Happy Banana Bread Day

We love a food inspired celebration day at Ellie Ellie, and today is Banana Bread Day! What better way to celebrate and dig into some well earned treats than making your very own (and very simple) banana bread!

There are all types of different additions to the basic banana bread, and having tried chocolate chip banana bread, we highly recommend it! As well as other flavours we have yet to try, such as blueberries, nutella and carrot.

Here's an easy recipe for you to follow:

1. Preheat your oven to 180c, 350F, Gas mark 4 and sift the flour bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix well. Then fold into the flour mixture.

4. Grease a loaf tin and pour the cake mixture into the tin

5. Back for about an hour, or until well-risen and golden brown.

6. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Happy Baking!

Time for Pumpkins!

It's October and that means it is time to get pumpkin into meals and spice up your cooking. With Halloween around the corner what better way to prepare then with a lovely, warm and hearty pumpkin soup!

Ingredients for your pumpkin soup!

1x4kg pumpkin
125g butter
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
grated nutmeg
salt and black pepper
1.7 litres chicken stock, or vegetable stock for vegetarians
3 tablespoons of sherry

These ingredients are all you need to make your pumpkin soup, which can be a great starter for a dinner party, or warmed up for lunch in the office!

To prepare and make the soup, follow these easy instructions:

1. Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds from the middle
2. Using a sharp knife and a spoon, carefully hollow out the pumpkin, removing the inside and setting it aside!
3. Roughly chop the scooped out pumpkin
4. Melt the butter in a large pan and add the onions! Cook for 10-15 minutes until they are golden brown.
5. Add the pumpkin to the pan, with the cinnamon and nutmeg and season to taste.
6. Increase the heat to medium and cover with a lid! Cook for 40-45 minutes and stir occasionally to prevent from burning, until the pumpkin is cooked through.
7. Return the soup to the pan and bring to a low simmer and cook for a further half an hour.
8. 45 minutes before eating, preheat the oven and pour the soup into the hollow pumpkin and add the sherry
9. Place the pumpkin lid onto the pumpkin and put on a large baking tray, cook for 45minutes
10. Carefully remove from the oven and serve the soup!

Voi la!

To find the recipe and more pumpkin inspired dishes visit the website!

Tasty Tea Time Treat

Settle down to tea with Rock Cakes, the always enjoyed teatime favourite.

It's always nice to get baking in the kitchen, and rock cakes compliment a lovely cup of tea or latte perfectly, especially when they are still warm from the oven!

The ingredients for rock cakes are cupboard staples, so you may only have to go and get one ingredient and voi la, a tasty tea time treat is yours.

Ingredients:

Self-raising flour

Caster Sugar

Baking Powder

Unsalted Butter

Dried Fruit

Free-range Egg

Milk

Vanilla Extract

To bake these tasty treats:

1. Preheat oven to 180c/350F/Gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment

2. Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl and rub in the butter (cut into cubes) until you get a breadcrumb looking mixture

3. Mix in the dried fruit to the mixture

4. In another bowl, beat the egg and milk together with the vanilla extract

5. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until it's thick and lumpy (add more milk if needed)

6. Place golf ball sized spoons of the mixture onto the baking tray, remember to leave space between them as they will spread out when cooking.

7. Bake for 15-20mins, allow to cool and tuck in!

You can see the full recipe here!

Sunday Afternoon Shortbread

If you're at a loose end this afternoon, why not get baking? Whether you are chilling with friends, attempting to keep the kids entertained or finding yourself on the sofa watching back-to-back Midsummer Murders wondering if you are becoming a bit bland..then roll up your sleeves and make something nice.

We love biscuits. Bourbons, Custard Creams, Nice, Malted Milks, Hobnobs or even the humble Digestive (chocolate of course) we are big fans. A nice brew/ biscuit combination provides the happiest 5 minutes you can have- have a bash at this Shortbread recipe and test our theory.

 Ingredients;

• 300g butter, softened
• 140g golden caster sugar, plus 4 tbsp
• 300g plain flour
• 140g rice flour

Firstly, pop the butter and 140g sugar in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Tip in both the flours and a pinch of salt, then whizz until mixture comes together (wizz = great word).

Using your hands, roughly spread the mixture out in a 20 x 30 x 4cm baking tray. Cover with cling film and smooth over until there are no wrinkles. Place in the fridge, uncooked, for at least 30 mins.

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Remove cling film, then lightly mark the shortbread all over with a fork. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar, then bake for 20-25 mins. Leave to cool in the tin, then cut into 24 thin slices.

Your Shortbread will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week = 7 days worth of happiness. Enjoy!



Recipe & photo courtesy of the geniuses of Good Food Magazine

The Ultimate Summer Treat- Frozen Berry Parfait

Perfect for that after dinner treat, or even with a glass of pink lemonade on a sunny afternoon; this great alternative ice cream is sure to be a winner! 

Ingredients-

• 400g raspberries
• 300ml double cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites
• 100g golden caster sugar

Start by lining a 900g loaf or terrine tin with clingfilm. Blend 300g of the raspberries to a purée then sieve, using a nylon sieve. Keep the rest of the raspberries whole then whip the cream and vanilla extract to very soft peaks.

Next pop the sugar in a pan with 11/2 tbsp water. Heat very gently until the sugar dissolves then turn up the heat and boil for 2 minutes. Whilst the sugar is boiling whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. You pan should now be filled with a syrup, start to pour in a thin stream onto the egg whites, whisking all the time! Keep whisking until the meringue has cooled completely.

Then fold the meringue into the cream bit by bit. Divide the mix between 2 bowls. Add the raspberry purée to one bowl and fold it in, then chill.

Pour the plain mixture into the bottom of the tin, then carefully push in the remaining berries. Freeze for 1.5 hours then take out and add the chilled raspberry flavoured mix. Freeze for at least 3 hours or until you want to serve. Take out of the freezer 20 minutes before serving.

The recipe serves eight people so perfect for summer dinner parties, or of course to keep in the freezer to indulge in when you fancy! 

Check out the full recipe here.

Bake it! Rhubarb Custard Tea Cake Recipe

As you can imagine, this was a pretty exciting discovery with the Ellie Ellie girls. We are all avid bakers and are always on the look out for something a bit different; its Lindsay's turn to bake this week and we can barely contain ourselves! Will be eating this by the wedge, with a nice cup of tea on Monday!

tweet us a photo of your cakey masterpiece @ellieelliecouk

Get baking - Chocolate and Banana Bread! Perfect Easter Recipe.

Looks good, huh?

Here's what you'll need:

• 100g plain chocolate
• 150g unsalted butter , softened
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 level tsp baking powder
• 25g cocoa
• 2 large banana peeled and mashed 

For the streusel topping:

• 25g unsalted butter
• 2 generous tbsp plain flour
• 1 level tbsp demerara sugar.

1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line the bases of 2 x 450g loaf tins with baking parchment. To make the streusel topping, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the demerara sugar and chopped pecans. Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or in a small glass bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until smooth and remove from the heat.
2. Cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the egg, beating well between each addition. Sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa and fold in using a large metal spoon. Add the mashed banana and chocolate and mix well.
3. Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and top each with the streusel. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack, then wrap in baking parchment or foil.