Cakes, Pies, Puddings and Tarts

I start to make my mincemeat in August, and add more layers over the following weeks. It has a little wine or brandy in to help it along and by now is smelling FAB! It just lives in a big earthenware jar and will keep up to a year. Your talk of jam tarts reminds me of the ones my mum used to make, only it was boughten jam not home-made. . .

I made some of these buns for the weekend and they were very very yummy!

Mrs C

This is delish, and I have pears which need using so I will probably make it later on:

CHOCOLATE AND PEAR SPONGE

175g/6 oz/3/4 cup butter, softened
175g/6 oz/3/4 cup soft brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
150g/5 ½ oz/1 ¼ cups S-R flour
25g/1/2 oz/2 tblspns cocoa powder
2 tblspns milk
2 small pears, peeled, cored and sliced

Grease a 23 cm/8 inch loose-bottomed cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.

In a bowl, cream together the butter and soft brown sugar until pale and fluffy.

Gradually add the beaten eggs to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.

Sieve the S-R flour and cocoa powder into the creamed mixture and fold in gently until all of the ingredients are combined.

Stir in the milk, then spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Level the surface with the back of a spoon or knife.

Arrange the pear slices on top of the cake mixture, arranging them in a radiating pattern.

Bake in a preheated oven, 1280 deg. C /350 deg. F /Gas Mark 4 for 1 hour until the cake is just firm to touch. Leave to cool in the tin and then transfer to a wire rack until completely cold before serving.

Serves 6.

Chocolate and Pear Sponge

This sounds just wonderful. I'll have to go dig out my pan now and give it a try this week when I do my baking.

Thank you for sharing

Karyn

Try this one - it is scrummy!

MANDERIN ORANGE CAKE (My own recipe)


4 oz butter or margarine
6 oz caster sugar
2 beaten eggs
Grated rind of a (well-washed) orange or two mandarins
1 small tin manderin orange segments, drained
7 oz Self Raising flour, sifted
1 tblspn orange juice (or milk if preferred)

Cream butter, sugar and rind till fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs. Mix in sifted flour and orange juice until soft dropping consistency. Add manderin orange segments and mix well to incorporate and break up a little. Grease and line an 8" cake tin. Bake at 350 degrees F/180 degrees C/Gas Mark 4 for 45-50 mins, until firm and golden and shrinking away from sides of tin. Enjoy!