Toffee Apple Cake

Ingredients

200 g dates, roughly chopped
200 ml milk (plus an extra splash)
250 g butter, softened (plus extra for greasing)
280 g self-raising flour
200 g light brown soft sugar
½ tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
1 tbsp mixed spice
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 small red apples
a squeeze lemon juice
handfull toffees
icing sugar, for dusting

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan). Grease and line a 20 x 30cm baking tray with baking parchment.
  2. Put the dates and milk in a small pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside for 15 mins to cool.
  3. Whizz the date mixture to a smooth purée in a food processor or blender, then scrape into a large mixing bowl.
  4. Tip in the butter, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, eggs, mixed spice and vanilla. Set aside while you prepare the apples.
  5. Quarter and core the apples, then slice quite thinly, tossing in a little lemon juice as you go.
  6. Quickly beat together the cake ingredients with an electric whisk until smooth, then scrape into the baking tray.
  7. Arrange the apple slices, overlapping in rows, on top of the cake - you should be able to get 3 rows lengthways down the tray.
  8. Bake for 45-50 mins until a skewer poked into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tray.
  9. Put the toffees in a small pan with a good splash of milk and gently melt, stirring until runny.
  10. To finish, dust the cake with a little icing sugar. Drizzle the sauce all over the cake. Cut into squares or slices to serve.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups quick-cook oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 165℃.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.
  3. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
  4. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.
  5. Mix in the quick oats and chocolate chips.
  6. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
  7. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven.
  8. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Ingredients

    250 g plain flour
    ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
    ½ tsp salt
    170 g unsalted butter, melted
    200 g dark brown soft sugar
    100 g caster sugar
    1 vanilla extract
    1 egg
    1 egg yolk
    325 g chocolate chips

    Method

    Prep: 10 mins. Cook: 15 mins.

    1. Preheat the oven to 170℃. Grease baking trays or line with parchment.
    2. Sift together the flour, bicarb and salt. Set aside.
    3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and caster sugar until well blended.
    4. Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy.
    5. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.
    6. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
    7. Drop cookie dough onto the prepared baking trays, with each cookie around 4 tablespoons of dough (for smaller cookies, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful and adjust baking time as necessary). Do not flatten the dough. Cookies should be about 8cm apart.
    8. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted.
    9. Cool on baking trays for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.