Rachel Allen s Smarties Cookies

Transcription

1 Rachel Allen s Smarties Cookies Makes about 25 Large Cookies 225g (8oz) butter 375g (15oz) soft light brown or muscovado sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs, beaten 350g (14oz) plain flour ½ tsp salt 1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 level tsp baking powder 150g (5oz) Smarties Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF), Gas mark 4. Cream the butter in a large bowl, and add the sugar and beat until soft and light. Add the vanilla, then the eggs gradually while beating. Place the flour and salt in a separate, medium-sized bowl and sift in the bicarbonate of soda and the baking powder, then mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold in, then add the Smarties and mix. Form the dough into balls (to make big cookies, use a golf ball size; for small ones, use small walnut size) and place them on baking trays (there s no need to grease or line them), allowing plenty of room for spreading. Place the cookies in the oven. Small cookies take about 8 minutes and large ones about minutes. They are cooked when they are golden around the edges and pale golden in the centrethey will still be a bit gooey and chewy if you cook them like this. For crisper cookies, bake until they are evenly golden all over. They often cook unevenly so keep checking them in the oven and take out the cooked ones. Transfer to a wire rack while hot, using a stainless-steel fish slice- if you let them cool on the baking trays they will stick.

2 Annie Bell s Smiley Chocolate Traybake Makes about 20 squares This is my favourite recipe for school cake sales. It s easy to transport (you can take it in its tin), cuts into lots of squares which means lots of money for Bake a Smile, and it s good to hand over wrapped in a paper napkin to waiting fingers. Add to that, everyone loves chocolate, so I promise you it will sell. The smile can be as big as you like trace it out with red M&Ms or Smarties, or cover it with lots of smaller smiles. To safeguard those with allergies, I tend to make this with sunflower oil, although groundnut oil is excellent should this not be a concern. If your sugar seems at all lumpy, then you can either make the cake in a food processor or give it a whizz until it s smooth. Cake ingredients 75g cocoa 3/4 (three quarters) tsp bicarbonate of soda 4 medium eggs 370g light muscovado sugar 180ml sunflower oil 200g self-raising flour, sifted Icing ingredients 150g dark chocolate (about 50% cocoa), broken into pieces 3 tbsp milk Smarties or M&Ms Whisk the cocoa with 200 ml boiling water in a medium-size bowl, whisk in the bicarbonate of soda and leave to cool for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 160 C fan oven/180 C electric oven/gas Mark 4, and butter or oil a 23 x 30 x 4 cm traybake tin (there is no need to line it unless you are planning on turning the cake out whole). Whisk together the eggs, sugar and oil in a large bowl until smooth, then stir in the flour, and then the cocoa solution. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for minutes until risen and firm, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and leave to cool. Gently melt the chocolate with the milk in a bowl set over a pan with 2 cm of simmering water in it, stirring until smooth and using the back of a spoon or palette knife, coat the surface of the cake. Decorate with a smile or smiles, and leave for a couple of hours to set. Cut into squares to serve, you should get about 20. This will keep well in an airtight container for several days.

3 Caroline Spelman MP s Smiley Jam Faces Makes g butter 250g caster sugar 2 beaten eggs A few drops of vanilla essence 500g plain flour Jam for spreading You will need 6cm plain round cookie cutter Lightly grease 2 baking trays Preheat the oven to 190C/ Gas Mark 5 Cream together the butter and caster sugar Gradually mix in the eggs and vanilla essence Stir in the flour and mix to make a fairly soft dough Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently. Roll out to about 3mm and cut with a 6cm plain round cookie cutter, repeat until you have used up all the dough From half the circles cut our two small circles for the eyes and make a smiley shaped slit for the mouth Place all the biscuits onto your prepared baking tray Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown Leave on baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cook When cool. Spread the plain biscuits with jams and put the faces on top

4 Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall s Ten-minute chocolate chip cookies Makes g unsalted butter 100g caster sugar 75g soft light brown sugar 1 medium egg, lightly beaten 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 150g plain flour ½ teaspoon baking powder A pinch of sea salt 100g dark chocolate, chopped into smallish chunks (or use milk chocolate, if you prefer) These chewy, vanilla-rich treats are easy-peasy, taking no more than 10 minutes to make, and 10 to bake. Ideal when people turn up unexpectedly for tea, they are also a mainstay of a rainy afternoon cooking sessions with the kids. No batch has ever been known to last till the next day. Gently melt the butter in a small saucepan. Put both sugars into a mixing bowl, pour in the melted butter and beat well with a wooden spoon. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl and stir them in, then add the chocolate. You should have a pretty sloppy sort of mixture. Dot heaped dessert spoonfuls of the mixture on to 2 baking sheets lined with baking parchment, leaving a good 4cm in between each one as they really spread out. Place in an oven preheated to 190 C/ Gas Mark 5 and bake for 8 10 minutes, until the cookies are turning pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes to firm up. Then carefully lift the baking parchment on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Inevitably, they will be eaten as soon as they are cool enough not to burn fingers. Variation Oat and raisin cookies Leave out the chocolate and the vanilla extract. Add 2 tablespoons of honey to the butter before melting. Add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the flour, then add 50g jumbo oats, 100g raisins and 75g chopped, roasted hazelnuts to the batter before baking as above. River Cottage Every Day Bloomsbury 2009

5 Jayne Middlemiss Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese icing This is the easiest cake to make ever. I love it as it has the really good combination of sweet but not too sweet and also as its carrots you can convince yourself that its really just like eating vegetables. 2 eggs 140ml vegetable oil 200g soft light brown sugar 300g grated carrot 100g raisins 180g self raising flour pinch of salt 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 tsp mixed spice Cream Cheese icing 250g cream cheese 50g softened butter 150g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract Preheat your oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2. Oil and line a loaf tin 13cm x 23cm (5x9in) Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add the oil, brown sugar grated carrot and raisins. I use the food processor to grate the carrots as its quicker and easier. If you haven't got one get grating. Sift in the dry ingredients and bring together using a wooden spoon. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for an hour it may need and hour and 15 mins. Check with a skewer inserted into the middle if it comes out clean its ready. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before taking out and cool completely on a wire rack. The icing: Beat the cream cheese and butter together in bowl until combined. Add the vanilla essence and icing sugar and mix to combine. Sometimes I like to add a little grated orange zest and juice to flavour. To taste really. Using a palette knife spread evenly over the cake. Cut into slices and serve x

6 Mary McCartney s Vanilla Cup Cakes Makes g butter 200g sugar 3 eggs 200g self raising flour 1 tsp vanilla approx 3tbs milk Preheat oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5 Cream together the butter and sugar, gradually mix in the eggs, then the flour and vanilla. Beat well, add the milk. Spoon into cup cake cases. Bake for mins or until golden on top. If you would like to decorate Mary s delicious vanilla cupcakes, then try our Buttercream Icing: 125g unsalted butter (at room temperature) 250g icing sugar (sifted) 2 teaspoons hot milk I teaspoon vanilla extract 1 box Smarties Beat the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in the icing sugar, milk and vanilla essence and beat until smooth. Then take two Smarties for the eyes and use a further 5 Smarties to make your smile.

7 Sarah Beeny s Chocolate Brownies 100g melted butter 250g caster sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 100g plain flour 5 tablespoons cocoa To Decorate A piece of paper Icing sugar Preheat the oven to 170C/ Gas Mark 3 Sieve flour and cocoa into a bowl Add sugar Mix eggs together then pour into the mixture Add melted butter Add vanilla essence Stir all the ingredients together Pour into a well greased 8 springform cake tin with loose base Put into the oven for about 30 mins Check after 25 mins Cool and cut into squares To create a smile cut out a piece of paper in the shape of a smile and place on top of each brownie sieve icing sugar over and hey presto - you have a smile!

8 Wendi Peter s Rocky Road Brownies 200g unsalted butter 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped 3 large eggs 300g granulated sugar 2tspns vanilla extract 125g plain flour A pinch of salt 60g glace cherries 60g digestive biscuits (broken into small pieces) 80g mini marshmallows Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4 Grease and line an approx 20 by 30 cm rectangular baking tin 3 to 4cm deep with greaseproof paper Melt the butter and chocolate wither in a bowl over a pan of simmering water or gently in the microwave With an electric hand whisk, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until they are lovely and think and creamy Mix in the melted chocolate and butter. Finally stir in the four, salt, cherries, biscuits and marshmallows. Pour into the baking tray and cook for about 25 minutes until the top is cracking and the centre is just set. Leave to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares

9 Not Cross Buns 450g strong plain flour 1 1/2 tsp fast action dried yeast 200ml milk 1/2 tsp of salt 1 level tsp mixed spice 75g caster sugar 50g melted butter 1 medium egg 25g-50g currants 25-50g chopped mixed peel (or extra dried fruit) Put all the dried ingredients including the yeast into a bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Mix the egg and milk in a jug, and gradually mix into the dried ingredients a little at a time. Knead well until you have a smooth, but not sticky dough. Add a little more flour if needed. Knead the dough on a floured surface until perfectly smooth, put back into the bowl and cover the bowl with cling film. Leave in a warm place to rise for an hour. Grease and flour two baking trays and preheat oven to 200C/gas 6. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape into buns. Set the buns well apart on the prepared trays and leave them in a warm place until doubled in size. Mix 3 tablespoons of flour with 1 tablespoon of water to make a soft dough. Roll into strips and cut to make two eyes and a smile for each bun. Attach to bun with a small drop of water. Bake just above the centre of the oven for mins. Leave the buns to cool on a wire rack; while still warm brush them with a glaze made from 40g caster sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoons water.

10 Cheesy Grins 350g ready made puff pastry 4 handfuls of grated parmesan Handful of flour to roll pastry on Cayenne pepper Freshley ground black pepper 1. Heat oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7 2. Finely grate the cheese into a mixing bowl and add a sprinkling of cayenne pepper (remember it can be very spicy). Add some freshly ground black pepper and mix. 3. unroll the puff pastry and with a sharp knife,, scatter over a couple of handfuls of grated parmesan, then fold in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to the thickness of a 1 coin. cut out smile shapes our of the puff pastry. Gently lift them on to a baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one. Sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese mixture onto your smiles 4. Wearing oven gloves, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until golden as oven temperatures vary. 5. Take from the oven and allow to cool. I would also recommend trying one or two when still warm from the oven yum! 6. Once they have cooled keep your cheesy grins an airtight plastic container for up to 2 days. As these cheese straws are very delicate, roll them in kitchen paper before packing into the container. Tip To make a more simple smile shape in your pastry you can use a round cookie cutter and then cut the circle in half for your smiley shape

11 Chocolate Pizza Chocolatey Pizza Base 175g soft unsalted butter 3 large eggs 175g caster sugar 150g self raising flour 30g cocoa powder 1 tspn vanilla essence 2 tbsp milk Decoration 600g icing sugar 250g softened butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons milk Red colouring paste 300g white chocolate Assorted sweets Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas 4 Make sure your butter is at room temperature and then cream the butter. This can be done with a wooden spoon but using an electric whisk is easier Add the sugar to the creamed butter and whisk some more In a separate bowl put the eggs and vanilla essence and beat until light and fluffy Add egg mixture to creamed butter and sugar and mix well Sift the flour and cocoa into the bowl with wet ingredients and fold together Add the milk and fold in Pour into 2 X 20cm sandwich tins Bake in the oven for minutes To decorate Mix up the red icing "sauce." In a large bowl, cream the icing sugar and butter. Add the milk and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of red food coloring paste and mix until you have the desired shade (think ketchup). Use a spatula or knife to spread the sauce evenly over the cooled "pizza." Now you're ready to add the toppings. For white chocolate "cheese," roughly grate (adults only) white chocolate. Sprinkle it over the icing, add more cheese if you want! For other toppings, add Smarties, chocolate chips, Haribo or sweets you like. Use a pizza cutter or knife to slice the pizza into 8 pieces. Present it in a pizza box (ask a local pizza shop if you could have or buy one). Variation You can also make the chocolate base out of your favourite brownie recipe!

12 Oatmeal & Raisin Blondies 180g unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking tin 150g light-brown sugar 60g granulated sugar 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 100g all-purpose flour 200g old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking) 150g raisins Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Butter an 20cm square baking tin and line bottom with baking paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars. Add egg, salt, and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Add flour, oats, and raisins. Gently toss the raisins in the flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking. Fold by hand to combine. Spread batter in prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Using paper overhang, lift blondies onto work surface; cut into squares.

13 Chocolate Dominoes You will need to grease proof a tin (7 x 11 inches) Base: 175g margarine 150g self raising flour 3 eggs 175g caster sugat 25 cocoa powder Topping 175g butter 300g icing sugar 25g cocoa powder Smarties and strips of licorice laces Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Put all the base ingredients into a bowl and mix together Spoon ingredients into the tin and bake for 30 minutes Allow to cool Put on a board and cut into 16 rectangles Mix the butter, cocoa powder and icing sugar into a bowl. Spread onto your 16 rectangles and decorate with smarties and licorice laces

14 Farmyard Biscuits 350g plain flour 100g butter 1 egg 2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of sade 175g soft light brown sugar 4 tablespoons of golden syrup Large farm animal (or indeed a teapot?) cookie cutters Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4 & grease a baking tray Sift the flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until it looks like breadcrumbs. Beat the egg and syrup together in a small bowl. Add this to the flour and mix until dough Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out your animal shapes. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for minutes until golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack

15 Recipes from Around the World

16 African Ginger Cake 250g flour, sifted 75g Sugar 3 teaspoons ginger 1/2 teaspoon red peppers, ground 115g butter, softened 120ml water Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Rub in the fat thoroughly. Add the liquid and mix to a firm dough. Roll out on a floured board about 3/8 inch thick. Cut into rounds. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for about 15 minutes at 180C/Gas Mark 4

17 Accra Banana Peanut Cake 250g all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda 150g butter or margarine, softened 150g sugar 2 eggs 4 large bananas, peeled and mashed (very ripe) 150g salted peanuts, coarsely chopped (divided) Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs. Add dry ingredients alternately with mashed bananas just until combined; stir in ½ cup chopped peanuts. Scrape batter into well-greased 9" x 5" loaf pan; sprinkle top evenly with remaining chopped peanuts. Bake in 180C/Gas Mark 4 for 60 to 65 minutes or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; turn out of pan and cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil. Cake is best if served next day.

18 Meni-Meniyong 200g Sesame Seeds 240ml honey 4 tablespoons unsalted butter Preheat oven to 230C/Gas Mark 8. Spread the sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and cool. Heat the honey and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until it bubbles and darkens somewhat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the toasted sesame seeds into honey mixture. Spread the mass onto a buttered baking sheet to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cool until it is just warm and cut into finger-sized pieces. Cool completely and serve. For a tasty coating that will keep fingers less sticky, roll the fingers in more toasted sesame seeds to coat after cutting it into pieces

19 Nicaraguan Paste de Tres Leches (Cake of 3 Milks) 200g Flour 1 teaspoon Baking powder 125g Unsalted butter, room 150g Sugar 5 Eggs, room temperature ½ teaspoons Vanilla 250ml Whole milk 250ml Sweetened, condensed milk 150ml Evaporated milk 350ml Whipping cream (optional) 100g Sugar (optional) 1 teaspoon Vanilla (optional) Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4 and grease and flour an 8x11-inch baking pan. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, allowing each one to get incorporated before adding the next. Finally add the vanilla and continue beating until foamy. Remove the bowl from mixer and fold in the sifted flour until it is well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 30 minutes, or until done. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Pierce cake all over with a fork, toothpick or skewer. Mix the whole, sweetened, condensed, and evaporated milk together and pour the mixture over the whole cake. Refrigerate cake for anywhere from 2 to 8 hours, or until liquid is completely absorbed and cake is well chilled. Beat the cream, sugar and vanilla together to make whipped cream. Frost the cake with the whipped cream and serve or like us just dust with icing sugar. Variations Substitute coconut milk for the whole milk if you like. Scatter the frosting with coconut flakes. Substitute 1/2 cup rum for half the whole milk for a pastel with a punch. If you would like a layer cake, divide the batter between 2 prepared, round cake pans. For layer cakes, you can add a fruit filling between the layers. Try pineapple filling, peaches, bananas or any fruit that suits your fancy. Notes Because of the milk ingredients, pastel de tres leches is perishable. Leftovers should be refrigerated.

20 Peruvian Alfajores 250 all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 175g unsalted butter, room temperature 250g granulated sugar 2 large eggs, room temperature 175ml milk 60ml freshly squeezed orange juice 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Store-bought dulce de leche or jam Icing sugar, for serving (optional) Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing until well combined, about 1 minute. Working in batches, add flour mixture; mix until well combined. Add milk, orange juice, and vanilla; continue mixing until a dough forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Transfer to oven and bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 10 to 14 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack until completely cool. When cookies have cooled completely, spread the bottoms of half of the cookies with dulche de leche, cajeta, or jam; sandwich together with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Just before serving, lightly sprinkle with icing sugar, if desired.

21 Basboosa (Egyptian Semolina Cake) Syrup 400g Sugar 350ml Water 1 Lemon, juice only 1 teaspoon Orange flower water or rosewater (optional) Cake 350g Semolina 1 teaspoon Baking powder 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda 115g Unsalted butter, room temperature 150g Sugar 1 teaspoon Vanilla 2 Eggs, beaten 175g Yogurt 75g Blanched almonds Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Add the sugar, water and lemon juice to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil for about 8 to 10 more minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the orange flower water or rosewater if using and set the syrup aside to cool. Sift together the semolina, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and cream together until light and fluffy. Next add the eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla. With the mixer speed on medium-low speed, add about 1/3 of the semolina mixture to the butter and beat to incorporate. Then add 1/2 the yogurt and again beat to incorporate. Finish with the remaining ingredients, alternating the semolina with the remaining yogurt. Beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl and beat again. Pour the batter into a buttered 9x12-inch baking pan or into two 8-inch round cake pans and smooth out the top. Use a knife to make diagonal lines in two directions on the surface of the batter, creating diamond shapes. Arrange an almond in the center of each diamond. Place in the oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned on the top. Remove the cake from the oven and pour some of the cooled sugar syrup slowly over the entire cake while it is hot. Allow the syrup to soak into the cake before pouring on more, using up all the syrup. Set the cake aside until it is completely cooled. Cut the basboosa into diamond-shaped pieces and serve at room temperature with coffee or tea. Variations Use milk instead of yogurt. Increase the baking powder to 2 teaspoons and eliminate the baking soda. Often served with whipped cream or a dollop of ushta, a type of clotted cream. Use pistachios or walnuts instead of almonds if you like.

22 Besan Laddu 140g Ladoo Besan (available in Indian Stores) 115g Desi Ghee (clarified butter) 150g sugar 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder 4-5 tablespoons almonds 1 tablespoons raisins Take a pan and heat the ghee. Add the gram flour to the ghee and fry it on a low flame till it changes the color to brown. Now let it cool for at least 1 hour. Add powdered cardamom and sugar. Mix it well. Now add chopped almonds and raisins to this flour mixture and mix it well. Make the round shape ladoos and serve. Garnish this with chopped almonds Now the ladoo is ready to serve. You can keep this ladoo in an airtight container for 4-5 months.

23 Filipino Polvoron 500g all purpose flour 135g powdered milk 10g Puffed Rice (or rice crispies) crushed 250g butter, softened 300g granulated sugar Heat a frying pan or a wok then put-in the flour. Toast the flour until you smell the aroma and the color turns light brown. Make sure to stir while toasting to prevent the flour from being burnt. Once the flour is toasted, let it cool down for about 20 minutes then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the powdered milk then stir using a balloon whisk. Put-in the granulated sugar then stir again. Add-in the crushed puffed rice then stir until very ingredient is well distributed. Pour-in the softened butter and mix well. You may use your clean hands in doing the procedure. After mixing, let it stand for at least 10 minutes to allow the butter to cool. This will make the mixture more intact. Using a polvoron molder, scoop the mixture and put it on top of a pre-cut Japanese paper or cellophane then wrap. If you don t have a mould, use two spoons (or your hands but it can get messy) to pack the polvoron into a small tablet shape. Serve. Share and enjoy!