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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Superfoods: Yogurt – For a Healthy and Beautiful You

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Yogurt is best known as a healthy breakfast food. You can it it plain, add some fruits, buy the flavored versions or grab a frozen treat for dessert. It’s a very versatile dairy product made by fermenting milk with bacteria. Because of this, yogurt can be used for more ways than amping up breakfast time.

image by janineomg

Here are some unusual, yet helpful ways, of using yogurt. From health to beauty, this superfood should be a staple in any household.

1. Treat Yeast Infections

For those suffering from yeast infection, immediate treatment is a must. Going to the doctor for a prescription may be embarrassing while rolling the dice and getting non-prescription medication may be harmful. A quick and cost-efective way to get rid of the infection is by eating yogurt. Some may suggest using yogurt topically but ingesting it orally is just as effective, or even more so.

Take a healthy helping of yogurt daily to decrease the incidence of yeast infections as well as prevent urinary tract infections.

2. Homemade Facial

The lactic acid in yogurt is so mild that it’s great to use on highly sensitive skin. When applied to the face, throat and chest, yogurt can even out skin tone, tighten pores and cleanse skin. Simply (apply) a layer after your normal cleansing routine and rinse off with lukewarm water after 20 minutes.

It can also soothe sunburn pain with topical use.

3. Aid in Lactose Intolerance
Aside from using yogurt as an alternative to milk, this superfood has actually been found to improve lactose tolerance in children and adults. As yogurt works its way within the digestive system, it is able to help with the digestion of lactose.
Even if you don’t feel like having a bowl of yogurt for breakfast, make sure to keep some handy. You never know when you’d be needing relief from yeast infection or a quickie facial.

Le Gateau Sans Rival

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True to its name, this cake is certainly “ without equal “! I’ve loved this cake for many years, and I have to say that it deserves a special occasion to have this on the table.

Although it has a French name, because it was adapted from a French cake called Dacquoise, it is an all-time favourite Filipino cake. A Dacquoise cake is made of almond and hazelnut meringue layered in between luscious butter cream frosting and some fruit. Another variation of this dessert cake is the Marjolaine, which uses chocolate butter cream and chocolate ganache.

Sans Rival on the other hand is made with the same principle of its French counterpart, but uses ingredients readily available in a typical Filipino pantry and supermarket. So instead of almonds and hazelnuts, a Sans Rival cake would have cashew nuts or plain ole peanuts used in the recipe and just layers of butter cream.

The cake is a bit tricky to prepare especially on high humidity days and can be a quite a challenge to cut. Even so, almost every coffee shop and cake shop in the Philippines serves this. Don’t be discouraged with the word meringue, as every cook and chef knows how delicate making meringues can be. With a little practice, I’m sure you can get the hang of it and proud yourself with this gateau. It’s worth every drop of sweat because it is just tres deliceux!


SANS RIVAL CAKE

Ingredients:

Meringue:

6 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups cashew nuts, chopped
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• With a pencil, draw 2 rounds on a piece of parchment paper each round measuring 9 inches. Turn the parchment paper on its reverse side and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Whip the egg whites until it form stiff peaks. Slowly add the sugar a little at a time, while continuously whipping. Carefully fold in the nuts and vanilla, making sure not to flatten the meringue mixture. You may choose to put this in a icing pipe bag and pipe the mixture thinly onto five 9 inch rounds . Bake it at 350 deg F until it is golden brown. Turn off the oven but leave the baked meringues in the oven for another 2 hours until they are dry and no longer sticky.

Butter cream Filling

Ingredients:

¼ c water
2/3 c sugar
6 egg yolks
1 c butter, room temp
½ c cashew nuts chopped or slivered almonds

Instructions:

• Bring water and sugar to boil until it spins a thread. Pour the sugar mixture gradually over well beaten egg yolks and continue to beat until it forms a thick consistency. Transfer to a bowl and let it chill for about an hour. Cream the butter and add in the chilled egg mixture. Take out your meringue rounds from the oven and start assembling layers.
• Start with the first layer of meringue and fill it with butter cream, repeat with the next meringue layers. Finish the cake by frosting it from top and sides with butter cream and sprinkle it with chopped nuts all over. Chill the cake for another 2 – 3 hours before slicing and serving.

 

Photo Credit: museinthecity

Photo Credit: gtrwndr87

Photo Credit: rbjbrothers

Crazy Delicious Cobblers

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Summer is definitely beating down on me today and I am seriously craving for an old-fashioned dessert with ice cream. I guess no one really turns down a dessert with ice cream. Just one little spoonful is enough to break down those walls and it’s a done deal!

I was thinking of some fruit to go with ice cream and some pastry too! And what instantly came to mind was a cobbler! Gee, that just makes my mouth water right now and I can’t wait to hit the kitchen and get to it. A cobbler is … well now let’s see. It’s name is taken from which this baked dessert resembles a cobbled street in the pan. There are many variations of it, depending on where you’re from.

They are called the Betty, the Grunt, the Slump, the Buckle, the Sonker, and the Crisp. I don’t know if the finished baked dessert actually appears to be what they are named, but I trust there is something in there that earned them their titles. Okay, that’s certainly a lot to reckon with right now, but let’s stick to the essentials here.

In the deep south of the US, cobbler is made of any one fruit filling, topped with a pastry dough and baked. It is commonly served with vanilla ice cream. Now tell me, doesn’t that just sound heavenly?
I’ve scoured the virtual highway and my cookbooks in search of my one true cobbler. I don’t like anything too fancy, as I always enjoy an old-fashioned and timeless recipe.

You can try this recipe at home and you may just agree with me.

Old Style Blueberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut in bits
3/4 cup buttermilk
Filling
1 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp each lemon juice
2 cans blueberry pie filling (8 cups total)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Place oven rack in lower third of oven. Heat to 450°F. Use a 13 x 9-in. baking dish or a shallow 3-qt baking dish.
Dough: Mix together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl until blended. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until coarse crumbs form. Refrigerate flour mixture and buttermilk separately until ready to top cobbler.
Filling: Stir in vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice mixture with blueberry filling . Spread in baking dish.
Stir flour mixture and buttermilk with a fork until a biscuit-like dough forms. Drop eight 1/4-cupfuls, evenly spaced, over filling. Sprinkle biscuits with 2 Tbsp sugar.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden and filling is bubbly. Cool in dish on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoops of vanilla ice cream or frozen yoghurt.

 

Photo Credit: jeffreyww

Photo Credit: perspicacious

Just Pudding It Back To Basics

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Nothing says home grown cooking than bread pudding! I must say no matter where you are and how long the years have passed, we all are just softies for home baked bread pudding. I could never say no! Sometimes, I make it a point to have left over bread just so I have a good excuse to make some … even just for a nice sweet afternoon spent absolutely doing nothing!

You all know the basics of bread pudding, right? It’s just day old bread, milk, eggs and sugar mixed together and poured into a pan and baked. Anything else you want to add to it is all up to your creativity and what’s in your pantry. You can add raisins, nuts and other fruit of your choice.

Although it is typically a dessert, why limit yourself to that? Have it for breakfast! You may choose to serve bread pudding with rum sauce, whiskey sauce and caramel. It is just as heavenly with custard sauce or vanilla cream, and even chocolate.  Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or slather on some luscious whipped topping and you’ve got yourself a pretty fancy dessert without the real fuss.

Essentially, it’s going to back to basics … back to where it all matters …it’s what hits home and it always feels just as good as you always remember it. So just play around with this home grown recipe and use your favourite things to eat. You might just come up with a seriously genius creation. Here’s something for you to whip up this coming weekend maybe?

Apple Breakfast Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

12 slices day old bread
4 tbsp butter, melted
½ c raisins (optional)
1 apple, peeled, chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon powder
4 eggs beaten
3 cups milk
¾ cup white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Mix chopped apples with brown sugar and set aside
  • Break 6 slices of bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle 2 tbsps melted butter or margarine  over bread.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour half of mixture over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
  • Spread over the apple and sugar mixture onto the bread layer and sprinkle with raisin if desired.
  • Break the remaining 6 slices of bread over the layer of apples and sugar, drizzle with the 2 tbsps of melted butter and pour the remaining half of the milk mixture. Press down with fork making sure the bread pieces get soaked in the milk.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.
  • Serve warm with custard sauce or go all out with vanilla ice cream.

Photo Credit: missmeng

Photo Credit: montage_ man

Photo Credit: jennycu

Baileys Chocolate Fudge

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Everyone indulges in chocolate once in a while. It is eaten for dessert, as a snack. Here’s a delicious recipe with a unique ingredient –Baileys. Its creaminess adds a kick to this melt in your mouth recipe.

 

Ingredients:

1 395g can sweetened condensed milk

100g butter, cubed

1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tablespoons glucose syrup

150g good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream liqueur

Melted butter for greasing

 

Grease a square baking pan with melted butter and line both sides with non-stick baking paper and let it hang.

In a large saucepan under low heat, combine the condensed milk, butter, sugar and glucose. Stir until the sugar melts. Increase heat to medium for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

Add the chocolate and liqueur into the saucepan. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Pour the chocolate into the greased pan and smoothen the surface. Let it cool. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for an hour or until it is set.

Remove fudge from the pan by lifting it up using the baking paper. With a sharp knife cut the fudge into equal sized portions, around 16 squares. Place them in a sealed container and refrigerate or serve immediately.

More mouth watering chocolate recipes.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: cheeseslave

 

Hot Cross Loaf

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It’s nearly Easter – and that means eating a lot of Chocolate Eggs, and Hot Cross Buns with a cup of Tea in the afternoon. But why stop with just a single Bun?

Hot Cross Buns

This recipe will show you how to make an entire loaf of the bread, which you can easily split into twelve portions if you’d prefer the traditional Buns. Cook for fifteen to eighteen minutes, at 220C for the Buns.

To Serve 16
50g Butter, chilled
500g White Bread Mix
1 tsp Mixed spice
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
175g Currants
50g Mixed Peel
75g Caster Sugar
1 Large Egg
340ml Milk, plus 4tbsp for brushing
50g Plain Flour
1tsp Sunflower Oil
15g Icing Sugar
40g Granulated Sugar

1. Grease two Bread Loaf tins. Run the Chilled Butter into the Bread Mixture until it begins to resemble breadcrumbs. Stir in the Spices, Currents, Mixed Peel and Caster Sugar.
2. Break the Egg into a jug with enough Milk to bring it up to 350ml. Beat lightly and add to the Bread Mixture.
3. Knead onto a floured surface, then share into the two Loaf Tins, then cover with lightly oiled Clingfilm, placing somewhere warm until doubled in size.
4. Heat the Oven to 220C, then mix the Plain Flour with the Oil, Icing Sugar and three tablespoons of Water. Put into a plastic bag, shake well, then snip off a corner from the bag and pipe into the Cross Shape on top.
5. Bake for twenty minutes in the oven, then reduce the heat to 190C and cook for another fifteen to twenty minutes.
6. Heat the Granulated Sugar with the four tablespoons of Milk, simmer for two or three minutes then brush on the loaves. Remove from the tins and leave to cool.

Photo Courtesy of: Avlxyz

Lemon Drizzle Loaf

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Sweet, sticky, but not sickly, this dish is very popular at a whole host of events – ranging from Saturday and Sunday morning lie-ins, through to Family Parties and Events.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

This dish makes enough for ten slices, and it’ll keep for around two or three weeks if stored in an air-tight container, but not too well if kept out of a container.

To Serve 10
175g Self Raising Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
175g Butter
290g Caster Sugar
3 Medium Eggs
2tbsp Semi Skimmed Milk
Rind of 2 Lemons, finely grated
Juice of 2 Lemons, strained

1. Sift the Flour and the Baking Powder into a large mixing bowl, before adding the Butter, 175g of the Caster Sugar, the Eggs, Milk, Lemon Rind and Lemon Juice.
2. Mix well with a wooden spoon, and beat until smooth.
3. Line a two pound loaf tin with baking parchment or with some extra Butter, then spoon the mixture into the tin, and level off at the top.
4. Bake in an oven heated to 180C, for an hour, or until a knife inserted comes out clean, with no mixture sticking to it.
5. Turn out onto a Wire Tray to leave to cool for a bit.
6. Put the Lemon Juice and the rest of the Caster Sugar into a Saucepan, and heat gently until the Sugar has dissolved, stirring frequently. Whilst the Cake is warm, pour the mixture over the top so that it will soak into the cake.

Try using different shape loaf tins to make a different cake, and decorate with some pared Lemon Rind.

Photo Courtesy of: styro

Raspberry Tiramisu

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Instead of layers of Chocolate, the bright layers of berries in this dish are very light (light enough for a summer treat) and fruity to go with many dishes as a dessert.

Raspberry Tiramisu

Try experimenting with different soft fruit in place of the Peaches and Raspberries – you can use a whole range instead, just to keep the meal fresh and interesting.

To serve 6
5 Trifle Sponges
2tbsp Raspberry Jam
6tbsp Sweet Sherry or Marsala
213g Can of Peaches in Juice
225g Fresh Raspberries
250g Mascarpone
500g Custard, cold
300ml Double Cream
Dark Chocolate, shaved or grated

1. Split the Sponges, and fill with the Jam. Cut each into three wedges, and place into a large dish. Mix the Sherry (or Marsala) with four tablespoons of the Peach Juice, then spoon over the Sponge and leave to soak for fifteen minutes.
2. Put the Peaches and most of the Raspberries into a serving dish, then place the Sponges on top.
3. Mix the Mascarpone in with the Custard until creamy and smooth, then spoon over the top of the Sponge and level the top.
4. Whip the Cream, then spread on top. Decorate with the Chocolate Shavings and remaining Raspberries, before chilling until ready to serve.

Photo Courtesy of: stevendepolo

Devil’s Food Cake

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Sweet, Chocolaty and full of calories. But so tasty, so tempting and definitely lives up to the name!

Devils Food Cake

Serve it with some Fresh Cream, or a dollop of Vanilla Ice Cream to really top it off!

To serve 10
140g Plain Chocolate
100ml Milk
2tbsp Cocoa Powder
140g Unsalted Butter, plus some extra for greasing
140g Light Muscovado Sugar
3 Eggs, separated
4tbsp Soured Cream or Crème Fraiche
200g Plain Flour
1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

For the Frosting
140g Plain Chocolate
40g Cocoa Powder
4tbsp Soured Cream or Crème Fraiche
1tbsp Golden Syrup
40g Unsalted Butter
4tbsp Water
200g Icing Sugar

1. Heat the Oven to 160c, and grease two eight inch sandwich tins, and line the bases with some non-stick Baking Paper.
2. Break up the Chocolate and place it in a bowl along with the Milk and Cocoa Powder then sit it over a pan of simmering water, heating gently and stirring continuously until smooth and melted, then remove from the heat.
3. IN a large bowl, beat the Butter and Muscovado Sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the Egg Yolks, then add the Soured Cream in too. Slowly add the Melted Chocolate and Milk mixture, then sift in the Flour and Bicarbonate of Soda and fold in evenly.
4. In a separate, clean, dry bowl whisk the Egg Whites until stiff enough to hold the peaks, then fold into the mixture lightly and evenly.
5. Divide the Mixture between the two cake tins, smooth them level, then bake in the pre-heated oven for thirty five to forty minutes, or until risen and firm to the touch. Cool for ten minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool further.
6. To make the frosting, place the Chocolate, Cocoa Powder, Soured Cream, Golden Syrup, Butter and water into a saucepan, and heat over a low heat, stirring until melted. Remove from the heat, stir in the Icing Sugar, and stir until smooth. Allow to cool, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to thicken.
7. Using a sharp knife, split the Cakes in half so you have four layers. Sandwich the layers together with about a third of the frosting, then spread the rest over the top and sides of the cake with a Palette Knife.

Photo Courtesy of: serenejournal

Apple and Fig Strudel

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Surprisingly healthy, this dish can easily be changed to an Apple, Apricot and Almond Strudel, but replacing the Figs with 125g of No-Soak Dried Figs, and adding 2tbsp of Ground Almonds and half a teaspoon of Cinnamon to the filling.

Apple Strudel

It’s great served fresh from the oven, dusted with a little Icing Sugar, and a drizzle of Single Cream.

To Serve 6
125g No-Soak Dried Figs, roughly chopped
Grated Rind and Juice of 1 Lemon
25g Fresh White Breadcrumbs
450g Cooking Apples
4 Sheets Filo Pastry
25g Low-Fat Spread
1tsp Caster Sugar

1. Place the Figs into a large bowl, and add the Lemon Rind, Lemon Juice and Breadcrumbs.
2. Peel, quarter and core the Apple, before slicing thinly and mix with the rest of the ingredients in the bowl.
3. Lay two pieces of Filo Pastry side by side on a clean tea towel, overlapping the edges by two inches (around five centimetres), and brush with a little of the low-fat spread, before topping with the other two sheets (in the same pattern) and brush again.
4. Place the Apple and Fig mixture down one side of the Pastry, and using the tea towel, begin to roll it up. Place onto a non-stick baking tray, curled around if necessary. Brush with the rest of the Low-Fat spread, then sprinkle the Caster Sugar over the top.
5. Bake in the Oven at 190C for around thirty to thirty five minutes, until the Pastry is golden brown, and the Apple filling is soft – loosely cover with Foil if the Pastry begins to brown too soon.

Photo Courtesy of: Rubber Slippers in Italy

Coconut Macaroons

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It is a delicious and easy to make snack that you can prepare at home. You can take it to parties or even give it out as a gift. Keep it in a sealed container, so that it stays moist.

If you are planning to take it to a party or give them away, use nice baking cups and packaging.

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded coconut

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Small paper baking cups

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine the coconut, eggs, condensed milk, sugar, salt, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix well and place the mixture in a pastry bag.

Pipe in the filling into the baking cups (up to half). Place the filled baking cups on a tray. Bake it for 20 minutes or until the tops turn golden brown. Let it stand for 5 minutes after baking.

You may sprinkle some grated coconut on the macaroons for garnish if desired. Serve immediately or store in a sealed container.

Photo Courtesy Of: little blue hen

Melt-in-the-Mouth Truffles

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A treat for anyone – these are great as an easy desert, and a treat for with coffees and in the evenings.

Melt in the Middle Truffle

You can make in large numbers in advance, store them in the freezer for up to a month and then pull them out when they’re needed.

To Make 40
150g Caramel Toffee
50g Chopped Dark Chocolate
400g Chopped Milk Chocolate
142ml Double Cream
1tsp Vanilla Extract
85g Cocoa Powder
Butter

1.       Make the middle of the truffles first. Heat the Caramel Toffee in a bowl above a pan of hot water for a minute until it is melted, warm and runny, before stirring in the chopped up Dark Chocolate, and stirring until mixed in properly and smooth.

2.       Cover a dinner plate with cling film, and cover with butter, then pour the mixture out onto it. Allow it to cool, and then freeze for two hours or until very firm.

3.       Put the milk chocolate into a boil, and then bring the cream to boiling in a different pan. Pour it over the chocolate, the leave for two minutes. Stir in the Vanilla Essence and mix until smooth. Allow to cool and chill until set.

4.       Peel the Caramel off of the cling-film, and cut into thumbnail size pieces. Spread the cocoa powder over a large baking tray, and split the truffle mixture (stage three) into plenty of even sized parcels. Place a piece of the Caramel into the middle of the parcel and squash it around the caramel, roll in the Cocoa powder and then chill.

Photo Courtesy of: Chocolate Reviews

Christmas Pudding

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It’s Christmas! So what better way to get in the mood than by making a traditional Christmas pudding, it’s best to start making one now, as needs to be refrigerated for anything from two to eight weeks. This recipe has no nuts in as well, but please check on the packaging for anything that you buy (especially for the dried fruit), to make sure regarding allergies.

Traditional Lit Christmas Pudding

To Serve 4
200g Currants
200g Raisins
200g Sultanas
150ml Sweet Cherry
175g Butter
175g Brown Sugar
4 Beaten Eggs
150g Self Raising Flour
100g Breadcrumbs
50g Blanched Almonds, chopped
Juice of 1 Orange
Grated Rind of ½ Orange
Grated Rind of ½ Lemon
½ Tsp Ground Mixed Spice

1.       In a large glass bowl, put the Currants, Raisins and Sultanas, and pour the Sherry over the top. Leave to set for at least two hours – more if you can help it.
2.       Mix the Butter and Sugar in a bowl, beat the Eggs into the mix and fold in the Flour.
3.       Stir in the Fruit and Sherry mix, as well as the Breadcrumbs, Almonds, Orange Juice, Rinds and Mixed Spice.
4.       Grease a basin and press it in, leaving a gap around an inch at the top. Cut a circle of greaseproof paper about one and a half inches wider than the top of the basin. Secure with string, and cover with two layers of foil.  Place the basin into a pan of boiling water, which reaches two thirds of the way up the basin, and simmer for six hours, topping up with water when needed.
5.       Remove from the pan, and leave to cool. Change the greaseproof paper and foil, and leave in the fridge for two to eight weeks. Before serving, steam for two hours (as before – in a pan of boiling water).

To serve, you can light it, making sure you blow it out before serving.

Photo Courtesy of: Anina2007

Christmas Pudding Cakes

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Christmas Pudding cakeFruit and Gluten Free, these chocolate puddings are a great alternative to the more traditional mince pies as a treat.

They look just like Traditional Christmas puddings, and can be decorated in a variety of ways – such as using left over Icing Sugar to create Holly and Berries, or Iced fruits.

To Make 6

75g Dark Chocolate (minimum 70% Cocoa Solids)

50g Unsalted Butter

75g Ground Almonds

3 large Eggs, separated

40g Caster Sugar

130g Icing Sugar

3 or 4 tsp Water

Red and Green Food Colouring

1.       Heat the oven to 180 C or Gas Mark 4, and lightly grease six pudding tins or rounded bottom ramekins, and line with baking paper.

2.       Break the Chocolate into pieces, and put into a large bowl, with the butter.

3.       Put the bowl over a pan of hot water, making sure that the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl or the Chocolate and butter mix will burn. Stirring occasionally, wait until the chocolate has melted, and then remove from the heat, leaving to cool for five minutes.

4.       Stir the Ground Almonds in, before adding the Egg yolks. Beat well to combine.

5.       Whisk the Egg whites until they form stiff peaks, whilst adding the Caster Sugar, one teaspoon at a time. Fold a third of the Egg whites into the Chocolate mix, to soften it.

6.       Fold the rest of the Egg whites into the Chocolate mix, before dividing equally into the six baking tins.

7.       Bake for twenty minutes, before removing from the heat to cool on a wire rack. Mix the Icing sugar with the water, and drizzle most over the top (to look like snow), and mix some red into a small amount of the left-over sugar, and green into another amount. Cut into Holly and Berry shapes, and decorate with these

Photo Courtesy of F0t0Synth

Peach and Redcurrant Cake

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This cake has a different taste, with these two little-used ingredients creating an interesting and mouth watering combination. It can be stored in a cake tin for up to two days, or served fresh and warm when out of the oven.

Peaches and Redcurrants

This cake is great as part of a picnic, as it can be easily stored and transported. It’s also great fresh and warm out of the oven with thick slices being covered in lashings of cream.

Quark is a type of cheese, but closer to yogurt than the more traditional cheese. In the Americas, it’s quite hard to find, and only a few specialist retailers carry it, but have a look at ‘baking cheese’ if you’re able to find it.

To Serve 10

150g Quark

3tbsp Milk

3tbsp Sunflower Oil

2 Eggs

75g Caster Sugar

Zest of two Oranges

100g Redcurrants

250g Self Raising Flour

3 or 4 Ripe Peaches

1tsp Brown Sugar

1.       Heat the oven to 190 C (Gas Mark 5). Line a nine inch round cake tin with baking paper.

2.       Place the Quark, Milk, Sunflower Oil, Eggs and Sugar in a large bowl, and beat until smooth.

3.       Stir in the Orange Rind, half the Redcurrants and the Flour, making sure there are no lumps.

4.       Spread the mixture evenly across the cake tin, before slicing the Peaches and scattering over the top of the cake mix, with the remaining Redcurrants. Sprinkle the Brown Sugar

5.       Bake for forty five minutes, until golden brown, and cooked through.

6.       Leave to cool for ten minutes, and then remove from the cake tray and take the paper away.

7.       Serve warm or cold, with single cream.

Photo Courtesy of: Martijn Van Exel

Summer Fruit Charlotte

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Raspberries, Blackberries and BlueberriesThis dish takes four hours for it to set, so make sure you prepare it well in advance – but it is well worth the wait.

The soft sponge fingers with the soft creamy yoghurt and fresh fruit inside make such a beautiful change to some other desserts, especially since it’s so light!

To Serve 8

100g Caster Sugar

300g Strawberries

250g Raspberries

1 pack of Sponge Fingers

2 sheets of Gelatine

500g 0% Fat Greek Yogurt

½tsp Vanilla Extract

1.       Place 75g of the Sugar in a small pan with 100ml of water. Heat gently, and stir until the Sugar has dissolved.

2.       Slice 250g of the Strawberries, and add these as well as 175g of the Raspberries to the water, and mash lightly.

3.       Take off the heat, and cool for fifteen minutes. Strain into a shallow dish, keeping the fruit to one side.

4.       Dip the Sponge Fingers into the Sugar water one at a time, and line the base of a one litre pudding basin, cutting them to fit.

5.       In a different pan, soak the Gelatine sheets in four tablespoons of cold water until they are soft (it should take around five minutes). Heat the pan up gently until melted.

6.       Place the Yogurt in a bowl with the Vanilla Extract and the remaining 25g of Sugar. Beat in the melted Gelatine. Place half into the Sponge-lined basin, add the fruit then cover with the rest of the Yogurt mix and any of the remaining Sponges.

7.       Drizzle any remaining Syrup around the edge of the basin, and then place in the fridge to chill for at least four hours until set.

8.       To serve, place a plate across the top of the basin, and turn upside down, then top with the extra berries.

Photo Courtesy of: Renee Silverman

Fruity Meringue Sandwiches

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It usually takes ages for Meringues to cook. For these little bites of heaven, you can forget that – they’ll be cooked in just thirty minutes!

Experiment with different fillings to act as the sandwich fillings – a mix of different berries are great, as are fresh fruits, jams or using a variety of sauces as dips.

To serve 4

2 Large Eggs

115g Caster Sugar

Vanilla Extract

150ml Double Cream

300g Strawberries

1.       Preheat the oven to 140 C or Gas Mark 1, and line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

2.       Separate the eggs, and put the whites into a large bowl. Whisk until they form peaks – easiest with an electric whisk. As soon as they start to form peaks, you should stop, you don’t want to over-beat the whites.

3.       Start to add the sugar slowly, whisking all the time, and with the last amount, add a few drops of Vanilla Extract.

4.       Using a small spoon, place small piles of the mixture onto a baking tray, leaving plenty of space between each meringue. You should have enough mixture for around thirty meringues.

5.       Cook in the oven for twenty five minutes before checking if they are able to be lifted off the paper. If any are still sticking, cook for five minutes longer.

6.       Whip the double cream until it is thick, slice the strawberries and lay them out for people to either make into their own sandwiches, or make up already for people to eat off of serving trays

Photo Courtesy of: ZoyaChubby

Rhubarb Crumble

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A Classic British dessert. Serve fresh out of the oven, with a large portion of Vanilla Ice cream, or swimming in a pool of Custard. The crisp, crunchy crumble on top is a delight when cooked just right – a heavenly treat for anyone.

The tartness of the Rhubarb, coupled with the sweet Ice cream, coupled with the range of textures, this dessert will become a firm favourite once you’ve tried it, and you can slightly adjust the quantities – for a sharper taste, add less sugar, and for a sweeter one, simply increase the amount of sugar included.

To serve 4

300g Flour

150g Demerara Sugar

250ml Orange Juice

60g White Sugar

500g Rhubarb

1.       In a bowl, rub the Flour and Demerara Sugar together, until they begin to look like Breadcrumbs.

2.       In a pan, mix 250ml of Orange Juice with the White Sugar and heat, but do not boil.

3.       Add the Rhubarb to the pan, and poach until slightly soft. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/ Gas Mark 4

4.       Strain the Rhubarb off, keeping five or six tablespoonfuls of the poaching mixture.

5.       Lay the Rhubarb in either a large ovenproof dish, or, alternatively into 4 smaller individual dishes. Pour one tablespoonful over each dish, or all into the one large dish.

6.       Top with the crumble mixture, and put in the oven for around thirty or forty minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling slightly around the edges

7.       Serve with a ball of Ice Cream.

Photo Courtesy of: SecretLondon123

Fresh Baked Scones

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Nothing makes an English Tea break quite like these delicious Scones. Try to handle the dough as little as possible, to make them as light as possible.

scones with strawberry jam and cream

To make 8

150g Strawberries

50g Caster Sugar

225g Self-Raising Flour

1/4tsp Salt

50g Butter

100ml Buttermilk (mix a little Lemon Juice with milk if you cannot find any)

3tbsp Whole Milk

Clotted Cream

1.       Preheat the oven to 220 C/Gas mark 7, and line a baking tray with some baking paper.

2.       Sift the Self-Raising Flour and Salt into a large bowl, before cutting the Butter into small pieces, before rubbing it in using fingertips, until it resembles small flakes. Add the 50g of Caster Sugar, and mix in.

3.       In a different bowl or jug, mix the Buttermilk with the Whole Milk. Pour it into the dry mix all at once, and use a round-bladed knife to mix together. Combine evenly to make a soft dough mixture.

4.       Lightly flour your hands and a work surface, before gathering all of the dough together, and pat it out until 2cm thick – try to touch it as little as possible, to make sure it’s as light as possible.

5.       Using a 5cm pastry cutter, cut as many rounds as possible, and put each onto a baking tray, leaving a small gap between each one. Once you’ve got as many out as possible, roll the dough back together, pat it out again, and cut out more scones.

6.       Bake for ten to twelve minutes, before removing and leaving the Scones to cool on a wire rack

7.       Slice in half, and lay some Strawberry Jam and Clotted cream, as well as some Sliced Strawberries inside.

Photo Courtesy of: JamieAnne

Banana Bread

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Fail-safe, no-fuss, and very sticky and gooey. Even better, as it only takes one bowl, and a fork…well, and a baking tray. But it’s very low mess, considering how sticky it should be.

banana bread

This recipe is a great use for over-ripe bananas, and the riper they are the better. I’ve tried Cyprus Bananas in the past, and found these to be very sweet, compared to regular Bananas – so have a look at the different varieties that are on offer. You might be able to change the taste slightly by using a different banana.

To serve 8

2 browning medium Bananas,

1 large free range Eggs

130g Self Raising Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

55g Butter

100g Caster Sugar

1.       Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/ Gas Mark 4.

2.       Mash the Bananas together, and soften the butter.

3.       Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, combining with a fork. If the bananas are not ripe and mushy enough, you may need to add a drop of milk to get to the right consistency – one which is quite loose and dropping.

4.       Pour the mix into the loaf tin, and bake for thirty five to forty minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean). Leave to cool in the tray before turning out onto a wire rack to cool further.

5.       Serve sliced with Warm Custard, or sliced as a snack during the day.

Photo courtesy of: GoodnCrazy