Chocolate Chip Cookies - Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieqeYrqgQn0&feature=player_embedded

Traditional Blackberry Muffins

About this recipe

Healthiness : (22 votes) 

Difficulty:  
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Number of servings: 18
This is a vegetarian recipe

Ingredients

• 250g (10oz) butter
• 200g (8oz) sugar
• 5 eggs
• 250g (10oz) plain flour
• 10g/3 level tsp baking powder
• 75g (3oz) blackberries

Equipment

• Weighing Scales
• Mixing Bowl
• Bun Tin
• Muffin Cases
• Sieve
• Metal Spoon
• Wire Rack
• Airtight Container

Making and cooking it

 Always wash your hands before preparing food.

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºf/Gas Mark 6, put muffin cases into the holes in a bun tin
2. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric whisk or wooden spoon 
3. Beat the eggs and gradually add to the butter mixture. (If the mixure starts to curdle add a spoonful of the flour)
4. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl  
5. Using a metal spoon, gently fold into the mixture 
6. Divide the mixture into muffin cases, filling each case no more than two-thirds full 
7. Push a blackberry into the middle of the mixture in each case 
8. Put the bun tin in the oven
9. Bake each batch for 15-20 minutes until risen and golden 
10. Remove from oven and place individual muffins on a wire rack to cool 
11. Store in an airtight container

Gingerbread House Video

To watch Rachel Allen bake a simple, delicious Gingerbread House with People, click on this link : http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/610040/displayVideo/Hi

Rachel Allen - American Frosting

 This delicious soft icing is a little tricky to make, so follow the instructions exactly. Quick and accurate decisions are necessary in judging when the icing is ready and then it must be applied to the cake immediately. If the icing is not cooked enough, it will still taste good, but will not dry out properly on the outside. If cooked too much, it will be difficult to spread over the cake.

ingredients

 

·         2 egg whites

·         425g (15oz) caster or granulated sugar

·         100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) water

1.  Ensure your cake is ready before you start, as this icing begins to set very quickly. Bring to the boil a saucepan of water large enough to hold a heatproof bowl. Place the egg whites in the bowl and whisk with a hand-held electric beater until very stiff.

2.  In a separate saucepan over a medium-high heat, dissolve the sugar in the water and boil for 5-10 minutes until the liquid is thick and syrupy and has reached the 'thread' stage - when the last few drops that fall from a metal spoon dipped into the syrup come off in one long, quite thick and syrupy thread.

3.  Pour the boiling syrup over the stiffly beaten egg whites, whisking all the time with the hand-held beater. Place the bowl in the saucepan of simmering water. Continue to whisk over the water for 10-15 minutes until the icing is snow white, very thick and meringue-like.

4.  Spread quickly over the cake with a palette knife, regularly dipping the knife into a jug of boiling water. The icing sets very quickly at this stage, so speed is essential.

Homemade Scones Video

Wanna make Homemade Scones - Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a4k0V_ViUI&feature=relmfu

Traditional Fruit Cake

It can be satisfying to put in all the effort and involvement of making a serious cake for a special occasion, but there are times when its just easier to churn out a quick cake. This recipe makes quite a moist cake, which is not as heavy as a traditional fruitcake.

To Make the Cake

To bake this cake, you will need a 7" (18cm) square or 8" (20cm) round cake tin (the type with the push out bottom is easiest to use).

Ingredients

• 120g/4oz Margarine
• 170g/6oz Sugar
• 340g/14oz Dried fruit - this can be a mixture of raisins, sultanas, cherries, peel... whatever you fancy!
• 225ml/8floz Water
• 1tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 1 half tsp Mixed spice
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 120g/4oz Plain flour
• 120g/4oz Self-raising Flour
• Pinch of Salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4 (the middle bottom right hand oven of a 4-door Aga, if you're that lucky).
2. Prepare the tin by applying a thin layer of margarine and lining with two layers of greaseproof paper.
3. Put the margarine, sugar, fruit, water, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Bring to boil and simmer for 1 minute.
4. Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool¹.
5. Add eggs, flour and salt to cooled mixture. Mix well and pour into prepared tin.
6. Bake for about one and a quarter hours. You may need to put brown paper over the top if cake starts to singe before it is cooked throughout.
7. Cake is ready when an inserted skewer comes out clean - leave to cool on a wire rack.
8. Eat!

This is a very forgiving recipe; you don't even have to be very precise with the measuring out.

The cake should keep for a couple of months wrapped in tin foil in a tin, and can be 'spiked' with brandy or whatever you fancy before being covered in marzipan and icing for Christmas. Unlike more traditional fruit cake recipes, you can eat it straight away if you want to, without even waiting for it to cool completely.

New York Cheesecake Video

Check this Video out to find out how to make a scrumptious New York Cheesecake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq3r1M0eZBg&feature=player_embedded

CHILDREN'S 10 PIECE BAKING SET

Contains apron, mixing bowl, paper cups, wooden rolling pin, mixing spoon, 5 & 6 point star cutters, circle cutter, flower cutter, quality 6 cup tart / muffin pan.

OUR PRICE: £12.49 (free delivery in the UK).
10+ in stock now. Despatched within 24 hours of receiving payment.
Seven day money back guarantee if returned in original box unused, with all contents and in saleable condition.

Our contact details can be found by clicking here.

CHILDREN'S 10 PIECE BAKING SET

Contains apron, mixing bowl, paper cups, wooden rolling pin, mixing spoon, 5 & 6 point star cutters, circle cutter, flower cutter, quality 6 cup tart / muffin pan.

OUR PRICE: £12.49 (free delivery in the UK).
10+ in stock now. Despatched within 24 hours of receiving payment.
Seven day money back guarantee if returned in original box unused, with all contents and in saleable condition.

Our contact details can be found by clicking here.

Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 slices fresh angel food cake*
• 1 1/2 cups frozen sweetened raspberries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons orange juice or raspberry liqueur
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with...
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preparation:

Place slices of cake on plates.

Heat the raspberries with the vanilla and orange juice or liqueur and bring to a full boil. As soon as boiling point is reached, add the cornstarch-water mixture, bring again to a full boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes or until thickened.

Serve hot sauce over cake and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips, so they soften and melt into the sauce.

When measuring flour, fluff it in the bag then spoon into the measuring cup; level off with a knife. 

To "lighten" a hard wheat flour, spoon 2 to 4 tablespoons of cornstarch into a 1-cup dry measure, then sprinkle the flour in until full and scrape off the excess with the back side of a knife.

For better texture, try substituting buttermilk for regular milk in your cake recipe. For each cup of buttermilk used, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the dry ingredients. 

Beat butter and sugar for as long as the recipe directs.

To make a lighter cake, separate the eggs first. Add the yolks to the butter mixture, beat the egg whites then fold into the batter.

In general, use 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder for every cup of flour in cake batters.

To speed up the softening of cold butter, grate or thinly slice it and let stand for about 10 minutes over a bowl of warm water.

Toss nuts, raisins and chopped fruits in flour first. This will help keep them suspended in batters.

To split layer cakes loop a long strand of unflavored dental floss around the center of the cake horizontally. Cross the ends and slowly and firmly pull on each end to cut cleanly through the cake.

Cool the cake thoroughly before frosting.

To moisten confectioners' sugar frostings, use other liquids in place of milk. Melted jelly, fruit juices, coffee, peanut butter (with a little milk), honey, or maple syrup are just a few alternatives.

Make chocolate whipped cream by combining 2 tablespoons each unsweetened cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl. Gradually stir in 1 cup whipping cream, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before beating.

KIDS MAKE GINGERBREAD MEN!!!!

INGREDIENTS350g / 12oz plain flour 175g / 6oz light soft brown sugar 100g / 4oz butter 1 medium egg 4 tablespoons of golden syrup 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1½ teaspoon of ground ginger

NOTE: You will need a rolling pin and a man shaped pastry cutter (if you want gingerbread man shapes)

COOKING METHOD

YOUR CHILD		THE ADULT
		You will need to measure out theingredients or at least help your child to do so. The pastry will be easier to mix if the butter has been removed from the fridge half an hour before starting mixing.

YOUR CHILD - Put the flour, butter, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl. Mix it all together with fingertips until crumbly. Add sugar, syrup and egg and mix until it forms a firm pastry mix.

You - Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4

YOUR CHILD - Using the rolling pin, roll out the pastry to about 5mm thick. Make sure the surface and the rolling pin are well dusted with flour. Cut out the shapes with a knife and/or pastry cutter

YOUR CHILD - Place the cut out pastry on a greased or non-stick baking tray. YOU - put the baking trays in the pre-heated oven. Remove after 15 minutes (check after 10 minutes).

YOUR CHILD -Find a selection of anything you like to decorate the gingerbread men and house. We used cake icing with raisins, chocolate chips and edible silver balls.

 

YOUR CHILD - Put a blob of icing on the gingerbread men where you want a decoration to stick.

Gingerbread men are easy to make,
and they're tasty to eat, make no mistake!

FRESH FRUIT TARTS

15 oz. pkg. Pillsbury all-ready pie crusts 1 tsp. flour FILLING: 5 c. assorted fresh fruit 16 oz. jar strawberry glaze 1/2 c. whipped topping 1. Allow both crust pouches to stand at room temperature 15-20 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove crusts from pouches; unfold and remove plastic sheets. Sprinkle flour over crusts. Using fluted round cookie cutter, cut five 4 inch circles from each crust. Fit circles, floured side down, over backs of ungreased muffin cups. Pinch 5 equally spaced pleats around side of each cup. Prick each crust generously with fork. Bake at 450 degrees for 9-13 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely; remove from muffin cups.2. In large bowl, combine fruit and strawberry glaze. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Before serving, spoon 1/2 cup fruit mixture into each cooled crust; top with whipped topping. Makes 10 tarts.

Apple Bars Recipe

Ingredients

1. 2 cups whole wheat flour
2. 1 teaspoon salt
3. 1 teaspoon baking soda
4. 1 cup packed brown sugar
5. 1 cup rolled oats, such as Quaker Oats
6. 1 cup low fat margarine
7. 4 tablespoons low fat margarine
8. 6 cups thinly sliced apples

Directions

1. Mix flour, salt and baking soda. Add brown sugar and oatmeal, mix well. Cut in 1 cup margarine
2. Spread half of the crumb mixture in a buttered 9 x 13 pan.
3. Put apples on top of bottom layer. Cover with remaining crumb mixture and dot with 4 tablespoons margarine.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 45 minutes. It is great served with ice cream!

*Tip* After slicing the apples, sprinkle the slices with drops of lemon juice. The lemon juice will keep the apples from browning.

Toffee Brownies

INGREDIENTS

200g dark chocolate

150g white chocolate

250g salted butter, cut into pieces

3 large eggs

250g dark muscovado sugar

85g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

METHOD

1. Pop the oven onto Gas 3 and line a tray you're going to pop your brownies in. I like my brownies large and flatish so go for a large tray, but for normal size brownies maybe a 9 inch tray would be better.
2. Very easy to make these. Melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan then set aside to cool. This bit's important as you don't want to end up with scrambled eggs. 
3. In the meantime whisk the eggs until pale and then add the sugar until it looks all glossy and lovely. 
4. Fold choc mix into the eggy sugary mix then sift the flour and baking powder onto the top and fold in gently. 
5. Bake for 30ish minutes until a skewer comes out with a few bits of cakey mix still on it. Then cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before you attempt to cut it. As I like my brownies really squidgy I tend to put in the fridge before cutting just to be on the safe side. 

Serves: 20 brownies 

Wheat Free Peanut Butter Brownies by Lorraine Pascale

Wheat free Peanut butter brownies

• 200g dark chocolate grated or finely chopped
• 250g peanut butter
• 3 eggs
• 2 yolks
• 170g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp gluten free flour (plain works well too)
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder

Line a tin with baking parchment & preheat the oven to 180c.

Put the chocolate in to a bowl which will sit nicely on a pan. Put about 3 cm (in height) of water in to the pan and heat to the boil. Place the bowl in the pan, making sure that the bowl doesn’t touch the water.

Turn off the heat and allow the chocolate to sit there and melt gently. Alternatively you can do this with 20 second blasts in the microwave stirring well between each addition.

Meanwhile put the eggs in to the bowl with half of the sugar. Whisk them up well until they become pale and frothy; then add in the rest of the sugar, whisking until they return frothy before setting aside.

Add the 200g of the peanut butter to the chocolate and let it melt and loosen up a little. Stir it all together and then add to the egg mixture. I find the best way to do this is with a spatula as you can really scoop up mixture from underneath and get it all mixed in. Fold in the flour and cocoa powder and pour the mixture in to the lined tin. Blob the rest of the peanut butter on top and bake in the oven for about half and hour.

Low Fat Brownies

There is nothing like a Brownie to satisfy a chocolate craving. This Low-Fat Brownie has a wonderfully moist and chewy texture and a deep chocolate flavor.Serve them plain, dusted with confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, or topped with fresh berries and/or a scoop of low fat vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, or a fruit sorbet.  

Now when I say 'low fat' I mean that this brownie is much lower in fat than a regular brownie. So how do we make a brownie lower in fat? One way is to use cocoa powder instead of semi sweet chocolate as semi sweet chocolate can have as much as triple the amount of fat as cocoa powder. The reason for the reduction in fat is that cocoa powder is made when chocolate liquor is pressed to remove three quarters of its cocoa butter. For this recipe we are using Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder which adds a rich chocolate flavor to these brownies. Now the brand of cocoa powder you use will determine the flavor of your brownies, so use the best you can afford. The second way to reduce the fat intake is to just use less of it. Most brownie recipes call for at least 1/2 cup (113 grams) of butter, but this recipe reduces the fat to 1/3 cup (75 grams). Of course, then there is the question about the type of fat. If you are watching your cholesterol it is a good idea to find a substitute for butter (which is a saturated fat). So for this recipe we are using one of the natural soft buttery spreads (I like either Smart Balance® or Earth Balance®) that are made from oil. You will notice that I am not recommending stick margarines which were once recommended as a substitute for butter but that was before we knew that the trans fats (listed as either 'hydrogenated' or 'partially hydrogenated' oils) that are used to make margarine solid raises bad cholesterol (LDL) and lowers good cholesterol (HDL). So to conclude, these brownies are lower in fat because we are using cocoa powder instead of semi sweet chocolate and we are using less fat and it is in the form of a natural buttery spread instead of butter (a saturated fat). We are also using light sour cream instead of full fat. This brownie recipe is adapted from Canadian Rose Reisman's book Rose Reisman Brings Home Light Cooking where she says that each brownie is about 90 calories with about 4 grams of fat (this can vary depending on ingredients used). Low Fat Brownies: 2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated whitesugar 1/3 cup (75 grams) soft natural buttery spread* 1 teaspoon purevanillaextract 1 large egg 1/3 cup (45 grams) all-purpose flour 1/3 cup (35 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup (60 ml) light sour cream

Low Fat Brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Spray an 8 inch (20 cm) square pan with a nonstick vegetable cooking spray. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the sugar and buttery spread until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and egg. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Fold this flour mixture into the sugar and buttery spread mixture. Stir in the sour cream. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the center of the brownies is still slightly soft. (Do not over bake or the brownies will be too dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. These brownies can be frozen for a month or two. Makes 16 brownies.

Click on the link today to find out the recipe to scrumptious Vanilla Cakes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhpeOrqQy4A&feature=player_embedded

Meringue Cookies

Meringue Cookies are airy, sweet and crisp that seem to almost melt in your mouth. I love how the outsides of the meringues are nice and crisp, yet the insides remain wonderfully soft and puffy, almost like mini-Pavlovas. While I often eat these just as they are, they also make a very nice plated dessert that you can top with whipped cream, ice cream, sorbet, and/or fresh fruit.

Meringue Cookies are made with just two main ingredients: stiffly beaten egg whites and superfine (caster) sugar. To ensure the egg whites reach maximum volume, have your mixing bowl and beaters clean and free of grease. It is easier to separate your eggs while they are cold. Once separated, cover the egg whites and let them come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes). Cover and refrigerate the egg yolks for another use. Superfine sugar makes the best meringues as it dissolves easier in the whites. To make your own, take 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar and process in your food processor until very fine.  There are a few things to keep in mind when making meringue cookies. The standard ratio when making hard meringues is 1/4 cup (50 grams) of granulated white sugar for every egg white. This amount of sugar is needed to give the meringue its crispness. Adding the sugar gradually to the egg whites ensures that the sugar completely dissolves and does not produce a gritty meringue. Cream of tartar is used in the whipping of egg whites to stabilize them and allows them to reach maximum volume. Also, it is a good idea to use parchment paper or aluminum foil to line your baking sheets, not wax paper, as the meringue will sometimes stick to wax paper. Baking the meringues in a slow oven allows for gradual evaporation of the moisture from the meringues.  If the oven temperature is too high, the outside of the meringue will dry and set too quickly. You will also notice that the outside of the meringue separates from the inside. Another indicator that your oven is too high is when the meringue starts to brown which causes the sugar to caramelize. If this happens, lower the temperature about 25 degrees F. If you decide to make meringues on a rainy or humid day, you will probably have to bake the meringues longer (could be up to 30 minutes more) than on a dry day. Lastly, to prevent cracking of the meringues, do not open the oven door during the first half of the baking time.

Meringue Cookies: Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can form the cookies with a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) plain tip, or I often just use two spoons to make the cookies.  In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.   Note: The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when you rub a little between your thumb and index finger it does not feel gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers. Before placing the cookies on the cookie sheet, place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper. This will prevent the paper from sliding.  Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) tip. Pipe 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) rounds of meringue in rows on the prepared baking sheet. Alternatively, spoon mounds of meringue, using two spoons, onto the prepared sheets. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a few shaved almonds, if desired. Bake the meringues for approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying overnight. Makes about 10 - 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) meringues Meringue Cookies Recipe: 3 large egg whites (3 ounces or 90 grams) 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 3/4 cup (150 grams) superfine or caster sugar (if you don't have superfine sugar simply take granulated white sugar and process it for about 30 seconds in a food processor) 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Garnish: 1/4 cup shaved Almonds -