Happy St.Patricks Day!

Bake away those blues!

Hi baking buddies!

Monday morning and it's wet and windy! what a start to the week ahead. For me though it is the perfect day to bake. I love the comforting smell of homebaking in the kitchen on a wet and windy day (yes it's still summer!) There is nothing I like better when the weather is bad than turning on the oven! Some people say "I need to be in the mood to bake" and that is true but a glum wet day triggers that mood for me!

I thought I would share a few baking recipes from todays baking. Starting with Flakemeal Doubles, these crisp light shortbread rounds sandwiched with chocolate and topped with walnuts are a delight with your tea or coffee. Then we have Baked Cheesecakes. I never understood why they are called cheesecakes because the are nothing like it. These sweet shortcrust pastry rounds are filled with strawberry or raspberry jam and then topped with a cake mixture. Sometimes they are baked with a criss cross of pastry or just baked plain and then covered with glace icing and a cherry. I prefer the latter. Finally I made toffee pops because I had some pastry left. These are a favourite with everyone, especially children!

Flakemeal Doubles

Ingredients

6 oz / 170g butter (soft)

3 oz / 85g caster sugar

3 oz / 85g plain flour

7 oz / 200g porridge oats

2 oz / 55g coconut

1/4 teasp bic of soda

1/4 teasp baking powder

melted chocolate

walnut pieces

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add all the dry ingredients and mix slowly until a dough comes together. If the dough is soft and sticky put into the fridge for 15 mins. If it is easy to work with then roll out until half cm thick. Cut into small rounds, size is a matter of preference. I tend to keep them about 3 cms .Place on a baking sheet and bake 170 degrees centigrade or gas mark 3 for about 20 - 25 mins until golden brown.

Put on to a cooling tray. Be careful, they will be soft and crumbly but will crispen and set as they cool.

Melt some chocolate in a microwave on a low setting and use to sandwich 2 rounds of the flakemeal shortbread. Put a small amount of chocolate on top and place a piece of walnut or cherry to decorate.

If you like you can keep the shortbread plain and just sprinkle with castor sugar when they come out of the oven.

Baked Cheesecakes

Sugar Pastry:

450g / 1lb plain flour

350g / 12oz butter (room temp)

85g / 3oz caster sugar

1 beaten egg

Filling:

4 oz / 115g margarine

4oz / 115g castor sugar

2 eggs

4oz / 115g self-raising flour

Strawberry / raspberry jam

Glace icing to decorate

Make up the pastry by rubbing the butter into flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and beaten egg until it comes together into a lump. Chill in fridge for 20 - 30 mins before using. (see my blog on Apple Tarts for pictures on pastry making)

Using a large cutter, cut out rounds big enough to fill bun tray and reach half way up the sides to hold in the bun mixture and jam.

After filling with a teaspoon of jam make up the cake mixture by creaming together the sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Add the flour and eggs and beat until combined for 1-2 mins. You can spoon a tablespoon of mixture into each pastry case, but I like to pipe it in so that they all bake evenly in size. After this stage you can add little pastry crosses before baking. If you prefer to ice them, then leave them plain at this point.

Put into an oven at 180 degrees until risen and brown, 20-25 mins. Mix a cup of icing sugar with a little water. Add the water a few teaspoons at a time until it is able to hold its shape. Spoon onto the top of the cheesecakes and decorate with a cherry. You can also dust the plain ones with a little icing sugar if you prefer.

Toffee Pops

These little 'bad boys' are super easy to make and we are going to make our own caramel rather than just open a tin!

They are also a great way to use up leftover sugar pastry. You can even freeze the cooked pastry cases and fill them at a later date when you are looking for something sweet and quick!

I don't know of anyone who won't like these.

Makes 12

Sweet short crust pastry (see previous recipes on how to make)

Caramel

2 oz / 55g light soft brown sugar

2 oz / 55g butter

1 small tube (170g) of condensed milk (If you can only get a large tin of condensed milk then double the amount of sugar and butter)

Strawberry or Raspberry Jam

Marshmallows

Melted chocolate

Cut out pastry rounds and place into a greased bun tin. Bake at 180 degrees for 15 - 20 mins or until golden brown.

Place a small teaspoon of jam in each cooked case and top with a halved marshmallow.

Put the marshmallow filled cases into the oven for 1 min to melt slightly. This will flatten them and the caramel will be flat and even when spooned over them.

To make the caramel put sugar, butter and condensed milk into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Put on a low to medium heat and keep stirring until all melted. Still stirring, turn up the heat slightly until it boils. Boil until the caramel comes away from the sides of the pan for a second or two. This should take about 5 mins from the start of it boiling.