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Souxi asked me to share my recipe for banana bread so I thought: why not have a recipe thread specifically for baking? The idea is simple: share your favourite baking recipes! I’ll go first:

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

What you need:
9oz self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
3½oz butter
5oz caster sugar
2 eggs
3-4 peeled bananas (depends how big they are - use 4 if small! riper is better as they’re easier to mash)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3oz chocolate chips

What you do:
• Heat oven to 170°C. Grease a loaf tin (I’ve made this with a 4” x 10” and a 5” x 9” tin - both work) and line the bottom with baking paper.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a big bowl. Add the sugar and butter and rub in with your fingers, until you have fine crumbs.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the bananas and vanilla essence and mash with a fork or potato masher.
• Make a well in the flour and add the egg mixture and the chocolate chips. Mix gently with a wooden spoon until combined.
• Pour into the tin and bake for just over an hour (this will depend on your oven - mine tends to be quite slow so I needed a good hour and twenty. When an inserted skewer comes out clean it’s done!)
• Cool for 5 minutes in the tin then turn out onto a wire rack.

Oooooooooo thanks mookie!! Why on earth didn’t I see this yesterday?? grrrr. I shall have to try that recipie, it sounds delicious.

Here is the recipie for my chocolate layer cake I made for my sons birthday at the weekend.

You will need.

4oz self raising flour
2 eggs
4oz butter or soft margarine
4oz caster sugar
2 level tablespoons cocoa powder

For the choccy filling:(I made double so I had enough for the top)

About 6 oz icing sugar
4oz good quality chocolate melted
3 oz butter


Method.

Pre heat oven to 180 and grease two 7inch cake tins and line them with greaseproof paper.


Cream butter and caster sugar together until nice and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time. Add the flour and give it all a good whisk, then mix the cocoa powder with a little bit of warm water until it,s a paste and add to the mixture and give it all a good stir. Divide mixture evenly between the two tins and bake in oven for a bout 30 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean.

For the filling:

Melt chocolate squares in a pan over a gentle heat, and cream the icing sugar and butter together, add the chocolate and give it a good mix.

Once the cake is cool, spread the mixture over one side of the cake and sandwich the two together. Spread the rest of the filling on the top and decorate with smarties, like I did or chocolate chips and enjoy with a cuppa!!

Yum, I’m going to pass these recipes on to my cake mad student daughter in Swansea.  Here’s mine

Kim’s Cake

450g of mixed dried fruit
1 egg, beaten
1 mug of brown sugar
2 mugs of self raising flour
1tsp of mixed spice
1 mug of fresh black tea, made without milk

Put the dried fruit into a bowl. Pour over the hot tea, and leave to soak overnight.  The following morning, mix in the spice and sugar.  Mix to make sure the sugar is as dissolved as possible.  Mix in the beaten egg.  Add the flour 2 spoonfuls at a time and mix well.  If the mix is a little dry, add a little milk until you get a soft ‘dropping’ consistency.  Bake in a 21b loaf tin for approx 30-40 minutes at 190 degrees or 160 if using a fan overn.  It can take a little longer, depending on how fierce the over is.  After about 30 mins or so, take out of the over and test the centre with a sharp knife or skewer.  If the mix is stil a bit wet, put it back in the oven. 

This is a low fat cake and works really well, with different mixes of fruit and spices.  It is also good at Christmas time as an alternative to richer, fattier cakes.

Happy Baking everyone.

I’m now thinking maybe this shouldn’t have gone in the Health and Diet section of the site! 

Never mind, perhaps Martin should create a new forum, something like Break your diet and have fun? 

mookie - 21 Sep 2009 04:03 PM

I’m now thinking maybe this shouldn’t have gone in the Health and Diet section of the site! 

Nooooooo mookie, this is all good for our diet, leave it here.

I am tempted to shock my family and try your recipe oldgirl, just one thing not sure what you mean about the tea.

The choc chip banana bread sounds gorgeous too. One thing I am hoping to give a go soon is a new York cheesecake not too sure if that counts as baking but if all goes well I will post on here.

Whoops, sorry missed out the all important ingredient.  Thanks for pointing it out. All you do is make a mug of ordinary black tea, without the milk.  While it is still hot, add the fruit etc and leave to soak over night.  It is seriously yummy, and if you like it is possible to cut down the sugar, easily by a third.

kezflake - 21 Sep 2009 09:53 PM

One thing I am hoping to give a go soon is a new York cheesecake not too sure if that counts as baking but if all goes well I will post on here.

I think it counts as they do go in the oven. I’ve tried several recipes for this with varying degrees of success, the only I’ve found that’s any good is from Rachel Allen’s ‘Bake’ book, but it’s on her website too. You can leave out the blueberries (my OH doesn’t like them so when I’ve made this before I’ve made a blueberry coulis then served that just for me, warm over the cold cheesecake. uber-yummy).

mookie - 22 Sep 2009 05:48 PM

I’ve made a blueberry coulis then served that just for me, warm over the cold cheesecake. uber-yummy).

That sounds so gorgeous, OH loves blueberry’s anyway but the warm blueberry coulis dose sound rather yummy indeed.

Thanks for the link I was looking for a recipe to try before I add my own touch.

Has anyone else started their Christmas baking yet? I’ve made three Christmas cakes so far (well, 2 and the third is baking as we speak). I have one more to go then 2 months of drizzling brandy over them. Yum.

Is it just me or does brandy smell a million times better than it tastes?

For the very first time this year I wont be making my own Christmas puddings...well there only me and the OH here to eat them so while he was in London I got him to buy some ready made ones.

I will be making my own mince pies and cake.  No one here likes the really dark fruit cake or icing so I always make a Dublin fruit cake, a bit lighter and laced with Jameson’s irish whiskey.
Yummy… funny though I dont drink whiskey but love it in the cake.
Dont drink red wine but love using it as a sauce too..

I will also be making chocolate yule log cake it was always the one the kids helped with and enjoyed licking the bowl afterwards.

Now my new oven has been delivered Im busy in the kitchen tonight was curry chicken pie.. Boastful it might sound but I love the taste of my pastry, its nothing special but it has flavour which shop bought pies and pastries just dont have.

oldgirl - 21 Sep 2009 01:24 PM

Yum, I’m going to pass these recipes on to my cake mad student daughter in Swansea.  Here’s mine

Kim’s Cake

450g of mixed dried fruit
1 egg, beaten
1 mug of brown sugar
2 mugs of self raising flour
1tsp of mixed spice
1 mug of fresh black tea, made without milk

Put the dried fruit into a bowl. Pour over the hot tea, and leave to soak overnight.  The following morning, mix in the spice and sugar.  Mix to make sure the sugar is as dissolved as possible.  Mix in the beaten egg.  Add the flour 2 spoonfuls at a time and mix well.  If the mix is a little dry, add a little milk until you get a soft ‘dropping’ consistency.  Bake in a 21b loaf tin for approx 30-40 minutes at 190 degrees or 160 if using a fan overn.  It can take a little longer, depending on how fierce the over is.  After about 30 mins or so, take out of the over and test the centre with a sharp knife or skewer.  If the mix is stil a bit wet, put it back in the oven. 

This is a low fat cake and works really well, with different mixes of fruit and spices.  It is also good at Christmas time as an alternative to richer, fattier cakes.

Happy Baking everyone.

I make this a lot, the recipe I use is called Easy tea bread, its freezes lovely so I alway have loaf in the freezer. YUM YUM

I found this recipe for biscotti on allrecipes.com and made it a few weeks ago.  It was FABULOUS so I wanted to share!  Enjoy!

Chocolate and Almond Biscotti

Rated: 

Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
Servings: 18
“Lots of chocolate chips make this biscotti irresistible.”

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups blanched whole almonds
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt 7/8 cup white sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whiskey

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Toast the almonds in a shallow pan for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan a few times, until almonds are lightly colored. Set aside to cool.
2.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 or 3 cookie sheets with aluminum foil, shiny side up.
3.  In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Place 1/2 cup of these dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Add about a half cup of the toasted almonds and process for about 30 seconds.
4.  Return the mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir in the remaining almonds and chocolate chips. In a large measuring cup, beat the eggs, vanilla and whiskey with a fork to blend. Stir into the dry ingredients until moistened. Wet your hands and divide the dough into four portions. Keeping hands wet, form each quarter into strips about 9 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch high. Round the ends. Place two strips crosswise on each of the cookie sheets.
5.  Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. If baking more that one sheet at a time, reverse the sheets top to bottom halfway through cooking time.
6.  Using a metal spatula remove the slabs from cookie sheets and let cool for 20 minutes on cutting board. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees F.
7.  With a serrated knife, carefully cut at an angle into slices about 1/2 inch wide. Place the slices, cut side down, onto cookie sheets.
8.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the biscotti is crispy and lightly toasted.
9.  Turn oven off and open the oven door, allowing the biscotti to cool in the oven. When cool, store in an airtight container.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 12/16/2009

EAT YOUR VEGGIES!

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

Dressing

1 cup mayonaise
4 tbsp.red wine vinegar
4 tbsp.sugar/or honey
2 tbsp.lemon juice
Combine together,refrigerate while doing the vegetables.

Wash and pat dry one head of broccoli,1 head cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces.
1 small red onion ,sliced
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crisp fried bacon,break into bits

Combine together add the dressing and serve.

Here’s one of my favorite italian recipe: a tender and yummy chocolate cake, quite easy to prepare and so good!! Try it out: I’m sure you’ll love it!

CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients: 200 grams dark chocolate, 100 grams butter, 3 eggs, 100 grams sugar, 2 tablespoon of flour, 1 tablespoon of icing sugar.

Directions: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (356 degrees F). Let chocolate and butter melt in a double soucepan mixing from time to time, then take the soucepan off of the flame. In a large bowl mix yolks with sugar, then add the chocolate and butter mixture (make sure it’s cold) and the flour, mixing all the ingredients together. In another bowl whip egg whites and add them to the mixture, being careful not to amalgamate them too quickly, or they will deflate. Butter and dust with flour a rectangular cake pan (the ideal size is 20 cm x 27 cm), pour the mixture on it and cook the cake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle icing sugar on it before serving and...enjoy your cake!!