Jamie Olivers Flatbreads

350 g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
350 g natural yoghurt


1. Add all the flatbread ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix together with a spoon, then use clean hands to pat and bring everything together.

2. Dust a clean work surface with flour, then tip out the dough.

3. Knead for a minute or so to bring it all together (this isn't a traditional bread recipe, so you don't need to knead it for long – just enough time to bring everything together).

4. Put the dough into a floured-dusted bowl and cover with a plate, then leave aside.

5. If making the garlic butter: peel the garlic cloves and crush them with a garlic crusher.

6. Pick the herb leaves onto a chopping board and finely chop them, discarding the stalks.

7. Melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat, then stir through the garlic and chopped herbs, then set aside.

8. Dust a clean work surface and rolling pin with flour, then divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 6 equal-sized pieces (roughly the size of a golf ball).

9. With your hands, pat and flatten the dough, then use a rolling pin to roll each piece into 12cm rounds, roughly 2mm to 3mm thick.

10. Use a knife to cut 6 lines into the centre of each round, leaving about 3cm at each end.

11. Place the griddle pan on a high heat, then once hot, cook each one for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until bar-marked and puffed up, turning with tongs.

12. Brush the flatbreads all over with herby garlic butter as they come off the griddle, then pile onto a serving board so everyone can dig in and help themselves.  

How to make cake flour

How to make cake flour HERE

Perfect Pancakes

• 3 cups Plus 2 Tablespoons Cake Flour
• 3 Tablespoons Baking Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 cups Milk
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 3 teaspoons Vanilla
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• Extra Butter
• Maple Or Pancake Syrup

• Preparation Instructions

  Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl.
  Mix together milk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring very gently until just combined.
  Melt butter and add it to the batter, stirring gently to combine. Stir in more milk if needed for thinning.
  Cook on a greased skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown. Serve with an obscene amount of butter and warm syrup.
  Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
   

Easy Cinnamon Rols

Ingredients: Recipe from http://sallysbakingaddiction.com

Rolls

• 2 and 3/4 cups (345g) all-purpose flour
• 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package instant yeast (1 packet = 2 and 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) water
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk (cow's milk - I used skim)
• 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons (40g) unsalted butter
• 1 large egg

Filling

• 3 Tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

Coffee Glaze

• 1 cup (120g) powdered (confectioners') sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) strong coffee (or use milk/cream instead)

Directions:

1. Make the dough: Set aside 1/2 cup of flour. In a large bowl, toss the 2 and 1/4 cups flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast together until evenly dispersed. Set aside.
2. Heat the water, milk, and butter together in the microwave until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot to touch. About 115-120F degrees. Stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg and only enough of the reserved flour to make a soft dough. I only needed 1/3 cup, but you may need the full 1/2 cup. Dough will be ready when it gently pulls away from the side of the bowl and has an elastic consistency.
3. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl (I used non-stick spray) and let rest for about 10 minutes.
4. Make the filling: After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a 14x8 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it all over the dough. Add more cinnamon/sugar if desired. Roll up the dough tightly. Cut into 11 even pieces and place in a lightly greased 9-inch round pan. I used a pie dish, lightly sprayed with nonstick spray.
5. Loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 60-90 minutes. Here is what I do: heat the oven to 200F degrees. Turn oven off. Place rolls inside oven and allow to rise.
6. After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. I covered the rolls with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to avoid heavy browning.
7. Make the glaze: Right before serving, top your cinnamon rolls with glaze. Mix the powdered sugar and coffee together until smooth and drizzle over rolls. You may replace the coffee with milk or cream instead. If you prefer a thicker glaze, add more powdered sugar and then add salt to cut the sweetness, if desired.

Chocolate Sticks

Here is the link to the recipe

Photo by Sonya ©

Auntie Jemina Cornbread

Here is a quick cornbread recipe. It's from Aunt Jemina (brand that makes corn meal).
Golden Corn Bread
1 cup Quaker or Aunt Jemima Enriched Yellow Corn Meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 425°F.
In large bowl, combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add milk, egg and oil. Beat until fairly smooth, about 1 minute.
Bake in greased or sprayed 8-inch square baking pan 20 to 23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Yield: About 9 servings

Martha Stewart Cornbread

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

• Directions

  1. Step 1

     Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with 2 tablespoons butter.

  2. Step 2

     In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk; whisk in remaining butter. Stir cornmeal mixture into buttermilk mixture just until moistened. (Do not overmix.)

  3. Step 3

     Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pan at least 15 minutes before inverting and slicing.
   
•  

Simple corn bread

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk

Preparation:

Combine dry ingredients; add beaten egg and buttermilk, mixing well. Pour into greased, heated 8-inch or 9-inch iron skillet. Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Buttermilk cornbread serves 8.

Quick potato bread rolls

These are so soft and so quick and easy to do recipe HERE

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

Recipe from http://www.inkatrinaskitchen.com/

Soft cut out sugar cookie recipe that keeps its shape and dough does not need to be chilled before baking- perfect edges every time!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of butter, softened
• 2 cups of granulated white sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 cups all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in extracts and eggs.
4. In a separate bowl combine baking powder with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a countertop surface. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
5. DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH. Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).
6. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.

Sweet Potato (yam) pie

This is a recipe from Susan Van Heemst

This is really a Southern (US) specialty which I grew up with .  For some parts of the world, the idea of using a sweet potato (or pumpkins) in a dessert is completely foreign.  They imagine some odd vegetable flavor which they do not want.  That is so not the case with this pie.  There is no hint of a vegetable or something that is "good for you".

It is a creamy, smooth burst of autumn flavors that comes in a velvety custard form.  Super easy to make as well which is a bonus!  It is easy to adapt to non-dairy and gluten free by choosing a gluten free crust and subbing in a non-cow milk and cream.

One note:  A few countries do carry canned sweet potatoes/yams, but many do not.. including Holland.  The canned varieties would work (drained), but it is not difficult to prepare it from scratch.  There are instructions below for using fresh.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. around 450gram of cooked sweet potato, cooled to room temperature *
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (60gram), melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup (177ml) coconut/palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 eggs (I used medium), room temperature
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (177ml) milk (room temperature)**
• 3 Tbs. (44ml) heavy cream***,room temperature
• 1 unbaked pie crust (9inch/23cm) ****

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
2. In a stand mixer or food processor (I used a food processor), blender, or in a bowl with an electric mixer... add cooled sweet potato and blend until smooth.  
3. Add in melted butter and sugar and blend until well combined.  
4. Add in milk and cream and blend together.
5. Add salt, spices, and eggs and then blend together until creamy.
6. Pour creamy mixture into unbaked pie shell (to about 3/4 full).
7. Bake at 400F/200C for 15 mins. One tip: I use a piece of aluminium foil to lightly cover the crust for the first 15 mins. to prevent overbrowning, but optional.
8. After 15 mins. remove foil (if used) and lower temperature to 350F/175C and baked for another 40-50 mins. until just set.  It should not be giggly, but not cracked.
9. Remove from oven and allow to sit on a cooling rack until room temperature.
10. Allow to set in the fridge overnight before serving to allow it to set completely.
11. Great served with cinnamon whipped cream.

*Using Fresh yams/sweet potatoes:
For best results, get 2-3 large sweet potatoes/yams (I prefer the orange fleshed ones as they are naturally the sweetest).  Give them a good scrub in water and pat them dry.  
Place them on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven (400F/200C) for about 40 mins or until soft.  
Allow to cool and then peel away skin and use in this recipe, a savory recipe, etc.  The skin comes easily away from the flesh. I prefer the oven method to boiling as boiling them can make them more waterlogged and they will have less flavor.

**You can also sub in evaporated milk (koffiemelk in Holland), coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk.

***You can also sub in alternative creams like cooking creams, soy cream but they do have a lower fat content.  If you chill coconut milk, you can use the thick, creamy part as a great sub for heavy cream as well.

**** We use a standard flakey pie crust recipe.  You can use pre-made if available in your country.  If you do not have a recipe, let me know and I can post the one we use.

Crumpets by Delia Smith (recipe 1)

Recipe HERE

Crumpets by Paul Hollywood (recipe 2)

• 175g/6oz bread flour
• 175g/6oz plain flour
• 2 x 7g sachets instant yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 350ml/12fl oz warm milk
• 150-200ml/5-7fl oz warm water
• ½ tsp bicarb
  
• 1 tsp salt
  oil for cooking
  
  
  1. Weigh the flours in to a bowl. Add the yeast and stir through the flour.
     
  2. Dissolve the sugar in the warm milk and pour onto the flour. Using a wooden spoon beat until you have a smooth batter. This will take 3-4 minutes and is hard work, but is essential to produce the holes in the crumpets.
     
  3. Cover and leave for at least 20 minutes and up to an hour. The batter will rise and then begin to fall. You will see marks on the side of the bowl where the batter was before it dropped.
     
  4. Mix the bicarbonate of soda and salt with the warm water and beat it into the batter. Add about ¾ of the water and keep adding it until you get a double cream consistency. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
     
  5. Heat a flat griddle or heavy based pan. Lightly grease the inside of four metal crumpet rings. Lightly grease the griddle. Sit the rings on the griddle over a medium heat.
     
  6. Drop two dessert spoons of mixture into each ring. After 4-5 minutes bubbles should appear and the surface should be set. Carefully turn the crumpets in their rings and cook for a further three minutes.
     
  7. Serve immediately or leave to cool and then toast before eating with plenty of butter.
     
  
  

Hairy Bikers tomato ketchup

Makes 4 x 500ml kilner jars

3.75kg ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
3 medium onions roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves sliced
200ml cider vinegar
200ml malt vinegar
200g light muscavado sugar
1 tbsp flaked sea salt
1 tsp english mustard
1 tsp ground cloves
1 1 /2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp ground white pepper

Put the tomatoes, onions and garlic into a large saucepan, pour in both vinegars then add the sugar, sea salt, mustard, spices, celery salt, and pepper, place over a medium heat and slowly bring to boil, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat, cover the pan loosely with a lid and simmer for 3 - 3 1/2 hours
when ketchup is cooked the liquid should be reduced and tomatoes pulpy, remove pan from heat and remove cinnamon sticks, cool for 10 mins and blitz with hand mixer
sieve the tomato ketchup then discard skins and seeds
place the liquid back in the pan and on medium heat simmer, stirring constantly for 2 - 3 minutes
pour sauce into jars and leave for 30 minutes before sealing

Boozy mincemeat

Ingredients

• 500g currants
• 500g muscatel or Californian raisins (or a mixture)
• 500g sultanas
• 500g Bramley apples peeled, cored and chopped fairly small
• 2x250g boxes shredded beef suet
• 100g whole blanched almonds , coarsely chopped
• 350g natural demerara sugar
• 100g dark muscovado sugar
• 1 rounded tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 rounded tsp ground mixed spice
• 1 large, juicy lemon
• 250g whole mixed peel , chopped into small dice
• 125ml dark rum
• 125ml Disaronno Originale liqueur Disaronno
• 175ml French brandy 

1. Wash the dried fruit thoroughly in a colander under the cold tap (you may find it easier to do this in batches) - whatever it says on the packet, washing the fruit is something I've  always done. Tip the fruit on to clean tea towels and dry by patting in the cloths.
2. Put the dried fruit in a very large bowl with the apples, suet, almonds, sugars and spices. Grate the zest of the lemon into the bowl, then squeeze in the juice. Tip in the peel and the alcohol.
3. Mix all the ingredients very thoroughly - it's easiest to do this with your (very clean) hands.
4. Cover and leave to stand for 24 hours, asking the family to stop and give it a good stir with a spoon when they pass by.
5. Pack the mincemeat into sterilised or dishwasher-clean jars (Kilner jars are ideal) and top with greaseproof paper jam covers. Seal the jars tightly and store in a cool place. The mincemeat will last from one year to the next, but's best used within 6 months. 

A classic, made with rich shortcrust and eaten warm. After trying every new-fangled version, I reckon it is pretty much the perfect mince pie. Makes 18 small pies.
For the pastry:
150g unsalted butter
300g plain flour
1 egg yolk
a little cold water
375g good-quality mincemeat
icing sugar for dusting
You will also need a 12-hole tartlet tin, each hole measuring 6cm x 2cm deep. It is best to bake the pies in one batch of 12, then a second one of six.
Cut the butter into small pieces and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until you have what looks like coarse, fresh breadcrumbs. If you do this in the food processor it will take a matter of seconds. Add the egg yolk, then mix briefly with just enough water to bring to a smooth dough. You will probably need just 1 or 2 tablespoons. Bring the dough together into a firm ball, then knead it gently on a floured board for a couple of minutes until it softens. Reserve half of the dough, then roll the remainder out thinly. Set the oven at 200°C/gas mark 6.
Using cookie cutters or the top of an espresso cup, cut out 18 discs of pastry. (There may be a tiny bit left over.) Place 12 discs of the pastry in the tartlet tins, smoothing them up the sides so the edges stand very slightly proud of the tin. Fill each one with a dollop of mincemeat. A level tablespoon is probably all you will get into them, unless you have especially deep tins. Be generous. Roll out the remaining pastry and make a further 18 discs of pastry, reserving 6 of them for the second batch. Slightly dampen each of these round the edge with cold water then lay them over each tart and press firmly to seal the edges.
Cut a small slit in the centre of each pie and bake for 20 minutes till golden. Let them calm down for a few minutes, then slide them out of their tins with a palette knife and serve warm, dusted with icing sugar. Repeat with the remaining pastry and mincemeat.