Semolina Cake Recipe

Good evening friends,

This year, almost everyone has gone a little baking crazy, not to mention we’re half way through The Great British bake off… It’s hard not to bake up a storm each week.

Today I’m sharing one of my ultimate favourite desserts.

I’ve eaten and loved basbousa since I was a child, and no cake compares.

It’s sweet, simple and moreish.

Basbousa Recipe

Serves 15-20

Pre time – 20 minutes
Cooking time – 40 minutes

Ingredients

2½ cups coarse semolina

220 g(1 cup) caster sugar

75 g(½ cup) self-raising flour

200 thick yoghurt

200 unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

25–30 blanched almonds

Syrup

330 g(1½ cups) sugar

250 ml(1 cup) water

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp rosewater

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Mix the semolina, sugar, flour, yoghurt, melted butter and vanilla in a bowl.

If the mixture seems too thick, add a little milk, but it should still be fairly stiff.
Spread the mixture with your hands into a buttered 30 cm x 25 cm x 5 cm baking tray.
Cut it into diamond shapes, pressing hard.
Place an almond in the centre of each diamond.
Bake for 35–40 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Simmer for 5 minutes without stirring. Stir in the lemon juice and rosewater and remove from the heat.
Leave to cool.
Pour the syrup over the cake while the cake is still hot. Cool to serve.

Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think of it.

Kaya •

The best soft and crunchy triple chocolate cookies

Good morning friends, and Happy Saturday!

This morning I’d like to share the most scrumptious triple chocolate cooks recipe! These cookies are so easy to make; they’re crunchy around the edges and perfectly soft throughouthe middle. Enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Active Time – 20 minutes

Cook Time – 9 minutes

Total Time – *29 minutes

*plus a minimum of 1 hour Chilling,

(I completey scrolled past this and then was shocked when I had to wait a hour!)

Servings *20 cookies (I made at least 30)

INGREDIENTS

• 200 g unsalted butter – soft at room temperature
• 90 g soft dark brown sugar – you can also use light brown or muscovado sugar
• 110 g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 260 g plain flour
• 40 g cocoa powder
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 100 g milk chocolate
• 50 g dark chocolate chunks
• 200 g white chocolate chunks

INSTRUCTIONS

• Melt the milk chocolate (100g). This can either be done in short bursts in the microwave (no more than 20 seconds each time, stirring in between), over a bain-marie, or in a saucepan over a VERY low heat. Once melted set aside to cool.
• Beat together the butter (200g) and sugars (90g soft dark brown sugar, 110g caster sugar) until fully combined and lighter in colour (this should take 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer).
• Add the egg (1 whole large egg + 1 yolk) and the vanilla extract (1 tbsp) and beat until fully combined.
• Sift in the dry ingredients (260g plain flour, 40g cocoa powder, 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, ⅛tsp salt) and mix until fully combined.
• Add the melted milk chocolate and fold into the mixture until it’s combined.
• Finally mix in the chocolate chunks (200g white chocolate, 50g dark chocolate) until they are evenly distributed in the mixture.

  

• Roll the dough into a sausage shape about 5cm in diameter (I find it easiest to split the dough into two and make two sausages) and wrap in cling film. You may find it easier to use the clingfilm to help you get an even sausage shape as the dough will be a little sticky. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to 5 days).

  

• When you’re ready to bake your cookies, preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C fan. Remove your cookie dough from the fridge and using a sharp knife slice into round cookies about 1½cm thick. Place them on a baking sheet (lined with greaseproof paper or a non-stick baking sheet). Leave space between each one as they’ll double in size as they cook. Cook for 8-9 minutes until crisp around the edges but still soft in the middle.

  

• Once cooked, remove them from the oven. Leave them to cool for a few minutes on the tray before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

  

A cuppa tea is strongly adviced, as these are perfect dunking biscuits!

Let me know if you use this recipe and what yout think of these cookies?

Kaya •

Easy and Delicious Classic Carrot Cake

Good afternoon and happy sunday all,

A few weeks ago, I made a carrot and walnut cake for a dear friend, (decorated as a pig) and without tooting my own horn, I must say, it was the most incredible one’s I’ve made.

This fluffy, melt in the mouth, delicious cake, was a recipe from non other than BBC.food, you can’t go wrong!

This morning I decided it would be a good idea to make the cake again, not only because we were having a BBQ and I insisted on bringing dessert, but also, because when I made the birthday cake last time, I didn’t actually take any pictures of it before I turned it into a pig! Of course, this meant I had to bake another, just for the photos.

And yes, my family were devastated that I made the cake and that they had to force it down, shame shame.

Classic Carrot Cake

Ingredients

For the carrot cake

• 450ml/16fl oz vegetable oil
• 400g/14oz plain flour
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 550g/1lb 4oz sugar
• 5 free-range eggs
• ½ tsp salt
• 2½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 525g/1lb 3oz carrots, grated
• 150g/5½oz shelled walnuts, chopped

For the icing

• 200g/7oz cream cheese
• 150g/5½oz caster sugar
• 100g/3½oz butter, softened

Method

1. For the carrot cake, preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line a 26cm/10in springform cake tin.

2. Mix all of the ingredients for the carrot cake, except the carrots and walnuts, together in a bowl until well combined. Stir in the carrots and walnuts.

3. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cake from the tin and set aside to cool completely on a cooling rack.

4. Meanwhile, for the icing, beat the cream cheese, caster sugar and butter together in a bowl until fluffy. Spread the icing over the top of the cake with a palette knife.

Let me know if you try this recipe and if you add anything extra to your carrot cakes, for me, cinnamon is a must!

Kaya •

Quick and Healthy Pancakes

Good morning and Happy Pancake day to you all!

Through out February I have been trying different breakfasts that avoid boxed cereal and bread, and although I eat alot of fruit and omlettes, there’s nothing like getting your teeth into some pancakes.

Delicious home made porridge oat and banana pancakes for breakfast, a perfect start to the day, and an alternative healthier option for ‘pancake day’, enjoy!

Banana Oat pancakes

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 20 mins

Servings: 2
Calories: 245 kcal
Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• maple syrup to serve (optional)
• fresh fruit of your choice to serve

Instructions
In a blender, combine the peeled banana, eggs, oats, baking powder and salt.

• Allow to blend until the mixture is as smooth as you want it and blended well. Allow the batter to stand for 10-20 minutes until thickened slightly.

• Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.

• Fry spoonfuls of the batter until golden brown on both sides.

• Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and fresh fruit of your choice.

Simply Delicious Food Easy Healthy Banana Oat Pancakes

My pancakes have a bit more roughness/texture as I mash and mix the ingredients rather than blend them.

Just my preference 🙂

Let me know if you try this recipe or if you’ll be making tradition pancakes today!

Kaya •

Snickers Birthday Cheesecake

Now who says that a birthday cake has to be a sponge cake?

It’s a well known fact that I’ll cook and bake for just about any occasion, so when one of my friends birthdays is on it’s way, I’m prepared!

Since I knew my friend had a love for cheesecake and Snickers, well I put my hands together and here we have it.

This rather naughty cheesecake is not for the faint hearted, or one who is counting calories.
I made this cheesecake early morning, the day after we had got back from our London trip, and in bit of a rush as we had a full day ahead of us, so I didn’t write down my recipe.

I’d love to share this recipe with you, but you see, I went rogue, it happens alot, and didn’t follow one as I couldn’t find one I liked. Also, I also feel as though the base is never thick enough…. So I doubled it. But here’s a rough idea of what I used.

I made the base by breaking up and conbining chocolate digestive, melted butter and chopped up Snickers.

I then whisked the cream cheese, vanilla extract and icing sugar together and then folded in Snickers. And of course, decorated it with, any guesses? More Snickers!!!

I refrigerated the dream that was my cheesecake for one hour before serving it to the birthday boy and friends.

It went down a treat, and was demolished by the next evening.

Next time I promise will make note of the measurements of the products I use, even when I’m going rogue!

This was such a quick and easy cheesecake to make, and without tooting my own horn, possibly the best cheesecake I’ve ever eaten!

Kaya •

Sunday’s are for…

Good evening all, a new week is nearly upon us, how was your Sunday?

Today started pretty well!

My favourite black jeans were in the wash, so I grabbed a pair of blue jeans that I hadn’t worn before as they were a bit snug.

I pulled them on, and to my surprise, they buttoned up and fit like a glove. I love it when that happens!

Nothing like a sunday to try out different make up.

Today I wore ‘They’re Real!, Double the lip’, lipstick and liner in one from Benefit. I wore the shade ‘hot wire pink’.

I do love a pink lip but this one was a little bright for me. Before I could change my mind, we left the house.

The application was simple and creamy, with a subtle liner combination on the top of the lipstick. My lips stayed soft and I was able to wear this lipstick for a few hours before having to gently reapply.

Photo from Benefitcosmetics.com

My partner and I then headed into town to do a bit of shopping.

Once we got home we did the chores and I started dinner. I made us a turkey joint roast dinner, with all of the trimmings, including homemade fluffy Yorkshire pudding and honey glazed carrots.

I then made my take on Apple Betty. I haven’t found a recipe that I find fully satisfying, so I went rogue and decided to make my own. I often find that too much sugar is used and not enough cinnamon. It was damn good if I do say so myself! We normally enjoy this with a dollop of double cream or custard.

I might share the recipe one day.

We watched How to Train your Dragon in preparation for the third installment that we’ll be watching next week.

Well I can’t tell you the last time a children’s film made me cry like that. It was a bit unexpected! I won’t spoil the ending for anyone, but the last 15 minutes, what a ride?!?

I’m going to attempt to get an early night, failing that, read more of my Holly Madison biography.

How do you spend your Sundays? And do you have a set Sunday routine?

Kaya •

The best ‘Pinch of Yum’ Chocolate Chip Cookies ever!

Good Afternoon All!

This is a super short blog today, but I had to share this quick and easy chocolate chip cookie recipe.

If you’re after those delicious, soft, melt in the mouth, fresh bakery cookies, well this is the recipe for you! I of course, added a few extra chunks of chocolate… And I suggest you do the same… If you have a sweet tooth like me.

Chocolate chip cookies Recipe

I baked 10 last night. And how many do we have left? Any guesses?

4… In my defense, I wasn’t alone in devouring them, and we both took 1 to work today.

Oh and little tip… The recipe says to leave them for 30mins once they are baked… I would recommend waiting 10-15 minutes, and enjoying them still warm with a cold glass of milk.

Have a wonderful afternoon, and do let me know if you bake these treats!

Kaya •