Rolo Oat Bars

Tubes of rolos were on offer in Tesco, so obviously this is what happened.

Also I feel like I havnt baked something in agessss, or blogged about it, so I of course I had too.
We could pretend this is a healthy bake as its almost like a flapjack with the oats, but with the addition of the rolos and chocolate chips I think we can safely say its not!

Ingredients:

• 200g flour
• 90g rolled oats
• 170g brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 170g butter, melted
• 80g rolos
• 80g milk chocolate chips
• 80g white chocolate chips
• handful of chopped hazelnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 200c and and line a 20 x 20cm square tin.

In a large bowl add everything before the butter and mix together well.

Pour in the melted butter and mix to combine everything.

Place half of the mixture in the base of your tin and press down so its flat with your fingers.

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes.

Once done, take back out of the oven and scatter over the rolos and chocolate chips.

Then crumble the leftover half of your oat mixture on top. Now sprinkle over the chopped hazelnuts if using.

Turn the oven down to 180c and place back into the oven for about 30 minutes.

You want the top to go a nice golden colour.

Once baked, leave to cool completely, before taking out of the tin and cutting into squares.

Cashew Nut and White Chocolate Cookies

Another rainy, miserable day in Kent, proceeds to another bake. This time, it was cookie time!
I knew I wanted to make thick, chewy cookies but what flavour...

My family don't really like anything too chocolatey or rich in cookies so, with them in mind, I searched around in my cupboards and came across salted cashews and a bar of white chocolate. Perfect.

Ingredients:
Makes 8-

• 55g unsalted butter
• 90g caster sugar
• 90g light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 180g plain flour
• 60g salted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
• 8 squares of white chocolate

Preheat your oven to 180c and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Melt your butter in the microwave and add to a large bowl.

To the butter, add your sugars and egg, mix well.

Next add the baking powder and flour, mix to combine.

Fold in your cashews.

Take 8 teaspoons of the dough, roll into balls and place onto the baking sheet.

Push a square of white chocolate into each.

Take another teaspoon of dough, flatten and place over the top of the white chocolate.

Place into the oven for about 10-12 minutes.

They may not look done when you remove them but they will continue to cook outside of the oven.

Leave on a cooling rack to cool, or enjoy warm!

Apple Souffle With Homemade Custard

As its coming into autumn, apples are also coming into season, so what better time to make a dessert using them.

Now I LOVE apple crumble, and would quite happily of made that, but my dad doesn't like it! (I know right, crazy) anyway, I wanted to try something new also, like I usually do, and this is what I made!

I was slightly worried as the only other thing I have tried to make like a soufflé was a chocolate lava cake, and well, that was a disaster. So I have shied away from this sorta thing usually, but this time I was triumphant!

They came out UH-mazing, seriously my parents couldn't believe how nice they were and neither could I!
Really the ingredients are so simple, but make such a delicious dessert. (Sorry again for the photos, it was evening so bad lighting.)

With two of the leftover egg yolks I made some custard (for the first time I might add) and it was the perfect accompaniment.

Ingredients:
Serves 3.

For the souffle-

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 apples, peeled and chopped small
• 100g caster sugar
• 3 egg whites

For the custard-

• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tsp corn flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 30g caster sugar
• 350ml milk (I used semi skimmed)
• 150ml double/whipping cream

Start off by melting the 1 tbsp of butter in a medium saucepan.

Once melted, add in the apples and 50g of the sugar and stir to coat.

Cook on a low heat until the apples turn to a puree.

Place into a large bowl to cool.

Preheat your oven to 200c and melt the leftover tbsp of butter and brush your ramekins with it.

Then sprinkle in some caster sugar to coat the sides.

In a medium bowl beat your egg whites until almost stiff peaks.

Slowly add in the leftover 50g of sugar and beat together.

Fold a tablespoon of the egg whites into the cooled apple purée, then add the rest of the egg whites, a third at a time, whilst gently folding to combine.

Next divide the apple mixture into your ramekins and place into the oven on a baking tray for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, turn the temperature down to 180c and cook for another 7 minutes.

For the custard, place the egg yolks, cornflour, vanilla and sugar into a medium saucepan and whisk to combine.

Turn the hob to a medium-low heat and slowly pour in the milk and cream, and whisk well.

Cook for about 10 minutes, until the custard has thickened. It should not boil.

Once the soufflés have baked, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with the custard.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

This is my dads favourite cake. If you ask him what to bake he will say this.

My nan usually bakes a couple every month, for him to work his way through (quickly) so I thought why not make one for him myself. Especially as I came across this post on 'The Londoners' blog when looking at recipes. Her photographs made it look so delicious I just had to make it.

I made it slightly differently but used the same ingredients and it tasted delicious! Just the right amount of lemon and lovely and moist.

I apologise for the naff quality of the photos, the weather is dark and dreary today and upon lightening the photos up it seems to have made them blurry!

Ingredients:
For the cake-

• 170g unsalted butter
• 170g caster sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• zest of 2 lemons
• 170g self raising flour

For the glaze-

• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp icing sugar (its supposed to be very runny so it seeps into the cake)

For the drizzle-

• juice of half a lemon
• 5 tbsp icing sugar (will vary on how juicy your lemon is, it should be quite thick and almost white)

Preheat your oven to 180c, and grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

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

Slowely add in the beaten eggs and beat together.

Add the lemon zest and mix well.

Sift in your flour and gently fold in with a metal spoon until combined.

Pour the batter into your loaf tin and place into the oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes turn down your oven to 150c, and leave for another 10 minutes.

Once baked (put a skewer in the middle, if it comes out clean its done.) leave to cool for 5 minutes before taking out of the tin and leaving to cool on a cooling rack.

For the glaze , mix together the lemon juice and icing sugar until smooth. 

Poke holes with a skewer into the cooled cake, and pour the glaze over the top, so that it runs down into the holes. Then for the drizzle, again, mix together the lemon juice and icing sugar (it should be a lot thicker then the glaze) and using this to drizzle back and forth over the cake.