44 h. ago Mary Berry's 'easiest ever' chocolate cake recipe takes just 5 minutes to prepare

The beloved queen of British baking has shared what she calls her “easiest ever” chocolate cake recipe.

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54 h. ago Helen Goh’s recipe for lemon meringue bombe alaska with pistachio cake | The sweet spot

The toasted meringue reveals tangy ice-cream with nutty sponge in this dramatic celebration dessert. Ta-da!There’s a touch of theatre to a bombe Alaska: the soft swoops of toasted meringue, the hidden layers revealed at the slice, the contrast of cold and flame This one takes its cue from lemon meringue pie, reimagined as an icy dessert with a gently tangy heart. The lemon ice-cream is no-churn, which makes it blissfully easy, and it softens into a mousse-like texture, rather than melting, so this is great for entertaining, when timing isn’t always precise. Underneath is a tender pistachio sponge for a little texture and subtle nuttiness, and it’s all wrapped in a satiny meringue, torched to golden. It’s a dessert that feels doable but celebratory, a little retro and entirely joyful. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Mary Berry's popular lemon drizzle traybake with simple method loved since the 1960s

Mary Berry's classic lemon drizzle cake recipe has been a hit for decades, and now the former Great British Bake Off judge has shared her popular traybake version

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3 d. ago How to turn fruit and veg scraps into a delicious cake – recipe | Waste not

Many naturally sweet vegetable odds and ends might seem destined for the compost, but they could also be repurposed and pressed into service as a fancy cakeTo celebrate 10 years of writing for the Guardian and seven years of this column, I thought it would be fitting to bake a cake inspired by where Waste Not began: my food compost bin. I looked through the fridge and raw compost bin, and found some squash, carrots, apples, cucumber ends, a knob of ginger and a woody stick of lemongrass; I even considered a red cabbage leaf, but decided that brassicas are best kept out of the baking tin. The compost bin is more than a place for leftovers, it’s a source of inspiration, as well as a way to reflect on what we waste; it can even guide us towards cooking more resourcefully and creatively. Continue reading...

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6 d. ago How to make perfect bún chả – recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to make the perfect

Smoky, succulent pork patties, rice noodles, fistfuls of herbs and a super-savoury dipping sauce: is there a perfect way to cook possibly the perfect noodle dish? Let’s find out When I visited Hanoi a decade ago, I was living in Hackney, east London, an area with a large Vietnamese community, so I felt, if not quite an expert, at least a little familiar with the cuisine. But it turned out no number of nights out on Kingsland Road could prepare me for the assault on the senses that was my first meal in the city, crouched on a plastic stool by the roadside and enjoying what Uyen Luu describes as “the irresistible sweet, treacly smell of barbecued patties and caramelised pork”, all mingled with traffic fumes.The stall in question served one thing only: bún chả, a northern speciality of juicy chargrilled pork, cold, slippery rice noodles, sweet yet deeply savoury nước chấm dipping sauce and fistfuls of aromatic herbs. “About as typical and unique a Hanoi dish as there is,” as Anthony Bo...

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1 week ago How to make baba ganoush – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

Shop-bought rarely compares to the punch of homemade baba ganoush, and it really isn’t very difficult to make at home. Here’s how Public service announcement: baba ganoush does not require smoked paprika, acidity regulators or indeed any kind of preservative beyond lemon juice. There are some dips I will happily buy – tzatziki, taramasalata, even hummus, with due caution – but tubs of this smoky Middle Eastern aubergine dish always seem to be slimy and underpowered in comparison with the real freshly made deal.Prep 15 min Drain 30 minCook 40 min Serves 2-4 Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Jam tarts and summer pudding cake: Nicola Lamb’s recipes for baking with mixed berries

A summer pudding-like cake that’s all red and soft with juicy berries, and a super-summery jammy shortbread tartFirst up, a crostata-inspired jam tart that’s perfect for afternoon tea or nibbling throughout the day. Fennel seeds in the buttery pastry give a subtle flavour surprise, although you could omit them, or try coriander seeds or ginger instead. A small batch of jam is surprisingly quick to make, but you can, of course, use shop-bought, or make use of one of those jars living rent-free in your cupboard. Then, a summer pudding-inspired cake that makes a delightful centrepiece – the juices from the berries absorb into the top third of the sponge, giving it a gorgeous, ombre tone that looks as beautiful as it tastes. Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Easy and delicious carrot cake blondies for your Macmillan Coffee Morning

These no fuss, quick-bake bites are the perfect update to a traditional favourite, and ideal treat for your Macmillan Cancer Support Coffee Morning

Events

3 w. ago How to make coffee and walnut cake – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

What does our chief perfectionist choose as a birthday treat? This sumptuous coffee and walnut cake, which you, too, can whip up in less than an hourToday is my birthday, so I’m celebrating with a classic that, for all the sticky tres leches and sophisticated sachertortes I’ve enjoyed in recent years, remains my absolute favourite, my desert island cake: that darling of the WI tea tent, the coffee and walnut sandwich. The great Nigel Slater once named it his last meal on Earth, and I’m hoping to have it for tea.Prep 30 min Cook 25 min Serves 8 Continue reading...

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3 w. ago How to make perfect cheese arepas – recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to make the perfect

Arepas are Latin American cornbreads of the most delicious kind. But there are so many variations, so let’s start with one that’s soft on the inside, crisp on the outside and oozing melted cheese When I first came across arepas, at a food market in Williamsburg, New York, almost a decade ago, I was attracted mainly by the fact that these stuffed South American corn breads were, as the stall proclaimed in big letters: “110% gluten-free!” which meant I could share one with a coeliac friend. One bite later, I regretted my generosity: crunchy, buttery and filled with sweetcorn and salty, stringy cheese, I could easily have polished off the whole thing without any help.These, I later learned, were Colombian arepas de choclo, but arepas – flat, unleavened maize patties that pre-date European settlement – are found in many forms and flavours in many other countries, too, most notably Venezuela, but also Bolivia, Ecuador and parts of Central America. As J Kenji López-Alt notes on Serious Ea...

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3 w. ago How to make perfect cheese arepas – recipe | Felicity Cloake

Arepas are Latin American cornbreads of the most delicious kind. But there are so many variations, so let’s start with one that’s soft on the inside, crisp on the outside and oozing melted cheese When I first came across arepas, at a food market in Williamsburg, New York, almost a decade ago, I was attracted mainly by the fact that these stuffed South American corn breads were, as the stall proclaimed in big letters: “110% gluten-free!” which meant I could share one with a coeliac friend. One bite later, I regretted my generosity: crunchy, buttery and filled with sweetcorn and salty, stringy cheese, I could easily have polished off the whole thing without any help.These, I later learned, were Colombian arepas de choclo, but arepas – flat, unleavened maize patties that pre-date European settlement – are found in many forms and flavours in many other countries, too, most notably Venezuela, but also Bolivia, Ecuador and parts of Central America. As J Kenji López-Alt notes on Serious Ea...

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