Moist Chocolate Cake

This is my stand-by chocolate cake recipe. I make it when I want a no-nonsense sort of cake, which is quick to make and even easier to eat. As this cake has no dark chocolate, invest in a good cocoa, as this supplies all of the chocolate intensity. It can be iced if desired, but I just sprinkle with icing sugar.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 cup milk

1 ½ cups plain flour

pinch of salt

½ cup cocoa

1 ½ teaspoons bicarb soda

1 ¼ cups sugar

185 g butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, lightly beaten

icing sugar, to dust

METHOD

Preheat oven to a moderate 180 degrees. Sour milk with vinegar and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Sift flour, bicarb and cocoa together and then add salt and sugar. Pour melted butter into this mixture and half of the soured milk. Beat for approximately 3 minutes, until the mixture is well combined. Add eggs, vanilla and remaining milk. Beat again until well combined. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Dust with icing sugar.

Soured milk.

Sugar and Spice Palmiers

A palmier is what you would get if you bred a cookie and a pie. It is an incredibly delicious pastry-biscuit made from folded sweet-puff pastry. I unashamedly use a good quality bought puff pastry and recommend that you do too. However, if you feel the urge to self-puff, see puff pastry recipes at epicurious and taste.

INGREDIENTS

500g home-made or bought puff pastry

4 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

60-80g unsalted butter, melted

icing sugar, to dust

METHOD

Preheat oven to a hot 210 degrees. Lightly grease two baking trays, then line with baking paper. Combined the sugar and spices in a small bowl. Brush each pastry sheet with melted butter, then sprinkle with sugar mixture, reserving approximately 2 teaspoons. Fold the edges of the pastry on two opposite sides inwards, so that the edges almost meet in the centre and form a small rectangle. Then fold the long edges of this smaller rectangle in the same manner once more, bringing the edges together in the centre. Finally fold the outsides together, forming one long thin tube of pastry. Using a small sharp knife, cut the tube into small rolls about 2 centimetres thick. Arrange palmiers cut side up, on the trays, so that you can see the curling pattern inside. Brush with butter and sprinkle lightly with the reserved sugar mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack before dusting with icing sugar.

Best eaten on the day of cooking.