Rock Cakes

Ingredients
225g Plain Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
90g Butter (cut into chunks)
90g Granulated Sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
60g Sultanas
30g Chopped Mixed Peel
1 Egg (beaten)
2 Tablespoons Milk

Equipment
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Sieve
1 Baking Tray (greased)
1 Knife (blunt dinner knife will do)
1 Dessert Spoon
1 Wire Rack

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 200c 400f gas 6. Sieve the flour and baking powder into your bowl and add in the butter, rub between your fingers until all the butter is well mixed in and resembles fine breadcrumbs then stir in the mixed peel and sultanas.
2. Make a well in the centre and drop in the egg and milk and with the knife (unless you want to end up incredibly messy) combine all the ingredients until you have a stiff dough. Now using the spoon, spoon out individual dollops of the mixture on to your baking tray leaving room for them to spread a little.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes until they look golden and have risen well, transfer them to your wire rack and sprinkle a little sugar on top of each and allow to cool. I love these whilst they are still warm and moist so get them eaten quickly!

Makes about 12

Gingerbread Men

Ingredients
175g Plain Flour
175g Soft Brown Sugar
125g Butter (chopped into chunks)
1 Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
2 1/2 Teaspoons of Ground Ginger
1 Egg (beaten)
4 Tablespoons Golden Syrup

Equipment
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Small Glass (to beat the egg in)
1 Fork
1 Baking Tray (greased)
1 Wire Rack
1 Sieve

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 190c 375f gas 5. Sift the flour, bicarb and ginger into a bowl, mix together well and then add butter, rub between your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs then add the sugar and mix again.
2. Now add the syrup to the egg and tip into a well in the breadcrumbs, this is where it gets messy but fun! Using your hands, mix this lot together until you have a well blended dough, now roll out to a thickness of about 3 mm on a well floured surface. Cut out your shapes and place on the baking tray.
3. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until they come out golden. Allow to cool for five minutes before moving to the wire rack to fully cool. Enjoy! (if you want to go the whole hog you could always decorate with either currants or smarties!!)
   

Madeira Cake

Ingredients
175g Self Raising Flour
75g Plain Flour
175g Caster Sugar
175g Butter
3 Eggs
1 Lemon (zested and juiced)

Equipment
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Sieve
1 Zester
1x7 Inch Cake Tin (lined with parchment paper and greased)
1 Balloon Whisk (it's easier if you have an electric whisk)
1 Fork/Spatula

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 160c 325f gas 3. Mix the butter and sugar together well until light and fluffy, a fork is a good way to start this off then move on to the electric or balloon whisk.
2. 1 at a time beat the eggs into the butter cream mixture, between each egg sift in 1 tablespoon of flour, once all the eggs are in and well mixed fold in the remaining flour with a fork or a spatula then finally fold in the zest and juice from your lemon. Whack this lot in to your cake tin then put in the oven for an hour and a quarter.
3. When the cake is well risen and brown remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before you tip out onto a wire rack, don't remove the paper. If you are going to store the cake, wrap in tin foil then place in an air tight tin until needed.
   

Felixstowe Tart

Ingredients
85g Butter
175g Caster Sugar
150g Self Raising Flour
3 Eggs (separated)
Apricot Jam
1 Inch Fresh Root Ginger (cut into thin slivers)

Equipment
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Balloon Whisk (electric whisk is easier)
1 Fork
1x8 Inch Flan Tin or Similar (greased)

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven to 180c 350f gas 4. Whisk together your butter and half of the sugar until light and fluffy, beat the egg yolks in one at a time with the fork then mix in the flour, push this mixture into your flan tin and bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown, remove and set aside.
2. Turn up the heat on your oven too 220c 425f gas 7. Tip the cake out into an oven proof serving plate and spread apricot jam all over it, missing a ring around the edge about 1 cm wide, sprinkle over half the ginger.
3. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until you have soft peaks, then a tablespoon at a time, whisk in the remainder of the sugar (reserving 1 tablespoon) Cover the cake with the meringue mix right up to the edge then sprinkle over the remaining sugar and ginger. bake for 8-10 minutes.
   

Marzipan Tarts with Mango Cream

Ingredients
1x250g Pack Puffy Pastry
150g Marzipan (rolled out to 4 equal 6mm thick slices)
2 Fresh Mangos
Lemon Curd
150ml Double Cream (whipped into soft peaks)

Equipment
1 Electric Whisk
1 Rolling Pin (unless you bought ready rolled puff pastry)
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Baking Tray

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven to 220c 450f gas 7. On a lightly floured surface roll out your pastry into an 11inch square then cut this into 4 equal sized squares, then transfer to your baking tray, now cut your marzipan to make 8 triangles. Place 2 triangles into the centre of each of your pastry squares slightly overlapping.
2. Slice your mangos down each side of the central stone then peel, now cut lengthways around the mango and push down on each end so that it fans out. Place 1 mango fan flat side down on to the middle of each pastry square then drizzle over 1 tablespoon of lemon curd over each.
3. Bake in your oven for 12-15 minutes until the pastry has risen and is golden. In the meantime, remove any remaining flesh from around the mango stones and stir into the whipped cream. Serve warm with a dollop of cream!!
   

Serves 4

Oat Biscuits 'The SAS of Dunkers'

Ingredients
240g Self Raising
240g Sugar
240g Porridge Oats
240g Butter (melted)
1 Tablespoon Golden Syrup
1 Tablespoon Hot Water
1/2 Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

Equipment
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Small Pan (for melting the butter in)
1 Baking Tray (greased)
1 Wire Rack
1 Sieve

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 180c 350f gas 4, sieve the flour into the bowl and mix in the sugar and oats, stir until thoroughly mixed, meanwhile warm up the butter in a pan and add in the water and syrup, when nicely melted add in the bicarbonate of soda, allow to cool for a minute.
2. Make a well in your flour and add in the liquid ingredients and stir well, once well combined drop walnut size pieces onto your baking tray (leaving room for expansion) and flatten down a little with the back of a fork. Cook for 15 minutes until golden then cool a little before transferring to your wire rack.
   

Chocolate Cup Cakes

Ingredients
125g Butter
125g Caster Sugar
125g Self Raising Flour
2 Eggs (beaten)
2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
2 Tablespoons Boiling Water
125g Chocolate (chopped into chunks)
50g Butter

Equipment
20 Paper Cases (placed into the spaces on your bun trays)
1-2 Bun Trays
2 Mixing Bowls
1 Pan (to fit one of the mixing bowls inside along with simmering water to melt the chocolate)
1 Wire Rack

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 190c 375f gas 5. Beat the butter and 125g of butter together until pale and smooth, the mix in the beaten egg, mix the cocoa powder and boiling water together and fold into the egg mixture along with the flour.
2. spoon into your paper cases then stick them in the oven for 14 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Whilst they are cooling melt your chocolate in a bowl in the simmering pan of water carefully, add in the butter then stir in well, spoon over your cakes and leave to set. (I put mine in the fridge after a while to get the chocolate nice and hard.)

Makes 20

Drop Scones/Scotch Pancakes

Ingredients
125g Self Raising Flour
2 Tablespoons Caster Sugar
1 Egg (beaten)
150ml Milk
Lard (or oil for frying)

Equipment
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Balloon Whisk
1 Frying Pan
1 Sieve
1 Palette Knife

The Good Bit

1. Sift the flour into the bowl and mix in the sugar, make a well in the centre and drop in the egg, gradually add in the milk and get going with the whisk, you want a reasonably thick batter, the thicker the batter the thicker the pancakes will be (make it too runny and you'll have a nightmare on your hands)
2. Heat your lard/oil in the frying pan then add good spoonfuls of batter into the pan to form puddles about the size of the palm of your hand, when the underneath is golden, flip over with a palette knife, once golden on both sides, serve.
3. Serve with butter, jam or honey, if you have any left they can go under the grill the day after or in the toaster (DON'T STICK A KNIFE IN THE TOASTER TO GET THEM OUT)

Makes 18ish