baking

Banana loaf with M&M’s and chocolate chips.

baking

This is a really easy, really tasty banana loaf. It has a beautiful dense composition, keeps moist for a long time in the tin and the chocolate chips just take it to a whole new level. Try it out, you don’t have to have the chocolate in, I like hazelnuts with it, maybe some dates in there, totally up to you, but if you don’t like the chocolate in, why are you here??

Ingredients

  • 350g seriously ripe bananas (about 6/7)
  • 180g plain flour
  • 2 1/2 tsps baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 160g muscavado sugar plus more to sprinkle on top
  • 2 eggs
  • 40g melted butter
  • 200g chocolate chips, M&M’s or whatever you want in

First of all, preheat your oven to 170C for a fan, 180C for a gas. Next, in a mixing bowl whisk up your butter, sugar and eggs til pale and doubled in size. If you’re doing this by hand it might take a while, so get your muscles ready. In a separate bowl give your bananas a good mash and in another bowl have all of your remaining ingredients together, ready to go in. When the egg mix is ready, fold in your dry ingredients til you can no longer see any flour. Then fold in your bananas. Next transfer the mix into a greased tin mould (or any mould, mine was in a heart tin!) sprinkle over some extra sugar and get it into your oven for about 45 mins, check it at 30 and make sure it’s on the lowest shelf in the oven! Keeping it low will ensure you don’t burn the top before the rest of it is cooked, and the sugar just gives it an extra crunch. Leave to cool a little, don’t share it and enjoy!

Malt Chocolate Bourbon Biscuits

baking

Biscuits. A staple of the British diet. Everyone’s got a half open packet in the cupboard sitting there and getting soggy. Why not try making these? The classic chocolate bourbon biscuit with a beautiful malty twist.

Ingredients

For the biscuits

  • 250g plain flour
  • 125g chilled salted butter (cubed)
  • 125g muscavado sugar
  • 2 tbsp malt extract
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 3 tbsp milk

For the buttercream

  • 200g icing sugar
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 150g salted butter
  • 1 tbsp malt extract
  • 2 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 160C for a fan oven, 170C for a gas. Get all of your biscuit ingredients into a mixer, food processor or big bowl. If you’re using a bowl, be prepared to put in a few minutes work! Keep going til the mixture is clumpy, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead til you have a smooth dough. Next roll out and cut into fingers about 1inch by 3 inches. Put them onto a baking tray and pierce with a down each side. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. In the meantime make your buttercream filling by placing all the ingredients in the mixer/food processor/bowl and mix until you’ve got a smooth creamy spread. If you want to be neat, use a piping bag. If you just want them in your mouth, use a knife and spread like your life depends on it! When your buttercream’s ready, get your biscuits in the oven for about 13-14 minutes. Just keep your eye on them, they can go from perfect to burnt very quickly. When the biscuits are ready, leave them to cool completely before filling with the buttercream and you’re ready to go!

Panettone & Galaxy pudding.

baking, pudding

So this is essentially a bread and butter pudding, just pimped. I had a leftover panettone loaf from Christmas that no-one’s touched so this was the perfect remedy. And Galaxy chocolate is just the best to cook with. It has the silkiest texture when it’s hot, the richest taste, and is just a good all rounder with everyone. Do not settle for anything less!

Ingredients

  • 1 large panettone loaf (but it would be delicious with a fruit loaf or similar too)
  • 1 250g bar of Galaxy chocolate (or use more…yeah, use more…)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 250ml double cream
  • 500ml milk
  • a little butter to spread onto the top layer of bread.
  • 1 tbsp demerera sugar

First of all, preheat your oven to 170C for a fan oven and 180C for a gas oven. Next, slice your loaf into 1cm-ish slices. Chop your chocolate into small squares. Eat a few. Now start assembling. Layer bread then chocolate, then bread then chocolate. Don’t butter these slices, the bread is rich enough to not need it. Then cut some smaller slices for the top and butter them (we want to sugar crust to caramelise in the oven, and that butter will help). Arrange them prettily on top but remember, the more angles you have, the more crunchy, sugary lusciousness you’re going to have, so layer the slices so they’re not flat (just like mine). Next make the custard mix. Just crack your eggs into a jug and give them a good whisk. Next add your vanilla extract, cream and milk. Give it another whisk and pour it over your bread, making sure you cover all of the top layer. When all of the custard mix is in, push the whole lot down with your hands, this’ll just make sure the bread is fully saturated and you don’t have any dry parts. When you’re ready to go, sprinkle over the sugar and chuck it in the oven for a good 45 minutes, checking it at 30. It’s ready to go when there’s no more wobble in the middle. I’d love to say the same for myself. Enjoy, anyhow!

Choc-a-block Brownies

baking

You need to make these brownies. Now. I’m not even kidding, these are the things missing in your life. You might not think there IS anything missing from your life, but i guarantee you, once the smell of these gooey chocolate-marshmallow squares fills your kitchen, you’ll understand.

Ingredients.

  • 250g soft butter
  • 115g soft brown sugar
  • 175g dark muscavado sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla flavouring
  • 4 eggs
  • 175g plain flour
  • 115g cocoa powder
  • 200g chopped galaxy chocolate
  • 100g mini marshmallows
  • 100g white chocolate chips
  • white chocolate stars to decorate (if you want to be fancy)

First thing you need to do is preheat your oven to 170C for a fan and 180C for a gas oven. Now, get your butter, sugars and vanilla flavouring into a food mixer, or into a big bowl ready for either a hand mixer or a big ole spoon and elbow grease if you’re feeling old-school. Get the mix really light and fluffy, this’ll make it easier to incorporate the eggs. Add your eggs one by one, then mix your flour, cocoa powder and extras by hand, it’s a really thick mix, so this last bit needs to be done with a spoon, just so you don’t over-mix. When the mixture’s ready, use a spatula to flatten it into a square tin lined with baking paper. Cook these babies for 25 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into it comes out clean. I know this next bit’s hard, but you’ve gotta let them cool for about 15-20 minutes before portioning, or it’ll just be a gooey mess! Put a picture on Instagram and enjoy!