Gooey Cinnamon bars

ok - This is what these delicious treats are called, but in truth, aren't that gooey.
This is a very simple tray bake that I tried for the first time today. It doesn't contain any eggs, which is useful as my chooks seem to be on strike at the moment.
I make mine in a well greased roasting tin.

8oz plain flour                                       2tbsp Demerara sugar
2tsp baking powder                               2tsp ground cinnamon
8oz soft brown sugar                             2tbsp chilled butter
1tbsp melted butter
8 fl oz milk

pre heat oven to 180 / gas mark 4

mix together the flour, soft brown sugar and baking powder. Stir in the milk and melted butter. Mix well then pour into a well greased tin.
In a separate bwol mix together the cinnamon and demerara sugar. and sprinkle over the top of the mix in the roasting tin. Press little pieces of the chilled butter into the surface.
Bake for about 30 mins.
The butter will make holes in the mixture and go a little gooey as it cooks.
Leave to cool in the tin and then cut into bars.

Enjoy x

Savoury flapjack -perfect toddler snack or BLW nibbles

ok - I have no idea on quantities as I do this one by eye.
They are sooo yummy, imagine an oaty cheese straw, and are the perfect snack for toddlers or as a good BLW breakfast for baby to get their gums into.

Melt equal quantities of butter and cheese in a pan.
Take it off the heat and stir in enough porridge oats for it to form a gooey lump.

Spread out onto a baking tin and bake for 10-15 mins at 180 - 200.
Cut into square while still warm.

Optional extras: try adding some chopped up fresh tomato into the mix or other veg.

Slimming World Strawberry swiss roll

This yummy pud is only half a syn (those that do slimming world will not what this is!)

¾  tub of Quark cheese – (250g tub)

100g fat free fromage frais
4 Eggs
6 Tbsp of sweetener (splenda)
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

1 tsp baking powder
6 (or however many you wish) Strawberry's sliced

Method

- Separate all Eggs

- With the yolks mix in half a tub of Quark, baking powder, Vanilla Essence & 4 tbsp of Sweetener

- In a seprarate bowl whisk the egg whites until thick and stiff.

- Slowly stir (fold) the yolk mix into the stiffly beaten egg whites.

- Spread out evenly on a non stick baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for 15-20mins

- Mix together 2 tbsp of sweetener with the fromage frais and remaining quark

- Spread on cake, add sliced strawberries & roll

So, So yummy!!!

Crunchy topped spiced Apple cake

Tastes better than it looks!

The nice man from Riverford delivered some more fruit and veg today so I had a lot of apples to use up.

3oz Butter/margarine
6oz Self Raising flour
2oz caster sugar
1 egg
5 tbsp Water
3 eating (dessert) apples peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges.
For the crunchy topping
3oz Brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 oz butter

Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the caster sugar and then mix in the egg and water to make a soft dough. Add a little more water if the mixture is too dry.
Spread into a 8" cake tin and press the apple slices into the dough.
Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon and dot with the butter.
Bake at 180 for 30 mins until golden brown and firm to the touch.

As with all my favourite recipes.... enjoy with a good strong cup of tea!
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skinny muffins?? Chocolate and Cranberry

Low fat muffins? really?
Well yes - these muffins don't have as much oil as most muffin recipes.
This recipe is from the http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/  I'm going to have a go at these for the bumps and babes group.

• 250g self-raising flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinammon
• 85g light muscovado sugar
• 85g dried cranberries
• 25g dark chocolate , chopped
• 125g tub low-fat yogurt
• 125ml skimmed milk
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 egg , lightly beaten

oven at 180.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl. Stir in the sugar and cranberries. Microwave the chocolate on Medium for 1-1½ mins, stir, then set aside.

Mix the yogurt and milk with the oil and egg. Make a well in centre of the dry mix and gently stir in the liquid. Drizzle half the chocolate over the mix, gently fold in until swirled, then repeat with the remaining chocolate. Take care not to over-mix.

Spoon the mix into the muffin cases and bake for 15-20 mins until risen and firm to the touch.

Apple muffins

Another recipe that I've experimented on. These muffins disappeared very quickly at our bumps and babies group last week.

225g / 8oz plain flour
100g / 4oz caster sugar
2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
250ml / 8fl oz milk
120ml / 4 fl oz oil
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped
Handful of raisins.

pre-heat oven to 200c
Line a muffin tray with muffin cases.
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Blend together all the other ingredients (except the apple). Once blended stir in the apple and raisins.
Pour the mixture into the muffin cases and bake in the oven for 25-30 mins.

Banoffee Pie

Warning! You will feel your arteries hardening after the first spoonful, but it is sooooooo worth it.

For the base

A thing of beauty

3 1/2 oz Butter
9oz digestive biscuits (crushed)
For the filling
3 1/2 oz Butter
3 1/2 oz Brown Sugar
397g tin of condensed milk
For the topping
3-4 small bananas (sliced)
300ml tub of double cream
icing sugar
drinking chocolate

8" cake tin

Melt the butter and add the crushed biscuits. Press the mixture into a cake tin.
For the filling - Melt the butter and sugar into a pan and melt over a low heat. Add the condensed milk and bring to the boil while stirring continuously. When it becomes caramel pour over the biscuit base. Leave to cool and then chill in the fridge for an hour.
For the topping - Whisk the double cream with some icing sugar until thick.Fold in the sliced banana and spoon on top of the caramel mixture.
Sprinkle a little drinking chocolate over the top.

This is very sweet, so you will need a good strong cuppa to wash it down!

For family occasions it's best to make two!

Healthy (ish) Banana Muffins

I use the term "healthy", but as we all know there is no such thing as a healthy cake due to fat and sugar used. These are wholemeal muffins - which is sort of healthy!

60g Bran flakes
300 ml milk
125g Wholemeal flour
1tbsp baking powder
60g butter
60g caster sugar
2 mashed banana
handful of raisins
12 muffin cases
muffin tray

pre-heat oven to 180C/ gas4

Soak the bran flakes in the milk for 10-15 mins. While they are soaking cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the eggs. In a separate bowl sift the flour and baking powder. Stir alternate spoonfuls of the flour and bran flakes into the butter mix. Gently fold in the mashed bananas and the raisin.

Line a muffin tray with muffin cases. Pour in the mixture and bake for 30 mins.

I usually omit the raisins if Paul is going to be eating them (he hates dried fruit). If I want to scoff more of the muffins then I leave the raisins in!

Broken Biscuit and rice krispie cake

This is a yummy "no-bake cake" that I've adapted for my husband who doesn't like dried fruit.

100g Butter / margarine
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp cocoa powder
225g digestive biscuits crumbled up (great job for the kids to do!)
handful rice krispies (if keeping with the traditional recipes this would be 50g raisins)

Melt the butter with the sugar and syrup in a pan without letting it boil. Stir in the cocoa powder, biscuits and krispies and press into a greased tin.
Leave to cool then chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
When chilled, cut into squares and serve with a nice cup of tea!