Desserts: 3 Fantastic Baking Ideas
Here are three different baking recipes to try for different occasions, all of which are undeniably scrumptious, crowd-pleasing yet stupidly straightforward delights:
Simple But Delicious Chocolate Cake
This is a perfect 'one-bowl' quick and easy chocolate cake thats great for those days when you're in a rush but are craving some chocolate pudding.
Ingredients:
• 225g plain flour
• 350g caster sugar
• 85g cocoa powder
• 1tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 250ml milk
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 2tsp vanilla extract
• 250ml boiling water
Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
2. Mix everything bar the water in a large bowl with an electric whisk.
3. Add the water a little bit at a time and mix until smooth and liquid-like.
4. Pour into a cake tin and bake for 30-35 mins. You can test the cake to see if it's ready by sticking a skewer in it and then removing it – if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
5. Leave to cool and then serve with ice-cream.
Personalised Cupcakes
These are great to add that extra thoughtful touch to a dinner party or gathering. Personalise your cupcakes with the different guests' favourite ingredients.
Ingredients (for 12 cakes):
• 110g butter
• 110g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 110g self-raising flour
• Half a handful of your personalised choice (fruit, berries, nuts, sweets, chocolate…)
• Icing
Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
2. Mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Whisk your eggs and add.
4. Fold in the flour.
5. Separate into different bowls and add most of your personalised ingredients, holding some behind to decorate.
6. Spoon into paper cases and bake for about 10 mins.
7. Add icing and decorate with leftover ingredients (chocolate, fruit, sweets).
Barbecued Cookies
Yes that's right – here's a quick recipe for cookies that can be cooked on the barbecue as a perfect dessert after all the sausages and burgers have been eaten. These cookies work better on a larger, more practical model such as a BarbeSkew.
Ingredients (for 12-15 cookies):
• 350g flour
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1tsp salt
• 225g butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 175g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 350g dark, milk or white chocolate
Method:
1. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the butter and the sugars.
3. Beat in the eggs.
4. Gradually mix in the flour and crumble in the chocolate.
5. Roll out the mixture and cut the cookies into shape.
6. Place a heavy-duty buttered baking sheet (or parchment paper will work) over indirect heat on a charcoal BBQ. Then place the cookies on top in batches.
7. Depending on how hot the BBQ is, they could take up to 20 mins to cook. Use a spatula to flip them halfway through.
8. Allow to cool slightly and serve.