Cranberry and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients

200g plain flour
200g porridge oats
175g sugar
175g peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
100g margarine
150g chocolate chips
100g dried cranberries
100 mls water


Method

Mix together the flour, oats and sugar with the marge and peanut butter. Add half the water, and the chocolate chips and cranberries. Then mix in the rest of the water.

Press the mixture into a tin and bake at 190 for about 30 mins. Cut into squares.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients

8 oz marge
3 tbsps cocoa
3 oz chocolate chips
1 cup boiling water
2 cups sr flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup water

Icing

4 oz marge
3 heaped tbsps cocoa
4 tbsps water
2 cups icing sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 and grease a large square or oblong tin.
In a large saucepan melt the marge and chocolate chips, then sift in the cocoa. Stir in the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds.
Mix in the flour and sugar. Beat in the eggs, then gradually stir in the water.
Pour this into the prepared tin and bake for 30-40 minutes, until a knife stuck in the middle comes out clean. The baking time depends on the tin you use - a wider, shallower one will take less time than a small, deeper one.

For the icing, melt the marge and mix with the cocoa. Add the water and beat in the sugar until smooth. When the cake is cool, pour the icing over, smooth the top and cool in the fridge until set.

Makes 20 servings

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

Ingredients

125g dark chocolate
100g margarine
2 eggs
200g sugar
125g sr flour
1 tbsp sifted cocoa

2 tbsps melted marge
1/2 cup sugar
170g peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 and grease a large square tin.
Melt the chocolate and margarine in a saucepan.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar.
Mix in the chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour and cocoa.
Spoon half of this into the tin and spread out.

In another bowl, mix together the melted marge, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla. Spread this over the batter in the tin, then spread the remaining batter on top. Using a knife, swirl the peanut butter into the chocolate mixture.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. It might still look quite soft but it will set when it's cooled. Cut into 16 squares.

Strawberry Roulade

Ingredients

80g marge
150g sugar
3 eggs
150g flour
2 tbsps water
1 tsp vanilla essence

150mls cream, whisked until thick
150g strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

Method

Beat together the marge and sugar. Mix in the eggs, flour, water and vanilla essence.
Pour into a tray lined with baking paper and bake at 200 for 20 minutes.
Invert the roulade onto another sheet of baking paper, roll it up and leave to cool slightly.
Unroll it and spread the cream on, leaving the borders. Arrange over the strawberry slices, then carefully roll up the roulade again tightly, using the paper to help you.
Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Lemon Tart

Ingredients

Base

1 cup flour
90g marge
1 tbsp sugar
1-2 tbsps water

Filling

4 eggs, separated
175g sugar
1 1/2 tbsps lemon zest
3 tbsps lemon juice

Method

To make the base, mix together the flour, margarine and sugar until it's like breadcrumbs. Mix in enough water to make a dough, then press this into a dish. Bake at 180 for 15 minutes.

Whisk the egg whites. In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar, then whisk in the lemon juice and zest.
Beat a spoon of the whites into the yolks, then fold in the rest of the whites.

Pour into the base and bake at 180 for 20 mins.

Strawberry Crumble Pie

Ingredients

Pie Base

2 cups flour
175g marge
3 tbsps sugar
1-2 tbsps water

Filling
175g sugar
500g strawberries (washed and hulled) - or you can use another fruit
20g flour
20g cornflour
20g marge

Method

To make the base, mix the flour, sugar and margarine until it's like breadcrumbs. Keep a third of this mixture to the side. Mix the water into the rest to make a dough. Press this into a pie dish, and bake at 180 for 15 minutes.

Mix the strawberries with the sugar, flour and cornflour, then pour this into the base. Dot with margarine, then sprinkle the crumble over the top. Bake at 220 for 35 - 40 minutes.

Carrot Cake With Lemon Frosting

Ingredients

2 eggs
175g brown sugar
200mls oil
200g grated carrots
225g sr flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
powdered cardamom
100g chopped walnuts

Lemon Frosting

100g marge
225g icing sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Beat together the eggs, sugar and oil. Mix in the grated carrot, flour, spices and walnuts.
Pour into a greased cake tin and bake at 190 for 40-50 minutes, then leave to cool.

To make the frosting, beat together the marge and icing sugar. Mix in the lemon zest and juice, until smooth. Spread this over the cooled cake, then garnish with some grated carrot.

Cheese Scones

Ingredients

225g sr flour
50g marge
150mls milk/water
approx 80g grated cheese
salt, to taste

Method

Using a fork, mix together the marge, flour and salt until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the cheese, then mix in the milk/water.
Knead the dough, then roll it out onto a floured surface, and cut out rounds. This makes about 10 large scones, or 20 small.
Place the scones on baking trays and bake at 220 for 12-15 minutes.

Serve warm, spread with butter.

Lemon Pudding With Sauce

Ingredients

75g marge
225g caster sugar
Grated zest of 2 lemons
4 eggs, separated
125mls lemon juice
75g plain flour
300-325mls water

Method

Whisk together the marge, sugar, lemon zest and egg yolks.
Alternately mix in the lemon juice, flour and water.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to medium-stiff peaks, then fold into the batter.
Pour into a greased dish and bake at 180 for 35-45 minutes.

Be careful not to overcook, under the sponge layer will be a creamy lemon sauce.

Alternative recipe: (serves 6)

Ingredients

50g marge, melted
100g sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
115 mls water
125g sr flour

Topping
100g sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
100 mls lemon juice
230 mls boiling water

Method

For the batter, mix the water and marge into the dry ingredients, and smooth into a baking dish.
Sprinkle over the sugar and lemon zest. Mix the water with the lemon juice and pour this over the top. Bake at 180 for 40 mins.

Chocolate-Cherry Fridge Cake

Ingredients

300g dark chocolate
2 tbsps golden syrup
120g margarine
200g lightly crushed digestive biscuits
1 tbsp cherry liqeur
75g chopped nuts
75g tinned cherries, halved

Method

Line a rectangle tin with greaseproof paper.
In a saucepan, melt the chocolate, golden syrup and margarine.
Mix together the biscuits, liqueur, nuts and cherries, then stir this into the chocolate mixture.
Pour into the lined dish, and refrigerate for  4 hours - or keep in the freezer - until it's set. Store in the fridge.