Cherry chocolate spice cake

Ingredients 200g butter, 100g icing sugar, 75g dark chocolate, 120g caster sugar, 3 eggs, 100g self raising flour, 25g cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 150ml red wine, 1 tsp cinnamon,

1/2 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp allspice, 100g natural glace cherries, 2 packs chocolate fingers, 1 pack maltesers. 

Serves: 6 Preparation: 1 hour

When it comes to Christmas, mulled wine is at the top of my list of indulgences. The scent fills the house and warms the blood. When it comes to festive cakes, not everyone likes the traditional fruit cake so I always make an alternative. Last year it was mulled wine cake, which was lovely... but this year I wanted something a little more decadent, which meant at LOT more chocolate. Unlike the "dry" spice cake of last year, this cake involves cherry mulled wine syrup to flavour the cake, glaze the cake and ice the cake. A holy trinity of taste that I will definitely be making again and again!

1) Bring the red wine, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and cherries to the boil in a pan. Add 20g sugar and simmer until the wine has reduced to a syrup, pour through a sieve (saving the cherries) and set aside to cool.

2) Cream together 100g sugar and 100g butter using an electric whisk, then whisk through the cocoa powder and eggs, one egg at a time.

3) Add a tablespoon of the mulled wine syrup and sift together the flour and baking powder. Whisk into the cake batter, then bake in a buttered tin for 35 minutes at 155 degrees or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cake rack to cool completely.

4) To make the chocolate icing, melt the chocolate gently in a bain marie. Cream together 100g butter and 100g icing sugar, then slowly add the melted chocolate and a tablespoon of the mulled wine syrup, whisking continually.

5) Using the remainder of the mulled wine syrup, glaze the cake thoroughly before spreading on the chocolate icing. To decorate the cake, stick the chocolate fingers round the edge, using the chocolate icing as sort of grouting. The chocolate fingers form a sort of dish in the centre to fill with maltesers and the mulled cherries. I also dusted this with edible gold shimmer because CHRISTMAS!

Peanut butter & honey fudge

Ingredients 100g butter, 475g muscovado sugar 125ml milk, 200g peanut butter (I used Whole Earth 3 nut butter), 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 400g icing sugar, 3 tbsp honey.

Serves: like, an army Preparation: 10 minutes plus chilling time

Fudge is just one of those things which is good in small doses... yet in order to make it one must make an awful lot of it. Even with the addition of peanut butter to cut the intense sweetness, this is still awfully rich. Therefore in the run up to Christmas - why not make some treats for the people that you love?

1) Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the muscovado sugar. Once it has melted completely, add the milk and bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

2) Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, vanilla essence and honey.

3) Fill a bowl with the icing sugar and pour in the fudge mixture. Beat until all of the icing sugar has melted, then pour into a baking dish and chill in the fridge until firm before cutting into squares.

No bake cake: Lemon curd mousse

Ingredients Mousse: 1 lemon, 150ml double cream, 1 tbsp icing sugar. Curd: 4 Lemons, 4 eggs, 350g caster sugar, double cream, 8oz butter. 1 pancake.

Serves: 1 Preparation: 1 hour

I was recently sent some of the lovely Abra-ca-Debora pancakes for a foodspiration challenge and had a lot of fun with the concept of "no bake cakes." My interpretation was to quarter the pancakes and layer with lemon curd and lemon mousse to form a single slice of cake. Abra-ca-FABULOUS.

1) To make lemon curd, see my previous recipe.

2) Zest and juice the lemon and whisk with the double cream and icing sugar until stiff peaks form. This takes about 2 minutes in a food processor with a whisk attachment or using an electric whisk.

3) Sandwich the layers of pancake with lemon curd and lemon mousse, "grouting" the edges to keep the shape when pressing down.

This can be served immediately or chilled for later.

Lavender marshmallow scones

Ingredients 225g self raising flour, 50g butter, 50g sugar, 150ml milk, 1 tbsp lavender. To make the marshmallow: 5 sheets gelatine, 225g caster sugar, 100ml water, lavender, 2 large egg whites, icing sugar and cornflour for dusting

Serves: 10 Preparation: 30 minutes (plus 1 hour 30 minutes for marshmallows)

The last time I made marshmallow, I swore to myself that I would actually bake with it instead of eating it all out of the tray in an orgy of sugary fluffy glory. Well it's important to test that every part of it is perfectly made you see... *looks guilty*
Because I love to make scones and lavender scones in particular, it struck me that combining my lavender marshmallows with my lavender scone recipe would be seriously cool. It was indeed - but you can always just buy the marshmallows if you don't have the patience to make them. I tested my first batch of dough with mini marshmallows that I use for hot chocolate to check they wouldn't just caramelise in the oven - thankfully they left beautiful gooey pockets in the dough. Success!

1) First infuse the milk with the lavender by setting it to steep for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then strain away the lavender.

2) Sift the flour and sugar together, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3) Mix the milk and marshmallows in with the dry ingredients until a dough has formed. It's best to work scones with cool hands so if yours are warm, run them under the cold tap first (and dry them) before working it.

4) Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and then fold it in half and roll again. Cut out rounds of pastry with a scalloped cutter and brush with a little milk to help the surface colour.

5) Bake at 200 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Mulled wine cake

Ingredients 250g butter, 250g plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 250g icing sugar, 4 eggs, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1 3/4 cups red wine, 1/4 cup stem ginger, 2 tsp allspice, 2 tsp ground ginger, 3 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 150g marscapone, juice and zest of 1 orange

Serves: 10 Preparation: 1 hour

The lovely and fabulous @tiger_tea and I were recently discussing alternatives to Christmas fruit cake this week. Quite frankly, I love a nice slice of fruit cake at Christmas, especially with a slice of cheddar on the top (oh come on, you know by now that for me, cheese goes with everything!) but as not everyone likes it, I present this magnificent alternative. After all, what is more Christmassy than mulled wine? Booze, spice, citrus, warmth. OH MY LORD! GET IN MY BELLY! This cake is rich and dark with a layer of creamy orange marscapone in the centre.

1) Sift together the dry ingredients and chop the crystallised ginger.

2) Cream the butter and sugar together, and then whisk in the eggs, wine and orange zest.

3) Beat in the dry ingredients and the ginger bit by bit.

4) Pour into two cake tins and bake for 40 minutes at 175 degrees, until a skewer comes out clean. Set aside to cool. Your house will smell incredible. You're welcome.

5) Whip together the orange juice and marscapone and sweeten to taste with a little sugar. Leave to firm in the fridge at the cake cools, then use to sandwich the two halves together.

6) Dust the surface of the cake with a little cinnamon, cocoa powder and icing sugar mixture.

Chocolate Guinness cake

Ingredients 1 bottle Guinness, 250g unsalted  butter, 300ml soured cream, 2 cups cocoa powder, 4 cups plain flour, 3 cups sugar, 1 tbsp baking soda, 4 eggs, 400g cream cheese, 1 cup icing sugar.

Serves: 12 preparation: 1 hour

If you think my banana loaf is moist, then you've seen nothing yet! This chocolate cake is the loamiest of all my creations - a big, thick slice of malty chocolate topped with a sinfully thick, rich cream cheese frosting. I dare you not to love it.

1) Melt the butter in a pan and whisk in the Guinness. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.

2) Sift the flour, chocolate, sugar and baking soda into one bowl, and beat the eggs and soured cream with the buttery Guinness mixture and then slowly beat the dry ingredients with the wet.

3) Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes at 180 degrees, then set aside to cool.

4) Beat together the cream cheese and icing sugar until completely incorporated.

5) When the cake has completely cooled, prize it carefully from the cake tin and slather the cream cheese frosting onto the top. I prefer the frosting to be set in the fridge for at least an hour, but you can eat this immediately.

Lavender marshmallow pie

Ingredients  Filling: 300g lavender marshmallows, 30ml milk, Pastry: 250g butter, 100g caster sugar, 500g plain flour, 1 tbsp milk.

Serves: 12 preparation: 1 hour 1/2


These little tarts are a delight - thin, crisp pastry with a gooey, fluffy marshmallow centre and the delicate flavour of lavender.
It's enough to make you want to be a rocking horse person!


1) To make sweet shortcut pastry: sift the flour and sugar and add small cubes of the cold butter into your blender and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the milk and pulse until a dough ball forms. Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge to cool for an hour.


2) Roll out the pastry, cut out circles and press into tart cases. Blind bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 5 - 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.


3) Bring a pan of milk to the boil and melt the marshmallow into it, whisking through until they are completely incorporated. Set the mixture aside to cool, then pour into the tart cases and chill for at least an hour.

Lavender marshmallows

Ingredients 5 sheets gelatine, 225g caster sugar, 100ml water, lavender, 2 large egg whites, icing sugar and cornflour for dusting

Preparation: 30 minutes (plus 1 hour for setting)


Whether you make plain marshmallows, or lavender - I can promise that my recipe will make the fluffiest, lightest marshmallows you have ever eaten. Unlike the drier almost spongy texture of the marshmallows that you can buy - fresh marshmallow is wonderful and I promise the delicate taste of lavender will delight you. These are perfect on their own, for making white chocolate s'mores or for marshmallow pies.


1) Rub a little butter, oil or margarine onto a baking tray, then dust it with sieved icing sugar and cornflour. I use a ratio of 3 parts icing sugar, 1 part cornflower.


2) Soak the gelatine in cold water and set aside, then pour boiling water over a tablespoon of lavender and allow it to infuse for 2 minutes. Separate the lavender from the water with a sieve.


3) Put a pan onto the heat and crank it up high. Bring 100ml of the lavender water and sugar to the boil and continue cooking for 12 minutes. 


4) Then, carefully slide in the softened gelatine sheets and a little more of the lavender water. Stir briskly to incorporate the gelatine - you will notice the syrup becomes much stickier. Remove from the heat and decant into a jug. 


5) Quickly whisk the egg whites using an electric whisk until stiff peaks are formed. Continue whisking while pouring in the hot syrup from the jug. The mixture should thicken quickly and acquire a beautiful glossy hue. Continue whisking for 10 minutes until the mixture is stiff and thick enough to hold it's own weight. 


6) Pour onto the baking tray, dust with another layer of icing sugar and corn flower and leave for an hour to set at room temperature. 


7) To cut the marshmallow, use a sharp knife and section quickly, dragging the knife. Dust the edges with cornflower and icing sugar by rolling it in the excess and serve! 

Lemon & poppyseed mini muffins

Ingredients 225g self raising flour, 50g plain   flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 6 tsp vegetable oil, 150g Rachel's Organic greek yoghurt, 125ml lemon juice, 1 egg, 1 tbsp poppy seeds, 2 tbsp icing sugar.

Makes: 52 mini muffins Preparation: 20 minutes


I am a total soup junkie and forever creating different flavours of breads to dunk in, or different textures and flavours to use as croutons. I have even been known to fill Hula-Hoops with cream cheese and float them on my soup. Mmmm melty goodness. With parsnip soup, I like to make these lemon and poppyseed mini-muffins to float on the top but they're gorgeous just as they are too.

1) Sift together the self raising flour, plain flour, baking powder, icing sugar and baking soda.

2) Whisk together 1 egg with the milk, lemon juice and vegetable oil and stir into the flour mixture. Add the poppy seeds.

4) Stir in the yoghurt but do not make the mixture too smooth - it needs to be a bit lumpy for the muffins to rise and have those lovely fluffy bubbles of air inside.

5) Spoon into the mini muffin cases and bake at 220 degrees for 7-10 minutes (until they mushroom from the cases and become golden brown).

6) Allow to cool and pop them out of the cases and float on your soup.

Baked donuts

Ingredients 1/2 pint milk, 7g yeast,  85g sugar, 2 eggs, 600g plain white flour, 1 tsp salt, 65g butter 1/4 tsp vanilla essence, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp icing sugar, cranberry & orange curd.

Serves: X Preparation: 2 hours


I'm not a big fan of fried food, mostly finding it too greasy and unhealthy - I'd rather save those extra calories and fat grams for cheese quite frankly! I recently made a batch of cranberry & orange curd though and thought that it would be fabulous in baked donuts. Even better than vanilla custard. They're so fluffy and scrumptious and you get to make a big mess in the kitchen too!


1) Warm up the milk and dissolve the yeast into it. Allow it to rest for 2 minutes before stirring in the melted butter, sugar and vanilla essence.


2) Beat together the two eggs and stir into the milk which should by now be room temperature.


3) Pour the mixture into a blender and using your dough hook setting combine it with the flour and salt, bit by bit until a bread-like batter has formed. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl easily but be a bit sticky.


4) Oil a bowl and pour in the batter, leaving it to rise in a warm place for an hour (I put it on top of the oven whilst the oven pre-heats)


5) Punch down the dough and roll it out to about half an inch thickness. Cut out circles of dough and allow them to rise for another 45 minutes.


6) Using a teaspoon poke a hole in the side and fill with the curd. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 190 and dust with a mixture of cinnamon and icing sugar.


They're best eaten fresh so invite lots of people round to share them!

Apple & cinnamon French Toast

Ingredients Wholemeal bread flour, cinnamon,   baking soda, eggs, vegetable oil,    apple sauce, muscovado sugar, vanilla essence, icing sugar, maple syrup, butter

Serves: 1 Preparation: 10 minutes

After making my apple & cinnamon bread I knew there was only one way to serve this... and it turned out to be one of my more perfect recipes.


1) Slice the apple & cinnamon loaf to about 1.5 cm thickness and dip in whisked egg.


2) Melt half a teaspoon of butter in a frying pan and drop the slice of bread into the pan.


3) Toast the bread, turning frequently. When you notice the steam puffing out the bread a little you will have achieved the fluffy yet crispy texture that makes French toast so glorious.


4) Serve dusted with icing sugar and drizzled with maple syrup

Lemon & raspberry tart

Ingredients For 12 individual or 1 large tart.  175g Plain flour, 215g caster sugar, 75g butter, salt, 7 lemons, 7 eggs, 200ml double cream, icing sugar, raspberries.

1) Soften the butter and then blend it along with the flour, 40g of sugar, 1 egg yolk (save the egg white for later) and a pinch of salt. Add a tablespoon of warm water and then remove the dough ball from the blende and knead it before putting it in the fridge to firm up for half an hour.


2) To make the tart filling, squeeze the lemons until you have 275ml of juice and whisk this along with the 6 eggs, 175g of sugar and 200ml of double cream.


3) Roll out your chilled pastry on a floured surface and line your pastry cases (or pastry case if you're making one large tart!). Brush with the leftover egg white and blind bake for 20 minutes.


4) Pour the filling into the pastry shell and stud with raspberries. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Set aside to cool and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Tarte au citron

Ingredients For 12 individual or 1 large tart. 175g Plain flour, 215g sugar, 75g butter, salt, 7 lemons, 7 eggs, 200ml double cream. Icing sugar.

1) Soften the butter and then blend it along with the flour, 40g of sugar, 1 egg yolk (save the egg white for later) and a pinch of salt. Add a tablespoon of warm water and then remove the dough ball from the blende and knead it before putting it in the fridge to firm up for half an hour.

2) To make the tart filling, squeeze the lemons until you have 275ml of juice and whisk this along with the 6 eggs, 175g of sugar and 200ml of double cream.

3) Roll out your chilled pastry on a floured surface and line your pastry cases (or pastry case if you're making one large tart!). Brush with the leftover egg white and blind bake for 20 minutes.

4) Pour the filling into the pastry shell and bake for 25-30 minutes. Set aside to cool and dust with icing sugar before serving.

French toast

IngredientsBread, 1 egg, milk, butter, icing sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon

I'm a big believer in not wasting food and getting creative with leftovers. If you plan your meals well then you can dine each night on a different dish, made with similar components.
In this case, when I get to the end of a loaf of bread and the last few slices are getting stale - I blend them to make breadcrumbs (which can be frozen until needed) or make something indulgently fabulous such as French toast.

1) Set a frying pan onto a high heat and melt a teaspoon of butter in the pan. Roll the pan to coat the surface evenly with butter.

2) Whisk an egg with a little drizzle of milk and quickly dip the slice of bread into it, ensuring that the bread is coated with egg but not soaked as your bread will disintegrate.

3) Drop the bread into a pan and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. After 1 minute turn the bread and sprinkle the other side.

4) Toast the bread, turning frequently. When you notice the steam puffing out the bread a little you will have achieved the fluffy yet crispy texture that makes French toast so glorious.

5) Serve sprinkled with icing sugar, drizzled with maple syrup.
This goes perfectly with a side of bacon.