Chocolate Brownies

Who doesn't love brownies??

One of my favourite things is to get a brownie just out of the oven and add a big dollop of homemade ice-cream hmmm!One of my other obsessions besides baking is Italy,I LOVE ITALY! Hence the making of homemade Pizzas and ice-cream,if you haven't tried to make ice-cream,Go do it!! You will not be disappointed :)

Recipe for Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

175g good-quality dark chocolate (70-80% cocoa solids)
175g butter,cubed
25g good-quality cocoa powder,sifted
3 eggs
225g soft light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour
Icing sugar and cocoa powder,for dusting (optional)

20 x 20cm (8 x 8in) square cake tin

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the base and sides of the tin with parchment paper. 
2. Melt the chocolate, butter and cocoa powder together in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water. Remove from the heat.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract for 2 minutes. Continuing to whisk, add the chocolate mixture until well combined. Sift in the flour and fold through with a spatula. 
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 19-25 minutes (depending on your oven). When cooked it should be dry on top but still slightly 'gooey' and 'fudgy' inside. Don't be tempted to leave it in the oven any longer than this or you will have cake and not brownies. Allow to cool in the tin, then cut into squares.

As I said I love mine with ice-cream but they are just as delicious on their own.

Yum!

Shirley.

Simple Bear cake!

Simple last minute cake......

The girls nickname was "claire bear",A simple but yet effective cake!

Happy Baking!

Shirley

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake!

I was on dessert duty this Christmas and had great plans of doing my trio of desserts with a raspberry flavour theme,unfortunately I wasn't feeling the best Christmas eve,so I had to use my "go to" lemon cheesecake,it literally takes no time and is scrumptious!

Recipe for Lemon Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 12 digestive biscuits
• 1/2 weight of biscuits in butter / margarine
• 300g tub of Philadelphia cheese
• 400g can of condensed milk
• Juice of 2 or 3 lemons (to taste)

Instructions

1. Weigh the digestive biscuits then weigh out exactly half the weight of the biscuits in margarine. Place the biscuits into a blender and give it a quick whiz.
2. Melt the butter in a pan, then add to the crushed biscuits and blend until the butter has combined with the mixture.
3. Spread the crumb mixture into a 8" springform pan and place in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
4. In a bowl, empty the Philadelphia cheese, condensed milk and lemon juice and mix well with a blender until there are no lumps. Pour the mixture on top of the base and smooth over with a spatula, then refrigerate. You can probably eat the cheesecake after 2 – 3 hours, but it is much better if left over night.

This cheese cake is light and zesty.It is always a winner in my house!

Happy Baking!

Shirley x

30th Birthday Cake!

My sister Jacqueline celebrated her "dirrrrty thirrty" and I had the great pleasure of making her cake.It was my first attempt at a topsy turvy cake and although it wasn't as "topsy turvy" as I would have liked it,Jacqueline loved it so I was happy!

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the cake,so my sister emailed me on some so apologise for the blurriness. We also didn't get photos until the next day,hence the cake being slightly battered!

On the front I placed an extremely glittery "30" (the picture doesn't really do it justice) and on the back I had a little fun with a block of cheese (a personal joke between my sisters and I) and a headstone of "Jacquelines youth"!On top I placed a plastic cosmo glass which is one of Jacq's favourite drinks.

The cakes were chocolate with a chocolate ganache and sponge with lemon cream cheese frosting...yum!

Happy Baking!

Shirley