Recipe: Cinnamon Nutella cake!

This all-in-one cake is perfect for all Nutella lovers everywhere and is really simple and relatively quick to make (if you don’t include the cooking time!). However, no cake is perfect and there is always room for improvement, hence the 3 ½ stars out of 5!

The cake itself was a bit dense (which may be due to a little too long in the oven) but this didn’t stop us devouring more than two slices each! Next time I would check the cake after 40 minutes so as to ensure it had the perfect cooking time and isn’t left in that 5 minutes too long because in the end, every oven is different. The actual making of the cake was extremely straight forward, putting everything into the bowl at once saves a lot of time (as well as a lot on washing up!) so this added to the solid 3 ½ star rating we gave overall.

If you aren’t keen on cinnamon you could always substitute it for a teaspoon of vanilla extract/essence for the flavouring as this will no doubt be a great combo!

Ingredients
175g softened butter or hard marg softened (more economical)
175g golden caster sugar
3 eggs
200g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
2tsp ground cinnamon
4tbsp milk
4 rounded (or heaped for true lovers) of Nutella/own brand hazelnut spread
50g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Method
1. Set the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C. Butter/line a tin – I used a loose bottomed cake time about 10cm high or instead you could use a loaf shaped tin
2. Put all ingredients into a bowl (NOT the Nutella or chopped hazelnuts) and whisk until light and fluffy
3. Tip ¾ of the mixture into the tin and even out. Then spoon the Nutella on. I spread it out but it sank to the bottom whilst cooking – better to add it in small blobs.
4. Add the rest of the mixture to cover the Nutella. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and put in the oven for about 1 hour (Good idea to check before the hour is up to make sure it isn’t burning!!) or until risen, brown and firm to touch.

What could be simpler? All that is left to do is pour a cup of tea or a glass of milk and it’s good to go!
Note: The Nutella can sink to the bottom whilst cooking but don’t worry, it still tastes good! Just make sure it’s added in small lumps so as not to be too heavy on the mixture.

Cookie Love Hearts

We’ve all had the sweets Love Hearts, but with this recipe you can make the cookie version!

• Ingredients
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Royal Icing
• Gel-paste food colouring (such as leaf green, lemon yellow, peach, red, rose, and violet)

Directions
1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. With mixer running, add egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture gradually, beating until just incorporated. Divide dough in half; flatten each half into a disk, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees with racks in top third and lower third. Let 1 disk of dough stand at room temperature just until soft enough to roll, about 10 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to just under 1/4-inch thickness, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Cut out cookies with a 2-inch heart cutter, and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll out scraps once, and repeat. Repeat with remaining disk of dough. Freeze cookies until very firm, about 15 minutes.
3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through and switching from top to bottom, until edges turn golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 1 week.
4. Divide royal icing into 1/2-cup portions in small bowls. Tint each with a different gel-paste food colouring, starting with just a drop, mixing well, and adding more, drop by drop, to reach desired shade. Transfer 1 bowl of icing to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8-inch round plain tip. Pipe the outline around edge of each cookie, then fill in with frosting. Poke air bubbles with a toothpick. Transfer decorated cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let stand uncovered overnight until dry.
5. Arrange stamp letters to create desired phrases. (We stamped LUV U, UR A QT, BFF, B MINE.) Fold a paper towel into quarters. Squeeze a small amount of red gel-paste food colouring onto a paper towel, and press stamp in colouring. (You may need to blot stamp a few times on a clean paper towel if colouring is too thick.) Lightly press stamp on top of icing in centre of each cookie. Let stand until dry, about 30 minutes. Stamped cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

By Rebecca Knightsbridge

Valentine's Day Treats

How to make queen of hearts tarts


INGREDIENTS:

• 300g all-butter short crust pastry, thawed for 20 minutes,    
• Flour, for dusting.
• 8-12 tsp strawberry jam

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness. Use a 7-8cm heart cutter to stamp out 8 hearts, or a 5cm round plain cutter to stamp out 12 circles. Slide a palette knife under the pastry shapes and lower into the heart moulds or bun tin. Gently press the pastry around the edges.
2. Spoon 2 teaspoons jam into each heart and bake for 12 minutes, until the pastry is pale-golden (or spoon 1 teaspoon into each round tart and bake for 8 minutes). Carefully remove the tarts from the oven - the jam will be very, very hot so don't touch it! Cool for at least 30 minutes.
3. Once cooled, carefully lift the tarts from the tins using a palette knife. Eat straightaway, or keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 2 days.

How to make chocolate truffles

INGREDIENTS:

• 280g 70% cocoa solids
• 284ml pot double cream
• 50g unsalted butter

1. Chop the chocolate and tip into a large bowl. Put the cream and butter into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts and the cream reaches simmering point. Remove from heat, then pour over the chocolate. Stir the chocolate and cream together until you have a smooth mixture. Add any flavourings to the truffle mix at this stage (divide the mixture between bowls and mix in liqueurs or other flavourings, a tsp at a time, to taste. Try bourbon, Grand Marnier, coconut rum or the zest and juice of an orange), or leave plain. Cool and chill for at least 4 hrs.
2. To shape the truffles, dip a melon baller in hot water and scoop up balls of the mixture, then drop the truffles onto greaseproof paper. Or lightly coat your hands in flavourless oil (such as sunflower) and roll the truffles between your palms. You could also use a piping bag to pipe rounds onto greaseproof paper.
3. Coat your truffles immediately after shaping. Tip toppings into a bowl and gently roll the truffles until evenly coated, then chill on greaseproof paper. Try: crushed, shelled pistachio nuts; lightly toasted desiccated coconut; or roll a truffle flavoured with orange zest and juice in cocoa powder. To coat in chocolate, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Melt 100g milk, dark or white chocolate for 10 truffles. Allow chocolate to cool slightly. With a fork, pick up one truffle at a time and hold over the bowl of melted chocolate. Spoon the chocolate over the truffle until well-coated. Place on the baking tray, then chill.
4. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days, or freeze for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight. To give as presents, place 8-10 truffles in individual foil or paper cases inside small, lined boxes tied with ribbon. Keep in the fridge until you're ready to give them.

Christmas Dessert Recipes

Reindeer Christmas Cupcakes

Ingredients
• 125g/4½oz butter, softened
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 2 free-range eggs
• 200g/7oz self raising flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 100ml/3½fl oz milk
• 100g/3½oz dark 70% cocoa solids chocolate, melted
For the chocolate icing
• 50g dark chocolate, chopped
• 3 tbsp double cream
To decorate
• giant chocolate buttons
• crisp-coated chocolates (such as Smarties or M&Ms)
• mini pretzels
• black writing icing
• mini marshmallows, sliced

Preparation method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs until well combined. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Fold in the milk, and melted chocolate.
3. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until well risen and lightly firm to the touch. Remove the cakes from the tin and set aside to cool on a cooling rack.
4. For the icing, heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat until the chocolate has melted. Whisk the mixture until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
5. To decorate the cupcakes, spread the icing over the top of the cupcakes. Spoon the remaining icing into an icing bag fitted with a small nozzle.
6. Press a chocolate button onto the cake as a nose, Then stick a crisp-coated chocolate on top using a little icing. Stick on two slices of marshmallows as the eyes, and use the black writing icing for the pupils. Stick on the pretzels as the ears.

Nutella Cheesecake

Ingredients
• 250 grams digestive biscuits
• 75 grams of soft unsalted butter
• 400 grams of Nutella at room temperature
• 100 grams of toasted and chopped hazelnuts
• 500 grams of cream cheese at room temperature
• 60 grams of icing sugar

Preparation method
1. Break the digestives into the bowl of a processor, add the butter and a 15ml tablespoon of Nutella, and blitz until it starts to clump. Add 25g of the hazelnuts and continue to pulse until you have a damp, sandy mixture.
2. Tip into a 23cm round springform or suitable container and press into the base either using your hands or the back of a spoon. Place in the fridge to chill.
3. Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth and then add the remaining Nutella to the cream cheese mixture, and continue beating until combined.
4. Take the springform/container out of the fridge and carefully smooth the Nutella mixture over the base. Scatter the remaining 75g of chopped hazelnuts on top to cover and place the tin in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight. Serve straight from the fridge for best results.

By Rebecca Knightsbridge