all bran and cheatin' tarts!!!

So, if you haven't found a recipe that has inspired you yet on here...maybe one of these ones will! Next week is our second baking group night and we are having a Valentine inspired night. Everyone has to bake something with this most romantic celebrations in mind so I suspect there will be lashings of chocolate, some love hearts sprinkled about and maybe some strawberries thrown in somewhere along the way...anyway, we hope that the sheer variety of treats baked by our group will suit every taste!!! Until then, lets get these last delicious recipes on here! Heather is David's sister and she lives in Brighton. She was up visiting and thought she'd come along as an honorary member! Its a shame we might not see her for a while but she promised to keep in touch and send us regular updates about her cooking!!!! She was another one who pretended she just baked something easy but if you'd tasted this load you'd know she was used to baking up treats and was a rather accomplished kitchen dweller!!! Here is her recipe for 
Heather's all-bran loaf
Ingredients
2 cups All Bran cereal
2 cups soft brown sugar
2 cups dried fruit (raisins, sultanas..or any other combination of dried fruits)
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 pint milk

METHOD
Place All Bran, sugar, fruit and milk into a large mixing bowl and leave to stand for 1 hour.
Then, mix in the flour.
Grease and line a loaf tin and turn mixure into the tin. Do not fill mixture more than 3" as loaf will rise while cooking!
Bake in preheated oven at 180oC/350oF/Gas Mark 4 for 50-60minutes.
Cooking times will vary depending on appliance. Check to see if loaf is cooked by inserting knife into middle. If knife is dry, then it is ready.
Turn onto cooling rack and leave to cool. 
Isn't it amazing that such a healthy and sometime despised breakfast cereal can turn into such a yummy and moist cake! I think Jane spread butter on the slices we each devoured but I can't remember as they disappeared so quickly!!!
Last and by no means least were Richard's tarts! We were all eyeing them greedily and somewhat in awe of his little party cases. I would never attempt pastry but it seemed that Richard had pulled out all the stops and rustled up something way beyond the norm!!! Well it didn't take long until Richard came clean and admitted that the cases were in fact bought and I have to say I was relieved and delighted to find out that you could still create something completely amazing by being clever and not necessarily baking from scratch! I, for one am a huge fan of ready made pastry anyway but this was something I had never thought of. Richard renamed them his Cheatin' tarts which was very apt and we al enjoyed them even more knowing that Richard was indeed human and just like the rest of us! I wonder though, if we might have a pastry themed night soon and learn how to make out own pastry...apparently you need cold hands to work the dough so that's me out for one!!!! Anyway, here's how to make cherry chocolate perfection!
Richard's cheatin' tarts
Ingedients:
8 individual tart cases(shop bought if you want to cheat!)
200g Nutella
1 small jar of wild Italian cherries in light syrup (or similar compote or fresh banana)

4 teaspoons of icing sugar and a handful of crushed walnuts

Put the fruits in the bottom of the pastry cases along with a sprinkling of crushed walnuts. Mix the the nutella with the icing sugar to make a stiffer consistency otherwise it will be too runny when finished. Melt the nutella mixture for 10 seconds in microwave on high power until runny to aid pouring. Pour into the cases and smooth over the fruit with a knife. Lightly refridgerate until serving.
Voila - a quick and easy tart! 

I think you'll agree that the picture makes you just want to grab one and eat it in one mouthful! Oh and Richard got his wild cherries from Sarti's Italian Deli on Wellington Street in Glasgow.
I have to sign off now but I can't wait to BLog about our next group and tell you all about the yummy things we all created!!!
Love Hot, sweet and yummy xxx

  

Cheesecake, banana fudge muffins and lots of cals!

I think its time we had a look at what else we sampled last week. I am still awaiting Jan's crumble cake recipe but I'm sure he'll give up his secret soon. Anyway, Paul arrived with his dish under tight wraps so nobody was getting a sneak peak before it was out, on the plate and looking good! And it was...all glossy and textured and looking as if it had about 3 million calories per square cm! It was a two tone chocolate cheesecake and it looked dangerously good. Paul is also an accomplished cook having run a successful restaurant for a few years until the long hours and having no life whatsoever took their toll. Well, we all benefit on a regular basis from Paul's lovely cooking and baking. His sumptuous finger buffets are renowned in certain circles and his veggie tapas dishes are to die for...not to mention lots of sweet treats that he rustles up at the drop of a hat. I always think Paul should have a little cafe but I'm sure he has different ideas! 
We all decided that we needed to slow down and not guzzle big portions of everything so we halved the huge slices that had already been cut for us  - good move! I think we could have all gone mad and eaten the whole cheesecake but we were all very well behaved. 
Paul told me later on that he makes this dish often and always keeps an emergency one in the freezer to administer to Harry when he needs something sweet and satisfying at short notice but this was the first time he had made it this way. Here is the recipe

Paul's two tone chocolate cheesecake

base

2/3 packet of Digestive Biscuits

1/3 packet of Ginger Nuts

200g Stork Margarine

4 tablespoons golden syrup

• Put the biscuits in a food processor until they are crumbs, then add the margarine (cut into smaller blocks)and the syrup and blend until all mixed together.  Put in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to soften, the press into a pre-greased tin (warming will help this process as the mixture is more pliable).  Put in fridge to cool.

Filling

1 tub Marscapone (think its about 200g)

1 200g bar plain chocolate

1 200g bar white chocolate

1/2 tin of condensed milk

• Place the broken up white chocolate into a pan on a very low heat and add 1/2 of the amount of condensed milk.  Keep stirring while chocolate melts then add 1/2 the marscapone, again keep stirring until the mixture is smooth.  Pour into previously refrigerated base and leave to cool - place in fridge when cool enough.
• Repeat the process again with the plain choclate and the rest of the condensed milk and marscapone, when cool keep cheesecake in fridge until serving.
• Then, enjoy............................

Normally Paul just uses normal digestive biscuits but he thought the gingernuts would add a little spiciness and he usually only uses one type of chocolate but I think using the plain and white was a stroke of culinary genius. Nigella would be proud! He also told me that the two mixtures could be swirled together to create a nice marbled effect, or a 3 tone cake could be made using milk chocolate too! At this point I was lusting after another slice but managed to hold off because I was eyeing up some banana muffins that were being brought in from the kitchen! 

Paul - you're cheesecake was first class and we can't wait to sample future delights!

So, the banana muffins had appeared and were quickly disappearing to lots of 'mmmms' and 'ooh yes'! I think Fee had come up trumps with the muffins! They were pretty delicious and sound surprisingly easy to make! In fact, fee told us she makes a batch of muffins most weeks as they are quick and relatively healthy and can be adapted to include many flavours both sweet and savoury. Her little monsters are always mooching about the kitchen looking for treats so this was the perfect way to make sure the treats were at least a little healthier than normal. In fact, Fee had wanted to join the baking group so that her baking skills would improve. She worries about all the salt, sugar, artificial additives and preservative that are in shop bought treats and is trying to cook and bake more things at home to eliminate these from the family's diet. Well, we didn't care whether they were healthy or not because they were very yummy. Fee said she takes a lot of inspiration from her friend Vivienne who makes really really delicious and unusual muffins but this recipe (a family favourite) was adapted from a very easy Nigella Express Recipe. Thanks NIgella! 

Fiona's banana fudge muffins

3 ripe bananas

125ml vegetable oil but can be replaced with apple sauce

2 large free range organic eggs

100g caster sugar but can use brown

1/2 teasp bicarbonate soda

1 teasp baking powder

150g of something naughty - Fee used fudge and chocolate chunks but you can use chocolate buttons, white chocolate, maltesers, butterscotch morsels or anything you fancy!

• preheat oven to 200C or gas mark 6
• line a 12 hole standard muffin tray with liners
• mash the bananas on a plate and set aside
• pour the oil into a jug and beat in the eggs 
• sift the flour, sugar, bicarb of soda and baking powder into a large bowl.
• make a well in the centre and add the oil and egg mixture, followed by the bananas
• fold the mix gently - this is very important - do not mix vigorously!
• gently fold in the naughty bits then scoop equal amounts into the muffin liners. 
• pop in the oven for about 20 minutes or until risen and golden

Fiona assures us that the smell will drive everyone within a 2 mile radius crazy! It sounds very easy and for a healthier alternative omit the naughty bits but I suppose that's a bit boring! Fee has promised to post some more savoury and unusual muffin recipes and photographs over the coming months!

Well, sadly that's all for today but if you do choose to bake either of these delicious things I doubt you'll be sad! If you do have a bash at them please get in touch via email to rate our recipes or leave us a comment here on the blog!

See you next time...

Love from hot, sweet and yummy xxx