foody

Ingredients

 1 tbsp yeast

 4 tbsp caster sugar

 150ml / 5 floz milk (warmed)

 225g / 8oz plain flour (plus extra for dusting)

 ¼ tsp salt

 50g/2ozbutter (melted)

 1 free range egg, (beaten)

 300ml/ 10 ½ floz vegetable oil (for deep frying)

 Filled food source of your choice (e.g. jam, custard, etc.)

Method

1) Mix the yeast with a ½ teaspoon of the sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the warm milk. Place in a warm place to rest for 15 mins, or until frothy.

2) Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar.

3) Make a well in the flour, and pour in the yeast mix, the rest of the milk, the melted butter, and the egg. Mix to make a dough, and then knead, cover the bowl and leave to stand for 45 mins or till dough has doubled in size.

4) On a floured work surface, knead the dough for five mins, then divide into 12 balls, and place in a warm place, for upto 30 mins or until the have doubled in size.

5) Heat the oil in a deep pan, until it reaches 190c / 375f or a cube of bread dropped in sizzles, and turns golden in 30 secs. (CAUTION! HOT OIL IS DANGEROUS, AND SHOULD NOT BE LEFT UNATTENDED.)

6) Gently lower the dough balls, one at a time, into the hot oil, in batches of 2-3 and fry for 3-5mins, or until golden brown, and then carefully turn over. Take from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.

7) Roll the hot doughnuts in the remaining sugar, make a small slit in the doughnut with the tip of a knife, and fill with the filling of your choice.

Ingredients

For the shortbread

o 225g plain flour

o 175g unsalted butter

o 75g castor sugar

For the topping

o 150g butter

o 1x379g condensed milk

o 100g golden syrup

o 350g milk chocolate (broken)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150c/300f/gas 2.

2. Line a 23cm square baking tin, with baking parchment

3. Combine the flour and butter in a food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

4. Add the castor sugar and pulse together till combined

5. Tipp the mixture into the lined tin, and spread out evenly, with the back of the spoon. Then press the shortcake down with your knuckles so tightly pressed into the tin.

6. Bake the shortbread for 30ms or until lightly golden brown.

7. Set aside to cool

8. Heat the butter for the topping with the condensed milk and golden syrup in a saucepan stirring occasionally until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth

9. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to the boil, the caramel will thicken and turn golden brown, set aside to cool slightly, then pour over the cooled shortbread.

10. Allow to cool completely

11. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, (make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl) stir occasionally

12. Pour the melted chocolate over the caramel and set aside until the chocolate has cooled completely

13. Cut into squares

Ingredients

• Groundnut oil (for greasing)

• 400g/14oz flaked almonds

• 400g/1lb unsalted butter

• 500g/1lb 2oz granulated sugar

• 1tsp vanilla extract

• 200g/2oz milk chocolate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a baking tin 42x27cm/17x11in and 4cm/1½in deep with groundnut oil.

2. Place the almonds on a second, clean baking tray and toast in the oven for 15 minutes, turning them over and around after five minutes and taking care not to singe the edges. Remove from the oven once golden-brown and set aside to cool.

3. Place the butter in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan and melt it gently. Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Place a sugar thermometer in the pan, bring the mixture to the boil and bubble on a medium heat until it reaches 120C/250F. This takes about five minutes.

4. Add three-quarters of the toasted almonds and the vanilla extract to the sugar and butter mixture and give it a couple of brisk stirs with a wooden spoon. Be careful as the mixture will bubble up a fair bit.

5. Bring the mixture back to a rolling boil and, on a moderate heat, bubble slowly and steadily, stirring frequently, for around 15 minutes until the temperature reaches 150C/302F. Take care, as it will stay for a long time at 135C/275F and then quickly go up to 150C/300F. You need to catch it when this happens or it will start to burn.

6. As soon as the temperature nudges 150C/300F, whip the pan off the heat and pour the golden-coloured mixture into the greased baking tin. Don’t worry if it looks a little oily. Leave to cool for one hour.

7. Place the small pieces of chocolate evenly over the top of the still-warm toffee and leave to melt. Spread out the chocolate with a palette knife.

8. Roughly grind the remaining almonds in a food processor and scatter the crumbs over the melted chocolate. Leave to cool.

9. To remove the toffee from the tin, take a flat screwdriver or toffee hammer and break it into chunks and store in the fridge.

ingredients

125g butter softened

100g light brown soft sugar

125g caster sugar

1 egg lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

225g self raising flour

½ tsp salt

200g white chocolate chips

method

preheat oven 180oc/gas mark 4

cream butter and sugars, once creamed combine in the egg and vanilla

sift in the flour, add salt, and chocolate chips

roll into walnut sized balls, for a more homemade look, roll into a long thick sausage shape, and slice to make neater looking cookies

placed onto ungreased baking paper, bake for 7 mins for soft gooey cookies, or 10mins till golden round the edges

take out oven leave to harden for a minute, before transferring to a wire cooling rack.