Lavender and Lemon Biscuits

1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers;
8oz butter (room temperature)
5 1/4 oz sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon grated, fresh lemon rind (ensure lemon has been well washed)
16oz plain flour (all purpose/plain)
pinch teaspoon salt


Steps

1. Grind the lavender flowers. A mortar and pestle is easiest
2. Cream together ground lavender, butter, sugar, both extracts and the freshly grated lemon rind.
3. Add flour and salt.
4. Mix the ingredients together. Combine until dough is soft. Add a little extra flour if the dough remains sticky.
5. Refrigerate the dough until firm. This may take 1 - 2 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 325ºF before removing dough from the fridge.
7. Lightly flour a clean surface in readiness for rolling the dough.
8. Roll dough out. A quarter of an inch is an ideal height.
9. Cut cookies as wished. You can use a cookie cutter or just make balls.
10. Arrange on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
11. Bake 12 - 15 minutes. Cookies should only be lightly browned at the edges to retain delicate flavors.
12. Remove and cool on wire racks.

Rocky Road Fridge Cake

Use a mixture of whatever dried fruits, nuts and other suitable edibles (marshmallows, maltesers) for this mix.

Serves 12 large pieces or 20 smaller ones.

400g of Plain Chocolate
50g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon clear honey
110g mixed nuts - chopped roughly into small pieces
250g mixed dried fruits/berries - raisins, apricots, cherries, blueberries, cranberries etc.
75g digestive biscuits

Line a small roasting/baking dish about 7in square with baking parchment (greaseproof paper).

Toast the nuts under the grill or in a dry frying pan (note this takes less time than you think and burns quite easily)

Chop the dried fruits/berries into small similarly sized pieces

Break chocolate into chunks and melt in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water.

Remove from the heat and stir until smooth.

Add the butter and honey and stir until melted and combined completely. Add the nuts and fruit mixture to the bowl and stir in well; spoon into the baking dish and spread out, cover lightly with clingfilm and leave in the refrigerator to set.

Chocolate Brownies

(The Best ever) Chocolate Brownies*
* Health advisory notice, this produce is high in enjoyment and pleasure content... please take care when drinking

Ingredients
5 Large Organic Eggs
1 teaspoon real vanilla essence
625g Caster Sugar
405g Unsalted Butter
Carton/Tin Green & Blacks Organic Cocoa 150g
200g Pecans—Chopped medium/small
315g Self Raising Flour
Optional
For nut allergy avoidance change Pecans for Marshmallows, small ones or chopped large ones (Warning—this is seriously gooey)
When you pour the mixture into the tin, shake a bag of Maltesers over the top of the mix and bake as normal

Baking Instructions
Preheat oven to 150oC/gas 2.
Beat the eggs and Sugar together and add the vanilla essence to the mixture and periodically keep beating it until smooth and creamy.
Measure the flour, and add the tin of cocoa, sift into a separate bowl and add the chopped nuts at this stage; put to one side.
Gently melt the butter in a pan until it is liquid, but not too hot.
Add the dry mixture to the eggs/sugar mix, and then pour on the melted butter, keep stirring until the mix is fully liquid with no flour visible. The texture will thicken slightly, but remains ‘sloppy’ (like liquid fudge).
Pour into a baking tray, 16inches long and 12 inches wide and bake in the over for 45 mins.

Leave in the tin until cold, preferably overnight and then cut into pieces 2 by 2 inches or in a size appropriate to your requirements.

I make these a couple of times a year, for the superbowl, my birthday and on request for friends... they are nice served cold or warm with good quality vanilla ice-cream but however you eat them.. enjoy

Flapjacks

Flapjacks

100g or 4oz margarine
1 x 15 mls golden syrup
100g sugar
50 g oats
50g sr flour
75 g or crushed cornflakes

I put in linseed seeds & raisins to the mix, just add a little additional golden syrup & marg to compensate.

Melt Marg, syrup add Sugar then add to rest of ingredients, put in a greased baking tray then bake in oven mk 5 (190oC) for 20 mins. Cut into squares while still warm, but leave in tray to cool.

Cheesy Flapjacks

Preheat oven to 350 F, 180 C, gas mark 4. Lightly oil a 7 in (18cm) square cake tin. Melt 85 g butter/marg in a large pan. Remove from heat and stir in 115 g grated cheddar cheese, 1 large egg, eaten, 150 ml natural yoghurt, black pepper and 225 g porridge oats until well blended. Spoon into prepared tin and level the surface. Bake for 30 mins until golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool in tin. Cut into 9 squares.

I doubled the ingredients above for the cheesy flaps and used my roasting tin again. Also I cooked on a higher shelf (but not top) and for a bit longer as they were taking ages to brown. Also freezes well, actually tastes better from frozen than fresh.

Thanks to MG who provided me with this recipe.

Breakfast Bars

175 g butter or good quality marg
100 g soft light brown sugar
4 tablespoons clear honey or golden syrup or maple syrup
12 oz porridge oats
8 oz mixed dried fruit
4 oz mixed chopped nuts
3 tablespoons seeds (optional)
2 ripe bananas, mashed

Gas mark 5, grease and line baking tin (I used roasting tin)
In saucepan melt butter, sugar and honey gently. Simmer for 30 seconds.
Take away from heat and add all other ingredients, mixed well.
Pour into tin, press down. Bake on middle shelf for 30 - 35 mins or until golden brown. Cool in tin, then cut into squares. Freezes well.

Thanks to MG who provided me with this recipe