10 minute pineapple cake

Image Leave a comment 17/11/2018 the wee caledonian cook

Oh I know I keep going on about it, but this Crisperplate is just magical, it has saved me so many minutes in my kitchen and has given me perfect cooking results every time. This time it was a little afternoon treat.

Makes a 12″ cake

150 g Caster Sugar
225g Self Raising Flour
100ml milk
110g butter softened
2 eggs
1 tin of pineapple rounds (drained)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Whipping cream to serve
1. Mix everything together (except pineapple) in a mixer until smooth
2. Preheat Crisper for 2 mins, then pour on batter evenly
3. Place pineapple on top
4. Bake on Crisp setting for 10 minutes.
5. Serve with a large dollop of whipped cream.

Parmesan & Tomato Stars

Image Leave a comment 17/11/2018 the wee caledonian cook

OMG! These are so delicious and perfect for the party season. Little bite size pieces of deliciousness.

Makes about 12

8-10 Vittoria Tomatoes
Dried Thyme
150g plain flour
75 g soft butter salted
40 g grated parmesan
1 egg
250g mozzarella
Green pesto
Paprika & poppy seeds

1. Pre heat oven to Fan 160 deg, Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, add the butter and parmesan, add in half the whisked egg, slow speed on mixer mix together.
3. Tip onto a non stick surface and bring together with your hands until you have a dough, flatten slightly. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat crisper plate and cut tomatoes in half, sprinkle with salt & thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
5. Take a small 3cm star cutter and cut the mozzarella into thin stars.
6. Remove the dough and roll out and cut with a 5-6cm star cutter, place on baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 mins or until slightly browned.
7. To serve, once stars are cooled, spread a little pesto on star then place mozzarella star, a little more pesto then the tomato half.
8. Yum! Gorgeous with some prosecco.

Mini Christmas No Bake Puddings

Image 2 Comments 17/11/2018 the wee caledonian cook

These are perfect for a little bite size treat at Christmas and they look the part too. I first saw this recipe from Madaboutmacarons and just had to try.

I added a little orange liquor for a different flavour and they were delicious. (optional)

Makes about 12

50g raisins
40g dried apricots, finely chopped
40g dates, finely chopped
5 tbsps orange juice (or 2 tbsp orange liquor and 3 tbsp orange juice)
60g desiccated/shredded coconut
60g caster sugar
40g Scottish oats
40g candied orange peel, finely chopped
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

50g coconut oil – melted if solid

2 tsp Christmas Spice – See below for recipe mix.

(Spice Mix:- 2tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 tbsp ground ginger, 2 tbsp ground all spice, 1 tbsp nutmeg, 1/2 tbsp ground cloves, pinch black pepper) This can be stored in an airtight container.

50g White Chocolate – melted.

Put all dried ingredients into a large mixing bowl, then add in the coconut oil and orange juice and mix to combine.
Taking small amounts roll into a ball and place on greaseproof paper on a baking tray and refrigerate.
Melt 50g of white chocolate in a microwave for about 1.5 mins and drizzle over the puddings. To decorate add a cranberry and edible holly decorations. (or you can cut some icing or marzipan for this)

Yummy!

Chocolate & Orange Biscuits

Image Leave a comment 14/11/2018 the wee caledonian cook

Keen to get a good biscuit, you can’t go wrong with these flavours. So yummy!

Makes about 15 biscuits

125g Butter – unsalted

175g Golden Caster Sugar

225g Plain Flour

2 tsp baking powder

75g Chocolate 70% – chopped small

Zest of 2 oranges

1-2 tbsp orange juice

Start by beating the butter and sugar together in mixer until they’re combined.
Then sift the flour and baking powder straight into the mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients, and work the mixture together until you get a fairly stiff paste.
Now flour a working surface and a rolling pin and roll the paste out to about 1cm thick. Then, using a cutter (5cm), cut out the biscuits and place them on the baking sheets and bake one sheet at a time near the centre of the oven. Bake them for about 20 minutes, or until the biscuits are a nice golden colour.
Take them out of the oven and leave them to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling tray, and finally sprinkle with a dusting of golden caster sugar or icing sugar or decorate – whichever.

Blueberry Muffins

Image 4 Comments 03/10/2018 the wee caledonian cook

Today I was off work and decided to have a chillout day……….well, that was before I started looking through all my recipe books. I came across a baking book that I hadn’t used for a while. Looking through I spied Blueberry muffins and thought that would be a nice wee treat with my afternoon coffee…….so off I went into my Kitchen.

They were absolutely delicious. I also made a healthier version too, check them out here.

Makes 6

150g Plain Flour

75 g Caster Sugar

Pinch Salt

1 tsp baking powder

75g Blueberries

25g Butter – melted

1 large egg

40ml natural yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to fan 160 deg. Case a muffin tin.
Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a bowl.
In a separate bowl mix the egg, vanilla, butter, yoghurt together
Add the wet bowl into the dry bowl and mix together, should be slightly thick, if its too thick just add a little milk.
Then add in the blueberries and mix together.
Bake in oven for about 18-20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
Devour with a wee cuppa. Yummy!

Black Forest Brownies

Image Leave a comment 25/08/2018 the wee caledonian cook

These were lovely, it was a recipe I was testing, now I’m not much of a chocolate or brownie fan but I have to say I did have more than 1…..lol!

Makes 18

375g cubed unsalted butter

300g Dark Chocolate, I used 70%

375g Caster Sugar

75g cocoa powder

6 large eggs

100 g plain flour

200g cherries in kirsch, drained, chopped

Cherry Syrup from jar (8-10 tbsps)

Icing sugar to decorate and finish

Preheat oven to fan 160 deg. Line a baking tin with baking sheet and grease. Approx 33 x 23 x 2cm tin
In a large pan, melt the butter and chocolate over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 2 minutes. If you have Induction hob, put on at level 1.
Beat the eggs and sugar together until pale.
Slowly pour the melted butter & chocolate into the egg mixture, stiring all the time.
Fold in the flour & cocoa, then add the cherries and 5 tbsps of the cherry syrup.
Pour the mixture into your baking tin and bake for about 35 minutes or until you get a light wobble in the middle.
Remove from oven and drizzle remaining syrup over the brownie and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then place in a freezer for 1/2 hour to allow to set.
Slice up into squares and sprinkle with icing sugar to finish, then just devour! Yummy!

Almond & Orange Cake

Image Leave a comment 15/01/2018 the wee caledonian cook

I made this for my mum coming round for dinner this weekend, was looking for something light and refreshing, it totally hit the spot. I served it with cream but you could also serve custard which I think would be nice.

The orange rind gives this cake a fragrant hint of citrus while the almond flour makes it moist and dense, so its virtually melt in the mouth. Perfect with an afternoon cuppa.

Used a 20cm cake tin.

220g icing sugar (leave a little for decoration at end)

90g plain flour

90g Almond flour

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp baking powder

6 egg whites

115 g soft butter

Rind of 1 orange

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl
Preheat the oven to 180 deg, grease a cake tin.
Pour mixture into the baking tin and bake for about 25-30 mins or until a skewer comes clean. Oh so yummy!

Scottish Fruit Scone

Image 4 Comments 03/11/2017 the wee caledonian cook

Oh I do love the Autumn food, warm, comforting, delicious and homemade of course! You will love these traditional Scottish Scones as they come with history:-

Scones originated in Scotland, and Scottish scone recipes are the best in the world. (in my opinion…lol)

The correct Scottish pronunciation is ‘skon’ which rhymes with ‘gone’, and NOT ‘skoan’ which is the English adaptation of the word.

Originally a type of flat ‘cake’, made from oats or barley meal and cooked on an open griddle or in the oven, scones have been popular in Scotland for centuries.

Typically you just have them with butter, and loads of…yummy! However, should you wish to indulge you can of course have your favourite flavour of jam too. My preference is butter, always!

Makes 8 individual scones

120g of Self Raising Flour

60g Melted Butter

60g Rolled Oats – (Scotts of course)

40g Caster Sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

50g sultanas

1 egg beaten

50ml milk

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, oats, salt, sultanas in a bowl and make a well in the middle.
Beat the egg until frothy then add in the melted butter and milk, mix
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly until you get a dough like ball, its shouldn’t be sticky, so if it is add a little more flour.
Empty onto a floured surface, roll into a ball then flatten with your hand until about 1/2 inch thick, place onto a greased backing tray and score into eight pieces.
Brush with a little milk to add glaze.
Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 220 deg. I baked on convection bake setting to give it a lovely golden crust.
Remove and allow to cool on a rack.
Best bit…………………………add lashings of butter and devour!!!!