A deliciously fruity take on a trad’ pud’ perfect for using up all those hot cross buns bought on special offer in a moment of madness! Very simple to prepare and amazing with ice cream.

You will need:

2 medium eggs
350 ml milk
4 Hot cross buns 1 tbsp brown sugar
Medium sized baking dish
Butter or marge
*ice cream to serve*

Slice your buns in half and butter. Now cut each half into two pieces (semi circle chunks) Start by lining the pieces around the edges of your dish and work your way inwards. Pack them closely but not too tightly, you need to leave room for your mixture to expand. Pre heat the oven at 160 oC.

Now pour your milk into a measuring jug, crack in two eggs and beat til combined.

Pour this mixture evenly over your neatly filled dish and let it sit for 5 mins to soak up the liquid.

Sprinkle with sugar and pop into the oven. Check it at 15 minutes. After 20-25 minute your pudding should have risen and be golden brown on top. Mmmmmmmmmmm. Ready!

Serve with ice cream. Go on.

Lime and Coconut Sponge Sandwich

If you are anything like us, you have eaten more sponge cakes than you have roast dinners. We decided it was high time to mix things up a bit so we decided to take a totally tropical take on the old classic. Baked to the sounds of Sam Cooke, this cake is definitely one for your recipe books.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

8 oz self raising flour

4 oz butter

4 oz caster sugar

grated rind of 1 lime

1 oz desicated coconut

semi skimmed milk to thin mix

Butter cream icing:

5oz margerine

16oz icing sugar

3 fl oz semi skimmed milk

half tsp vanilla

2 round cake tins

Butter to grease

NB: My general rule of thumb when baking a sponge is this….. weigh your eggs, and then use this measurement as a guide for your sugar and butter….

Recipe:

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees

In a medium sized bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a metal spoon (or an electric hand whisk!)

Whisk the eggs in a glass. Now add a little egg, then a little flour and mix. Repeat this until both flour and egg are gone. Now stir in the cocnut and a little milk until the batter is smooth. Spoon half the batter into each of your pre greased tins….

Place in the oven and bake for 30 minute, or until your cakes are golden and cracked on top. (Pierce with a knife to check the sponge has cooked in the middle)

Turn both sponges out of the tins and leave to cool on a wire rack.

In a seperate bowl, mix together margerine, icing suger and 3 tbsp milk until smooth and light in colour.

Use half the icing to sandwich together the 2 cake halves by spreading it in a circular motion with a pallet knife. Spoon the rest into an icing bag and pipe on top. To finish sprinkle on the grated lime.

This cake will taste better after a day resting in an air tight tin…. if you can resist!

It’s the end of the week and the cupboards are looking bare….. Here’s a simply delicious carrot and chickpea soup recipe made with almost no ingredients.

Ingredients:

5 medium carrots

1 potato

1 tin of chick peas

½ tsp dried crushed chillies

1 garlic clove

Rind of 1 lemon

½ tsp coriander seeds

2 litres stock/bouillon

1 tbsp oil

salt

pepper

Heat the oil and add chopped garlic clove, chilli, lemon, and coriander. Fry for a couple minutes. Mmmmmmm. Now add your carrot and potato which has been grated. Stir to combine and heat through. You might want to turn the heat down a little before you add the first litre of stock. Add stock! Stir again and put a lid on the pan. Let your ingredients simmer for 15 mins and then add your tin of chick peas…..salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a further 15 mins and then take off the heat to cool.

Once it’s cooled blend and add half the 2nd litre of stock. Add the rest to until it’s your preferred consistency.

Soups up!

Next Recipe = A coconut and lime sponge cake. Yum!