Friday 26 October 2012

Oat and Sultana Breakfast Bake.


This is just the sort of thing that makes me feel all Mama Walton...and that, for me, is a veeeeeeery good thing. Mrs Walton is HOT for starters, she is WAY too skinny to have had seven children and her hair is always perfect even when she's been picking peaches and baking cobblers all summer day long. 


She alllllllways knows the right thing to say to her children when they're in a muddle and they consequently alllllways end up doing the right thing. I think maybe the government should employ her to work in prisons...a few minutes chat with Mama could reform even the darkest of characters I am sure.
Also....she cooks for 11 people three times a day, every day and there's always room and food and a freshly made bed for an unexpected guest or 2. So you see, the lady is a hero, and anything that can make you feel even a teensy bit 'Walton' is a jolly good thing in my book.


The 'baked oatmeal' thing is indeed an American concoction...think of it as halfway between porridge and flapjack, and is perfect to make when you know you have a busy few days ahead and will need a speedy and sustaining breakfast to see you through.


Unlike with my peanut butter version, I went down the healthy route. Buttermilk doesn't seem to be traditional but healthy it's yogurty cousin is a breakfasty thing, I thought, and it worked well; giving a soft, almost spongy texture. I added sultanas and flax seeds...was going for a nutritious cookie vibe, but you could really add whatever you fancy to the mix, healthy or not....how about some chocolate chips? Serve warmed on a cold morning with lashings of the creamy milk fresh from the pale (if you have a cow, the fridge will do if you don't)...just hope that 10 other people don't turn up to share it with you.


Oat and Sultana Breakfast Bake.

A few notes:

  • Like I said....add anything you want to the mix really, seeds, nuts, different dried fruit, more spices. You can't mess it up really so go crazy, maybe you want honey instead of sugar, or you want to stir through so fresh apple, let me know if you come up with any genius combinations.
  • If you don't have or can't get buttermilk, feel free to sub in yogurt or milk.
  • I heat mine up in the morning in the microwave usually and sometimes have it as is, sometimes with a little milk or sometimes topped with nut butter and jam...more choices.
Serves 4-5
You will need

150g oats
3 tbsp caster sugar
50g sultanas
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp flax seeds
250g buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
a few tsp demerara sugar to top, optional

  • Preheat the oven to 180°c and grease or line a small cake tin (I used a 16cm round pan lined with greaseproof).
  • Mix together the dry ingredients in one bowl and whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla together in another.
  • Stir the buttermilk mix into the dry ingredients so everything is well combined.
  • Press the thick mixture into your pan and sprinkle over the demerara sugar if you fancy a crunchy topping. 
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until it is firm and a little darker.
  • Eat straight away or wrap up and save for the morning, reveling in that Walton feeling.






Tuesday 23 October 2012

Devil Blackberry and Sour Cream Tart.


Did you know that you’re not supposed to pick blackberries after 29th September because the Devil wee-ed on them or something or other when he was cast out from heaven on Michaelmas.
 

Helloooo, how bloomin’ inconsiderate. He has obvs never been to Scotland, otherwise he would understand that up here we are far faaaaaar away from the sun, meaning that you have to wait a little, no a lot, longer for anything that requires its rays.


If the rude old Devil had been here I just knooow he would have waited a bit longer to feel the wrath of the G-man because he would seeeeee that blackberries don’t get good and fat and plentiful until waaaay after September is over and that people waitingwaitingwainting for the free fruit to get good for pies and jam and cakes really don’t want Devil wee on them.


So I hope you picked blackberries when they were good, whenever that was for you; Devil or no Devil, and I hope, therefore, that you make this, because it really is a lovely mix of cakey, fruity, cheesecakeyness that isn’t exactly fancypants looking....but is superduper scrummy tasting. With Love and Cake.


Blackberry Sour Cream Tart.
Adapted from a danatreat.com

A few notes:

  • The recipe I adapted this from was for blueberries, so feel free to change the berries depending on their availability, I imagine raspberries would be fan in the summer.
  • I made the base just as I do pastry in my food processor. If you don't have one simple mix all the dry ingredients together, rub in the butter with your finger tips and stir in the water.
  • I used my berries from frozen, just because that's where I stashed them as soon as I picked them, so feel free to do the same or use fresh.
Makes a 23cm tart
You will need

a 23 cm loose bottomed cake tin, greased

For the base
190g plain flour
100g caster sugar
50g ground almonds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
110g butter
1 tbsp water

For the fruity filling
400g blackberries
100g caster sugar
zest of half an unwaxed lemon
2 tbsp cornflour

For the sour cream topping
2 egg yolks
600ml sour cream
100g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

  • Preheat the oven to 200°c.
  • First make the base by whizzing the flour, sugar, ground almonds and baking powder to combine in a food processor.
  • Add the butter and whiz until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
  • Add the water and pulse until everything just starts to come together.
  • Tip the mixture out into your cake tin and press into the base to make an even layer.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and turn it down to 180°c.
  • Now lets make the fruity filling. Tip the berries, sugar, lemon zest and cornflour into a saucepan and heat gently while you stir everything around.
  • You want to get the berries hot enough that they start to burst and release their juices into the rest of the ingredients to make a lovely syrup which you should leave to bubble for a few minutes to reduce.
  • One you have whole fruit in a glossy syrup, remove the pan from the heat and set aside while you make the topping.
  • Whisk together the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar and vanilla together.
  • Now to assemble. Pop the cake tin onto a baking sheet to catch any leakages.
  • Pour the berries and their syrup into the cake tin over the base and pour the sour cream mixture over that.
  • Pop the cake tin, still on the baking sheet, into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes when the top should be just browning and still a teeny bit wobbly.
  • Leave the tart to cool completely in the tin before turning our and serving....mmmmmm.

Friday 19 October 2012

Pumpkin Loaf Cake with Brown Sugar Icing.


Oh dear, there is a serious possibility that I am steadily getting rounder and more orange as we speak and that by midnight I will be one big shiny pumpkin person. Do you think that’s what happened to Cinderella’s carriage...it just munched too much pumpkin?


I have made pumpkin soup, pumpkin lasagne, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes and this mega pumpkin loaf cake and I still have 1 and a third pumpkins left. Aaaaand yesterday I unwittingly managed to make it a major component off all the meals....pumpkin for breakfast, lunch and tea. A bit mental but also a bit genius considering I spent £3 on them in all.


Pleaseplease believe me when I say that this loaf cake is indeed mega. It’s one of those cakes that might be a bit of a hard sell given its demure appearance. All brown and dowdy looking it may be, and if you saw it in a shop you may pass it up for a slice for a more spangley option. But please NO.


It is so so tasty and moist and the icing is swooooon-worthy and has that really lovely spice combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger that you would expect from such an autumnal cake. Don’t judge this cake by its cover and make it pleeeease...then we can both turn into pumpkins together and two pumpkin people probably will look less weird than one. With Love and Cake.


Pumpkin Loaf Cake with Brown Sugar Icing.
Adapted from a honeyandjam.com recipe

A few notes:

  • You can buy pumpkin puree from a can if you can find it, but making your own is easypeasy and muchmuch more of a bargain....I tell you how here.
  • You could make this more healthy and wholesome if you wanted, by replacing some or all of the flour with wholemeal and maybe adding a handful of oats.
  • Using large grained sugar for the icing means that it doesn't all dissolve and you get lovely crunchy bits, which I love, but if you wanted it to be 100% smooth you could substitute soft brown sugar which has finer grains.
Makes 1 loaf
You will need

1 medium loaf tin, greased and lined

For the cake
200g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
pinch salt
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
300g caster sugar (golden for preference)
115g butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
225g pumpkin puree

For the icing
55g butter
100g raw cane sugar or demerara sugar
2 tbsp milk
pinch salt
splash vanilla extract
75g icing sugar

  • Right, let's get on shall we? First we'll preheat the oven to 180°c.
  • In a medium bowl combine the flour, spices, salt, bicarb and baking powder.
  • In another bowl cream together the sugar, butter and eggs for a few minutes until pale and fluffy and increased in volume.
  • Stir the pumpkin into the egg mixture.
  • Fold in the dry ingredients a bit at a time until everything is well combined.
  • Pour the mixture in your loaf tin and pop in the oven. It will probably need around 1 hour to bake but check after 45 minutes to see if the top is browning too quickly and in danger of burning: if so, top with foil and continue to bake until a knife comes out clean.
  • Leave to cool for a while in the tin and then, when it's cool enough to handle, remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
  • When the cake is cold it's time to make the icing...it isn't the sort of icing that you can make ahead really, as it will become more viscous as it cools and be hard to pour over the cake.
  • First, put the butter and cane or demerara sugar in a saucepan and heat very gently, so the butter melts, the sugar starts to dissolve and slowlyslowy you get a dark bronze caramel. Swirl everything around every so often but don't stir.
  • When you have a thick syrup with a rich coffee colour, remove from the heat and whisk in the milk, salt and vanilla....it might not look like everything's mixing too well at this stage but keep going.
  • Sift in the icing sugar and after a bit more whisking you should have a lovely shiny sauce.
  • Pour over the cake and allow to cool before you even think about sampling...sorry but I am not here to induce burny sugar mouth.

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Pumpkin Pancakes with Gingery Honey.


I WENT TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH. Does that not just sound like the cutest way ever to spend a Saturday afternoon? It doooooooes...until I tell you that, well, I looked at the very soggy pumpkin patch and it’s big KEEP OUT sign through the fogging up window of the deserted farm shop, and picked my pumpkins from the indoor display.


Yes, weather-wise it was not ideal. It did not live up to my image of crunching through golden leaves and crystallised ground in wellies and woolly hats and cutting my very own pumpkin and taking pictures and hugging it.


Silver lining though...the farm shop folk seemed to just so grateful that anyone would even leave their front doors that day, let alone make a special ‘out the way’ trip to pick veg, that they gave everyone a big bargain and we got 2 hefty pumpkins for £3. Bargain. That’s a lot of pumpkin baking that’s got to be done.


The reason I did make the ‘out the way’ trip was because sooooo many of the recipes that are floating around bloggyland at the mo are pumpkin all the way; in the states they buy pureed pumpkin in cans you see, and I was determined not to be left out. And I am sooooo pleased I did. The puree is super easy to make....I explain how here, and it’s just so much fooooood; tasty and nutritious food at that, for such little effort and money. You can expect a fair few pumpkin recipes popping up here over the next few weeks so be sure to find your local patch and to go on a soggy day when the people behind the till will feel sorry for you. With Love and Cake.


Pumpkin Pancakes with Gingery Honey.

A few notes:
  • I wanted to make these kind of wholesome, hence the addition of oats and wholemeal flour. If you're not feeling the hippy vibe just replace the wholemeal flour with extra self raising and leave out the oats.
  • I cannot stress enough how much difference a good, heavy based frying pan makes to pancake success. I have a little but brilliant one and big rubbish one....I use both at the same time for maximum output and the difference in pancake lovelyness is thoroughly evident I'm afraid. It's not a bargain addition to your cupboard but will be a lifelong investment if pancakes are your thing.
Makes about 20
You will need

For the syrup
4 tbsp honey 
1 tbsp golden syrup
2 cm fresh ginger, finely grated

For the pancakes
100g wholemeal flour
125g self raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp caster sugar (golden, for preference)
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
300ml yogurt or buttermilk
300g pumpkin puree (homemade or from a can)
1 egg
100g rolled oats
crystalised ginger (optional)

  • First we'll make the syrup. Pop the honey, syrup and ginger in a little saucepan with a small splash of water.
  • Heat gently until a syrupy consistency is achieved and set aside while you get on with the pancakes.
  • Stir together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  • In a separate bowl or mixing jug, whisk together the yogurt or buttermilk, pumpkin and egg.
  • Whisk the pumpkin mix into the dry ingredients until well combined and fold in the oats.
  • Heat your frying pan over a medium heat and cook heaped tablespoon-fulls of pancake batter until you see little air bubbles all over the surface of the uncooked side of the pancake; a few minutes.
  • This means it's time to flip and cook the pancakes on their second side for another couple of minutes...they're ready when they're firm and bronze on both sides.
  • Keep the pancakes warm in a low oven if you need, while you carry on cooking the rest of the batter.
  • Top pancakes with butter and ginger syrup and a few pieces of crystalised ginger if you're feeling fancy.






Friday 12 October 2012

Sturdy Stuffy Eccles Cakes.


When treats are required to withstand a journey with the Post Man, I mean Peeerson....you need to think sturdy; daintywainty cupcuakes will not do here. And if you’ve ever gone down this thinking road (this particular road I mean, not the ‘thinking in general’ one) then you might have reached the same conclusion as me; that sturdy food = the food of sturdy people. See...you have Cornish miners eating pasties on one side and boys in top hats getting caned, eating Eton Mess on the other.


So naturally when I received a request for a posted package of baked goods the other day my mind went to those sturdy northern folk (I had Dad in my head, obvs) and what they might take down their particular mines...or mills probs, those dark satanic ones. Eccles Cakes of coooourse.


Eccles Cakes could be nothing but northern (we’re talking northern English here folks, which is confusing because from where I’m sitting that looks kinda like downwards but heyho) with their rocky shape and bolstering sweet filling. And...I just found out that you’re meant to eat them with a wedge of cheese...and the only folk I've ever know to pair cake with cheese have been northern folk (Dad), but my goodness it makes sense doesn't it?


Don’t get me wrong, I’m not shunning posh, non-sturdy food, ohnono. I’ll dunk asparagus into a soft boiled egg with as much glee as the next south-westerly gal...but that would noooot look pretty after a shove through the letter box. With Love and Cake.

Eccles Cakes.
From Delia's Complete Cookery Course.

A few notes:
  • Doooooo feel free to use shop bought puff pastry...though northern people might judge you (jokes....they definitely won't).
  • You can make these as big or as little as you want, these are more bite sized than the big fist sized ones you usually see. just make sure you use a cutter a LOT bigger than you want the finished cake and adjust the cooking time accordingly. I used a cutter about 12cm across which gave cakes about 6cm across and needed 15 minutes.
Makes 10-20
You will need 

A large baking sheet, greased

1xquantity or homemade flaky pastry, made using 225g plain flour and 175g butter with exactly the same method

For the filling
75g butter
150g caster sugar
150g currants
50g candied peel
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

To glaze
milk
demerara or granulated sugar

  • When you've got you're pastry all ready and chilled, preheat the oven to 220°c.
  • To make the fillinf simply melt the butter in a saucepan and then stir in all the other ingredients.
  • Roll the pastry out thinly; to about 3mm thick, and cut out rounds with a cutter or upturned glass (see notes re size).
  • Into the centre of each round, place a teaspoon of filling.
  • Brush water around the outside of the round and to seal, bring one side of the circle to the centre and the opposite side to meet it. Pinch them together to.
  • Keep doing this with the edges that are left, so you have a much smaller disc.
  • Place each sealed disc, the other way up so the sealed side is the bottom, onto your baking sheet.
  • Press each one down so it flattens and gets a bit wider.
  • Make 3 slashed in the top of each disc, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
  • Bake for around 15 minutes until golden and puffy.
  • Remove from the baking sheet as soon as poss so they don't stick as the sugar sets and wait a biiiit before you tuck in, so the sugar doesn't stick to your tongue. But not tooooo long. Do the cheese thing if you fancy too.





Tuesday 9 October 2012

Chocolate Truffle and Blackberry Tart.


Apparently it’s National Chocolate Week at the moment.....errrr HELLO...what are you expecting to happen during the other 51 weeks of the year?? In my head it’s like that thing people do with going to church; only go at Christmas to sing pretty songs and to get married and take pretty pictures.


THAT’S NOT HOW IT WORKS. Okok my chocolate thing is kind of the opposite of that because I do the ‘neverever going to church thank you very much’ thing as opposed to the ‘every Sunday thank you very much’ thing....but what I meeeeean is, if you aaaare one of the those ‘every Sunday’ people, I think maybe you get annoyed at people who swan in once a year just because, and you’re like “ow you’re here now are you....THIS IS MY RELIGION”.


Like with chocolate....it’s kind of the same yeeah?? Good chocolate and its worship is not for once a year, ohnono. Good chocolate is for all the days....ALLLL THE DAYS. There’s probably some chocolate God spending this week going ‘aaar so you’re going to celebrate me now aaaaare you’.


Right...ok, I realise this is not really true because lots of people do love and eat chocolate all the time so it’s barley the same thing and I’m very much twaddling but it’s all about balance isn't it? And eating chocolate for a week is bad but loving it all the time is good, as long as you eat spinach sometimes too and do some star jumps. So here’s a chocolate recipe for you...make it this week or next, whenever you want....just make sure you get your blackberries soon. With Love and Cake.


Chocolate Truffle and Blackberry Cake.
Original recipe by Debbie Major for Delicious magazine.

A few notes:
  • The original recipe I followed uses raspberries...I think just use whatever you fancy or can get hold if depending on the seasons. I can still get Scottish rasps up hear at the mo but blackberries are at their prime.
  • If you have a 25cm tart tin or shallow cake tin, do use that...that's what the recipe is designed for. I don't have one (sobsob) so had to settle for a smaller tin. It works fine and feel free to do that to, you will just have a fair bit of excess filling and pastry...not a problem in my book. Any left over truffle mix can just be poured into ramekins and left to set in the fridge as 'chocolate pots'. Leftover pastry will freeze well.
Serves 10
You will need

a 25cm loose bottomed tart tin, greased

For the pastry
175g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
50g icing sugar
100g butter, cold from the fridge, cubed
1 egg
2-3 tbsp cold water

For the filling
150ml milk
500ml double cream
65g caster sugar
300g dark chocolate, broken up into squares
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g fresh blackberries

  • First we must make the pastry. Pulse together the flour, cocoa and sugar in a food processor (or sift into a bowl).
  • Then add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs (or rub in with your finger tips).
  • Separate the egg and add the yolk to the processor. Set aside the white for later.
  • Add 2tbsp of cold water and pulse until a soft dough forms, adding more water if necessary.
  • Remove the dough from the processor and gently form into a disc. Wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for around 15 minutes.
  • Next, roll the pastry out thinly onto a floured surface. I used the cling film it was wrapped in to cover the pastry as I rolled, to stop the rolling pin sticking which worked well.
  • Line your prepared tin with the pastry, and gently prick the base with a fork and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°c.
  • Blind bake the pastry case; line it with a scrunched up piece of baking paper and fill with baking beans, or uncooked rice or dried beans (save them to continue to use for the same purpose, just don't cook them to eat).
  • Place the tart tin on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the beans and paper and bake for a further 5 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and leave to cool and crisp up while you get on with the filling.
  • Pour the milk, cream and sugar into a saucepan and slowly bring to the boil.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate slowlyslowly, until it's all melted and wonderfully smooth.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the egg with the left over egg white and vanilla.
  • When all the chocolate has melted, pour the mixture over the eggs, and whisk together.
  • Scatter the berries into the pastry case, cover with the chocolate truffle mixture and transfer carefully to the oven.
  • Bake for around 30 minutes until the filling looks set while remaining a little bit wobbly in the middle.
  • Leave to cool and serve at room temperature with a few more berries if you fancy.






Friday 5 October 2012

Sweet and Salty Fridge Cake Bars.


Have you noticed that Nigella is everywheeeere at the minute? No? Oh ok...well maybe it’s because you don’t have an unhealthy obsession which means you HAVE to hunt down every appearance she makes and watch and listen, gaping mouthed, like she was the messiah and you cared about messiah’s and things....eeeeven if it means watching The One Show and all their stories about old folk and birds. Nono I don’t do that either.


But I’m lying because I do do that because Nigella is my chosen religion and I would do anything to be her pal and reading her books gives the same sort of sanctuary that your favourite rubbishly predictable film does and calms in the same way that pottering around the kitchen does, for me anyway.


And this bar of wonderment and deliciousness is, I think, Nigella and my ‘relationship’ (yesyes I’m still sane enough to realise that the term requires apostrophes) with her, epitomised in food. It’s unapologetically indulgent and bolstering, requires absolutely to stress or faff and leaves you just that bit happier.


So please don’t think I’m mental(er than you do already), and next time you need a bit of a hug have a go at this, or open a Nige book...or you know, get an actual hug off someone. All three would leave you ready to face all ills. With Love and Cake.


Sweet and Salty Fridge Cake Bar.
From Nigella Kitchen.

A few notes:
  • Feel free to use some milk chocolate in the place of some of the dark or, in fact, in the place of all of the dark...it will just be a lot sweeter.
  • And if you're in even more of a nonconforming mood you could experiment with the additions to the chocolate; you could use some sort of biscuits in the place of the Crunchies etcetc.
Makes enough for a party
You will need

a 23cm loose bottomed or spring sided cake tin, greased well

300g good dark chocolate
125g butter
3 tbsp golden syrup 
4x40g Crunchie bars
200g salted peanuts

  • Break up the chocolate into fairly small chunks and pop it in a small saucepan along with the butter and golden syrup.
  • Heat slowly until everything melts together and you have a lovely shiny chocolate sauce that you could just dive in to.
  • Smash the Crunchie bars about a bit in their packets so they get broken up into a mixture of bite size chunks and a bit of rubble. Tumble into a mixing bowl.
  • Add the salted peanuts and then pour over the melted chocolate mix.
  • Stir everything around gently so things are evenly distributed and scoop into your cake tin.
  • Smooth out the mixture to the edges of the pan and leave to set either in the fridge of somewhere cool for a good few hours.
  • When they're ready, cut into squares or wedges and prise from the cake tin bottom with a fish slice.
  • Hug.

Monday 1 October 2012

Carrot Cake Pancakes.


Yep. That’s right. Carrot. Cake. Pancakes. So good I made them twice in one week. 


Weeeeell you could say that I suppose, ooor you could say that while they are very lovely, it was actually me being a bit of a dimwit, making my first major camera based booboo in the form of taking  a whole set of photies of them sans memory card and not noticing until they were all tucked up tight in the freezer, that caused the excessive devotion to these spiced flatties. *Slow clap for me*. 


But I’m going to see it as a blessing in disguise because your experience of these pancakes will be greatly improved by my assessments of the first batch and the subsequent alterations I made to the recipe. Yippeeee for silver linings.


You therefore have a lighter, tastier and all round more interesting breakfast at the tip of your fingers. AND they have fruit and vegetables and wholemeal flour and you could even add nuts if you wanted to go all the way to Health Food Heaven. Cake...unhealthy? Not here. With Love and Cake.


Carrot Cake Pancakes.
Inspired by Joy the Baker


A few notes:
  • These need spice, so don't skimp on that part of the recipe.
  • You don't have to use wholemeal flour if you don't fancy it or simply don't have any; just replace the quantity with extra self-raising.
  • Feel free to omit the sultanas or go crazy and accompany them with a handful of chopped nuts.
  • These are a bit more high maintenance to cook because of the added extras that stick a bit to the pan so just be patient, don't stress, use a good heavy based pan if that's poss, otherwise greasegreasegrease with butter or oil. 
Makes 10-15
You will need

good heavy based frying pan or flat griddle, greased

For the pancakes
150g self-raising flour
75g wholemeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
50g sultanas
300ml milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 medium carrots, grated finely...and it MUST be finely

For the topping
3 tbsp mascarpone
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
  • Combine the two types of flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and sultanas in a large bowl.
  • In another bowl or measuring jug whisk the egg and vanilla into the milk.
  • Whisk the liquid into the dry mixture so everything is well combined and you have a thick batter.
  • Stir in the carrots until evenly distributed throughout the mix.
  • Heat your pan over a medium heat and cook tablespoonfuls of batter in it until you can can see that the bottom half is cooked. You get fewer bubbles than you would with normal fluffy pancakes that you would rely on to tell you when to flip, so you have to pay attention to the edges to see how much the pancake had cooked.
  • Loosen and flip each pancake; it helps to clean your fish slice between each batch.
  • Cook until the second side is cooked and then flip a couple more times if you think they could do with a bit more heat.
  • Keep warm in a low oven if you're not eating immediately.
  • To make the topping, which you'll probably be able to do while the pancakes are on the go, simple whisk the mascarpone, icing sugar, vanilla and milk to a smooth paste.
  • Serve the warm pancakes with a good dollop of the sweet cream cheese and an extra sprinkling of cinnamon.