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One of the things I love most about our latest cookbook, Just for One or Two, is the Eat & Freeze section.
It’s just perfect for our busy lives.
This chapter clearly explains how to cook each dish, how to freeze in individual portions and also how to defrost them. These are ideal for our busy lives where the weeks go by in a blur and when we need to access something quick and tasty.
The bakes in the chapter
are just divine and perfect
for fairs and fetes.
It’s our school Christmas fair soon but as we have a hectic week preceding it I have baked two cakes to freeze and defrost the night before the fair.
Not only are these bakes perfect for the freezer – they taste gorgeous too – so lots of brownie points for us as school :0)
Not just for fetes; if you cut the bakes into slices before freezing you can take a couple out at a time and defrost for a couple of hours ready for when friends pop in to visit.
Fruit Slices
Calories 202 per portion
Fat 11g (3g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing
Ingredients
- Cocoa powder 75g (3oz)
- Eggs 3
- Light muscovado sugar 250g (9oz)
- Olive oil or rapeseed oil 125ml (4fl oz)
- Self-raising flour 150g (5oz)
- Bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp
- Dark chocolate 150g (5oz), broken into chunks
- Butter 25g (1oz)
- Milk 4 tbsp
- Golden syrup 1 tbsp
- Milk chocolate 50g (2oz), broken into pieces and melted in a bowl over a pan of hot water
Instructions
- Whisk 50g (2oz) cocoa powder with 100ml (3½fl oz) boiling water in a small bowl until smooth. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and line a 33 x 22cm (13 x 9in) tray bake tin with non-stick baking paper.
- In a large bowl whisk the eggs, sugar and oil for 3 minutes, until smooth, using an electric whisk.
- Mix in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa paste. Pour into the tin and allow to settle.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake is risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
- To make the icing, melt the dark chocolate with the butter in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and stir until smooth. At the same time, mix the remaining cocoa powder, milk and syrup in a pan and heat until almost boiling. Whisk it into the chocolate mixture to make a glossy icing.
- Smooth the icing over the cake, drizzle with the milk chocolate and leave to set. Cut into squares.
- To serve now: Enjoy the cakes and keep any extras in an airtight container for a few days.
- To freeze: Place in rigid plastic containers in a single layer or between sheets of greaseproof paper. Cover, seal and label. Use within 2 months.
- To serve from the freezer: Thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours or until defrosted.
Chocolate Fudgey Cake
Calories 165 per portion
Fat 7g (1.5g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing
Ingredients
- Butter 150g (5oz), softened
- Caster sugar 150g (5oz)
- Self-raising flour 175g (6oz)
- Eggs 2 Orange 1, grated zest
- Lemon 1, grated zest
- Milk 2 tbsp
- Mixed dried fruit 175g (6oz)
- Demerara sugar 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3 and grease and base line a small 18 x 28 x 4 cm (7 x 11 x 1½in) roasting tin with non-stick baking paper.
- Put the margarine, caster sugar, flour, eggs, orange and lemon zest and milk into a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the fruit.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, level the surface and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Cook for 30 minutes until well risen and golden. The top of the cake will spring back when pressed with fingertips if it is ready.
- To serve now: Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When it is cold take it out, peel off the paper and cut it into slices and arrange on a serving plate. The slices will keep in an airtight container for a few days.
- To freeze: Carefully place the slices to be frozen in rigid plastic containers in a single layer or between sheets of greaseproof paper. Cover, seal and label. Use within 4 months.
- To serve from the freezer: Thaw as many slices as required at room temperature on a wire rack for about 2 hours or until thoroughly defrosted.
Cook’s tips. Choose any combination of dried fruit you like. Use a standard mix, or try something more exotic, such as chopped mango and pineapple.
Win a Year of Designer Flowers at Debenhams
To celebrate the launch of Dairy Diary 2016 we are offering you the chance to win a year’s supply of bouquets, one a month for twelve months from the Designer Flowers range at Debenhams Flowers.
Fill your home with fantastic flowers or
share the joy with family and friends
(you can select a recipient for each month).
The choice is yours!
The bouquets are kindly donated by Debenhams who are also offering an exclusive £5 voucher* for everyone who enters the competition.
Take a look at Designer Flowers at Debenhams.
#baking #competition #Debenhams
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