Week 12 - Fruity Flapjacks

Happy Wednesday! Hope you all enjoyed the long weekend? So, Mr Brown has finally called the general election for 6th May. If anyone comes canvasing at my door, I think I'll ask them if they'll propose a new bill to make every Monday a Bank Holiday, I could get used to a 4 day week! Only thing is it means this week has gone way too quickly & I had a bit of a panic last night picking this weeks recipe. I thought you might like to know that last weeks Easter Nests were a big success at the cake sale, they helped raise over £1500. The money is being donated to our local Alzheimer's Society, so well done to all involved!

This weeks recipe is an antidote to all the chocolate we've had over the last few weeks & as they are stuffed with good stuff like oats & honey, I can kid myself that they are vaguely healthy! My Mum will probably kill me for saying this, but they are really good for breakfast with a lovely latte, especially if you have to eat on the run. I've chosen to use raisins & dried cranberries as that's what I had in the cupboard, but you could use 100g of any type of dried fruit.

100g butter
40g honey
50g caster sugar
50g raisins
50g dried cranberries
200g oats

1. Melt the butter in a large bowl, then add the honey. You'll have to give it a brisk stir to get it to combine, then add the sugar & stir again

2. Add the dried fruit, stir, then finally add the oats & stir again. It's not very technical this recipe just lots of stirring!

3. Line a baking dish approx 15cm x 15cm with baking paper (this makes it easier to lift out & cut into squares), tip in the oaty mixture & press down firmly using the back of a spoon

4. Bake in the oven at 180c/GM5 for around 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown. Leave to cool in the dish for 10 minutes, then cut into squares. Leave to cool completely before lifting out of the dish & removing the paper.

I love these flapjacks, they're deliciously gooey on the inside with a crunchy outside, yum! So next week we hit a milestone in the history of Rebecca Bakes Cakes, we'll be 13 weeks into the challenge, that's a quarter done already. How time flies when you're having fun! Hopefully it'll also be a celebration cake as I'm hoping my friends bubba will have joined the world by then, he/she is already fashionably late! Till then , Rebecca

Week 1 - Spiced Apple Muffins

So here goes, it's week 1 of my 52 week baking epic! The weather is miserable, so I thought I'd try & warm things up with Spiced Apple Muffins. I love applely cakes, but really can't be bothered to peel & core a pile of apples, so I've used a jar of apple sauce instead. This makes the mixture quite sweet so I've reduced the amount of sugar I'd usually use to make muffins. The apple sauce has given the muffins a really delicious taste & a moist texture. The oats on the top toast in the oven & give a really lovely crunch!

300g plain flour
100g soft brown sugar
1tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
Good pinch of salt
1tsp mixed spice
250g apple sauce
50ml milk
50g unsalted butter (I think it's ok to use salted if that's what's in the fridge, just don't add the extra pinch)
1 beaten egg
Porridge oats to sprinkle

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt & spice.

2. In a separate bowl melt the butter, then mix in the apple sauce, milk & egg. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients & give it a good stir. It's best if you leave it a little lumpy!

3. Line a 12 hole bun tin with paper cases & divide the mixture evenly.

4. Add a sprinkling of oats to the top of each muffin, then bake at 200C/GM7 for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden.

5. Leave them to rest in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out to cool. Or if you're impatient like me, wait approximately 3 minutes then take one out of the tin & enjoy whilst still warm!

Overall I'd say week 1, big tick :-) If anyone else tries this out, let me know what you think...that's assuming anyone is actually reading my baking ramblings!

Till next week...Rebecca