about 2 minutes until it turns paler in colour and becomes lighter in texture.

Break the egg into a small bowl, add the vanilla extract and beat with a fork until just until broken up.  Pour the egg into the peanut butter mixture and beat well for a minute.

Add the oat to the bowl, then sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon.  Stir everything together with the wooden spoon.  Finally, add the chocolate chips and mix into the dough until evenly distributed.  Cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill for 45 minutes to 1 hour to firm up the dough.

Towards the end of the time, heat the oven to 180c/gas 4.

Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out a spoonful of the dough and roll it into a ball it your hands.  Set the ball on a lined baking sheet.   Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing the balls well apart to allow for spreading.  Bake in the heated oven for about 15 minutes until golden with darker brown edges.  For the best results, check after 11 minutes and rotate the baking sheets, if necessary so the cookies bake evenly.

Remove from the oven and leave the cookies to cool and firm up on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring them to wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.

The Great British Bake Off, Perfect Cakes and Bakes To Make At Home

Easy Expresso Traybake

The all-in-one coffee sponge baked with a layer of cinnamon-spiced chocolate, than finish with rich, fudgy chocolate frosting.

Cuts into 16 squares

For the sponge

100 ml milk

4 tsp instant coffee

225 g self-raising flour

½ tsp ground cinnamon

225 g light muscovado sugar

200 g unsalted butter, softened

3 medium eggs, beaten to mix

For the filling

100 g chocolate chips (dark with 70% cocoa solids OR milk chocolate)

2 tbsp light muscovado sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

For the frosting

125 g dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa solids)

30 g unsalted butter

1 tbsp golden syrup

1 x 20.5 cm square baking/cake tin, 2.5 cm deep, greased with butter and base-lined

Heat the oven to 180c/gas 4.  Heat half the milk until steaming hot, then add the coffee and stir until dissolved.  Stir in the remaining cold milk.  Set aside to cool until needed.

Sift the flour cinnamon into a mixing bowl, or the bowl of a free-standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Add the sugar (if necessary, press out and lumps), soft butter and eggs.   Beat well with a wooden spoon or with the whisk attachment – slowly at first and increasing the speed – until thoroughly combined and smooth.  Beat in the milky coffee.

  

Spoon half of the sponge mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly making sure the corners are filled.  Combine all the ingredients for the filling in a small bowl.  Sprinkle over the sponge mixture in the tin, then spread the remaining sponge mixture evenly on top.

Bake in the heated oven for about 35 minutes until golden and well risen, a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.  Remove the tin from the oven and set it on a wire rack.   Run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tin to loosen the sponge, then leave to cool completely before carefully turning out of the tin on to the wire rack.

To make the frosting gently melt the chocolate with the butter and syrup.  Leave to cool, stirring frequently, until the frosting is thick enough to spread easily.  Spoon the frosting on top of the cold sponge, and spread and swirl to cover evenly.  Leave until set and firm before cutting into squares.  Store in an airtight container and eat within 4 days.

The Great British Bake Off, Perfect Cakes and Bakes To Make At Home

Jaffa cakes

Makes 12

For the jelly

1 x 135 g pack orange jelly (or black cherry jelly)

150 ml boiling water

Finely grated zest of 1 small orange

For the sponge

2 large egg, at room temperature

50 g caster sugar 

50 g self-raising flour, sifted (30 g self-raising flour and 20 g cocoa powder)

For the topping

180 g dark chocolate (about 46% cocoa solids), broken up

For this recipe you will need a 5cm/2in round biscuit cutter, a 30x20cm/12x8in baking tray and a 12-hole shallow bun tin.

For the jelly, break the jelly into pieces and place in a small bowl. Pour over the boiling water and stir until the jelly is completely dissolved. Add the orange zest, then pour into a shallow 30x20cm/12x8in tray. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour, or until set.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and grease a 12-hole, shallow bun tin with butter.

For the sponge, whisk the egg and sugar together for 4-5 minutes until pale and fluffy, then gently fold in the flour. Fill each well in the bun tin three-quarters full (about a dessert spoonful per hole) and smooth the tops. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until well risen and the top of the sponges spring back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool in the tray for a few minutes then finish cooling on a wire rack.

To assemble, break the chocolate into pieces then melt in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool and thicken slightly.

Turn the jelly out onto a sheet of non-stick baking parchment. Cut 12 discs from the orange jelly using a 5cm/2in round cutter. Sit one jelly disc on top of each sponge.

Spoon the melted chocolate over the jelly discs. Using the tips of the tines of a fork or a skewer, lightly press to create a criss-cross pattern on top of the chocolate, then leave to set completely. You may need to reheat the chocolate a little if it starts to set before you have finished all the jaffa cakes.

Recipe tips

It's important to use the lower cocoa solids chocolate because stronger chocolate will overwhelm the orange flavours.

It is better to use a bowl and an electric hand whisk to make the sponge because a freestanding mixer might struggle with such a small amount of cake

The Great British Bake Off, Perfect Cakes and Bakes To Make At Home

Beetroot Cake

Beetroot is a staple ingredient in Polish cooking, it is so versatile that it can be used to make delicious moist cakes.  If you have some rose petals to hand, they always look nice as a finishing touch.

100 ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing

200 g cooked beetroot (not in vinegar), roughly chopped

200 g dark soft brown sugar

200 g self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

25 g cocoa powder, plus extra dusting

1 tsp vanilla extract

200 ml soured cream

125 g dark chocolate chips

For the frosting

150 g cream cheese

50 g softened unsalted butter

75 g icing sugar

2 lb (900 g) loaf tin

Grease and line 2 lb (900 g) loaf tin.  Preheat your oven to 180 c/gas 4.

Use a food processor to puree the beetroot with the oil and brown sugar.  Tip this into a mixing bowl.

Sieve the self-raising flour with the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa.  Fold the flour mix into the beetroot puree and stir to combine.  Add the vanilla extract, soured cream and chocolate chips and mix thoroughly.  Pour into the prepared tin, smooth the top, bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

Test to see if the cake is cooked by inserting skewer into the centre – it should come out clear.   Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together.  Add the icing sugar a little at a time and mix until you have a smooth frosting.  Spread the frosting on top of the cake and dust lightly with cocoa powder.

Paul Hollywood The Weekend Baker

Danish cinnamon snails

These are made in Sankt Peder’s Bageri the oldest bakery the Copenhagen.

Makes 9

For the dough

500 g strong white bread flour plus extra for dusting

10 g salt

10 g instant yeast

60 g softened unsalted butter

3 medium eggs

150 ml water

For the filling

3 tbsp ground cinnamon

150 g softened unsalted butter

250 g dark soft brown sugar

75 g plain flour

150 g ground almonds

For the water icing

200 g icing sugar, sieved

2 tbsp cold water

Caster sugar, to sprinkle

Place the flour in a large mixing bowl, add the salt to one side and the yeast to the other side.  Add the butter and eggs and three quarters if the water.  Stir together with your hands to make rough dough.  Add the remaining water if needed.

Tip the dough on to a lightly floured work surface and knead well for 5 minutes, until smooth elastic.  Alternatively, this can be done in a stand mixer using a dough hook.

Make the filling by beating all the ingredients together to form a thick paste.  Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

Tip the dough on to a lightly floured work surface.  Roll it out into a rectangle 5 mm thick and tack down the long side nearest to you by pressing it down on to the work surface with your thumb.  Dollop the pat the cinnamon paste over dough using your hands.  Roll the opposite long side of the dough towards you quite tightly of form a long cylinder.  Trim the ends to neaten.  With a sharp knife, cut the dough into nine thick rounds.  Place the rounds on the prepared baking trays, quite close so they will batch together when cooked, then place each tray in a clean plastic bag and leave to prove for 30-45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190c/gas 5.   When the snails have proved, bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Remove the buns from oven and them cool slightly before transferring them from the

trays to a cooling rack.

Make the water icing by stirring together the icing sugar and water and decorate the snails or just sprinkle over the caster sugar.

Paul Hollywood The Weekend Baker

Beef in Fragrant Black Bean Sauce

Serves 2

1 small head of broccoli (approx. 250 g) cut into small florets

3 tsp sesame oil

A pinch of salt

1 tbsp groundnut oil

2 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp fermented black beans soaked for 5 minutes in warm water and drained

1 beef sirloin steak (250 g) sliced in strips

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Ground white pepper

1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

Light soy sauce, to taste

Blanch the broccoli a salted boiling water for 2 minutes.  Drain, then season with drizzle of sesame oil and a pinch of salt.  Mix well a set aside.

Heat a wok over high heat and add a glug of oil.  Add the ginger, garlic and spring onion a stir-fry 10 seconds, or until the garlic is tender.  Add the black beans and cook for 20 seconds, stirring and tossing.

Add the strips of steak and cook for 2-3 minutes, to seal on all sides.  Add the chilli, blanched broccoli and a little pinch of salt and pepper, along with the Shaoxing rice wine, 1 tsp of soy and 1 tbsp water.  Toss to mix well.  Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. 

Cinnamon Bun Cake

Doughs,

225 ml whole milk

75 g butter

300 g refined spelt (or plain) flour

125 g wholemeal spelt (or wheat) flour

70 g caster sugar

1 tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp fine sea salt

20 g fresh yeast or 10 g fast action dried yeast

1 medium egg, beaten

Filling

75 g butter, softened

50 g caster sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla salt

To finish

1 medium egg, beaten

Demerara of natural sugar crystals                                                                                             

Scald the milk by heating it in a small pan with the butter until it is almost boiling and then allow it to cool while you assemble the other ingredients.  Scalding the milk makes the finished buns softer.

Sift all the dry ingredients together in to a large bowl, sprinkle the dried yeast in stir through.  If using fresh yeast, cream it with a teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl and once it is liquid (after about 30 seconds), add to the dry ingredients.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, add the beaten egg and then the milk-butter mixture, which should be warm rather that hot to the touch, otherwise you risk killing the yeast.  Stir everything together until the mixture comes off the sides of the bowl.  It will be a soft and slightly wet dough.  Place the dough in a lightly oiled plastic bag or cover the bowl with lightly oiled clingfilm, and leave it to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Make the filling by creaming the butter, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla salt together in medium-sized bowl.  Butter a 23 cm diameter round cake tin with sides at least 5 cm high.

Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it forms a rectangle of about 35 cm x 25 cm.  Spread the filling evenly over the dough, starting from the middle and working outwards.  If the buttery mix is a little cold, you can use your hands to spread it, as heat helps to smooth the butter out.  Then roll the dough in to a wide cylinder, rolling from one of the longer edges the rectangle, so it looks like an uncooked swiss roll.

Using a sharp non-serrated knife, cut the cylinder in to seven slices, with one slice than the rest.  Place the smallest slice in the middle of the cake tin and then evenly space the remaining six around the middle one.  Cover the buns and leave to rise again in a warm place for 20-30 minutes until they have doubled in size.  You can test to see if they’ve proved enough by gently poking one bun with your little – the indentation should stay put.

                          

Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan/gas 6.  Glaze the risen buns with beaten egg and sprinkle demerara of natural sugar crystals over the top. Splash a little water in the bottom of the oven to create steam to help the bun-cake to rise.  Bake on the middle shelf of oven for 20-25 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the base and looks golden brown. 

Allow to cool on a wire rack.  This will last for a couple of days and freeze well.