MINCE MEAT SLICE

I'm going to come right out with it, I don't like mince pies.  There, I've said it.  I think they're just too rich but this alternative has the perfect balance of fruit and pastry.

I have used one dough for the top and bottom a bit like a shortbread then added flaked almonds for a little more crunch and texture, the end result is a bit like a crumble slice.

In a processor mix 250g Self Raising Flour, 220g Sunflower Margarine, 50g Light Brown Sugar and 2 tsp Mixed Spice.  This will make a soft dough.  Take two thirds of the dough and press it into the base of an 11" x 7" rectangular baking tin lined with parchment.

Now cover the base with a 400g Jar of Mincemeat spreading it evenly up to the edges.  Next use a large size grater and grate the remaining dough over the top of the mincemeat.  Lastly sprinkle over 30g Flakes Almonds and baked at 170C for 25-30 minutes.

Once it has cooled dredge with icing sugar

SPRING BAKES & GIVEAWAY - ENDED

Woohoo! it's spring which to me means warmer weather, flowers everywhere and our local school's easter bake sale with lots of pretty cakes.

Here I have a couple of cake recipes to hopefully inspire you to get baking.  You don't have to be raising money with them, maybe you want to make a random bake of kindness for someone or just scoff them yourself.  What ever your reason for baking, have fun.

To help you make your cakes even more special I have a brilliant giveaway for you. Jo from Just Bake is offering a gorgeous array of easter themed decorations including cute iced bunnies and chicks, sugar strands, iced daffodils and easter eggs, she's even throwing in the cake cases, all you need to do is make the cakes.

To Enter:    A) 'Like' my Face Book page and spread the word on Twitter
                  B)  Leave a Comment on the Blog
                  C)  Take a Look at all the lovely cake supplies at Just Bake

You've got until Friday 30th to to enter the giveaway - Good luck

So, now the cakes.  Of course with those great iced bunnies from Just Bake I couldn't resist a carrot slice and   I drew inspiration from the camomile that's just coming up in my front garden to make a camomile cupcake with honey frosting.  The Iced chicks finished them off nicely along with mini eggs and some tiny weenie mini eggs that are now available.

CAMOMILE CUPCAKES with HONEY FROSTING

Makes 12

140g Self Raising Flour
125g Butter
125g Sugar
2 Egg Yolks                        
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
70ml Sour Cream
20ml Milk
2 Camomile Tea Bags

150g Cream Cheese
1 Dsp Runny Honey

Cream the butter and sugar till fluffy.  Beat in the egg and yolks along with the vanilla extract then add the butter. Mix the milk and sour cream together then add this to the mixture.  Cut open the tea bags and stir the contents into your mixture. When all is well combined, divide between cake cases and bake for 25 minutes.  Allow them to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Once the cakes have cooled, mix the cream cheese with the honey and top each cake with the frosting

CARROT SLICE

Makes 12

350g Grated Carrots
200g Light Brown Sugar
225g Self Raising Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Mixed Spice
75g Chopped Nuts
3 Eggs
150ml Sunflower Oil

300g Cream Cheese
1 tbsp Icing Sugar

In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and mixed spice.  In a jug whisk together the eggs and oil then add this to the dry ingredients.  When well combined stir in the carrots and nuts.

Pour the batter into a 9" x 7" lined baking tin and bake for 25-30 minutes at 160C Fan

Once the cake has completely cooled, stir the sugar into the cream cheese top your cake and slice into 12 portions.

The Perfect Weekend

I've just had the loveliest weekend, baking, seeing friends and being out and about with my family.  It almost sounds too perfect doesn't it.  I'm not saying this happens every weeekend so when it does I feel compelled to tell everyone.

My eldest son is a keen cook and for his birthday I got him a 'proper' cook book.  He's 11 now and outgrown those children's ones that teach you to make smiley face pizza and fish shaped fish cakes although I am rather partial to both.  He has decided to make dinner at least once a week (fine by me) and started this week with a goats cheese frittata and a chocolate mousse cake.  Both were a success and I can't wait for his next culinary achievement 

Chocolate Mousse Cake with a shortbread base

We spent Sunday in Formby, just north of Liverpool and had a grand time searching for Red Squirrels at the National Trust Squirrel Reserve.  Then I met with my pal Janet from GBBO 2.  She's as lovely as ever, just like old times.  It's such a shame that the friendship and comradery between all the contestants does not really come across on the show, but we're all still in touch and still laughing together.  

Now, it's Sunday and what happens today? - cake and Little House on the Prarie.  It's been a tradition since I made a new years resolution a couple of years ago that we should all sit down together to have tea and cake on a Sunday.  Last year for christmas I got a box set of  Little H' on the P' and it has become an integral part of this ritual.

Todays cake was a bit retro purely because it included glace cherries.  I'm not that enamoured with them but onced chopped and added to ground almonds they're not half bad.  Glace cherries have a tendency to sink to the bottom of cakes when baking.  The trick is to give them a good rinse under a tap, pat them dry, coat in a little flour then add them to your mix.

CHERRY & ALMOND SLICE

150g Glace Cherries chopped, washed and floured

250g Self Raising Flour

200g Sunflower Margarine

180g Sugar

3 Eggs

1/2 tsp Almond Essence

100g Ground Almonds

4 tbsp Milk

Heat the oven to 160C Fan.

Put everything apart from the cherries in a free standing mixer and mix well.  If you're doing it by hand, cream the butter and sugar, then add the flour, eggs and almond essence.  Next add the ground almonds then when it's all combined add the cherries. If you've used a mixer fold the cherries in by had as they can get a little smooshed by the whisk.

Pour into a lined baking tin.  Mine measured  25cm  x 19cm, then bake for 35-40 minutes, turning round after the first 20 minutes to get a nice even bake.

I've covered mine with icing sugar mixed with lemon juice then topped with cherries for that proper 70's cake shop look but you could also have it warm with a bit of custard (or evap Sean say's)