Category: Baking

Classic Brownie Recipe

Brownie with Love, by Mae Mercado-Sanguer

Brownie is easily a favourite with everyone.  But then again, why ever not?!!!

I had a bit of a conundrum categorising this recipe.  Should it go under baked cakes or baked cookies?  I did a bit of research and found out that it should be classified as a cookie?

Why?

Apparently it has something to do with the manner it is eaten.  Brownie is a finger food, just like cookies and biscuits.  Cakes are eaten with a fork or even a desert spoon, if cake is rather runny.

So that’s it

Below is a recipe that is easy to follow for such a delicious treat.

Classic Brownie Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 200 g butter or margarine
  • 165 g cocoa powder
  • 400 g  brown caster sugar
  • 1¼ teaspoons vanilla 
  • 125 g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 100 g  walnuts or unsalted peanuts

Method of Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4.
  2. Line a brownie tin/tray or grease a 20 x 18 cm tin.
  3. Melt the butter and cocoa together in a saucepan, under a low heat.
  4. Add the sugar and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
  5. Remove from the heat and mix in the flour and half of the nuts then the eggs.
  6. Pour into the already prepared brownie tin.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes or when press the top is soft and bounce back up.
  8. As soon as it comes out of the oven, tip in the rest of the nuts all over the top of the hot brownie.  Run a wooden spoon over the top to gently press in the nuts.
  9. Cool and cut into serving pieces.

 

Enjoy!  Sometimes I like my brownies still slightly warm and then served with a bit of ice-cream on the side.   Hmmm I think this is when brownies become a cake! 🙂

Upside Down Pineapple Cake Recipe

This cake recipe is so light and moist.  The pineapple on top is fantastic.  It is so lovely; would be a real treat for any occasion for the whole family and friends.

Ingredients

  • 50g softened butter
  • 50g light soft brown sugar
  • 6 pineapples rings from canned in syrup, do not discard the syrup
  • 6 glacé cherry
  • 2 tbsp sultanas
  • 100g softened butter
  • 100g golden caster sugar
  • 100g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs

 

 Method of Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar together until fully incorporated into a creamy butter.
  3. Using a preferably non-stick deep cake tin with loose base and about 20 cm wide, spread the butter mix on the base.
  4. Then arrange the pineapple rings on top of the butter mix, placing each of the  cherries in the centres of the rings, the dome part of the cherries on the bottom.
  5. Set aside and make the cake mix.
  6. In a large mixing bowl or a food mixer, place together the butter, caster sugar, self-raising flour, baking powder, sultanas, vanilla extract and egg with 2 tbsp of the pineapple syrup.
  7. Mix until it has a soft consistency of a batter.
  8. Pour into the tin over the pineapple slices and smooth it out so it’s level and all the slices covered.
  9. Bake for 35 mins, test with a clean knife by inserting into the cake.  When the edge of the knife comes out clean, then it is ready.
  10. Leave to stand for 5 mins, then turn out onto a plate. Serve warm with ice-cream or cream.

 

 

Soda Bread Recipe

Soda Bread, Photo by Jmorton

Soda Bread Recipe

 

Soda Bread is an Irish bread.  Delicious smothered in real butter.  The perfect accompaniment for meat stews to soak up all the lovely gravy off your plate.  Yum.

The recipe below is adapted by a Tesco recipe.

Soda Bread Recipe

Ingredients

  • 500g plain flour, plus extra to dust
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 25g (1oz) butter
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 284ml pot buttermilk

Method of Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200°C/Fan 180°C.
  • Tip the flours, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Then use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until evenly dispersed.
  • Stir in the sugar.
  • Make a well in the centre of the flour and stir in the buttermilk until you get a soft dough.
  • Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead for 1 min until smooth, then bring together to form a flattened round about 5cm thick and 15cm across.
  • Place on a lightly dusted baking sheet. Dust with a little plain flour if you like. Use a large sharp knife to cut 2 slashes across the bread to make an ‘x’. Bake in the oven for 35 – 40mins until well-risen and browned. Place on a wire rack and leave to cool.

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

Pepperoni Pizza, photo by JMorton

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

Ingredients

For the base:

  • 1 packet of Dried Yeast
  • 1/3 tsp salt
  • 140 ml Warm Water
  • 180g Strong Plain Flour (for baking bread)
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp  Dried Basil
  • 1 small tin chopped plum tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp of Tomato Puree
  • Grated Cheddar or Mozzarella
  • 1 Chopped Onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic, sliced thinly
  • Pepperoni slices

Method

  1. To make the base, mix the salt and yeast together in a jug with the warm water.
  2. Place flour in a large mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the water mixture.  Also add the olive oil.
  3. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything to create a wet dough.
  4. Sprinkle some flour on a flat clean surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
  5. Place in a bowel and cover with tea towel. Leave at room temperature to enable the yeast to do its work.  After half an hour, the dough should have doubled in size.
  6. Flatten the dough into a circle, as the pizza base.
  7. Now create the topping.
  8. Using a spatula, spread the tomato puree all over the base.
  9. Place the chopped tomatoes on top.
  10. Then add onion and garlic, spread them.
  11. Sprinkle over the roughly grated cheese and arrange Pepperoni, put as many as you like.
  12. Season with a little salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
  13. Sprinkle in the dried basil.
  14. Place the pizza on a lightly greased baking sheet..
  15. Cook at 200° for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!