Chocolate Swiss Roll


*Note this is probably the only recipe where I use imperial measurements as this is a legacy recipe from both my grandmothers.
The ratio for making fatless sponge is 1 egg:
1 oz caster sugar: 1 oz self raising flour and a tiny amount of vanilla extract at the end. You increase the quantities to get more sponge.
This makes it very adaptable to whatever you are baking.
For the sponge you see today this is what I used…

Ingredients
5 medium eggs
5 oz caster sugar
5 oz self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling: 200g of raspberry jam Additional caster sugar for rolling the sponge

Method
Preheat your oven to 170 degrees celcius. Line your tin with baking parchment, ensuring that there is plenty of overlap.
Put the eggs and sugar into the mixer and using the whisk attachment whisk until pale, light and fluffy. Its volume should at least double in size. Turn off the mixer and sieve the flour/baking powder directly onto the baking parchment.
Now gently pour half the flour into the egg/sugar mixture and fold with the metal spoon. Taking care not to knock the air out. Repeat with the remaining flour.
Pour the mixture into the lined baking tray. Bake in the oven for approximately 22 mins or until golden.
Remove from the oven when baked and leave to cool for 5 mins on a cooling rack.
Sprinkle a piece of baking parchment with caster sugar and tip the sponge upside down on top of the sugar. Next peel off the baking parchment gently.
Taking the edge of the baking parchment together in your hands, tightly roll together until you reach the short edge of the sponge.
This part is not unlike rolling sushi. Use the teatowel/parchment to force the sponge to roll onto itself tightly.
Keep on rolling until you reach the end of the sponge. Now cover the sponge with the parchment, then the damp teatowel and twist like a Christmas Cracker.
Leave the roll to cool for approximately 15 mins before filling with nutella and buttercream or even cream, serve and eat on the day that it is baked for best results

Focaccia


Ingredients
• 250g strong white flour
• 1 teaspoon dried yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 20ml olive oil (plus more for the top of the focaccia)
• 100ml water
• Dried herbs of your choice


Method
Put the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl and stir loosely with a fork. Add the olive oil and mix in well until you get a very loose breadcrumb texture. Add 75ml of water (cold or room temperature is fine, don’t use warm) and mix into the flour. You’re aiming for a loose, wet dough. If you have a stand mixer make the most of the dough hook. If not, rub a little oil on your hands before mixing so that the dough doesn’t stick. Add the remaining water bit by bit. The dough is very loose and slack. Knead it well until smooth, this will take about 20 minutes by hand or 10 with a stand mixer.
Grease a large bowl with some oil and put the dough inside, then cover the top with cling film. Leave the dough in a dark spot, not too warm, to rise for about 3 hours or so. It nearly needs to over-prove to get the irregular air bubbles when you bake it.
Take a ceramic baking dish (mine is 20cm square), lightly oil it and dust with a little flour. Preheat a (fan) oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Gently turn the dough out of the bowl directly into the dish and use your knuckles to pad it into the corners, the knuckles will give it the lumpy surface. Sprinkle the top with dried herbs of your choice (I used rosemary and thyme and some dried garlic), then spoon a little olive oil over the herbs so that it pools in the shallow parts of the dough.
Once the oven is up to temperature, bake the bread in the oven until golden brown on top. This should take about 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool in the dish for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack

Swiss Roll Recipe


*Note this is probably the only recipe where I use imperial measurements as this is a legacy recipe from both my grandmothers.


The ratio for making fatless sponge is 1 egg:
1 oz caster sugar: 1 oz self raising flour and a tiny amount of vanilla extract at the end. You increase the quantities to get more sponge.
This makes it very adaptable to whatever you are baking.
For the sponge you see today this is what I used…


Ingredients
5 medium eggs
5 oz caster sugar
5 oz self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling: 200g of raspberry jam Additional caster sugar for rolling the sponge


Method
Preheat your oven to 170 degrees celcius. Line your tin with baking parchment, ensuring that there is plenty of overlap.
Put the eggs and sugar into the mixer and using the whisk attachment whisk until pale, light and fluffy. Its volume should at least double in size. Turn off the mixer and sieve the flour/baking powder directly onto the baking parchment.
Now gently pour half the flour into the egg/sugar mixture and fold with the metal spoon. Taking care not to knock the air out. Repeat with the remaining flour.
Pour the mixture into the lined baking tray. Bake in the oven for approximately 22 mins or until golden.
Remove from the oven when baked and leave to cool for 5 mins on a cooling rack.
Sprinkle a piece of baking parchment with caster sugar and tip the sponge upside down on top of the sugar. Next peel off the baking parchment gently.
Taking the edge of the baking parchment together in your hands, tightly roll together until you reach the short edge of the sponge.
This part is not unlike rolling sushi. Use the teatowel/parchment to force the sponge to roll onto itself tightly.
Keep on rolling until you reach the end of the sponge. Now cover the sponge with the parchment, then the damp teatowel and twist like a Christmas Cracker.
Leave the roll to cool for approximately 15 mins before filling with jam, serve and eat on the day that it is baked for best results

Sausage Tray Bake


As a busy working parent, I am always on the hunt for an easy recipe for dinner! Single pan/tray bakes save the day at least once a week here. The dressing makes the final result super-punchy but you can always leave it off for the fussy ones (they’ll probably have ketchup on the side if we are all honest).
Serves 4 hungry adults. Cooking Time is approx 55 minutes


Ingredients
• 500g sausages
• 6 large spuds, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, sliced
• Small amount of sunflower oil, salt and pepper
• 2-3 peppers chopped into chunks
• 1 small head of broccoli cut into florets
• For the dressing: Oil, salt & pepper, basalmic vinegar, 1 crushed/minced clove of garlic, plenty of fresh chopped coriander


Method
Preheat a fan oven to 180 degrees Celsius. You can also lash this into a cold oven but do increase the overall cooking time at the end!
Line a deep dish baking tray. Put the spuds, onions, and sausages into the tray with the oil and seasoning. Stir well to make sure everything is coated. Put the baking tray into the oven and roast for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and add the tender vegetables. Stir around in the tray to combine. Roast for a further 15 minutes.
To make the dressing: combine all the dressing ingredients in a jam jar. Put the lid on and shake well. Pour over the tray bake, stir to coat all the ingredients and serve immediately.