#plain flour

These delectably indulgent Decadent Lava Cakes, oozing chocolate and peanut butter, are incredibly sexy; and thus shall be the first thing I bake for my girlfriend when we're finally together!

Ingredients (serves 2):

75 grams/2 ½ ounces good quality dark chocolate (at least 72%)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 heaped teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons caster sugar

1 teaspoon Homemade Vanilla Extract

1 large egg

1 tablespoon plain flour

2 squares good quality dark chocolate (at least 72%)

1 heaped teaspoon natural peanut butter

1 heaped teaspoon Chocolate and Hazelnut Spread 

In a medium bowl fitted over a small saucepan of simmering water, melt dark chocolate with butter until smooth and shiny. Remove from the heat; and stir in cocoa powder, caster sugar and Vanilla Extract, stirring until silky. Set aside.

Grease two ramekins with butter; dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.

Break the egg into the cooled melted chocolate, whisking well. Gradually whisk in flour until no white spec remains.

Divide half of the batter between the two prepared ramekins. Press a chocolate square in the middle of each and top each chocolate square with a generous half teaspoon of peanut butter and Chocolate and Hazelnut Spread. Cover with remaining batter. Chill in the refrigerator, half an hour.

Preheat oven to 200°C/395°F.

Place ramekins in the middle of the hot oven, and bake, at 200°C/395°F, 12 minutes until just set on top.

Let cool slightly, a few minutes, then run a knife around the cakes to loosen them, before turning them up onto serving plates.

Lockdown soda bread!

THE most simple bread recipe.

I have no yeast in the house! And we're avoiding the supermarket at all costs - but I wanted homemade bread.

So - throwing back to our trip to the beautiful Irish countryside, where I first tried freshly baked SODA BREAD. ♥️

300g plain flour (you can use any flour you have!)

3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

3 teaspoons of any vinegar you have

Salt

150ml water

These beautifully golden, light and fluffy Beignets are part of a favourite dish Dad has cooked for us since we were little. And I distinctly remember Jules and I would fight for the last one! More often than not she'd win, for I'd be inclined to share and halve it, and she would just pick it up and gobble it up. Today, Dad and I made these together, and I'm really happy with the result (and since Jules has returned home, I ate the last one!)

Ingredients (makes about 3 dozens):

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water

500 grams plain flour

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Vanilla Sugar

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 1/4 cup water

1 litre/4 cups sunflower or vegetable oil

In a small bowl, combine yeast and water. Give a stir, cover with cling film, and let sit, 10 minutes, until foamy.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, with the hook attachment fitted, combine flour, sugar, salt and Vanilla Sugar. Beat on medium speed until combined.

Add sunflower oil and half of the water in the middle of the dry ingredients, and start beating again, on medium speed, until a soft dough starts coming together.

Add yeast mixture and, gradually increasing speed to high, gradually pour in remaining water (you may not need all of it, or may need more), until you have a smooth and slack batter, a bit thinner than a brio dough. Scrape the sides with a spatula to make sure it's all well-combined.

Cover bowl with cling film, and place in a warm, draught-free place. Allow dough to rise, at least a couple of hours, until doubled in size.

Heat sunflower oil in a large pot.

Pour water in a small bowl.

Wet your (clean) hand in the water, and scoop about a tablespoonful of the risen batter, on the side of the bowl with it.

Carefully drop it in the hot oil. If it rises up quickly, drop a few more tablespoonfuls of the batter, so you have about 6 to 8, depending on the size of your pot (they need a bit of room to expand).

Flip them on each side with a wooden spoon, until golden brown all over. If they colour too quickly, reduce heat to medium. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a shallow plate lined with paper towels and repeat until all Beignets are fried, keeping those which are ready warm. 

These Almond and Hazelnut Peach Cakes are light and tasty, delicately nutty, and so versatile they make a nice afternoon treat or a lovely dessert. And they travel well too, should you which to bring on the road (or rail!) to your holiday destination! Happy Monday!

Ingredients (serves 3):

1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 cup ground almonds

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

a pinch of salt

4 tablespoons caster sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon Homemade Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup hazelnut milk

1 tablespoon toasted hazelnut oil

2 halves Peaches in Syrup 

Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F.

Butter three individual tart tins or ramekins. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine plain flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt and caster sugar. Give a good stir.

Dig a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and break in the egg. Add Vanilla Extract and hazelnut milk, and stir energetically until just combined. Stir in hazelnut oil.

Divide batter between prepared tins.

Cut Peaches in Syrup into three "fans", and sit each on top of the batter in each tin.

Bake at 160°C/320°F, for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the cakes comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, and allow to cool completely before removing from the tins.

Deliciously piquant, these Chilli Flatbreads are also so easy to make for whenever you need bread in the next few minutes!

Ingredients (makes 2):

2/3 cup plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground chilli or Cayenne Pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup plain yoghurt

1/4 cup cold water

1 tablespoon olive oil

In a large bowl, combine  flour, baking powder, salt, ground chilli and paprika. Give a good stir.

Dig a well in the middle of the ingredients, and spoon in the yoghurt. Gradually add water, stirring with a wooden spoon until a dough starts forming. Dust work surface with a little bit of flour. Turn dough out and knead lightly for a couple of minutes. Return dough to the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside, at room temperature, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan over high heat. Lightly grease with olive oil. Divide the dough into two portions. Roll them into balls and flatten them out slightly. Roll them out on a lightly floured surface. Add and cook flatbreads, one at a time, about 2 minutes on each side. 

A delicately nutty pastry which will beautifully compliment your stone fruit bakes, this Almond Pastry is easy to make and pop in the freezer for your sudden pie and tart needs!

Ingredients (makes about 415 grams/14.6 ounces pastry):

1 1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup ground almonds

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup ice water

In a large bowl, combine flour, ground almonds, sugar and salt. Add butter, and rub it into the flour mixture between your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Then, gradually stir in ice water until mixture comes together into a soft ball.

Soft, moist and delicately nutty, this delicious Maple Rye Banana Bread makes a delicious use of over-ripe bananas, and a scrumptious afternoon treat! Happy Sunday!

Ingredients (makes a loaf):

1 ½ cup plain flour

½ cup rye flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

3 over-ripe bananas

2 tablespoons demerara sugar

1/3 cup pure Canadian Maple Syrup

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon Homemade Vanilla Extract

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 tablespoon pure Canadian Maple Syrup

Butter a large loaf tin, and line with baking paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine plain flour, rye flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Give a good stir and set aside.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat once butter is melted; set aside.

Preheat oven to 175°C/345°F.

In a large bowl, mash bananas thoroughly with a fork. Stir in demerara sugar and half of the Maple Syrup, then add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Finally, gradually whisk in Vanilla Extract and milk.

Gently stir rye flour mixture into banana mixture with a rubber spatula until just blended. Then, stir in remaining Maple Syrup and melted butter until well-blended. Pour batter into prepared loaf tin, and drizzle with Maple Syrup, swirling it into the batter with the blade of a knife.

Place in the middle of the warm oven. Bake at 160°C/320°F, for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. 

Let Maple Rye Banana Bread cool slightly before removing from the pan, and placing onto serving tray.

This Maple Spelt Banana Bread is simple but beautiful. It is fluffy, has a deliciously nutty flavour without nuts, which makes it suitable to your friends and family with nut and/or dairy allergy, and is just delightful with a cup of tea or coffee!

Ingredients (makes a loaf):

½ cup plain flour

1 1/2 cup spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

3 over-ripe bananas

2 tablespoons demerara sugar

1/3 cup pure Canadian Maple Syrup

4 eggs

1 teaspoon Homemade Vanilla Extract

1/3 cup spelt milk

1 tablespoon pure Canadian Maple Syrup

Butter a large loaf tin, and line with baking paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine plain flour, spelt flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Give a good stir and set aside.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat once butter is melted; set aside.

Preheat oven to 175°C/345°F.

In a large bowl, mash bananas thoroughly with a fork. Stir in demerara sugar and half of the Maple Syrup, then add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Finally, gradually whisk in Vanilla Extract and spelt milk.

Gently stir spelt flour mixture into banana mixture with a rubber spatula until just blended. Then, stir in remaining Maple Syrup and melted butter until well-blended. Pour batter into prepared loaf tin, and place in the middle of the warm oven. Bake at 175°C/345°F, for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. 

Let Maple Spelt Banana Bread cool slightly before removing from the pan, and placing onto serving tray. Brush generously with Maple Syrup, to glaze.