Good Morning Lovelies,
With the festive season in full swing and many of us starting to buy our Christmas food items, I thought now would be a good time to share my Christmas cake recipe. Plus, it is stir up Sunday!
Taking just 15 minutes to prepare and three hours to bake, this is a simple and easy creation. You don’t even have to add more alcohol to it if you don’t want to.
You can really just get creative with it and find a way to enjoy it the way you want to lovelies. Get ready to tuck in with the whole family...
Ingredients
- 3 Large Eggs
- 300g (10oz) Plain Flour
- 250g (8oz) Butter, Softened
- 250g (8oz) Light Muscovado Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Ground Mixed Spice
- Pinch of Salt
- 410g Jar of Mincemeat
- 500g (1lb) Dried Mixed Fruit
- 4 Tbsp Brandy
Tools
- 20cm (8in) Round or 18cm (7in) Square Cake Tin
- Wooden Spoon
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Tablespoon
- Scales
Method
- To position the cake centrally in the oven, put one of the shelves just below the middle of it. Set the oven to 140°C/280°F/Gas Mark 1 and line the cake tin with baking paper at the bottom and up the sides.
- Break the eggs into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, except the brandy. Beat the mixture until smooth, then spoon into the cake tin. With a wet hand, press and smooth the mixture on top, until it’s level.
- Bake the cake in the centre of the oven for three hours, or until the cake feels firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean after being inserted.
- Remove from the oven and place the tin on a wire rack. Leave the cake to cool for 15 minutes, then spoon over the brandy. Leave it to cool completely in the tin.
- Remove the cake from the tin and peel away the baking paper. Wrap it in clean paper and then foil, before storing it away in a cool place for up to 3 months or until ready to decorate.
When do you think is the perfect time to enjoy this cake lovelies? Have you already been baking? Don’t forget to share your creations with me, as I would love to share them!
Joey X
The other day I was thinking about how long it has been since I did a recipe post for you all. This year, I wanted to conquer bread. I want to be able to eat a few slices and I want to also be able to bake it. Whilst I have only managed bagels and pitta breads so far in the eating department, I have managed a few successful bakes for the rest of my family.
This inspired me to write this post for you lovelies, with the recipe that has helped me a lot over the past few months. Believe me, I have tried a ton and had many failures, but this one seems to be a real winner…
Ingredients
- 500g Plain Flour
- One Teaspoon of Salt
- 7g of Dried Yeast Powder
- 350ml of Lukewarm Water
Tools
- Mixing Bowl
- Scales
- Spoon
- 900g Loaf Tin
Method
- Grab your mixing bowl and add in the yeast, flour and salt. Keep the salt and yeast separate from each other, by putting one on each side. This stops the salt from preventing the yeast from working.
- Within the bowl, make a well and pour the water in a little bit. Don’t pour all of it in at once. Use your hand or a mixing spoon to begin forming a slightly wet but workable dough. Keep adding the water until the dough is manageable. (You can use a dough mixing machine to do all of this too!).
- When ready, lightly flour your surface and place the dough on it. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic like. Using a clean oiled/buttered bowl, place the prepared dough into it. Cover and leave to prove until the dough has doubled in size.
- After the dough has finished rising, turn the oven on to 220(C). This will preheat it ready for when the dough is to be baked.
- Taking the dough, knock back the mixture, by placing it onto a lightly floured surface and working it until the air is removed. Shape into a rugby ball and place into your loaf tin. The tin does not need to be oiled or prepped, simply placed into the tin. Cover again and leave for 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has risen, place into the preheated oven for 15 minutes. When the time is up, lower the temperature to 190(C) and cook for a further 30 minutes. The loaf should then be ready, with a hollow sound coming from it when tapped on the bottom, after being removed from the tin.
- Place onto a wire rack to cool completely or serve freshly baked from the oven.
- Enjoy with your favourite topping!
What is your favourite bread topping lovelies? For me, it has got to be good old-fashioned jam or honey! I can’t get enough!
Joey X
Good Morning Lovelies,
Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the festive addition of some gorgeous cookies! This year has been the year I rediscovered how good biscuits are, so I couldn’t let Blogmas go by without sharing a festive recipe for some.
And as we near midnight, they are perfect for a night snack. Or well any time of the day leading up to the big festive one, which is only a week away. It is time to get baking lovelies…
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Butter, Softened
- 1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 Cups Milk Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 Cup Mini Marshmallows
Tools
- Baking Tray
- Greaseproof Paper
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Mixing Spoon
- Tablespoon
- Cooling Rack
Method
- First lovelies, preheat your oven to 180(C) and line your baking tray with greaseproof paper. Once complete, leave to one side.
- Take your mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fully combined.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, before adding to the butter/sugar mixture.
- Place the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl with the mixture and stir together until well combined. Once mixed, stir in one cup of the milk chocolate chips.
- Taking a tablespoon, place 1 heaped amount of the dough onto the baking tray. Continue to do so until all the mixture is used.
- When all of the dough has been placed on the tray, use the palm of your hand to flatten each one. Then press the remaining milk chocolate chips and mini marshmallows on to the top of each one. Repeat until all the cookies have been topped and flattened.
- Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. When ready, remove and allow to cool on the tray for five minutes, before moving to a cooling rack.
- Once ready, enjoy warm or with a hot chocolate for the ultimate festive delight!
What will you be enjoying your hot chocolate cookies with lovelies? Let me know or share your creations with us! I love seeing them lovelies!
Joey X
Make A Fruity Delight This Sunday With This Super Simple Three Ingredient Cupcake Recipe!
Baking 07:44:00Sunday’s have become all about baking in our house again recently. We have been spending the last few days of summer foraging for blackberries, leading to an apple and blackberry galette recipe I made for my mum.
However, today I have gone for a simple recipe that is perfect for the early days of autumn. With only three ingredients needed, these little fruit cupcakes can be done in no time at all. Get ready to make them all the time lovelies…
Ingredients:
1KG Mixed Dried Fruit
3 Cups Cranberry Juice (or Any Juice You Would Prefer)
3 Cups Self-Raising Flour
Equipment:
Large Mixing Bowl
A Mixing Spoon
Cupcake Tin
Cupcake Cases
A Skewer/Toothpick
Method:
- Start a day ahead of when you want to make these cupcakes lovelies by combining the mixed fruit and juice in a large mixing bowl.
- Once combined, leave to soak for 24 hours, stirring briefly every six to eight hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 125C/235F and line a cupcake tin with cases. Leave to one side.
- Whilst the oven heats up, stir the flour into the fruit mixture until well combined. If the fruit has absorbed all the liquid, add an extra cup of juice.
- Place the mixture into the cases when ready and pop it into the oven for 25-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
- When ready take out of the oven and enjoy straight away or when they have cooled. Perfect with a simple touch of icing sugar or a topping of your choice.
I hope you enjoy this recipe lovelies! It is a great one to get ready to Christmas with. Oh yes, I said the C word aha! If you make the recipe, don’t forget to share pictures of your creations. I would love to share them!
What will you be baking today lovelies?
Joey X
The sun is shining. The world is awake. I am ready to get
baking. Who else is with me? I had someone say to me that I was making their
day with the recipes and they were so excited to share images with me of their
creations. It really made my day to see and so this week I have decided to go
for a sunny creation.
In our house, summer is really in full swing when my brother
comes to stay, and he asks for a pineapple upside down! It makes me really
smile and I love being able to create the dish for the family to enjoy. Especially
with some ice cream, custard, or squirty cream in some cases.
With some food still a little bit hard to get, I have made
sure to make this recipe as easy as can be. It only has three ingredients and four
easy steps to make it. Enjoy lovelies…
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Self-Raising Flour
- 1 Cup Caster Sugar
- 1 Can of Pineapple Chunks (Undrained)
Tools
- Loaf Tin
- Baking Paper
- Mixing Bowl
- Mixing Spoon
- Skewer (Optional)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and set aside.
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them together until they are all combined.
- Pour into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin or enjoy warm with a topping of your choice lovelies.
Don’t forget to share your sunny pineapple creations with me
lovelies! I would love to share them with everyone else on social media and the
blog!
Joey X
Blogmas Day 15: Bake and Make The Ultimate Gingerbread Cookies This Christmas With This Recipe
Bakes 08:30:00- 125g Unsalted Butter
- 100g Dark Muscovado Sugar
- 4 Tbsp Golden Syrup
- 325g Plain Flour
- 1 Tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda
- 2 Tsp Ground Ginger
- Writing Icing (Optional)
- 2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon (Optional)
- Mincemeat (Optional)
- Baking Trays
- Baking Paper
- Rolling Pin
- Mixing Bowl
- Mixing Spoon
- Saucepan
- Teaspoon
- Straw (Optional)
- Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3 and line your baking trays with baking paper.
- Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in your saucepan, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, when all mixed and melted together.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, and cinnamon if you are using, before stirring in the melted ingredients making a stiff dough.
- On a lightly floured surface, place the dough and roll out until it is 5mm thick. Using cookie cutters of your choice, make the shapes you desire and place them on the trays. If you are using mincemeat, place a teaspoon on each biscuit and cover with another shape. You will have fewer biscuits, but they will be filled with tasty treats.
- Cook, in batches if needed, for nine to ten minutes or lightly brown.
- Once ready, remove from the oven. They will still be soft, so if you are going to be making decorations with them, now is the perfect time make the holes for the ribbon.
- When completely cool, decorate with the icing. Gift or store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.