Chocolate, Almond and Pear Tart

To make the almond pastry:
225g plain flour
a pinch of salt
85g ground almonds
170g unsalted butter
85g icing sugar
1 egg
2 - 3 drops vanilla extract
1 tbsp cocoa powder

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until the dough just comes together.

Roll the pastry into a ball trying to handle it as little as possible, then lay on a baking sheet and roll out to flatten a little, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out and roll over a flan tin then press into the bottom and sides of the tin, then place a sheet of greaseproof paper over the top and fill with baking beans/dried beans and blind bake in a preheated 180'c/Gas Mark 4 oven for 25 minutes, then remove the beans and greaseproof paper and bake for a further 5 minutes.

To make the filling:
55g plain flour
85g ground almonds
115g golden caster sugar
115g butter, softened
4 large eggs
250g plain chocolate melted and cooled for 10 minutes
2 tbsp Amaretto liqueur (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 x 400g tin of pear halves
creme fraiche to serve (optional)


Preheat the oven to 200'c/Gas Mark 6.


Place the flour, ground almonds, sugar, butter, eggs, chocolate, amaretto (if using) and vanilla extract in a food processor and blend until it has combined to form a batter.  Pour the batter into the tart case and lay the pears on top pushing them down firmly as you go.


Put the tart in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the tart looks firm on top and the pears are surrounded by a gooey chocolate.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool, serve warm or cold with creme fraiche.

 

Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes

170g softened butter
170g golden caster sugar
3 large eggs
170g self raising flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
3 - 4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped into small pieces
3 Reese's peanut butter cups to decorate 

For the frosting:
200g smooth peanut butter
170g icing sugar
150ml full fat cream cheese


Preheat the oven to 170'c/Gas Mark 3 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.  


Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk for around 5 minutes or until pale and creamy.  Whisk in the eggs, one at a time until combined.  The mixture may curdle a little but will be fine when you add the flour.


Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and stir.  Loosen the mixture by adding 3 tbsp milk and the vanilla extract.  The mixture should fall off a spoon easily, add more milk if it is too thick.  Stir in the chopped peanut butter cups.


Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners using an ice cream scoop for perfect sized cupcakes, then bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden and cooked through.  A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean if they are cooked.


Leave the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in the tins then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.  


To make the frosting beat the peanut butter with the icing sugar and cream cheese for a few minutes or until smooth and creamy.  Mix for a good few minutes and then put in a piping bag and frost the cakes.  I used a 1M Wilton tip and a disposable piping bag.

Decorate with the chopped peanut butter cups.

Frozen Banana and Peanut Butter Cake

3 small bananas

50g butter, melted

10 digestive biscuits, crushed to crumbs 
142ml tub double cream
140g icing sugar
400g tub soft cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
237g crunchy peanut butter

Several hours before put 2 bananas in the freezer until the skins go brown, then take out to defrost.  The bananas will now be really soft and mushy, peel and mash well then set aside.


Mix the butter and biscuits together then press into a 22cm cake tin.  Whip the cream until it just holds its shape then in a seperate bowl beat the sugar, soft cheese and vanilla together until completely combined, in another bowl beat the peanut butter to loosen.


Fold the cheese mixture into the peanut butter, then tip in the mashed banana and gently fold in the cream.  Spread the mix over the biscuit base and smooth the top.  Freeze for several hours or preferably overnight.  To serve leave the cake in the fridge for about 40 minutes then run a knife round the sides and remove the cake from the tin.  Slice the remaining banana and use to decorate the cheesecake.

 

Red Velvet Cake

250g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cocoa
115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
300g granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
240ml buttermilk
2 tbsp red food colouring
1 tsp white distilled vinegar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:
227g cream cheese, room temperature
227g mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
115g icing sugar
360ml heavy whipping cream


Preheat the oven to 175'c and butter two 23cm round sandwich tins and line the bottoms with baking paper, set aside.


In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt and cocoa and set aside.


In a bowl with an electric hand whisk beat the butter until soft.  Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat well between each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.


In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food colouring.  Set the hand mixer to a slow speed and alternatively add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture, in three additions and mix until combined.


In a small cup combine the vinegar and the baking powder.  Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Quickly divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula or the back of a spoon.  Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for about 10 minutes then turn out onto the wire rack.  Wrap in clingfilm and put the layers in the fridge for at least an hour to make the frosting easier.


Cream Cheese Frosting:


In a bowl beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese with an electric hand mixer until smooth.  Add the vanilla and icing sugar and beat until smooth.  Gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread.  Add more sugar or cream as needed until you reach a consistency you like.


Cut each cake layer in half horizontally, spread the frosting between each layer then frost the top and sides of the cake.

 

Peanut Butter Cups

For the base:
50g soft dark brown sugar
200g icing sugar
50g butter, softened
200g smooth peanut butter

For the topping:
200g milk chocolate
100g dark chocolate
gold buttons/dragees/stars to decorate

Place all the base ingredients in a food processor and blend until the mixture takes on a sandy texture.  Mixing with a wooden spoon works just as well you just need to get your hands in there to make sure the butter isn't in big clumps.

Spoon about a teaspoonful of the mixture into the bottom of 48 gold petit four cases and press the mixture down as best you can in the bottom of each case.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, whilst stirring.  Once melted spoon teaspoonfuls of chocolate on top of each of the bases.

Decorate the tops with the gold decorations, then place in the fridge to set (minimum of 30 minutes.)

Mince Pies

140g cold butter, diced
225g plain flour
50g ground almonds
50g golden caster sugar
1 orange, zest only
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
1 - 2 tsp cold water
280g good quality mincemeat
1 egg, beaten
icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 220'c/Gas Mark 6.

Rub the butter into the flour and add the almonds, caster sugar, orange rind and salt until the mixture is a bit crumbly.  Add an egg yolk and 1 - 2 tsp of water until it forms a soft dough, then put it into a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 20 - 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 2 - 3mm and cut out about 18 rounds (7.5cm) with a pastry cutter.

Place into a lightly greased 12 hole cake tin and spoon in the mincemeat evenly.  Re roll the left over pastry and cut out lids, these can either be round or a shape that fits on top.

Lightly brush the pastry tops with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the tins and place on a wire rack.  Once completely cooled dust with icing sugar.

 

Baby Shower Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

280g self raising flour
200g caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sunflower oil
4 tbsp melted butter or margarine
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (I managed to get Daim bar chips so I used those)

Preheat the oven to 175'c and line a 12 hole muffin tin with liners. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients then add the eggs, milk, oil, melted butter, syrup and lemon juice and mix with a fork. Fold in the vanilla extract and the chocolate chips.

Spoon evenly into the muffin liners (I usually get about 18 muffins out of this mix) and bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes.

I also made Vanilla Cupcakes

140g butter, softened or soft margarine
140g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
200g self raising flour

Preheat the oven to 190'c/Gas Mark 5 and line a 12 hole muffin tin (again this mix usually makes about 18.)

Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the eggs then sift in the flour and fold into the mixture. Spoon into the liners.

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then pipe with buttercream.

Baby Blue Buttercream

225g butter, softened
1 tbsp cream or milk
250g icing sugar
blue food colouring

Place the butter and cream in a bowl and beat together, then gradually sift in the icing sugar and beat until smooth, then add a few drops of food colouring at a time until you reach the desired colour.