Coffee Cream Cookies

This one is for my coffee lovers. Tiny little bite sized cookies sandwiched together with creamy coffee buttercream. Perfect for when you are craving a sugar rush.

Ridiculously easy to make. Dust over a little icing sugar to add a little extra sweetness and pretty them up a little.

Makes 10

Ingredients

2 teaspoons instant coffee

1 teaspoon boiling water

75g butter – softened

50g light brown sugar

125g self raising flour

Method

Pre heat oven to 180c / 160c fan

In a large mixing bowl beat together your butter and sugar for the biscuit dough until smooth and creamy. In a little cup mix together your coffee and water using 2 teaspoons instant coffee and 1 teaspoon boiling water. Add this to your butter and sugar mixture.

Slowly add the flour and beat in gently to make a dough.

Roll into a ball and shape into two log shapes. Chill in the fridge for approximately 15 minutes.

Remove from fridge and slice each log into 10 pieces. Place on a lined baking tray and press gently to flatten a little. Bake in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely.

Meanwhile mix up your buttercream.

In a separate bowl mix together your butter and icing sugar. In a separate little cup mix together your coffee and hot water. Add this to your buttercream mix and gently beat together. I chilled mine in the fridge for a while.

Spoon onto one half of your cookies and sandwich together with the other half of the cookie.

Dust over a little icing sugar to add a little extra sweetness and make them pretty.

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Peanut Butter Brownies

Peanut butter met chocolate and the rest is history! These are truly dangerous especially if you are a peanut butter fan like me who could have it on toast for dinner and still be equally as happy as if I were having something from Masterchef.

Drizzle over raspberry coulis and have them with ice cream to elevate yourself to a new level. You know what I’m saying!

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate

280g caster sugar

3 eggs

100g plain flour

225g crunchy peanut butter

Method

Pre heat oven to 180c / 160c fan

Line a baking tin. I used a 20×20 tin

Begin by setting aside 25g of your chocolate and 25g of your peanut butter

Snap up your chocolate into squares. Melt your peanut butter, chocolate and sugar in a pan over a medium heat.

Turn off the heat and beat in your eggs one at a time and then the flour.

Transfer the mixture to your lined tin.

Melt the 50g of chocolate and peanut butter you have set aside and drizzle over.

Bake in the centre of the oven for approx 20-25 mins

Remove and cut into whatever size pieces you desire.

Frosted Banana Cake

I thought everyone would be missing banana cake. Some might feel like if they ever saw one again it might be too soon.

If nothing else it makes us remember lockdown and feel grateful we have all got our freedom back to go on holiday and travel around again.

This is one I make on repeat. The riper the bananas the more intense the flavour will be. If you want a major sugar rush you can warm it up a little and smother it in custard.

Ingredients

250g butter

2 medium bananas – as ripe as possible

250g caster sugar

250g self raising flour

3 eggs

1 tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons baking powder

Frosting

50g cream cheese

100g butter (room temperature)

200g icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 190C / 170C fan

Line and grease a standard tray bake tin. I used a 28x19cm tin

Beat together your butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and milk, then beat some more until combined. Now slowly fold in the mashed bananas and then the flour and baking powder.

Pour into your loaf tin and bake in the centre of your oven for approx 30 – 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.

While the cake is cooling mix up your frosting.

Once the cake is cool spread over your frosting thickly and slice into equal squares.

Decorate with edible flowers or sugar paste ones for prettiness.

Raspberry and Coconut Tray Bake

I make these for my beautiful mum who is the queen of self discipline when it comes to eating healthy and even she cannot resist them. Raspberry, coconut bites of heaven in a delicate almond sponge. Sometimes you’ve just got to give in and just embrace the deliciousness.

Ingredients

225g butter

300g caster sugar

150g plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

175g raspberries

1 teaspoon almond essence

Cup of dessicated coconut to sprinkle over

Table spoon or two of icing sugar to dust.

Method

Pre heat oven to 200c / 180c fan

Line and grease your cake tin. Leave a little of the greaseproof paper hanging over so you can lift the cake out easy once it is cooked. I used a 28x19cm oblong shallow tin.

Just place all your ingredients for the cake except your raspberries, coconut and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk or however you wish until smooth and creamy.

Now add your raspberries and fold them into the mixture evenly. Smooth over so it’s nice and even with a palette knife and sprinkle over your coconut.

Pour into your cake tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes.

You will see it rising and when it’s ready to take out it will be lightly golden and springy to the touch in the centre.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes or so. Once the cake has cooled down remove by lifting out by the greaseproof paper and place on a wire rack to cool. Slice into squares and scatter over a little dusting of icing sugar to make it pretty.

Chocolate Shortbread

If you love shortbread, then this is for you. This is not just any old shortbread, this is bite sized buttery shortbread dipped in gorgeously thick milk chocolate and dusted with icing sugar. Feel free to use any type of chocolate for the dipping. I’ve had a request from my husband to make him one massive version of this as it’s his favourite!

Ingredients

100g butter

50g caster sugar

100g plain flour and a little to dust the work surface when rolling out.

50g cornflour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing sugar to decorate

150g bar of milk chocolate for dipping

Method

Preheat oven to 160c / 140c fan

Line and grease a baking sheet. You will need a cookie cutter. I used flower shape.

In a large mixing bowl cream together your butter, sugar and vanilla extract.

Now add your plain flour and cornflour bit by bit. I do this in about four stages so it’s easier to mix into the butter and sugar and doesn’t puff everywhere.

Knead the mixture to bring it together into a ball and roll out on a floury surface to about 1/2 cm thickness.

Bake in the centre of the oven for approx 12 minutes. Slightly before the baking time is up ( about 5 mins before) gently press on the centre of the shortbread to check that it’s crisp. If not allow it to bake for another 5 mins.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes or so.

Melt your chocolate by breaking into pieces and placing in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave in short 30 second bursts until the chocolate has melted.

Dip in half of each biscuit. Allow to set on plate.

Sprinkle over a little sugar before serving.

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

I’ve shared brownie recipes before but this one in my opinion will be hard to beat. These brownies are incredible. Dense, gooey, fudgey and everything you want a brownie to be. One bite and they have your eyes rolling back in your head! When you up the quantities of butter and sugar in a brownie recipe this makes for a denser fudgier brownie and that is exactly what I am giving you here. Serve with good vanilla ice cream and strawberries for a heavenly dessert.

Makes 15 brownies

Ingredients

200g butter

300g dark chocolate

300g caster sugar

3 eggs and 1 egg yolk

50g plain flour

60g cocoa powder

Half teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon icing sugar to sift over

Method

Pre heat oven to 180c / 160c fan and grease and line a fairly shallow tin approximately 18cm x 28cm.

Break your chocolate into pieces so it is easier to melt.

Start by melting the butter and sugar over a low heat, stirring all the while. Pour in the sugar and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

In a separate cup beat together the eggs and the egg yolk. Whisk into the pan for 2-3 minutes.

Finally sift over the flour, cocoa and sea salt and fold into the chocolatey mixture. You may need to just sprinkle in the last bit of sea salt that is left in the sieve.

Transfer into the lined tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for approximately 30 minutes. I recommend allowing to cool in the tin for an hour or so on the side.

Gently remove from the tin and slice into 15 squares. Sieve over a little icing sugar.

Double Chocolate Cookies

Cookie heaven. Dreamy double chocolate cookies that are chewy and incredible dunked in milk. Make them and put a smile on someones face.

Makes approx 20 cookies

Ingredients

200g milk chocolate

120g butter

240g caster sugar

1 large egg – beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

220g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

Method

Pre heat oven to 200c / 180c fan

Line 3 baking trays. For best results cook each tray separately in the centre of oven so you can keep re-lining the same tray if you wish.

Beat together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a large mixing bowl.

Beat in your beaten egg bit by bit and then your vanilla.

In another large bowl sift your flour, baking powder , bicarb and cocoa. Gently fold into your butter mixture along with your snapped up chocolate pieces.

When you have a doughy mixture divide in half, roll into two balls and cling film. Pop in the fridge for around half hour to an hour.

Split the dough between your 3 trays and roll into golf ball sized mounds. Pop in the centre of the oven for approx 10 minutes. The cookies will spread so space at least 2 inches apart.

Allow to cool for a few minutes on the tray as they’ll still be cooking a little when they come out the oven. Best not to overcook them as they won’t be so gooey and delicious.

Transfer onto a wire baking rack to cool a little and serve slightly warm with a glass of ice cold milk.

Fruit Scones

A classic inspired by BBC Good food to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. I’m not worried about cream or jam first I’ll take them as they come. Sometimes I’ll just split them and smother them in butter. However you have them they are a must for an afternoon tea. How do you think the Queen pronounces them?

Makes 8

Ingredients

350g self raising flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

85g butter – cubed

3 tablespoons caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

175g milk

100g sultanas

Squeeze of lemon

Beaten egg to glaze

A scattering of flour for work surface

Jam, butter and clotted cream to serve

Method

Pre heat oven to 220c / 200c fan

Place your flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and mix. Add the butter cubes and rub together to combine it all so it resembles crumbs.

Now make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the vanilla, lemon juice and milk along with the sultanas and stir to combine. I do this with a cutlery knife. Your mixture should now resemble dough so bring together with your hands into a ball and knead a few times on a floury work surface.

Gently roll out to approx 4 cm thick and cut out with a cutter with a fluted edge. You may need to bring your dough together and roll out again to make sure you get 8.

Place on a lined baking tray, glaze with the beaten egg and bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 10 minutes. They will smell heavenly while they are baking.

Remove from oven, allow to cool a little and serve with plenty of butter, clotted cream and jam.

Honey and Banana Loaf Cake

A beautiful loaf cake made using no eggs or butter. Delicious and squidgy with a malt loaf kind of texture. It’s best served with a cup of tea, sliced up and buttered with a little extra honey drizzled over it. Tip: The ripest bananas are best when adding them to cakes.

Ingredients

350g self raising flour

75g banana – mashed

1 teaspoon ground mixed spice.

100g soft brown sugar

175g runny honey

150ml semi skimmed milk

Method

Grease and line your loaf tin with greaseproof paper

Pre heat oven to 180c / 160c fan

Mash the banana and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add your flour, mixed spice and brown sugar. Stir to combine and make a well in the centre.

Pour in the honey and milk to the well and mix thoroughly to blend all the ingredients fully.

Now fold in the mashed banana.

Transfer the mixture to your loaf tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins upon removing from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.

Slice up and spread with butter and a drizzle of honey for added deliciousness.

Mini Fresh Cream Victoria Sponges

Something classic and simple to add to the table for your Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Fit for a Queen. Bite sized mini Victoria sponges filled with fresh cream and jam. You can whip up a batch in minutes. Serve immediately on adding the cream and jam!

Makes 12

Ingredients

125g butter

125g self raising flour

125g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons milk

Tablespoon icing sugar to dust over for decoration

Double cream and strawberry jam to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 200c / 180c

Line a fairy cake tin with paper cases.

Add all your ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until smooth and creamy, then spoon evenly into your cases.

Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven, keeping an eye so when they have risen and are nicely golden they are ready to come out.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire baking rack .

Split in half with a sharp knife and allow to cool for another 5 minutes so the cakes have fully cooled.

Meanwhile, whisk up your double cream.

Spoon on a dessert spoonful of double cream and a teaspoon of jam into each sponge cake, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.