This is a Nigella Lawson classic and is great on a lazy Sunday morning with a cup of hot coffee or tea. It fills the house with vanilla and cinnamon smells..enough to raise anyone from the depths of a lie in!

For 2 servings you will need:

4 slices of bread lightly toasted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract/essence 
2 teaspoons of cinnamon or mixed spice (this isn't in the original Nigella recipe but I love the taste of cinnamon so I just had to add it!)
Approx 2 tablespoons of milk.
Caster sugar
knob of butter

Mix the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and milk in a bowl until fully incorporated then transfer to a shallow dish or plate.
Lightly toast the bread and place in the mixture to soak up the liquid, turn them over after a few mins to make sure both sides are coated.
Pour a generous amount of caster sugar on a large clean plate.
Put a knob of butter in a hot pan and swirl around.
Place the soaked toast in the pan and fry until slightly charred and golden on both sides.
Using a fish slice transfer the toast from the pan to the sugar and thoroughly coat each slice.

Serve with a hot brew and enjoy!

 
I had never eaten let alone made whoopie pies before, I am just about to make them again they are so yummy! My brother and his lovely girlfriend bought me a wheat free baking book for Christmas which contained a recipe for these little beauties. I changed it slightly adding rye flour to give them a slightly nuttier flavor.  

Wheat free Whoopie Pies:

125g unsalted butter
115g brown sugar
2 eggs
115g rye flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb
1 tsp xanthan gum
30g cocoa powder
160ml milk

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C or 180 degrees C for fan assisted ovens.
Put butter, sugar and eggs in a food processor and blitz until light and creamy.
Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl then fold into the batter.

slowly add the milk to form a smooth but slightly stiff mixture.


Use 2 teaspoons to put dollops onto a lined baking tray. Keep them spaced out so they don't stick together as they expand.
Bake for 10 mins until just risen and firm to the touch.
Once baked leave to cool slightly then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


For the filling you will need:


75g softened unsalted butter.
130g icing sugar
1 tbsp double cream.


Whip all the ingredients together until fluffy and then spread on the flat sides of the cooled whoppie pies and sandwich them together.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy!!


These are really good when left in the fridge over night. They taste like an icecream sandwich! 


 
Making jam is so much easier than I thought it would be!

You will need:
1kg of yellow plums. You can use your favorite fruit 
(eg. strawberries, blackcurrants, blackberries etc) 
1kg jam sugar
The juice of 1/2 a lemon

Method:
Take the skin off and the stone out of the fruit, put in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Soften the fruit over a medium heat then add the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to the boil and keep stirring, put a teaspoon into the mixture and pull it out again, set it aside to cool, push the mixture up the spoon and if it wrinkles then the jam is done. Leave it to cool and then put into clean jars.
 
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This is defiantly a favorite in our house, be it for a late night snack or for a breakfast treat with a hot cup of coffee. 
This is a wheat free version but wheat free flour and xanthan gum can be substituted for regular plain flour.

You will need:
115g unsalted butter at room temperature
175g wheat free plain flour (I use Doves Farm organic plain flour)
1tsp Xanthan Gum 
55g caster sugar
pinch of salt
1 tin of Carnation Caramel
150g plain or milk chocolate
a lined baking tray
pre heated oven to 160 degrees C
Method:
Put the butter, flour, xanthan gum, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl, stir it all together with a wooden spoon untill it reaches the same stage (this method only works with really soft butter!). After a short while it should come together so you can mold it into a soft dough. Either squash it into the bottom of the baking tray or roll it out into a neat square to fit into the base using extra flour for dusting if needed. Prick it with a fork a few times and put it in the middle of the hot oven for 20-25 mins or until just coloured at the edges.


After the shortbread is cooked take it out of the oven and carefully take it out of the tray and leave it to completely cool on a wire rack.
When it is cooled spread the Carnation Caramel straight from the tin on the top of the shortbread (don't mix the Caramel as I did as it becomes too runny!).
melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water (make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl other wise the chocolate will over heat and go lumpy). Once completely melted pour the chocolate over the caramel layer and leave to set in the fridge.


Cut into squares or random shards with a hot knife and enjoy!

 
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The first time I made these I used Fluff, a marshmallow spread, and it was incredibly easy. The second time I used 2 bags of marshmallows....I ended up covered in pale pink goo! So as a result I would recommend using Fluff for ease of use, however if you prefer a chewy texture then I would go for proper marshmallows. Either way they are a tasty treat and perfect for any party.

You will need:
1 x jar of Fluff or 2 x 200g bags of  marshmallows.
1 x knob of unsalted butter.
Rice Crispy cereal.
1 x lined baking tin or dish

Method:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the marshmallows or Fluff and heat until melted together. Add the Rice Crispy cereal a bit at a time until you have the consistency you require. If using marshmallows be aware that the mixture starts to solidify rather quickly and can be difficult to work with.
Spoon into the lined baking tray or dish and smooth flat with the back of a buttered spoon.
Leave to cool and then either leave au natural or dribble with chocolate or dust with edible glitter and cut into squares.