Sue’s Cook Book

Thanks to my new workmate Kate for this lovely apple cake recipe – delicious and perfect for using up my mum’s cooking apples.

225g or 8oz cooking apples – peeled, cored and chopped
225g or 8oz sultanas
150ml or 1/4 pint milk
175g or 6oz brown sugar
350g or 12oz self raising flour
10ml or 2 teaspoons mixed spice
175g or 6oz butter
1 egg, beaten
25g or 1oz demerara sugar

Preheat oven to 170 fan forced or gas mark 3. Line and grease a 8 inch square or round tin.

Mix the apples, sultanas, milk and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl, then add the beaten egg.

In a large bowl sieve the flour and spice together and then rub in the butter.

Add the fruit mix to the flour mixture and stir well.

Place into the prepared tin and sprinkle with the demerara sugar.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour 45 mins until risen and golden brown.

This is a great low fat pudding – really good served with low fat ready-made custard! Just 190 kcals and 0.89g fat.

Serves 4

75g or 3oz mixed dried fruit
150ml or 1/4 pint apple juice
115g or 4oz stale brown or white bread diced
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 large banana, sliced
150ml or 1/4 pint skimmed milk
1 tablespoon demerara sugar

Preheat the oven to 180 fan forced.

Place the dried fruit into a small pan with the apple juice and bring to the boil.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bread, spice and banana. Spoon the mixture into a shallow 1.2 litre/ 2 pint ovenproof dish and pour over the milk.

Sprinkle with the demerara sugar and bake for 25-30 mins until firm and golden brown. A great winter warmer!

This pudding is delicious and it is lower in fat and calories than a standard recipe. I’m not going to say that it is 100% angelic – but it is certainly better for you than a full-fat version :0)

Serves 6

1 and 1/4 cups pitted dates
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 and 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 and 1/2 tablespoons reduced fat spread
2 egg whites – try an egg yolker if you find separating eggs difficult!
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the sauce:
3 teaspoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons reduced fat ricotta cheese

Heat the oven to 170 fan forced and lightly grease a 20cm square cake tin and line with baking paper or alternatively use a silicone mould.

Roughly chop the dates and place in a small pan with 3/4 cup of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Then add the bicarbonate of soda.

Place flour, sugar, spread, egg whites and vanilla in a bowl and beat until blended. Add the date mixture and then pour into the cake tin and level the surface.

Bake for 30-40 mins – it is ready when a skewer comes out clean.

To make the sauce, place the sugar, syrup, and reduced fat ricotta into a pan and heat until melted and smooth.

Cut the pudding into 6 portions and serve with the sauce poured over and low fat ice cream if desired (and who wouldn’t?!)

This is adapted from Nigella Lawson’s ‘Nigella Express’ an absolutely excellent book that positively makes your mouth water as you read!

Makes 12 large cookies

125g or 5oz dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids
150g or 6oz flour
30g or 1oz cocoa
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
125g or 5oz butter
75g or 3oz light brown sugar
50g or 2oz white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg cold from the fridge
100g chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 160 fan forced and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure that the bowl does not touch the water.

Put the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl.

Cream the butter and sugars into another bowl and then add the melted chocolate and mix – Nigella uses her food mixer here!

Beat in the vanilla extract and the cold egg, and then add the dried ingredients and chocolate chips.

Place 12 equal sized mounds of cookie dough onto the baking sheets – about 6cm apart. Do no flatten them!

Cook for 18 mins – test with a skewer and it should come out semi-clean not wet – if it does give them a couple more minutes.

Leave to cool slightly on the baking sheets for 4-5 mins and then transfer to a cooling rack. Yum!

Thanks to my mate Sharon for providing the recipe for this sweet treat – delicious, quick and easy!

2 cups rice bubbles

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup sultanas

350g white chocolate, chopped and melted … Sharon recommends Cadbury’s Dream

Line 2 x 12 hole deep mini muffin pans with paper cases.

In a large bowl combine rice bubbles, coconut, apricot and sultanas.

Place the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and put the bowl over a pan of boiling water to melt the chocolate.

Mix melted chocolate into the dry ingredients and then spoon the mixture into cases and chill for 1-2 hours.

Remove from paper and pop into mouth!

This cake is delicious, quick to make and low fat – less than 150 kcals and 1g fat per slice

1.5 cups or 225g plain flour

0.5 cup or 110g caster sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

grated rind of half a large orange

2 eggs beaten

1 cup or 280g low fat yogurt

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Orange Syrup:

0.75 cup or 185ml orange juice

1 tablespoon caster sugar

grated rind of half a large orange

Preheat oven to 160 fan forced and grease and line a 2lb or 1kg loaf tin or use a silicone loaf tin – no need to line or grease!

Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir through the orange rind.

Combine eggs, yogurt, juice and vanilla and mix into dry ingredients.

Pour into tin and bake for 45 mins – check that a skewer entered into cake comes out clean if you wish.

After 10 minutes, trun out cake onto a cooling rack and then whilst still warm place onto a plate.

Make the syrup by placing the juice of the orange and the sugar into a pan and heat on low for 5 mins until reduced and syrupy. Then stir in rind.

Make holes in the top of the cake with a skewer and whilst cake is still warm, pour half of the syrup over.

Cut into slices and serve with the remaining syrup. Delicious and guilt-free!

My mums scones are so easy to make and so delicious – go on treat yourself to afternoon tea!

Makes 12-15 scones

200g or 8oz self-raising flour
50g or 2oz butter cut into small pieces
50g or 2oz caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs beaten
Milk to mix

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees.
Grease a large baking sheet.

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Rub butter into flour so that it resembles breadcrumbs.

Add sugar and eggs and gradually add milk and mix with a knife or your hands to make a soft but not sticky dough.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1.5cm. Make the scones by using a round cutter and place on the greased baking tray and then brush with milk.

Place in the oven for approx 10 minutes until lightly brown on top.

Allow to cool on a cooling rack and then serve with butter, strawberry jam and whipped double or clotted cream – angels kisses as my dad would say!

This is a fab carrot cake recipe – not low in fat but I think we can make out that it’s good for us as it has wholemeal flour AND carrots in it :0)

1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1 tsp bicarconate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup sultanas
1.5 cups finely grated carrot (approx 2 medium carrots)
1 cup raw sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs
1/2 cup maize or sunflower oil

For the icing:

100g cream cheese
100g sifted icing sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees fan forced.
Grease and line 28 x 18cm baking tin

Sift flour, soda and cinnamon into a bowl and return husks to bowl.

Add sultanas, carrot, pecans and sugar and mix well.

Beat the eggs and oil together and add to dry ingredients mixing well.

Pour mixture into tin and level the top.

Bake for 40 mins – test with a skewer – if it comes out clean the cake is cooked.

Allow cake to cool on a cooling rack for 10 mins and then turn it out.

When it is completely cool, make the icing by mixing the cream cheese and icing sugar together and then spread on to the cake.

Finish with a light dusting of cinnamon.

I have adapted this from a Delia Smith recipe – messed about with the quantities and added a few things of my own – prunes, macadamia’s and an extra quantity of glace cherries. It is rich, moist and very moreish! Try and make it a few weeks ahead so that you can keep adding brandy every week until it’s ready for marzipan and icing.

12oz currants or 300g currants
8oz or 200g sultanas
8oz or 200g raisins
8oz or 200g glace cherries chopped into quarters with scissors
2oz or 50g mixed candied peel
5oz or 125g ready to eat prunes snipped into pieces with scissors
3 tablespoons brandy
8oz or 200g plain flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
8oz or 200g butter
8oz or 200g dark soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
4oz or 100g macadamia nuts chopped
grated rind of 1 lemon
grated rind of 1 orange

For the icing:
Marzipan
Apricot jam
Ready made icing
Silver cachous (those little silver balls for decorating)

You will also need:

Brown paper
String
Cake ribbon
Cake board

The night before you make the cake, place all the dried fruit and peel in a large bowl and mix in the brandy. Cover the bowl and leave to soak for at least 12 hours.

The next day – preheat the oven to 130 degrees fan forced. Line a 20cm (8 in) round cake tin or a 18cm (7 in) square tin with baking paper and give it a spray with some oil.

Sift the flour and spices into a mixing bowl and in a separate large bowl cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (this is important so don’t cut any corners!)

Beat the eggs and gradually add them to the creamed mixture, beating thoroughly after each addition -if it starts to curdle, add a little bit of the flour.

When all the egg has been added, fold in the flour and spices (don’t beat!).

Stir in the soaked fruit and peel and add the nuts, lemon and orange rind.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.

Tie a band of brown paper around the outside of the cake and cover the top of the cake with a double square of baking paper (with a hole cut out in the centre the size of a 50 pence/cent piece).

Bake the cake in the lower shelf of the oven for 4 hours – resist opening the door until 4 hours have passed!

When the cake is cold, wrap well in baking paper and put in an airtight tin.

Every week, make some holes in the top of the cake with a skewer or needle and pour a few teaspoons of brandy in to soak into the cake.

A week before Christmas, buy some marzipan, a jar of apricot jam and some ready made icing.

The marzipan and icing packs will say how much you will need to cover a 18cm round or 17cm square cake.

Roll out the marzipan onto a surface dusted with sifted icing sugar until it is the right size to cover the cake.

Spread the surface of the cake with apricot jam – no pieces of apricot though – it needs to be smooth!

Place the rolled marzipan on top and smooth it over and trim the edges.

Cover the cake with the baking paper and place back into the airtight container to dry out for a few days before you do the icing.

When you are ready, roll out the icing onto a surface dusted with sifted icing sugar until it is the right size to cover the cake.

Place the cake onto a silver cake board.

Place the icing on top of the cake and trim the edges.

Obviously, you can decorate the cake however you like! I like to cut out star shapes with the leftover icing and overlap on top of the cake. I then put a silver cachous in the centre of each star. I then finish it off with a white, silver and blue patterned cake ribbon around the edge.

And that’s it! It is a bit of a labour of love but sooooo worth it!

The apricots in this recipe can be substituted with tinned peaches, cherries or pears if you prefer. It’s a lovely light pudding and guilt free – 142 kcals and 4.5g fat per serving.

Serves 6

1 x 411g tin apricot halves in fruit juice, drained
10g or 1/2 oz flaked almonds
3 medium eggs
40g or 1 1/2 oz caster sugar
50g or 2oz plain flour
pinch salt
425ml or 15 fl oz skimmed milk
10g or 1/2 oz dried skimmed milk powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
icing sugar for dusting

You will need a 20cm (8 in) square baking dish with a depth of 5cm (2 in), lightly greased.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (fan forced).

Drain the apricot halves and pat them dry with kitchen paper, then arrange them in the dish.

Using an electric hand whisk, whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale, frothy and doubled in volume – this should take about 2 mins.

Sift the flour and a pinch of salt over this mixture and continue to whisk until smooth.

Then add the milk, milk powder and almond extract and whisk together for another minute or so.

Pour the batter over the apricots and scatter with the almonds.

Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 mins – when done the batter should be golden brown, puffed up and firm to the touch.

Allow the pudding to cool for about 20 mins before serving as it tastes best when eaten warm not hot.

Dust lightly with icing sugar and serve with low fat creme fraiche, fromage frais or vanilla ice cream.