Gluten Free Salted Peanut Brownies

I have so many brownie recipes, fudgy brownies, cakey brownies, somewhere-in-between brownies, spicy brownies, fragrant brownies, slightly bitter brownies. The list goes on and on and on (and on and on). This one definitely falls on the fudgy side of the fence, with the lack of flour only adding to its gooey greatness. A few handfuls of salted peanuts give the decadent brownies a dynamism in terms of both flavour and texture, but as always you can tinker and tweak as you see fit.

Prep time: 25 Mins

Baking time: 40 Mins

200g Dark Chocolate (I like really dark chocolate, 80% plus but it’s up to you!)

250g Unsalted Butter

75g Cocoa Powder

75g Ground Almonds

140g Caster Sugar

225g Light Muscovado Sugar

4 Large Eggs

1tsp Vanilla Extract

250g Salted Peanuts

Let’s begin. Preheat the oven to (surprise surprise!) 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a smallish baking tin (around 27x22cm) with baking paper. Melt together the chocolate and butter, either over a bain-marie or in the microwave (if you are confident in your timings), then set to one side for around 5 minutes to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the cocoa powder, almonds and both sugars, then add the melted chocolate and butter. Mix together, then add the vanilla and eggs and beat with vigour until combined. Throw in the peanuts, fold through, then spoon into your prepared tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 40 mins, until a metal skewer comes out slightly sticky when inserted. When you are happy the brownie mixture is baked remove from the oven and leave in the tin until completely cool.

Once the brownies are cool you can slice them. Use a very sharp knife for this as the centre of the brownies will be sticky. Once sliced they are good to go. Hooray!

Apple, Pear and Blackberry Cobbler

Sooooo, who loves a crumble? I know I do. But now and again it's nice to have a go at something a little different. How about this time we have a go at the crumble's equally naughty cousin, the cobbler. All sweet and biscuity, like a cookie mixed with a syrupy fruit pie it's very yummy and VERY satisfying. Custard, cream or ice cream should always be prepared in readiness...

Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: 40-45 Mins
For the Cobbler Mixture
50g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
65g Golden Caster Sugar
1 Egg Yolk
1/2tsp Mixed Spice (Optional)
75g Plain Flour
A good pinch of Baking Powder

For the fruit
2 Dessert Apples (Peel and Cored)
2 Firm Pears (Peeled and Cored)
A Punnet of Blackberries
1/2Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2Tbsp Golden Syrup

The cobbler mixture comes first. Cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg yolk. Add the spice, flour and baking paper and mix to a sticky dough. Spoon the dough onto some cling film, wrap and place in the fridge to chill for an hour. You can make the mixture several hours in advance if required. Just remember if you do, to take it out of the fridge a while beforehand to soften.

Whilst the dough is chilling you can prepare the fruit. Quarter the apples and pears, then cut again so you have eight slices. Melt the butter on a low heat in a large flat based saucepan, then add the slices. Put the lid on the pan and leave for around 10-15 mins to soften slightly. When fruit is just slightly yielding to the touch remove the lid and turn the heat up full for around 5 mins to just caramelise one side. Remove from the heat, transfer each lightly browned slice to a plate and leave to one side to cool.

Once the dough has chilled you are ready to prepare it for baking. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and dig out a medium ovenproof dish. Lay the fruit evenly over the base of the dish drizzle over the golden syrup. Using your fingers just lightly tease the syrup evenly over each slice, then stud with fresh blackberries. Unwrap the dough from the fridge, break a little off and roll into a ball. Place on top of the syrupy fruit, then repeat for the rest of the dough, evenly spacing the balls part as they spread during baking. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for around 40-45 minutes, until the cobbler has puffed up and is nice and brown on top. When you are happy the cobbler is baked remove from the oven and you're ready to serve. Huzzah!

Peach Crumble Cake

It doesn't take much to turn a pretty standard sponge cake into something really rather special indeed. With this recipe the sponge itself is flavoured just with a touch of warm cinnamon, but it's what adorns the cake that elevates it from yummy to YUMMMMMMMYY. The addition of a few soft, sweet peaches and and a sprinkling of sweet, crumbly crumble not only brings a touch of luxury but a thoroughly lovely combination of flavours and textures. To the kitchen!

Prep time: 20-25 Mins
Baking time: 60-70 Mins
200g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
200g Golden Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
200g Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
1tsp Cinnamon

For the Crumble
25g Unsalted Butter (In small cubes)
35g Golden Caster Sugar
45g Plain Flour
A small handful of Oats

3 Large Ripe Peaches (Stoned)

Off we go! Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4, grease a 23cm springform tin and line the base with baking paper. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift in the plain flour and baking powder, then add the cinnamon and mix until you are left with a smooth and consistent batter. Spoon into your prepared tin, even to the edges and set to one side whilst you prepare the peaches and crumble.

For the crumble add all the ingredients to a medium bowl and rub together until the mixture resembles dry breadcrumbs. Slice each peach into eight and arrange over the top of the cake mixture. Dust liberally with the crumble and bake in the centre of the oven for around 60-70 minutes, until toasty on top and a metal skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. When you are happy the cake is baked remove from the oven, leave in the tin for around 30 minutes, then carefully remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Your work is done.

Anyone for cake and custard?

Baked Vanilla Custard Cheesecake

yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum BAKED yum yum yum yum yum yum yum

chomp chomp chomp VANILLA chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp

nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom CUSTARD nom nom nom nom nom nom

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm CHEESECAKE mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

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Prep time: 20 Mins

Baking time: 70-75 Mins (Plus chilling time)

300g Digestive Biscuits (Pulverised to a fine crumb)

150g Unsalted Butter (Melted)

300ml Single Cream

500g Full Fat Cream Cheese

2 Eggs and 4 Yolks

200g Caster Sugar

1tsp Vanilla Paste

This recipe is a doddle so let’s get to it! Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 23cm springform tin entirely with baking paper. This is quite a fiddly task but stick with it as the results will be worth the botheration.

Mix together the crushed biscuits and melted butter, then press into the base of your prepared tin. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for ten minutes. Once the base has dried out and firmed up slightly remove from the oven and set to one side whist you prepare the filling. In a large mixing bowl add the cream, cheese, eggs and yolks, caster sugar and vanilla paste. Be careful with the vanilla paste as a little goes a long way! Whisk together all the ingredients until smooth then pour over your base. Return to the oven and bake for around 70-75 mins until the filling is just starting to caramelise on top and lightly wobbling, then remove from the oven and leave in the tin until cool. Once at room temperature place in the fridge for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, then carefully remove from the tin. Peel off any excess paper and serve. Oosh!

Lovely Lemon and Almond Slices

Everything about these lemon slices screams lovely. They are lovely and easy to make, they are lovely to share with friends and family and (most importantly) they are lovely to wolf down yourself. Although these are lovely and lemony there’s no reason why you couldn’t mix things up with other flavour combinations, such as lovely vanilla, lovely orange blossom, or even perhaps lovely coconut. Lovely!

Prep time: 15 Mins

Baking time: 30-35 Mins

200g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

200g Golden Caster Sugar

3 Large Eggs

The Zest of 2 Lemons

1/2tsp Almond Extract

100g Ground Almonds

100g Plain Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

For the icing

The juice of 2 Lemons

350-400g Icing Sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a medium rectangular baking tin with baking paper (I actually use a roasting tin, 30x20cm). In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time, along with the lemon zest and almond extract. Fold through the almonds, then sift in the flour and baking powder and mix to a consistent batter. Spoon into your prepared tin, even to the edges and bake in the centre of the oven for around 30-35 Mins, until a metal skewer comes out clean when insterted into the middle of the mixture.

When you are happy the sponge is baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Once cool carefully remove from the tin, peeling off the paper and slice equally with a sharp knife. For the icing add the lemon juice to a large bowl and gradually add the icing sugar, mixing until you are left with a smooth white icing. You'll have to judge how much of the icing sugar to add depending on how juicy your lemons are. Drizzle the icing all over each slice and you are done. Congratulations!