This is very straightforward and easy to make and tastes just as good as the complicated versions. It can be made plain, or pineapple and nuts may be added.

Ingredients

150g plain flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

100g soft brown sugar

2 eggs

125 ml oil (vegetable or sunflower types, not olive oil)

1/2 zest of one lemon and 1/2 zest of one orange ( or just use one orange OR lemon)

100g carrots, finely grated

75g chopped walnuts if desired

110 g pineapple pieces, drained and finely chopped, if desired

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

60g butter at room temperature

25g icing sugar

125g cream cheese (like Philadelphia)

How to make it

Heat the oven to 150C / 130 C fan oven / Gas Mark 2. Line a cake tin about 20cm across or aBOUT 7″ square.

1. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and stir in the sugar.

2. Beat the eggs together with the oil and citrus zest.

3. Stir the carrots into the oil mixture.

4. Stir the carrot and oil mixture into the flour mixture and combine as evenly as possible.

5. Fold in the nuts and pineapple if used.

6. Spoon the mixture into the tin, level out the surface and bake for about 1 hour – 1 hr 20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin.

To make the icing.

1. Beat together butter and icing sugar until soft.

2. Beat in the cream cheese.

3. If you have time chill the mixture in the fridge until it’s thick and spreadable, and then spread a thick layer on top of the cake.  If you are in a hurry you can just spread the icing straight on top of the cake, but it might be a little runny.

Tags: baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, butter, cake, carrot cake, carrots, cinnamon, cream cheese, eggs, icing sugar, lemon, orange, pineapple, plain flour, soft brown sugar, sunflower oil, wallnuts
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Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

How to make tham

In a large bowl, cream together butter and  sugar until white and creamy.

Beat in egg and vanilla.

Add flour, cinammon, baking powder and salt.

Blend well until mixture sarts to stick together.

Divide mixture into two. Form one half into sausage shape, wrap in clingfilm and freeze.

Chill the remaining half to firm it up a bit – put it in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for a couple of hours. You can use it straight away but it will be very sticky to work with.

When it is firmer, make small balls by rolling between hands – about 3/4″ across.

Set balls about 2″ apart on lightly greased baking tray.

Bake at 350F for about 5 – 10 minutes until edges are lightly browned.

Cool on rack

Store in airtight tin.

Tags: baking powder, butter, cinnamon, egg, granulated sugar, plain flour, salt, vanilla essence
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Ingredients

4 oz package of cream cheese (like Philadelphia)

1 small egg yolk

1/2 cup granulated sugar (divided)

12 slices white bread

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

How to Make Them

1. Set oven to 400F / 200C

2. In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg yolk and 1/8 cup sugar until smooth. Set aside.

3. On a plate with a rim, mix together the remaining 3/8 cup sugar and cinnamon.

4. Cut the crusts off bread and roll flat with rolling pin.

5. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the slices.

6. Rollup each slice like a swiss roll.

7. Brush each roll with melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat well.

8. Place on greased or lined baking tray, seam down.

9. Bake for 10 – 12 mins until golden brown.

These will freeze well unbaked.

Tags: Bread, butter, cinnamon, cream cheese, egg, granulated sugar
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To make a pie that fits a pyrex glass plate

Ingredients

250g puff pastry

2 large or 3 small cooking apples

caster sugar

cinnamon

How to make it

1. Set oven to 200C, 400F.
2. Grease a pyrex pie plate or similar sized dish.
3. Lightly flour the table and roll out the pastry to fit as a lid on the pie.
4. Peel, core and slice the apples thinly.
5. Layer one apple over the pie dish.
6. Sprinkle with caster sugar to taste (about 2 tablespoons).
7. Sprinkle with approximately 1 dessertspoonful of ground cinnamon.
8. Layer the second apple over the first, and repeat with sugar and cinnamon.
9. Brush the edge of the dish with milk and cover with the pastry.
10. Cut off surplus pastry and make 2 small slits in centre to allow steam to escape.
11. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar if desired.
12. Bake in centre of oven for approximately 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.
13. Allow to cool a little and serve with double cream.

Tags: apple, caster sugar, cinnamon, puff pastry
Posted in Desserts, Pies and Pasties | No Comments »

Ingredients

2 cups Plain flour

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup dessicated coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts (if you like)

1 8oz can crushed pineapple (i/2 small can)

1 cup raisins

3 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk (add a tablespoon of lemon juice to ordinary milk and leave to stand for 5 mins).

3/4 cup vegetable or sunflower oil

1 1/4 cups caster sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

pinch salt

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

How to make it

1. Preheat oven to 350F / 175C / 165C Fan oven
2. Sift together flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla essence. Mix well.
4. Add the flour moxture to the egg mixture.
5. In another bowl combine carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins. Mix wel.
6. Add the carrot mixture to the flour mixture. Mix well.
7. Pour into 8″ x 12″ pan and bake for 1 hour, till skewer comes out clean.
8. Leave for at least 20 mins to set before cutting.

Tags: buttermilk, carots, carrot cake, caster sugar, cinnamon, coconut, eggs, pineapple, plain flour, raisins, vegetable oil, walnuts
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