Brandy Snaps

What a phenomenal day at the Olympics yesterday ...  six golds in a day, three in one hour! Just incredible scenes from London. I think there is something incredibly humbling about watching an athlete who has worked extraordinarily hard at their discipline stand there on the podium with tears of joy in their eyes. It is not just that athlete who has been on a very long journey but the coaches, support staff and the families of the athletes who have supported the athletes through thick and thin.

Whether it was watching Chad Le Clos' father bursting with pride in the interview after his son won a gold or seeing Mo Farah's daughter and wife running, and for the latter walking (I thought she may give birth right there and then on the track) to meet their Olympic Champion is something quite remarkable.

So in the spirit of the Olympics I thought I'd adapt my presentation of my brandy snaps into 'Olympic torches'! Seems only fitting, they aren't quite as impressive as the Olympic Flame that burns in the Olympic Stadium but I can guarantee they taste superb & if you are having friends over for dinner to celebrate the Olympics, I'm sure they will award you a gold medal for your pudding!

Makes 15
Pre-heat oven to 180
Bake to perfection for 10-12 minutes

You will need the following:

50g Butter
50g Caster Sugar
2Tbsp Golden Syrup
50g Plain Flour
½Tsp Ground Ginger
1Tbsp Brandy
½Tsp Lemon Juice

A few strawberries & ice cream to decorate

Method:

 Measure out the butter, sugar & golden syrup in a bowl together

Melt in the microwave for 1 minute or gently over a bain marie for a few minutes

Add the lemon juice & stir in

Next add the flour

Then the brandy

Line several trays with baking paper and using a teaspoon dollop four lots of mix onto a tray

Bake to perfection for 10 minutes until golden

Once your time is up you must move quickly... I simply folded either side of the brandy snap over to form a cone shape; placing them folded side down on a board to harden.

If you would prefer to make traditional brandy snaps you simply roll the brandy snap around the handle of a wooden spoon.
Alternatively to make a basket use a ladle & drape your brandy snap over the ladle.


They will be crunchy & light in colour. If you don't move quick enough and some of your brandy snaps have hardened without you shaping them, put them back in the oven for 1-2 minutes & they will soften back up

Add a scoop of ice cream to your brandy snap

 Finally place your strawberries into the ice cream to represent the flames

Enjoy ...

Go Team GB

Easter Egg Nests

Easter Weekend to me is a great excuse to get the family around the table and share a cracking roast leg of lamb. It is a time to put your feet up and have a relaxed long weekend away from the world of work. When you are in need of a sugar pick up or Easter treat to go with a cup of tea after the obligatory family walk; to take in all that fresh spring air, these Easter Egg Nest are perfect! Alternatively if you unfortunately still have to work or like me are blundered with yet another essay; although I shall not complain as it is no dissertation, these Easter Egg Nests are the perfect consolation!

These throw me back to my childhood ... Made every year, we never quite made the intended amount as not all the mixture quite made it into the cases (I blame my sister)! These are super easy to make and are by no means just for children, they are perfectly acceptable to be scoffed down by adults! These nests require no baking, simply mix up the ingredients and whack them in the fridge and ta daa you have yourself the perfect Easter Weekend Treat! 

Makes 15

Chill to perfection for 30 minutes 

You will need the following:

200g Cornflakes

400g Milk Chocolate

50g Butter

2 tblsp Golden Syrup

1 Tube of Mini Eggs 

(half for the nests, half to be munched whilst cooking!)

Method: 

In one bowl measure out the chocolate, butter and golden syrup

Melt in a microwave for a total of 1 minute 30 seconds

Good old fashioned advice: Stir the mixture ever 30 seconds to ensure even melting of the chocolate 

... Until you have a smooth looking mixture

 

In a second bowl crush the cornflakes slightly with a rolling pin 

Pour the chocolate mixture over the crushed cornflakes

 

Stir in the chocolate mixture well. This will take a bit of patience to ensure all the cornflakes are covered 

Line a cake tray with cup cake cases

(Not muffin size cases) 

In each case, place a large headed table spoon of the mixture 

Press down your mixture slightly to ensure that the nests stick together well when chilled

Place a mini egg in the middle of each nest and then build up your nests around the eggs with the remaining mixture 

Chill to perfection in the fridge for 30 minutes

Happy Easter & Enjoy ... 

Lemon Drizzle Cake

 

I have been on a mini break from work for the last two weeks; this is not to say life has not been quiet! With a couple of university sporting End of Season Dinners attended; one of which I had to organise, combined with the sunshine breaking out in Devon, life has been pretty sweet! So I thought it about time to add another bake to the mix. Today I fancied a lemon drizzle cake as the sunshine is out and it would be rude not to!

Quite frankly an amazing bake. This is a show stopper afternoon tea cake, alternatively a delicious pudding served with a few raspberries and a dollop of yoghurt. It is incredibly simple and is much like the process for a Victoria Sponge Recipe but with a few added extras & a bit more volume...

Serves 10-12

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C

Bake to perfection for 50minutes

You will need the following:

Cake

225g Butter

225g Caster Sugar

225g Self Raising Flour
4 Eggs

2 Lemons ... juice & zest

30g Poppy Seeds

Drizzle

Juice of 1 lemon

100g Caster Sugar

Icing

225g Icing Sugar

Zest of 1 lemon ... the juice of half of it

 

Method:

Cream together the butter and sugar

 

Add in the eggs one at a time

 

Next stir in the flour

 

Until it forms a smooth texture


Grate the zest of two lemons 

Add the zest of the two Lemons & squeeze in the juice of the lemons

stir until combined well

 

Finally, stir in the poppy seeds

As this is a deep cake as well as greasing the deep cake tin with butter cut a piece of baking paper to the shape of the tin to lay in the bottom; this will just help out when removing from the tin

Bake to perfection for 50 minutes; may need an extra 5 minutes depending on your oven

 

Once baked make the drizzle in a bowl by combining the sugar and lemon juice

Pour over cake and leave to stand for at least half an hour so it can soak all of the juice up

Make the icing sugar by combining the icing sugar with the lemon zest and juice 

 

Pour the icing over the cake and leave to stand till icing hardens

Serve as afternoon tea or a deliciously extravagant pudding, hopefully it will last longer than a day as it is rather more-ish ... 

Enjoy ...