An antidote to chocolate brownies. Gateau Breton; a traditional cake from Brittany. I haven't yet made it in the original form - with buckwheat or sarrasin, a nutty low-gluten grain - but i shall. With such few ingredients it is best to use the best .. the flavour of good butter with shine. 

Vanilla and sweet butter, with a dense bite (imagine a soft shortbread) and a sophisticated melt in the mouth texture (imagine butterscotch melting in your mouth). 

I like Nigella Lawson's version (of course) but there are many more versions on the 'net. 

25cm spring form cake tin, well greased.

225g plain flour - ideally 00 grade pasta flour - sieved
250g caster sugar - preferably from your store of vanilla sugar.
250g unsalted butter
6 large egg yolks
A glaze of a teaspoon of egg yolk from the 6, and a tablespoon of water (or milk)

Preheat oven to 190C.

If you have a mixer; add the sieved flour, sugar, butter and eggs and mix with a dough hook until combined into a bright yellow dough. 

If you have no mixer; Make a mound of the sieved flour on a worktop, make a well in it and add the sugar, butter and eggs. Knead to mix.

Scoop the dough into the tin and smooth the top with a floured hand. Expect the dough to be very sticky. Brush the gateau with the glaze and mark a lattice design on top.

Bake for 15 mins, then turn the oven down to 180C (350f) and give it another 25 minutes or so until it's golden on top and firm to the touch. Let cool completely before turning out and slicing randomly into diamond shaped tokens.

Nigel Slater's Best Brownies. Heaven in a tin. The fudgy moist centre is the aim. 

300g caster sugar

250g butter

250g chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

3 large eggs plus 1 extra yolk

50g gluten free flour (60g plain wheat flour)

60g cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 180ºC and line a baking tin with greaseproof paper. 

Mix the sugar and butter into a fluffy pale cloud. Set aside 50g of the chocolate (chop it up into gravel-sized pieces) and melt the rest - 20 seconds at time in the microwave, stirring after each blast. Meanwhile sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder with a pinch of salt.

Mix the beaten eggs into the sugar and butter fluff, a quarter at a time. Beat fast in between additions. Add the melted chocolate and the broken up chocolate (i used white chocolate in this version) then fold in the flour/cocoa and baking powder mixture as gently as possible. 

Put the mixture into the cake tin and put it into the oven for 25 minutes. The surface should have crusted over, but with a wobble underneath. Check with a skewer - if too much mixture clings then put it back for 3 more minutes, but no longer. 

I knew it would not be long before i returned to the Queen of Baking: 

Nigella's Chocolate Expresso Cake 

150g dark chocolate

150g butter

6 eggs

250g caster sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

75g plain flour

5 teaspoons instant expresso powder

4 tablespoons Tia Maria

Melt the chocolate and butter together (I use the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds or so) and leave to cool slightly. 

Beat eggs, caster sugar and vanilla until thick and mousse-like and doubled (at least) in volume. 

Gently fold in flour (I used gluten-free, and you wouldn't know it from the outcome) and instant expresso powder and then the melted chocolate and butter. Pour in to a 23cm springform tin (buttered and lined) and bake at 180ºC for a mere 35 minutes until the top is just firm. Immediately pour over the Tia Maria and allow to cool totally before taking out of the tin. The centre will sink and dimple, but this is a good sign that the moist brownie texture is safe.

If you have the inclination, or the occasion, whip a little double cream with a slug of bailey's cream to serve alongside; rich, sweet with a hint of liqueur to heighten the hit of mocha. For a glamorous sight, pile the cream into the centre of the cake before slicing carefully. 

Adapted from Tamasin Day Lewis' Kitchen Classics; my gluten free cake version of a sticky toffee pudding (nut free too!)

• 55g unsalted butter
• 200g light soft sugar

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan. As it is almost completely melted, add the sugar and hover over a low heat, stirring briskly, until the sugar dissolves into the butter. Leave off the heat for a minute or two.

• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 egg, beaten

Add the essence and the egg, stir. The mixture will immediately loosen in the pan.

Stir in a sifted mix of:

• 100g gluten free flour
• 1 level teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of sea salt

and finally add:

• 120g pitted dates, scissored into half

Line a small loaf pan (i use a 900g tin, but a smaller pan will give you a thicker brownie) and carefully dollop in the mixture. Bake for 25 minutes, but check at 20 mins .. a skewer will be barely clean but the top should look crisp. Leave for at least 10 minutes to cool before removing from the tin and slicing, greedily.

Another loaf cake. My kitchen doesn't feel right without a frilled and fragrant gentle brick of cake on the window sill. This is a prime candidate for frequent revisiting. My first attempt was with standard flour, but I will try it with gluten-free flour without hesitation.

Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake

• 150g soft unsalted butter
• 30ml golden syrup
• 175g dark muscovado sugar

I have a handy scale which measures ml so i can pour sticky syrup directly into the beating bowl, otherwise use 2x 15ml spoonfuls. Beat the soft butter with the syrup and sugar - a good 5 minutes, until you have a consistent and appealing coffee-coloured batter. 

try resisting dipping a finger ...

• 150g plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 25g cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 eggs

Mix dry ingredients together and beat 1 tablespoon into the butter cream, then beat in one egg. Add 2 more tablespoons of the flour mix and beat again before adding the second egg.

• zest of 2 medium oranges, juice of 1 orange

Keeping the paddle moving, add the zest of the oranges and then the juice, slowly.

Pour and scrape the batter into the tin and bake for 45 minutes. It may need 5 minutes less or more .. do check. A cake tester should not be totally clean. Leave in the tin to cool slightly.

The flavour is, as Nigella says, more of warm spice than citrus.

utterly moist

It is a crumble, the best crust for a dish of cooked bramleys and blackberries, and doesn't seem to care that i used gluten-free flour.

100g flour

75g butter

50g sugar

Whizz in a food processor for a few seconds to make a crumb. Scatter over your choice of fruit and bake in a medium hot oven until crisp, about 25 minutes.

I prefer mine served warm, with hot custard.

It is the Bramley season. I like mine stewed slowly with a little sugar and a generous amount of raisins (the apple with shrink, the raisins multiply while it cooks). I lubricate the pan with a glug of green ginger wine and add two large knobs of fresh ginger (unpeeled) for flavour. Remove the raw ginger before serving warm, with cream.

They look classier over at Bakerella's beautiful blog, but i chose to shorten the process for almost immediate satisfaction.

1 cup peanut butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg
approximately 18 chips of chocolate

Preheat oven to 325ºF/ 160ºC
Mix peanut butter, sugar and egg until well blended.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Pinch into 18 pieces and roll mixture into small balls.
Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Place a chip of chocolate in the centre of each cookie ball and flatten with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern.
Bake 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Rhubarb & Fresh Ginger Crumble Cake, Adapted from Tamasin Day Lewis' Kitchen Classics.

Crumble

110g plain flour

4 tablespoons light muscovado sugar

85g unsalted butter

Pulse the ingredients together briefly until they stick together in a gravelly fashion.

Fruit

750g rhubarb, cut into 1cm chunks

2 tablespoons vanilla caster sugar

1 inch (thumb knuckle size) of dried ginger root, finely grated.

Toss the rhubarb, sugar and ginger pulp together. Use ground ginger if you wish - a teaspoon or so - but the dried root, with its papery skin which i don't bother to peel, has a particular fresh flavour that works best.


Cake

170g softened, unsalted butter

170g vanilla caster sugar

3 eggs, beaten

170g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tablespoon milk

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and adding a spoon of sifted flour if the mixture looks like curdling. Sift in the rest of the flour and baking powder, folding carefully and firmly. Fold in the milk.

Scrape the mixture into a 25cm springform cake tin, base lined with baking parchment. Pile the rhubarb on the batter, then sprinkle the crumble over the top. Bake for an hour at 190ºC.





The crumble will be golden, crunchy and smelling of sweet butter.

Leave to cool for 15 minutes and eat warm with cream, although just as delicious cold, later.

gluten-free hazelnut chocolate biscotti .. work in progress.

This is easy, quick and deeply satisfying.

It is not baking, but it might be alchemy.

Line a deep baking tray (26 x 31 x 2.5 cm) with baking parchment.

Melt 200g good dark chocolate and 100g unsalted butter in a large bowl over gently simmering water, stirring until combined.

Fold in 350g condensed milk and 250g grated coconut

(gently toasted in a large dry pan) and 200g glace cherries, chopped.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tray and spread into an even layer.

Chill in the 'fridge for 4-5 hours, then cut into small squares.

Store in the fridge between nibbling.

In my previous life we would drive through the Mont Blanc tunnel to the Italian border seeking pizza for lunch. But, before pizza, we would stop for morning coffee. There is an alpine village at the far end of the tunnel with little coffee shops which serves the best. hot. chocolate. ever. I have sought such delicacies ever since, with no satisfaction.

I now know what i was drinking (spooning) in that den of sweet decadence; Budino di cioccolato (as found in Nigella Lawson's Express).

250ml full-fat milk
125ml double cream
60g caster sugar
1 x 15ml tablespoon cornflour
35g cocoa powder
2 x 15ml tablespoons boiling water
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
60g dark chocolate




Put the kettle on, and warm the milk and cream in a saucepan (or in the microwave).



Put the sugar and cornflour into another saucepan and sieve in the cocoa powder. Add the 2 tablespoons of boiling water and whisk to a paste.

Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time, followed by the warmed milk and cream, then the vanilla extract.

Scrape down the sides of the pan and put it on a lowish heat, cooking and whisking until the mixture thickens to a mayonnaise consistency. Nigella reckons about 4 minutes .. if, like me, your heat is too low it will take longer. I slowly increased the heat until the mixture swelled.

Take off the heat and whisk in the finely chopped chocolate, before pouring into 4 small glasses or cups.

Serve straight from the pan to warm the cockles of your heart.

Alternatively, cover the tops of the cups, allowing the cling film to rest on the surface to stop a skin forming, and refrigerate. Take out of the fridge a little before serving (with cream, perhaps).



Or with macaroons, if you fancy (and a good use of the 2 spare egg whites).



My poison leg is slowly repairing. I was shocked today at how weak my balance is on that side of my body (thanks for asking xx).

Sitting on my big leather sofa, watching daytime TV and trying not to think about the evil bacteria which is climbing up my leg. It started with a small cut on the bottom of my foot, and now i have a black toe and hot, red lumps in my calf.

I can't stand up, so i can't cook, but i can still talk cake. Cheesecake. Cool and creamy. Soft, sweet and tart. And very simple. Beat and spread. A little like making a sandwich.


Blitz 125g (gluten-free) digestive biscuits to crumbs, add 75g soft butter and whiz to make the mixture clump. Press into a 20cm springform tin and smooth with the back of a large spoon to form a slight rise at the outside edge.


Beat together 300g cream cheese, 60g icing sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and half a teaspoon lemon juice.

Lightly whip 250ml double cream and fold into the cream cheese mixture.

Ladle the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and smooth with the back of the large spoon. Chill in a fridge for 3 hours or overnight.






Carefully, gingerly, remove cheesecake from the tin (i recommend leaving it on the base to serve). Spread a jar of St Dalfour Rhapsodie de Fruit Black Cherry Spread (or similar; any conserve with no added sugar should be fine) over the top.

A cake! How long has it been since I baked a cake? too long .. and this week is not getting me any closer as it is too cold in my kitchen to spend time there for long. I have no heating and naked windows (i like the view from my sink) but in this weather i am retreating to the inner house instead. I've been making lots of quick soup instead.

This is one i made a few weeks ago. I want to make it again, soon. Very soon. It is a rich almond torte, reminisent of marzipan and egg custard, with a delicately light crumb. I served mine with a raspberry coulis (frozen berries, heated gently and blended with a little icing sugar) but Nigella recommends fresh mango and lime. I can't wait to try this with a ripe and fragrant alphonso.



Nigella Lawson's White Chocolate Almond Cake

175g white chocolate
150g soft butter
100g caster sugar
6 large eggs, separated
150g ground almonds
a drop of almond extract


Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease (with almond oil or butter) and line a 23cm springform tin.

Melt the chocolate very gently - it needs a careful touch and will just collapse rather than turn molten as dark chocolate does. Set aside.

Beat the butter until very soft, add 50g of sugar and beat again, adding egg yolks one by one. Continue beating and add the cooled chocolate, then the almonds and extract, mixing well.

In a clean bowl beat the 6 egg whites until peaks form, then add remaining 50g sugar and whip until glossy and firm.

Add a spoonful of white fluff to the cake mix, fold carefully to lighten the batter and then add the rest of the egg white in 3 or 4 spoonfuls, with careful but firm foldings.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked through. Be careful .. check after 20 minutes and cover with foil so the top doesn't go too brown. It may only need 35 minutes cook time - mine didn't need any longer. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before removing from the tin.

The only cooking reference i have for these are some brief notes copied from a book read at a friend's kitchen table - i don't remember which book, or even the name of the cupcakes. I changed the principle flavour from orange to lemon, and swopped a flaked almond topping for a juicier icing.



2 eggs
90g caster sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
80g gluten-free flour
80g ground almonds

Heat oven to 170ºC.

Whisk the eggs and sugar for 15 minutes (seriously), until thick and foamy.

Add the zest, ground almonds and flour and blend briefly.

Spoon into paper cases, and bake for 22 minutes precisely.

For the icing i added 2 heaped tablespoons of Very Ginger Curd to a batch of plain buttercream. The flavour is citrus with small delicate flashes of heat from stem ginger. The entire batch lasted about 20 minutes from oven to belly.