Cappuccino Cake

I love coffee cake and this delicious recipe comes the Good Food magazine

250g softened butter, plus extra for greasing
280g self-raising flour
250g golden caster sugar
½ tsp baking powder
4 eggs
150ml pot natural yogurt
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra to dust
100ml strong coffee (we made it with 2 tbsp coffee granules)

140g icing sugar, sifted
350g mascarpone or soft cheese
few chocolate-covered coffee beans

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. 
• Grease a 20 x 30cm baking or roasting tin and line with baking parchment. 
• Beat the butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, yogurt, vanilla, cocoa and half the coffee in a large bowl with an electric whisk until lump-free. 
• Spoon into the tin 
• Bake for 25-30 mins until golden and risen and a skewer poked in comes out clean. 
• Drizzle with some of the remaining coffee.
• Cool in the tin while 
• Stir the icing sugar into the mascarpone. 
• Spread over the cooled cake, dust with a little cocoa and scatter with the coffee beans. 

Cinnamon Scones

Thank you Moms Pantry Kitchen

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp butter, melted

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups flour

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

6 tbsp butter, chilled

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup cinnamon chips

egg or milk

sugar

• In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, melted butter and cinnamon together, then set aside.
• In large bowl, mix together the next 5 ingredients. 
• Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and vanilla. Mix together. 
• Using your hands, add the set aside ingredients and the cinnamon chips. 
• The dough will come together nicely.
• Place the ball of dough on to a greased cookie sheet. 
• Form it in to an 8 or 9 inch round and score into triangles (8 pieces) 
• Brush the dough with egg or milk and sprinkle with sugar. 
• Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown 

Chicken Stuffed with Herby Mascarpone

Quick, easy and delicious. Thank you BBC Good Food

3 tbsp mascarpone
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 chicken breasts, skin on
4 slices prosciutto
splash olive oil
juice of half a lemon

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. 
• Mix the mascarpone with the rosemary, garlic and seasoning. 
• Place the chicken breasts on a board and lift, but don’t detach, the skin. 
• Put a spoonful of the mascarpone mix under the skin of each breast. 
• Wrap 2 slices of prosciutto around each, as neatly and tightly as you can, to keep the filling enclosed.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan, add the olive oil and quickly brown the chicken on both sides. 
• Transfer to a roasting tin, then finish off in the oven for 15-20 mins until just cooked.
• Add the lemon juice to the roasting tin and stir over the heat, scraping off any crispy bits. 
• Spoon the juices over the chicken and serve with potatoes and green beans.

Apple Cinnamon Loaf

Thank you The Happier Homemaker

1/2 cup brown sugar packed
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 apple, peeled and chopped

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. 
• Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. 
• Beat white sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. 
• Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated; add vanilla extract.
• Combine flour and baking powder together in another bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture. 
• Mix milk into batter until smooth. 
• Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. 
• Next add half the apples and half the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. 
• Lightly pat apple mixture into batter. 
• Pour the remaining batter over apple layer 
• Top with remaining apples and add more brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. 
• Lightly pat apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using a finger or spoon.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Almond Delight Macaroons

A cookie that combines Coconut, Almonds and Chocolate...Delicious. Thank you Canadian Living

3 egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups unsweetened desiccated medium coconut
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
16 dark chocolate–covered almonds
3 oz dark chocolate, melted
1/4 cup sliced almonds

• In bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar and almond extract 
• Stir in coconut and flour. 
• Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
• Roll by heaping 1 tbsp into 16 balls. 
• Press 1 chocolate-covered almond into centre of each 
• Reshape mixture around almond to cover completely. 
• Place, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on parchment paper–lined baking sheets. 
• Bake in 300ºF (150ºC) oven until starting to brown on top for 20 to 25 minutes. 
• Let cool on pan on rack.
• Drizzle macaroons with melted chocolate. 
• Overlap 3 almond slices on top of each. 
• Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 15 minutes.  
• To Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.

 

Stollen Wreath

A lovely change to the traditional festive cake. All the smells, look and taste of Christmas. Thank you Good Food magazine,

85g raisins
50g dried cranberries, plus extra to decorate
100g carton mixed peel
4 tbsp dark rum
550g strong white bread flour
2 x 7g sachets easy-bake yeast
50g golden caster sugar
pinch nutmeg
zest 1 lemon
85g butter, cut into pieces
250ml milk
1 egg, beaten, plus extra beaten egg to glaze
50g pistachios, peeled and chopped, plus extra, sliced, to decorate
300g marzipan (bought or homemade)
100g fondant icing sugar
holly sprig, to decorate

• Mix the raisins, cranberries and mixed peel in a bowl 
• Pour over the rum, then leave to soak while you make the dough. 
• Tip the flour into a large bowl and stir in ½ tsp salt, the yeast, sugar, nutmeg and lemon zest. 
• Rub the butter in until the mix is like fine crumbs. 
• Warm the milk to hand-hot, then mix into the egg. 
• Pour the milk into the flour mix 
• Stir with a round-bladed knife to make a soft dough, adding a drop more milk if needed to mop up any dry crumbs in the bottom of the bowl. 
• Gather the dough into a ball, then knead for 3-4 mins on a lightly floured surface. 
• Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl 
• Cover with cling film and leave until the dough has risen to double the size (about 45 mins-1 hr). 
• Knead the dough 2 or 3 times, then roll out to a rectangle about 37cm x 17cm. 
• Stir the chopped pistachios into the soaked fruits 
• Spread one-third of the fruit mix down the centre of the dough, leaving all the edges uncovered. 
• Fold each side into the centre to overlap slightly. 
• Press the edges with the rolling pin to seal. 
• Turn the dough, then repeat the rolling out and spreading of the fruit twice more. 
• Roll out to a final rectangle that is 55cm x 16cm. 
• Roll the marzipan into a sausage shape, so it’s slightly shorter than the length of the dough. 
• Place it down the centre. 
• Roll the dough over the marzipan, then turn the dough over so the join is underneath. 
• Lift onto a buttered baking sheet, then curl the dough round a buttered 12cm round cake tin 
• Brush the ends with a little beaten egg and pinching them well together to seal.
• Cover and leave to rise for 30-45 mins or until puffy and doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/ gas 5. 
• When the dough has doubled, brush with beaten egg and bake for about 25 mins until golden. 
• Cool on the baking sheet briefly, then transfer to a wire rack.  
• Make up the icing. Stir 2-3 tsp water into the fondant icing sugar and 
• When the stollen has cooled, drizzle the icing over. 
• Scatter over the extra cranberries and pistachios and decorate with holly.

 hint :  If you don't have a 12cm round cake tin for making the central hole in the stollen, 

          use an 800g empty clean food can (the hole will be slightly smaller).

Apple & Cherry Strudel

Nothing tops a festive feast like a homemade strudel - try this elegant version with apple and cherries.

3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced  
680g btl morello cherries, drained  
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar  
2 tbs fresh lemon juice  
2 tbs kirsch (optional)  
1 tsp ground cinnamon  
Melted butter, to grease 10 sheets filo pastry  
60g butter, melted  
100g pkt almond meal  
Pure icing sugar, to dust  
Whipped cream, to serve

• Combine the apple, cherries, sugar, lemon juice, kirsch and cinnamon in a large bowl. 
• Set aside for 2 hours to macerate. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 180ºC. 
• Lightly brush a baking tray with butter. 
• Place the filo on a clean work surface. 
• Cover with a dry tea towel, then a damp tea towel (this prevents it drying out). 
• Brush 1 filo sheet with melted butter. 
• Top with another filo sheet. Brush with melted butter. 
• Repeat with melted butter and remaining filo. 
• Sprinkle with the almond meal. 
• Place the filling along 1 long side, leaving a 6cm-wide border at each end. 
• Fold in the ends and roll up firmly to enclose. 
• Place, seam-side-down, on the prepared tray. 
• Brush with remaining butter.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until golden. 
• Dust with icing sugar. Serve with whipped cream.