Going Bananas with Fruit!

I must apologise to you my dear readers for my lack of blogging this last week or so! As I mentioned we were on holiday and had some lovely days out, we went to the seaside and could not have had better weather. A couple of day trips out to idyllic villages with stone cottages and little streams running through and weeping willow tree branches touching the water and moving gently to the flow.

On the agenda also was strawberry picking, well hubby did the picking due to my back problems. We ended up with a few punnets full of sweet ripe fruit, as a result, I made some wonderful strawberry conserve to savour for when the weather turns cold into autumn and winter. A spoonful of this conserve on homemade bread will remind me of a perfect summer’s day! We also made a visit to a local farm where they sell their own produce, I came away with bunches of beetroot – oh yes with still dirt on them ready to scrub and cook. A huge marrow to peel and stuff with mince beef, just how my mum used to make it when I was a child. Potatoes, again with dirt on them and oh boy did they taste good when washed peeled and cooked, it must be the Lincolnshire soil they are all grown in! I was let loose in a home and wear store, *I’m in heaven, I’m in heaven*, where they had beautiful cake stands, elegant cups and saucers, in fact everything you could imagine for an avid cook/baker. Hmmmm, oh yes I did come away with a few little items to add to my little repertoire of things!

Overall, it was a lovely break, which must have lead to my lack of mojo for baking of late. I hope I have rectified things with you with this gorgeous fruity banana bread. I had six very overripe bananas that need attention in some form or shape, a lovely bag of mixed berries consisting of blueberries, cranberries and golden sultanas and a few glace cherries. Well, the fruit all worked beautifully together and the taste of this banana bread is sublime. I doubled up the quantities of each ingredient and made two fruity banana breads. You could cut one and give one to your friend or even freeze one if it lasts that long! I certainly will be baking this combination of fruits in my banana bread again.

Fruity Banana Bread

Makes one 900g (2lb) loaf

Ingredients
200g (7 oz) self-raising flour
3 large very ripe bananas
Grated zest of 1 lemon
75g (3 oz) dried ready to eat apricots, chopped
50g (2 oz) mixed dried fruit berries (blueberries, cranberries, golden sultanas)
25g (1 oz) glace cherries, chopped
2 large eggs
125g (4½ oz) caster sugar
100g (4 oz) butter, softened

You will need a 900g (2 lb) loaf tin, greased with a little butter and lined with baking parchment.

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan oven 150°C/325°F/gas mark 3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in appearance. Add one egg at a time and beat into the mixture until fully combined. Add the dried fruit and lemon zest and fold through the mixture. Mash the bananas and fold through the mixture. Sift the flour into the mixture in the bowl and carefully fold in. Place all the mixture into the prepared tin and gently level the top with a spatula. Bake for about 1 hour in the preheated oven, but check after 50 minutes to see if it is ready. The banana bread is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out completely clean. Leave in the banana bread in the tin to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before turning out to cool completely. When cold peel away the baking parchment. Keeps well stored in an airtight tin for up to 5 days.

Lastly, pour yourself a lovely hot cup of tea and cut a slice of fruity banana bread. Relax and enjoy the world go by whilst you take pleasure in your little slice of banana nirvana!

Tang-talising The Senses

After the richness of the little Baileys chocolate muffins below, I thought I would bake a citrus lemon loaf cake this time around to share with you. Adding a streusel topping to this loaf cake would make a change from a normal lemon sponge. It worked out beautifully in taste and texture with the lemon flavour not overtly over powering.

However, if you prefer a sharper zing of lemon, I would then suggest adding a little lemon juice to the sponge or lemon extract to increase the lemon flavour with the lemon zest. This cake is delightful sliced and served with a hot cup of tea mid afternoon when those sugar levels seem to drop a little, and little pangs of hunger set in.

Lemon Streusel Loaf Cake

Ingredients

For The Lemon Sponge
125g (5 oz) softened butter
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
165g (5½ oz) caster sugar
2 large eggs
110g (4½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
75g (3 oz) self-raising flour
60ml (2 fl oz plus 2 tsp) milk
Lemon Streusel Mixture
40g (1½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
40g (1½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
30g (1 ¼ oz) butter, chopped into squares
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 heaped tbsp flaked almonds

You will need 13cm x 23cm (5in x 9in) loaf tin, greased and lined with baking parchment, extending the paper 2cm (¾ in) over the sides.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan oven 140°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.

Firstly, make the lemon streusel, place the sugar and flour into a small bowl. Rub the butter in with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs and then stir in the lemon zest and flaked almonds.

For the lemon sponge, in a mixing bowl beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time beating in after each addition until fully combined. Sift the two flours together and then fold into the mixture alternately with the milk in two batches. Place the mixture into the loaf tin, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the lemon streusel mixture evenly over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the loaf to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool with crumble side upper most. Serve cut into slices.

Lastly relax, serve yourself a slice of this cake with a lovely cup of tea and sit back in admiration of what you have baked.

It’s Berry, Berry Good Cake!

Do you admire a cake that also equals as dessert? Well if the answer is yes; look no further than this excellent tasting mixed berry cake. You could serve slices with whipped cream and a mixed berry sauce, or custard; whatever floats your boat!

I wouldn’t declare this is one of the prettiest cakes around with its homemade ragged style top, but to me this cake makes a statement. It’s utterly noble in size and towers above the top of the cake tin when taken out of the oven. The sponge tastes creamy and sweet with a light moist texture and soft lush summer berries studded throughout, simply delicious!

Being such an easy bake to achieve, this cake takes no time to create. Shush, this is our little secret, no one will ever guess *wink* *wink*.

Mixed Berry Cake

Adapted from Simon Rimmer of Market Kitchen

Ingredients
250g (9 oz) butter
100ml (3½ fl oz) double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
275g (10 oz) caster sugar
550g (1lb 4 oz) plan flour
Finley grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp baking powder
500g (1lb 2oz) frozen mixed summer berries
Icing sugar to decorate

You will need a 20cm (8 in) round springform tin, greased and lined with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

In a saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter, cream and vanilla extract, and then leave aside to cool. Beat the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the cooled butter and cream mixture and mix through to combine. Sieve the flour and baking powder together over the mixture and fold through, now fold the lemon zest in. Taking all the frozen summer berries gently fold these through trying not to break the fruit up. The mixture is thick so don’t be alarmed. Spoon all the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top with a spatula or back of a spoon. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Sift a little icing sugar over the top of the cake before serving.

Serve in slices as a teatime cake or as a dessert with mixed berry sauce and whipped cream or lashings of custard.

Lastly, take a slice of mixed berry cake and enjoy the wonders of this marvellous cake!

Apple with Spice & All Things Nice!

You know how it is I’m sure, you look in the fruit bowl and some of the fruit has passed its best. Normally for me this is bananas, but today it happened to be a few green apples. Peeled, cored and chopped, those apples were perfectly fine for stewing up into applesauce for these cupcakes. Applesauce gives the sponge a lovely moistness and each flavour complements each other perfectly here in this bake. It never ceases to amaze me how one ingredient that is passed its prime can influence a bake, such as the apples from my fruit bowl.

Applesauce & Cinnamon Cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients
100g (4 oz) softened unsalted butter
100g (4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
100g (4 oz) self-raising (self-rising) flour
2 large eggs
100g (4 oz) unsweetened applesauce
75g (3 oz) raisins
1tsp ground cinnamon
1 small red sweet apple, thinly sliced
2 tbsp granulated sugar

You will need a 12 holed muffin tin lined with paper cupcake cases

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°C/Gas mark 4. Place the butter, caster sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and beat until fully combined into the mixture. Fold the flour, cinnamon, raisins and applesauce, into the creamed mixture. Spoon the mixture into the paper cupcake cases. Lay the apple slices on top and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar on each cupcake. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden in colour and baked through. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely, or you could serve these cupcakes warm with lashings of custard for dessert.

Lastly sit back chill out, serve yourself a cupcake, you absolutely deserve a treat!!

Wishing all my dear friends across the pond – A Happy 4th July!!!

Chocolate Orange Drizzle Loaf Cake ~ Sweet and Simple Bakes Monthly Baking Event.

The first of the month means time to present ‘Sweet and Simple Bakes Monthly Baking Event’. It was my turn to choose a tried and tested recipe this month. I presented a recipe that I have been baking for years and a huge favourite of my family “Chocolate Orange Drizzle Loaf Cake”. This loaf cake has three elements to it but I assure don’t let that put you off as it remains a sweet & simple bake. The first element is the orange sponge loaf the second being the wonderful orange drizzle and thirdly a topping of chocolate. I know this is such a classic combination of flavours that never cease to lose their appeal. This would make a great teatime cake cut into slices and served with a lovely cup of tea – perfect!

Chocolate Orange Drizzle Loaf Cake

Ingredients

For The cake
175g (6 oz) softened butter
175g (6 oz) caster (super fine) sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
175g (6 oz) self-raising flour, sifted
2 tbsp milk
For The Orange Syrup
Juice of 1 orange
100g (4 oz) granulated sugar
For The Topping
50g (2 oz) dark chocolate or milk chocolate – your choice
Sprinkles of choice (optional)

You will need a 900g (2 lb) loaf tin – greased with a little butter and lined with greaseproof paper or non-stick baking paper.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

In a mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar and beat together until light and fluffy in appearance. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well until fully incorporated. Add the orange zest, flour and milk and fold in gently with a spatula or large metal spoon. Turn into the prepared tin, smooth the top of the mixture and bake in the oven on middle shelf 35 -45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. When cool make little holes in the cake with a skewer, (this is important for pouring the syrup onto the cake to ensure the syrup soaks in fully.)

For The Orange Syrup

Put the orange juice and granulated sugar into a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil for a couple of minutes. Pour over the top of the cake. When all the juice has soaked in, carefully remove the cake from the tin.

For The Topping

Melt the chocolate by placing a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted, pour over the top of the cake. Either smooth the top over with a spatula or make a little pattern with the prongs of a fork. Add sprinkles if desired, leave chocolate to set before cutting into the cake.

Lastly slip into the sublime world of chocolate orange drizzle passion, and eat your heart out on a slice or two.......mmmmmmmm.....

Please do call by Sweet and Simple Bakes, view our round-up of our other bakers; also, if you would like to join in our monthly bake, we would be most delighted to have you join in and bake with us – everyone is welcome!

It’s Wimbledon & Time for Strawberries & Cream!

Wimbledon Championship started in London yesterday, which is home to grass tennis. Our Britain’s number three seed Andy Murray (men’s) is playing today. The championship by a British (men's) player hasn’t been won for 73 years and our entire hopes ride on Andy this year.

Not only is Wimbledon famous for tennis but also for serving strawberries and cream. The popularity of serving strawberries with cream is possibly as old as the event itself. In honour of this tradition, I am serving up strawberry cheesecake muffins to share with you! Each muffin hides a soft lush centre of fresh strawberry and sweet creamy cheese. I am sure these muffins would be delightful to take with you on a picnic or even better still, watching Wimbledon tennis live! Oh yes, bring it on, 30-40...deuce...match point *giggle*.

I know I have gone a little strawberry manic lately, but with British strawberries being in supply for such a short season, I am sure you will understand why. This recipe regrettably is not my own, I only wish it was! It comes from a little book called 101 Cakes & Bakes Goodfood, it has numerous delicious cakes and bakes, which would make any baker or person who “loves de cake”; salivate on flicking through each page, I know I do....teeheehee....

Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins
(Adapted from 101 Cakes & Bakes Goodfood)

Makes 12

Ingredients
350g (12 oz) plain flour
1½ tbsp baking powder
150g (5 oz) caster sugar
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
250ml (9 fl oz) milk
75g (3 oz) butter, melted
For The Filling
175g (6 oz) soft cheese
3 tbsp caster sugar
6 small strawberries, halved

You will need a 12 holed muffin tin lined with 12 paper muffin cases

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/gas Mark 6.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, add the sugar and salt and mix through with a wooden spoon or whisk then leave aside.

In another bowl beat the eggs and milk together, and then stir in the melted butter. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid ingredients, now gently mix, it is quite normal to have a few lumps remaining in the mixture. Do not over mix or the muffins will not be light and airy. Mix the cream cheese and sugar for the filling together in a small bowl. Half fill the muffin cases with the muffin mixture, and then push half a strawberry into each muffin case. Place a teaspoonful of the sweet cream cheese on top, and then finish by spooning over the remaining muffin mixture to cover and fill each muffin case.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 -20 minutes until well risen and golden on top. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Lastly, grab a muffin and dive into that soft lush centre of fresh strawberry and sweet creamy cheese. Oh boy, does that tame your sweet tooth? I know it sure did mine :-9

White Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana Bread

I am eager for further blue skies and sunny days, fluttering carelessly along balmy breezes, butterflies showing off their magnificent colours in my garden attracted by a buddleia shrub. To me this suggests summertime where P.Y.O. (pick your own) strawberries are literally in abundance just down the road from me. I love to incorporate strawberries in bakes and desserts as much as possible, not forgetting a good few jars of strawberry conserve. P.Y.O. strawberries are just perfect for this and one or two may just slip into my mouth just to taste for ripeness, you understand! *Giggle*

This leads me onto my recent bake that I can’t wait to share with you! I’ve had this idea for a while now to include white chocolate and strawberries in banana bread. You can imagine just how moist the crumb is from the mashed banana and speckled throughout with white chocolate and slices of strawberries. For me it is perfect served just as it is, on the other hand, take it to another level for that utter luxuriousness and serve a slice spread with strawberry conserve, softly whipped cream and a few sliced strawberries dusted over with icing sugar.

White Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana Bread

Serves 10 -12

Ingredients
275g (10 oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
100g (4 oz) brown sugar
100g (4 oz) caster sugar
100g (4 oz) butter, softened
2 eggs
120 ml (approx 4½ fl oz) sour cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 medium bananas, peeled and mashed
150g (5 oz) ripe strawberries, hulled and chopped
100g (4 oz) white chocolate chunks or chips

You will need 13cm x 23cm (5in x 9in) loaf tin, lightly buttered and lined with parchment paper.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder together in a large bowl. Add both sugars and the softened butter, using your finger tips rub the butter in until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract together. Add the mashed bananas, chopped strawberries and white chocolate chunks. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Gently but thoroughly bring all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, and then pour into the prepared loaf tin. Smooth the top, and bake in the preheated oven for 1 -1¼ hours or until a skewer interested into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Do I have you salivating at the prospect of dipping your fork into a slice of sweet nectar? Don’t just take my word for just how good this tastes; this is a definite bake that needs to be recreated, sliced and eaten as you drift away on a cloud to nirvana!

Utterly-Buttery Lemon Cookies

Where has six days gone since my last post? I don’t know why, but it seems to have been a little hectic at home with one thing and another for me. Tut-tut, I am a bad girl too for neglecting you with some sort of sugar craving bake! I will try to make it up to you now with a gorgeous cookie bake I am posting here.

I would like to share with you these exceedingly delicious, light, crispy, buttery, lemon cookies. It would be sacrilege to keep this bake to myself and you know how much I enjoying sharing my bakes with you! Not only are these cookies divine to eat, they are also very easy to make and bake!

The butter and lemon tease and excite taste buds as they melt-in-the-mouth. Sensational, Mr. R. (hubby) quoted on his third cookie for testing on taste and likability! As you may well know, Mr. R. is my leading official taster for baked goods along with his sidekick Mr. P. his colleague. I visualise that they both will be tucking into a cookie or two come break time, after ensuring a few cookies made their way into Mr. R.’s lunchbox.

Utterly-Buttery Lemon Cookies

Makes approximately 20 cookies

Ingredients
125g (4½ oz) softened butter
Finely grated zest 1 lemon, preferably un-waxed
50g (2 oz) caster sugar
150g (5 oz) self-raising flour
Icing sugar, for dusting the cookies

You will need 2 baking trays, greased with a little butter.

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C /375°F/Gas mark 5.

In a large bowl add the butter, caster sugar and finely grated lemon zest. Beat together until light and fluffy, add the flour and mix thoroughly – use your hands to help bring the dough into a ball towards the end. Dust your hands with a little flour and taking a teaspoonful of dough at a time, roll into a small ball and place onto the baking tray. Repeat this process until all the dough is used, leaving a small gap for expansion during baking around each cookie. With the back of a fork, slightly press down on top of each cookie to flatten them out to leave a fork indentation pattern. Place the trays in the oven, and bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden, check every few minutes to ensure they don’t overcook. When they are ready, cool on the trays for 10 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack. Once cold, dust over with icing sugar.

Lastly, pop those feet-up, arm yourself with a cookie and take yourself on a journey to Utterly-Buttery Lemon Cookie wonderland!

S Is For Summer But Also For Strawberry Shortcakes.

I just adore a traditional Sunday afternoon tea taken with my family on a pleasant warm afternoon. This is one classic British tradition that still when possible, is extremely satisfyingly good. The ultimate bake in my family for this occasion of afternoon tea would have to be shortcakes filled with good strawberry jam, a good dollop of clotted cream, and sat like a bejewelled crown of triumph on top, lush red sweet ripe strawberries! Shortcakes are much akin to a sweetened scone, a gorgeous creation from our friends across the pond in America.

Strawberry Shortcakes

Makes 6

Ingredients
325g (11½ oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp baking powder
75g (3 oz) caster sugar
125g (4½ oz) chilled butter, chopped into small cubes
1 egg, lightly beaten
125ml (approx 3¾ fl oz) single cream
1 egg, lightly beaten for egg wash
For The Filling
Jar of good strawberry jam
100g (4 oz) clotted cream
4 large strawberries per shortcake, halved
Icing sugar for dusting

You will need a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. A round cutter 9 cm (3½ inch) wide.

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan oven 200°C/425°F/gas mark7.

In a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour, salt, baking powder and 45g (1¾ oz) of the sugar. Place the butter into the bowl and rub through with fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. In a large jug add one egg into the single cream and add the wet ingredients to the dry bringing the dough together with a fork. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to 2.5cm (1 inch) cut out six rounds, re-rolling the dough if necessary. Place each cut out round onto the prepared baking tray, leaving a gap around each one for them to expand when baking. Brush each top with a little egg wash and sprinkle each top with caster sugar from the remaining sugar that was left over. Bake in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes until risen and golden brown. Remove and place onto a wire rack to completely cool. When cold, split open place a good tablespoon of strawberry jam on the bottom followed by a good dollop of clotted cream and finishing off with halved ripened sweet strawberries, place the lid on. Dust each shortcake with icing sugar and serve.

These shortcakes are best eaten on the day of baking.

Lastly, take that first bite, which will transport you all the way into paradise!

I am sending my strawberry shortcakes into H.C. @ My Kitchen Treasures who is hosting a great event called Strawberry Feast! For more information on how to partake, do call by her blog.

Let’s Go A Strawberry Feasting!

Strawberries awaken fond memories of red stained hands, balmy sunny days, playing carefree with friends and my mother watching Wimbledon tennis on the television. Even holiday times spent in Devon/Cornwall, taking cream teas of sweet scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam, and a huge pot of tea. This is reminiscing of my childhood and I smile fondly of good times gone by.

In my part of England we are still waiting for our own strawberries but I could not resist buying out of season and bringing a little of summer into my home.

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this cake, it certainly is irresistible on taste. Now who could resist strawberries, jam and cream engulfed in a light sponge, oh boy not I that is for sure!

Strawberry Cream Sponge Cake

Ingredients
175g (6 oz) self-raising flour
1½ tsp baking powder
175g (6 oz) softened butter
3 large eggs, at room temperature
175g (6 oz) caster sugar (super fine)
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
For The Filling and Decoration
120ml (4 fl oz) double cream (heavy cream)
4 large tbsp good quality strawberry jam
300g (11 oz) ripe strawberries, hulled
1 tbsp icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar)

You will require 2 x20cm (2 x 8in) round cake tins. Grease with a little butter and line the base with non-stick baking paper.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder into a large bowl, and then add the butter, caster sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Beat together until mixed, trying not to over mix the mixture. Spoon the mixture equally into the prepared round cake tins. Bake in the preheated oven on a middle shelf for about 25 -30 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then turn them out to completely cool on a wire rack.

Whisk the cream to a firm consistency for the filling. Place one sponge cake onto a serving plate and spread with the strawberry jam, followed by the whipped cream and a few of the strawberries sliced. Place the second sponge on top. Arrange a few strawberries over the top and dust with icing sugar. Serve on the day you bake this due to the fresh cream.

Lastly, cut into the cake, arm yourself with a slice, and enjoy that summer feeling of red ripe strawberries!

I am sending my Strawberry Cream Sponge Cake to a ‘dear’ fellow blogger Happy Cook- whom I affectionately call H.C. You can find H.C. @ My Kitchen Treasures who is hosting a great event called Strawberry Feasts! Now if you would like to partake in this event do call by H.C.’s blog to find out more details.