Jessie Bakes Cakes - Simple recipes that are simply delicious

Chocolate Dipped Raspberry Shortbread

September 29, 2020by JessieLeave a Comment

An easy, delicious recipe for milk and white chocolate dipped raspberry shortbread that only calls for six ingredients! They’re perfect to enjoy with a warm cup of tea, or wrap them up and treat your friends and family to a homemade gift.

Dunking chocolate shortbreads in a tea cup

Why you’ll love these shortbreads

Ease – only 6 simple ingredients are needed for this recipe. You can make, bake and enjoy within the hour.

Texture – crumbly and buttery, these shortbreads really do melt in the mouth.

Flavour – creamy chocolate, sweet shortbread and tangy raspberries. What’s there not to love!?

How to make chocolate dipped shortbreads

Make the biscuit dough. Beat the butter and together until creamy, then add the flour and use your hands bring the dough together.
Roll and shape. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the shortbread dough out. Stamp out the shortbread rounds using a 6cm round cookie cutter.

Chill. Place on the baking tray in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill the shortbread biscuits. This will stop them from spreading out too much in the oven.
Bake. 10-12 minutes is all the shortbreads need. They’re ready when they’ve turned a pale golden brown colour and the bottom is firm.
Dip in chocolate. Once the shortbreads are cool, melt the white and milk chocolate in separate bowls. Dip the shortbreads in the melted chocolate, scraping off any access on the bottom, and carefully place back on the baking tray.

Decorate. Sprinkle the freeze dried raspberries on top. Cute colourful sprinkles or freeze dried strawberries would also look great!
Chill once more. Place the baking tray back in the fridge for 10 minutes to set the chocolate.

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Chocolate Dipped Raspberry Shortbread recipe (makes 10-12)

Ingredients

150g plain flour
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
50g white caster sugar
50g milk chocolate
50g white chocolate
Freeze dried raspberries

Method

Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and smooth. Add the flour and use your hands to bring the mixture together into a dough.
Lightly dust a worktop and rolling pin with a little flour. Tip the dough onto the worktop and roll it out until it’s roughly 0.5cm thick.
Use a 6cm round cookie cutter to stamp out the biscuits and place them on the baking tray. You’ll need to bring the dough together and roll it out again to get 10-12 biscuits.
Sprinkle the biscuits with a little caster sugar and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F.
Bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes until pale golden brown. Leave to cool.
Melt the two chocolates in separate bowls in the microwave for 30-40 seconds until smooth.
Dip half of the biscuits in milk chocolate and the other half in white chocolate, placing them back on the baking tray. Sprinkle the freeze dried raspberries on top and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to help the chocolate set.
When you’re ready to serve the biscuits, arrange them on a pretty plate and enjoy with a lovely cup of tea!

Your chocolate dipped raspberry shortbreads will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Autumn, Cakes

Sticky toffee banana bread

September 16, 2020September 27, 2020by JessieLeave a Comment

Transform a classic banana bread into a showstopper bake with this delicious sticky toffee banana bread recipe!

How to make sticky toffee banana bread

You’ll start by making the banana loaf cake
The sponge mixture replaces white caster sugar with light brown sugar to lock in moisture and give a lovely caramel undertone to the cake. Mashed bananas are folded into the mixture before transferring to a loaf tin and baking in the oven.

As the cake cools, you’ll move on to the sticky toffee sauce
Butter, sugar and cream are all that’s needed to make the sauce. Just be careful when heating the mixture as it will get really hot! Once the mixture has boiled for a few minutes, you’ll pop the sauce in the fridge to set and firm up. The result is a smooth but thick texture that you can spread on top of the cake.

Then it’s the final touches
I used butterscotch pieces and banana chips to decorate the cake, but you could also use fudge pieces or even white chocolate chips would be delicious!

How to line a loaf tin

Unlike square baking tins, loaf tins can be a little tricky to prep. I’ve found that the best way is to first lightly grease the tin all over with a little butter. Then cut a piece of greaseproof paper that is long enough to line the base and long sides of the tin, with enough paper hanging over the edges to help lift the cake out. This way the loaf cake will have straight, neat edges and bake more evenly.

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Sticky toffee banana bread recipe (makes 10-12 slices)

Ingredients

For the banana bread:
150g unsalted butter
120g light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
220g self-raising flour
2 ripe medium-sized bananas, roughly 120g each

For the toffee sauce:
50g light brown sugar
35g unsalted butter
50ml double cream

For the decoration:
Mini butterscotch or fudge pieces
Dried banana chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350 F. Line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

Start by making the loaf cake.

In a bowl mash the bananas together with a whisk or fork until the mixture is lump-free. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.
Now mix in the eggs, one at a time, adding two tablespoons of flour with each egg to stop the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining flour and mashed bananas, and fold the mixture together until fully combined.
Transfer the mixture to the loaf tin and spread it out into an even layer.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the cake has risen, is golden on top and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Leave to cool for 15 minutes in the baking tin before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Now make the sticky toffee topping.

Place the sugar and butter in a small-sized saucepan. Gently heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until both have fully melted and there are no lumps.
Pour in half of the cream and stir the mixture together until combined. Repeat with the remaining cream.
Now turn up the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Let the mixture boil for roughly 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally so that it doesn’t burn. The toffee should thicken and turn a lovely golden colour.
Turn off the heat and pour the toffee into a jar or bowl (be careful as it will be really hot!).
Leave at room temperature for 15 minutes, and then place in the fridge for an hour to firm up.

Now it’s time to decorate!

Take the toffee out of the fridge and give it a good stir to loosen it up. You may need to let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften up.
Spoon the toffee on top of the banana bread and use a palette knife to spread it out and create a swirly pattern.
Scatter the butterscotch pieces on top and finish by dotting the banana chips down the middle of the cake.

Your sticky toffee banana bread will keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

Autumn, Brownies

Salted Caramel Pecan Brownies

September 9, 2020by JessieLeave a Comment

Gooey brownies filled with crunchy pecans, drizzled with salted caramel and finished with a sprinkle of sea salt – if heaven was a dessert these salted caramel pecan brownies would be it!

Why Salted Caramel Pecan Brownies are a must-bake

This no-fuss recipe is made even easier using ready-made Carnation Caramel.
Every bite is the perfect combo of sweet, salty, gooey and crunchy.
They’re a real crowd pleaser and perfect to share with friends and family.
You can also serve them warm with ice-cream for a decadent dinner party dessert.

Recipe success tips

Use good quality ingredients. I also use Lindt 70% dark chocolate as it isn’t overly sweet, and for the eggs, I always use Clarence Court Burford Browns eggs as the yolks add extra richness.
Use an 8x8inch square baking tin. The baking time is based on using this specific size. If you’re using a large baking tin, decrease the baking time by a couple of minutes, or if it’s smaller, increase the baking time.
Be careful not to over-bake the brownies. Brownies will continue to cook as they cool down so I always say “if in doubt, take them out”. They’re done when the top is no longer shiny and small cracks have started to show around the edge.
Leave them to cool completely before slicing. This is so so important. The brownies need time to set and turn fudgy. If you cut them whilst they are still warm they will fall about and be too gooey.

I’ve also made a Top Tips For Baking Brownies video to help you:

View this post on Instagram

⁣Lots of requests for this one…here’s my #toptips for baking brownies 🍫👩🏼‍🍳⠀ ⠀ 1. Use high quality ingredients such as @clarence_court Burford Browns & @lindtuk 70% dark choc.⠀ ⠀ 2. To get a lovely crackly top whisk the sugar and eggs realllllllly well until pale and frothy.⠀ ⠀ 3. Gently fold in the flour so that you don’t over mix or add too much air into the mixture.⠀ ⠀ 4. Decorate the top before baking with nuts/choc chips/biscuits. This will make them super pretty on top. ⠀ ⠀ 5. Be careful not to over-bake! Remember… if in doubt, take them out. Brownies carry on cooking as they cool down. ⠀ ⠀ 6. Put them in the fridge for at least an hour to set and become fudgy before slicing. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #bakingtip #bakingtips #brownies #bakingbrownies #brownieslover #fudgybrownies #brownieshomemade #selftaughtbaker #bakingtipsandtricks #toptipstuesday #chocolatebrownies #bakingvideos #ohitsperfect #damnthatsdelish #pecanbrownies #brownierecipe #bakingbloggers #easydesserts #forthemaking #baking #foodporn #homebaking

A post shared by Jessie | Self-taught baker (@jessie.bakes.cakes) on Sep 7, 2020 at 10:06am PDT

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Salted Caramel Pecan Brownies recipe (makes 12 large / 16 small)

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter
150g 70% dark chocolate
2 large eggs, at room temperature
220g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
100g pecans, roughly chopped
4 teaspoons Carnation Caramel
Sea salt flakes

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line an 8inch/20cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper.
In a microwave-safe bowl break up the dark chocolate and add the butter. Melt in the microwave in 30-second blasts, mixing after each, until completely smooth. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together for a minute until they’re pale in colour and frothy.
Add the melted chocolate mixture, flour and half of the chopped pecans to the bowl. Fold everything together until you have a thick chocolate mixture.
Transfer the mixture to the baking tin, spreading it out into an even layer. Scatter the remaining chopped pecans on top.
Bake for 17-20 minutes until the top is no longer shiny and the edges have started to crack.
Leave to cool completely in the baking tin for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results. If you’re short on time, you can speed this up by putting the brownies in the fridge for an hour.
Carefully lift the brownies out of the baking tin. Open the tin of Carnation Caramel and give it a good stir. Use a spoon to drizzle it over the brownies and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt flakes on top.
Slice into 12 or 16 brownies and serve.

Your salted caramel pecan brownies will keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

Blondies

Oreo Peanut Butter Blondies

September 7, 2020September 7, 2020by JessieLeave a Comment

These Oreo Peanut Butter Blondies are chewy, crunchy, sweet and salty all in one bite. Made using Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips and crushed Oreos, you really can’t beat this flavour combination!

Peanut butter & Oreos = A match made in heaven

It’s no secret that peanut butter and Oreo is a dream combo. When I created this recipe I tried to think about when I first discovered that peanut butter and Oreos were a thing.

It reminded me of that scene in the movie The Parent Trap (I’m a 90’s child!), where Lindsay Lohan pulls out the jar of Skippy and a pack of Oreos at summer camp. I think it was from that point onwards, that dunking Oreos in jars of peanut butter, Biscoff or Nutella totally became the norm.

These blondies have Reese’s peanut butter chips (like chocolate chips, but peanut butter flavour) and crushed Oreos throughout. The texture is chewy on the outside, gooey in the middle with crunchy chunks of biscuits. Devine!

Recipe success tips for baking Oreo peanut butter blondies

Use good quality ingredients. I always use Clarence Court Burford Browns eggs as the yolks add extra richness and chewiness.
Use an 8x8inch square baking tin. The baking time is based on using this specific size. If you’re using a large baking tin, decrease the baking time by a couple of minutes, or if it’s smaller, increase the baking time.
Decorate the top before baking. Save a handful of peanut butter chips and crushed oreos and scatter these on top of the blondies before baking.
Be careful not to over-bake the blondies. Blondies will continue to cook as they cool down so I always say “if in doubt, take them out”. They’re done when the top is a lovely golden brown colour and small cracks have started to show around the edge.
Leave them to cool before slicing. This is so so important as blondies need time to set and turn fudgy. If you cut them whilst they are still warm they will fall about and be too gooey.

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Oreo Peanut Butter Blondies recipe (makes 12/16)

Ingredients

170g unsalted butter
250g light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
190g self-raising flour
100g Reese’s peanut butter chips
150g Oreos

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C and line an 8x8inch square baking tin with greaseproof paper.
Melt the butter in the microwave until it turns to liquid. Add the light brown sugar and mix until combined.
Now add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix through. Add the flour and fold into the mixture in a figure of eight motion until combined.
Now add roughly 80g peanut butter chips and break up roughly 130g of the Oreos into the mixture – you’ll save the remaining chocolate and biscuits for the next step. Fold everything together until combined.
Transfer the mixture into the baking tin and smooth out the top. Scatter the remaining chips chunks on top and break up the remaining biscuits on top.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. The top should no longer shiny and the centre should be set. Cracks should be starting to appear around the outer edge and if you give the baking tin a shake it should wobble slightly underneath.
Leave to cool in the baking tin for at least 30 minutes, then put them in the fridge to set for 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
Carefully lift the blondies out of the baking tin. Use a large, sharp knife to slice them into 12 large blondies or 16 smaller bites.

Your Oreo peanut butter blondies will keep at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.

Macadamia White Chocolate Cookies

August 31, 2020August 31, 2020by JessieLeave a Comment

These macadamia white chocolate cookies are soft in the middle and golden on the outside. Flavoured with a hint of cinnamon, this flavour combination is incredible!

How to bake macadamia white chocolate cookies

Baking cookies couldn’t be easier, it’s why they’re perfect to make with children or if you’re short on time. Just a few simple steps and you will have the most delicious, irresistible cookies! Here’s a quick overview of the recipe:

Make the cinnamon cookie dough – my recipe uses melted butter, two types of sugar and an extra egg yolk for added richness and chewiness. This one-bowl method for the cookie dough will take no more than 5-10 mins, tops!
Add the extras – once the dough is done, you’ll throw in the white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts and fold them into the dough.
Chill the dough – this step cannot be skipped! Cover the bowl with clingfilm and put in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. This will develop the flavours and improve the texture.
Roll the dough into balls – use 2 tbsp per cookie ball, roll in the palm of your hand and place on the baking tray. DO NOT flatten!
(under)Bake – 10-12 mins at 180°C is all these cookies need. You want the middle to be soft and underbaked and the outside edge slightly golden.

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Macadamia white chocolate cookie recipe (makes 10-12)

Ingredients

160g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
150g light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium egg + 1 medium egg yolk, at room temperature
250g self-raising flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
100g white chocolate chips
50g macadamia nuts, chopped

Method

Melt the butter in 20 second blasts in the microwave until it turns to liquid. Add the light brown and caster sugar and mix together. Add the vanilla extract, whole egg and egg yolk and mix together. Add the flour and cinnamon and fold together until the mixture forms a dough.

Now add the white chocolate chips and the chopped macadamia nuts to the cookie dough and fold together. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and put in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight for best results.

Preheat oven to 180°C and line two baking trays with grease proof paper. Take the cookie dough out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Take two heaped tablespoons of cookie dough and use your hands to it into a ball. Place on the baking tray. Repeat this step until all the cookie dough has been used up. Leave about 10cm between each cookie so they have enough room to spread out. I normally fit 4 cookie balls on each baking tray and bake them in batches.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges and the middle is still soft. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray, then transfer to a cooling rack.