Cranberry oat bread

Cranberry oat bread
from The Guardian

Raisin bread for the raisin shy.

75g rolled oats, plus more for the crust
175 dried cranberries
450g strong white flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon or mixed spice
finely grated zest of a mandarin, clementine or orange
50g unsalted butter
1 tsp instant dry yeast
oil for kneading

Place the oats and cranberries in a bowl with 375ml boiling water. Leave for 15 – 20 minutes until the mixture is warm. Into another bowl spoon the flour, salt, spice and zest. Rub in the butter, toss the yeast through then add the berry mixture and mix well. Leave 10 minutes then oil a 30cm patch of worktop and your hands, knead the dough on it for 10 seconds then leave 10 minutes. Repeat the knead sequence twice more at 10 minute intervals then cover the dough and leave 30 minutes. Pat the dough into rectangle and roll up tightly. Squeeze the dough seam-side down into a large deep 19cm long loaf tin, or place on a baking tray, lined with non-stick paper. Leave an hour until risen by half, and heat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/425°F/gas 7. Brush the loaf top with water, press on a handful of oats, cut a gash down the middle and bake for 50 minutes. It will scorch on the top but that’s typical for fruit bread.

If you have any questions about the recipe just ask over on our forum

Chocolate, stout and raisin slice

Chocolate, stout and raisin slice

A slightly dense and moist chocolate Guinness cake, about 4-5cm high, with a thick rich chocolate icing swirled on the top.

1 x 330ml tin stout or Guinness
50g rolled oats
25g cocoa powder
75g unsalted butter, diced
100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into
squares
225g light soft brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
150g dark raisins or dried sour cherries
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder

for the icing
75g unsalted butter, diced
50g golden syrup
100g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
325g icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Pour the stout into a pan, stir in the oats and cocoa, bring to the boil and simmer for a minute.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and chocolate until melted. Add the sugar, stir well, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the dried cherries, then beat in the flour with the baking powder.

3. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 30 minutes. Leave to cool then remove from the tin before icing.

4. For the thick chocolate icing heat the butter, golden syrup and dark chocolate in a pan until the chocolate is half melted then remove from the heat and leave until fully melted. Spoon into a bowl and sift in the icing sugar. Beat with 25ml boiling water from the kettle. When smooth add another 25ml boiling water and beat until creamy. Cool slightly and spread over the cake when it barely holds its shape. If it goes too firm or grainy heat it gently in the microwave or over a saucepan of boiling water to
get it soft again. Cut into slices before serving.

First published in Sainsbury’s Magazine

Courgette mozzarella muffins

muffinCourgette mozzarella muffins
from The Guardian

I try and avoid a shopping list of ingredients but some recipes can’t be distilled so easily. But they’re simple to make and easy to bake. To make these vegetarian I’d replace with ham with a tsp sweet smoked paprika mixed in with the flour.

2 large eggs
100ml cold milk
25ml olive oil
2 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp chilli flakes
One small onion, finely chopped
A handful of chopped parsley, chopped
3 or 4 slices cooked smoked ham, chopped small
275g drained and cubed mozzarella
1 large courgette, about 275g, grated
275g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder

Beat the eggs then stir everything except the flour and baking powder evenly together. Place muffin papers in the pockets of a 12-hole muffin tray, and heat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/390°F/gas 6. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl, fold through gently then spoon into the cases almost to the top. Bake for about 25 minutes until puffed and golden.

If you have any questions about the recipe just ask over on our forum

Golden linseed & cheddar scones

cheese scone

cheese scones should be light and meltingly soft inside

You know that feeling, when it’s not quite warm enough for a salad but past the point where full-on winter baking seems right. These cheese scones, very light and rich with cheddar and cream, had my hand creeping back to the tray for another one, then another, as soon as they were warm enough to eat. Make them small, as the ratio of crust to crumb is better that way.

200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp English mustard powder
25g soft butter, plus extra for spreading
a small bunch of parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
175g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
1 large egg, separated
100ml cold milk
50ml cold double cream
25g golden linseed or sunflower seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Sieve the flour, baking powder, half a teaspoon of salt and the mustard powderinto a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips then toss in the parsley and the grated cheddar with a fork.

2. In a bowl whisk the egg white, milk and cream, add this to the dry ingredients, saving the yolk. Using a fork mix to a sticky dough.

3. Flour the worktop, scrape the dough onto it, then knead it gently. Pat the dough out to about 3-4cm thick and lightly flour the top. Scones can rise by as little as a quarter when baked but spread considerably and still taste great, so try to keep the dough quite thick if you want them tall.

4. Cut out the scones using the cutter, press down smoothly in one go. Lift the cutter out then run around the inside with a knife to loosen the dough. The cheese and cream make the dough extra sticky, so cutting is tricky. If you’re in a rush just cut into squares with a knife. Place on the baking tray, spaced 3-4 cm apart, brush with a little beaten yolk, thinned slightly with water, then sprinkle the tops with the seeds. Re-roll any dough so you use all of it.

5. Bake the scones for 15 -20 minutes until golden. Fan ovens can cause the scones to twist as they rise, but I like the charm of that. Serve warm with butter.

first published in Sainsbury’s Magazine

Spring flours

When I write recipes, I do my best to limit the number of ingredients used and keep using the same basic ingredients (plain flour, unsalted butter, caster sugar) so you don’t have a cupboard full of barely used ingredients. Though I sometimes think, “you know, you could get an even better result using XXX”, I then imagine about the situation when you don’t have a selection of supermarkets at your doorstep, and some readers work themselves into a state when I suggest that a great cake or loaf might benefit from a higher grade of ingredient than their local corner shop stocks. As one reviewer of “Exceptional Breads” wrote on amazon.co.uk “The ingredients are too high brow for me here in the country, I’m never going to be able to get ’00 Italian flour’ or the like in the shops here abouts”. And there are readers overseas who want to bake the recipes and might have difficulty getting some ingredients. So I keep it simple.

For cakes, save for a few recipes at the beginning, I usually call for plain flour plus baking powder. But what about the flours that already have the raising agent included? (more…)

Page 2 of 3