Maureen's Guilty Pleasure Millionaire Shortbread
Maureen Martin joined Nicki in the studio this week to share the secrets of her infamous Millionaire Shortbread, that she regularly bakes for BBC Radio Berkshire presenter Phil Kennedy.
Makes: 32 squares
Cooking time: 55 mins
Cooling time: 2hrs 20 mins
For the shortbread:
250g salted butter plus extra for greasing
100g caster sugar
350g plain flour
For the toffee filling and the chocolate topping:
200g caster sugar
230g salted butter
400g condensed milk
4 tbs golden syrup
1 1/2 bars of milk chocolate
100g white chocolate
Preheat the oven to 150 C / 300 F / Gas 2.
Grease two 23cm square cake tins and line with grease proof paper.
Rub the butter, sugar and flour together in a bowl, until it forms a very stiff crumbly dough.
Press the dough mix into the tins.
Bake for 30 - 35 mins until lightly golden and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, make the toffee by slowly melting the sugar and 200g of butter for 10 minutes or until thick and bubbling.
Add the condensed milk and golden syrup and bring to a gentle boil stirring constantly.
Reduce the heat and stir the mixture vigorously for 5-10 minutes scraping the sides and bottom of the pan until the toffee is thick and golden.
Pour the toffee over the shortbread and allow to set for 20 minutes in the fridge.
Melt the chocolate in a plastic jug in the microwave and spread this over the toffee.
Chill for 2 hours.
Once chilled, melt the white chocolate and drizzle over the top.
Chill again and serve.
Maureen's Tiffin Cake
We couldn't let Maureen leave the studio until she had also shared her recipe for Tiffin!
1 packet of mini marshmellows
1 packet macadamia nuts
100g coconut
400g chocolate digestive biscuits
100g raisins
100g glace cherries quartered
175g butter
40g sugar
5 tbs cocoa powder
7 tbs golden syrup
Chocolate for topping
Break up the biscuits into a mixing bowl, add the raisins and the cherries and mix well.
Melt the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and golden syrup together on a low heat.
Add to the biscuit mixture and mix well.
Press into an oiled tin and pour the melted chocolate on top of the mixture.
Cover with cling film and put it in the fridge to firm up.
Slice into squares and serve.
Michelle's Pineapple Fridge Tart
According to Michelle this recipe never fails, which is exactly the sort of recipe we like!
260 g tinned pineapple chunks
1 1/2 packet pineapple jelly
1 cup plain cottage cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tin evaporated milk
Lemon juice to taste
Packet of Nice biscuits
Pour away some of the juices from the tinned pineapple.
Dice the pineapple chunks (you can use a food processor for this).
Put the small pineapple chunks in a saucepan with the jelly and bring to boil until all the jelly has dissolved.
Put the pineapple and jelly mixture on one side to cool.
Cream the cheese, sugar and vanilla, and then mix into the cold jelly mixture.
Beat milk and lemon juice at a fast speed until foamy.
Mix in with the jelly and cream cheese mixture.
Hand pack the Nice biscuits in a square tart bowl to form a base (you do not need to crush the biscuits).
Pour the very well mixed ingredients into the bowl and put in fridge to cool before serving.
Game Bird Karen Gardener's Low-fat Brownies (well relatively!)
Karen says her low fat brownies taste as good as the high-fat versions. For a special occasion, she recommends dribbling them with Amaretto and serving with crème fraiche and grated orange zest!
Cooking time 30 minutes. Eating time 2 minutes!
50 ml (2 floz) sunflower oil
250g (9 oz) good-quality dark chocolate with at least 50% cocoa solids
4 medium eggs
150g ( 5oz) light muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
7 g (3 oz) plain flour
¼ level tsp baking powder
1 level tbsp cocoa powder
Preheat the oven to 200 C (180 C fan oven) mark 6.
Grease and line a 20.5cm (8") square tin with greaseproof paper.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
Make sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
Take the bowl off the pan and put to one side to cool slightly.
Put the eggs into a clean bowl, add the sunflower oil, sugar and vanilla extract and whisk together until pale and thick.
Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the bowl, then carefully pour in the chocolate. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold all the ingredients together – if you fold to roughly the chocolate will seize up and become unusable.
Carefully pour the brownie mixture into the lined tine and bake for 20 min – when cooked, the brownies would still be fudgy in the middle and the top should be cracked and crispy.
Cut into 16 squares immediately, then leave them to cool in the tin.
Transfer to a serving plated and enjoy.
To store wrap the brownies in cling film and put in an airtight container. They'll keep for up to three days – if they last that long!
Sue Phelp's Grandad's Ginger Cake
Sue say this cake is so good it doesn't even get given the chance to cool down before people start eating it!! It's very mild & very delicious.
12 oz self raising flour
4 oz margarine
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp mixed spice
1 egg
6 oz caster sugar
1 cup of milk
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 400 F / Gas 6.
Cream margarine and sugar.
Add the flour, ginger, mixed spice and syrup.
Finally beat in the egg and then the milk into the cake mixture.
Pour the mixture into an 8" round tin and cook for 1 - 1.5 hours.
Decorate with glace icing and glace cherries.
Game Bird Yvonne's Easy Farm House Fruit Cake
225g (8oz) SR Flour
1tsp mixed spice
150g (5oz) Soft dark brown sugar
150g (5oz) Margerine
2 eggs
350g (12oz) mixed dried fruit
120ml (4 fl oz) milk
Demerera sugar for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 150 C / 300 F / Gas 2.
Grease and line a 8" round cake tin.
Put everything in a bowl except demerera sugar and beat together until well mixed.
Pour the mixture into tin, smooth top and sprinkle over demerera sugar.
Bake for 1 hour 45 mins - 2 hours
Game Bird Yvonne's Lemon Pudding
6 oz caster sugar
4 oz butter
2 unwaxed lemons
1 packet of trifle sponges
4 eggs (separated)
1 pint of double cream
Cream the butter and sugar together.
Add egg yolks and the juice and zest of both lemons, set the mixture aside.
Whip egg whites and fold into the lemon mixture.
Whip the cream.
In a large dish layer the the sponges and the lemon mixture.
Top with the whipped cream.
Chill in the fridge until ready to eat.
Game Bird Sue George's Jam Buns
8 oz self raising flour
3 oz margerine
2 oz sugar
1 egg beaten
Pinch of Salt
Milk to mix
2 tbsp of jam
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 400 F / Gas 6.
Sieve the flour and salt, rub in the margerine.
Stir in the sugar, beat in the egg and stir in sufficient milk to mix to stiff consistency.
Turn out onto a floured board, make into a long roll and divide into 12 pieces.
Make each piece into a round and place on a baking sheet.
Make a hole with your finger in the middle of each bun and fill with a spoonful of jam
Bake for 15-20 mins.
Roger's Mincemeat Cake Recipe
3 oz Margarine
1 oz lard
4 oz brown sugar
2 large eggs
14 oz jar mincemeat
7 oz SR flour
Milk if necessary
Preheat the oven to 160 C.
Grease a 7" round cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
Cream the margerine, lard and sugar together.
Beat in the eggs.
Stir in the mincemeat.
Fold in the flour.
Mixture should be moist and add milk if necessary.
Bake for 10 minutes on 160 C then turn the oven down to 150 C for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Allow to cool before serving.
Joy's Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Joy uses a frying pan to cook her pineapple upside down cake. No ovens needed!
For the sponge cake:
4 oz margerine
4 oz caster sugar
2 eggs
1 grated lemon rind
6 oz self raising flour
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
For pineapple mixture:
1 1/2 oz butter
1 1/2 oz soft brown sugar
4 pineapple rings
Cream together the margerine and the sugar.
Beat in the eggs, milk and lemon juice.
Sift in the flour and mix well.
Set the cake mixture aside.
Get a large frying pan and melt the butter and the sugar over a low heat.
Arrange the pineapple rings in the bottom of the pan.
Spread the sponge cake mixture over the top.
Cover with a lid and cook slowly for 25-30 minutes.
Turn out onto a large plate.
