Tarta de Santiago

This recipe is slightly different to my other posts, it is one of my favourite continental "cakes". It’s a very unconventional cake recipe, and it’s also gluten free, as it is primarily made from almonds an sugar, no flour in sight! I can remember visiting Santiago as a child, and trying my first slice of this cake in a small cafe down a narrow, little cobbled street in part of the Old Town, it was absolutely delicious.

I have been looking forward to posting this recipe for weeks, whilst researching for this post I found that most Tarta de Santiago recipes are very similar, but I think that the addition of cinnamon gives this recipe a slight edge.

Ingredients

250g ground almonds

250g golden caster sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 orange

6 medium eggs

1 tbsp brandy

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp icing sugar to decorate

Method

- Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/325F/Gas 3.

- Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.

- Separate your eggs (whites in one bowl, yolks in another). 

- Whip the eggs yolks and sugar together (I used an electric mixer for this), continue to whip until they're pale and thick, gradually add in the lemon zest, orange zest, cinnamon, ground almonds and brandy. Continue to gently whip until completely combined.

- In the other bowl whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks (I used an electric whisk again for this, on a slow speed). Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture, be careful not to lose too much air.

- Pour the mix into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45-50 minutes.

- Leave the cake to cool slightly in the tin before carefully removing it and finishing it off by adding the Cross of St James. I used a paper template (you can print a template off yourself using this link - cruz-de-santiago.jpg) and sprinkled over some icing sugar.

- Enjoy!

If you haven’t tried this cake before and you make this recipe then please let me know your thoughts! I think it’s delicious, and I’d love to hear what you all think.

♥️

Triple Chocolate Cookies

A classic that had to appear on Babble and Bake eventually, chocolate cookies! 

I decided not to make these gluten free because they were for my family, but as soon as I’d taken them out of the oven I massively regretted that decision, they looked and smelt amazing! I also decided to add a little bit of decorative white chocolate on top, because let's be honest, more chocolate makes everything better...

I’ll definitely be posting a gluten free cookie recipe very soon too!

Ingredients

175g unsalted butter

250g soft brown sugar

250g plain flour

75g cocoa powder

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod

Pinch of salt

90g white chocolate chunks

90g milk chocolate chunks

200g white chocolate for decorating (optional)

Method

- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350 F/Gas 4 and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

- In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy, then sift in the flour and cocoa powder.

- Add the salt, chocolate chunks and vanilla then break in the egg.

- Combine all of the ingredients then divide the mixture roughly into 12 balls (it may not seem like 1 egg is going to combine all of the ingredients, but really get your hands in there and it will get there eventually).

- Put them on the baking trays and lightly press them down, leave a couple of centimetres between each cookie so that they have room to spread whilst they bake.

- Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until slightly crispy on the outside, but soft and cakey in the middle. Cook for a couple of extra minutes for a crunchier cookie (I was attempting to multitask whilst baking this, and didn’t hear the timer go off… so mine were a little bit too much on the crispy side).

- Leave the cookies to cool completely.

- This last step is optional, but I think it is a fun finishing touch, break the white chocolate into chunks and melt it over a low heat. Either dip the cookies into the melted chocolate, or using a teaspoon drizzle the chocolate over the cookies however you like. Place then on a sheet of baking parchment and leave the chocolate to set.

- Dish them out and enjoy!

You can personalise these however you like, you could skip the cocoa powder and have vanilla cookies instead, or throw in some dried fruit pieces in place of chocolate chips! 

Let me know if you like this post, I discovered very quickly that it isn't very easy to get a good photo of cookies, so I hope I've done them justice!

🍪🍪🍪🍪

Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes

Much to my despair, I’m taking up a gluten free diet! I suffer with awful migraines, and when I tried this a couple of years it made a big difference. So that begs the question... how can I run a baking blog and not eat gluten? For anyone who doesn’t know, gluten is found in all wheat and barley products, that includes bread, cake, pastry and lots more of the delicious things that I love to eat!

I’ve decided I’m going to start posting a few gluten free recipes, but I’ll make a note of how to make them with regular flour too for anyone who doesn’t want to spend the extra cash required for gluten free products.

There will also be lots of gluten-filled recipes too, which I’ll gaze at adoringly but will have to resist eating. 

My first gluten free recipe is something I really, really miss, and that’s buttermilk pancakes, these are incredibly easy to make, and the addition of buttermilk gives such a delicious flavour and texture. I don’t feel like I’m missing out at all!

Ingredients 

(this makes 8 good sized pancakes, enough for 2, or in my case just myself…)

175g Gluten free plain flour *

1 tsp Gluten free baking powder **

1/4 tsp Xantham gum *** (optional)

175ml buttermilk

2 large eggs

2 tbsp golden caster sugar

2 tbsp melted butter (or coconut oil if you prefer the flavour)

Toppings of your choice (I like to use fresh fruit and/or Nutella, which is gluten free for anyone wondering. Maple syrup and bacon is also amazing on these pancakes)

*You can substitute with regular plain flour and baking powder if you’re not making them gluten free

** Lots of baking powders are gluten free as standard, so double check the packaging before paying the premium for a product labelled gluten free

**Xantham gum stops the edging spreading if you’re using gluten free flour, if you’re using regular flour you won’t need to worry about it

Method

- In a large mixing bowl beat together the eggs, buttermilk and half of the melted butter. 

- Sift in the flour, baking powder and Xantham gum. Then add in the sugar and fold all of the ingredients together until completely combined. The batter will be very thick, similar to cake mix.

- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, and pour in a little of the melted butter.

- Using a large spoon, spoon a generous amount of the pancake batter into the pan, and slightly spread it out with a butter knife to your desired thickness.

- Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, I like them to be a little bit gooey in the middle, but you can cook them for an extra minute on each side if you'd rather they were cooked through. I cooked three pancakes in the pan at a time and put them on a baking tray inside a warm other whilst I was making the others.

- Repeat until all of the batter is used and the pancakes, stack them up and cover them in your favourite toppings!

Let me know if you make these yourself (gluten free or not), and tag me in your photos. Lots of love and happy baking!

🍓☕️

Mocha Marble Loaf Cake

This next recipe is incredibly easy but looks so impressive, I love the combination of coffee and chocolate and this delicious mocha marble loaf cake is always a crowd pleaser. 

Ingredients

225g unsalted butter

225g golden caster sugar

225g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs

2 tbsp whole milk

4 tbsp freshly brewed coffee*

2 tbsp cocoa powder

50g chocolate chips (optional)

*The coffee flavour is very subtle in this cake, and really brings out the chocolate, but you could skip out the coffee if you’d prefer and make a vanilla and chocolate loaf cake instead! 

Method

- Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/325F/Gas 3. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment or a paper loaf case.

- In a large bowl cream together the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Sift in the flour and baking powder then add in the eggs, milk and chocolate chips. Mix together until you have an even batter.

- Put half of the mixture into a separate mixing bowl and stir in half of the coffee, then set this to one side.

- In a small jug mix the cocoa powder and remaining coffee together to form a smooth paste, then add this to the other half of the cake mix. You should now have one bowl of coffee cake mix, and one of chocolate and coffee cake mix, both with chocolate chips (the coffee in the latter won’t have a strong flavour, it just helps bring out the flavour of the chocolate).

- Spoon the two cake mixes randomly into the loaf tin, alternating them so that you have a good mix of the two colours. Gently level the top then run a skewer through the mix to create a rough marble effect.

- Bake for about an hour or until the cake is well risen and springy, it should also have slightly pulled away from the sides. (I had to bake mine for 70 minutes before it was completely cooked through, but I would recommend checking after 50 minutes as baking time will vary from oven to oven). 

- Once it has cooled down slightly remove it from the tin and remove the baking parchment or paper case. 

- Either serve warm with a big scoop of ice cream, or leave to cool completely, sprinkle with a little icing sugar or a drizzle of melted chocolate, and enjoy with a lovely cup of tea.

I’m going to be uploading some flavoured butter cream recipes soon, a coffee butter cream would be a delicious finishing touch to this cake!

This has been one of my favourite recipes to make so far, and the kitchen smelt incredible in the process! Let me know if you try this out, and leave your thoughts in the comments.

🍫☕️

Sweet Potato, Caramelised Onion and Blue Cheese Tart

Finally... the moment has come where I'm brave enough to upload a savoury recipe. I find it very easy to hide behind cakes and puddings, but I really do love to bake savoury dishes too. This is just one of many and it is packed full of so many flavours. I know that blue cheese scares a lot of people off, but you can substitute it with pretty much any cheese you like, feta would be delicious and would set better than blue cheese when baked as it's much less oily. But I adore blue cheese and couldn't wait to get it into a recipe! 

Let me know what you think and if you'd like me to start posting more savoury recipes.

Ingredients

For the pastry

250g plain flour

100g butter (cubed, at room temperature)

Pinch of salt

For the filling

1 red onion (finely slice)

1 tbsp groundnut oil

1 garlic clove (finely chopped)

1 heaped tsp soft light brown sugar

350g sweet potato, diced

65g baby spinach

3 medium eggs

200ml double cream

150g stilton (or your preferred cheese*)

1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)

1 tbsp pine nuts

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Pinch of salt and pepper

* Feta is a personal favourite of mine and creates a firmer tart.

Method

- Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub until combined (it should resemble fine breadcrumbs).

- Add a couple of splashes of water (no more than 3 tbsp), and continue to combine the mix until you have a firm dough. Knead slightly in the bowl then wrap in cling film and cool in the fridge for half an hour.

- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/Gas 6.

- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Very lightly grease a 23cm tart tin and line with the pastry, roughly chop off any bits hanging over the side, but not too close as the pastry will shrink slightly as it bakes. Push it gently into the groves of the tin (if it has any) to create a lovely crimped shape when it bakes. Prick the pastry a few times with a fork, then place a piece of baking paper over the top and fill with baking beans. *If you don't have baking beans you can use uncooked rice instead.

- Bake the pastry for 15 minutes, then remove the baking beans and bake for a further 5 minutes. *Be careful when removing the baking beans, they will be very hot.

- Whilst the pastry is baking, heat your oil in a large frying pan and add the onion, sugar and garlic. Stir occasionally to stop it sticking, continue to cook until the onion is brown (not burnt to a crisp, like I did on the first attempt…).

- Add the sweet potato and 300ml of water, and continue to cook until the water has all been absorbed/evaporated and the sweet potato is cooked.

- Add the salt and pepper, you can always add more to taste. *I sometimes like to add chilli flakes at this stage, no more than 1/4 tsp.

- Roughly tear up the spinach and add this into the pan, stir over a very low heat until the spinach has wilted.

- In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, cream, parsley, and roughly a third of the cheese (it’s easier if you break this into small pieces first). 

- Add the mixture from the pan into the pastry base, then top with the remaining cheese, broken up into lumps, and sprinkle over the nuts and seeds. Then pour over the creamy sauce and bake for 30 minutes, or until the egg mixture has set (I like to put the tart tin on top of a baking tray in the oven in case there is any spillage).

- Leave it to cool slightly, so that the blue cheese sets, then enjoy with mixed salad and a big squeeze of balsamic glaze

*You can also make smaller individual tarts with this recipe, just reduce the final baking time by about 5 mins. 

Sticky Toffee Pudding

One of my all time favourite sweets, sticky toffee pudding is a rich, gooey, spongey delight and I have been so excited to try this out. With hints of cinnamon and vanilla, along with the rich sweetness from the dates, this recipe is my absolute favourite and is so, so easy! With it being such a rich dessert I find that this ratio easily feeds 10 people (so don't make the mistake I did and eat 4 portions all by yourself, I'm on the sugar crash from hell right now... but between you, and me it was so worth it)!

Ingredients

1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla pod

175g chopped dates

1 tbsp black treacle

2 medium eggs

75g unsalted butter

150g soft light brown sugar

200g self raising flour

120ml whole milk

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the sauce (optional, but I think that this finishes this dish perfectly)

30ml brandy

250g soft light brown sugar

200ml double cream

100g unsalted butter

1 tbsp black treacle

Method

- Start by adding the chopped dates to a bowl and pouring over 175ml boiling water, leave them to soak for around 20 minutes. Then mash them up to form a thick puree (you can also do this in a food processor) - don't worry if you don't like dates, they really add depth to the dessert but they pretty much dissolve whilst baking, so you'd never know they were in there!

- Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/325F/Gas 4. Grease a 1.5 litre pudding tin/dish, I prefer to use an ovenproof ceramic or glass dish because it looks so lovely when you serve it up later!

- Mix the bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and the vanilla extract into the date pulp, then set to one side.

- In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together, then sift in the flour. In a jug, beat the milk and eggs together and pour this into the bowl. Fold all of these ingredients together until smooth - don't over beat as this may cause it to collapse in on itself in the oven (I've made this mistake far too many times).

- Mix in the date mixture and the black treacle and stir until combined. Don’t worry if the consistency doesn’t look too appetising at the point, trust me it will taste amazing! Pour this into the prepared dish (it will be very runny and may look slightly curdled, this is perfect, don't be worried) and bake for around 45 mins, or until firm and well risen.

- Meanwhile, put all of the sauce ingredients into a pan over a low heat. Once the sugar has all dissolved turn the heat up, and stir continuously for a couple of minutes, or until you have a rich toffee sauce. Pour the sauce into a heatproof jug and set to the side.

- Remove the pudding from the oven and leave to cool slightly, I think it’s best to serve this pudding fresh while it’s still warm. But you could enjoy it cold, or heat it up when you’re ready to serve it along with the delicious brandy, toffee sauce*.

*An alternative way to finish off this dish is, rather than serving the sauce on the side, using a sharp fork or skewer, make a few holes in the top of the pudding. Pour over the sauce so that it oozes into the holes, it’s best to do this while the pudding is still warm. Then serve hot with some delicious vanilla ice cream on top!

Enjoy, and let me know your thoughts on this recipe.

Homemade Granola

Quite a few people have asked me recently how I make homemade granola, so I thought I'd share this recipe with you. It's perfect for breakfast served with some fresh fruit and yoghurt, or as a little snack throughout the day. It's very filling and high in protein, it’s also incredibly easy to make and can be completely personalised to suit your tastes.

Ingredients

200g rolled oats

1 tbsp unrefined coconut oil (you could also use vegetable oil)

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons maple syrup

50g sunflower seeds

50g pumpkin seeds

50g coconut flakes

50g almond flakes

50g chopped cashew nuts

50g chopped hazelnuts

100g sultanas (or any other dried fruit)

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

Pinch of sea salt

*Most of these ingredients are optional, and can be substituted for pretty much anything you like! I like to add chocolate chips sometimes, or extra almond flakes for added sweetness. I vary the ingredients every time I make this, but this is my favourite combination!

Method

- Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3 and line two baking trays.

- In a bowl mix together all of your ingredients (except the dried fruit) until everything is lightly coated in the delicious maple syrup, honey and coconut oil (it might be easier to melt the coconut oil before this step if yours is set).

- Tip the mixture on to the two baking trays, and spread out evenly.

- Bake for 20 minutes then leave to cool before breaking up any large clumps, and mixing in the dried fruit. 

- Store the granola in an airtight jar, preferably in a cool place. Serve with some delicious Greek yoghurt and fresh fruit and enjoy.

Let me know how you vary this recipe, there are so many ways you can play around with it!