Sue’s Cook Book

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.

Thank you very much to my lovely 90 year old Nannie for this yummy recipe!

6oz or 150g sifted self raising flour
6oz or 150g caster sugar
4oz or 100g butter softened
2 medium eggs
grated rind of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons milk

For the icing:
4oz or 100g icing sugar
juice of half a lemon

You will need a 2lb loaf tin lined with baking paper and greased- or use a silicone loaf mould – no greasing or lining needed! No need to pre-heat the oven (see below).

Cream the butter and sugar together with a hand whisk until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, rind and milk and fold in the flour.

Put the cake in a cold oven and then turn to 150 degrees (fan forced) for 1 hour.

Let the cake cool in the tin for 5 mins and then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together.

Make holes all over the top of the cake with a skewer and pour the icing over whilst the cake is still warm.

Moist, tangy and delicious!

This is soooooooooo gorgeous! I just made it for my husband for his birthday and he was extremely happy! It is a Delia Smith recipe – love her!

2 oz (50 g) cocoa powder
7 fl oz (200 ml) Guinness
4 oz (110 g) very soft butter
10 oz (275 g) dark soft brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
6 oz (175 g) plain flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

For the icing:

4 oz (110 g) icing sugar, sifted
2 oz (50 g) very soft butter
2 tablespoons Guinness
4 oz (110 g) dark chocolate (50-55% cocoa solids)
1 oz (25 g) walnut pieces, finely chopped

To decorate:

8 walnut halves
cocoa powder, for dusting

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).

You will also need two 8 inch (20 cm) sponge tins, 1½ inches (4 cm) deep, lightly greased, and the bases lined with baking parchment, lightly greased. Or use silicone moulds to save on greasing and lining.

First of all, cream the butter and sugar together, beating thoroughly for 3 or 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. To make this easier you can use a hand whisk.

Now gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well between each addition.

Next, sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into another bowl.

Then weigh the cocoa and put it in a separate bowl, gradually stirring the Guinness into it.

Now carefully and lightly fold into the egg mixture small quantities of the sifted flour alternately with the cocoa-Guinness liquid.

Then, when both have been added, divide the cake mixture equally between the 2 tins and level it out.

Bake the sponges in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes. The cakes should be flat on top and feel springy and will have shrunk slightly from the side of the tin.

Leave them to cool in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool further, very carefully stripping off the base papers (it’s quite sticky!)

To make the icing, beat the icing sugar and butter together until blended, then gradually add the Guinness, making sure it is thoroughly mixed in after each addition.

Now melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over hot water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Then, when it’s melted, remove the bowl from the water, and carefully fold the chocolate into the icing mixture.

Now remove a third of the icing to a separate bowl and stir in the chopped walnuts.

After all the icing has cooled to a spreadable consistency, sandwich the cake with the walnut icing.

Then spread the remaining two-thirds of the icing on top of the cake, using a palette knife.

Next, dust the walnut halves with cocoa powder and arrange on top of the cake.

NOW – Try not to scoff it all in one sitting ;0)

Makes 20-22

2 egg whites -if you find it tricky to separate eggs, try using an egg yolker

2/3 cup caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

3/4 cup dessicated coconut

3/4 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup dried berries – I used dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 130 fan assisted and line 2 baking trays with baking paper

Place egg whites and pinch salt in a bowl and using an electric mixer, beat to soft peaks, gradually add sugar and then add vanilla essence, beating constantly until mixture holds soft glossy peaks. Add coconut and cranberries.

Place rounded dessertspoons of mixture on tray about 5 cms apart. Bake for 20-25mins or until light brown.

Cool on tray until firm before removing to a wire rack.

Cool completely. Store airtight for up to 3 weeks – although I really don’t think they will last that long – far too scrummy!

450g or 1lb dried mixed fruit

350 ml hot black tea

100g or 4oz glace cherries quartered

75g or 2 1/2oz sugar

380g or 14oz self-raising flour, sifted

1 large egg

Soak the dried fruit overnight in the tea. 

The next day, pre-heat oven to 160/140 for fan assisted. Line and lightly grease a 2lb loaf tin -or use a 2lb silicone mould – no greasing or lining needed!

Mix all ingredients together and place into tin.  Bake for 2 hours and turn out of tin when cooled.

I know I’ve said it before but this cake is so easy to make and it’s a great idea to make two at the same time as you can have one to eat and one to freeze for another time – it cooks great in a round 20cm tin too.

I love this recipe! It’s dead easy to make and I seem to make it rather a lot because my bananas always go over ripe which is perfect for this recipe!

5 ripe bananas mashed (approx 475g)

2 beaten eggs

6oz or 150g brown sugar

4 oz or 100g sultanas

8oz or 200g self-raising flour

Pre-heat oven to 180 or 160 fan assisted.  Line and lightly grease a 2lb loaf tin or use a silicone mould – no greasing or lining needed!

In a large bowl, mash bananas and add eggs, sugar and sultanas, then mix in sifted flour.

Pour mixture into loaf tin and bake 1 hour 15 minutes.

Leave loaf to cool in tin and then turn out.

This cake is again so easy and so moist you’ll never guess it’s low fat!

Makes 12

10 oz / 290g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 1/4 oz or 120g soft brown sugar

2 1/4 oz or 66g white choc bits

4oz or 115g frozen blueberries

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 egg

200 ml milk

100ml cooking oil

Preheat oven to 200/180 fan assisted. use a silicone 12 hole muffin mould or use 12 muffin cases and place in muffin tin.

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and add brown sugar smoothing out any lumps. Add choc bits and frozen blueberries.

Whisk together egg, milk, vanilla essence and oil and add to dry mixture and stir until just combined.

Spoon batter into muffin tray/cases. Bake for 10 mins and then reduce the oven to 180/160 fan assisted and bake for a further 10 minutes until muffins are firm and just golden.

Cool for 5 mins and then turn out and cool on wire rack.

Delicious and quick and easy to make!

Also very easy to change the ingredients – for example instead of blueberries use raspberries or use white and milk choc bits and add a tablespoon of sieved cocoa powder.

This is another brilliant Rosemary Conley recipe that is fast to make and not only low in fat but also high in fibre – positively angelic!

1 cup bran flakes or All Bran

1 cup sultanas

1 cup semi skimmed or skimmed milk

1/2 cup soft brown sugar

1 cup self-raising flour

Pre-heat the oven to 180 or 160 for fan-assisted.  Line and lightly grease a 1lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

Mix together bran, sultanas, milk and sugar and leave for one hour.  Then sift in the flour and mix. 

Put into loaf tin and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.

Let cake cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.  Have on it’s own or with butter if you’re being naughty!

 P.S I literally mean a cup/mug for this recipe for those people in the UK!