Ingredients:

125grm (4oz) plain chocolate

300ml (1/2 pint)milk

125grm (4oz) soft brown sugar

125grm (4oz) butter or marg

125grm (4oz) caster sugar

2 eggs, separated

250grm (8oz) batterbox flour

1 teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda

CHOCOLATE FUDGE ICING

25grm (1oz) butter or marg

1 - 2 tablespoons milk

125grm (4oz) icing sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa

Method:

Line and grease an 18 x 28cm (7 x 11 inch) baking tin, allowing the paper to come 2.5 cm (1 inch) above 2 opposite sides

Place the chocolate, 4 tablespoons of the milk and brown sugar in a pan and heat gently, stirring until melted. Stir in remaining milk

Cream the fat and caster sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks thoroughly

Sift the flour and bi-carb together.  Add to creamed mixture with the chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. 

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold a tablespoon into mixture to lighten, then carefully fold in the rest.

Turn into prepared tin and bake in a preheated moderate oven 180c gas mark 4 for 50 minutes, until the cake springs back when lightly pressed.

Turn onto wire rack and cool slightly

To make icing, place fat and 1 tablespoon milk in a small saucepan and heat gently until melted.

Sift the icing and cocoa together and add to the pan, mixing well until smooth; add a little more milk if necessary.

Pour over warm cake and spread evenly to the edges.  Allow to set completely then cut into squares.

Makes 15

Ingredients:

8oz/200grm batterbox flour -  1/2 teaspoon Baking powder

1 teaspoon Bi-carbonate of soda combined with 1 tablespoon warm water

25gm/1oz sliced almonds

8 fluid oz/225ml water

8oz/200grm soft dark brown sugar

8oz/200grm raisins

3oz/75grm marg

2 level teaspoon mixed spice (adjust to taste)

Method:

Heat oven to 180c/gas mark 4

Sift flour and baking powder together

Make a well in flour and add bi-carb and water mix.  Stir and add sliced almonds, stir and set to one side

Pour water into high sided saucepan on a high heat. 

Add brown sugar, raisins, marg and spices, stir and bring quickly to the boil.

Cool quickly until just warm and immediately add syrup mixture to the flour all at once.

Mix well and pour into a 10inch shallow non stick tin (square)

Put into preheated oven for 35 minutes or until edges start to pull away from the sides

Cool before cutting.

Ingredients:

125g (4oz) butter, softened

150g (5oz) light brown sugar

1 egg

2.5ml (¹/₂ tsp) vanilla essence

150g (6oz) batterbox flour

2.5ml (¹/₂ tsp) baking powder

175g (6oz) plain chocolate chips

Method:

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 190^o/375^o/gas mark 5.

Place butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat together until light and fluffy

Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder together and add to the mixture along with the chocolate chips and mix until incorporated well

Place large teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheets allowing room for spreading and bake for 15 minutes or until pale golden.

Cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Ingredients:

360g/12oz Batterbox flour

50g/2oz cocoa powder

5ml/1 tsp baking powder

2ml/half tsp xanthan gum

200g/7oz caster sugar

2 eggs

280ml buttermilk

75g/3oz butter

100g/4oz chocolate chips

Method:

Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Preheat oven to 200c/gas mark 6

Place flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, xanthan gum and sugar into a mixing bowl

Mix eggs buttermilk and melted butter together and add to dry ingredients.

Mix gently until incorporated taking care not to over-mix

Fold in chocolate chips

Spoon into muffin cases and cook for 20-25 minutes until risen

Transfer to wire rack to cool

These muffins freeze beautifully.  Just lift out and defrost gently at room temperature.

******What to remember about making perfect muffins*****

 After lightly combining the wet and dry ingredients and adding any fruit, nuts or chocolate chips etc give the batter one more light-handed stir and you're done. Is the batter still thick and lumpy? That's exactly what you want.

Instructions:

Soak the fruit and cherries in rum for 24 hours.

Separate the eggs into yolks and whites.

Beat the banana to a smooth puree with the egg yolk. This is best done in a liquidiser.

Cream the butter and sugar together.

Add the puree to the butter and sugar, beating in with spoonfuls of flour added gradually and then fold in the remaining flour.

Stir in the fruit and rum.

Stir in the honey.

Beat the egg whites stiff and then fold in.

Place the mixture in a deep 9" / 23cm cake tin lined with non-stick baking parchment.

Cooking:

Preheat oven to gas mark 3 325°F 160°C

Bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours - check after 1 hour and cover the top if this is browning too rapidly.