I hate to show you a cake recipe two days in a row on here, but I baked this the other day, and just haven't been able to get it in. I wanted to show it to you before it got lost in the mire that is called my cooking photos folder!! Besides they are two very different kinds of cake!



It is no secret that apple and cheese go together very well. They are a beautiful marriage of tart/sweet and tangy/rich flavours. Back home we always had a nice thick slice of cheddar served along with our apple pie. It would be unthinkable not to have it!



In fact you often see apple pies baked in a cheddar pastry, although to be honest, I'd rather have an actual slice of cheese with my pie.



This is a delicious cake, stogged full of little bits of apple and grated cheddar cheese. The apple provides a sweetness that is the perfect foil for the richness of the cheddar cheese, which melts into the cake batter, giving it a delicious tang!



It's not a light cake . . . but somewhat heavy . . . but oh so very good, especially with some Maple Sweetened Whipped Cream serve along side.



But . . . it doesn't stop there. Cut the cake into thin slices the day after and toast them until golden brown, then spread them with cold butter for an additional taste treat . . .



Oh, I know . . . I'm a very, very bad girl. But you love me anyways, right?



*Apple and Cheddar Cheese Cake*
Makes one 9 inch round cake
Printable Recipe

A lovely rich caked stogged full of lovely bits of apple and the wonderful tang of cheddar cheese. Serve warm with some Maple Sweetened whipped cream for a real treat!

3 ounces of plain flour (3/4 cup)
2.8 ounces fine cornmeal (Polenta) (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 ounces of butter, softened (1/2 cup)
5 ounces of caster sugar (3/4 cup)
2 large free range eggs
6 TBS whole milk
4 ounces strong cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped (1/4 inch dice)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/Gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch round cake tin. Line the bottom with paper and butter the paper. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl often. Reduce the speed to low and add half of the flour mixture. Stir in teh milk and then stur in the remaining flour mixture, just until combined. Fold in the cheese and apple. Turn the batter out into the prepared pan. Smooth the top over and then bake in the heated oven for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack. Flip back over to the right side and cool to just warm before serving.

Serve cut into wedges with whipped cream that has been lightly sweetened with some Maple Syrup (before whipping) if desired. (About 1 tsp of Maple Syrup per 250ml (1 cup) of cream) Store any uneaten cake in an airtight container for up to two days at room temperature. (The leftovers are very nice sliced thinly, toasted lightly and spread with butter)

 

I guess I am the kind of person that likes to push the edge a bit . . . walk a little bit on the ledge, flirting with danger as it were . . . pushing the boundaries of my limits. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but when it does . . . baby watch out!



This is what happens when you realize you have somehow managed to purchase 3 huge jumbo sized jars of Skippy Peanut butter in just a matter of a few months, without really noticing you have done it . . . until you go to put the latest purchase away and realize that there are already 2 in the larder . . . and that's not counting the almost empty one in the cupboard that you were looking to replace . . . umm . . . organized I am not!



I didn't want to make more peanut butter cookies. I just made peanut butter cookies a week or so ago . . . but I did want to use some of it up, so that I could justify having it . . . you know how it goes.



I sat and pondered and then I thought . . . why not a peanut butter cookie bar???
And then I thought . . . why not a peanut butter cookie bar with a scrummy cheese cake topping???
And then I thought . . . and why not swirl some gooey strawberry jam through the cheesecake topping???



Oh my, YES! Picture it now . . . a rich crispy peanut butter cookie base, topped with a strawberry cheesecake swirl topping. OH SO SCRUMMY!



I think I may have created a monster! Who knew??? ☺



*Peanut Butter Tray Bake*
Makes one 7 by 11 inch pan
Printable Recipe

Scrummy peanut butter cookie bars with a yummy cheesecake and strawberry jam topping! Yummo!!

6.25 ounces plain flour (1 1/4 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
8 TBS butter softened
3.5 ounces granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
3.5 ounces soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
8 TBS creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 large free range egg
4 ounces of cream cheese
1 medium free range egg yolk
1 TBS granulated sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 dessert spoons of strawberry jam, warmed for about 20 seconds in the microwave

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a 7 by 11 iinch pan. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and both sugars, until light and fluffy. Beat in the whole egg, vanilla and peanut butter. Whisk together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder. Stir into the creamed mixture. Press this mixture into the prepared pan.

Beat together the cream cheese, egg yolk, 1 TBS of sugar and the vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over top of the peanut butter mixture, avoiding the sides. Dollop the jam over top and then swirl it a bit with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until nicely browned on the outside and the cheese filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares to serve.

All week long I had been looking forward to having the missionaries over for supper on Friday evening. As you know I just love to feed them and they also love for me to feed them!



Today we took a trip to Mold. We had heard there were a lot of really cool charity shops there. What a neat little town, and the rumours were true. There WERE a lot of really cool charity shops there. We came away with a whole lot of really nice stuff . . .



We also found a fabulous green grocers with some really beautiful vegetables, and at really good prices as well. I picked up the most heavenly cauliflower, and some really nice looking potatoes.



We got home about mid afternoon, feeling really good about ourselves and our purchases . . . and then had just settled in to relax a bit, when Todd said . . . "Weren't the missionaries coming for their tea tonight???"



Cue panic stations! Thankfully I had also picked up some really nice meaty bangers (pork and caramelized onion) and I threw together some bangers and mash, along with some stewed red cabbage, carrots and a nice cauliflower cheese. Whew!! The loaf of french bread I'd picked up went over really well also.



But what went over best of all was this deliciously buttery, moreishly fantastically moist cake . . . stogged full of lucious raspberries and blueberries . . . and topped with a scrummy lime drizzle, which melts into all that buttery goodness.

Easy peasy lemon squeasy. They loved it and went back for seconds . . . of everything! Mission accomplished! (Oh, I do love it when I manage to pull a rabbit out of the hat!)



*Lime Drizzle Berry Cake*
Serves 12
Printable Recipe

Buttery, moist, stogged full of fruit with a tangy lime drizzle topping. DEEEElicious!

225g of butter, softened (1 cup plus 1 TBS)
225g of caster sugar (1 1/4 cup)
4 medium free range eggs
2 llimes, the grated zest, plus the juice
250g of self raising flour, sifted together with 1/2 tsp salt (1 3/4 cup)
25 g of ground almonds (1/4 cup)
100g each blueberries and raspberries (about 1 cup of each)
For the syrup:
8 TBS lime juice
140g of caster sugar (about 1/2 cup)

Cream to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8 inch square cake tin and line it with paper. Butter the paper.

Cream together the butter, lime zest and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until all are amalgamated. You may need to add a bit of the flour to keep it from splitting. Fold in the flour. Stir in enough lime juice to make a batter with a good dropping consistency. Fold in 3/4 of the berries. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth over and then sprinkle with the remaining berries.

Bake for 1 hour, or until risen, lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in to the centre comes out clean.

While the cake is baking make the syrup by heating the lime juice and sugar together until the sugar melts.

When the cake is done remove it from the oven, prick the top all over with a skewer and pour the syrup over top right away. Store tightly covered. Cut into squares to serve. Serve warm or at room temperature with or without pouring cream.

Speaking of winners, Mam lucky number 19, you are the winner of my giveaway as chosen by an online thingie. I don't know how to post a picture of it, so I can't show you, but trust me, it was you Mam! Send me your details and I'll pop it into the post for you asap. Thanks everyone for joining in! I wish I could give you all something!

The missionaries were coming over this afternoon to help Todd dig out the rest of the garden. I was very happy to hear that. Todd still thinks he's 38 instead of 72, and I always worry that he will overdo it!




They are such nice young men, and always willing to help out whenever and wherever they can. I have a great admiration for these willing lads, who give up two years of their lives to selflessly serve the Lord. I like to spoil them whenever I can.



I like to think that if I had a son out on a mission, someone would be spoiling him, so I do what I can, when I can. I had wanted to make them a cake to enjoy with a cold drink after their work, but we had to take Mitzie to the dog groomer this morning and now that she is older it takes a bit longer to curb her mane, so I knew I would only have limited time to make anything.



I decided to bake them some delicious Peanut Butter Cookies! What young person doesn't like Peanut Butter Cookies?? What old person doesn't like peanut butter cookies for that matter!! I used my old standby recipe, that I have been using for years and years. It does make rather a lot, but I thought the lads would enjoy them and then I could give them a container of them to take with them when they left.



These tasty little babies always turn out lovely. Short and crunchy on the edges, but moreishly chewy in the middles . . . all peanut buttery and coated in a scrummy sugar crunch. There is nothing better . . . well, I say that with tongue in cheek, coz it does so happen that if you sandwich them together in pairs with some jam or jelly in the middle (strawberry and raspberry being my favourites) or even with some nutella in between . . . they do get even more incredibly moreishly scrummily irresistable!!!

But we won't talk about that will we . . .



*Peanut Butter Cookies*
Makes 4 dozen, but they freeze very well
Printable Recipe

This is the peanutbutter cookie recipe that I have been making for years and years. The perfect after school treat with a glass of cold milk. They are also very good sandwiched together in pairs with strawberry or raspberry jam or nutella! Oh so scrummy!

6 1/2 ounces vegetable shortening (1 cup)
7 ounces caster sugar (1 cup)
8 ounces soft light brown sugar (1 cup, packed)
2 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
9 1/2 ounces peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) (1 cup)
12 3/4 ounces plain flour (3 cups)
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
granulated sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Line a couple of baking sheets with some baking parchment. Set aside.

Cream together the shortening, caster sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and peanut butter, until well mixed and fluffy. Whisk together the flour, salt and bicarbonage of soda. Stir this into the creamed mixture, mixing it in well. Put some granulated sugar into a bowl. (You'll only need about 4 TBS) Roll spoonful's of the batter into balls and then roll them in the granulated sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least an inch in between. Using a fork, press them down in a criss cross design.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

 (Teisen Gaws Gymreig)
Makes 12

I picked up a couple of bags of nice looking naval oranges at the shops the other day, and after eating as many as we wanted to eat fresh, I decided to make something delicious and yet unusual with them. I had in mind to make a crumble . . . and why not?



We use all sorts of fruits to make tasty crumbles with . . . apples, pears, rhubarb, plums, blueberries, gooseberries and so on . . . why not oranges? Juicy and sweet, I thought they'd make a fabulous crumble . . .



Especially with a buttery crispy topping shot full of flaked coconut. Oranges and coconut . . . ambrosia!



I was going to add some macadamia nuts to the topping as well . . . but alas, I had none in the cupboard. Do try it if you want though. I'd add about 1/2 cup chopped nuts. It would be a fabulous addition I think!



Each mouthful of this was sweetly orangy, buttery crispy and moreishly scrummy! I dare to say it's quite healthy as well as there is not a lot of fat in it really.



Oranges . . . chock full of Vitamin C and fibre . . . and not just for juicing or eating out of hand anymore! I do hope you'll try this. ☺



*Orange and Coconut Crisp*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

Deliciously different. You are going to love this!

For the fruit filling:
6 large navel oranges
2 ounces orange juice (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 TBS of quick cooking tapioca (or an equal amount of corn flour)
1 TBS Grand Marnier (Orange flavoured Liqueur)
Butter

For the topping:
3 ounces of plain flour (2/3 cup)
2.5 ounces sugar (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 tsp salt
2 ounces chilled butter, cut into bits (1/4 cup)
2 ounces flaked sweetened coconut (2/3 cup)

Single cream to serve

Peel and section the oranges over a large bowl, reserving 1/4 cup of the juices. (Don't throw away the peels. I'll show you what to do with them tomorrow!) Stir in the tapioca and Grand Marnier. Let stand for about half an hour before proceeding, giving it a stir every now and then.

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Lightly butter an 11 by 7 inch dish. Pour in the orange mixture. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar and salt for the topping together in a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the coconut and then sprinkle evenly over top of the fruit.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm, spooned out into bowls along with some cream for pouring.

Tune in tomorrow to see what I did with the peels!