Step 1

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas 3. Butter and line a deep 20cm/8in round cake tin.

Step 2

Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and creamy. Pour in the eggs a little at a time and beat well after each addition. Mix in the flour one third at a time, this is partly to make sure the flour gets completely mixed in and also to help stop it exploding in a huge ‘atomic cloud like’ explosion… I speak from previous experience on that part!

Step 3

Fold in the cherries, ground almonds and almond extract until evenly mixed. Spoon half the mixture into the tin.

Step 4

Roll out the marzipan to a 19cm/7½in circle. Don’t worry if you roll it out slightly larger than this, as I always have to trim it a bit to get it to fit in a circular tin! Lay the trimmed marzipan on top of the cake mixture in the tin, then cover with the rest of the mixture. Level, and scatter the almonds on top, or place them in a fancy pattern like mine if you’re so inclined. I also added a few leftover cherries too, but this is completely optional.

Step 5

Bake for 1½ hours, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean, covering with foil after 1 hour. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and then sit back and enjoy this Cherry and Marzipan Cake as much as I do!

If you liked making this Cherry and Marzipan Cake recipe, check out a few more recipes.

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Stage 1

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and celery and fry for 2 minutes. Then add the chopped red peppers and continue frying for another 4 minutes.

Stage 2

Add the crushed garlic cloves and fry for 1 minute more. Tip in the tomatoes, tomato puree, the balsamic vinegar, and 500g gnocchi, then bring to a simmer. Half fill one of the empty tomato tins with water and add to the pan. Stir together and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Keep stirring the mixture occasionally during this time to prevent anything sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Stage 3

Add in the smoked paprika, oregano, torn basil leaves and black olives (if using). Give everything a good stir, then cook for another 5 minutes.

Stage 4

Transfer the cooked mixture into a large ovenproof dish. Scatter with torn chunks of the mozzarella ball, then grill for 5-6 mins until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

Once cooked, this dish can be served straight to the table for all to dive in.

If you liked this Gnocchi, mozzarella and tomato bake recipe, why not view some more recipes.

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Step 1

Combine the butter, sugars and honey in a saucepan over a low heat, bring to the boil and gently simmer until all of the butter and sugar is dissolved. You should end up with a thick, glossy, dark liquid. Transfer into a mixing bowl and leave this to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Step 2

Mix the eggs into the butter-sugar-honey mix (this is why you want to make sure the mix is cool – otherwise it’ll cook your eggs!), until you get a smooth batter.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients – the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and rosemary leaves. Mix thoroughly.

Slowly incorporate the liquid mix into the dry mix, stirring until you get a glossy mixture.

Step 3

Pour into your tin and bake for 35-45 mins, or until a skewer comes out cleanly. Leave it to cool in the tin before turning out (if you take it out of the tin too soon, it may start to split!).

Step 4

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl, add the lemon juice, and then gradually at the icing sugar, until it’s of spreading consistency.

Decorate however you like – I always grate orange zest on top, and add some lavender flowers.

This bees knees honey cake serves 8-10 people (or fewer hungry people!).

Now site back and enjoy!

If you liked making this Bees Knees Honey Cake recipe, check out a few more recipes.

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Step 1

Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the oil with the milk, buttermilk, egg and vanilla essence on low speed until well blended. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, the stir in the sugar. Add a third of these dry ingredients to the oil and milk mixture and beat in slowly until evenly incorporated.

Beat in a third of the boiling water, followed by another third of the dry ingredients, then repeat with the remaining ingredients, mixing together until they are all combined. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition, to ensure a well-mixed batter.

Step 2

Divide the mixture for the chocolate Malteser cupcakes between the cupcake/muffin cases, filling each by two-thirds. Any remaining batter can be used to fill some extra cases in a separate tin. Place in the oven and bake for around 18 minutes or until the cupcakes are springy when pressed.

Step 3

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for around 10 minutes before removing from the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool down completely before adding the chocolate icing.

Step 4

To make the icing, place the chocolate chips in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, using the electric whisk, whip the cream with the malted-milk/Horlicks powder until it forms soft peaks. In a seperate bowl, beat the cream cheese with the caster sugar until combined, then add the cooled chocolate and mix again.

Step 5

Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, adding half the whipped cream at a time. Divide the chocolate icing between the chocolate Malteser cupcakes, smoothing and swirling with a palette knife (if you’ve never iced a cupcake before then there’s plenty of great instructional videos online), then decorate each cupcake with 3 Maltesers.

Now site back and try one, preferably with a nice coffee!

If you enjoyed following this Chocolate Malteser Cupcakes recipe, check out a few more recipes.

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Stage 1

Preheat the oven to 160˚C/140˚C (fan) or gas mark 3. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin.

Stage 2

Using electric beaters, beat together the butter, muscovado sugar, flour, spices, eggs and date nectar until smooth and creamy. Mash the bananas and beat into the mixture along with the chopped dates.

Stage 3

Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and then bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes in tin. Remove from tin and drizzle over a little more nectar. Leave to cool completely, then slice and enjoy!

I found the original recipe for this on the Waitrose website years ago, but I couldn’t manage to find it again, so hopefully my version is equally good.

If you enjoyed following this Simple Date and Banana Loaf recipe, check out a few of my other recipes.

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Stage 1

Lightly butter a 9×13 baking dish.

Slice the baguette into 1-inch pieces and arrange them neatly in rows inside the dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together: eggs, milk, vanilla, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Slowly pour the mixture over the bread, gently separating the slices so the mixture seeps between them. Leave this to sit for around 45 minutes and then careful rotate the slices of bread 180° so that the edge that was previously on the bottom is now at the top.

Tuck apple slices between the bread pieces for a sweet, fruity layer then cover and refrigerate overnight (maximum of 20 hours).

Stage 2

Streusel topping (you can make it the night before) – In a medium bowl, whisk oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Merge in the butter with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly.

Stir in the pecans/walnuts if you’re using them. Cover and set aside the streusel topping until morning.

Stage 3

Remove the baking dish from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the bread.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned, the centre puffs and there is no visible liquid remaining. (If it browns too quickly, cover with foil for the last 10 minutes.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving warm with a drizzle of maple syrup.

I originally came across this style of dish via a recipe on the www.thespiffycookie.com.

If you liked this Overnight French Toast recipe, why not check out a few more recipes.

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Stage 1

Cut the leeks into 1cm slices before putting them into a wide, heavy-based saucepan, one that has a tight-fitting lid. Add the white wine and water and salt — the leeks should be just covered — then put on the lid and bring to the boil. Once they are bubbling, keep them covered (you will need the cooking liquid later, so you don’t want it to evaporate) and cook until soft and no longer squeaky, about 10 minutes. About 5 minutes in, it’s a good idea to take the lid off briefly and give a robust stir or two to help the rounds of leek unfurl a bit.

Stage 2

Drain the leeks and set aside, reserving their cooking water. I do this by sitting a large sieve over a wide-necked measuring jug; you should have about 500ml-worth. Add the milk to this leek-cooking-liquor, and if it doesn’t make the liquid come up to the 1-litre mark, just top it up with a little more milk. This might be a good moment to put the pasta water on to boil.

Make sure there isn’t any stray leek left in the pan, and then melt the butter in it over a medium heat. Add the flour and mustard, and whisk to form a roux, then cook, whisking, for 1–2 minutes or so until the bubbling mixture thickens a bit.

Take the pan off the heat, and then gradually pour in the milky-leek liquor, making sure you keep whisking to incorporate the liquid and to get rid of any lumps.

Once all the liquid is added, put the pan back on a medium heat, and — swapping your whisk for a wooden spoon or spatula — cook it, stirring all the while with the spoon or spatula, until the sauce is thick, smooth and has lost its floury taste. This will take about 10 minutes.

Once the white sauce is thickened, turn the flame off under the pan and, using your wooden spoon or spatula, beat in the Pecorino and 225g of the Cheddar, seasoning with pepper to taste, making sure the cheeses are fully incorporated, before stirring in the leeks. Take off the heat and cover.

Stage 3

When your pan of pasta water has come to the boil, salt to taste, then add the pasta and cook until rather more al dente then you’d normally want it. Reserve a couple of cups of the pasta water before you drain it.

Beat half a cupful (125ml) of the pasta cooking water into the sauce and then pour half of the sauce into a lasagne dish of about 27 x 37cm or a roasting tin of similar dimensions. Tip in the drained pasta, then pour the remaining sauce over this and stir gently to make sure all is mixed together. Add more pasta water if needed; you’ll want this quite runny as it will thicken both on standing and baking. Let this stand for 10 minutes (or leave to cool and then refrigerate for up to 3 days, making sure it comes back to room temperature before baking).

Stage 4

When you’re ready to bake this Leek Pasta Bake, preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 7. Sprinkle the remaining 75g grated Cheddar over the top of the pasta and bake in the hot oven for about 20–25 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on top. Check it is hot all the way through by inserting the tip of a knife into the centre. It should come out feeling hot. If you want the top crusty and burnished, place under a hot grill for a couple of minutes, keeping a careful eye on it. Or just leave it for longer in the hot oven. Let it stand out of the oven for 10–20 minutes before serving.

I originally came across this style of dish via a recipe by Nigella Lawson, but she doesn’t seem to have anything like this on her website anymore. If you liked this Leek Pasta Bake recipe, why not check out a few more recipes.

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If you grow your own tomatoes, you’re probably familiar with the abundance of green ones that are sometimes left at the end of the summer. This year, thanks to the classic British summer, I had an entire greenhouse brimming with them. I brough some inside to ripen, but if you’re feeling adventurous in the kitchen, one of the best recipes to try is green tomato chutney.

How to Make Green Tomato Chutney

Stage 1

Prepare the vegetables. Chop the tomatoes (there is no need to skin them), onions, and raisins, and finely mince the garlic.

Stage 2

Place all ingredients into a stainless steel pan, adding the sugar and vinegar in last. Give everything a good stir while bringing to a boil. Lower the heat to a vigorous simmer and leave uncovered. Simmer this mix until it is nice and thick. Unlike jam, chutney doesn’t need constant attention, but you should still stir it occasionally to prevent sticking.

Depending on your stove’s heat, it can take between one to one and a half hours to finish.

The chutney is ready when it has reduced and thickened, appearing brown with no loose liquid for a few seconds after you draw a wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan.

Stage 3

Ladle the chutney into the warm, sterilised jars, filling to within 6 mm of the top and seal tightly with the lids.

Label the jars once they have cooled and store them in a dark cupboard. Once opened, keep the jar in the refrigerator and try to use it within a year.

This Easy Green Tomato Chutney gets better with age. Leaving it in sealed jars for at least two weeks before sampling is definitely preferred. Leave for a couple of months if possible.

If you liked this Green Tomato Chutney Recipe, why not view some more recipes.

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Stage 1

Fry the oil over a medium heat in a large pan. Add the chopped onion and gently cook until softened and starting to get golden (normally about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Stage 2

Add the veggie mince and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Add the carrot and bell pepper and cook for 5 more minutes.

Stage 3

Tip in the cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and a pinch of salt & pepper into the mix with a good stir.

Next, toss in the chopped tomatoes, the tomato purée, black beans, kidney beans, vegetable stock, and elbow macaroni to the pot.

Stir all the ingredients together thoroughly and then bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to let it simmer gently. Cover the pot and let it cook for approximately 10 to 12 minutes, or until the macaroni is perfectly tender.

Stage 4

When the pasta is tasting right, remove from the heat and pour in the lime juice and a handful of the grated cheese and give everything a good stir.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheddar over the top. Place a lid on the pot for approx one to two minutes, just long enough to let the cheese become delightfully gooey and melted.

Garnish with whatever toppings are callin’ your name. I suggest either some fresh parsley or sliced, pickled jalapeños.

If you liked this Vegetarian Chili Mac and Cheese, you can check out more recipes.

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