Bread, Cakes & Biscuits
Shortbread
Scottish shortbread is a true classic and of course there are many variations. This
recipe results in a crisp and buttery biscuit.
Makes 6-8
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Lamingtons
Lamingtons are little Australian cakes that were invented as a way of using stale bread. Lamingtons appear at fetes and picnics all over Australia. They are coated in a chocolate syrup and plenty of desiccated coconut. They can be served simply on their own as a snack or have them as a dessert dish with a little good vanilla ice-cream.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20-25 minutes
Basic Bread
Making your own bread needn't be a chore, there are plenty of quick and easy recipes
around that take very little effort at all. Nothing beats the smell and taste of
home-made bread, far better than over priced tasteless supermarket varieties. This
recipe can also be used to prepare pizzas, roll out the dough after the first rising and
top with your choice of toppings (do not rise a second time). See our pizza recipes.
Prep: 15 minutes plus 2-3 hours for rising
Cook: 30-50 minutes
Courgette Cake
Courgettes make a beautifully moist cake. In Australia Zucchini Cake (courgette) makes a regular appearance in cafes and in the home. Unfortunately in recent years carrot cake seems to be the main vegetable cake that people love to devour. Why not experiment and try this yummy cake.
25cm (10 inch) Cake Tin or 2x20cm (8 inch tins)
Prep: 15-20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Animal Fruit Scones
These scones are fun for children to make and are great for young and old to eat. You can vary the scones by adding chopped mixed herbs or grated cheese instead of raisins or sultanas.
4 Portions
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10-15 minutes
Pear Friands
Friends are delicious little French cakes made with ground nuts. I mainly use almonds
but hazelnuts also work well. You can also try different fruits, as always it is best to
use seasonal varieties; for example summer berries or for christmas Cointreau soaked
cranberries.
8 - 10 Friands
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25-30 minutes
Stilton and Herb Scones
Scones are simple and quick to make, yet satisfying. They are excellent warm with a
little butter. There are endless variations on scones both sweet and savoury. You can
vary the flavour of scones simply by adding different ingredients eg. Mixed herbs, sugar
and spices.
6-8 scones
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Deep Fried Chapati with Almonds and Sultanas
Don't be put off by the idea of making your own bread. Chapati is very simple to make. If you don't like the idea of deep frying the bread, you can always pan fry it in a little oil, ghee or butter. There are many types of fillings you could use such as peas cooked with aromatic herbs or potato. The filling can be totally omitted and single pieces of bread can be deep fried or pan fried.
6 stuffed chapatis or 12 single chapatis
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 5-8 minutes
Raspberry and Chocolate Muffin
A yummy combination of raspberries and milk chocolate, totally decadent. A yummy treat
for all.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Upside down cakes can be prepared with many different fruits, summer berries such as blueberries work well, poached sliced apples and pears also make an excellent cake. This cake is delicious hot or cold with thick cream or ice-cream.
6-8 Servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 60 minutes
Apple Tarte Tatin
This classic French dessert is a lovely way to end a meal. Served with Creme Fraiche,
Clotted Cream or Double Cream, it is real treat.
6 Portions
Prep: 15-20 minutes
Cook: 30-40 minutes
Muesili Flapjacks
Flatjacks are very popular snacks, but the mass produced ones that you buy from the supermarkets are rubbish. This recipe shows you how easy they are to make.
12 Flapjacks
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Flourless Chocolate Whisky Cake
This cake is wicked, but good, a real adults only cake! Whisky adds depth to the rich chocolate flavour, making it a very special cake.
8 Portions
Prep: 20 minutes plus 3 hours refrigeration
Cook: 30 minutes
Cream Waffles with Autumn Berries
The streets in Copenhagen a not only covered with hot dog and ice-cream stands there are waffles stands everywhere. There is nothing more mouth watering than the smell of warm freshly cooked waffles on a cold day. The waffles a sold simply with sugar (my favourite) or with cream, jam or chocolate syrup. The best way to recreate these in the home is with a waffle iron, electric waffle irons are available from most department stores and you will find that they make a great change from pancakes.
6 Portions
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Buttermilk Corn Muffins
This recipe shows that muffins can be more savoury than sweet. They are very yummy when just out of the oven and the butter is melting while you eat them.
12 Muffins
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15-20 minutes
Apricot Upside Down Cake
Upside down cakes can be prepared with many different fruits, summer berries
such as blueberries work well, poached sliced apples and pears also make an
excellent cake. My favourite upside down cake will always be apricot. The cake
is delicious hot or cold with thick cream or ice-cream. It's important when
poaching the apricots not to overcook them as they will need to hold their shape.
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 60 minutes
Scottish Oatcakes with a Selection of Scottish Cheeses
I have to admit to being an oatcake addict, I enjoy them even more than shortbread. Oatcakes are traditional prepared on a gridle but they can be easily cooked in the oven. While bacon, lamb or beef fat are usually used I like to use butter but you can always use one of these or oil. They are delicious served with conserves for breakfast or with cheese, herrings or soup.
16 oatcakes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Homemade Bread
This bread is great for children from three years up to make with assistants from an
adult. When making the bread for a large group of children take a little of the bread
dough and make the first letter of the child's name on their bread.
Prep: 20 minutes plus 30 minutes for dough to rise
Cook: 20 minutes
Christmas Cake Decorations
I always think that Christmas Cakes aren't really right until they are decorated. Decorating the cake is very much an individual thing, I vary mine every year. I like to get my eldest daughter in on the act, she loves shaping and eating the icing. Below I have included a few ideas to get you going.
12 very generous Portions
Prep: 1 hour or less
Nutty Christmas Cake
Here's a Christmas cake with plenty of mixed nuts for those bored of those traditional
almonds. You need to prepare this cake 1 month in advance to allow the flavours to
develop, feeding it regularly with a nip of rum. The best quality dried fruit can be
purchased from health food shops, this makes all the difference to the final
result.
Prep: 15-20 minutes (soak fruit for 2-7 days)
Cook: 2 hours
Scallop and Sweet Potato Pizza
This may seem like an unusual combination but it makes a tasty and light pizza. The
scallops themselves aren't actually cooked on the pizza but cooked on a grill pan and
added just before serving. This recipe also calls for a summer herb pesto which once
made makes an excellent base for many pasta dishes and bruschetta among other uses and
will last in the fridge in a well sealed jar for up to 3 months. If time doesn't allow
you to make this pesto but a shop bought one and simply add a little mint and
coriander.
Prep: 60 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Puff Pastry
Homemade puff pastry takes a little more effort but is worth it. The finished
product is a million times better than the commercial varieties. It is very important to
keep everything cold when preparing pastry, you also need to be careful to overwork the
pastry as this will result in shrinkage. If the area you are preparing the pastry is to
warm increase the refrigeration times.
Prep: 2 hours (2 hours resting after preparation)
Cook: 10-12 minutes
Elizabeth's Honey Cup Cakes
These yummy cup cakes my daughter Elizabeth prepared for "BBC's Children in Need" fund raising. They were so popular she had to make two extra batches.
20 Cup Cakes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10-15 minutes
Banana Muffins
Muffins are easy to make and love by many of us. Muffins are best eaten warm straight from the oven but they are also yummy served at room temperature when fresh (it is important to remember that like most cakes muffins contain eggs so they should be stored in the fridge).
12 Muffins
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Banana Bread
Anyone who lives or has visited Australia should know how popular it is, cafés all
over the country offer various versions of this yummy cake. Toasted banana bread with
plenty of butter makes the most comforting accompaniment to a cappuccino or cup of
tea.
Prep: 15 minutes plus 1 hour resting after cooked
Cook: 1 hour
Yum Yum Chrissie Cake
Here's my favourite recipe for Christmas cake. My mother in law gave me this recipe
and both of us use it each year. Occasionally I try a new recipe but I'm always
disappointed by the final result. You need to prepare this cake 1 month in advance to
allow the flavours to develop. The best quality dried fruit can be purchased from health
food shops, this makes all the difference to the final result.
Prep: 15-20 minutes (soak fruit for 2-7 days)
Cook: 2 hours
German Christmas Bread Stollen
I love marzipan, so it should come as no surprise about my love for the German Christmas Cake called Bread Stollen; with its' rich citrus, spices and internal layer of marzipan.
Prep: 20-30 minutes plus 3 hours rising
Cook: 30-40 minutes
Focaccia Filled with Italian Cured Meat, Rocket and Ricotta
Lesley Waters' Christmas Croissants
I came across this idea when hunting through my thousands of magazines. This recipe is based on Lesley's fabulous recipe for Festive Mini Mincemeat Croissants It makes great use of the uncooked croissant pastry that is available in supermarkets, they are simply filled with a little mincemeat.
12 Portions
Prep: 8-10 minutes
Cook: 10-12 minutes
Carrot Cake
I like many grew up on carrot cake, it was always my special treat when my mother
dragged me to the antique markets. Here I would indulge in a large iced coffee with
whipped cream and ice-cream, and to accompany it a scrumptious slice of decadent carrot
cake complete with cream cheese icing. This recipe contains pineapple which may seem an
unusual addition but the it creates extra depth in flavour and moisture to the
cake.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 1 1/2 - 2 hours
Welsh Cakes
Welsh cakes, or ‘Pice ar y maen’ in Welsh, are yummy little cakes
flavoured with spices and currants, sultanas and sometimes with raisins.
They're traditional cooked on a bakestone or flat heavy griddle. These
little cakes are exceptionally good served straight from the pan dusted
with caster sugar.
16 cakes
Prep: 10 Minutes
Cook: 5 to 6 minutes per batch
Carrot Muffins
This is a great recipe for all those lovers of carrot cake. This small version of the cake are delicious, moist and are quick to make. I have included a recipe for a topping but this optional on how indulgent you feel.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15-20 minutes
Pear and Beetroot pizza
Pear and Beetroot make a tasty combination when cooked together. Not only does this
combo work well on pizzas but try them together in a warm salad.
1 large Pizza: 4 Portions
Prep: 15-30 minutes plus 1-2 hours resting
Cook: 15 - 20 minutes
Banana and Raspberry Bread
Banana bread is really a loaf cake that is served toasted with plenty of butter.
Raspberries are make this bread even more delicious. Don't throw away your over-ripe
bananas as they're perfect for this recipe.
Prep: 10-15 minutes
Cook: 50-60 minutes
Rocket Pizza
This is one of my favorites pizzas, and is best eaten in the summer months when tomatoes are at their best. It always reminds me of the mouth watering pizzas from a small town near Frascarti in Italy where the simple flavours of the rocket and tomato on freshly cooked pizzas are irresistible.
Prep: 60 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Bush Tomato Damper
Damper is the true bushtucker mans dish. The ingredients were basic simply self raising flour and water and cooked on a camp fire. As a child I was often given the same mixture to cook on a sick in a barbecue as you could imagine I usually ende up with a crisp but very doughy under cooked bread. Damper now is often mixed with a little milk or beer and cooked in the oven for a much more relaible result.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Cheesy Beetroot Pizza
Beetroot makes a tasty and light pizza. Goats Cheese and Taleggio (a strong flavoured Italian soft cows milk cheese) is scattered over the pizza, if you prefer a milder flavour simply use double the amount of goats cheese instead of the Taleggio. I like to accompany the pizza with a light rocket salad, a large handful of rocket leaves scattered over the pizza also works well.
4-6 Portions (2 pizzas, 40cm x 20cm)
Prep: 60 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Anzac Biscuits
These buscuits celabrate the great sacrifice New Zealand and Australian troups made in
the Great War. They are very popular in both countries, and once you've made them you
will understand why!
24 Biscuits
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10-15 minutes
Oaty Cheese Scones
Scones are simple to prepare and satisfying. You can vary the flavour of scones simply by adding different ingredients eg. Mixed herbs, sugar and spices.
6-8 scones
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Elizabeth's Pizza To Go
Its great fun making your own pizzas with your favourite toppings (with just a little help from a grown up).
4 Pizzas to Go
Pimm's Trifle
An extravagant adult trifle, a fabulous dessert to take centre stage in the summer months. Served in
a glass bowl allows those layers to show through, adding to the excitement of the eating.
8 Portions
Prep: 30 minutes plus 3 hours setting
Cook: 60 minutes
Apple Muffins
Muffins are easy to make and love by many of us. Muffins are best eaten warm straight from the oven but they are also yummy served at room temperature when fresh (it is important to remember that like most cakes muffins contain eggs so they should be stored in the fridge).
12 Muffins
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Rhubarb, Raspberry and Strawberry Compote
In May rhubarb is still plentiful but often a bit string and the first of the British strawberries hit the shops, of course it is far to early for those delicious Scottish raspberries but you can always use imported or frozen ones (perfectly good for this recipe). This is a really simple compote that you can adjust the according to taste eg. more or less strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb or sugar. The compote is yummy with good vanilla ice cream or mascarpone.
Approximately950g Compote, 4-6 Portions
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Christmas Pudding
Christmas wouldn't seem Christmas without Christmas pudding. You will need to prepare
this pudding at least 2 weeks in advance but is best left for 1 month.
6-8 portions
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 5-6 hours
Madeira Cake Squares
Madeira cake got its name in the 19th century when it was served in the morning accompanied by madeira and similar sweet wines. Lemon curd is spread in the centre and a lemon icing on top to make a more indulgent madiera cake but if you prefer simply serve the cake without these dusted with a little icing sugar.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Quince Upside Down Cake
Quince makes an unusual but scrummy upside down cake. Upside down cakes can be
prepared with many different fruits, summer berries such as blueberries work well,
poached sliced apples and pears also make an excellent cake. This cake is delicious hot or cold with thick cream or
ice-cream.
6-8 Servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 60 minutes
Cheesy Muffins
Cheesy Muffins are an ideal accompaniment to soups and broths. They are delicious when they are hot from the oven, but if you don't use all of them, freeze them and reheat them in the oven.
12 Muffins
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15-20 minutes
Thyme and Blue Cheese Grissini
These crisp bread sticks are extremely tasty. They're a favourite with the whole family especially my youngest daughter. Delicious on their own but even better with a dip, try with wild garlic pesto, humus or my fresh broad bean dip. Kept in a sealed container they will keep for a couple of weeks.
15-20 Grissinis
Prep: 30 minutes plus 1-2 hours rising
Cook: 10-15 minutes
Summer Herb Focaccia
Focaccia is an Italian flat bread based on the same recipe as a pizza base. It is quick to make and is excellent served with a good cold pressed olive oil. In this recipe I use a selection of herbs and rocket to make a very tasty bread, I also like to use half Italian Tipo 00 flour to create a crisp bread but if you can just use bread flour if you like.
Prep: 60 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Barbecued Flat Bread
I find making this bread feels me with satisfaction. Watching bubbles of air rise from the bread on the barbecue feels me with anticipation for the final product. At it's most delicious served hot straight from the barbecue.
6-8 Flat Breads
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Chocolate Brownies
There are hundreds of recipes for this delicious treat, this is just one of many but my favourite as its rich and truly chocolatey.
16 squares
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Sage and Cheddar Bread
Making your own bread needn't be a chore, there are plenty of quick and easy recipes
around that take very little effort at all. Nothing beats the smell and taste of
home-made bread, far better than over priced tasteless supermarket varieties. The
addition of sage and cheddar makes a truly scrumptious bread and Fussels rapeseed oil
provides a slightly nutty flavour to the bread.
1 large loaf or 2 small loaves
Prep: 15 minutes plus 2-3 hours for rising
Cook: 30-50 minutes
Free-Form New Potato Tart with Asparagus
This is a very rustic tart, slices of pre boiled new potatoes are simply tossed in
herbs and creme fraiche and scattered over puff pastry, and baked. The tart is tasty hot
or cold, perfect for a picnic.
4-6 Portions
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15-20 minutes
Traditional Waffles
Waffles! Both my husband and my children love them. Ever since we lived in Brussels, we have been big fans of them. The recipe will allow you to make the basic waffle, which then allows you to add any toppiing to them.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pumpkin Seed Brittle
The idea for this recipe comes from Alfred Protale's Gothaim Bar and Grill Cook Book. The pistachio brittle not only taste good it also looks very impressive. You will need to start making the cheesecake at least 6 hours in advance.
8 Individual Portions
Prep: 30 minutes (4-24 hours chilling)
Cook: 40 minutes -1 hour 30minutes
Figgy Christmas Cake
The addition of dried figs and whisky to a traditional Chrismas cake results in a rich and scrumptious, one that will keep you and your family sustained through out the festive season.
12-20 portions
Prep: 30 minutes plus 1 week soaking fruit and 3-4 weeks maturing and feeding cake (drizzling a little whisky over it once a week)
Cook: 2 hours
Corn Muffins with Coriander and Chilli
These muffins are easy to prepare and a real tasty addition to your meal. They make the prefect accompaniment to soup.
12 Muffins
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15-20 minutes
Coffee Pound Cake
This a simple but yummy cake that's good for any time of the day. In the Summer it makes a lovely addition to afternoon tea in the garden.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Tropical Wattleseed Pavlova
Pavlovas our one of my favourite desserts to make since I was a child. Whenever my father or husband are around they quickly demolish the lot. The wattleseeds in the pavlova give it a coffee like flavour, you can flavour pavlovas just like meringues eg. Adding rose water, cocoa or coffee flavourings. The topping on the pavlova can be made up of your own choice of fruit and grated chocolate on top is also delicious. The outside of the pavlova should be crunchy and the inside should be like marshmallow.
8-10 portions
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 90 minutes
Gingerbread
Gingerbread is loved by young and all. It makes great Christmas decorations for the Christmas tree and can also be used to make a gingerbread house.
Prep: 15 minutes plus 1 hour refrigeration
Cook: 10-15 minutes
Danish Pastries
Using the recipe for Danish pastry you can make a selection of the pastries below.
Each recipe is for a 250g of the pastry, so you may wish to use only this and freeze the
rest of the pastry for later use.
6 Portions
Prep: 30 minutes (for each type)
Cook: 10 minutes
Danish Pastry
Danish pastry is prepared in much the same way as puff pastry so as to create light
layers of pastry. The main difference is the addition of yeast which makes it even
lighter similar to croissants.
25-30 Portions
Prep: 2 hours
Cook: 10-12 minutes
Orange and Lime Madeleines
Madeleines make scrumptious little cakes they are good with tea during the day but I think they are best served with coffee after dinner.
Makes around 30 madeleines
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Tropical Chrissie Cake
This scrumptious variation on the traditional christmas fruit cake includes plenty of
dried tropical fruit, macadamia and cointreau. For the best results use quality dried
fruit.
Prep: 15-20 minutes (soak fruit for 2-5 days)
Cook: 2 hours
Vietnamese Baguette
In Australia, we have seen a lot of Vietnamese bakeries opening, serving their range
of yummy bread. You can bake Vietnamese Baguette at home using this easy to follow
recipe.