Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Recipe from Martha Stewart

I have just made this recipe for Annie ready for her Thanksgiving meal this weekend, it looks great and I will be making it again. The measurements are American, but quite easy to convert online.

Serves 8

8 tbspns unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1 3/4 cups cranberries

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (that's either all plain or a mix of plain and self raising)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8 inch round tin with 2 tbspns of the butter. In a small bowl stir together 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle mix into the bottom of the tin, arrange cranberries in a single layer on top.

2. With an electric mixer, cream remaining 6 tbspns of butter with 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low add flour mix in three batches alternating with the milk, until well combined.

3. Spoon batter over cranberries in tin and smooth top. Place pan on a baking sheet, bake cake until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of cake; invert onto a rimmed platter.

Cherry Mojitos

Cut this recipe out from a magazine last year, have yet to try it!

Add 250g sugar to 300ml water and bring to the boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Then put 300ml lime juice (about 9 limes) into a non reactive bowl and add 1.35kg cherries (pitted and halved). Stir in the syrup and refrigerate for an hour (no more than overnight). Stir 530ml vodka (black cherry or plain) into the cherry mixture. To serve, fill glasses with ice, spoon in the cherry vodka and top with sparkling water. Serve immediately.

Banana Loaf

I must take more photos of things when I make them - sorry!!

This is a recipe form 'Mary Berry - Foolproof cakes' and is a favorite of ours to use up over ripe bananas. I actually tend to freeze bananas and them get them out when I want to make this. But the cake also freezes very well.



100g butter, softened

175g caster sugar

2 eggs

2 ripe banana, mashed

225g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp milk



1. Lightly grease a 2lb loaf tin and line it with greaseproof.

Pre-heat the oven to 180 c

Measure all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat for about 2 minutes, until well blended.

2. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake for about 1 hour, until well risen and golden brown. A fine skewer inserted in the centre of the cake should come out clean.

3. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then loosen with a palette knife and turn the cake out.

Remove the lining paper and leave on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice thickly to serve.



How easy is that!!

Chocolate Brownies

This is the easiest and cheapest Brownie recipe I have ever come accross! It was given to me by a Saturday girl who worked for us a couple of years back.



Melt together:

3 1/2 oz butter

4 heaped desert spoons cocoa



Remove from heat and stir in:

8 oz granulated sugar

2 eggs



then add:

3 oz self raising flour



Line tin approx 8" square with greaseproof.

Pour in & bake @ 180 c for 25 minutes



(usually doesn't need 2 cook quite as long and usually better to use a slightly smaller tin because then it's not so thin!)



ENJOY!