Rich Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

175g dark chocolate
150g marge
4 eggs
150g sugar
200g ground almonds

Chocolate Glaze

80g dark chocolate
50g marge

Method

Melt the chocolate and marge together in a saucepan. Whisk together the eggs and sugar, then fold in the ground almonds. Mix the melted chocolate into this, pour into a greased cake tin and bake at 180 for 45 mins.

For the glaze, melt the chocolate and marge until smooth. When the cake is done, turn it onto a serving plate. Spread the glaze over it and leave to cool until the chocolate hardens.

Chocolate Roulade

Ingredients

4 eggs
115g sugar
115g dark chocolate
50g ground almonds

250mls whipping/double cream


Method

Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan until smooth. Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick, then fold in the ground almonds and the melted chocolate.

Pour this into a lined deep baking tray and bake at 180 for about 20 mins.

Whisk the cream with 1-2 tbsps sugar until thick.

When the roulade is done, leave to cool, then turn it out onto a piece of baking paper. Spread the cream over the middle of it, leaving a large area around the edges, then use the paper to help roll up the roulade carefully, with the seam underneath.

Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Lemon Cream Meringue

Ingredients

4 egg whites
225g caster sugar
1 tsp almond essence
50g ground almonds

Lemon Cream

250mls whipping/double cream
2 tbsps sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tsps lemon juice

Method

Whisk the egg whites, then whisk in the sugar until stiff. Fold in the almond essence and ground almonds. Pour this into two square foil tins. Bake at 170 for about 1/2 an hour.

Meanwhile whip the cream, then add the sugar, lemon juice and zest and whip until thick.

When the meringues are baked, leave to cool, then turn out one onto a serving plate. Spread the lemon cream over it, then place the second meringue on top, and serve.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients

1 large orange (or 2 small/medium ones)

175g sr flour

150g marge

175g sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

100g dark chocolate chips

Chocolate-Orange Sauce

85g dark chocolate chips
25g marge
3 tbsps orange juice

Method

Finely grate the rind of one orange, then peel the orange(s) and cut the segments into small pieces. 

Beat together the flour, marge, sugar, eggs and vanilla essence until smooth. 

Stir in the orange pieces and rind, followed by the chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased square cake tin and bake at 180 for about 40 minutes.

To make the sauce, melt the chocolate chips, marge and orange juice in a saucepan until smooth.

Serve the cake warm with the sauce spooned over the top.

Oznei Haman

Ingredients

200g marge
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 cups sr flour
1/4 cup water (if needed)
Filling: jam, chocolate spread etc

Method

Cream together the marge and sugar. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour to make a dough.

Roll out the dough - adding the water if needed - and using a cookie cutter or a glass cut into large circles. Place a teaspoon of your chosen filling in the middle of each circle, and draw three sides together into the centre to make triangle shapes. Bake at 180 for about 20 mins.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ingredients

65g marge
100g brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
175g sr flour
200g date spread
150mls water
2 tbsps date syrup (or golden syrup)

170g brown sugar
25g marge
500 mls boiling water

Method

Cream the marge and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla essence, then the flour. Mix in the date spread followed by the water and golden syrup.
Pour this into a large greased dish.
Sprinkle the brown sugar over and dot with the marge. Slowly pour 500 mls boiling water over the top.
Bake at 190 for about 45 minutes.
There will be a toffee sauce underneath the sponge. Serve hot.

Variation: To make a sponge with sauce served separately, use 225g flour and 200g brown sugar in the sponge mix, and leave out the last stage with the sugar, marge and boiling water. Make the sauce below to serve on the side.

Toffee Sauce1 cup water
1 tbsp marge
2 tbsps brown sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 1/2 tbsps water

Boil together the first three ingredients. In a small bowl or cup, mix together the cornflour with the 1 1/2 tbsps water, then pour this into the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Almond Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
115g marge
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups sr flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup water
Choice of fillings: eg. raspberry jam, Nutella chocolate spread

Method

Cream the marge and sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla essence. Alternately mix in the flour and ground almonds with the water.

Spoon half of the mixture into 12 large muffin cases. Place a teaspoonful of your chosen filling in the middle of each, then cover with the remaining mixture.

Bake at 200 for 20-25 minutes.

Variations: mix 200g blueberries into the batter / substitute the vanilla essence with almond essence, and add 100g glace cherries.

Double Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

300g dark chocolate
200g marge
2 tbsp water
3 eggs
200g sugar
90g sr flour
200g chocolate chips

Method

Melt the marge and chocolate.
Beat together the eggs, water and sugar, then add the chocolate mixture.
Fold in the flour, followed by the chocolate chips.
Pour this into a greased tin and bake at 190 for 45 minutes.
Enjoy!

Fruit Cake

Ingredients

200g marge
180g brown sugar
450g mixed fruit (eg. sultanas, cranberries, currants, chopped dates)
125mls water
75mls cherry liqueur
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
150g glace cherries, chopped
3 eggs
100g ground almonds
200g sr flour

Method

Put the marge, sugar, fruit, water, liqueur and spices in a large saucepan, and boil together for 5 minutes. Mix in the glace cherries.

Beat together the eggs, ground almonds and flour, then combine with the fruit mixture.

Pour into a large dish and bake at 160 for at least 1 hour.

Splash with some more liqueur and serve warm.

Rum Baba

Ingredients

3 eggs, separated

200g sugar

200g sr flour

60g marge, melted

1/4 cup water

200mls double/whipping cream

Rum syrup

175mls water
225g sugar
100mls rum

Method

Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Mix in the flour, melted marge and water.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold carefully into the batter.

Spoon this into a greased cake tin (a Bundt tin is good) and bake at 180 for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile for the syrup, place the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir in the rum.

Whisk the cream until thick.

I find the best - and least messy! - way to do the next stage, is to place the baked cake in a large, deep tin (a square foil container worked for me), skewer the top, then slowly pour the syrup over it. Now place the cake onto a serving dish, and again slowly pour the syrup that wasn't absorbed before, from the dish and over the cake. 

If you used a Bundt tin, spoon the cream into the hole in the middle, and garnish with fruit. Or you can serve the Rum Baba with the cream on the side.