Basic biscuits

Ingredients
Makes: 30 large biscuits or 60 small

 500g plain flour

 250g butter or margarine
 140g icing sugar
 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 1 tablespoon milk

Method
Prep:15min › Cook:12min › Ready in:27min

1. Preheat the oven to 160 C / Gas 2 1/2.

2. Place the flour, butter and sugar in a bowl. Rub together with your fingers (or put into a
food processesor!) until fine breadcrumbs.
3. Add the vanilla extract and a little milk until the mixture sticks together.
4. Combine together to form a dough. You can put it in the fridge for a while but I normally
use it straight away.
5. Place on a floured surface and roll out to about 5mm thick (1/4 inch). Cut out your shapes
and place on a baking tray with some baking parchment or non stick cooking sheets.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and
harden.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 ¼ cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Proced u re:
1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt
(dough will be stiff). Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
 4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool slightly; remove
from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Making Bread
Ingredients:

 225g (1 ½ Cups) Strong plain white flour or plain wholemeal flour

 1 level teaspoon salt
 1 level teaspoon sugar
 15g (1 level tbspoon) soft tub margarine
 1 sachet (6g) easy blend dried yeast or fast action easy blend dried yeast
 150 ml (2/3 cup) warm water - NOT HOT!

What To Do:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly in soap and water.

2. Collect all the tools and ingredients together.
3. Put the flour in the mixing bowl and add the sugar and the salt.
4. Add the margarine and rub into the flour using your finger tips.
5. Add the dried yeast and stir into the flour mix
6. Add all the water at once to the flour mix and stir together using the wooden spoon.
7. Use your hands as the dough gets tough and when it leaves the sides of the bowl clean
(add a little more flour if it is too sticky), put the dough onto a floured surface.
8. Now the hard work! The dough will feel tight and lumpy and you must 'knead' it to make
it smooth and stretchy. Push your hands into the dough, gather it back into a ball, turn it
slightly and then repeat. Do this for about 5 minutes until the dough feels smooth.
9. Shape the dough into your own design or use one of the ideas below and place it on the
greased baking tray.
10. Cover the shape with the oiled cling film to stop it drying out and then put the tray in a
warm place so that the yeast can work and make the dough rise. In winter this might be
the airing cupboard, or in summer the kitchen itself may be warm enough.
11. Now set the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8
12. When the loaf shape has about doubled in size (after about 30 minutes), remove the cling
film and place the tray in the centre of the oven.
13. Bake the loaf for 20-25 minutes. It should be golden brown and sound hollow when
tapped underneath.
14. Put the loaf on a wire rack to cool and the tuck in!

Best Ever Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
 3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

2. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the
center. In a small bowl or 2 cup measuring cup, beat egg with a fork. Stir in milk and oil.
Pour all at once into the well in the flour mixture. Mix quickly and lightly with a fork
until moistened, but do not beat. The batter will be lumpy. Pour the batter into paper lined
muffin pan cups.
3. Variations: Blueberry Muffins: Add 1 cup fresh blueberries. Raisin Muffins: Add 1 cup
finely chopped raisins. Date Muffins: Add 1 cup finely chopped dates. Cheese Muffins:
Fold in 1 cup grated sharp yellow cheese. Bacon Muffins: Fold 1/4 cup crisp cooked
bacon, broken into bits.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.

Basic Muffin Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggs
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 250ml semi-skimmed milk
250g golden caster sugar
• 400g self-raising flour (or same quantity plain flour and 3 tsp baking powder)
• 1 tsp salt
• 100g chocolate chips or dried fruit such as sultanas or dried cherries (optional)

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 2 muffin trays with paper muffin cases. In a large bowl
beat the eggs lightly with a handheld electric mixer for 1 min. Add the oil and milk and beat until
just combined then add the sugar and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
2. Sift in the flour and salt (and baking powder if using) then mix until just smooth. Be careful not
to over-mix the batter as this will make the muffins tough. Stir in the chocolate chips or dried
fruit if using.
3. Fill muffin cases two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 mins, until risen, firm to the touch and a
skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the trays will not fit on 1 shelf, swap the
shelves around after 15 mins of cooking.
4. Leave the muffins in the tin to cool for a few mins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

BASIC HOMEMADE BREAD RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

 2-1/4 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
 3 tablespoons sugar
 1 tablespoon salt
 2 tablespoons canola oil
 6-1/4 to 6-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups flour. Beat until
smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased
bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-
1/2 hours.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Shape each into a
loaf. Place in two greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, 30-45 minutes.
Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped.
Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).

Simple White Cake

Ingredients
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions
 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a
muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time,
then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture
and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the
prepared pan.
3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes.
Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

CINNAMON MUFFINS
READY IN: 35mins

YIELD: 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS

 1 1⁄2cups flour
 1⁄ cup sugar
2
 2teaspoons baking powder
 1⁄ teaspoon salt
2
 1⁄ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2
 1⁄ teaspoon ground allspice
2
 1egg, beaten
 1⁄ cup milk
2
 1⁄ cup butter, melted
3

 TOPPING
 2tablespoons sugar
 1⁄ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2
 1⁄ cup butter, melted
4

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and allspice.

2. Add egg, milk and butter.
3. Stir into dry ingredients until moistened.
4. Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.
6. For topping combine sugar and cinnamon.
7. Brush top of warm muffin in butter and dip top of muffin into sugar/cinnamon mixture.
 BASIC MUFFINS
YIELD
Makes 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS

1.
 2 cups white flour
 1 tablespoon baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 2 tablespoons sugar
 1 egg, slightly beaten
 1 cup milk
 1/4 cup melted butter

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter muffin pans. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a
large bowl. Add the egg, milk, and butter, stirring only enough to dampen the flour; the batter
should not be smooth. Spoon into the muffin pans, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Bake
for about 20 to 25 minutes each.

Blueberry Muffins. Use 1/2 cup sugar. Reserve 1/4 cup of the flour, sprinkle it over 1 cup
blueberries, and stir them into the batter last.

Pecan Muffins. Use 1/4 cup sugar. Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to the batter. After filling the
cups, sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and more chopped nuts.

Whole-Wheat Muffins. Use 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour and 1 cup white flour.

Date or Raisin Muffins. Add 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates or 1/3 cup raisins to the batter.

Bacon Muffins..Add 3 strips bacon, fried crisp and crumbled, to the batter.

Mary Berry’s chocolate cake recipe

Serves:6 Skill:EasyTotal Time:00:50Prep:00:30Cooking:00:20(May Need An Extra 5 Mins)

Ingredients

For The Chocolate Cake:

 3 large eggs
 175g (6 oz) self-raising flour

 175g (6 oz)caster sugar

 175g (6 oz) softened butter

 1½ level tsp baking powder

 40g (1½ oz) cocoa powder

 4 tbsp boiling water

 A little icing sugar, to serve

For The Chocolate Spreading/Ganache Icing:

 150ml (5fl oz) double cream

 150g (5oz) plain chocolate, broken into pieces

 4 tbsp apricot jam

To Make Mary Berry's Chocolate Cake Recipe You Will Also Need:

 2 x 17cm (7 in) deep sandwich tins, greased and lined with non-stick baking paper

Method

 Preheat the oven to 180C, gas 4.

 Beat together the eggs, flour, caster sugar, butter and baking powder until smooth in a large
mixing bowl.

 Put the cocoa in separate mixing bowl, and add the water a little at a time to make a stiff paste.
Add to the cake mixture.

Basic Vanilla Cake

INGREDIENTS
YIELDS: 8

1 1/2 c. sifted cake flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. whole milk
DIRECTIONS
COOK TIME: 0:30
TOTAL TIME: 0:55

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8-inch cake pan with butter and dust with
all-purpose flour. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
2. Beat in the butter one heaping 1/4 teaspoonful at a time, using an electric mixer set on low
speed, until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Beat in the sugar a tablespoon at a time,
until the mixture resembles fine damp sand. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla
and milk, and beat on medium-high, just until blended. Do not overbeat.
3. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out
clean—30 to 35 minutes. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
4. Un-mold and cool completely. Ice with Browned-Butter Glaze.

Before you begin, check baking powder expiration date. If it has passed, buy a fresh
canister.

 Turn into the prepared tins, level the top and bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 mins, or
until shrinking away from the sides of the tin and springy to the touch.

 Leave to cool in the tin, then turn on to a wire rack to become completely cold before icing.

 To make the icing: measure the cream and chocolate into a bowl and carefully melt over a pan of
hot water over a low heat, or gently in the microwave for 1 min (600w microwave). Stir until
melted, then set aside to cool a little and to thicken up.

 To ice the cake: spread the apricot jam on the top of each cake. Spread half of the ganache icing
on the top of the jam on one of the cakes, then lay the other cake on top, sandwiching them
together.

 Use the remaining ganache icing to ice the top of the cake in a swirl pattern. Dust with icing
sugar to serve.

Easy biscuits

Ingredients
Serves: 5

 100g (4 oz) butter

 50g (2 oz) caster sugar
 few drops of vanilla extract
 175g (6 oz) plain flour

Method
Prep:10min › Cook:25min › Ready in:35min

1. Preheat the oven to 150 C / Gas 2.

2. Add butter and sugar in a bowl and mix well until light and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla, mix, then add the flour and mix well. Roll out to about 5mm. Cut into
shapes.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.