Biscuit Pops

Great for children's parties...actually all manner of occasions!  I like to use the outlining and flooding method for icing them but you can certainly use ready-to-roll icing cut with the same shape cutter if you want to save time.  For the outlining I use writing icing that you can buy in little tubes, far easier than having lots of different piping bags with various colours and consistencies!
I buy my lolly sticks from a baking supplies website but you can also get them in the larger supermarkets.

Ingredients

125g Soft Butter

125g Caster Sugar

1 Large Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

250g Plain Flour

For the Icing

Writing icing tubes

Egg white

Icing Sugar

Food Colouring

Chocolate

Golden Syrup

Any decorations like glitter, flowers etc

• To make the dough, cream the butter, vanilla extract and sugar together in a bowl then beat in the egg.  Add the flour and stir until you have a firm dough.  Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 175C (fan) and line a couple of baking trays with greaseproof/baking paper.
• Take the dough out of the fridge and cut it in half, it's easier to roll out in two batches.
• There are several recommended methods for rolling out biscuit dough, some say roll between cling film or greaseproof paper.  I just roll it out on a lightly floured surface like I do pastry, it works well as long as the dough is cool and you keep it moving between rolls.
• When the dough is rolled to approximately the thickness of a pound coin cut out shapes using a cutter that you have dibbled in flour, this prevents the dough from sticking to the cutter.  Put the cut out shapes onto the lined baking trays allowing room for the lolly sticks.  Place a lolly stick onto each dough shape, press in gently then, using the tips of your fingers, squeeze the dough around the stick slightly.  Then chill these for 10-15 minutes (this is not essential but does slightly reduce spreading while baking).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8-9 minutes until slightly starting to brown at the edges.  
• Remove from the oven and set aside for 10-15 minutes to cool and firm up before attempting to transfer the biscuit pops to a plate.  Let them cool completely then turn them over so the flat side is facing up, ready to be decorated.
• To outline the design you need a thick icing, this is why the writing icings are so handy.  When piping the outline remember that you are creating a framework to fill with icing so you can't have any gaps.
• To make royal icing simply mix enough icing sugar into egg white to make a smooth icing then add any food colouring you like.  This can then be spooned or piped on your biscuits and gently spread to fill the outline.  Melted chocolate also works well (stir in a gloop of syrup to soften it and add shine), it doesn't set as smoothly as the royal icing so possibly not as good for intricate designs.
• If you want to add glitter or other decorations make sure you put them on when the icing is still wet.  
• To do any further piping on top of the royal icing or chocolate, make sure it is totally dry, the royal icing will take at least 2 hours to set.
• These will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Wholemeal Banana and Raisin Loaf

This makes a wonderfully moist banana loaf which lasts for several days wrapped in greaseproof paper in a tin.  Great for packed lunches and to accompany a cup of tea.
You can leave the raisins out if you prefer or replace them with chopped nuts.

Ingredients

 100g Raisins or Sultanas

50g Light Brown Sugar

50g Caster Sugar

1 Large Egg

75ml Sunflower Oil (or another flavourless oil)

100ml Natural Yoghurt

3 Ripe Bananas

200g Self-Raising Wholemeal Flour (I use Doves Farm Organic, it's very fine)

• Fully line a loaf tin (approx. 26 x 14cm) with greaseproof paper and preheat the oven to 175C (fan).
• Tip the raisins into a small bowl and cover with hot water (not boiling) from the kettle, leave to soak for at least 10 minutes to plump up.  
• Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl, add the sugars, egg, oil and yoghurt then mix to combine.
• Weigh the flour into a separate bowl then toss in the drained raisins, turn them over in the flour and tip the whole lot into the banana mixture.  Stir to combine thoroughly then spoon it into the lined tin.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the loaf.
• Leave to cool completely before slicing.  Wrap in greaseproof paper to store in a tin or airtight container.

Sticky Date and Pecan Flapjacks

This recipe makes the most wonderful gooey flapjacks with a distinctive taste of toffee and the soft crunch of pecans...

Makes 18 Flapjacks

Ingredients

100g Butter

100g Light Brown Sugar

4 tablespoons Golden Syrup

100g Ready to Eat Dried Dates

75g Pecan Nuts

175g Oats

(I normally use porridge oats but they are also great

 made with half porridge, half jumbo oats)

 

• Preheat the oven to 175C and fully line a shallow baking tin (approx. 20 x 30cm) with greaseproof paper.
• Put the butter, sugar and syrup into a large saucepan.  Chop the dates into small pieces then roughly chop the pecans keeping them chunky, add both of these to the pan.  Put the heat on low and let the butter melt, stirring occasionally.
• When it's all melted, add the oats and stir until all combined.
• Tip the mixture into the lined tin and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes (or longer if you want a crunchier flapjack).
• Remove from the oven and set aside to cool and firm up a bit before cutting into pieces.

The Easiest Lemon Tart Ever

I realise this title is quite brave but it really is the easiest lemon tart...it has only four ingredients!  Make sure you use a really good lemon curd, it makes all the difference.

Serves 8

Ingredients

150g Digestive Biscuits

100g Butter, melted

300ml Double Cream

Approx. 300g Jar of Lemon Curd

• Line the base of a spring form (20-25cm in diameter) tin with a circle of greaseproof/baking paper
• Bash the biscuits into fine crumbs then mix in the melted butter.  Tip this into the prepared tin and press in evenly.  Put into the fridge while you make the filling.
• Pour the double cream into a bowl and whisk until softly whipped, thick but not stiff.  Spoon the lemon curd into the whipped cream then fold the two together until combined.  Dollop this onto the biscuit base and spread out evenly, smoothing the top.
• Put in the fridge for at least two hours to set.  Run a knife around the edge of the tart before removing the outside ring.
• Serve with a scoop of raspberry (or any berry) sorbet or some fresh fruit and cream.