Claire Elizabeth

Anzac Biscuits

16:56

Last Saturday was Anzac Day, and so I couldn't resist baking some delicious Anzac biscuits to mark the occasion. For those of you who don't know, Anzac Day is the anniversary that marks the landing on Gallipoli to begin military action during the First World War. Anzac stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, and this day of remembrance is one of the most important national commemorative occasions in Australia.

The Anzac biscuit was said to have been made to be sent over to the army corps during the war. These moreish little biscuits, based on rolled oats and desiccated coconut, were a nutritious and satisfying treat that had a good shelf life, hence why they were the perfect food-stuff for transportation at that time.

For me, the perfect Anzac biscuit should be crisp and crunchy, yet with a slight chewiness in the centre. There should be a rich buttery flavour, and a dark caramel sweetness from the golden syrup- got all that? The recipe I'm sharing with you today gives just that, and the best part is that they are ever so easy to make- yay!

Anzac Day may now be over, but don't wait until next year to give these biscuits a go- once you take the first bite you'll be baking them all year round, and hey, why not right? Move over Hobnob, the Anzac is here to stay!

85g porridge oats

85g desiccated coconut

100g plain flour

100g caster sugar

100g butter

1 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1. Start by combining the flour, oats, coconut and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl and put aside.

2. Heat the butter, sugar, and syrup in small pan until melted, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly

3. Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir together until just combined and slightly clumping (love that word!) together.

4. Using your hands, take small chunks of the mixture and roughly roll into a ball shape. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Don't forget to allow room for spreading!

5. Bake the biscuits at 180 degrees Celsius (Gas Mark 4) for 8-10 minutes until perfectly golden, or slightly longer if you prefer a crunchier biscuit.

6. Allow to cool on a baking rack, make yourself a cuppa, and get stuck in!

Happy Baking!

Claire x

www.claire-elizabeth.co.uk

...making life sweeter

Blackened Bananas

16:50

Pink Leopard Cake

17:43

Rainbow Cake!

17:47

blueberries

When life gives you lemons...

16:57

...make cake! I mean, what else are you gonna do with them? Exactly! Ok, so I may have accidently bought an extra net of lemons from my local green grocers the other day, and since I have no other use for them besides in baking, more cake just had to be made!

I love the combination of lemon and fresh berries so I picked up a punnet of blueberries, one of my favourite superfoods (which surely makes this all kinda healthier right?) to add to the cake. I know it may still be winter, but Spring time is coming (I can just feel it!) and so I thought this sunshiny lemon cake dotted with juicy blueberries would help the new season on it's way! We have actually been blessed with a few days of lovely weather here in the UK so it is clearly doing the trick!

I chose to make a cream cheese icing to sandwich between the zesty layers of sponge, as the not-too-sweet tangy flavour contrasted very nicely with the cake and gave it a cheesecake-y kinda vibe, if you know what I mean! Attempting the cream cheese icing was a little risky as I've always struggled to make this without it turning into a runny sloppy mess! However, with my previous experience and new acquired knowledge, I am very pleased to tell you that I have finally found a recipe that gives a wonderfully thick and creamy icing-hooray!

I actually made the cake for my mum, as it was her birthday last week and I'd never let a birthday pass by without there being a cake involved! It was also a good opportunity to test out a new recipe for my March cake of the month. Yes, there's a little inside information for you....it will be available to order in store very soon, just in time for Mothers Day!

Well this cake is certainly a winner, as it has already had the approval of the harshest cake critics I know (that being my family) and most importantly my mother, who is in my eyes the queen of cakes! In fact, I was told that it was possibly the best I have ever made, so if that doesn't tempt you to have a go at this recipe, I don't know what will!

For the cake:

225g butter, softened

225g caster sugar

4 large eggs, beaten

225g self raising flour

100g fresh blueberries

Zest of one large lemon

For the icing:

300g full fat cream cheese

100g butter, softened

100g icing sugar

Lemon zest or vanilla extract to flavour (optional)

Pre-heat your oven to 180C (gas mark 4).

Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs a small amount at a time until combined- don't worry if the mixture starts to curdle, it won't affect the final texture of the cake...trust me!

Sift the flour into the bowl, and gently fold in until you have a smooth mixture. Mix in the blueberries and lemon zest until just combined.

Divide the mixture between four 8 inch round sandwich tins (or two deeper tins if you don't have four!) lined with baking parchment paper. Bake the cakes for around 18 minutes (or about 6 minutes longer if using two tins) until well risen and golden. To test that your cakes are cooked, insert a skewer and see that it comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes. Remove from the tins and allow to finish cooling completely.

For the icing, beat together the cream cheese and softened butter, sift in the icing sugar and continue beating until smooth. Stir in your chosen flavouring if using.

Assemble the cake by spreading an even layer of the icing between each cake (if you have two deeper cakes, slice them in half horizontally to make four layers). Top the cake with a final coating of icing, and sprinkle with a few fresh blueberries to finish. Beautiful!

If you do have a go at making this cake, let me know how you get on in the comments below- I love to hear your thoughts!

Claire x

www.claire-elizabeth.co.uk

Birthdays

It's our Birthday!

16:37

Chocolate Red Wine Cake

17:57

christmas

Traditional Mince Pies

17:19

Making the perfect Victoria Sandwich

17:13

I'm going back to basics today, and starting with the classic Victoria Sandwich- a cake that many of us will be very familiar with. Whether you're an experienced baker, or a complete novice, this cake is always a joy to make. It makes the perfect addition to an afternoon tea and is popular with both children and adults alike.

What makes the perfect Victoria? I believe it should be a light, moist and tender cake with a generous filling of raspberry jam, the seeded kind, and a jolly good dusting of icing sugar. For a slightly more indulgent cake, butter icing or freshly whipped cream are wonderful (but not necessary) options as an additional filling.

Let's start with the big question- butter or margarine? Now although I'm very much an all-butter kind of girl, I actually prefer to make my cake with baking margarine. I find that this gives a slightly lighter, moister cake in comparison to using butter. If you do choose this option, ensure that you use a 'baking' margarine with at least 70% fat as the flavour is far superior to other spreads. Do not use a low fat spread- believe me it is just not worth it! The type of fat you choose to use will be a matter of personal preference. If you like a really buttery tasting sponge, then butter will of course be the obvious choice. If you're not sure, I suggest that you experiment with both to get an idea (plus this gives you an excuse to make two cakes!).

For the sugar, use caster, as the fine grain makes it ideal for creamed cakes. Golden caster sugar can also work well if you want a slightly more intense caramel flavour.

Free range eggs are a must if you want to produce a high quality, tasty cake. You may also want to use organic, but again this will be a personal preference. For my recipe, I use large eggs that weigh around 60 g without their shell.

Always use self-raising flour. I have found that plain flour with the addition of baking powder just doesn't give the same rise. If you have beaten enough air into the mixture, it should not be necessary to add any baking powder but it can be used for an extra boost!

My Perfect Victoria Sandwich Recipe:

225g butter or margarine (at least 70% fat)
225g caster sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
225g self-raising flour
Raspberry jam
Icing sugar for dusting

Butter icing (optional):
80g unsalted butter
160g icing sugar

1. Pre-heat the oven to Gas mark 4 (180C) and line two 8" round sandwich tins with baking parchment.
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (an electric whisk or stand mixer is best for this!)
2. Gradually beat the eggs into the mixture a small amount at a time- don't worry too much if the mixture curdles, it should not affect the final texture of the baked cake.
3. Sift the flour into the mixture and gently fold in until you have a smooth mixture.
4. Divide equally between your two sandwich tins, place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown.
5. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, before removing and allowing to cool completely.
6. Fill the cooled cakes with jam and butter icing, then finish with a sprinkling of icing sugar.

So that's it! Pretty simple right? Please do leave your thoughts and comments below as I love to hear your opinions. What makes the perfect cake for you?

Until next time!

Claire Elizabeth x