Nothing like kitsch kitchen utensils to inspire some baking. I have utensil envy of Ruth’s new ‘matryoshka doll’ measuring cups. Each head and bottom section is a different measurement! The muffin recipe is the one from the Edmonds cookbook, with dates and some ground linseed added. Ruth says: “It pretty much always works!”

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups bran
3 tablespoons ground linseed
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 tablespoon b...
Continue reading ...

This is what Bake Club is all about: getting inspired by what your friends have baked, and customising the recipe to suit what you have available. I only have a bench-top oven at the moment so the only baking tin that can fit is 28 x 22 cm.

I adapted GInny's original recipe a little:

250g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup cornflour
1/2 cup rice flour flour
1 cup gluten free flour mix
1/2 cup cashews, roasted and finely chopped
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground pepper (I only had black...
Continue reading ...

Barbara put a healthy wholefood twist on Edmond's ginger crunch recipe - she replaced half the flour with rolled oats and added chunks of crystallised ginger on top. Voila! The classic crunch is reinvented as a chewy ginger slice.

125g softened butter
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c plain flour
3/4 c rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger

ginger icing:
75g butter
3/4 c icing sugar
2 T golden syrup
3 tsp ground ginger
crystallised ginger, chopped

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Si...
Continue reading ...

8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 ounces icing sugar
9 ounces plain flour
14 ounces granulated sugar
4 medium eggs, beaten together
4 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Grated zest 2 lemons
6 tablespoons lemon juice, strained
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

1 Put the softened butte...
Continue reading ...

There are some days when you just feel like munching into a macaroon.

4 egg whites
2/3 c caster sugar
3 c desiccated coconut (fine or shredded)

Whisk whites for 1 min, add sugar and whisk another 6-8 mins till peaks form. Fold in coconut. Spoon on lined baking tray. Bake at 125C for half hour then at 80C for 1 and a half hours. Mama Chan likes her macaroons crispy. If you like them chewy on the inside, bake for less. Makes 20.
Half dip in chocolate for the decadent touch.

If you're wondering what M...
Continue reading ...

Our first official Bake Club tea was held on Sunday 19 Sep 2010 at Frances's house. What a great spread! All the recipes are below. As well as baked goodness Nic also brought her homemade homegrown broad bean dip and Frances made hummus. Can't wait for the next one. Perhaps the guys might like to take up the baking challenge?...

Continue reading ...

I started out with a Genoese sponge by Alessandra Zecchini from her book Sweet As. Then used the Edmonds recipe for the chocolate icing.

I halved this recipe for the lamington sponge.

5 eggs, separated
140g sugar
grated lemon zest
120g flour (I used a bought gluten-free flour mix)
50g butter, melted

Preheat oven to 180C. Line base of 23 cm baking tin with baking paper, then grease and flour sides of tin.
Partly fill a small saucepan with hot water and set over medium heat. Set bowl over the simmering...
Continue reading ...

A cake from Chile with German origins which involves drenching apples in cream. Yeah!
Ginny also provided clotted cream for this drunken affair.

Filling
1lb 7oz tart apples, prepared weight (about 5)
2¾ oz/generous ⅓ cup granulated sugar (I used dark brown sugar)
3½ fl oz/½ cup heavy cream
(I added half a nutmeg, grated)

Cake
10½ oz/2 cups all-purpose flour
2½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt (heaping, for me)
5½ oz/scant 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs, lightly beaten
5 tbsp ...
Continue reading ...

My muffins tend to come out dry because: I bake them too long, I probably don't use enough eggs and I need to adjust temps and times for my wee benchtop oven. Still edible though.

375g (2 1/2 cups) gluten-free flour
1 tsp baking powder
150g feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped toasted cashews
finely chopped parsley
330ml (1 1/3 cups) milk
90g butter, melted
1 egg
Finely grated parmesan, extra

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 2 mini muffins trays (12 muffins in each).
Sif...
Continue reading ...

Rich, dense morsels of chocolately goodness!

1 C unsweetened apple puree/sauce
1/3 C cocoa
¾ C flour/gluten free baking mix
½ tsp baking soda
½ C sugar
½ tsp salt
½ C dark chocolate chips ( or ¾ C of raspberries instead of choc chips & walnuts)
¾  C chopped walnuts

1.       Heat oven to 175C

2.       Place puree in medium bowl. Sift in cocoa, flour/baking mix & baking soda. Add sugar and salt. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate & nuts or fruit.

3.       Transfer...

Continue reading ...

This cake was so popular at work, by the time I got to photograph it most of it was gone! Birg also makes a gluten-free version with riceflour and almond meal. Most excellent.

3 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup rice bran or grape seed oil
440g can crushed pineapple, drained of juice (Birg used pineapple chunks, very nice)
2 mashed bananas
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 1/3 cups self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Cream cheese icing
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cu...

Continue reading ...

Continue reading ...

Ginny made these for a work do. But she let us taste one from her neat stack.

1 tsp cardamom seeds
8 white peppercorns
250g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup cornflour
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup cashews, roasted and finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 150C. Put the cardamom and peppercorns into a mortar and pestle or an electric spice grinder and grind until fine.

2. Cream the butter and icing sugar until pale. Sift the cornflour and flour together and add to the creamed mixture with...

Continue reading ...

What a lovely afternoon of endless scones with whipped cream AND clotted cream and different kinds of berry jam.

500g/1lb 2oz self-raising flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
100g/3½oz butter, softened, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
large pinch salt
40g/1½oz caster sugar
300ml/10½fl oz full-fat milk, plus extra for glazing

To serve

butter, fresh clotted cream, good quality strawberry jam

1. In a large mixing bowl, rub the flour and butter together, using your fingerti...

Continue reading ...

I got this recipe from a Trade Me newsletter and had to give it a go.

It's called: The most dangerous cake recipe 5-minute chocolate mug cake

4 Tb flour, 2-4 Tb sugar, 2 Tb cocoa, 1 egg, 3 Tb milk, 3 Tb oil 3 tablespoons, chocolate chips (optional), a small splash of vanilla extract, 1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug...
Continue reading ...

1 c self raising flour
1/2 c caster sugar
2 T lemon zest
45 g butter
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T extra sugar
1/4 lemon juice
1/2 c boiling water

Preheat oven to 180C. Mix flour, sugar, 1 Tb zest in a bowl. Add melted butter, vanilla and milk and stir to combine. Spoon into 4 x 1 cup ramekins, slightly greased. Mama Chan used a BIG oven dish instead for our Sunday night family dinner for 6. Sprinkle with extra sugar and zest. Combine lemon juice and water and pour over pudding. Bake for 25 min...
Continue reading ...

Ruth brought these tasty little numbers into work - what a treat. AND she personally shelled the walnuts herself!

2/3 cup of sugar
½ cup of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of grated orange peel (I change ingredients depending on what’s available – favourites are dates,
walnuts, almonds, apricots)
1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla
2 medium eggs
2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of baking soda
¼ teaspoon of salt
4 oz of semisweet chocolate, melted (I use Valrh...

Continue reading ...

zest and juice of 2 lemons
250 g butter
1 1/2 c castor sugar
6 eggs
1/4 self raising flour
2 c plain flour
3/4 c sour cream

Cream butter, sugar and zest. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in sifted dry ingreds alternatively with sour cream and lemon juice.
Pour into greased 23cm round cake tin. Bake at 150C for 1 1/4 hours (a little less if it's a ring tin).
To serve dust with icing sugar. Serve with cream and/or yoghurt.
Recipe from cousin Suzanne many years ago.
Mama Chan also made a gluten free versio...
Continue reading ...

No more slaving over a hot stove waiting for risotto rice to cook! Bake it!

2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, drushed
300g button mushooms, sliced or mix of dried porcini mushrooms that have been dehydrated and fresh shrooms
2 tsp thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 c arborio rice
5 c vegetable stock
grated parmesan
bunch of spinach leaves if you wish

Preheat oven to 200C. Heat large frying pan and add oil. Add onion and garlic and cook for 1 min. Add mushrooms and thyme and cook for 4-5 ...
Continue reading ...