Lemon and Raspberry Loaf Cake

This is my first ever loaf cake! *cheers* and it turned out pretty good, if you don't mind me saying ;).

Lemon and raspberry is another one of those great combinations. So instead of just making a traditional lemon drizzle cake I decided to mix it up a bit and create this. I couldn't help but add some pink food colouring to make it look extra pretty (yes I do go a bit over the top) I just cant help myself!

Ingredients-
For the cake:

• 180g unsalted butter
• 180g caster sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• rind of 1 lemon
• 180g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100g raspberries (set aside a few to decorate on top)
• 1 tbsp of flour

For the decoration:

• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 tbsp icing sugar (or enough to make a thick icing)
• pink food colouring 

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper, make sure the baking paper comes out at the sides so you can easily lift out the cake once baked.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Gradually add in the eggs beating well after each addition. Add the lemon juice and rind and mix together.

Sift in the flour and baking powder and gently fold in with a metal spoon until just incorporated. 

Before adding the raspberries, toss them together with the tbsp of flour (this keeps them from falling to the bottom of the cake when baking.) then fold the raspberries into the batter.

Pour into the prepared loaf tin and place into the oven for 40 minutes.

To check its done, stick a knife in the centre, if it comes out clean its ready!

Now lift out onto a baking rack and leave to cool completely.

Once cooled you can get on with the icing, mix together the icing sugar, lemon juice and food colouring until you get a light pink, quite thick icing.

Drizzle this right over the cake making sure it runs over the edges (I recommend placing a plate underneath to catch the drippings.) 

Now place on your remaining raspberries on the top (I rolled them in pink glitter but that's totally optional!)

Hazelnut Strawberry Cheesecake

As it was fathers day yesterday, I wanted to make a nice dessert that all the family would enjoy. This was exactly that! It went down a treat with a chorus of 'mmms' and 'ahhs'.
I actually got the idea for the recipe from here 'http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes' but instead of a tart I (obviously) made it into a cheesecake!

Ingredients-

• 250g hobnobs (oat style biscuits)
• 50g ground hazelnuts
• 120g butter, melted
• 250g mascarpone cheese, at room temp
• 3tbsp icing sugar
• 150ml double/whipping cream
• punnet of strawberry's, chopped
• caramel, to drizzle over (I used leftover dulce de leche from my vanilla and caramel cheesecake! (see here- 'http://theblondebeautybaker.blogspot.co.uk'

First off you will need to bash up the hobnob biscuits till they become fine crumbs. I just put them in a zip lock bag and smashed them with a rolling pin (great for relieving stress!) but you could use a food processor.

In a large bowl add your biscuit crumbs, ground hazelnuts and melted butter and mix until incorporated. The mixture should look/feel like wet sand. Now pour into your pan, I use a spring form pan as its so much easier to remove, and push down with your fingers to make an compact even base and push it up the sides slightly too. Place into the fridge to set whilst you get on with the filling.

In a medium bowl, whisk the cream until soft peaks form. In a large bowl beat the mascarpone to loosen and and mix in the icing sugar. Now fold in the cream. Add in most of your chopped strawberry's, saving a few for decoration, and fold them in too.

Pour this mixture onto your biscuit base and level. Place the leftover strawberry's on top to decorate and after warming in the microwave for 30 seconds, you should then be able to drizzle your caramel on top!

Strawberry and White Chocolate Cupcakes

Strawberry and white chocolate, what a wonderful combination. Definitely one of my favourites ( I think I must say this for most of my recipes, but its all just SO good!)

Anyway, I was going to a picnic today and decided to bring along some baking goodies, this is what I put together.

Containing white chocolate and strawberry's you would think these cupcakes where sweet enough, but I just had to add a sprinkle of glitter and flowers to match. (it is a girly picnic after all.)
Totally optional of course! but arn't they pretty...

Ingredients-

• 180g unsalted butter
• 180g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 180g self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting-

• 150g white chocolate
• 150g cream cheese
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter 
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 12 tsp strawberry preserves

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a muffin tray with 10 cases.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, adding the vanilla extract in with the second.

Sift in the flour and baking powder and gently fold together with a metal spoon.

Divide the mixture between the 12 cases and place into the oven for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a cooling rack.

Now for the frosting, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts, being careful not to burn it.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese to soften, then beat in the butter and icing sugar.

Once the white chocolate has cooled down a bit you can mix this into the cream cheese mixture. (I put my frosting into the fridge for 20 minutes before using, it thickens up a bit making it easier to pipe/spread.)

When your cupcakes have cooled down, cut out a small hole in each one and fill with the strawberry preserves. Place the cut out parts back on top, so it covers the strawberry.

Fill a piping bag (or you can just spread it on) with the cream cheese frosting and pipe onto your cakes. 

I used a 1m wilton tip.

You can leave them as they are (which is still delicious) or add on some decorations of your choice!

Healthy (ish) Oatmeal Cookies

My usual recipes are so full of sugar and 'bad' for you things I decided to try my hand at a healthier version of oatmeal cookies. I basically made this recipe up and just went for it, and they came out pretty good!
There is less sugar then the usual cookie and no butter so really, they must be healthier?

The addition of raisins and white chocolate chips add a sweetness, and the natural yoghurt binds the ingredients together along with the egg.

These are not the most 'attractive' looking cookies but we can all overlook that due to them being healthy right? ;)

Ingredients-

• 100g plain flour
• 90g caster sugar
• 100g rolled porridge oats
• 50g raisins
• 50g chocolate chips ( I used white)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 50g natural yoghurt
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Makes 12.

Preheat your oven to 200c and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl mix together your dry ingredients, set aside.

In a large bowl beat together the yoghurt, vanilla extract and the egg. 

To this, gradually add the dry ingredients till it becomes a sticky dough.

As the mixture is quite sticky, just drop tablespoon sized balls of it onto your baking sheet.

Place into the oven for 10-12 minutes, then leave to cool on a cooling rack.

Simple Homemade Icecream

So its sunny in Kent today, which means I am craving ice cream. Seriously, every time the sun decides to peek out behind those grey clouds I have the urge to reach for the freezer or track down an ice cream van. That tune the ice cream man plays when he comes around my way is music to my ears and I'm like a pug I know that as soon as he hears the word 'treat', goes mad for it!

Anyway, I wanted to try my hand at making my own creamy delight but without using an ice cream machine. (simply because I don't own one).

Ingredients-

• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 70g caster sugar
• 150ml double cream
• 1 tbsp golden syrup

This makes a small tub, but you can always double up!

Start by separating the eggs and in a medium bowl beat the egg yolks with the vanilla extract until light and foamy.

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and then by tablespoon, add the caster sugar until you have thick, glossy peaks.

In a large bowl beat the cream until soft peaks. Then to the cream add the egg yolk mixture and egg white mixture. Fold together until just mixed. Add the golden syrup and gently mix in to create ribbons of syrup. (this is completely optional but adds an extra dimension of flavour to the ice cream.)

Now pour into a freezable tub (I used a lunch box) and place into the freezer for at least 8 hours.
Take it out of the freezer for 10 minutes before serving.

Remember its raw eggs so not suitable for you pregnant ladies!

Said pug! (Jax)