Cakes ,Buns and Tarts

Thought i would start a thread for Cakes , i know there is already a Puddings thread but Cakes are not just for Pudding they are for Life

Mississippi mud pie

Ingredients

For the base and sides
75 g butter
150 g chocolatedigestive biscuits
150 g dark chocolate sandwichbiscuits, such as Oreos

For the filling
135 g plaindark chocolate, broken into squares
135 g butter, cubed
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tbsp light soft brown sugar
25 g cocoa powder, sifted
150 ml double cream

For the topping
250 ml double cream
1 tbsp light soft brown sugar
25 g plaindark chocolate, grated or chocolate curls

Method
1. For the base and sides: Melt the butter in a small pan. Break the biscuits into chunky pieces and put in a food processor. Blitz into crumbs then add the melted butter and with the motor running blend until thoroughly mixed.

2. Sprinkle the crumbs into a 23cm wide x 4cm deep pie dish lined with foil and press firmly into the base and sides. (The base of the pie dish should be around 18cm.) Make sure the biscuit base is evenly distributed, especially where the base meets the sides. Put on a small baking tray and chill for 30 minutes.

3. For the filling: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the chocolate and butter into a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water until melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan and leave to stand for a 10 minutes.

4. Beat the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric whisk until very light and creamy. They should roughly triple in volume.

5. Whisk in the chocolate mixture in a steady stream then whisk in the sifted cocoa powder and cream until well combined.

6. Pour into the prepared biscuit base and bake on the tray for 35-40 minutes until just firm and slightly risen. Leave to cool in the tin. The pie filling will sink a little as it cools.

7. When cold, remove carefully from the tin and slide off the foil and onto a serving plate. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

8. For the topping: Whisk the cream with the sugar until very soft peaks form. Spoon on top of the pie in generous peaks. Sprinkle with the grated chocolate and serve.

Espresso cheesecake with biscotti

Ingredients

For the biscotti
250 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
250 g caster sugar
220 g mixed nuts, almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios
60 g dried figs, chopped
60 g sultanas, chopped
1/2 lemon, grated zest and juice
2 eggs, beaten

For the brittle
200 g caster sugar
50 g shelled hazelnuts
50 g almonds

For the cheesecake
400 g full fatcream cheese
50 g caster sugar
60 ml espresso coffee


Method
1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

2. For the biscotti: sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the sugar, nuts, figs, sultanas, lemon zest and juice.

3. Make a well in the middle and gradually add the eggs, working the mixture with your hands until it comes together into a soft dough.

4. Dust the work surface (and your hands) with flour. Take half the dough mixture, and using your hands, roll it out into a sausage shape then lightly flatten the top. Repeat with the remaining portion of dough. Try to avoid over handling the dough at this point.

5. Transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper - leaving enough space between each roll to allow them to double in size as it cooks.

6. Bake for 18-20 mins, until golden. Leave to cool slightly before cutting into slices 1.5cm wide. Put the biscotti back on the tray and return to the oven for another 5 mins to dry out.

7. For the brittle: melt the sugar in a frying pan and cook until lightly caramelised. Add the nuts and stir to coat with the caramel. Continue cooking for another minute and then turn out onto parchment paper and leave to cool. Break the brittle into rough pieces and crush to a powder in a food processor.

8. For the cheesecake: whisk cream cheese, caster sugar and espresso together until smooth.

9. Put 6 round 7cm diameter chef rings on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle a thin layer of brittle on the bottom of each ring.

10. Top with the cheesecake mixture levelling the top with a palette knife. Sprinkle with another layer of praline and then transfer the tray to the fridge for 2-3 hours to firm up.

11. Remove the rings before serving and serve with biscotti on the side.

Treacle tart

Ingredients
450 g plain flour
150 g icing sugar
pinch of salt
225 g unsaltedbutter, plus more for greasing
1 large egg

For the treacle filling
8 tbsp golden syrup
1 lemon, rated zest and juice
200 g breadcrumbs


Method
1. Sift the flour, icing sugar and pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl, and mix together.

2. Add the softened butter, and using fingertips rub it into the flour until you have a breadcrumb consistency.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and orange zest together with 1 tablespoon of water. Add this to the flour mixture and stir. Work the mixture together until it forms a dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.

4. Set the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Lightly grease a 20cm tart tin. Remove pastry from fridge, lightly flour a work surface and roll the pastry out to fill the base and sides of the tin. Tinkywinky the base with a fork. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.

5. In a saucepan gently heat the golden syrup. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest and breadcrumbs and remove from the heat.

6. Spoon the filling into the cooled tart shell and place back in the oven for a further 15 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.

7. Serve with cream, clotted cream, ice cream or crème fraiche.

Oh they sound scrummy Kenny . I'll put some on that I use when I have a bit more time.

i shall look forward to that

This is good one to use up very ripe bananas left in the fruit bowl that nobody wants to eat. Quick and easy and freezes well.

Banana Loaf

Ingredients
100g (4oz) softened butter
175g (6oz) caster sugar
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
1 level teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 180 C/Gas Mark 6, lightly grease and line with baking parchment a 2lb loaf tin.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and smooth.

3. In a separate bowl or jug beat the eggs.

4. Add the eggs a little at a time to the butter and sugar mixture mixing well each time to prevent curdling (if it does curdle just add a small amount of the flour and stir it in).

5. Sieve the flour and baking powder and add gradually, mixing thoroughly.

6. Add the mashed bananas and milk and mix in.

7. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour: it's cooked when a thin skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

8. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

This thread will be the death of me... Plenty to try when at home for the holidays.

Plenty more were they came from , my Mum has dozens of cook books

These are great Kenny.
I'll try making your banana loaf too Swanny.

Can someone tell me how to make Yule log?

I used a Mary Berry recipe Tammy, hope I'm not breaking any copyright laws but here you go:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/yule_log_15656

Just to warn you though, I found the preparation time stated to be a little conservative. It took me rather longer!

My Mums got a recipe , next time i go round i will get a copy and post it

Orange Cakes

Ingredients
250 grams butter
250grams sugar
4 large eggs
250grams SR flour (sieved)
75ml orange juice
Zest of 2 oranges

Method

Cream butter and sugar untill light and fluffy, beat in the 4 eggs.Add the SR flour and the zest of the 2 oranges.Stir in 75ml of orange juice. Pour into a 7inch cake tin. Cook for 30-40 mins at 160c(fan oven)170c electric


or

Ingredients

1 Seville orange
a little melted butter , for greasing
100g plain chocolate , broken into pieces
3 eggs
280g caster sugar
240ml sunflower oil
25g cocoa powder
250g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
orange candied peel , to decorate

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
200g plain chocolate , broken into pieces
225ml double cream


1.Pierce the orange with a skewer (right through). Cook in boiling water for 30 minutes until soft. Whizz the whole orange in a food processor until smooth; let cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C.Grease and line the base of a 23cm/9in round cake tin. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave for 2 minutes on High, stirring after 1 minute. Let cool.
3. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, sugar and oil. Gradually beat in the puréed orange, discarding any pips, then stir in the cooled melted chocolate. Sift in the cocoa, flour and baking powder. Mix well and pour into the tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 55 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the middle. (Check after 45 minutes and cover with foil if it is browning too much.) Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Make the chocolate ganache: put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to the boil and pour over the chocolate. Leave for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Set aside until firm enough to spread over the cake - up to 1½ hours.
5. Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Using a palette knife, swirl the ganache over the top. Decorate with strips of candied orange peel.

Hey that Yule log recipe is simply nice thanks for reminding me about yule log...Now a days i was about to forgot this type of puddings.

Lemon-merringue tart:

traditionnally meant to be a very difficult dish to make, this is a bit of a cheater's version, but works very well. The amount of lemons you put in depends on just how lemon-y you like it (I like it very very lemon-y, which has the added advantage of making it not too sweet). A word of warning: while it is possible to make this without an electric beater, it is extremely strenuous, and I really wouldn't advise it. You will need:

Shortcrust pastry (buy it at the supermarket, or make your own if you're really keen)
Lemons (I use 5, but you could probably get by with fewer)
Sugar (about 100g)
Eggs (4 whole, and 3 additional whites)
1 tblsp flour
Icing sugar (about 50g I think, depending on how sweet you like your merringue)

Preheat the oven (about 180°C)
Beat the (whole) eggs with the sugar until you get a white, frothy mixture. Zest the lemons ansd squeeze them to recuperate their juices. Add the juice, zests and flour to the eggs&sugar mix and keep beating for a few minutes.
Lay the pastry in a round tart dish, and pour the previous mixture in. Put it in the heated oven and cook for 30-40 minutes. The pastry should be crispy but not burnt, while the lemon mixture should be cooked through and solid. If it's still a bit liquid, you can cheat a bit and put the tart in the fridge so the mixture solidifies a little.
Beat the egg whites in with the icing sugar until you get a soft merringue mixture, pour on top of the tart, make some pretty patterns if you like, and put under the grill for a very short time (2 mins): keep a careful eye on it as it burns very easily.
Serve warm or cold, it's delicious both ways!

WARNING: I once came accross a recipe that claims you can use just the egg yolks for the lemon mix, keeping the whites for the merringue, and using milk instead in the lemon mix. THIS IS A LIE!! I tried it twice, and on both occasions the mix completely failed to solidify in the oven, whereas every time I've used whole eggs it's worked fine.

Non-bake after-eight cheesecake

150 grams digestive biscuits
50 grams butter
200 grams cream cheese
3 dl whipping cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
200 grams of after eight mints

Crush the digestive to small crumbs. Melt the butter and mix with the biscuits. Press the mixture into a lined tin and set aside.

Whip the cream with the icing sugar until nice and stiff (don’t over whip, you don’t want a butter cake!).

Soften the cream cheese and fold into the cream. Melt the after eight mints over some water

Mix well into the cream cheese. Spread on top of the biscuit mixture and put in the fridge to set.

This is very tasty if you like After eight's

I made that the other day nando, i had the sh*ts after! You sure you gave me the right recipe?

Rice Krispie cakes

Ingredients

5 Mars bars, chopped


150g/5oz butter, chopped, plus extra for greasing


100g/3½oz Rice Krispies, or other puffed rice cereal


75g/3oz plain chocolate



Preparation method
1.
Grease a 20cm/8in square, deep-sided tin with butter.

2.
Suspend a large heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water).

3.
Add the Mars bars and butter to the bowl and stir until melted, smooth and well combined. The mixture will curdle at first, but keep stirring (or use a whisk) and it will eventually become smooth.

4.
Remove the bowl from the heat, add the Rice Krispies and fold until coated in the chocolate mixture.

5.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and press down to form an even layer, pushing the mixture into the corners and sides of the tin. Set aside to cool.

6.
Meanwhile, suspend another heatproof bowl over the pan of simmering water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Melt the chocolate in the bowl, then drizzle or spread it over the cooled chocolate crispy cake. Set aside to cool and harden.

7.
Chill the chocolate crispy cake in the fridge until set, preferably overnight. Cut into squares while still in the tin, then remove from the tin, pile onto a plate and serve.

You managed to michaels an entire topic for over 5 months.