Irish Soda Bread

Get the taste of Ireland with this fresh, no-fuss soda bread

• Cooking Time Takes 45-55 minutes
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 1 loaf

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  296

• Protein

  11g

• Carbs

  56g

• Fat

  5g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  5g

• Sugar

  0g

• Salt

  1.21g

Ingredients

• 250g plain white flour
• 250g plain wholemeal flour
• 100g porridge oats
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 25g butter, cut in pieces
• 500ml buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C and dust a baking sheet with flour. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then rub in the butter. Pour in the buttermilk and mix it in quickly with a table knife, then bring the dough together very lightly with your fingertips (handle it very, very gently). Now shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm/8in in diameter.
2. Put the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top. (Traditionally, this lets the fairies out, but it also helps the bread to cook through.) Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn't ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more.
3. Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool. To serve, break into quarters, then break or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges or slices-or simply slice across. Eat very fresh.

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Baked Mincemeat Doughnuts

Get into the Christmas spirit and enjoy the pure pleasure of baking these mincemeat filled doughnuts

• Cooking Time Prep 2 hrs, 15 mins
  Cook 12 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Makes 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  149

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  30g

• Fat

  3g

• Saturates

  2g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  17g

• Salt

  0.06g

Ingredients

• 200g strong white bread flour
• 1 rounded tbsp caster sugar
• 25g butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 x 7g sachet easy-blend dried yeast
• 5 tbsp milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 tbsp mincemeat
• To coat
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 85g caster sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Tip the flour, sugar and a good pinch of salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingertips. Stir in the yeast.
2. Warm the milk to hand hot. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the milk and egg. Mix everything together to make a soft dough. Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until the dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for about 1 hr or until doubled in size.
3. Knead the dough again briefly, then divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece to a 9cm round and put 1 tsp mincemeat in the centre. Gather up the edges of the dough to enclose the filling, pinching it well to seal. Shape into a ball between your hands and put on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, sealed side down, allowing space for the dough to rise. Cover with a tea towel and leave for about 30 mins. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
4. Bake the doughnuts for 10-12 mins until risen and golden. Mix the icing sugar with 2 tbsp cold water in a shallow bowl. Mix the caster sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Roll each doughnut first in the sugar syrup, then into the caster sugar to coat all over. Leave to cool.

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Bread Pudding

This simple bake is lovely with tea, or custard or ice cream for dessert

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 1 hr, 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cuts into 9 squares

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  510

• Protein

  10g

• Carbs

  94g

• Fat

  13g

• Saturates

  7g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  67g

• Salt

  1.15g

Ingredients

• 500g white or wholemeal bread
• 500g/1lb 2oz mixed dried fruit
• 85g mixed peel
• 1 ½ tbsp mixed spice
• 600ml milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 140g light muscovado sugar
• zest 1 lemon (optional)
• 100g butter, melted
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Directions

1. Tear the bread into a large mixing bowl and add the fruit, peel and spice. Pour in the milk, then stir or scrunch through your fingers to mix everything well and completely break up the bread. Add eggs, muscovado and lemon zest if using. Stir well, then set aside for 15 mins to soak.
2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line the base of a 20cm non-stick square cake tin (not one with a loose base). Stir the melted butter into the pudding mixture, tip into the tin, then scatter with demerara. Bake for 1½ hrs until firm and golden, covering with foil if it starts to brown too much. Turn out of the tin and strip off the paper. Cut into squares and serve warm.

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Rhubarb & Pear Crumble

This has a lovely crunchy topping that tastes like flapjack, perfect comfort food

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 50 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  591

• Protein

  7g

• Carbs

  81g

• Fat

  29g

• Saturates

  18g

• Fibre

  7g

• Sugar

  54g

• Salt

  0.69g

Ingredients

• 3 ripe pears
• 600g rhubarb
• 100g golden caster sugar
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• For the topping
• 200g wholemeal flour
• 200g cold butter, diced
• 140g soft, light brown sugar
• 50g muesli or porridge oats
• 25g Grape-Nuts or Clusters breakfast cereal

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. For the topping, tip all the ingredients together and rub with your fingers until you have a rough pastry, then set aside in the fridge.
2. Peel the pears and chop into large chunks, then chop the rhubarb into finger-length batons. Tip into a large ovenproof dish and toss with the sugar and orange zest and juice. Crumble over the topping and bake for 40 mins until golden and bubbling at the sides. Leave to cool for 5 mins before spooning into bowls and serving with custard or ice cream.

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Luscious Lemon Baked Cheesecake

A simple but very impressive pud, light enough to have a slice to finish a big meal

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 40 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cuts into 10 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  705

• Protein

  7g

• Carbs

  43g

• Fat

  57g

• Saturates

  34g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  25g

• Salt

  1.08g

Ingredients

• 225g digestive biscuits
• 100g butter, melted
• 250g tub mascarpone
• 600g soft cheese
• 2 eggs, plus 2 yolks
• zest 3 lemons, juice of 1
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 175g caster sugar
• For the topping
• ½ a 284ml pot soured cream
• 3 tbsp lemon curd
• handful raspberries, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line the bottom of a 23cm springform tin with greaseproof paper. Tip the biscuits and melted butter into a food processor, then blitz to make fine crumbs. Press into the tin and chill.
2. Whisk all the other ingredients in a large bowl until completely combined, pour into the tin, then bake for 35-40 mins until the cheesecake has a uniform wobble.
3. Turn off the oven and leave the cake inside until cool. When it is completely cooled, remove from the tin and top with soured cream. Swirl lemon curd over the top and decorate with raspberries, if you like.

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Bread In Four Easy Steps

Kids can help with this super-simple bread recipe. Use whichever flour you like, granary, wholemeal or white

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 35 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cuts into 8 thick slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  231

• Protein

  10g

• Carbs

  42g

• Fat

  4g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  3g

• Salt

  0.63g

Ingredients

• 500g granary, strong wholewheat or white bread flour (I used granary)
• 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp clear honey

Directions

1. Tip the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl and mix together with your hands. Stir 300ml hand-hot water with the oil and honey, then stir into the dry ingredients to make a soft dough.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins, until the dough no longer feels sticky, sprinkling with a little more flour if you need it.
3. Oil the loaf tin and put the dough in the tin, pressing it in evenly. Put in a large plastic food bag and leave to rise for 1 hr, until the dough has risen to fill the tin and it no longer springs back when you press it with your finger.
4. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Make several slashes across the top of the loaf with a sharp knife, then bake for 30-35 mins until the loaf is risen and golden. Tip it out onto a cooling rack and tap the base of the bread to check it is cooked. It should sound hollow. Leave to cool.

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Yummy Scrummy Carrot Cake

The lightest and most enticingly moist carrot cake you will ever come across - just find a good hiding place for it!

• Cooking Time Prep 1 hr - 1 hr, 15 mins
  
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cuts into 15 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  265

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  39g

• Fat

  12g

• Saturates

  2g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  24.8g

• Salt

  0.41g

Ingredients

• 175g light muscovado sugar
• 175ml sunflower oil
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 140g grated carrots (about 3 medium)
• 100g raisins
• grated zest of 1 large orange
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg (freshly grated will give you the best flavour)
• For the frosting
• 175g icing sugar
• 1½-2 tbsp orange juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan 160C. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment. The easiest way to do this is to cut two long strips the width of the tin and put each strip crossways, covering the base and sides of the tin, with a double layer in the base.
2. Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.
3. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl. Lightly mix all the ingredients-when everything is evenly amalgamated stop mixing. The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. (You can freeze the cake at this point.)
5. Beat together the frosting ingredients in a small bowl until smooth-you want the icing about as runny as single cream. Set the cake on a serving plate and boldly drizzle the icing back and forth in diagonal lines over the top, letting it drip down the sides.

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Chocolate & Orange Fudge Squares

Rich chocolate brownies with a light, carrot cake-style orange topping

• Cooking Time Prep 10 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 15

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  289

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  34g

• Fat

  16g

• Saturates

  9g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  27g

• Salt

  0.37g

Ingredients

• 200g plain chocolate, broken into cubes (we used Bournville)
• 200g dark muscovado sugar
• 175g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 3 eggs, separated
• 140g plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest 1 orange
• For the topping
• 200g tub soft cheese (I used Philadelphia Extra Light)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 50g icing sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line a traybake tin, 23 x 23cm or thereabouts. Put the chocolate, sugar and butter in a pan, then heat very gently for about 5 mins, stirring every min until the butter and chocolate have melted. Leave to cool for 10 mins. Beat in the egg yolks, flour, vanilla and half the orange zest.
2. Put the egg whites into a large, very clean bowl, then whisk until they stand up in peaks. Stir ¼ of the whites into the chocolate mix to loosen it, then carefully fold in the rest with a metal spoon. Pour the mix into the tin, then bake for 25 mins or until evenly risen and just firm to the touch. Cool in the tin, then cut into squares. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
3. Beat together the cheese, vanilla, sugar and remaining zest until smooth. Spread over each chocolate square and serve. If you're making ahead, spread the topping over just before serving.

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Lemon & Poppyseed Cupcakes

These zesty cupcakes look so gorgeous you won't want to eat them, but once you start you won't be able to stop

• Cooking Time Prep 40 mins
  Cook 22 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Makes 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  529

• Protein

  4g

• Carbs

  66g

• Fat

  30g

• Saturates

  18g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  51g

• Salt

  0.75g

Ingredients

• 225g self-raising flour
• 175g golden caster sugar
• zest 2 lemons
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds, toasted
• 3 eggs
• 100g natural yogurt
• 175g butter, melted and cooled a little
• For the icing
• 225g butter, softened
• 400g icing sugar, sifted
• juice 1 lemon
• few drops yellow food colouring
• icing flowers or yellow sprinkles, to decorate

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake or muffin cases. Mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest and poppy seeds together in a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs into the yogurt, then tip this into the dry ingredients with the melted butter. Mix together with a wooden spoon or whisk until lump-free, then divide between the cases. Bake for 20-22 mins until a skewer poked in comes out clean-the cakes will be quite pale on top still. Cool for 5 mins in the tin, then carefully lift onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
2. To ice, beat the softened butter until really soft in a large bowl, then gradually beat in the icing sugar and lemon juice. Stir in enough food colouring for a pale lemon colour, then spoon the icing into a piping bag with a large star nozzle.
3. Ice one cake at a time, holding the piping bag almost upright with the nozzle about 1cm from the surface of the cake. Pipe one spiral of icing around the edge, then pause to break the flow before moving the nozzle towards the centre slightly and piping a second, smaller spiral that continues until there are no gaps in the centre. Slightly 'dot' the nozzle into the icing as you stop squeezing to finish neatly. Repeat to cover all the cakes, then top with sugar decorations or scatter with sprinkles.

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Roasted Fennel With Tomatoes Olives & Potatoes

Delicious with roasted lamb or any grilled meats, this is a side dish you'll want to make time and time again during summer

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 40 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 6

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  121

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  17g

• Fat

  5g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  4g

• Sugar

  4g

• Salt

  0.54g

Ingredients

• 500g new potatoes
• 3 large fennel bulbs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 50g small black olives

Directions

1. Boil potatoes until tender, about 8 mins.
2. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Halve and quarter the fennel through the root, then trim off the hard core. Slice the fennel and tip into a roasting tin with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss the fennel in the oil until it is glistening. Roast for 20-25 mins, until starting to soften.
3. Add tomatoes, olives and potatoes and stir well. Return to the oven for 10-15 mins until the fennel is tender, with a bit of crunch. Tip into a warm dish to serve.

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