Tea time treats
If you need something sweet to go with that cup of tea, try one of these
Madeleines
Makes 16
2 eggs
100g caster sugar
75g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
75g melted butter
icing sugar to dust
jam to serve
l Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Thoroughly grease the Madeleine tins.
l Using an electric mixer, whisk the sugar and eggs until thick and pale – about 10 minutes.
l Mix the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt together and sift over the top. Pour in half of the melted butter and whisk to combine. Add the rest of the butter and whisk. Leave the mixture to rest for 10 minutes to firm up slightly.
l Spoon the mixture into the tins. Bake for 10-12 minutes until risen, golden and just firm to the touch. Turn out and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar and serve with strawberry jam.
No-Bake Chocolate Cake
200g milk chocolate
110g plain chocolate
110g unsalted butter
50g dark brown sugar
110g shortbread biscuits, broken into small pieces
110g glac? cherries, halved
75g whole roasted hazelnuts
75g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
1 small packet white maltesers, roughly crushed
l Line an 18cm round cake tin with baking parchment.
l Melt both chocolates, the butter and sugar in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Leave to cool but before setting, stir in the rest of the ingredients.
l Turn into the prepared cake tin, pressing down gently. Leave to set at room temperature until firm. Remove the cake from the tin and peel away the lining paper. Cut into wedges to serve.
Mandarin Layer Cake
Serves 8
115g butter
115g sugar
2 eggs
115g self-raising flour
grated rind of 1 orange
For the icing
85g butter
225g icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp milk
walnut and mandarin segments to decorate
l Preheat oven to 160°C/300°F/gas 3.
l Place all the cake ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat well to mix together. Spoon into a greased and bottom-lined 450g loaf tin.
l Bake for about 1 hour or until cooked. Turn out, remove paper and cool.
l For the icing, beat together all the ingredients until smooth. Split the cake in half and sandwich with some of the icing. Spread the rest around the cake.
l Cover the cake sides with coarsely cut walnut pieces and top with mandarin segments.
Apricot Fruit Loaf
Makes 1 x 900g loaf
3 large eggs
175g self-raising flour
100g butter
100g light brown sugar
100g dried apricots, chopped
75g currants
150g sultanas
l Preheat the oven to 160°C/300°F/gas 3. Lightly grease and base line a 900g-loaf tin with greased greaseproof paper.
l Break the eggs into a large bowl and then add the remaining cake ingredients. Beat very well until the mixture is smooth. Spoon into the prepared tin and level top with a spoon.
l Bake for about 1 hour or until the cake is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
l Serve warm with butter and jam.
