Yummy Mars Bar Brownies

This are soooooo moreish and and make me think of my nephew, Daniel, as he can polish off about ten of these in one go. Once made I cut them into small squares and keep them in a tin wrapped in gresaeproof paper. They are lovely with ice-cream too.

Makes about 15 15mins + chilling time

Ingredients

100g butter
3 x 65g Mars bars
75g cornflakes
100g plain chocolate

Method

1. Lightly grease a 15cm shallow square tin with butter.Cut the Mars bars into thin slices and place in a large pan with 75g of the butter.Leave the mixture over a low heat until melted and then beat into smooth.
2. Stir in the cornflakes and then spread the mixture into the prepared tin. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour or until set.
3. To finish, place the chocolate and the rest of the butter into a small bowl and rest it over a pan of simmering water until melted. Spread on top of the set brownies and return to the fridge until set. Cut into bars to serve.

Jaffa Drizzle Loaf Cake

I love this cake, and so does everyone else. It's so bloody easy, and impresses the swines who hang around my house. My fondest memory of this cake is when we went for a picnic with my dear friend Anna and her lovely partner Rob. We got the bikes out, attached ourselves, the kids and a picnic to said bikes and rode off along the river. I had the foresight to take a lovely bottle of Chardonnay, and it was an absolute pleasure to sit chatting amongst ourselves whilst slurping wine and scoffing cake. This one is very good for a winter picnic too.

Prep 20 mins Cook 45-55 mins

Cuts into 8-10 slices


Ingredients

• 140g butter , softened
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 6 tbsp milk
• finely grated zest 1 large orange

• 3 tbsp orange juice
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 50g dark chocolate

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line the base of a 1.2-litre loaf tin. Put all the cake ingredients into a bowl and beat with a hand whisk or wooden spoon for 3-5 mins, until light and fluffy. Spoon the mix into the tin and level the top.
2. Bake for 40-50 mins, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Meanwhile, heat the orange juice and sugar gently in a small pan, stirring until dissolved. When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven and spoon over the orange mix. Leave to cool in the tin, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Break up the chocolate and melt over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave on Medium for 1-2 mins. Drizzle over the cake and leave to set.

Banana Butterscotch Pudding

This is a beautiful hearty pud perfect for a chilly winters day. It is nothing short of perfection when you scoop the sponge out to reveal the most glorious sauce in the depths of the bowl. I love this with good vanilla ice cream.

• Servings: 4
• Level of difficulty: Easy
• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 125g plain flour
• 1 pinch salt
  
• 120g caster sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
  
• 1 bananas, mashed
• 200ml milk
  
• 1 lightly beaten egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 85g unsalted butter, melted

For the topping

• 140g soft brown sugar
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 250ml water, boiling

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Sift the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into a bowl.

2. Add the banana, milk, butter, egg and vanilla extract and whisk together until well combined. Pour into a greased 2.5L ovenproof dish.

3. To make the topping: place the brown sugar, golden syrup and water in a small pot and bring to a boil.

4. Pour the boiling mixture carefully over the pudding and bake the pudding for 30 - 40 minutes, until it's firm to the touch.

5. Serve hot.

Nat's Chicken Satay

Last summer we were invited round our good friends Nat & Steve's house for a BBQ. Nat made these and they were such a hit -everyone couldn't get enough! They piss on those disgusting little turds on sticks you can buy on the deli counter in Tesco. These are truly the satay of Gods. Thanks be to Natalie.

Serves 4 Ready in 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 100ml soy sauce (Kikkoman is great)
• 4 skinless chicken breast fillets

Method

1. Put the peanut butter in a bowl and slowly mix in the soy sauce until smooth. Cut each chicken fillet into thin strips length ways, add them to the peanut mixture and coat well all over. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
2. When ready to use, thread each chicken strip onto a soaked skewer and barbecue or grill for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

Top Tip

You'll need wooden skewers for this, soak them for a good 30 minutes before using them or they'll burn.

Helen's New York Cheescake

This will seriously knock 'em dead! I have made this about 3 times, and usually serve it with a strawberry coulis, and just to be really greedy a little extra thick double cream! Everyone loves it, and if you have a table top mixer it's a cinch! This is definitely one for a special occasion as it's very fattening and fairly pricey to make.

Serves 12

1 hour 30mins & 2 hours cooling and chilling

Ingredients

• 85ml butter melted, plus extra for tin
• 140g digestive biscuits , made into fine crumbs
• 1 tbsp sugar, granulated or golden caster

• 3 x 300g pack full fat soft cheese (Philadelphia is good)
• 250g golden caster sugar
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tsp)
• 1½ tsp lemon juice
• 3 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
• 284ml carton soured cream

• 142ml carton soured cream
• 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Position an oven shelf in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4. Line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin with parchment paper. For the crust, melt the butter in a medium pan. Stir in the biscuit crumbs and sugar so the mixture is evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling.
2. For the filling, increase the oven temperature to fan 200C/conventional 240C/gas 9. In a table top mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the soft cheese at medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually add the sugar, then the flour and a pinch of salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle twice.
3. Swap the paddle attachment for the whisk. Continue by adding the vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Whisk in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, scraping the bowl and whisk at least twice. Stir the 284ml carton of soured cream until smooth, then measure 200ml/7fl oz (just over 3⁄4 of the carton). Continue on low speed as you add the measured soured cream (reserve the rest). Whisk to blend, but don't over-beat. The batter should be smooth, light and somewhat airy.
4. Brush the sides of the springform tin with melted butter and put on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to fan 90C/conventional 110C/gas 1⁄4 and bake for 25 minutes more. If you gently shake the tin, the filling should have a slight wobble. Turn off the oven and open the oven door for a cheesecake that's creamy in the centre, or leave it closed if you prefer a drier texture. Let cool in the oven for 2 hours. The cheesecake may get a slight crack on top as it cools.
5. Combine the reserved soured cream with the 142ml carton, the sugar and lemon juice for the topping. Spread over the cheesecake right to the edges. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
6. Run a round-bladed knife around the sides of the tin to loosen any stuck edges. Unlock the side, slide the cheesecake off the bottom of the tin onto a plate, then slide the parchment paper out from underneath.

Top Tips

Mixing the ingredients

The way you blend the ingredients is crucial: under-beating can lead to a lumpy mixture, over-beating can whip in too much air. This can result in uneven cooking, bubbles, and cracking.

Keep everything at room temperature

Keep everything at room temperature. To avoid lumps and ensure even mixing without over-beating, it is essential to have the soft cheese at room temperature before starting. Ideally, let it come to room temperature in its pack for 2 hours. If you're short of time, cut the soft cheese into chunks and leave to soften for 1 hour. It also helps to have a tabletop mixer with a powerful motor. But if you don't have one, a hand-held mixer works fine.

Cinnamon and Nutella Cake

This is a lovely cake to take with a flask of hot chocolate on a cold winter's day walk. My children usually only eat the Nutella bit which sinks to the bottom of this gloriously moist cake, but I am usually around to hoover up all the lovely cinnamony sponge. I have taken one of these cakes into work and they all enjoyed it very much. (However, nurses would enjoy shit with sugar on it at the end of a long day).

Ingredients

• 175g softened butter
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 tbsp milk
• 6 rounded tbsp Nutella or own-brand chocolate hazelnut spread
• 50g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Method

Prep 15-20 mins Cook 1 hr 1 hr 10 mins

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/ fan 160C. Butter and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin.
2. Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and milk into a bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes, or with an electric hand mixer for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Tip three quarters of the mixture into the tin, spread it level, then spoon the Nutella on in four blobs. Top with the remaining mixture, swirl a few times with a skewer, then smooth to cover the Nutella.
4. Sprinkle with the nuts. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until risen, nicely browned, feels firm to touch and springs back when lightly pressed (cover with foil if it starts to brown too quickly). Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. Wrap tightly in double thick foil to keep fresh for up to a week. (You'll be lucky if it lasts 2 days!)

Hot Harissa Lamb with Couscous

Now when I make this it's usually because I've either put my husband in a terrible mood, or am about to do/tell him something that will piss him off. This meal serves to creep round him, or butter him up. It usually works very well thank you. Just don't tell him of my womanly wily ways. Mmwahahaha. (v evil laugh)


Serves 4 Cooking time 10 minutes & resting

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp harissa paste
• 300g couscous (Ainsley Harriot's spice sensation is delish)
• 120g bag herb salad
• 4 lamb leg steaks (about 600g/1lb 5oz in total)
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

1. Spoon 1 tbsp harissa into a jug, fill with 400ml boiling water, then pour over the couscous in a large serving bowl. Cover and stand for 5 mins. Fluff with a fork, then empty the salad on top.
2. Heat a frying pan. Season lamb, then fry for 1 min each side. Mix sugar and remaining harissa together, then spread over the lamb. Cook for 2 more mins on each side, remove from pan and rest for 5 mins. Add a splash of water to the pan, then boil to make a sauce. Slice lamb and serve on top of the salad with the sauce drizzled over.