Baking classics

thriftmonster

What are the cakes and biscuits that you make week in, week out for your family? I'm always on the look out for quick staples to fill the tins:

The things I make all the time are:
fairy buns
Mr Bad Examples choc yoghurt cake (with soya yoghurt)
flapjacks
Bero choc brownies (a new discovery)

Biscuits are ok but I find rolling and cutting too much of a faff for everyday.

Nicki

I make choc chip cookies every week from a fab recipie which calls for half a can of condensed milk. They are lovely and taste like high end luxury cookies from Miss Millies, etc. They are easy to make because I just mix all the ingredients together in the mixer, roll into small balls and bake in the oven for about 15 mins. With the other half of the can of condensed milk, I make millionaires shortbread, because I love it (though that's a bit more of a pain to make). I may have to stop doing this though as I eat far too many of them on my own! I also have the chocolate cookie master mix which someone posted a while back made up on stand by so can whip up an emergency batch quickly if we run out.

Pink.

Hi Nicki,

Would you mind posting your recipe for the choc chip cookies, they sound lovely! :drool:

Pink

Nicki

200g soft butter
75g caster sugar
125ml condensed milk
250g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
300g choc chips

Cream butter and sugar, stir in condensed milk, fold in flour and baking powder, and stir in choc chips. Roll into balls and bake for about 15 mins at GM4 until lightly golden. Let cool on baking sheets for only about 2 mins before transferring to a cooling rack. Keep kids out of kitchen while they cool as they are also yummy when slightly warm, and you may not have many to put away otherwise. I find these quantities make about 2 dozen.

thriftmonster

I had completely forgotten about the cookie mix that is sitting in my cupboard - that will be happening today!

skinnygirlnot

I make muffins from this book :http://www.amazon.co.uk/Muffins-Fast-Fantastic-Susan-Reimer/dp/0952885824.
So easy and delicious. I also make savoury scones and freeze them immediately. I bought the scone recipe off ebay for 99p:o . The scones are amazing and again so easy.If you want the recipe let me know and I'll post tonight when I get home.

daysieblue

Hi Nicki - I have alway wanted to make my own millionaire shortbread, could you post that recipe too? your cookies look scrummy btw

db xx

Kimitatsu

I make oaty cherry cookies as they fulfill the healthy eating criteria for school!!

Basically its oats, raisins, butter, sugar, glace cherries all bunged together and cooked. Counts as a flapjack for the lunchbox (go figure!) and my youngest eats more fruit then he realises!

Also fairy cakes and banana bread are popular in our household, so much so that the kids bring friends back for a snack after school.

taplady

The cookie recipe looks good!:T

In our house our favourites are

scones
welshcakes
any HM biscuits
shortbread
weetabix cake

Pink.

A regular in our house is banana bread....Dd, likes it buttered, ds1 likes it as it comes and ds2 likes it with custard.

This is the recipe that I use:

Makes two loaves...we usually eat one and freeze one.

6oz soft butter or margarine
9oz caster sugar
3 eggs
4 mashed bananas (the riper the better)
12oz sr flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
3 tablespoons of milk

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line tins with greaseproof paper.

Cream the margarine and sugar together, then add the eggs and mashed bananas.

Next add the flour, baking powder and milk and fold into the creamed mix.

Pour the mixture into the lined tins and bake in the centre of the oven for about 45 minutes or until they are a light brown colour.

Turn them out onto a baking rack, remove the greaseproof paper and leave to cool.

Pink

Nicki

Millionaires shortbread

For base: 225g plain flour, 75g caster sugar, 175g soft marg or butter. I stick them all in together in mixer and mix until just combined. Only takes a few mins. The press into a baking tray and bake at GM4 for 25 mins until lightly golden.

For topping: Melt together slowly in a heavy bottomed saucepan 100g marg or butter, 200g condensed milk and 50g brown sugar. Bring gently to boil and simmer for 5 mins. You need to stand over it and stir it constantly as it will burn very easily and catch on the bottom of your saucepan. Keep the heat as low as you can. After 5 mins it should be smooth and slightly thickened. Beat in a few drops of vanilla essence, then pour over the base and leave to cool.

When cool, melt a block of chocolate (plain or milk according to personal taste) and spread over the caramel topping. Put in fridge until set.

These are seriously yum, though do take a bit of time to make. It works best for me to do it when I am doing other things in the kitchen. The key is to make sure that the caramel doesn't burn, and that you cook it for the full 5 mins to ensure it sets thickly enough, otherwise they will still taste very nice but will be very messy to eat! Taste wise it doesn't seem to make a difference whether you use butter or a good quality marg. I know some people don't like to use marg for health reasons, but it does seem to make the caramel mixture slightly more stable and less prone to burn though.

Hope you enjoy.