Scones

Inspired by the beach cafe by Lucy Diamond and using the recipe from the book.

Ingredients

350g Self-raising Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

1tsp Baking Powder

85g Butter

3tbsp Caster Sugar

175ml Milk

1 Beaten Egg (to glaze)

Heat the oven to 220oC. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar together. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub them into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the mixture and add the milk. Mix until combined.

Sprinkle the work top with flour and roll out your mixture between 2-4cm thick depending how many scones you want. Cut them out and place them on a baking tray. Brush the tops with beaten egg and bake for 10 minutes.

Serve hot, cold, plain or with jam however you like them.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Ingredients

225g Margarine

225g Caster Sugar

Zest of 3 Lemons

Juice of 2 Lemons

4 Eggs

200g Self-Raising Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

50g Ground Almonds

Icing Sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 180oC. Whisk the sugar and butter together and then add the zest of 2 and a half lemons. Whisk the eggs in one at a time then sift the baking powder and flour into the mix and mix well. Fold the ground almonds in and 3/4 of the lemon juice, setting the rest aside for later. Pour the mix into a greased tin and bake for 45-60 minutes (depending on the size of your tin and variations in ovens)

When the cake is springy to touch and golden in colour remove from the oven. (or insert a skewer that should come out clean if the cake is baked). Put the cake on a cooling rack and leave.

Add icing sugar and lemon zest to the remaining lemon juice so that you get a thin icing, drizzle this onto the cake.

Lovely eaten cold or warmed up with some cream.

Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

6oz Self-Raising Flour

6oz Caster Sugar

6oz Butter or Margarine

3 Eggs

1 Tin Pear Half's

1tsp Vanilla Essence

To Decorate

1tsp Butter

1tbsp Golden Syrup

Heat the oven to 180oC. Whisk the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy then beat in one egg at a time. Add the flour and vanilla and whisk it all together. Grease a cake tin and lay the pear half's in a pattern around the tin. Pour the cake mix over and place in the oven for 40-55 mins (depending on the size of your tin and your oven).

Once baked you should be able to place a skewer into the cake and it will come out clean, if it's doughy then give it a bit longer in the oven. Place the cake on a cooling rack and in a saucepan melt the butter and golden syrup together. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the cake with the mixture. And there you have it your upside down cake. 

Basil Grande Cocktail Sorbet

Ingredients

235ml Water

75g Caster Sugar

10g Fresh Basil Leaves

1 Lime, Zest and Juice

150g Raspberries or Strawberries

135ml Cranberry Juice

355ml Cranberry and Raspberry Flavoured Sparkling Water

1tbsp Cointreau

1tbsp Vodka

1tbsp Chambord Raspberry Liqueur

Add water, sugar and basil leaves to a pan and let simmer on a medium heat for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the basil has infused, then remove from the heat and remove the basil leaves. In another bowl sieve the raspberries to get the juice and add this to the cranberry juice. Add the zest and juice of one lime to the cranberry mixture and add the alcohol (optional) and sparkling water. Now add the sugar basil mixture to the rest give it all a stir and place in a Pyrex dish suitable for freezing.

Place in the freezer and go back every 30 mins to an hour and give it a mix around. After 3-4 hours the mixture should have set.

Serve with some fresh raspberries and a spring of basil to garnish.

Mojito Sorbet

Ingredients

235ml Water

200g Caster Sugar

15g Mint Leaves

25g Grated Lime Zest

235ml Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

355ml Citrus Flavoured Sparkling Water

30ml Rum (Optional)

Heat the water, sugar and mint leaves in a pan over a medium heat gently stirring until the sugar melts then let boil for 3-5 minutes so that the mint flavour is released. Sieve out the mint leaves and let the sugar mixture cool. To this add the lime juice, lime zest and sparkling water giving it a good stir add the rum now as well if you are using it.

Place the mixture in a Pyrex dish and put in the freezer going back every 30 mins to an hour to stir it around so it doesn't freeze solid. (Or if you have an ice cream maker follow the manufacturers instructions) After 3-4 hours in the freezer you should have a good sorbet consistency.

Once set serve with a spring of mint or a slice of lime and save any remaining sorbet in an air tight container in the freezer.

Enjoy :-)

Easter Nest

Ingredients

250g Milk Chocolate

185g Shredded Wheat

Bag of your favourite mini eggs.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Whilst this is melting bash up the shredded wheat. Make sure you don't bash it to much or you will end up with dust. Mix the chocolate and shredded wheat together and spoon into cases. Make a little hollow in the centre and place two or three eggs. Leave to set, then enjoy :-)