Tag Archives: baking

Cooking with Cathryn Dresser Baking Videos

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With summer fast approaching, getting food on the table everyday isn’t easy as we find ourselves longing to spend less time in the kitchen and more time outside with friends and family.

Thankfully, Great British Bake Off contestant and mummy baker, Cathryn Dresser knows just how you feel and together with Sun-Maid Raisins has created three exclusive new recipe videos, proving that even the quickest and easiest of recipes can be enjoyable for the whole family.

The recipes include Cathryn’s nutritious and delicious Honey Nut Cereal Bars, which are great for those rushed mornings as a breakfast on the go, or a lunchbox snack.

When you’re snuggled up on the sofa with a cuppa, Cathryn’s Snickerdoodle biscuits make for a perfect treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth and can be enjoyed by all the family.

To watch Cathryn Dresser make these deliciously tempting recipes, take a look at the videos below and let’s bake!

Honey Nut Cereal Bars Recipe

Honey Nut Cereal Bars Recipe

MAKES 12 – 15 MINUTES PREPARATION – 30 MINUTES COOKING

Ingredients

100g butter, plus extra for greasing

200g Porridge Oats

100g Sunflower Seeds

50g Sesame Seeds

50g Chopped Walnuts

3tbsp Honey

100g Light Muscovado Sugar

1tsp Ground Cinnamon

50g Sun-Maid Raisins

50g Dried Cherries

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line the base of an 18 x 25cm baking tin.

In a separate roasting tin, mix the oats, seeds and walnuts in a separate tray, then pop them in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to toast. Meanwhile, warm the butter, honey and sugar in a pan, stirring until the butter has melted and the sugar has mostly dissolved. Add the toasted oats, nuts and seeds, cinnamon, Sun-Maid Raisins and dried cherries, then mix until everything is completely coated.

Tip into the prepared tin, press down lightly, then bake for 30 minutes. Cool in the tin before cutting into 12 bars.

Snickerdoodle Biscuits Recipe

Snickerdoodle Biscuits Recipe

MAKES 20 – 15 MINUTES PREPARATION – 10 MINUTES COOKING

Ingredients

240g Unsalted Butter, Melted

180g Soft Brown Sugar

100g Caster Sugar, plus extra for rolling

1 Egg

1tsp Vanilla Extract

½tsp Cinnamon, plus extra for rolling

1/2tsp Baking Soda

50g Sun-Maid Raisins

1/2tsp Cream of Tartar

1/2tsp Allspice, plus extra for rolling

Pinch of Salt

300g Plain Flour

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3, and grease a large baking tray.

Melt the butter and add the sugars. Beat the egg well, then stir into the butter and sugar mixture. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, Sun-Maid Raisins, cream of tartar, allspice and salt. Mix well. Add the flour gradually mixing well each time.

In another bowl, mix the extra cinnamon with the extra caster sugar – approximately one teaspoon of cinnamon to one tablespoon of sugar. Form the cookie dough into small balls about the size of a walnut and roll in the cinnamon/sugar mix before placing on the prepared baking tray.

Remove from the oven, leave to cool on the baking tray for two minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool properly.

White Chocolate and Sun-Maid Raisin Fudge Recipe

White Chocolate and Sun-Maid Raisin Fudge Recipe

MAKES 15 – 20 PIECES – 5 MINUTES PREPARATION – 20 MINUTES COOKING

Ingredients

500g Golden Caster Sugar

500ml Double Cream

3tbsp Liquid Glucose

140g White Chocolate, roughly chopped

100g Sun-Maid Raisins

Method:

Line a 22cm square non-stick tin with baking parchment.

Put the caster sugar, double cream and liquid glucose in a pan. Heat slowly, stirring continually, until the sugar melts. Now turn up the heat and fast boil the mixture until a small amount dropped into a glass of cold water sets. Turn off the heat and keep stirring for five minutes, or until the mixture starts to thicken. Sprinkle in the white chocolate and Sun-Maid Raisins and very briefly swirl through the mixture.

Pour into the tin and leave to set overnight, then turn out and cut into squares.

What’s your favourite?

Danny Trejo Takes Up Baking Breadanimals

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International action star, acting titan and Latin icon Danny Trejo has just revealed a secret new hobby in a really funny new online video… baking bread in the shape of animals or BREADANIMALS which you can watch below.

dannytrejobreadanimals

Danny Trejo is in Bullet which is out now on Blu-ray and DVD.

And what do you say… #DannyTrejoForGreatBritishBakeOff2015

 

Bonnie Marcus Collection Book Reviews

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We received two cool books to review from the Bonnie Marcus Collection: Guilt-Free Girl Desserts and Cupcakes & Cocktails. First impressions of the book is that they have a great design. Second is: I am now hungry. And I want a cocktail.

Guilt-Free Desserts is my kind of book. Who doesn’t want to eat dessert without getting fat? It may seem like a pipe-dream but you can make dessert as guilt-free as possible. These desserts are low calorie, there are a lot of figure-friendly recipes. Some of the desserts have fewer than 250 calories each. The book is bursting with great desserts that will make you a domestic goddess. It is hard to choose a favourite but I particularly thought the Banana and Coconut Ice Cream Balls looked amazing.

The book also lets you know what ingredients to add that are super-foods and will make you healthier. This is a stylish book with great dessert ideas.

Bonnie Marcus collection, cupcakes and cocktails, guilt-free desert.

Cupcakes & Cocktails

Cupcakes and cocktails. Just so yummy and they really make a party. This book even helps you match cupcake and cocktail flavours, or make the ingredients clash. There is even cocktail cupcakes to try.

This book should be on every bookshelf. It has a huge amount of cupcakes and cocktails, all delicious. It doesn’t just have recipes, it also has tips on baking. There is also a lower calorie chapter and a chapter entirely on chocolate. Heaven awaits. There are so many to try it will take a while to get through them all. Which is only a good thing as it will be a lot of fun.

 

Bonnie Marcus launched her stylish stationery company, the Bonnie Marcus Collection “Where Fashion Meets Paper®” in 2002 from her dining room table, while expecting her first child.

As a former wedding planner in New York City, Bonnie was well-known for her event planning expertise, and found there was a void in the stationery market in terms of fashion-forward, stylish designs. She decided to combine her passion for fashion (having worked for designer Diane Von Furstenberg) with her love of event planning, and her collection took the stationery industry by storm!

Bonnie’s stylish designs are now available in thousands of retail stores world-wide, and celebrity fans include Cindy Crawford, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Eva Longoria, Marcia Cross and many others. Bonnie has been recognised as a pioneer for women in business and is proud to be an established partner of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Autism Speaks.

Available from Amazon UK

 

‘Duchess Kate’ Holds a Great Pink Bake Off

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Leading charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer has launched the first ever Great Pink Bake Off for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  They are recruiting an army of bakers to fire up their ovens, hit the kitchen and give breast cancer a good beating this October.

 

Even ‘Kate’ is cooking up a storm in the kitchen, raising vital funds and awareness for Breakthrough’s life-saving research. On Friday 18th October simply gather your friends, family and colleagues to bring their baked goodies and ask everyone who attends to make a donation. If 18th October doesn’t work for you then you can hold a Bake Off anytime, anywhere, during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a piece of cake! www.pinkbakeoff.org

Kate’s got another bun in the oven

Duchess of Cambridge, Kate has a bun in the oven Duchess of Cambridge, Kate baking for breast cancer charity Duchess of Cambridge, Kate baking for breast cancer charity Duchess of Cambridge, Kate baking for breast cancer charity Duchess of Cambridge, Kate baking for breast cancer charity

 

Sian Fraser, Head Baker for Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s Great Pink Bake Off, says: “We hope everyone gets involved with this year’s Great Pink Bake Off. Not only will you have a delicious time, you’ll also be raising vital money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s life-saving work”

 

“The need for Breakthrough’s research has never been greater; breast cancer is still the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, affecting 50,000 women every year and killing 1,000 every month. So we are urging everyone to raise some dough and help us beat breast cancer.”

 

Breakthrough Breast Cancer is the UK’s leading breast cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through improving early diagnosis, developing new treatments and preventing all types of the disease.

 

Sign up today to receive your very own Great Pink Bake Off fundraising kit – it’s jam-packed with tips, tools and tasty recipes. Visit pinkbakeoff.org or call Breakthrough’s Bake Off team on 08080 100 200.

 

The Great British Bake Off Recipe Videos | Bake Your Own Cakes

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baking, how to, recipe, video. cheescake, muffins, ganola barsReady, Steady, Bake!

With The Great British Bake Off back on our screens, now is the perfect time to get back in the kitchen, whip out your apron and bake some yummy treats that the whole family will love.

In preparation for the nation’s favourite baking series, Jordans has teamed up with The Boy Who Bakes and original winner of The Great British Bake Off, Edd Kimber, to create three exclusive new recipes.

To kick start your day Edd has created some delicious Oat and Raisin Muffins using Jordans Crunchy Oat Granola with Raisins and Almonds. These muffins are perfect for breakfast to set you up for the day or for an afternoon snack.

Finally, Edd’s show-stopper: Strawberry Cheesecake Tart. This stunning creation is a perfect centre piece for Summer dinner parties, but actually very simple to make.

Oat and Raisin Muffins

– makes 6

150g Plain flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Cinnamon

125g Jordans Crunchy Oat Granola with Raisins and Almonds

100ml Vegetable oil

125g Light brown sugar

75ml Whole milk

2 Large eggs

1 tsp Vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180C fan and line a muffin pan with six paper wrappers.

In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder and cinnamon together. Add the Jordans granola, breaking up any large clusters with your fingers, mix to combine.

In another bowl add the oil, sugar, milk, eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until fully combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Using a spatula or wooden spoon gently mix the ingredients together, don’t worry if there are a few lumps because you want avoid over mixing the batter which can result in tougher muffins.

Divide the batter between the paper cases and place the muffin pan into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden and risen. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Cheesecake Tart

– serves 12

Tart Base

250g Jordans Strawberry Country Crisp

125g Unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Cheesecake Filling

250g Cream cheese

70g Caster sugar

1 tsp Vanilla bean paste

150ml Double cream

Strawberry Topping

500g Strawberries, hulled and halved

30g Caster sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Place the Jordans Country Crisp in the bowl of a food processor and blend until fine. Add the butter and process to combine evenly. Lightly grease a tart tin with a removable base and line the base with a disc of parchment paper (this helps to remove the tart later on). Press the crisp mixture firmly into the base and sides of the tin, make sure to press firmly so the tart base is solid. Place in the refrigerator for an hour to set.

To make the cheesecake filling place the cream cheese, caster sugar and vanilla into a large bowl and using an electric mixer or wooden spoon beat together for a few minutes until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl whisk the cream until it has soft peaks. Add a third of the cream to the cream cheese and beat to combine. Add the remaining cream and fold together until fully combined. Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly across the base of the tart shell and pop back in the fridge whilst you make the topping.

For the strawberries place the berries, sugar and lemon juice into a medium saucepan and cook over medium/low heat for about 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit has released some juice. Remove the strawberries from the pan, leaving behind all the juice. Increase the heat to medium/high and cook for a couple of minutes or until the juice has reduced and is syrupy in consistency, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

To serve, carefully remove the tart from the tin and place onto a serving plate, top with the strawberries and drizzle over the syrup, serve immediately.

Honey Nut Granola Bars

– makes 8

300g Super Nutty Granola

125g Clear honey

50g Unsalted butter

25g Light brown sugar

A pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 160C and grease and line an 8 inch square tin (preferably with a loose base) with parchment paper.

Place the granola into a large bowl and break up any clusters with your fingers, set aside. In a small saucepan add the honey, butter, sugar and salt and cook over low heat until fully melted. Pour this mixture over the granola and mix thoroughly. Press into the prepared pan making sure to press in firmly, this will help the bars hold together once baked. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool for around half an hour before carefully removing and allow to cool completely in the fridge (this helps to dip the bars later).

When ready to dip the bars place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of gently simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and carefully dip the bars in the chocolate, coating half of the bar. Set onto a parchment lined baking tray and place in the fridge to set.

For more information visit www.jordanscereals.co.uk

The Inept Girl's Guide to Cooking. Catherine Balavage learns how to cook….

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I have been spoilt. This is, obviously, not a complaint. Just an observation. My entire life I have been surrounded by good cooks. Most of my childhood memories are of dinner time. My parents also loved to bake. I was raised on wholesome, delicious, home cooking.

As a child I could bake fairy cakes and sponge cakes. Do a mean lasagne or spag bol. I sat in the kitchen with my family and partook in the wonderful, bonding thing that is cooking.

However, in recent years this has all changed. I live a busy London life and I rarely cook from scratch. If I do I lack imagination. Always falling on the dishes I have been doing for years. I have now decided that this will not do. I will learn to cook. I will have a large variety of dishes at my disposal. I will be a domestic goddess. I will get someone to taste the food each week to give their opinion. This is the first article in my journey.

Sunday April 25th 2010.

I decide to start easy: spaghetti bolognese! I am good at this. I have been doing it for years. I don’t want my confidence knocked straight away. And I fail…. James brings the ingredients around and I have a heart attack because MY MAC WON’T WORK! How can I write a column without a computer? Luckily I know someone who knows someone who has amazing IT skills. I unpack the food and pour some wine. I switch my computer on and put it on the freezer and I watch, happy and amazed, as Ewan ( Currently my favourite person in the world ) remotely fixes my computer from Scotland. I even talk to Ewan through textedit.

While Ewan does his impressive fix up of my Mac I give some onions a chop. I pour some mince in a pot and, erm, James does the rest. I have fallen into my old habits. I do, however, have a good reason this time. I will not lie. I did some stirring and I drank some wine, and nothing else. I am aware this is not a good start….

An hour and a half later we have cooked and ate:

Starter: Insalate caprese. Buffalo Mozzarella, basil, tomato drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Main: Spaghetti bolognese.

Brown mince, chop onions and fry, boil some tomatoes and then peel. Put all ingredients in one pot. Optional, but you can add some buffalo mozzarella. Cook spaghetti and Put that in too. You have a very good and easy to make dish.

This is actually different from how I usually make it. Probably because I didn’t. I add tomatoes puree,tinned chopped tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and garlic. I brown the mince and then add the ingredients. I cook pasta separately.

Verdict: The food is amazing. You can never go wrong with Italian. I give it 10/10. The only Spaghetti bolognese I have tasted that I like more than the ones my parents make. Check back next week for my next column. Where I will actually cook.

The other good result? My Mac now works perfectly.