Sticky chilli ginger sponge (Hairy Bikers)

Sticky chilli ginger sponge 

Veg

Watch recipe5 mins

The combination of ground ginger, allspice, stem ginger and chilli makes an intensely flavoured sponge cake, irresistibly slathered in toffee sauce.

Ingredients

• 125g/4½oz butter, plus extra for greasing
• 125g/4½oz soft dark brown sugar
• 125g/4½oz black treacle
• 125g/4½oz golden syrup
• 275g/9¾oz self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 4 stem ginger balls in syrup (roughly 75g/2½oz), drained and coarsely grated
• 1½ long red chillies, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 200ml/7fl oz semi-skimmed milk
• 2 large free-range eggs, beaten

For the sauce

• 3 stem ginger balls in syrup (roughly 55g/2oz), drained
• 200ml/7fl oz double cream
• 100g/3½fl oz dark brown soft sugar
• 75g/2½oz butter

To serve

• well-chilled crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream
• finely grated or pared lime zest

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Butter a 2½ litre/4½ pint shallow ovenproof dish – a lasagne dish is ideal. Put the butter, sugar, treacle and syrup in a medium saucepan. Melt together over a low heat, stirring regularly until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat a little and simmer gently for a minute, stirring. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for five minutes.
2. While the butter mixture is cooling, put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a large heatproof mixing bowl. Add the grated ginger and chilli and toss lightly together. Make a well in the centre.
3. Stir the milk gradually into the warm treacle mixture and then add the beaten eggs, stirring vigorously. Pour the treacle mixture slowly into the flour mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to form a thick batter. (If there are a few floury lumps, give a good stir with the metal whisk.)
4. Pour the batter into the prepared dish. Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake is well risen and a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.
5. While the sponge is cooking, make the toffee sauce. Put the ginger balls on a board and slice thinly. Pile the slices from each ball up and cut through them to make thin matchstick strips. Scrape off the board into a medium non-stick saucepan.
6. Add the cream, sugar and butter to the stem ginger matchsticks and place the pan over a low heat. Cook together, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring the sauce to a very gentle simmer and cook for 30 seconds more, stirring constantly.
7. Take the pudding out of the oven and pour the hot sauce over the top, spreading the ginger pieces over the surface with a spoon. Serve topped with well-chilled crème fraîche or scoops of ice cream and a sprinkling of finely grated lime zest.

Maple crunch ice cream recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

Maple crunch ice cream recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

Pecan toffee cake recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

Pecan toffee cake recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

Easter lemon pavlova (Mary Berry)

Easter lemon pavlova

30 mins to 1 hour preparation time
over 2 hours cooking time
Serves 6-8



Ingredients
For the meringue

• 6 free-range egg whites
• 350g/12oz caster sugar
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar 
• 2 level tsp cornflour

For the lemon curd filling

• 6 free-range egg yolks
• 350g/12oz caster sugar
• 4 lemons, juice only
• 225g/8oz butter
• 450ml/¾pint double cream

To serve

• 30 chocolate mini-eggs
• For the candied lemon zest
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar, plus extra for coating the zest
• 4 lemons, zest only (in long thin strips)

Preparation method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Lay a piece of baking paper on a baking tray and draw a 25cm/10in circle on it.  
2. Put the egg whites into a bowl and whisk on the fastest speed with an electric hand-whisk or in a free-standing mixer until stiff. 
Gradually, still whisking on maximum speed, add generous teaspoons of sugar until the mixture is stiff and shiny and stands in peaks.
3. Blend the vinegar and cornflour together in a cup and mix until smooth.  Stir this into the meringue mixture.
4. Spread half of the meringue mixture onto the paper to give a 25cm/10in circle. Fill a piping bag, fitted with a rose nozzle, with the rest of the meringue mixture. Carefully pipe about 10 separate little nests positioned equally around the edge of the circle. 
5. Slide the meringue into the middle of the oven, turn the heat down to 150C/300F/Gas 2 and bake for 1½-2 hours (check after one hour), or until it easily comes off the paper.  The pavlova will be a pale creamy colour rather than white.  Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova in
the oven to become cold.
6. Meanwhile, make the lemon curd for the filling. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water, simmering gently on the stove. Add the egg yolks, sugar and lemon juice to the bowl and whisk. Gradually add the butter, whisking continually until it starts to thicken. It should coat the back of a spoon when it reaches the correct consistency. It will firm up further once cooled.
7.Whisk the double cream in a large bowl until thickened, then swirl it through the cooled lemon curd. 
8. Spoon the lemon curd and cream mixture into the middle of the pavlova and spread over the base of the meringue nest. Spoon a lemon filling into each of the mini nests. Decorate by placing three chocolate mini-eggs in each of the 10 mini-nests around the edge of the dessert.
9. Put 100ml/3½fl oz water and the caster sugar in a pan. Bring to the boil, stirring. Add the zest and boil for 2-3 minutes, or until syrupy. 
10. Drain on parchment paper, roll in extra caster sugar and leave to dry in a warm place for a couple of hours, or overnight. Place a delicate mound of candied zest in the middle of the pavlova, and serve.

Microwave brownie in a mug

Microwave brownie in a mug from mathanxiety

Category Cake and dessert recipes Serves 1 Prep time Less than 5 mins Cook time About 2 mins	Mumsnetter ratings based on (4) reviews Ease of finding ingredients 10 Ease of cooking 10 Success with kids 10 Success with adults 10 Overall Mark 10
Ingredients 2 tbsp plain flour  2 tbsp sugar  1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa  1 tbsp vegetable oil  1 tbsp water  Pinch of salt  Very small splash of vanilla essence  You can also add choc chips, coconut, or a few nuts if you like.	Handy Hint Eat your microwave brownie while hot or warm. Serve with a dollop of ice cream. Brownie recipe can be doubled, cooking time will vary.
Method 1. Place all ingredients in a mug.  2. Stir until thoroughly combined.  3. Put mug brownie in microwave and set to somewhere between 1 and 2 minutes at highest heat -- mine is perfect at 1 minute 40 seconds. courtesy of http://www.mumsnet.com/Recipes/i/4847-Microwave-brownie-in-a-mug

Naan Bread recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

Ingredients

• 150ml hand-hot Milk
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tsp dried active Yeast
• 450g plain flour
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus a little extra
• 150ml natural Yogurt
• 1 large Eggs, lightly beaten

Makes 6 breads

Preparation and cooking times

1. Put the milk in a bowl. Add 1 tsp of the sugar, and the yeast. Stir to mix. Set aside for 15-20 minutes or until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture is frothy.
2. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the remaining 1 tsp sugar, the yeast mixture, 2 tbsp vegetable oil and the yogurt and egg. Mix and form a ball of dough.
3. Empty the ball of dough on to a clean surface and knead it for 10 minutes or more, until it is smooth and satiny. Form into a ball. Pour about 0.25 tsp oil into a large bowl and roll the ball of dough in it. Cover the bowl with a piece of cling film and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for an hour or until the dough has doubled in bulk.
4. Pre-heat your oven to the highest temperature. Put the heaviest baking tray you own to heat in the oven. Pre-heat your grill.
5. Punch down the dough and knead it again. Divide into 6 equal balls. Keep 5 of them covered while you work with the sixth. Roll this ball into a tear-shaped naan, about 25cm in length and about 13cm at its widest. Remove the hot baking tray from the oven and slap the naan on to it. Put it immediately into the oven for 3 minutes. It should puff up. Now place the baking tray and naan under the grill, about 7.5-10cm away from the heat, for about 30 seconds or until the top of the naan browns slightly. Wrap the naan in a clean tea towel. Make all the naans this way and serve hot.

Austrian Hash

serves 4

• 1.5 tbsp veg oil
• 400g smoked bacon lardons (or cooked ham)
• 500g cooked potatoes (preferably waxy ones) cold & cut into small chunks
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1.5 tsp hot sweet paprika (or sweet paprika + pinch chilli powder)
• small handful parsley roughly chopped

Method

1. heat oil in large frying pan
2. fry bacon & onion together for approx 10 mins until bacon is golden
3. lift out of the pan onto a plate then add the potatos & fry for 10 mins until golden
4. tip in caraway & paprika, season well, fry for another minute to release fragrance.
5. return bacon & onion to pan, taste for seasoning, add parsley
6. serve hot

per serving 379 cals, protein 17g, carbs 25g, fat 26g, sat fat 9g, fibre 2g, sugar 3g, salt 3.26g

Eggnog Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cranberries

Eggnog Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cranberries

1/2 cup dried cranberries (or currants or raisins)

1/3 cup bourbon (or brandy)

8 cups white bread (1/2 loaf bread), cut into 1-2 inch cubes

1 cup milk

2 cups eggnog

3 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1-2 tbsp additional sugar, for topping

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan (do not flour).

In a small bowl, combine cranberries and bourbon. Let soak for 30 minutes, or cover with plastic wrap and heat in microwave for about 30 seconds (until very warm) to help berries rehydrate with bourbon. If microwaving, let mixture cool to room temperature before adding to the rest of the bread pudding mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggnog, eggs, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla. Add bread cubes and gently fold them into the mixture until all the custard has been absorbed. Stir in cranberries and remaining bourbon (any that hasn’t been absorbed into the cranberries but is still in the dish).

Pour into prepared pan, spread into an even layer and sprinkle top of loaf with additional sugar, if desired.

Bake 50-55 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Allow to cool in pan and then transfer to a plate for serving.

Serve warmed. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Serves 8-10

Mini Panettone-and-Pear Sandwiches

Mini Panettone-and-Pear Sandwiches

4 thin slices panettone, crusts trimmed, each slice cut in quarters
1/4 cup Nutella
1/2 pear, thinly sliced
Butter, for frying

Spread each bread slice with Nutella. Lay 1 or 2 pear slices on 8 of the bread slices, trimming them to be flush with the bread’s edges. Top with remaining slices of bread. In a cast-iron pan, melt a pat of butter. When pan is hot, lay two of the sandwiches in the pan, frying until brown, 1 to 2 minutes, pressing down once or twice. Flip and fry another minute or so. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with coffee or tea (or maybe port?), and perhaps a wedge of brie. Yields 8 small sandwiches.

Betsy’s Panettone French Toast

Betsy’s Panettone French Toast (from Montreal Gazette, December 13 2006) – Serves 4
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cup milk or cream
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 slices panettone or pandoro, about 3/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons butter for frying, divided useFOR SERVING:
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
Maple syrup

Lay the tall cake on its side to cut it, and each slice is a perfect star. Before slicing, trim off the brown top and bottom edges of your cake. For this recipe it’s best to leave the panettone or pandoro slices out and unwrapped, under a tea towel, to dry overnight. This will prevent them from soaking up the egg mixture too quickly and becoming mushy.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk or cream, salt, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Dip each slice of panettone into the egg mixture so that both sides are saturated but the cake is not falling apart.Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large non-stick frying pan or griddle. Working a few slices at a time, fry the panettone over medium-high heat until golden brown, a little crispy and slightly firm to the touch, about three minutes each side. The inside should remain soft, but not mushy. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining slices.

Serve with a spoonful of mascarpone cheese. Pass the maple syrup at the table

Panettone Toffee Banana Pudding Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

6 ounces unsalted butter

6 tablespoons golden syrup

6 ounces dark muscovado sugar

4 large bananas, peeled and cut into pieces

7 ounces milk

7 ounces double cream

1 pound panettone, cut into thick slices

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C (gas mark 5, 375 F).
2. Melt the butter in a pan with the golden syrup and muscovado sugar. Let it bubble for 5 minutes.
3. Add the banana pieces and cook for 5 minutes more until softened.
4. In a bowl, mix together the milk and cream.
5. Cut the panettone slices into strips (like bread "soldiers") and dip each one in the milk and cream.
6. Arrange half of them in a 1.2 litre (2 pint) ovenproof dish, then pour over half the banana mixture.
7. Repeat with the remaining panettone strips and banana mixture.
8. Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.
9. Leave to rest in a low oven until ready to serve.

Panettone Mincemeat Bread & Butter Pudding

Serves 4-6

75g leftover mincemeat

Alcohol such as baileys, brandy whisky or rum (optional)

50g butter

1 panettone, sliced into small squares

100ml milk

375ml double cream

4 eggs

125g caster sugar

A few drops vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to mark 170°C (325°F) mark 3.
2. Put the leftover mincemeat in a bowl and cover with your chosen alcohol. Leave to soak.
3. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the panettone slices for 2-3 minutes or until golden on both sides.
4. Arrange the panettone slices with the mincemeat, overlapping slightly in a baking dish.
5. Pour the milk and cream into a pan and bring slowly up the boil. Whisk the eggs with the sugar until frothy and pale. Add the milk and cream mixture to the eggs and stirring continuously, add the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture over the panettone and set aside for 30 minutes to allow to soak in well.
6. Bake in a bain-marie or roasting pan filled with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until just set in the middle.

Pannettone Tiramisu

Quick tiramisu

Veg

Ingredients

• 4 shots espresso, or a four-cup cafetiere of strong coffee
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 50ml/2fl oz amaretto, or to taste
• 1 ready-made panettone, cut into rectangles 15cm/6in long, 1cm/½in deep
• 500g/1lb 2oz mascarpone
• 1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
• 150g/5oz icing sugar
• 200ml/7fl oz double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
• cocoa power, for dusting
• 1 tbsp coffee powder, for sprinkling
• dark chocolate, grated, to garnish

Preparation method

1. Mix the espresso, caster sugar and amaretto, to taste, in a large bowl.
2. Add the panettone slices to the coffee mixture and set aside.
3. Place the mascarpone, vanilla seeds and icing sugar into a separate bowl and mix together.
4. Add the double cream and fold into the mascarpone mixture.
5. Place a piece of soaked panettone onto each plate. Add a spoonful of the mascarpone and cream mixture to each soaked panettone slice, then place another panettone slice on top to make a sandwich.
6. Spoon more cream over the top and sprinkle with the cocoa powder and a little coffee powder. Transfer to the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.
7. To serve, remove from the fridge and sprinkle with gratings of dark chocolate.

Sloe Gin

Ingredients:

• 1lb/454gm of washed sloes
• 4 ozs/112gm of white granulated sugar
• 75cl bottle of medium quality gin
• Sterilised 1 litre (at least) Le Parfait jar or wide necked bottle
• 2-3 drops of almond essence

Method:

Wash sloes well and discard any bruised or rotten fruit. Prick fruit several times with a fork and place sloes in either a large Kilner/Le Parfait jar or a wide necked 1 litre bottle. I put several sloes in my palm to prick them rather than picking them up one by one.

Using a funnel, add the sugar and top up with gin to the rim. Always open sugar bags over the sink as sugar tends to get caught in the folds at the top of the bag.

Add the almond essence.

Shake every day until the sugar is dissolved and then store in a cool, dark place until you can resist it no longer (leave for at least three months, we usually let it mature for a year).

Some people strain the grog (through muslin/jelly bag) after 3 months and bottle it, leaving it mature for six months. We strain and bottle after a year. Don’t leave the straining process any longer than a year; leaving the fruit in too long can spoil the liqueur.

Tips and tricks:

• Make more than you need the first year, so you can compare different vintages. This liqueur does improve over time.
• Some people drain the grog through muslin after a couple of months, to clarify the liqueur and bottle. We don’t bother as one old soak tipped that, once the gin is drunk, you can pour medium sherry on the fruit and start all over again! The latter is devilish and drinkable within three months. We have a recipe for this in our wine and gin section.
• Keep your fruit gin away from the light as this will maintain the colour. Unless it is in a dark green or brown bottle. Wrapping it in brown parcel paper will keep out the light.
• Make notes on a label of your fruit gin/vodka /sugar ratio and stick it onto the bottle(s) so that you have a record, if you make a particularly good batch. We note our responses as the grog matures. Yucky after sixth months can be to die for in a year (you will probably not remember without notes). Notes seem boring when you are making the grog but they are so worthwhile when you start again the next year. It won’t be long before you will get a feel of what works well for your taste (and the notes will come into their own).
• Adding almond essence to sloe gin lifts it from good to great. I haven’t tried this with the damson gin but return in a years’ time for our review.
• Don’t kill the liqueur with too much sugar at the start. Use the amount above to start your sloe or damson gin and then every couple of months take a tiny sip. At this time add more sugar if it is too sharp for your taste.
• Gin v Vodka? Vodka can be used as the spirit for these recipes. Although I’m a vodka drinker, we tend to stick to a gin base for our fruit liqueurs.
• A good damson gin can be made from ordinary damsons available in the shops. As they are bigger you would need to put them into a larger Le Parfait jar (I’d use a 2 litre size).
• People have been picking sloes from September 1st around here. Some people say that you shouldn't pick sloes until after the first frost. This can be circumvented by putting your sloes in the freezer overnight. We don’t bother with either method and always have great results.
• This year we have made up a number of small (1lb honey jars) of sloe gin to give as Christmas presents.

Ricciarelli biscuits

Makes about 20-25 biscuits

• 300g whole almonds
• 225g caster sugar
• The zest of half a lemon
• The whites from 2 large eggs
• A few drops of good-quality vanilla extract
• A few drops of almond extract
• Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Place the almonds on a tray and roast them for about 15 minutes or so, turning them every so often, until they are golden but not too brown. Leave to cool.

Put the almonds in a small food processor with half of the caster sugar and the lemon zest and blend as finely as you can get them.

Clean a mixing bowl or the bowl of a mixing machine with boiling water to remove any traces of grease. Using either an electric hand-held whisk, or the mixing machine, whisk the egg whites until they are stiff, then add the remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff again. Fold in the ground almond mixture with the vanilla extract and almond extract.

Line a baking tray with silicone paper or baking parchment, dampen your hands with a little water, take about half a dessertspoon of the mixture at a time and roll into balls and flatten lightly until they are about 1-1cm thick; or alternatively, pipe them in a piping bag with a plain nozzle. Place the biscuits on the baking tray about 3cm apart.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool on the tray, then remove and dust with icing sugar.