Baileys Cheesecake

Ingredients

Base

250g digestive biscuits
100g margarine, melted

600g soft cheese
225mls double cream
175g sugar
2 tbsps cornflour
2 eggs
100mls Baileys

Method

Crush the digestive biscuits and mix with the melted marge. Press into a cake tin and refrigerate.

Beat together the soft cheese, sugar, cornflour and cream. Whisk in the eggs and Baileys.
Pour this mixture over the base and bake at 180 for 45 minutes or until it starts to set. Keep refrigerated.

If you find the Baileys taste a bit too subtle - like I did - my serving suggestion is to simply drizzle Baileys over your slice!

Chocolate, Rum and Raisin Cake

Ingredients

100g marge
150g dark chocolate chips
4 eggs, separated
200g caster sugar
50g ground almonds
100g sr flour

Rum & Raisin Ganache

75g raisins
1 1/2 tbsps rum
1 1/2 tbsps cherry liqueur
175mls single cream
25g sugar
350g dark chocolate chips
25g marge

Method

Put the raisins, rum and cherry liqueur in a small bowl and leave to soak overnight.

Melt together the marge and chocolate in a saucepan, then leave to cool slightly. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar. Mix in the flour and ground almonds, then the melted chocolate. Finally, fold in the whisked egg whites.

Pour into a greased, lined cake tin and bake at 180 for 50 minutes.

For the ganache heat the cream and sugar in a saucepan, and stir in the chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Stir in the marge followed by the raisins.

Turn the cake out onto a plate and pour the ganache over it, keeping some to serve on the side.

Quick Tiramisu

Ingredients

Vanilla cake (enough for two layers)
Coffee
250mls whipping cream
Custard (for one layer)
Drinking chocolate powder



Method

Boil some water and make a cup of sweetened black coffee. Slice the cake and layer half of the slices in the bottom of a deep clear dish. Spoon half of the coffee over, then pour the custard on top.
Layer the rest of the sliced cake over that, then spoon the rest of the coffee over. Whip the cream until thick, adding some sugar to taste. Spread this over the top layer of cake.

Just before serving, sprinkle over the drinking chocolate powder.

Peanut Butter Blondies

Ingredients

100g marge
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
175g peanut butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
200g sr flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Method

In a saucepan melt together the marge and sugar, then stir in the peanut butter. When it's cooled slightly, add the eggs and vanilla essence. Pour this into a large bowl with the flour and mix together, then fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased square pan and bake at 180 for 45 mins. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then cut into squares.

Variation: Omit the chocolate chips. Press 3/4 of the mixture into the pan, and spread 300g of jam over it. Crumble the rest of the mixture over the top, then bake.

Almond Cake

Ingredients

3 eggs, separated
150g sugar
160g ground almonds
1 tsp almond essence

Method

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, then fold in the ground almonds to make a thick paste. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Using a metal spoon, stir in a couple of spoons of the egg whites into the almond paste to loosen it. Then carefully fold in the rest of the whites.

Pour into a lined cake tin and bake at 180 for 35 mins.

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.