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Spinach Enchiladas

Easy chocolate cake

Less than 30 mins preparation time

30 mins to 1 hour cooking time

For the cake

• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 350g/12½oz caster sugar
• 85g/3oz cocoa powder
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 free-range eggs
• 250ml/9fl oz milk
• 125ml/4½fl oz vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250ml/9fl oz boiling water

For the chocolate icing

• 200g/7oz plain chocolate
• 200ml/7fl oz double cream

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins.
2. Technique: Greasing and lining cake tins
   Watch technique0:33 mins
3. For the cake, place all of the cake ingredients, except the boiling water, into a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, or electric whisk, beat the mixture until smooth and well combined.
4. Add the boiling water to the mixture, a little at a time, until smooth. (The cake mixture will now be very liquid.)
5. Divide the cake batter between the sandwich tins and bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
6. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely, still in their tins, before icing.
7. For the chocolate icing, heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat until the chocolate melts. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the mixture until smooth, glossy and thickened. Set aside to cool for 1-2 hours, or until thick enough to spread over the cake.
8. To assemble the cake, run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the cake tins to loosen the cakes. Carefully remove the cakes from the tins.
   
   Technique: Removing cakes from a cake tin
   Watch technique0:32 mins
9. Spread a little chocolate icing over the top of one of the chocolate cakes, then carefully top with the other cake.
10. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and ice the cake all over with the chocolate icing, using a palette knife.

Christmas biscuits

Less than 30 mins preparation time

10 to 30 mins cooking time

Makes 24

Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 275g/10oz plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• To decorate
• 400g/14oz icing sugar
• 3-4 tbsp water
• 2-3 drops food colourings
• Edible glitter

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy.
   
   Technique: Creaming butter by hand
   Watch technique0:50 mins
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, a little at a time, until well combined.
4. Stir in the flour until the mixture comes together as a dough.
5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1cm/½in.
6. Using biscuit cutters or a glass, cut biscuits out of the dough and carefully place onto the baking tray. To make into Christmas tree decorations, carefully make a hole in the top of the biscuit using a straw.
7. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to harden for 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
8. For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in enough water to create a smooth mixture. Stir in the food colouring.
9. Carefully spread the icing onto the biscuits using a knife and sprinkle over the glitter. Set aside until the icing hardens.

Stained glass window biscuits

Less than 30 mins preparation time

10 to 30 mins cooking time

Makes 25

Ingredients

For the biscuits

• 350g/12oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 175g/6oz soft brown sugar
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• packet wrapped fruit-flavoured boiled sweets in different colours

To decorate

• tube ready-made white icing (available in the baking sections of most supermarkets) (optional)
• narrow ribbon

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. For the biscuits, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ginger together in a bowl.
3. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar.
   
   Technique: Rubbing in
   Watch technique0:46 mins
4. In another bowl, beat together the egg and golden syrup, then pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix to make a smooth dough, kneading lightly with your hands.
   
   Technique: Kneading bread
   Watch technique2:35 mins
5. Crush the sweets in their wrappers using a rolling pin.
6. Roll the dough out on a floured work surface to about 0.5cm/¼in thick, then cut into shapes using a selection of Christmas-themed cookie cutters. Transfer the biscuits to baking sheets lined with baking paper.
7. Cut out shapes in the centre of each biscuit, making sure you leave a good edge all around the biscuit. Completely fill the hole in each biscuit with crushed boiled sweets.
8. Make a hole at the top of each biscuit using a drinking straw so that you will be able to thread a ribbon through it later. Bake the biscuits in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden-brown.
9. Remove the biscuits from the oven. While they're still warm, check that the holes are still there - if not, push a straw through again. Do not remove the biscuits from the baking tray until they have cooled because the boiled sweets need to harden. Once the sweets have hardened, gently lift the biscuits onto a wire rack with a palette knife to finish cooling.
10. If you like, you can decorate the biscuits with piped white icing. Thread ribbons through the holes in the biscuits to make loops for hanging from the tree.

 

Learning to chop

Learning to chop: finely chopping celery

Watch technique1:24 mins

When learning to chop like a chef, start off slowly and proceed with care, making sure all your fingers - and your thumb - are clear from the blade as you cut. A sharp knife is essential.
-Hold the end of the celery stalk between your little finger and thumb.
-Place your other fingers on top of the celery.
-Angle the fingernail of your middle (or longest) finger and use that fingernail to guide and buffer the blade as it slices the celery.
-Meanwhile, with the hand holding the knife, ease the blade further up the celery with each cut, inching the fingernails of your other hand back accordingly.

Black cherry and kirsch truffle desserts

Over 2 hours preparation time

Less than 10 mins cooking time

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 350g/12oz black cherries, stoned and chopped (canned may be used)
• 4 tbsp kirsch liqueur
• 1 tsp almond essence
• 200g/7oz quality dark chocolate
• 175g/6oz creamed coconut, roughly chopped or grated
• 100g/4oz hard (block) vegetarian margarine
• 200g/7oz vegetarian almond crunch biscuits
• 50g/2oz hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Preparation method

1. Lightly oil 8 ramekin dishes with a flavour free oil and line with silicone baking parchment.
2. Place the fresh or canned cherries in a bowl and pour over the kirsch liqueur and almond essence. Leave to marinate for 2 hours.
3. Melt the chocolate, creamed coconut and margarine together over a gentle heat.
   
   Technique: Melting chocolate
   Watch technique1:07 mins
4. Roughly crush the almond crunch biscuits and stir into the melted mixture with the hazelnuts. Add the marinated fruit and any remaining liquid.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared ramekin dishes and lightly smooth the top. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
6. Turn out the desserts and serve on individual plates.