THEGAYUK

Tag: Baking Recipes

  • RECIPE | Pistachio & Pomegranate Chocolate Cake

    A flourless, intensely rich chocolate cake laced with pistachio and pomegranate jewels, perfect for showing someone a bit of home-baked lovin’ this Valentine’s.

    Ingredients.
    Prep – 20 mins
    Cook & Decorate – 1hr – 1hr 20mins

    225g butter
    365g plain chocolate
    250g caster sugar
    55g blitzed pistachio kernels (or bash in a bag if you don’t have a food processor)
    6 medium eggs
    30g cocoa powder
    1 tbsp milk (I used Koko)
    1 tbsp honey
    1 tsp vanilla extract

    Method.
    Decoration; pomegranate seeds (dry with kitchen towel before decorating) & more blitzed pistachio kernels. I also used pink candy pearls I found in the supermarket. You could also use desiccated coconut.

    Pre-heat your oven to 200c / 180c (fan) / Gas Mark 6

    1. Using a 9 inch circular spring-form tin, place on greaseproof paper and draw an outline of the cake tin. Cut the circle out.

    2. Spray the tin with a bit of cooking oil, place the greaseproof paper circle inside the tin and spray once more with cooking oil.

    3. In a small saucepan, melt on the lowest heat, only 250g worth of the chocolate with all of the butter.

    4. Once completely melted and combined, transfer to a large mixing bowl and beat in the sugar.

    5. Adding your eggs once at a time, continue to beat and combine.

    6. Tip in the cocoa powder and blitzed pistachios and stir a few times to combine.

    7. Pour the cake mix into the prepared spring-form tin and into the oven for 45-60 minutes (depends on your oven, mine took 1hr).

    8. Check your cake is cooked through via skewer test, ensuring it comes out clean and the top is firm to the touch.

    9. Remove and set cake aside in it’s tin to cool for 10 minutes.

    10. Place a plate on top of the cake tin and invert, flipping it upside down. Release the spring-form tin, and remove the greaseproof paper that’s now on the top side of the cake. Leave to cool further.

    11. Meanwhile you can begin the glossy glaze to top the cake with. Melt remaining 115g of chocolate with 3 tablespoons of butter. Stirring until smooth.

    12. Take off the heat and stir in the honey, vanilla extract and milk. Now set this aside to cool slightly.

    13. You want your cake to be completely cool before topping with your glaze. Pour it onto the centre of the cake and use a spatula to spread over the top and sides of the cake.

    14. Top with some more pistachio kernels (some blitzed, some whole if you like), and pomegranate seeds. Be as extravagant or as minimalistic as you feel with the decoration.

    15. Cover and leave in the fridge for the half an hour or until you’re ready, to allow the glaze to set and harden.

  • RECIPE | Mum’s Organic Lemon Drizzle Cake

    Mum’s Organic Lemon Drizzle Cake

    Freezable

    Serves 1 mum or 8-10 slices depending on your portion

    Prep 10 mins

    Cook 40 mins-1hr (dependant on your oven)

     

    Who doesn’t love a lemon drizzle? More specifically, whose mum doesn’t love a lemon drizzle cake. My mum adores this cake, hence the name. Once baked you can freeze the cake for a month, or keep in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

    LEMONS – The lemon is great for aiding digestion. It can also help you stay refreshed as has a cooling effect on the body. Lemons contain flavanoids which have been to exhibit cancer fighting properties. (SOURCE: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-lemon.html ) For a more effective, healthier way of incorporating the lemon into your diet, why not start your day with a glass of lemon water.

     

    Ingredients

    225g organic self-raising flour

    225g organic unsalted butter, softened

    225g organic caster sugar

    4 free-range eggs

    1 organic lemon, zested

     

    Topping

    juice 2 organic lemons

    100g organic caster sugar

     

    Instruction

    Preheat your oven to 180c / 160c (fan) / Gas Mark 4

     

    1. Line a 8x21cm loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
    2. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened sugar and butter together until creamy.
    3. Add the eggs, one by one, and slowly mix together.
    4. Sift your flour into the mix, and add the zest of one lemon.
    5. Spoon in the cake mix into the prepared load tin, and level the top with the back of a spoon.
    6. Bake the cake in the oven until a skewer inserted to the centre comes out clean.
    7. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in its tin.
    8. While cooling, mix together the juice of 2 lemons with 100g sugar.
    9. With a fork, prick the cake all over the top and pour the lemon sugar juice over the top.
    10. Leave to cool completely before removing from the loaf tin, and serving.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Recipe: Pistachio Cookies

    Pistachio Cookies

    Prep 15 mins

    Cook 10 mins

    Makes 12 Cookies

    Quick & Easy / Minimal Ingredients

    Chewy cookies with an unexpected citrus-like tang from the use of pomegranate molasses (a fruit syrup made from pomegranate juice reduction). These taste surprisingly light considering the use of a thick syrup, and the combination with the slightly salty pistachio kernels is delicious, unique and certainly moreish.

    Even the molasses of Pomegranate are high in anti-oxidants (especially vit. C). Equally pistachios contain a fair amount of anti-oxidants; carotenes, vit. E, and polyphenolic compounds. Immune system essentials; copper, iron, zinc, and selenium also feature.

     

    Ingredients

    210g plain flour

    140g butter

    100g pistachio kernels

    100g caster sugar

    60g pomegranate molasses

    1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped

    ½ tsp baking powder

     

    Instructions

    Pre-heat your oven to 200c / 180c (Fan) / Gas Mark 6

     

    1. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper and spray with a smidge of cooking oil.
    2. In a small saucepan, melt your butter. Just before it’s completely melted add in the pomegranate molasses to warm through, and combine together.
    3. Transfer the melted ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
    4. Add the vanilla pod seeds and sugar and beat together until combined completely.
    5. Tip in the flour, baking powder, and pistachios and mix thoroughly to create your cookie dough.
    6. At this point I put the bowl in the fridge for 5 mins just to cool slightly. You don’t have to do this but I find it makes the dough easier to shape.
    7. Roll equal shape balls of the dough and space out on the baking sheet, bear in mind they will spread out ever so slightly whilst baking.
    8. Press each ball piece down slightly and now put the baking sheet in the oven for the next 8-10 minutes.
    9. Even if your cookies feel soft & airy to touch, fear not, they will harden as they cool. If you prefer a crunchier biscuit-like texture then leave in the oven for a few minutes longer.

     

  • RECIPE: Ginger Biscuits

    Ginger Biscuits

    Makes 15 large biscuits

    Inexpensive / Quick & Easy / Store Cupboard Ingredients /

     

    These cost hardly anything to make and are super quick and easy. If you keep a well stocked store cupboard then you should already have most of the ingredients to hand. Pomegranate molasses are available in most supermarkets now, but you could always substitute this for golden syrup.

     

    The length of baking is to give a crunchy biscuit, but if you prefer yours more cookie-like & chewy then reduce baking by 5-10 minutes dependent on the size of your biscuits.

     

    Ingredients

    100g butter, unsalted

    225g granulated sugar

    260g plain white flour

    4 tsp dried ground ginger

    1 ½ tbsp pomegranate molasses

    1 tsp baking soda

    1 egg

     

    Instructions

    Pre-heat your oven to 180c / 160c (fan) / Gas Mark 4

     

    1. In a large saucepan or sauté pan, melt the butter on a low heat, adding the pomegranate molasses just before the butter is completely melted. Stir together to combine.
    2. Take off the heat completely, then add in your sugar and egg, whisking together and mixing until creamy & a little fluffy.
    3. Tip in your ginger, baking soda, and flour and mix well to form your biscuit dough.
    4. Once all the ingredients are combined, leave to one side until cool enough to handle.
    5. Line a couple of baking trays with greaseproof paper.
    6. By hand, make equal size balls out of the dough and press lightly onto the baking sheet. Allow space between each one as the dough will spread whilst cooking.
    7. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them every now and then after the 10 minute mark.
    8. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to transfer the biscuits from the trays onto a cooling rack. Store in an air-tight container once completely cooled.

     

  • RECIPE: Chia Coconut Cookie Cakes

    Chia Coconut Cookie-Cakes

    Makes 12

    Prep 10 mins

    Cook 10 mins

    Quick & Easy / Minimal Ingredients

    With a simple bung in the bowl and beat method, these are ridiculously easy to make. When handling the mixture to shape, it will be wet, but this is what gives them the sponge like texture inside, under their toasty coconut exterior.

     

    Ingredients

    80g coconut flour

    5 tbsp coconut oil, melted if solid

    4 medium eggs

    2 tbsp honey

    1 tbsp apricot conserve/jam

    2 tsp chia seeds

    ½ tsp baking powder

    Pre-heat your oven to 200c / 180c (fan) / Gas Mark 6

    Instructions

    1. Grease and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
    2. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix for a couple of minutes until completely combined.
    3. With your hands shape into equal size balls. If the mixture is too wet to handle add a couple of tablespoons more of coconut flour. You want them to be around the same size as when you connect your thumb to your index finger making a circle.
    4. Place each ball on the prepared baking sheet and press down lightly.
    5. Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes when the tops of the cookie-cakes have turned slightly golden.
    6. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Store in an air-tight container.