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. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I have been wanting to bake something with peanut butter in for aaaaages, and have never got round to it, so today whilst I had nothing to do, obviously was the day!

This was an experiment really, I didn't know how they would come out or what I was aiming for, as long as they were edible I thought, but somehow they come out yummy! (yay)

Ingredients:
Makes 7-8 large cupcakes/muffins-

For the chocolate batter-

• 100g unsalted butter
• 100g light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100g self raising flour 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder

For the peanut butter batter-

• 80g peanut butter - I used crunchy
• 40g icing sugar
• 40g self raising flour
• 2 tsp natural yoghurt - I don't even know why I added this, I was just hunting around in my fridge really, but it seemed to work haha!

• handful of chocolate chips for the topping

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a muffin tin with 8 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.

Sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and gently fold in.

In a separate medium bowl, add the peanut butter, icing sugar, flour and yoghurt and beat to combine.

Now to fill the muffin cases, put in a tablespoon of the chocolate mixture then top with a teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture, then top with a teaspoon of chocolate and another teaspoon of peanut butter. 

Then swirl together with a toothpick. (the cases should be three quarters full.)

Sprinkle on some chocolate chips on each, and place into the oven for 18-20 minutes.

Once baked leave to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. (Or like me, eat one warm, they're delicious!)

If you like you could also melt some chocolate to drizzle on top! 

Melting Moments

I simple adore the name of these little treats and its true they do melt in your mouth.
Lovely crumbly biscuits filled with jam and buttercream.

I came across the recipe for these on Edd Kimbers Blog, winner of the first series of the The Great British Bake Off (my favourite programme, I love it!.)

The recipe looked easy and the results delicious so I thought id give them a go. The only difference is I halved the recipe so it only makes 6 not 12, obviously double if you want more!

They came out light, crumbly, buttery and yummy.

Ingredients:
For the biscuits-

• 125g unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 125g plain flour
• 40g icing sugar
• 20g custard powder
• pinch of salt

For the filling-

• 50g unsalted butter
• 100g icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• dash of milk
• 6 tsp raspberry jam

Preheat your oven to 160c and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl cream the butter with the vanilla until light and creamy.

Sift in all the dry ingredients, mix with a spoon to start with then finish with your hands to form a dough.

Take little balls of the dough, roll into balls with your hands and place 2 inches apart on the baking tray.

I weighed each one, like Edd, so they were all the same and they were 20g each.

Press down lightly on each with a floured fork.

Place both trays in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

They should be light golden in colour once baked.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes on the tray and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before filling.

For the filling, beat the butter until it is very light in colour then mix in the icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk.

Fill a piping bag with the buttercream and pipe around the edge of half the biscuits, then fill the middle with the teaspoon of jam. Then sandwich on the other biscuits and dust with icing sugar!

Raspberry Cheesecake With White Chocolate Ganache

In my last post I mentioned we had family visiting, so I (obviously) took it upon myself to make dessert.
You're welcome mum.

This is a no bake cheesecake filled with raspberries and topped with a divine white chocolate ganache. I love chocolate ganache...so delicious.

 Its great for frostings, fillings, toppings and drizzling's. (yes I know that's not a word.)

Edit: This was the best cheesecake I have made so you have definitely got to try it! (cue mmms and ahhs from fellow dinner guests and everyone asking for seconds.)

I only just managed to take photos of the cheesecake before my family was eyeing it up,so I do apologise for the poor quality! (once its been spotted, i'm afraid its devoured quickly in my house!)

.

Ingredients:

For the cheesecake-

• 300g digestive biscuits
• 150g unsalted butter, melted
• 200ml double/whipping cream
• 500g full fat cream cheese - at room temperature 
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• juice of half a lemon (the acidity thickens the cream cheese)
• 1 punnet fresh raspberries 

For the ganache-

• 150g white chocolate
• 80ml double cream

Put the biscuits in a zip lock bag and bash to crumbs with a rolling pin.

Pour into a medium bowl and mix in the melted butter. Coat well, it should look like wet sand.

Now pour the mixture into a spring form pan and place into the fridge.

In a large bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form.

Add in the cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice and mix well.

Mix in the raspberries (save a few for decor) they will break up a bit and the mixture will look a bit pink, lovely.

Now pour onto of the biscuit base and place back into the fridge for an hour before doing the ganache.

For the ganache, break up the white chocolate and place into a medium bowl.

Pour cream into a saucepan on medium heat until it starts to bubble.

Now take of the heat and pour over the chocolate. Leave to sit for 5 minutes. Stir together.

If the chocolate still hasn't melted properly, put in the microwave for 30 second intervals until melted. (took mine 60 seconds to melt completely.)

Once melted and mixed together, leave to cool down for 15 minutes.

Now get the cheesecake out of the fridge and pour oven the ganache. 

Swirl the pan around so there's an even coating.

Place back into the fridge to set, at least 4 hours.

Take it out about 20 minutes before serving, and decorate with leftover raspberries!