SCONE LOAF

I wasn't quite sure what to call this, a Loaf Scone or a Scone Loaf, a Scone Cake, which ever, it's a scone in a loaf, one massive scone with the jam built in and ready for a luscious blob of clotted cream. As you're just making one, there's less fiddling and faffing about. My tip would be to use a baking liner in case any jam leaks to make it easier to remove from the tin.

I made two versions, one with lemon curd and one with jam and 75g of Glacé Cherries cut into quarters and added to the scone mix.  I've also sprinkled on some sugar nibs for extra showoffiness.

400g Self Raising Flour

50g Sugar

100g Butter/Margarine

200g Milk

3 tbsp Lemon Curd/Jam

Put the flour into a large mixing bowl and rub the butter in till there are no lumps. Now stir through the sugar and slowly add the milk whilst mixing to form a soft dough, I find stirring it with a knife is easiest. You don't want this to be too sticky as it will make it difficult to roll out so keep an eye on it whilst adding the milk.

Once your dough is formed, tip it onto a floured surface and knead it gently to bring it together into a smooth ball.  Roll out the dough into a rough rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.  Spread the Lemon Curd or jam to cover it then carefully roll it into a sausage like a roll poly.  Place your scone into the lined loaf tin and bake at 160C fan for 35-45 minutes.


When it's just out of the oven its a bit like a jam roll poly, so it seemed rude not to try it with a bit (lots) of custard - let me tell you, it worked Xx

BAKED CAMEMBERT with a TWIST

 I've been playing with the camera again and made another quick and easy recipe for you to have a go at. It's really simple and straight forward. Everything was bought easily from a supermarket and the only cooking involved was popping it in the oven for 15 minutes.

You will need:

2 sheets of Ready Rolled Puff Pastry

2 Tbsp Pesto

4 Slices Parma Ham

1 x 250g Camembert

1 Garlic Clove, sliced

1 Rosemary Sprig

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 Egg

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Lay out your first pastry sheet and give it a little extra roll to make it slightly wider. Use a dinner plate to cut around and make a circle. I cut it a little bigger than my plate to get as much pastry as possible. Do this with the second sheet and leave to one side.

Mark the centre of your pastry using the cheese box then spread the pesto to cover the outer ring. Top the pesto with the Parma Ham then layer the second sheet of pastry on top.

Use a sharp knife the sun rays in to your pastry. I find it easier to cut it into four sections then divide each section. Once you have made all your cuts, twist each ray three time and lay it back down. 

Now place the cheese in the centre, cut slashes into the top and poke your rosemary and garlic into the slashes and drizzle with olive oil. To finish, brush the pastry with egg wash and season the whole thing with black pepper.

Bake for 15 minutes at 180C

Mind you don't burn your tongue on that hot cheese xXx

Baked Camembert with a Twist

RAINBOW FAIRY CAKES

I thought I'd pop these very simple fairy cakes on here as something to do with children. They are also a great gift for someone you may want to thank during this bizarre and exceptional time we are currently living in.

If you don't want to make the cakes or can't get hold of ingredients, you might want to buy pre-made plain cakes instead. If not, this is just a basic vanilla sponge recipe. If you really want to go for it, you could also make rainbow sponge buy dividing your mixture and colouring each one differently then divide between your cake cases.

BASIC VANILLA SPONGE (Makes 12|)
100g Butter or Margarine
100g Sugar
100g Self Raising Flour
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Cream together the butter and sugar, add the self raising flour, eggs and vanilla and mix till thoroughly combined and there are no lumps or dry flower.

Place 12 fairy cake cases in a muffin tray and divide the mixture equally between them.

DECORATION
Buttercream - 100g Butter or Margarine mixed with 250g Icing Sugar and a little Blue Colour Paste
Fizzy Rainbow Belts
White Mini Marshmallows

Spread or pipe your buttercream on to each fairy cake. Cut the rainbow belt in half and position into the buttercream in an arc. Place 3 marshmallows on each side of the rainbow to represent clouds.

Could not be simpler!
Stay Home Stay Safe
Keep Busy Stay Happy

RAINBOW FAIRY CAKES

SAVOURY BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING

So I had one of those days where nothing went to plan and everything took twice as long as it was meant.  Bottom of the list was getting something for dinner so I turned to what ever was in the fridge, cupboard, bottom of the veg basket (which was mostly carrier bags to tbh).  Anyway, I managed to come up trumps and we ended up with this bread & butter pudding which I can see becoming a regular dish in the Limbert house. It's also a perfect Covid recipe that uses just a few easy to get ingredients

My son described it as "a big cheese toastie pie" and that's basically it.  I had a loaf of tiger bread in the freezer, some ham, cheese and eggs, all the basics that you'd have in really.  Stick them all together and this is what you get.

Butter a medium oven proof dish, mine measured 30cm x 20cm. Now make sandwiches using 8-10 Slices of Bread, this all depends on how thick your bread is, mine was quite chunky.  I used Roasted Ham and Dijon Mustard in mine.  Cut each sandwich into 4 and place haphazardly into the dish.


In a jug measure 400ml Milk and whisk in 3 Eggs and some chopped Chives.  Pour this over the bread then scatter the top with 50g Grated Gruyere Cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Leave this to stand for 30 minutes so the egg can soak into the bread. Bake in the oven at 160C fan for 25-35 minutes till the liquid has gone and the top is golden and crusty.


You could add other bits of leftovers like chopped peppers, onions, leeks, tomatoes, salami, chorizo, sausages. We found that baked beans were the perfect accompaniment for this (as we had some).

SWEET POTATO FLAT BREAD

This recipe is so ridiculously straight forward I almost don't feel justified in writing a recipe, but because of  it's simplicity I have to share it with you.

I have made these lovely soft flat breads with sweet potato but my cousin who sent it to me used regular potato and added some finely chopped spring onions. You could also add herbs like coriander or parsley, or a teaspoon of nigella or fennel seeds.

Steam or microwave a large sweet potato until it's soft and squishy inside. Don't boil it as this will add too much moisture.

Once it has cooked all the way through, scrape out the flesh of the potato and discard the skin.

Weigh the mushy pulp in a mixing bowl and add an equal amount of self raising flour and season.

Combine the two to form a dough. If it is a little dry, add some oil to bring it together.

Now divide your dough into equal portions and form into a small ball, mine weighed around 50g each.

Roll each ball out on a floured surface to about 5mm thick then transfer to a hot dry frying pan and cook on both sides till browned. You will find that bubbles may appear on top and this will help you know when it's ready to turn them over.



Keep them warm in a dish covered with a clean tea towel till ready to eat.

We had ours with a delicious lamb and aubergine curry but they were also good the next day just warmed and with a little bit of butter.

MARMITE & CHEESE LOAF

Right, I put my hands up, my name is Yasmin and I like Marmite.  I like it in a sandwich with lettuce (thank you mother),  I like it roasted on potatoes, I like it stirred into pasta (thank you Nigella) and I like it on toast. But now I like it in toast. Why have I never thought of this before? Adding cheese just escalates its deliciousness. It is the most perfect toasting loaf and the best for making cheese on toast. Now, don't be put off if you are not a Marmite lover, my taste for Marmite has not been passed on to my children but they devoured this whole loaf in one sitting. These photos are a second one I had to make so I could share it with you. Suffice to say it went as quickly as the first made into ham sandwiches.

500g Strong White Bread Flour, 10g Yeast, 50g Oil, 30g Marmite, 100g Grated Cheddar, 300g Hand Warm Water

I made this in my freestanding mixer to get the dough started but you can do the whole thing by hand. Put everything in the bowl and get mixing.  Once the dough starts to slap against the side of the bowl, turn off the mixer and tip it onto your surface. You must knead the dough till it's smooth and elastic, I usually give this about 8 minutes. If it's sticking pour a little oil on to the surface rather than adding flour.  

When you are done with kneading, dust your bowl with flour and return the dough to it. Cover with cling film or a shower cap and leave to rise and double in size for 1 hour. Next shape your loaf. Make it free form or use a loaf tin. I plaited mine then put it in a 2lb loaf tin. Leave to rise again covered with a clean tea towel for 30 minutes then bake at 200C for 25-30 minutes

Do try it made into cheese on toast, you won't believe the difference the Marmite makes. Xx

ANCIENT SPICED LOAF CAKE

Hello, it's been a while.  I've had a break from blogging but now I'm back and kicking off with this delicately spiced drizzle loaf.  I have to admit that the inspiration came from a slice of cake that I had in the John Lewis Cafe, I loved it and savoured every mouthful trying to distinguish each individual flavour.  It was like the palate test on Master Chef. Anyhow, after a couple of not quite rights I got it and now I'm sharing it with you.  The drizzle makes the sponge extremely moist and the almonds add texture whilst the orange flower water gives it a fragrant turkish delight quality.

The cake in the picture was mostly eaten when it was still warm with a bonus glug of cream and was like a sponge pudding but it was just as exquisite finished off a few hours later cold.  Let me know if yours lasted long enough to taste cold.

You can leave the cake with just the drizzle but I've added chopped pistachios, freeze dried raspberries - available in most supermarkets and dried marigold petals - bought on line and usually used in herbal teas.  I think they really add to its spice trail taste.

CAKE BATTER
170g Butter/Margarine
170g Sugar
150g Self Raising Flour
50g Ground Almonds
1tsp Baking Powder
Zest of 1 Orange
1tsp Ground Cardamom
1tbsp Orange Flower Water
1tbsp Milk
3 Eggs

DRIZZLE
Juice of 1 Orange
30g Sugar
1 tbsp Orange Flower Water



It's as you'd expect and pretty straight forward.  Cream together the butter and sugar till it's light and fluffy.  Now add the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.  Pour the mix into a lined 2lb loaf tin and level out the surface.  Bake in a preheated oven at 160C fan for 40-50 minutes till cooked, firm to touch and a skewer comes out clean.

While it's baking make the drizzle. Stir the sugar into the orange juice with the orange flower water.  Once the cake is cooked, spoon the drizzle over the loaf while it is still hot, this helps it soak in better then add any decoration you decide on.

PLUM FRANGIPANE TART

 

I remember my mother making jam with all sorts of fruits and sometimes vegetables, marrow being one! We must have known someone with a plum tree because that seemed to be a particular favourite of hers to make.  The only down side was that she seemed averse to removing the stones which ment it was something you have to be mindfull of doing when spreading it on your toast.  So I was only too pleased to be the recipient of a jar of plum jam from my sister which, not only lacked the bothersome stones but had the added luxury of being spiced with cinnamon and star anise, fancy!  

I've been eating it on toasted crumpets but decided to make it go that bit further adding it to a  frangipane tart topped with more plums.  If you can't get plum jam, damson is a good alternative.  I've finished mine with a scattering of sugar nibs but flaked almonds would also work well.

Pastry:

150g Plain Flour

30g Icing Sugar

75g Butter

Frangipane:

150g Butter

150g Sugar

3 Eggs

50g Self Raising Flour

150g Ground Almonds

1 tsp Almond Extract

300g Plum Jam

4 Ripe Plums

2 tbsp Sugar Nibs (Optional)

Make the pastry by rubbing the butter into the flour and icing sugar, add enough water to make the dough come together.  Add the water a little at a time stirring it in with a knife.

Roll out the pastry and line a deep 8.5 inch fluted flan tin.  Line the pastry with parchment and fill with baking beans.  Bake blind for 15 minutes at 160C fan.  Remove the parchment and beans and return the pastry case to the oven for a further 5 minutes to dry out.










Spread the jam over the base, this is easier to do whilst the pastry is still warm. Now make the frangipane.  Cream the  butter and sugar together then add the eggs, flour, ground almonds and extract and mix well.  Top the jam with the frangipane mix and spread it over the tart to completely cover the jam.

Cut the plums into quarters and remove the stones.  Arrange the plums on top skin side down then scatter over the sugar nibs or flaked almonds if using.


Bake for 40-50 minutes till its golden brown and the frangipane is set.

Don't forget you can use your pastry scraps to make jam tarts, who doesn't like a jam tart?

APPLEBY'S CREAMY STOVETOP RICE PUDDING

 

My local farm, Appleby's has just started selling it's raw milk straight to the customers.  I don't understand why this hasn't happened before, such a great idea, imagine getting your milk on the same day it has been produced!  Raw milk means it's not been pasturised and the health benefits of  that are varied including helping with asthma and because of the enzymes still present it means those with a lactose intolerance can once again cows milk.

I reckon it's the nearest I'm going to get to milking a cow and can't stop myself from taking my bottle down for a refill. So I've been thinking up recipes for this gorgeously fresh milk.  Rice pudding, one of my ultimate comfort foods, is a must.  I am usually happy with a bit of jam, just like we used to have at school, but if the cows are making the effort, so will I and I've rustled up a berry compote which you can have hot or cold. 

 
Serves 4-6

In a medium sized pan, combine 200g Pudding Rice, 1ltr Appleby's Raw Milk, 100g Sugar, 40g Butter and 2 tsp Vanilla Extract.  Stir everything together then put on a medium heat and bring to the boil.  Keep stiring the rice while it heats to stop it sticking to the bottom.  Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat and continue cooking for roughly 30-40 minutes till the rice has cooked.  You need to keep an eye on it and stir it now and then.  

Whilst the rice is cooking, make your berries.  In another pan weigh 250g Frozen Berries and 2 tbsp Sugar.  Warm through on a low heat till the sugar has melted and the berries are soft and warm.

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Easy Christmas Treats

Recently a friend and I held a Christmas coffee morning to raise money for a charity.  We had the usual mince pies and mulled wine but wanted to offer some other tasty treats.  These are a few of the quick and easy morsels we had on offer.  Most were just foods you can assemble, some were ready made bits that we embellished and others were quick to assemble and cook.

 This cheese board was my favourite, it was so simple but really affective.  I had the christmas tree chopping board but it can easily be put together on a rectangular base.  The added herbs and grapes give it a bright fresh feel and make it even more inviting.  Having the cheese cut into cubes makes it so much easier for everyone to nibble at too.  The finishing touch was the mini babybel on top, I used a tiny cutter to remove the wax star.

This mince meat wreath was great to prepare in advance and bake just before everyone arrived,  I used a 500g Block of Puff Pastry.  Divide in two then roll out one on a floured surface into a rectangle measuring roughly 35cm x 25cm.  Spread with 300g Mincemeat then roll up into a swiss roll using the long edge.  Brush the edge with a little milk to seal then cut into slices about 3cm wide.

Place the slices onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and arrange into a wreath shape leaving a slight gap between each one so it has room to grow.  You can either make a small one or repeat with the rest of the pastry to make a larger one as I did.  Now bake at 180C fan for 20-25 minutes till lovely and golden.

To finish, toast 20g of Sliced Almonds in a dry pan.  When the wreath is cooked,  drizzle a little icing made with icing sugar and lemon juice then scatter on the toasted almonds.

These are so cute and brilliant for kids to do.  They are Tunnocks Tea Cakes topped with a little icing and some sprinkles to look like christmas puddings.  Genius!

BACON & EGG MUFFINS

Bacon & Eggs, a classic combination.  As part of a breakfast, in a sandwich and now in a muffin.  I make a pancetta pie with quails eggs in the middle and everyone loves the surprise hidden away when they bite in and discover the miniature egg tucked inside. I thought it would be a great idea to do the same in a muffin so I've come up with this, not to be confused with the  Bacon & Egg Mc version.

These muffins are flavoured with cheese, a little mustard and flecks of chive which also add some colour.  You could swap things about and add parsley, spring onion, chilli flakes or a different cheese such as Red Leicester.

12 Quails Eggs
300g Plain Flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
100g Grated Cheddar
Small Bunch of Chives
Salt & Pepper
6 Rashers of Bacon, cooked and chopped
60g Butter, melted and cooled
1 Egg
3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 x 284ml tub Buttermilk



Boil the Quails eggs for 5 minutes then cool and remove the shells.  Put to one side while you mix the batter.  In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Put the wet ingredients in a jug and whisk to combine.  Pour the contents of the jug into the bowl and gently fold everything together.  Try not to over mix, it's fine if there are still a few dry bits.

Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin papers.  Put a large teaspoon of the mixture into each then place one of the eggs on top.  Cover each egg with more mixture till it is all used.

Place the muffins in the oven at 180C / 160C fan for 20-25 minutes and they are cooked through and golden.

These muffins are perfect for kids luch boxes and picnics.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

I recently took part in a recycled craft project which involved a lot of toilet rolls, peanut butter and bird seed.  At the end of it I found myself with a surplus of peanut butter.  I really love the stuff so not particularly an issue but I thought I should make use of it if only to stop me from eating the lot with just a spoon.

So here we have a Bundt cake flavoured with peanut butter, chocolate chips and a chocolate drizzle to finish it off. I used crunchy peanut butter because that's what I had, it gave it a nice texture but smooth would be fine too.



Cake
100g Butter
275g Peanut Butter
200g Light Brown Sugar
100g Granulated Sugar
3 Eggs
350g Self Raising Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
200ml Milk
50g Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Drizzle
100g Dark Chocolate
150ml Double Cream
1tbsp Golden Syrup



Heat the Oven to 180C (160C fan).  Grease and flour your bundt tin, I use a cake release spray which I find really effective, particularly in a bundt tin.

Use a free standing mixer or electric hand whisk to cream together the butter, both sugars and peanut butter.  Take a couple of minutes to do this so it becomes light and fluffy.

Now add the eggs, flour, baking powder and milk and mix to combine everything.  Finish by folding in the chocolate chips.

Pour the mix into the prepared tin and level out.  Bake for 45minutes till cooked through and a skewer comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool slightly in the tin then turn out onto a cooling rack.  Whilst the cake cools, make the chocolate drizzle.  In a pan heat the chocolate, cream and golden syrup till the chocolate is melted, do this on a low heat to save the chocolate from burning. Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the cake.  You could also sprinkle on some chopped peanuts to even more nuttiness.

Roast Beef Sandwich with Dunking Gravy

I know you don't need a recipe for a roast beef sandwich but I wanted to share this with you, think of it as more inspiration than recipe.  We had roast beef, not something I do often as it gives me the fear.  I'm always convinced I will mess it up and waste quite an expensive lump of meat.  On this occasion I'm happy to say it was a success and not only was it cooked perfectly but there was enough on the joint to get a further 2 meals out of it.

Who doesn't like a roast beef sandwich, especially when the meat is pink and thinly sliced .  I've pimped it slightly with loads of fried onions but what really makes it is the pot of gravy on the side for dunking.  Oh my word, this is comfort food at its most ultimate, please give it a go, you won't regret it.

Giant Jaffa Cake

Obviously The Bake Off is still inspiring people to get out there and bake.  Since the recent episode I've had so many people ask me about making jaffa cakes that I've decided the easiest thing to do is pop it on here.  So by popular demand here it is.  I've made  one large cake but you can of course halve the recipe and use a fairy cake tin to make 12 regular size cakes.  If you go for the individual cakes, make sure its the shallow fairy cake tins you use and not a deep muffin tin for the correct shape.

Line an 8" cake tin with cling film. Cut up an Orange Jelly (135g pack) and dissolve it in 300ml of boiling water add the zest of 1 Orange. Now pour the jelly into the cake tin and refrigerate till set.

Line a 9" cake tin with parchment and heat the oven to 180C / 160C fan.  If you have one, use a freestanding mixer to whip 2 Eggs and 50g Sugar.  Keep whisking for a good 5 minutes till they have tripled in size and are light and fluffy.

Very gently fold in 50g Self Raising Flour.  Using a metal spoon for this helps to prevent knocking any of the air out.

Pour into your prepared tin, level out and bake for 10-12 minutes.  It should soft and springy to touch when cooked.

Once the cake has cooled, use the clingfilm to lift the jelly from the tin and place the jelly on top of the cake.  Melt 200g Plain Chocolate in a double boiler.  Leave to cool slightly before pouring over the jelly to prevent the jelly from melting.  Cover the cake with the chocolate and run a knife over the top to make the jaffa cake marks 

Naked Wedding Cake

I was asked recently to make a wedding cake, this is something I have vowed never to do (too much pressure) but this one was different.  

I have wanted to do a naked wedding cake ever since I did a tiered cheese wedding cake, they are quite similar apart from the savoury and sweet thing.  it's all about the construction.  

Light Victoria Sponge, vanilla flecked buttercream and oozing sticky jam. I was overwhelmingly proud of the results.  What d'you reckon?

WILD GARLIC PESTO BREAD

So far we have had Scones, Butter and Pesto all made with gorgeous foraged Wild Garlic but I promise this is the last of the wild garlic recipes.  The trouble was that I had all this lush pesto that I could not resist using some of it for bread.  I just love making bread and even though it takes a couple of hours, you're only really working for about 20 minutes, the rest of the time it does all the work itself.

I always make double the quantity because I think if you're going to go to the effort of making it, why not make lots.  I would say freeze it if it's too much but it never is and gets eaten pretty much before it's completely cooled.

When I made this batch, I doubled it and made a loaf and some rolls which I then split and spread with Wild Garlic Butter and topped with Pecorino before grilling for garlic bread.

500g Strong White Bread Flour

15g Yeast

320g Warm Water

2 tbsp Wild Garlic Pesto

Mix the flour, yeast and salt. Combine the water with the pesto and mix into the flour with a knife  to form a dough.  Knead it on a lightly oiled surface for 10 minutes till smooth. Now return the dough to the bowl and cover with a shower cap or cling film.  Rest for 1 hour till doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and 'knock back' to original size.  Form into your loaf shape or divide it into 12 pieces, they should weigh about 80g each.  Shape each one and leave to rest on a baking sheet or stone and cover with a tea towel.  Rest for a further hour to double again. Before baking, slash the tops with a sharp knife. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 200C