Caramel Squares

Base:

4 oz butter

2 oz caster sugar

6 oz self raising flour

Filling

Small can condensed milk

4 oz butter

4 oz caster sugar

2 x 15 ml (2tbsp) golden syrup

Topping

6 oz chocolate

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Press the mixture evenly over the base of a greased 18 x 28 cm swiss roll tin and bake for 15-20 until golden brown. 
3. Place all of the ingredients for the filling in a saucepan and heat gently until sugar has dissolved. Bring mixture to the boil and stirring continuously, boil the mixture for 7 mins. 
4. Spread the mixture over the cooked base and allow to cool.
5. Place the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water and allow to melt over a low heat. When melted, quickly poor over the caramel and swirl with a fork. 
6. Mark into portions before chocolate sets firm.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

The cream cheese icing goes really well with these cupcakes. Or if you're not a fan, just use regular buttercream.


Ingredients:

• 60g butter
• 1 egg
• 150g caster sugar
• 10g cocoa
• 10ml red food colouring
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 120ml buttermilk
• 150g plain flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp white wine vinegar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. Cream the butter, sugar and egg until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder, food colouring and vanilla. Once mixed add to the creamed mixture.
4. Mix carefully until combined and then add half the buttermilk. Mix further and add half the flour and the baking powder. Mix thoroughly before adding the remainder of the buttermilk and flour and mixing further.
5. Add the white wine vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix thoroughly.
6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 mins or until the cupcakes spring back slightly when touched.
7. Allow the cupcakes to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 300g icing sugar
• 50g butter
• 125g cream cheese

1. Cream the icing sugar, butter and cream cheese together until well mixed. Continue beating until light and fluffy.
2. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Icing

For fans of coffee cake, these cupcakes are seriously good. It's worth using really good coffee for them.


Ingredients:

• 150g butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 50g dark Muscovado sugar
• 3 eggs
• 125g plain flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp espresso, cooled (or 1 tsp good instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water, then cooled)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160C
2. Cream the butter with the sugars until smoothly blended. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions.
3. Sprinkle in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda and fold in until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the mixture.
4. Add the cooled strong coffee and the vanilla essence and mix until incorporated.
5. Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases and bake for 18 – 20 mins or until risen and golden.
6. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Leave to cool completely before adding the frosting.

Espresso icing

• 150g butter
• 300g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp coffee as above

 Method:

1. Beat the butter together with one third of the icing sugar.
2. Add the rest of the icing sugar and the cooled coffee and continue beating until light and fluffy.
3. Pipe onto the cupcakes.

Vanilla Cupcakes

These cupcakes are so easy to make and always turn out light and moist.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz butter
• 4 oz caster sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 4 oz self raising flour
• 2 tablespoons milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 12 hole muffin tin.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs a little at a time and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Sieve the flour and fold in carefully.
4. Add a little milk until you reach a dropping consistency.
5. Spoon the mixture into the cases until they are half full.
6. Bake for 10-15 mins until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.
7. Cool for 10 mins in the tin and then remove and allow to cool fully.

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

• 5oz butter
• 10oz icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp milk
• Food colouring

Method:

1. Beat the butter until soft.
2. Sieve the icing sugar and add half to the butter.
3. Beat until smooth.
4. Add the rest of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
5. Add a little milk to get a consistency right for piping.
6. Add food colouring and mix well.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Squares

This recipe is a new find and really delicious. It seems like a lot of sugar but the result isn't as sickly sweet as you'd imagine.

Ingredients:

• 200g smooth peanut butter
• 200ml golden syrup
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g Special K flakes
• 100g coconut 
• 200g chocolate

Method:

1. Line a 2 inch deep baking tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Put the peanut butter, golden syrup and sugar in a pan on a low heat. Allow to melt slowly, stirring occassionally until the mixture is smooth and runny.
3. In the meantime, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water.
4. When the peanut butter mixture is melted, stir in the Special K and coconut.
5. Press the mixture into the baking tin and smooth over the top.
6. Pour the melted chocolate over the mixture and spread it evenly.
7. Allow to set in the fridge before cutting into squares.

Sugar Cookies

These cookies have a lovely lemon flavour. They will keep for weeks in an air tight box. The recipe will make about 60 cookies depending on their size.

Ingredients:

• 6oz butter
• 10 oz caster sugar (I use vanilla sugar)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Rind of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 10 oz plain flour

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the egg and the egg yolk.
3. Add the salt, lemon rind and vanilla essence and combine.
4. Stir in the flour.
5. Wrap the dough in some greaseproof paper and refrigerate for at least 30 mins. This will make it much easier to roll out. You can make the dough in advance and just leave it in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
6. Preheat the oven to 180C.
7. Roll out the dough to 2 - 3 mm thick.
8. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
9. Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet.
10. Bake for about 8 mins until golden brown.
11. Allow to cool on a wire rack.