Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

When i first found this recipe i was very sceptical about how they would turn out, but i must say i was amazed and very pleasantly surprised!

If you think about it though, when you make a flourless cake you usually use a ground nut instead of flour, and as peanut butter is basically ground peanuts you have your flour substitute.

Not only did they look like a cookie, but they tasted amazing too, not too sweet and not at all dry, they are very moorish and the sprinkling of salt on the top is a nice touch, it adds an extra dimension........

We will be lucky if the batch i have made lasts till tomorrow!!!

Oh and did i say they are so easy to make, would be a great cookie to make with the kids!

Pre heat oven to 175c, 350f, gas mark 4

Makes about 28 cookies


1 cup of peanut butter (i used half smooth and half crunchy as that's all i had in the cupboard)
1 cup of soft brown sugar
1 large egg lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
course sea salt to sprinkle on top


Mix all the ingredients except the salt together.

Spoon dessert spoonfuls onto a ungreased tray about an inch apart, slightly flatten and using a fork make markings on the cookies, then sprinkle the salt on top.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool on tray then transfer to a cooling rack.

Try not to eat them all at once........

Apple Pancake

My son loves pancakes so i thought i would treat him to an Apple Pancake.

Well needless to say they went down a treat, he loved them, I'd never seen his plate cleared so quickly.....

Unfortunately they had deflated quite a bit by the time i got to take the photos.

They may not be the best looking pancakes, but they tasted fantastic, the apples were soft and caramelised the pancake was light and fluffy.

One was most definitely not enough!!!

Pre heat oven, 200c, 400f, gas mark 6

90g self raising flour
pinch of salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
4 eggs beaten
185ml full fat milk

50g butter
3 tbsp light brown soft sugar
4 apples peeled, cored and sliced
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp lemon juice


You will need a frying pan a cast iron one would be great, if you don't have one, use one with an oven proof handle, if it fits in your oven. Unfortunately mine didn't so i warmed a pie dish in the oven and transfered the prepared apples to that.

Make the batter by putting the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the eggs, milk and vanilla, mix till smooth, leave to rest for at least 20 minutes.

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the apples and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat.

Add the sugar and lemon juice and cook till the sugar has dissolved.

If your using a frying pan tip the batter over the apples and bake in the oven for 20/25 minutes. Till risen and evenly cooked.

If not pour the apples and caramel sauce into the dish you are using, and pour over the batter and bake in the oven for 20/25 minutes. Till risen and evenly cooked.

Mark's Easter Carrot & Cinnamon Cake with Lots of Frosting!!

I decided to make my husband a cake for Easter instead of getting him an Easter egg, as he kept telling me he didn't want an egg.

I know he loves carrot cake so i decided to make one with extra frosting!!!

He loves mini eggs so to make it more festive i decorated the cake with them.

So he did get an egg after all.......

Pre heat oven 180c, 375f gas mark 5

Cake

½ pint sunflower oil
8oz soft light brown sugar
4 medium eggs beaten
6oz golden syrup
12oz self raising flour
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
9 ½oz grated carrot

Frosting recipe follows next picture.

Grease and line 2 x 20cm round tin.

Put the oil, sugar, golden syrup and eggs in a mixer and blend together, add the flour, cinnamon, bicabonate of soda and grated carrot to the mixer and mix till just blended.

Pur the mixtures equally into the tins.

Bake in the oven for 30/35 minutes, or till a skewer or cocktail stick comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then take them out of the tins and let cool completely before you frost them.

Frosting

8oz full fat cream cheese

4 ½oz unsalted butter room temperture

1lb icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 bag of Cadbury mini eggs

In a mixer cream the butter till it's soft and pale, add the cream cheese and stir together, add the vanilla extract and stir it in, then stir in the icing sugar, till it's smooth.

Turn both cakes over so you have flat surfaces to frost.

Put a layer of frosting on the top of the first cake, then sandwich the second cake on top.

Spread the rest of the frosting all over the cakes, and decorate with mini eggs. 

Banana, Cinnamon & Chocolate Muffins....

I was making a batch of Banana, Cinnamon and Chocolate Muffins. I had made some snazzy cases from parchment paper and spooned the mixture in them all, that was time consuming.
I'd put them in the oven, then noticed the bowl of mashed banana still sat on the side!!!
I did wonder why the mixture was too stiff, luckily they had only been in oven for 10 seconds so I managed to save them.

Needless to say I'd had enough of making the cases, so reverted back to the normal shop bought ones.

They may not have looked so pretty, but they still tasted GREAT!!!

They were moist and light and fluffy too....

Pre heat oven 180c, 360f, gas mark 5

Makes about 12 muffins

2 large eggs beaten
125ml vegetable oil
200g light brown soft sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas mashed
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
50g walnuts toasted and roughly chopped
50g dark chocolate roughly chopped ( i use lindt 70% chocolate)


In a bowl mix the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla extract, then stir in the bananas.

In another bowl sieve the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir in till just mixed, don't over mix or your muffins will be heavy and tough.

Gently stir in the  nuts and chocolate.

Spoon mixture into paper cases in a muffin tin, about ¾ of the way up.

Bake for 20/25 minutes, till a cocktail stick or skewer comes out clean.

Best served warm.

They freeze well, just revive them in the oven for about 4 minutes.

You can use other nuts like pecans or hazelnuts, and add raisins if you like.

Fat Bread Sticks

I made these bread sticks to go with the onion and cider soup i made for dinner.
They were great for dunking in the soup and soaked the soup up well, without getting soggy!!


You can use any topping for the bread sticks.
I used cracked black pepper, smoked sea salt and poppy seeds.

Cooking time 20 minutes
Prep time 1 hour

Makes 12 bread sticks

Pre heat oven 200c, 400f, gas mark 6

1lb Strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1x 7g sachet of easy dried yeast
1 ½ tsp salt
250- 275ml warm water
Oil for cling film
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Poppy seeds, sea salt, cracked black pepper, or whatever you are using to top the bread sticks with.

Dust 2 baking trays with flour.

Put the flour, yeast  and salt into a bowl with the warm water and mix till it comes together, if kneading by hand, knead for 10 minutes, if doing it in a machine knead for 5 minutes with the hook attachment. It's ready when the dough springs back to the touch.

Cut into 12, roll into balls, then roll into sausages.

At this point you can twist the dough, or leave them as they are, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 - 45 minutes.

Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle the toppings on them, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool and enjoy!!


They are also good with dips and olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Cheese and Pesto Scones

These scones are delicious!!! Just spread with butter.......

They are light and fluffy inside and have a crisp and crumbly crust. They are very much like what Americans call biscuits, especially the ones from The Red Lobster Restaurants, in America.



Pre heat oven 180c, 360f, gas mark 5

Makes approx 16 scone

2 cups Self raising flour plus extra for dusting

3 tsp baking powder

Large pinch salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1½ cups of grated cheddar cheese

¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp vegetable oil
125ml full fat milk

1 egg beaten

75ml pesto homemade or shop bought, i used homemade, recipe follows.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

In a second bowl mix all the wet ingredients together.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix till it all comes together, add more milk if too dry.

Dust board and pat dough down till about 1 inch thick, cut out scones, keep doing this with left over dough till you run out.

Place on a greased baking tray and bake in middle of the oven for 15 minutes.

Pesto Recipe

2 Cups of fresh basil leaves packed

⅓ Cup toasted almonds

½ Cup grated parmesan cheese

½ Cup olive oil 

3 Garlic cloves

Salt & pepper

Put all in a blender and pulse till blended, but not too smooth, season to taste.