Oat Bars

Found I had no apples in deep freeze so substituted pear - Yummy

Raisins: 50 grams (1/3 cup); Hot water: sufficient for soaking the raisins.

Apples: 2 big apples, peeled and cut into pieces.

Oat Flakes (No Gluten): 150 g (1 1/2 cups)

Eggs: 2 big

Cinnamon: 1 tsp

Baking Powder: 6 grams, which is equal to 1 and a half teaspoons.

Walnuts: 30 grams (1/4 cup), chopped

 

To make raisins softer, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and put to the side.

Heat your oven to 180°C (360°F) before using it.

Mix the ingredients: In a big bowl, mix together the oats, eggs, cinnamon, and baking powder. Mix the diced apples, dried raisins, and chopped walnuts.

Make bread. Cover a baking pan that measures 20 x 8 cm (8 x 3 inches) with parchment paper or a thin layer of oil.

Baking tip: Pour the mix into the pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes until it looks golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Cool down: Let the bars cool in the pan before cutting into 8 slices.

 

Calories 32

Bara Brith

 Very nice with butter

Ingredients

·         400 g Dried Mixed Fruit

·         300 ml Hot Tea

·         100 g Soft Dark Brown Sugar

·         2 tsp Mixed Spice

·         1 tbsp Black Treacle

·         250 g Self-raising Flour

·         1 Free-range Egg (beaten)

Instructions

1.             In a large bowl, place your dried mixed fruit, hot tea and sugar. Once the tea cools, cover and leave the fruit to soak up the tea and sugar over night.

2.             The next day, pre-heat your oven to 180°c (160°c for fan assisted ovens or Gas Mark 4). Line a 2lb loaf tin with grease proof paper and set aside.

3.             Sift the flour and mixed spice into the bowl of soaked mixed fruit. Add the [beaten] egg, treacle and mix everything together until well combined.

4.             Pour the mixture into your lined loaf tin, spreading to the corners. Bake in your pre-heated oven for about 50 minutes - 1 hour, until dry on top and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

5.             Once cool, remove from the tin but keep the greaseproof paper lining on. Bara Brith is best enjoyed after a couple of days kept in an air tight container, sliced with a spread of butter/margarine.

 

Marzipan and Cherry Bakewell Scones

Made 3 ordinary & 3 KETO (darker ones) scones.

For KETO  I replaced the S.R Flour with Almond Flour, left out the Almond Extract, added 1 Tsp Baking Powder, 1 Tbsp Milk and 1 tsp Xanthum Gum.

2 Tbsp Swerve or Truvia Sugar
60g soft butter
1 Medium Egg
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
110g Self Raising Flour
80g Marzipan chopped into small cubes
80g Glace Cherries quartered

1. Preheat oven to Gas 5/Fan 160
2. Using an electric mixer beat butter and sugar
3. Add egg and almond extract whisking well
4. Slowly stir in flour
5. Fold in Marzipan and Cherries
6. Scoop out 6 small balls 
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until done in the centre

Sweet Potato Scones

I made 4 from half the mix they were quite large

125g plain flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

½  teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, cubed

200g mashed sweet potatoes

1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas 6.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, mustard and salt. Rub the butter into the flour, using your fingers, until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Mix in the mashed sweet potatoes, and the egg to make a soft dough.
3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and roll or pat out to 1/2 cm thickness. Cut into circles using a scone cutter or a drinking glass. Place scones 2.5cm apart onto a greased baking tray.
4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Pikelets

My mum used to make these for us as kids and toss in some currants. They are wonderful fresh with a little butter.

1 cup Self Raising Flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Mix flour and sugar
Whisk egg and milk
Beat egg mix into flour
Heat some oil in a frying pan and when hot spoon dollops of the mix into the oil
Should make around 16-20
Add currants if desired
Cook for 3-4 minutes; Once brown turn over and cook the other side

Banana Cookies

I did put them too close together on the baking sheet so they all merged. I ended up having to cut out 12 large cookie sizes from my big blobby mess :) They were a little doughy so I would probably not do again.

1/2 cup sugar
3oz butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup banana; mashed well
1 Egg beaten
1¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1) In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
2) Cream sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
3) Add egg and beat well. Stir in banana.
4) Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet. Chill 30 minutes in refrigerator.
5) Preheat oven to 400 F.
6) Drop teaspoon sized balls of dough two inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture; if desired.
7) Bake 8-10 minutes or until browned. Cool 2 minutes, then transfer to racks.
8) Decorate with icing if desired.

Cream Scones

Only 3 ingredients and smell good :)

• 1 1/2 cups of self raising flour
• 1/2 cup of thickened cream
• 1/2 cup of lemonade (like Sprite)

1. Preheat oven to 200 °C (400 °F).
2. Place flour in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add cream and lemonade and mix to combine.
4. Turn the mixture out onto a well-floured board and knead with extra flour until smooth (mixture is very sticky initially).
5. Use your hand to flatten the scone dough out to about 2 -3 cm (1 inch) thick and then cut into rounds with floured scone cutter (Makes around 10)
6. Place scones onto a lined baking tray so that they are just touching and then bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Scones are cooked when they are golden brown

Welsh Cakes

I didn't have a griddle so cooked in a frying pan and a few came out well done :)

110 g butter

• 225 g self raising flour
• 80 g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 80 g sultanas
• caster sugar, for dusting

1. In a large bowl, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, eggs and sultanas. Mix with your hands until a firm dough forms.
2. Turn out the dough onto a floured board and roll out until 1cm (1/2 in) thick, then cut into rounds using a fluted cutter.
3. To cook, grease a griddle or a cast iron pan with butter and then wipe away with kitchen paper. Cook the Welsh cakes for 2 to 3 minutes until a dark caramel colour forms on the underside, then flip over and cook the same on the other side.
4. Arrange on a serving plate, then dust with caster sugar while still hot. Serve hot or cold.

Greek Yogurt Scones

Ready to eat in 15 minutes - makes 12 so I just did half the amount

2 cups (300g) plain flour

2 teaspoons sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (250g) sweetened Greek yoghurt + extra to serve

½ cup (125ml) milk

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan / Gas 6. 

Line a rimmed baking tray with baking paper. 

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 

Add the yoghurt and the milk and stir with a wooden spoon until dough comes together.

Transfer to a lightly floured bench. 

Knead a few times, until dough is smooth (it will be fairly sticky).

Shape into 12 scones and place on the baking tray. 

Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

Serve warm with a dollop of yoghurt and jam, honey or berry compote.

Irish Stout & Cheese Bread

I made half of this recipe to go with the Beef Stew and it was quite a sweet tasting bread. The half a loaf cut up into 8 nice chunks. My cheese was medium cheddar but I would use a stronger one next time.

3 cups plain flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup shredded cheese
12 oz Guinness (440 ml)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fan 150
Line a loaf tin with parchment
In a large bowl mix together all ingredients except stout
Add the stout and mix well
Pour into the loaf tin and allow to stand for 20 minutes
Cook in the oven for 40-50 minutes till done (My half only took 30 minutes)

Soda Bread

Made this to have with the One Pot Casserole but it has turned out quite small. Tastes OK but is quite heavy (bicarb must be old)

75g/3oz plain flour

100g/3½oz wholemeal flour

25g/1oz oats

1½ tsp caster sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 tbsp linseeds

175ml/6fl oz natural yoghurt

1.     Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2.     Stir all of the ingredients, except the yoghurt, together in a bowl. Add most of the yoghurt and mix together to a soft dough. Add a little extra yoghurt if the dough is dry.

3.     Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth.

4.     Shape into round loaf and put on the baking tray. Flatten slightly with your hand then mark a deep X on the top using a knife. Make sure to cut almost all the way to the bottom of the dough, so that the middle of the bread cooks all the way through.

5.     Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Cowboy Cookies

I made up half of the mixture some with dark chocolate and some with white and cherries, they turned out lovely and soft; I did skip putting the dough in the fridge as I was hungry :)

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4oz unsalted butter, softened
• 4oz brown sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips OR white chocolate chips and cherries

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, blend the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat until fluffy, about 1-1/2 minutes. Blend in the vanilla extract.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture one half at a time. Mix in the chocolate chips and cherries. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large, preferably light-colored baking sheet with aluminum foil, then grease the foil.

Using a scant 1/4 cup per cookie, shape the dough into balls and place them on the sheet about 2 inches apart.

Use your fingertips to flatten each ball to 1/3 inch thick. Bake the cookies on the center oven rack for 13 to 14 minutes, turning the sheet about halfway through. When they're done, the cookies should be very lightly browned and still look moist. Don't overbake them.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Recipe adapted from spoonful.com I used only brown sugar

Milk Scones

A really quick scone to make and cook - tastes lovely fresh from oven with plum jam

• 225g / 8oz or two small cups of self-raising flour    
• 50g or a dessertspoon of margarine spread   
• 1 dessertspoon sugar                                
• 150ml / 5fl oz or small cup of milk           

Preheat oven to gas mark 7 / 220ºC / 425ºF.

Put flour into bowl, put in the spread using a knife to cut it into little bits.

Rub the butter and flour together with fingers, until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Stir in sugar.

Add the milk and stir using a knife until it forms a dough.

Sprinkle flour onto your work surface and tip dough onto it.

Use hands to flatten the dough to around ½ inch thick.

Cut into rounds using cutters or an upside down glass.

      Put onto baking tray brush milk over the tops.

Put into oven for 10–15 minutes. 

   

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

I had some left-over yogurt and had missed pancake day so decided to try these. 
The mixture made 5 and they are like a scotch pancake although not so sweet.
I ate 2 of them; the one on top had mulberry jam and Greek yogurt the other I ate just buttered.

• 6 oz of Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

1. Mix yogurt till creamy

2. Beat egg in a cup and then stir into yogurt and mix well

3. Add flour and baking powder and mix well - mixture is quite thick

4. Warm a well oiled frying pan or griddle

5. Add spoonfuls of mixture - should make 4 to 5 pancakes

6. Cook until batter starts to solidify then turn over and cook other side

Top with jam, butter, lemon juice or anything you like

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

March 5th - Today I decided to try these; they turned out very large so I probably wrapped the biscuits in too much dough. I prepared half the mix and made 8 cookies. They were moist and very tasty especially when warm.

Recipe courtesy of Picky Palate - Makes about 2 dozen

• 1 Cup softened butter
• 3/4 Cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 Cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
• 3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 10 oz bag chocolate chips
• 1 bag Oreo Cookies, I used the double stuff

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough. 

3. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.