Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

130g Plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

120 ml hot water

40g cocoa powder

115g butter

150g caster sugar

1 large egg

For topping:

Whipped cream

Mini marshmallows

Method:

Mix together hot water and sifted cocoa powder.

When powder has dissolved, with an electric whisk, beat in butter and sugar. Then add the egg.

Sift in remaining dry ingredients.

Mix together until well blended.

Spoon into cupcake cases and bake for 12-15 mins on 200oC.

When cupcakes come out the oven, leave for a minute, then place mini marshmallows on top.

When cupcakes have cooled completely have fun squirting whipped cream on top for a real indulgence!

Enjoy with a cup of tea… or even a hot chocolate!

Bolo de Laranja - Portuguese Orange Cake

Ingredientes:

2 laranjas pequenas ou 1 grande

4 ovos

1 chávena de óleo de girassol

2 chávenas de açúcar

2 chávenas de farinha

1 colher de sobremesa de fermento

Cobertura:

• 1/2 xícara (chá) de água
• 1 xícara (chá) de açúcar
• 1 tablete de chocolate meio amargo picado
• 3 colheres (sopa) de manteiga

Preparação:

No liquidificador coloque os ovos, a laranja cortada em 4 e retirados os topos, o óleo e o açúcar.

Misture durante uns minutos. Num recipiente coloque a farinha e o fermento. Junte o preparado do liquidificador àfarinha. Unte um forma de buraco com margarina e farinha. Coloque aí o preparado ...e leve ao forno a 180ºdurante 45 minutos. Faça o teste do palito e, se estiver cozido, desenforme e decore a gosto.

Ponha no liquidificador o chocolate e a manteiga. Batendo na velocidade baixa despeje, a calda quente, em fio. Bata até ficar uma mistura lisa. Deixe amornar e, com uma faca, cubra o bolo.

Ingredients:

2 small oranges or 1 big

4 eggs

1 cup of vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

Put the oranges cut in four in the mixer with the eggs, sugar and oil. Mix for a few minutes until the oranges are well chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix again. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 45 min

Chinese Pork Fillet With Noodles

Ingredients

3 tbs dark soy sauce

2 tbs Schwartz Perfect Shake Chinese 5 Spice Special Blend

2 tbs sesame oil

2 tbs honey

Zest and juice of 1 orange

450g (1lb) pork fillet

1 tbs oil

1 courgette, cut into batons

2 carrots, cut into batons

½ bunch spring onions, sliced lengthways

275g (10oz) noodles, cooked according to pack instructions

Soy sauce to serve

Method

1. Blend the soy sauce, Perfect Shake Chinese 5 Spice Special Blend, sesame oil, honey, orange zest and juice together in a large bowl. Add the pork fillet and coat evenly in the marinade. Cover and leave to marinade for 30 minutes, or for best results overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Stir fry starting with the pork and adding all the other ingredients

Macine

INGREDIENTI: 500g di farina 00; 50g di fecola; 150g di zucchero a velo; 100g di burro; 100g di margarina; 1 uovo; 5 cucchiai di panna; una bustina di zucchero vanigliato; una bustina di lievito; un pizzico di sale. Lavorare insieme gli ingredienti, stendere una sfoglia alta 7 mm circa e con un bicchiere infarinato sull'orlo, tagliare i biscotti. Cuocere in forno a 180° C per 10-15 minuti, su una teglia imburrata.

Traditional Scottish Carrot Cake

225g wholemeal flour
225g brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
Half a cup melted butter or oil
4 eggs
Half cup chopped walnuts
400g finely grated carrot
Zest of an orange

Ingredients for Icing:
225g icing sugar
85g cream cheese (under half a cup)
One teaspoon vanilla essence (extract)
85g butter (Three quarters of a cup)

Method:
Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the walnuts and carrots, mixing well. Beat the eggs and them and the butter (or oil) and mix well. Pour the mixture into two, one pound rectangular loaf tins or one, two pound loaf tin. A nine inch round cake tin can also be used.
Bake for an hour in a pre-heated oven at 180C
Make the icing by beating the ingredients together and, once the cake has cooled, decorate the top and the side with the icing.

Granola

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

125ml maple syrup

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

300g rolled oats

50g sunflower seeds

4 tbsp sesame seeds

50g pumpkin seeds

100g flaked almonds

100g dried berries (find them in the baking aisle)

50g coconuts flakes or desiccated coconut

Heat oven to 150C. Mix the oil, maple syrup, honey and vanilla in a large bowl. Tip in all the remaining ingredients, except the dried fruit and coconut, and mix well.

Tip the granola onto two baking sheets and spread evenly. Bake for 15 mins, then mix in the coconut and dried fruit, and bake for 10-15 mins more. Remove and scrape onto a flat tray to cool. Serve with cold milk or yogurt. The granola can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month.

Syrup version 2

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

85g honey

55g light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Panini al latte

1 bustina di lievito di birra
60 gr burro
460 gr latte
75 gr zucchero
1 cucchiano di sale
650 gr farina

Scaldare appena il latte, unitevi lo zucchero , il burro fuso e il sale, quindi mescolate bene per sciogliere il tutto.

Mettere il lievito nel cestello della macchina del pane, aggiungete la farina ed il liquido. Azionare il programma pizza.
Quando la pasta sara lievitata dividetela in palline da 30 gr l' una. Disporle su una teglia e lasciare lievitare di nuovo. Spennellarli con un uovo sbattuto e cuocerli in forno caldo a 220 gradi per circa 18 minuti.

Brioche Bread

• 1 sachet of fast acting yeast (Briochin in France, not traditional, not de boulanger)
• 500g T45 flour (that's cake making flour, not bread flour)
• 75g castor sugar (sucre cristallisé)
• 1 sachet vanilla sugar (sucre vanillé) or ¼ tsp vanilla extract (not essence, yuk )
• 60g diced butter
• 1tsp salt (keep away from sugar and yeast in the mixing bowl)
• 2 large eggs / 3 medium, beaten in a measuring jug
• 1tbsp orange flower water (eau de fleur d'oranger) (can be replaced with same of rhum) mixed with the beaten eggs
• enough cold milk to bring top the egg mix in the jug to 340ml
The liquid must not exceed 340ml in total.
Bake as a basic white loaf, light crust (as the sugar will brown the top), XLG size. The brioche will rise a lot.

Lavender Shortbread

• 250g very soft butter
• 250g plain flour
• 75g cornflour
• 70g granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon lavender flowers, dried and ground in a pestle.
• 50g caster sugar (for the top)

1. Preheat the oven to 160C.
2. Mix butter with salt, sugar and lavender.
3. Sift flour and cornflour onto butter and just mix until a smooth dough is formed.
4. Press the dough into a 15cm square tray until flat and even.
5. Bake 40mins until top and bottom are light brown then sprinkle with a thin layer of caster sugar.
6. Cool in the dish and cut into portions with a thin knife when just warm but let it go completely cold before removing from the dish
7. Keep in an airtight container.

Granola Bars

GRAINS:

1 cup rice puffs

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup rolled wheat

1/2 chopped almonds

1/2 sunflower seeds

1/2 cup flax seeds

1/2 cup dried cranberries

GLAZE:

130 g light brown sugar

110 g honey

50g butter (half a stick)

1 tsp vanilla

toast any raw grains in the oven for about 5 min. at 200 C, mixing half-way through

line 13x9 inch pan with baking paper to spread granola in

mix all dry ingredients in very large bowl

heat all glaze ingredients in heavy sauce pan on stove top at medium heat

bring to boil, reduce heat stirring constantly, simmer 2 minutes

pour glaze over dry ingredients, mix well

spread in foil lined pan, smooth flat with back of spoon and your hands

smooth a LOT, as you want the grains to be packed together so the bars don't fall apart!

let sit for 2 hours

remove granola from the baking paper and place on counter, using a large knife, cut into bars

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