Blondie

This is a favourite, for many reasons. Sure, it’s decadently delicious. But it is also simple to make – and it doesn’t require a mixer (a plus, in our book!).

Ingredients

• 1 cup of butter (8oz), gently melted

• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed (approx. 7.5 oz) (we prefer soft sugar)

• 1 cup dark brown sugar (approx 7.5 0z)

• 2 teaspoons of baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon of salt1 teaspoon of vanilla

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour (approx 10.9 oz)

• 2 eggs

• 1 1/4  cups (9 oz) of semi-sweet chocolate chips (see our note below regarding chocolate)

• Optional (but recommended): 1 1/4 cups (5.4 oz) of chopped walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish, or line it with non-stick foil

3. Pour the melted butter into a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and mix well.

4. Add the baking powder, salt and vanilla; stir thoroughly.

5. Add the flour; give the spoon a bit of welly! (If you’re American, you’d say: use some elbow grease!)

6. In a separate dish, mix the eggs up a bit and then add them to the batter and stir well.

7. Mix in the chocolate chips and (if you’re using them) nuts.

8. The result is quite thick. Spoon it into your baking dish and try to spread it around evenly. But don’t worry too much about this – the recipe will even out in the oven.

9. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, turning the pan midway through. (When its done the centre will be gooier than you might be used to; if you’re using a toothpick to test it, don’t be surprised to find the result seems a bit oozy. Look for the edges to be slightly contracted from the sides of the pan.)

10. Allow to cool completely before cutting – if possible, refrigerate for awhile; overnight works well for us. But first, cut yourself a little square to enjoy, hot and gooey, with a glass of cold milk . . . Think of it as the baker’s reward (even better than licking the spoon, although that shouldn’t be resisted too strongly!).

11. Freeze some for a treat later.

Notes

This is best made a day ahead, so it can firm up in the fridge.

As with so many things, the better the ingredients, the better the results. Free-range eggs are always a plus; and there are so many fantastic fair trade and organic options available that you needn’t feel guilty about baking!

We have strong views regarding chocolate: semi-sweet chips from America are our default preference, but we sometimes enjoy chopping up a dark organic fair-trade bar instead. Of course, we respect your right to use a chocolate-like substance with an excess of milk and air – but please don’t make us eat the result!

Fruit Cake isn't just for Christmas . . .

This is a flexible recipe that never seems to fail, whatever you choose to use; we offer some ideas in the ingredients list.

Grab your American-style measuring cup instead of your British scales for this recipe – or bone up on your conversion maths!

You don’t need a mixer, so give the Kitchen Aid the day off.

The cake can be kept in the fridge for up to a month, although it won’t last that long. It also freezes well.

Want to gild the lily? Cut yourself a thin slice and spread with cream cheese. Pour a glass of  dessert wine if you’re feeling particularly louche…

Ingredients

• 1 packed cup light or dark brown sugar

• ½-cup vegetable oil

• 2 Tblspns sherry (or rum) (or whisky). (All right, we admit it – we glug in a little more than just 2 tablespoons.)

• 2 eggs

• 1 tspn vanilla extract

• 1 cup light or dark raisins

• 1 cup mixed dried fruit

• 1 cup dried cranberries (Note: If you prefer, use a mix of raisins and currents instead of the various fruits)

• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

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• 1 ½ cups shredded apple (we usually only peel them partially)

• 2 tspn baking soda

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• 2 cups flour

• ½ tspn salt

• ½ tspn cinnamon

• ¼ tspn ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).

2. Butter and flour one loaf pan.

3. In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients

4. In a smaller bowl, stir together the apple and baking soda. Add them to the large bowl.

5. In another bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. Blend them into the large bowl and mix thoroughly.

6. Spoon into prepared pan, and bake for about an hour or 80 minutes . . . your know your oven better than we do, so it’s up to you really. Test with a toothpick (you want it to come out clean), or give it a pat to see how well it bounces back.

7. Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then turn out.

8. If you’re storing the cake, you might like to brush it with whichever alcoholic ingredient you opted for, while it is still warm.

Spiced Gingerbread Cake Bars

What should we call these? Cookies? Cake? Brownie-style winter-spiced morsels of fun for the tongue? We’ve been baking them to give out in the shop lately, and nobody seems bothered by the terminology…

Keeps well, wrapped tight in a sealed tin. Freezes well, too. Takes perhaps 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to bake.

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, melted

• ¾ cup sugar

• ¼ cup brown sugar (dark brown is best)

• ½ tspn vanilla

• 1/3 cup dark molasses

• 1 egg

• 2 tspns baking soda

• 2 cups flour

• 1 Tblspn cinnamon

• ½ tspn ground ginger

• ¼ tspn ground cloves

• ¼ tspn nutmeg

• ½ tspn salt

• 1 cup (or as much as you like) of raisins or currents (we like to soak them in bourbon on whisky)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 9x13-inch pan (grease it, or line with non-stick lining of your choice)

2. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and molasses

3. Add egg and stir until completely incorporated

4. Add baking soda, flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Mix until combined.

5. Add raisins or currents and stir well

6. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan

7. Bake at 350 for around 15 to 20 minutes. Test for doneness with toothpick or by pressing down lightly – the dough should be soft but resistant; it will firm up as it cools.

8. Let cool a bit before slicing.

Notes

Tastes heavenly with a glass of warm spiced apple juice (a glug of vodka in the juice is optional, but does nothing to reduce the pleasure of the moment).