Nutella & Banana Marbled Loaf Cake

Nutella & Banana Marbled Loaf Cake

I'm never too sure if I actually like bananas or not. I can't eat them in their natural form, but they really taste good in milkshakes or cake. I guess it's the same as tomatoes, I am a pick-them-out-of-sandwiches person but can tolerate them in pasta sauces and the like. Wow... that was random. So yes, I had a jar of Nutella that I was anxious to open, so I thought I would try something different. Plus, bananas and Nutella are a perfect pairing... not sure why, but it really works. This cake is delightful and light, and it's not cloyingly sweet which eliminates any post-bite guilt. Plus, the marbling looks adorable.

Ingredients:
250g Self Raising Flour
1tsp Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt
220g Demerara Sugar
2 Ripe Bananas, Mashed
1tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
150g Nutella
100g Butter, Softened


Method: 
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease and flour a 9inch loaf tin.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl mix the sugar, bananas, butter and vanilla until creamy and the ingredients are all combined. Then add the eggs one at a time.
4. Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Take half of the mixture and place into a separate bowl.
5. Add the Nutella to one half of the mixture and mix well.
6. Alternate spoonfuls of each of the mixture into the tin, then swirl with a knife.
7. Bake for 1 hour and test with a skewer <3

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Chocolate Chip & Amaretti Cookies

Chocolate Chip & Amaretti Cookies

Freshly baked cookies that are soft and chewy and melt with each bite, served with a glass of cold milk. All of this at around midnight underneath a fleecy blanket. Undoubtedly the ultimate in sweet treats. These delicious cookies have a nutty edge for a twist on the old favourite. I love almonds, (hence the Marzipan in Lipstick & Marzipan), so I couldn't resist adding some almondy goodness to them. 

Ingredients

112g Unsalted Butter, room temperature 

1 Egg

1/4 Teaspoon Almond Extract 

180g Plain Flour

50g Ground Almonds

160g Golden Caster Sugar

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 1/4 Teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda

100g Waitrose Swiss Plain Chocolate with Amaretti, roughly chopped

Makes 12 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper. 

2. Put the butter and the sugar into a bowl and cream with a handheld electric whisk, until light and fluffy. 

3. Add the egg and make sure to mix well. Then slowly beat in the almond extract. 

4. Add the salt, flour, bicarbonate of soda and mix until you reach a doughy consistency. Stir in the chocolate until they are mixed in evenly. 

5. Put 6 equal amounts (the larger the blob, the bigger the cookie) of cookie dough onto each baking tray. Ensure that they are spaced as the cookies spread when they are baking. 

6. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Leave the cookies on the trays to cool for a while then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

LIPSTICK & MARZIPAN *TIP*: The chocolate I used from Waitrose was perfect for this recipe as it contained small pieces of amaretti biscuit. However you can use a dark chocolate, and add in some almond pieces or chunks of amaretti. 

Recipe and Photos My Own

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Decadent & Delicious Brownie Bites

Decadent & Delicious Brownie Bites

Who can turn down sumptuous and gooey chocolate brownies. 

Actually, who can turn down chocolate full stop. These rich brownies are delicious, 

especially with the sticky sour cherries and crunchy walnut pieces.

If entertaining, serve with some creme fraiche or mascarpone for an easy dessert.  

Ingredients: 

190g Unsalted Butter

200g Dark Chocolate, 70% min cocoa solids, broken up

75g Dried Sour Cherries

50g Walnuts, chopped

80g Cocoa Powder, sifted

65g Plain Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

340g Caster Sugar

4 Large Eggs 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a 25cm square baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. In a large bowl over some simmering water, melt the butter and the chocolate, and mix until smooth.

3. Add the cherries and the nuts and stir together. In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar then add this to the chocolate, cherry and nut mix. 

4. Stir together well, beat the eggs and mix until there is a silky consistency. 

5. Pour the brownie mixture into the baking tray, and bake for about 35 minutes (have a look, mine were too gooey at 25 minutes, so I left mine in for longer). 

6. The brownies should be springy when touched and gooey in the middle, let it cool fully in the tray before transferring. 

7. Cut into small and bitesize chunks and enjoy!

LIPSTICK & MARZIPAN *TIP*: 
Substitute the cherries and nuts for your own flavourings. Such as orange zest, white chocolate chunks, chocolate chips, dried raspberries... The list goes on, see what your favourite flavours are.

LIPSTICK & MARZIPAN *TIP*: 
These are very very rich and chocolatey, so cut into small bitesize pieces!

Recipe: www.jamieoliver.com

Amended by me 

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Frosted Chocolate & Vanilla Cupcakes

Frosted Chocolate & Vanilla Cupcakes

This recipe comes from the popular 'red velvet cupcake'. I didn't want mine red so

I omitted the red food colouring, if you want to add it in follow the same recipe but add 1tbsp of

red food colouring to the buttermilk mixture. Using the buttermilke etc makes the cupcakes
extra light and fluffy and the bicarb makes them rise perfectly. These cakes are yummy with the cream
cheese frosting which is not as sweet as buttercream, and deliciously smooth. (I prefer it). Use the best cocoa powder
you can as it gives a stronger taste and darker colour. I used Green & Blacks.

Makes 12

140 g Self-raising sponge flour

2 tbsp Cocoa powder (good quality)

1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

110ml Buttermilk

1 tsp Vinegar

1/2 Vanilla extract

60g Butter

170g Caster Sugar

1 Large egg

Pinch of Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C and line a 12 hole deep muffin tin with muffin cases.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, bicarbonate, and a pinch of salt.

3. In a jug, mix the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla. (Add food colouring at this point if you wish)

4. Beat sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy. Beat in small amounts of the egg at a time.

5. Mix in a third of the flour mix, then half of the buttemilk mix, then another third of flour mix, followed by the rest of the buttermilk mix and then the rest of the flour mixture.

6. Divide the mixture into the muffin cases . Bake for 20 minutes until risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool and then pipe with cheese frosting (below).

Cream-Cheese Frosting

300g Cream cheese

60g Butter

1 tsp Vanilla extract

340g Icing sugar

Mix all ingredients in a food processor, leave to chill for an hour or so before piping the cakes.

Red Velvet Recipe: Xanthe Clay - Telegraph

(I amended the recipe)

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