Monday 28 May 2012

Monday Bake - Bacon and Herb Loaf

The better weather is here (to stay for a while I hope) time for picnics and nearly time for Jubilee street parties.  For this weeks bake I have gone savoury, I get tired of sandwiches and I'm always looking for savoury alternatives - this is perfect for eating outdoors.   


Ingredients:
200g margarine
50g caster sugar
3 large eggs
200g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 rashers of grilled smoked bacon
1 onion – chopped and fried until soft and golden

1 tbsp thyme leaves

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180c/Fan 160c/GasMark4
Line a 2lb loaf tin with a loaf tin liner (I use Lakeland)
Place the margarine and sugar in a large bowl.

Cream with an electric whisk until light and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time beating well between each one.

Sift in the flour and baking powder, add the salt and fold in.
Fold in the bacon, onions and thyme.


Spoon into the tin. Bake for about 50 minutes.
Check the cake is cooked - when an inserted skewer comes out clean - if it doesn't pop the cake back in the oven for another 5 minutes - then check again - repeat as necessary.



Leave to cool in the tin.
Serve sliced and buttered.


Thanks for visiting, have a lovely long bank holiday weekend and lets hope the sun keeps shining.

Bakebakegirl.

Todays top three random Ipod songs:

1. Temptation - Heaven 17
2. The Look of Love - ABC
3. New Song - Howard Jones

Monday 21 May 2012

Monday Inspiration - Red Velvet

My name is Bakebakegirl and I own a lot of cook books...... ;o)

I have been enjoying sharing my tried, tested and tweeked recipes with you so far but I soon realised that my blog wouldn't last for many weeks before I ran out of my adapted recipes....I will do some savoury recipes too but I have decided that I will also blog when I try out new recipes from my many, many books.

As I am taking a recipe straight from a book and therefore I can't blog it I called this post "Inspiration".   I was thinking that these posts might inspire you to find a recipe for whatever I am trying out, in this case Red Velvet. 


I love Marian Keyes,  I have all her novels so when I heard she was bringing out a baking book I hinted heavily and received a copy for Mothers Day.   Saved by cake didn't disappoint - it is a great read - in short it describes how Marian suffers from depression but the methodical ways of baking helps her.  Have a look at her website, she has some little videos on there http://www.mariankeyes.com/Home  - I now say "cookie cutter" with an Irish Accent!

I have made several of her bakes already but today I made her Red Velvet Cupcakes - my first ever attempt. These ones have a Philadelphia mixture through them.

It did seem to be the recipe of many bowls (Minibakebakegirl enjoyed licking the chocolate and philadelphia ones clean!) 



Also they didn't come out red at all (I used Dr Oetker red food gel), next time I will add more colouring  but they were delicious and I loved the marble effect with the Philadelphia.


Thank you for the lovely comments about my blog, I am so pleased that people have been trying my recipes and sending me photos of their cakes.   I plan to do an update post at some point so tweet me a picture if you have made one of my recipes and I will include it.

Also tweet me a picture if you make any red velvet cakes - hopefully they turn out more red than mine!

Bakebakegirl

Todays Top Three Random Ipod Songs (first two were sung quite loudly!)

1. The Phantom of The Opera - Sarah Brightman & Steve Harley
2. Jolene - Dolly Parton
3. Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's

Monday 14 May 2012

Monday Bake - Banana Loaf Cake


I am a "just ripe" banana girl (recently green - no brown bits!) As soon as bananas go brown I am looking for new recipes to use them up. This is one of my favourite banana recipes probably because it contains alcohol :o) The alcohol does burn off during cooking so this cake can be eaten by children.  Alternatively you could use orange juice instead of rum.  This cake makes the house smell amazing while baking.

Ingredients:
100g sultanas
75ml rum
175g margarine
175g light brown soft sugar
2 large eggs
225g ripe bananas - mashed (weight is after peeling - approx 3)
225g self raising flour

Method:
Place the sultanas and rum in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. The sultanas will plump up and absorb most of the liquid.

Preheat the oven to 180c/Fan 160c/GasMark4
Line a 2lb loaf tin with a loaf tin liner (I use Lakeland)
Place the margarine and sugar in a large bowl.




Cream with an electric whisk until light and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time beating well between each one.
Stir in the sultanas (along with any remaining liquid) and mashed banana.
Add the self raising flour and mix until all combined.


Spoon into the tin.


Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Check the cake is cooked - when an inserted skewer comes out clean - if it doesn't pop the cake back in the oven for another 5 minutes - then check again - repeat as necessary.
Leave to cool in the tin.



Thanks for visiting, hope to see you next week.

Bakebakegirl.

Todays top three random Ipod songs:

1. Sing - Travis
2. Bohemian Like You - The Dandy Warhols
3. Happy Now - Take That

Monday 7 May 2012

Monday Bake - Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies

I tweeted a picture of some rocky road I had made using gluten free digestives for my friend who is coeliac and received my first request from a twitter friend for a recipe on my blog :o)

Sister gave me this recipe and I actually prefer it to brownies made with flour.  Minibakebakegirl always makes this with me, she pretty much does it all - I am only required to supervise and fold in the egg whites these days!

Ingredients:
150g plain chocolate -  good quality approx 70% cocoa
100g margarine
100g ground almonds
175g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs - separated


Method:
Preheat the oven to 180c/Fan 160c/GasMark4.
Grease and line a 22cm square cake tin with baking paper.
Place the chocolate and margarine in a large bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, stirring occasionally until melted. 


Remove from the heat and add the almonds, sugar and vanilla, mix well.
Beat in the egg yolks - until well combined.


In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff. 


Fold the egg whites in to the chocolate mixture. (Mix in one third first to loosen the mixture and then gently fold in the rest - try not to knock out too much air)  Pour into the prepared tin and cook for approximately 40 minutes. 


Cool and cut into squares.


This is also really good served warm with vanilla ice cream and homemade chocolate sauce.

Thanks for visiting, hope you have a lovely bank holiday Monday - happy baking!

Bakebakegirl

Todays top three random Ipod songs:

1. I'm In Love With A German Film Star - The Passions
2. Summer Son - Texas
3. All You Need Is Now - Duran Duran