Bakes ...

Bread Pudding


You need...

500g of bread - white, brown or a mix (it's about a sliced loaf without the crusts)
500g mixed fruit
600ml or 1 pint milk (I know you shouldn't mix measures, but I still work in pints with milk)
1 and a half tablespoons or mixed spice (I wrote this so you wouldn't think this was a typo!)
2 large eggs beaten
140g soft brown sugar
100g butter or margarine melted
demerara sugar
24cm x 24 cm solid tin or something with about the same sort of volume

Method

  1. Cut the crusts off the bread and tear into small chunks and put in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the fruit and mixed spice. Pour in the milk and give it a good mush with a spoon - or if you're feeling brave let little hands scrunch it all up!
  3. Add the eggs and sugar and mix well. Leave it to soak (at least half an hour). I often cook tea now and then put the  bread pudding in the warm oven after tea.
  4. Mix in the melted butter - it will sloppy and heavy!
  5. Pour into the tin. I usually line the base to protect it from men with metal knives!
  6. Sprinkle the demerara on top.
  7. Bake at 160C fan ( gas 4) for about an hour and a quarter. I usually cover it with foil for the last part to stop it going too brown, but you will probably cremate some of the loose fruit on top!
  8. Enjoy!

Banana Bread or Cake!
You need ...

80g of butter or margarine
110g caster sugar
1 egg
225g plain flour
2 level teaspoons of baking powder
4 over-ripe bananas - peeled and mashed
2lb loaf tin - lined I use those lovely paper liners you can get from supermarkets.

Method
  1. Cream the margarine with the sugar.
  2. Beat in the egg.
  3. Fold the flour and baking powder in using a large metal spoon. The mix will look rather dry and crumbly - don't worry!
  4. Stir in the mashed banana.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the tin.
  6. Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes at 160C (Fan) Gas Mark 4. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin before you put it onto a cooling rack.
  7. Enjoy! This is lovely warm, spread with butter with a lovely cup of tea, it will work equally well cold.
Please don't feel tempted to make the mix using the 'all-in-one' method it won't work!

Apple Cake
You need ...

150g butter or margarine
150g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
110g wholemeal plain flour
110g plain flour
2 level tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
about 500g of apples either cookers or eaters
cake tin approx 21 cm diameter - lined

Method
  1. Mix flours, baking powder and spices together into a small bowl.
  2. Peel, core and dice apples into small cubes (about 1cm). Mix some of the flour mixture in with the diced apple to stop it going brown.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar together then beat in the eggs.
  4. Fold in the flour mix and then carefully stir in the apples. The mix will be very thick.
  5. Bake at 160C (fan) gas mark 4 for about 45 to an hour depending on your oven minutes until lovely and golden and the cake is springy on the top.
  6. Cool for about 10 minutes in the tin before you put in onto a cooling rack.
  7. Enjoy! This is lovely with cream warm from the oven
Autumn Muffins



You need ....
250g self raising flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
100g caster sugar
230ml milk
1 egg
60ml oil
150g fruit - fresh or dried
12 muffin cases

Method
  1. Combine all ingredients except the fruit - the mix will be a bit lumpy but that's fine!
  2. Stir in the fruit.
  3. Share the mixture between the muffin cases
  4. Bake at 170C (fan) or gas mark 5 for 20 minutes until golden.
  5. Enjoy!

Barfi sweets

You need ...
250g desiccated (or as P calls it designated) coconut
200 - 250g icing sugar
1 large tin (397g) condensed milk
food colouring - we used pink
paper sweet cases

Method
  1. Mix 200g icing sugar and 200g of the desiccated cocnut together.
  2. Add a few drops of the colouring and the condensed milk gradually, stirring as you go (you will probably not need all the tin.)
  3. Keep stirring until the mixture binds together but is not too sticky (add more icing sugar if it is too sticky).
  4. Roll the mixture into balls and roll in the remaining desiccated coconut, or hundreds and thousands look good as well. Put each sweet in a paper case.
  5. Leave the sweets to 'dry out' (about 2 hours) and then enjoy!