Strawberry Oat Traybake

Looking through one of my cooking magazines i came across this tray bake, and thought it would be perfect for my sons celebration.

Although they are a cake they are quite good for you too, as they have honey instead of sugar, and fruit, nuts and oats, and only a small amount of butter.

They aren't too sweet and to me they taste just like a crumble. Yummy!!!!!!





























Preheat oven 200c, 400f gas mark 6
Makes 16 slices

150g strawberries mashed
50g butter, plus extra for greasing
75g clear honey
200g rolled oats
50g ground almonds
½ tsp almond extract
pinch of salt

Grease a 26 x 16cm tray with butter, this was the perfect size for the amount of ingredients.

Melt the butter and honey with the pinch of salt.
Stir in the ground almonds, almond extract and oats.
Press half the mixture into the tray, spread over the mashed strawberries and sprinkle with the rest of the mixture.
Bake for 15/18 minutes.
Let cool in tray then cut into 16 slices.

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.

Maple, Pecan, Raisin & Oaty Cookies

I wanted to make a semi healthy cookie to snack on.

I came across this recipe and thought it sounded good. After looking at the ingredients i realised they weren't as healthy as they sounded, but decided to give them a go anyway.

I'm so glad i made them, they have to be one of the best cookies I've ever had, they are crunchie, chewy and SOOOOO yummy!!!
You got the sweetness of the maple syrup, but the salty pecans cut through the sweetness.

I felt the nuts, raisins and oats would kind of even out all the sugar and fat, well that's what i tell myself every time i have one, but it is hard to stick to just one!!

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!

Makes 24 cookies

Pre heat oven 140c, 275f, gas mark 1

140g oats
50g desiccated coconut
225g plain flour
140g salted pecans roughly chopped (if you can't find salted, just add ½ tsp salt to recipe)
100g raisins
140g unsalted butter
225g light soft brown sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp boiling water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

In a bowl mix the oats, coconut, flour, raisins and pecans.

In a saucepan over a medium heat melt the butter, with the sugar, maple syrup and golden syrup, when melted remove from the heat.

Combine the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water and stir into the butter mix.

Stir the butter mix into the dry ingredients.

Form balls of dough about the diameter of a 10p coin, place on baking tray about 3 inches apart and flatten slightly.

Bake for 14/16 minutes, depending on how crunchie you want them.

Let them cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, as they will be too sqidgy to move.

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.

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.

Franks in Blankets

I had some pastry left over from making the Poor Man's Wellington and some frankfurters in the fridge so i thought id make some Franks in Blankets.

I first had these when we lived in America and loved them, there is something about a cheap frankfurter wrapped in pastry.

I like them dipped in Chilli Ketchup and American Mustard...yummy!!!!

It's tacky but tasty!!

They are so simple to make, i feel like a fraud posting the recipe.....

Pre heat oven 200c, 400c, Gas Mark 6

Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 12/15 minutes

300g Puff pastry
8 Frankfurters
1 Egg beaten
Flour for dusting

Roll out pastry to approx 20 x 16 inches.

Brush the pastry with the beaten egg, lay the frankfurters on the pastry two high and cut the pastry wide enough to roll around the frankfurters, then roll around the frankfurters and seal with egg.

Cut each roll into 8, brush with egg, and put on to a baking tray approximately 2cms apart.

Bake in the oven for 12/15 minutes, until golden brown.