Almond and Cherry Cake

Ingredients
175g Butter / margarine
175g Sugar
150ml Greek yoghurt
3 Eggs
1 teaspoon Almond essence
1 teaspoon Baking powder
200g Ground almonds
100g Plain flour
75g Glace cherries, chopped

Method
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy - gradually add eggs, yoghurt, almond essence and baking powder.
2. Fold in ground almonds, plain flour, and chopped cherries.
3. Pour mixture into a greased 20cm baking tin, and bake in a preheated oven at 160C for an hour (or until done).

Status
Made today - was looking for a recipe to use up some ground almonds I'd had knocking around for a while - the cherries were my addition to the recipe - turned out nice!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ingredients - pudding

6oz Stoned dates, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon Baking powder

1 teaspoon Vanilla essence

1/2 pint Boiling water

8oz Self-raising flour

2oz Butter / margarine

6oz Sugar

1 Egg, beaten

Ingredients - toffee topping

2.5oz Soft dark brown sugar

1.5oz Butter / margarine

2 teaspoons Milk

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar - add beaten egg and gradually add flour

2. Cover dates, bicarb, baking powder and vanilla essence with the boiling water - stir

3. Add dates and liquid to cake mixture - mix well to form a sloppy batter.

4. Pour into a greased cake tin / dish and bake for 40 minutes (or until done) at 190C / Gas 5

For the topping:

1. Heat the brown sugar, milk and butter together - simmer for 3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is bubbling

2. Pour over baked pudding and return to oven until the top bubbles slightly

Status

Made on numerous occasions.  Above serves 6 - usually double recipe and cook in a 11"x8" dish - better if matured for a day - actually rather nice cold out of the fridge as cake.

Apple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients - apple base

4 Apples, cut into eighths

Dried apple rings or crisps

50g Butter (unsalted)

1 tablespoon Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

Ingredients - cake

100g Butter

100g Sugar

125g Self-raising flour

2 Eggs, beaten

75g Pecan nuts, chopped

100g Wensleydale cheese

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Method - apple base

1. Melt butter in a pan and dissolve in sugar - turn down to a gentle heat and add apples - cook until golden brown and caramelised on both sides

2. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and remove from heat

Method - cake

1. Cream together butter and sugar - sift in flour and cinnamon and stir in beaten egg - add pecan nuts and cheese

2. Grease a 20cm spring form cake tin and line with baking parchment - tip caramelised apple into base of tine and add a lay of dried apple rings / crisps - carefully pour the cake mixture over the top.

3. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

Status

Another tv chef offering - worth a try!