Coconut and Chocolate Tray Bake

This is another recipe that tastes better than it looks.

Ingredients

170g/6oz SR flour

115g/4oz coconut

75g/3oz sugar

3 heaped tsp cocoa

pinch of salt

150g/5oz butter or marg

100g/3.5oz galaxy (or other suitable) chocolate

Method

Sieve flour, salt and cocoa into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter/marg to breadcrumbs stage. Stir in sugar. Stir in coconut and sugar and knead well. Line swiss roll tin with parchment paper and press mix into it. Bake at 140*C for 25 to 30 minutes and cool in tin. Top with melted chocolate and when set cut into squares.

I used fruit sugar in place of sugar and reduced the amount to half. I also accidentally used tablespoons of cocoa instead of teaspoons, but I can assure you the taste did not suffer.

Ginger Slice

This is a recipe I've had for years and never got around to trying until today. It's simple to make and very tasty.

Biscuit base

340g/12oz plain flour
115g/4oz soft brown sugar
170g/7oz marg or butter melted

Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl, pour in the melted butter/marg and mix well. Press into a swiss roll tin, lined with parchment, or well greased. Bake at 180*C for 20 -25 minutes. Leave in tin to cool.

Meantime make the icing.

Icing

170g/6oz soft brown sugar
85g/3oz marg or butter
1 tsp ground ginger or cinnamon.

Heat butter/marg, sugar and spice gently, stirring continuously until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook without stirring. The recipe states boil until the mixture leaves the side of the pan, but after about a minute I gave up and took the pot off the heat. Beat until it thickens. Pour over base and cool in tin.

I would call the topping more a toffee than an icing. I used ginger and likes the mix of sweetness and spice. 

Steamed Jam Pudding

 Lighter than you would think, this is a real favorite with the children.

Ingredients

2 medium eggs
85g/3oz soft marg or butter
115g/4oz caster sugar
140g/5oz self-raising flour
1 tablespoon milk
1 level teaspoon baking powder
3 level tablespoons jam (traditionally raspberry)

You'll also need a glass bowl big enough to hold 850ml/1 1/2 pints and greaseproof paper.

Instructions

Grease sides of bowl.

Put all ingredients except jam into another bowl and beat until well mixed. Put jam in the bottom of the glass bowl and cover with the mixture then level off. Cover with greaseproof paper and fix onto bowl with string or elastic, leaving enough room for pudding to rise. Steam in a steamer or large pot with some water (being careful not to let pot dry out) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Serve with jam sauce (jam heated with water) or custard.

Alternate ideas.

Replace jam with syrup
Replace 28g/1oz flour with cocoa powder and cook without jam.
Omit jam and milk and add 60g/2oz of sultanas and the grated rind of an orange.( Needs the full  2 hours)

Cherry Cake

Ingredients

225g/8oz sr flour
115g/4oz sugar
170g/6oz glace cherries
115g/4oz marg
2 eggs beaten with 4 tablespoons milk

Mix flour and cherries. Cream marg and sugar. Stir in flour/cherries and liquids alternately until all mixed.
Place in baking tin and bake at 180C for around 1 1/2 hours - time will vary depending on what type of baking tin you use.