Recipes

Recipes that I have tried and alteration suggestions given in blue.

1. Orange Cake, from BBC Food

Ingredients

225g/8oz butter or margarine, softened

225g/8oz caster sugar
4 eggs
220g/7¾oz self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder

1 orange, zest only

Method
1. Lightly grease the tins and line the bases with non-stick baking parchment. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2. Measure the butter or margarine, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and orange zest into a large bowl and beat for about two minutes, until just blended; an electric mixer is best for this, but of course you can also beat by hand with a wooden spoon.
3. Put the micture in the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of a spoon or a plastic spatula.
4. Bake for about 25 minutes, until well risen

and golden. The tops of the cakes should spring back when pressed lightly with a finger. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for a few minutes, then run a small palette knife or blunt knife around the edge of the tins to fee the sides of the cakes. Turn the cakes out on to a wire rack, peel off the paper and leave to cool completely.

2. Chocolate Chip Cookies, from Aspoonfullofsugar

Ingredients

300g plain (all-purpose) flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 teaspoon fine salt
170g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
215g light brown sugar
120g granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
300g milk chocolate chips

Variation: Use dark brown sugar and plain chocolate chips for a more adult flavour. Otherwise, vary the chocolate chips(milk, dark, white). Adding nuts like macademia would be great too.

Method

Sift together flour, bicaronate of soda and salt. Set aside.

Stir together melted butter, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla. Add egg, then the yolk. Beat well to ensure that egg is evenly distributed. Stir in dry ingredients, then fold in chocolate chips until incorporated. It will look as if there are too many chocolate chips but the dough will be able to hold them all. Cover with clingfilm and chill dough until firm. At least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5.

Drop 1/4 cup sized “hockey puck shaped” mounds of dough onto a greased baking sheet. You can use a silpat sheet instead of greasing which works very well. I use a 1/4 measuring cup to both measure and shape the dough which works perfectly.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 10-12 minutes or only until the edges begin to turn golden. (They’ll look and feel underdone but they’re ready.) Cool on the sheet for 1 minute and remove with a wide spatula to a cooling rack. Cool thoroughly and enjoy!