Rich Rich Chocolate Biscuit Cake!

This is a no bake cake but I actually wouldn't call it cake in the sense I normally think of cake, just too rich, far too rich to think about cutting a normal sized slice of cake and eating in one go.  But it is delicious and can be cut into dainty petit four size squares to have with coffee after a meal and I would make it ready for xmas.  Then again if you are a real chocoholic you will manage more no problem!

The recipe just has raisins in it but I decided to substitute a mixture of raisins cranberries and chopped almonds which was delicious.

I've got this on my list to make for christmas when I'll have a houseful of chocoholics and I think it will go down rather well.  A quick and easy but decadent treat!


This week's bake off is Garlic Pizza Bread, lovely change to try something savoury this time.  Happy Baking.

Banoffee Cupcakes yum!

This is a short roundup of last week's recipe challenge - Banoffee Cupcakes

I found this one quite difficult as I'm not very fond of bananas in cooking, I prefer mine under ripe and almost hard!  In fact I'm not totally sure I am a fan of cupcakes at all, although I do think they look extremely pretty when well decorated.  So all in all that is a not too great point to be starting from so my first option was to cut the recipe in half which worked perfectly.  Not too many cupcakes in the house!  My second problem is that despite visiting cook shops on at least a weekly basis and spending a fortune I never have the right nozzle to pipe with and as Andy (@mummymoo4) said it's all in the nozzle!  Hence my piping looks like something best not mentioned and Andy's looks extremely professional. 

The upside to my weekly visits is that invariably all the cook shops have been more than willing to support our Harrison's Cake Time Party charity event by displaying and promoting the promotional postcards I left with them!  If you haven't yet heard of our Cake Time Party or have not yet had a chance to look at the details here is the link Cake Time Party

So here's the evidence of my lack of piping skills and Andy's finesse at piping!  And having just added the pics I have realised just how bad my photo was too and I'm blaming that on my husband for plying me with wine too early in the evening!

This week's challenge recipe is Great-Great-Auntie Dora's Biscuit Cake, page 57 of the Harrison's Cake Time Recipe Book.

Make Time ...


Another entry arrived so Nicki's cupcakes are added below

Lemon, Almond & Rosewater Torte & This Weeks Bake!

Apologies...probably again...late writing this post but a good excuse, or certainly I think so.

I have been busy setting up a new blog for the Harrison's Cake Time Party and I am so proud of it!

It's got lots of pages for news, events, recipes, how to have a party and lots of clocks ticking in the background because that is what the Cake Time Party is all about, raising money to fund research which will make time for children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to have a future beyond their late teens.  This really matters to me because it is my grandson Harrison who has Duchenne and Harrison's Fund is trying to give Harrison and boys like him that chance.

Please do take a look at Cake Time Party and I hope you'll find a time to invite friends have a laugh together, eat delicious cake and raise funds for Harrison's Fund

This week's bake off recipe:  Banoffee Cupcakes

This was chosen because it is National Cupcake Week and I've bought a delicious jar of Caramel Sauce and I wanted a reason to use it! 

They do sound good in the recipe so I'm looking forward to making these, also it will give me a chance to practise my piping skills which are non exisistent at present and as I intend to do a cake sale in a couple of weeks I need to improve.  I still haven't worked out what size nozzle I should use? Any tips gratefully received.  If you don't like piping please do just spread the icing on with a palette knife, it will work beautifully too.

Lemon, Almond & Rosewater Torte

Again a delicious cake, the recipes in the Cake Time Recipe Book do seem to be pretty fool proof and I have been trying out a few bakes beyond the ones in the challenge as well.

Andy's very light looking torte

 

My delicious but rather denser torte

 

This week's Bake...Lemon, Almond & Rose Torte

So this week's bake is Lemon, Almond & Rose Torte, which I think sounds pretty good.  Looking at the recipe there are not too many ingredients, the only one I don't have is Rosewater and I know that is not expensive and I'll use again. Wondering if Andy will put here own twist on this, she's clever like that!

So photos in to me at info@harrisonsfund.com or tweet them including me @jennijjs or andy @mummymoo4 and they will be included in the end of week round up.

Also would love it if you joined our Cake Time Party during the first week of November.  These are the details:

Harrison's Cake Time Party

When: November 1st - 8th 2012 (or when it suits you)

Where: Anywhere you like, home, work, school, community hall

Cost: What you feel is right or have a box for donations, don't be scared to ask, you're giving them a lovely time and people love to help a good cause.

How to pass donations to Harrison's Fund: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/caketimeparty

Need more information: Contact me (Jenni) on info@harrisonsfund.com

Recipe ideas: I can give you some, or why not think about buying Harrison's own Cake Time Recipe Book with brilliant recipes from family, friends and celebrities like Joanne Wheatley, Holly Bell, Sarah Beeny, Shelina Permaloo, Dhruv Baker, Greg Wallace, Christine Hamilton, Fiona Cairns to name a few!

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/andrearobinson2

And most importantly don't forget to send me and Harrison an invitation too, we both love cake!

Make Time for Cake Time ....and lets find that cure for Duchenne!

We all love cookies....

Chewychocchip Cookies

I think one of the best recipes to make is for cookies.  I've made lots of different cookies and each one gives me great satisfaction because they are normally straightforward to make, and take only a very short time in the oven and as long as you make enough you'll have lovely fresh homemade cookies in a jar as a little treat whenever you need one.

Andy Robinson's Milk & Dark Choc Cookies

Chocolate cookies are extra indulgent and these soft chewy ones are just perfect.

Andy Robinson has tried out using both milk and white chocolate  whereas I've just stuck to the recipe.  Both versions look delicious and mine certainly tasted pretty good.

Jenni Smith's Choc Chip Cookies

This recipe comes from the Harrison's Fund Cake Time Book which can be purchased with the total cost going to help raise funds to fund a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a life limiting genetic disease affecting 1 in 3500 boys born every year - that is 100 every year!

Recipes come from family, friends, and celebrity cooks and bakers and the feedback we have been receiving is so positive that all the recipes work and produce a delicious bake without soggy bottoms and with a good crumb!

Buy you copy here www.mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/andrearobinson2  and then join us on this bake off challenge, we'd love to include your photos too.

Make Time....

One more entrant to this week's challenge from Nicki, pic below ;-)

This weeks bake-off recipe Chewychocchip Cookies

I'm running a bit late this week, the bonus is that there is still time for your entry into this week's challenge, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. The picture below is Andy Robinson's entry, mouth watering, don't you think?

I did think though that you'd like to know that this week's recipe is Chewychocchip Cookies which are Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-Free but taste delicious.  I'm looking forward to making them and would love you to join me.

Cake Time Party as if you needed an excuse to bake...

I don't know if you've managed to catch the current Tetley Tea advert on the TV. I had missed it up to now but yesterday morning while I was driving I heard the radio version and maybe because I was alone I listened to it more carefully.

The gist of the advert is that we spend perhaps too much time keeping in touch with friends and family by phone, text, email, Facebook, twitter, skype, etc and not enough in their company, close enough to hug and touch. The advert suggested that we drink tea together and Make Time!

I love the idea of making time, it's what my family is all about and we love to get together to drink coffee or tea or most likely a glass of wine or two, often accompanied by something homemade. The being together is what is important but the tea and cakes or wine and dinner is what makes it even more special. I'd love everyone to get that feeling, being wanted, feeling cared about, being part of something bigger so I'd like to suggest that you all join our Harrison's Cake Time Party during the first week of November.

So what does that mean? We'd love it if you host a Cake Time Party. It doesn't matter if it's big or small, if you have half a dozen friends or 100 friends. It can be at home, school, work, in a community hall, anywhere you fancy. Elaborate or very simple, that is up to you. All we'd like is for you to have a great time with your friends and ask them for a donation for Harrison's Fund.

With the Great British Bake Off being televised at the moment there seems to be an even greater surge of interest in baking. Perhaps the current economic climate has driven us to enjoy some simple home pleasures rather than expensive nights out and so baking is becoming so much more popular with all age groups. I know my daughters love to bake and love to feed their loved ones and friends. Baking's become an all ages, both sexes activity, so let's put that enthusiasm to a great use and raise money for Harrison's Fund.

Harrison's Fund is a charity raising money for research to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. My grandson, Harrison has this cruel disease, we need to find a cure and make time for Harrison because that is the problem, he has very limited time. Boys, and a very few girls, with Duchenne are not able to repair their muscles and so they waste away, leaving them in a wheelchair by their teens and probably losing the battle to stay alive in their twenties. The heart is a muscle too and however much courage and fight they have it will eventually not be able to keep going!

If you imagine Wembley Stadium with the spectator seats filled with healthy young men and then imagine the 2 teams and all the officials all have Duchenne. That is the proportion of sufferers there are. It is the largest genetic killer of children!

There is a lot of positive research happening and this is moving into clinical trials, we want this research to move ahead as quickly as possible and to do that they need a lot of money!

This is why we'd like you to join our Cake Time Party.

Hundreds of people raising small amounts of money will all add up to enough money to make a real difference and what better way to do this than getting together with friends, family, colleagues or your neighbours and sharing time, a drink and cake!

So get organising and lets all make time to help these children and give them a real future.

So here's the details

Harrison's Cake Time Party

When: November 1st - 8th 2012 (or when it suits you)

Where: Anywhere you like, home, work, school, community hall

Cost: What you feel is right or have a box for donations, don't be scared to ask, you're giving them a lovely time and people love to help a good cause.

How to pass donations to Harrison's Fund: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/caketimeparty

Need more information: Contact me (Jenni) on info@harrisonsfund.com

Recipe ideas: I can give you some, or why not think about buying Harrison's own Cake Time Recipe Book with brilliant recipes from family, friends and celebrities like Joanne Wheatley, Holly Bell, Sarah Beeny, Shelina Permaloo, Dhruv Baker, Greg Wallace, Christine Hamilton, Fiona Cairns to name a few!

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/andrearobinson2

And most importantly don't forget to send me and Harrison an invitation too, we both love cake!

Make Time for Cake Time ....