Butterscotch Upside-down Cake

Butterscotch Upside-down Cake (Serves 4-6, depending in the size of your appetite)

This cake can be made in a number of combinations, I personally recommend the use of tinned peaches or pineapple, but in theory it could be done with pears or other tinned fruits. This is a simple, cheap dish, that feels so much more luxurious than it truly is. I wouldn't recommend trying to scale up the recipe (it won't cook in the centre), if you need more just make 2 separately.

Ingredients
40g margarine
50g soft light brown sugar
410g tinned fruit slices (peach or pineapple)
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100g margarine
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
100g self-raising flour

Method
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2) Grease a 20cm pyrex (or similar) dish or a sandwich tin
3) Melt the margarine with the brown sugar and stir until combined. Pour into the dish.
4) Arranged the tinned fruit slices in the butterscotch, as much as can fit into the dish in one layer.
5) Prepare the sponge by creaming the margarine and caster sugar together. Beat in the eggs and then stir in the flour.
6) Spread evenly over the butterscotch.
7) Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
8) Leave to cool for a few minutes, then turn out and serve warm.
9) Finally ... ENJOY

Toffee Meringue Pie

I never considered another variety of lemon meringue pie before I found this recipe. Imagining it in my head it just seemed bizarre, but once making this recipe I was converted. I've made it twice and it has been a hit with my family and friends. It is great for someone with a sweet tooth, but by drizzling with dark chocolate it can really take the edge off the sweetness. I made this for my friends' 18th birthday and we proceeded to eat it with spoons out of the case (not our best moment to be truthful but it was AMAZING).


Serves 8-10
Ingredients
For the Pastry
400g plain flour
200g cold butter
1 egg white
For the Filling
85g butter
175g light muscovado sugar
300ml milk
3 tbsp cornflour
4 egg yolks
For the meringue
4 egg whites
200g caster sugar
Method
1) Put the flour and butter into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour using the fingertips, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 4-6 tbsp of cold water until a dough forms. Knead into a ball, wrap in cling film, then put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2) Preheat over to 200 (180 fan) degrees C
3) Roll out the pastry until it is large enough to line a 25cm tart tin with a slight overhang. Line the tin then bake blind, using baking parchment and baking beans, for 15 minutes.
4) Remove from the oven. Remove the baking parchment and baking means then brush the pastry with the egg white. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
5) Remove from the oven, trim the pastry and turn the oven down to 150 (130 fan) degrees C.
6) For the filling; melt the butter in a pan and stir in the sugar until dissolved. 
7) In a bowl, add a little milk to the cornflour to make a smooth paste. Pour this into the butter and sugar mix..Whisk the egg yolks and milk together. Add to the mixture, bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until thick. Remove from the heat, but leave in the pan (it must be hot when added to the pastry case).
8) For the meringue; whisk the egg white until stiff. Add half the sugar and whisk until stiff and shiny. Add the remaining sugar a little at a time, whisk until stiff again.
9) Spoon the hot filling into the pastry case. Spoon the meringue over this.
10) Bake for 35 minutes, until the meringue is golden and crisping up.
11) Remove from the oven and serve cold.
12) Finally ... ENJOY

Bread and Butter Pudding

I've been eating bread and butter pudding since I was a child. My dad and I are the only ones that like it but occasionally my mum would make one and my dad and I would compete to see who could eat the most and argue about who would have the last piece. We always had a bread and butter pudding from the same recipe but a few months ago my mum was out and I couldn't find the recipe so I went online. This is the recipe I found (plus a few changes). I would have to have to say that I prefer it because it is less dense than my mums recipe and requires a shorter cooking time (so there is less of a wait).


Serves 6


Ingredients
50g soft butter
10 slices of bread cut diagonally across
50g sultanas (raisins can be used but I think sultanas taste better)
4 tbsp demerara sugar (for a crunch)
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
350ml milk
50ml double cream
2 large eggs
25g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract


Method 
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2) Grease a 2 pint/ 1 litre pie dish with a little butter.
3) Spread each of the bread triangles, on both sides, with butter.
4)Cover the base of the pie dish with overlapping bread triangles.
5) Sprinkle over 2/3 of the sultanas, 2 tbsp of the demerara sugar with a little     nutmeg and cinnamon.
6) Repeat the last 2 steps using the remaining sultanas, nutmeg and cinnamon, until the dish has been filled.
7) Gently heat the milk and double cream in a saucepan - DO NOT BOIL.
8) In a large bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla extract until light, airy and pale in colour. Pour the warm milk over this mixture and continue beating until combined.
9) Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Gently press down the bread into the liquid. Sprinkle the remaining demerara sugar over the top. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
10)Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown, well risen and the egg is set. Best served hot.
11) Finally .... ENJOY