Recipes

Sweet

Preparation time: 15 minsCooking time: 25 minsMakes: 28 brownies

Use: 1 baking or roasting tin 34 x 25cm and at least 6cm

deep

Chocolate Brownies300g unsalted butter300g dark chocolate, mini-mum 60% cocoa solids, broken into pieces5 large eggs450g granulated sugar1 tablespoon vanilla extract200g plain flour1 teaspoon salt250g crushed pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/gas mark 4.

2. Line the baking tin with greaseproof paper.

3. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl suspended over a saucepan of barely simmering water.

4. Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together in a bowl until the mixture is thick and creamy and coats the back of a spoon.

5. Once the butter and the chocolate have melted, remove from the heat and beat in the egg mixture.

6. Sift the flour and salt together, then add them to the mixture, and continue to beat until smooth. Stir in the pecans.

7. Pour into the roasting tin, ensuring the mixture is evenly distributed in the tin. Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins or until the whole of the top has formed a light brown crust that has started to crack. If you stick a knife into it, the brownie should be gooey in the middle.

8. Leave to cool for about 20 mins before cutting into large squares while still in the pan. The greaseproof paper should peel off easily.

Preparation time: 15 minsCooking time: 0 minsMakes: 16 squares

Use: 1 baking or roasting tin 30cm x 20cm

Refrigerator Cake200g dark chocolate, mini-mum 60% cocoa solids.75g margarine75g pistachios75g pecans2/3 small packet of plain digestive biscuits50g apricots2 knobs of stem ginger in syrup

1. Line tin with baking paper.

2. Melt the margarine and chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.

3. Crush the digestive biscuits, pistachios and pecans.

4. Chop up the ginger and apricots into small pieces (tiny for the ginger!).

5. Add golden syrup and ginger syrup to the melted chocolate and margarine.

6.Add the remaining ingredients and stir until all covered in chocolate.

7. Press mixture into tin and leave to set.

8. Once cool, cut up into squares and enjoy!

Preparation time: 20 minsCooking time: 20-25 minsMakes: One large cake

Use: 2 cake tins greased and lined with baking paper

Victoria Sponge Cake170g self raising flour170g caster sugar170g margarine3 medium eggs½ teaspoon of baking pow-der1 tablespoon milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 pot of good quality crème fraiche and icing sugar to sweeten if required½ jar of good quality fruit jam – you choose the fla-vourFruit to match your jam flavour to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/gas mark 4.

2. Cream together the sugar and margarine for three minutes until it goes pale and fluffy.

3. Add all remaining ingredients, not forgetting to sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix until all incorporated. Do not mix for too long or you will lose the air in the mixture and the cake won’t rise.

4. Share mixture evening between the two tins and bake.

5. Press the centre of the sponge, if it springs back, the sponge is cooked.

6. Remove sponge from tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

7. When the sponge is completely cool, spread the jam onto one flat side of one of the sponges. Spread the crème fraiche on top of the jam, leave a little to decorate the cake. Keep the jam and crème fraiche toward the centre.

8. Place the other sponge on top and press down to evenly distribute the filling.

9. Blob the remaining crème fraiche evenly around the sponge and place the fruit of your choice in the centre of each blob, I’ve used raspberries. Sift over a light covering of icing sugar to finish.