Baking

Coffee Battenberg

Surprisingly easy and very British despite its name

Coffee Battenberg from Dairy Diary 2011Serves 6-8
Time 1 hour
Calories 633 per portion
Fat 28g of which 12.7g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Butter 175g (6oz)
Caster sugar 175g (6oz)
Eggs 3, beaten
Self-raising flour 175g (6oz)
Coffee essence 4 tsp
Milk 1 tbsp
Ginger marmalade 10 tbsp
Marzipan 450g (1lb)
Crystallised ginger 2 pieces, chopped to decorate, optional

1 Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm (8in) square cake tin. Line with foil, making a pleat in centre to height of tin to divide in half, grease.

2 Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy and beat in the eggs and flour alternately until smooth. Divide mixture in half, fold coffee essence into one half and milk into other.

3 Spoon one flavour into either side of tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool.

4 Trim cakes to same size and cut both in half lengthways. Spread side of one brown piece with marmalade and gently push together with a plain piece. Brush more marmalade on top of both and lay the remaining brown piece on the plain piece and vice versa.

5 Roll out marzipan on non-stick baking paper dusted with icing sugar until large enough to wrap around cake. Spread with marmalade and carefully roll around cake, smoothing in place. Trim off excess, crimp along edges. Decorate with crystallised ginger.

Recipe taken from Dairy Diary 2011.

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Cranberry & Muesli Muffins

Serve these delicious muffins for breakfast or tea – best eaten on the day they are baked

Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 35 minutes
Calories per muffin 303 Kcal
Fat per muffin 11g
of which saturated 6g
Makes 4 muffins
Suitable for vegetarians + freezing

Self-raising flour 110g (4oz)
Mixed spice ½ tsp
Salt a pinch
Caster sugar 50g (2oz)
Unsweetened muesli 40g (1½oz)
Egg 1, beaten
Butter 40g (1½oz), melted
Whole milk 2 tbsp
Cranberry sauce 4 tbsp

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Line a deep cup muffin tin with 4 paper muffin cases. Sift the flour, spice and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and muesli, reserving some muesli for sprinkling.

2 Make a well in the centre and gradually blend in the egg, melted butter and milk to form a thick batter. Fold the cranberry sauce into the batter.

3 Divide the mixture between the muffin cases (they should be quite full), sprinkle over the remaining muesli and bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes until risen and lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm split with butter and jam.

Recipe taken from Clever Cooking for One or Two Dairy Cookbook

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Cranberry and Cinnamon Cookies

A rich shortbread lightly spiced with cinnamon with a contrasting tang from the dried cranberries.

Cranberry & Cinnamon CookiesTime 25 minutes
Calories per cookie 134 Kcal
Fat per cookie 10g
of which saturated 6.2g
Makes 15 cookies
Suitable for vegetarians

Plain flour 250g (9oz)
Ground cinnamon 1 tspSalt a pinch
Unsalted butter 175g (6oz)
Light soft brown sugar 75g (3oz)
Dried cranberries 150g (5oz)

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4 and grease a baking sheet.

2 To make the dough, sift the flour, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. Add the butter, cut into pieces, and rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar to the bowl and continue to work the mixture until it starts to bind together. Add the dried cranberries and work the mixture to form a dough.

3 Roll the dough into a sausage shape about 7cm (2¾in) diameter and cut into slices about 1cm (½in) thick and place them on the baking sheets.

4 Bake the cookies in the centre of the oven for 15–20 minutes, until they are starting to turn light golden in colour. Remove from the oven and leave them to cool on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve the biscuits warm or cold.

If you are unable to find any dried cranberries, use raisins or sultanas in their place.

Recipe taken from Good Food , Fast: Dairy Cookbook

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Cheshire Pasties

Cheshire PastiesServes 4
Time 30 mins
Calories 428 per portion
Fat 28g of which
12.9g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Puff pastry 300g (11oz), defrosted if frozen
Onion chutney 4 tsp
Cheshire cheese 110g (4oz), crumbled
Cox apple 1, peeled, cored and chopped
Chopped sage 1 tbsp
Egg 1, beaten
Cherry tomatoes to serve, optional

1 Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Grease a baking tray. Roll out pastry and cut out 4 x 18cm (7in) circles. Spread the centre of each with chutney.

2 Mix cheese, apple and chopped sage together and divide between pastry circles. Brush edge of each circle with water, fold in half and press to seal. Place on baking tray.

3 Prick pastry, brush with beaten egg and bake for 20-25 until golden brown and crisp. Serve with tomatoes, if using.

Recipe taken from 2011 Dairy Diary.

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Gingerbread clowns

Makes 16
Time 55 mins
181 calories per clown
4G fat of which
1.8G is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Plain flour 250g (9oz)
Ground ginger 1 tsp
Mixed spice 1 tsp
Bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp
Unsalted butter 50g (2oz)
Dark soft brown sugar 50g (2oz)
Black treacle 50g (2oz)
Golden syrup 25g (1oz)
Egg 1, beaten
Ready-made royal icing 225g (8oz)
Smarties 2 tubes

1 Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Line 2–3 baking trays with non-stick baking foil. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Make a well in centre.

2 Put butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup into a saucepan, stir over a moderate heat until melted, then pour into flour. Add egg and mix to a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface and roll out to 3mm (1⁄8in) thick.

3 Using a gingerbread man cutter, stamp out as many men as you can and place on baking trays. Re-knead trimmings and repeat until you have 16.

4 Re-roll trimmings as necessary, cut out 4 rounds with a plain 9cm (33⁄4in) round cutter. To make clown hats, cut each one into 4 triangles. Brush undersides lightly with water and place across heads.

5 Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until lightly browned and firm. Cool for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Decorate the clowns with royal icing and Smarties, as shown in photograph.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

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Orange Iced Cup Cakes

Daintily iced buns, perfect for a girly coffee morning or tea party.

Orange Iced Cup Cakes

Time 25 minutes
Calories per cake 180 Kcal
Fat per cake 10.2g
of which saturated 6.1g
Makes 18 cakes
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing without the icing

Butter 125g (4½oz), softened
Caster sugar 125g (4½oz)
Self-raising flour 125g (4½oz)
Baking powder ½ tsp
Eggs 2, beaten

For the butter icing
Butter 75g (3oz), softened
Icing sugar 150g (5oz), sifted
Orange 1, grated zest and 1 tsp juice
Sugar flowers to decorate

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5 and line 18 bun-tin holes with pretty paper cases.

2 Tip all the ingredients for the cake mix in a bowl (it is very important that the butter is at room temperature and thus softened). Using a hand-held electric whisk, mix well until the cake batter is smooth and creamy.

3 Divide the cake batter evenly between the bun cases. There is enough mixture to three-quarters fill each bun case, so don’t over fill or the mixture will go all over the oven. Bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes or until well risen, golden and cooked. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

4 Meanwhile, make the butter icing. Beat the butter with a hand-held electric whisk or wooden spoon and gradually beat in the icing sugar. Beat in the grated orange zest and enough orange juice to taste and give a soft but not runny consistency.

5 When the cakes are cold, spread the orange icing on top and decorate with sugar flowers. For a special event, pop the iced buns in a pretty tin and pipe a letter on each cake to spell Happy Birthday or Happy Christmas.

6 Check on the internet for some great mail order cake decorating suppliers who stock coloured paper cases and dainty iced flowers to decorate these cakes for a very special occasion.

Recipe taken from Good Food, Fast – Dairy Cookbook.

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