It's been a busy couple of weeks with Christmas puddings and cakes.
Some old favourites have been brought out again this year - Nigella's sweet chilli jam and cranberry studded mincemeat as well an apple mincemeat using a recipe given to me by a friend's mother several years ago. Several jars of pickled onions are maturing nicely using Sally's mum's recipe.
I've also discovered how wonderful Jamie Oliver's gingerbread recipe is. Delicious warm or cold, I know I will be making this a lot!

Mulled wine and cranberry brownies

I had read about red wine brownies and wondered if I could use the same idea for a more festive approach. Then came these...! Rich and indulgent!

Ingredients

180ml              ready-made mulled wine

100g                dried cranberries

110g                plain flour

½ teaspoon    sea salt

115g                unsalted butter plus extra for greasing

170g                dark chocolate

3                      large eggs

325g                caster sugar

35g                  unsweetened cocoa powder

75g                  pecan nuts, chopped (optional)

Method

1.     In a small bowl, mix the mulled wine and cranberries together and allow to sit for 30 minutes to an hour or until the cranberries look plumped

2.     Preheat oven to 350/ 180/ Gas Mark 4 and grease and line a 20cm by 20cm square tin pan.

3.     Mix flour and sea salt in a bowl and set aside.

4.     In a mixing bowl over boiling water, heat the butter and chocolate until just melted and mixed together.

5.     Remove from the bowl from the heat and beat in the eggs one at a time. (If the bowl seems very hot, you may want to let it cool for about 5 minutes before adding the eggs).

6.     Add the sugar and cocoa powder and mix, then add the flour and mix well.

7.     Mix in the mulled wine and cranberries.. Fold in pecan nuts, if using.

8.     Pour the mixture in the baking tin and bake for about 40 - 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Don't let it overcook as you want the brownie to stay fudgy in the middle but crisp on top.

9.     Allow the brownies to cool in the tin for about 25 - 30 minutes, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.

Pear and Ginger Mini Loaf Cakes

Makes one 2lb loaf or 10 mini loaves

Ingredients

150g                unsalted butter

150g                soft light brown sugar

100g                golden syrup

200ml              milk

250g                plain flour

2 ½ tsp            ground ginger

1 ½ tsp            baking powder

2                      large eggs, beaten

3 pieces           stem ginger, finely chopped

2                      pears, peeled, cored and chopped – I used conference as they maintain their shape

Method

1.     Pre-heat the oven to 180/ 160/ Gas Mark 4. Either grease and line a 2lb loaf tin or lay 10 mini loaf cases on a baking tray

2.     Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan, stir through the milk and set to one side to cool a little

3.     Sift the flour and ginger into a large bowl and make a well in the middle

4.     Pour in the wet ingredients and slowly fold in the flour until it is all combined

5.     Fold through the eggs, pears and stem ginger

6.     Fill the tin, or divide the mix between the cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 55 minutes of the whole loaf or 20-25 minutes for the individual ones until golden brown on top and a skewer comes out clean

7.     Cool the loaf in the tin for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack or move the loaves straight away.

8.     Serve warm with custard or cold with a nice cup of tea!

Lemon and Sultana Drizzle Flapjacks

Talking about favourite cakes and what to take on a coach trip with friends recently, one mentioned that they loved lemon drizzle cake but had heard of lemon drizzle flapjack. I took this as a bit of a challenge and decided to see what I could come up with myself. This recipe is vaguely healthier as the only refined sugar is in the topping which can be left off if you’d rather!

Makes 12 decent slices of flapjack

Ingredients

50g                  unsalted butter

2tbsp               smooth peanut butter

3tbsp               runny honey or maple syrup

2                      ripe bananas, mashed

2                      eating apples, peeled, cored and grated

250g                rolled oats

175g                sultanas

85g                  mixed seeds

grated zest of 2 large lemons

For the drizzle topping

juice of 2 lemons

icing sugar

 

Method

1.     Heat the oven to 160/180 fan assisted/ Gas Mark 3

2.     Grease and line a 20cm square tin or 15 x 29cm brownie tin

3.     Heat the butter, peanut butter and honey/ maple syrup until melted. Stir in the lemon zest

4.     Add the mashed banana, grated apple and 100ml of hot water

5.     Tip the oats, fruit and seeds into a bowl and pour over the wet mixture

6.     Tip into the baking tray and level off using the back of a spoon

7.     Bake for 55 minutes until golden brown

8.     Cool in the tin

9.     Mix the lemon juice with enough icing sugar to make a thick pouring drizzle. Pout over the top of the cooled flapjack and let it set.

10.  Cut into 12 generous pieces or smaller ones if you want to be more restrained!