Ingredients

-60g butter or margarine

-125g brown sugar (150ml)

-2 large eggs, beaten

-250ml sweet fruit mincemeat, or mixed deried cake fruit

-100ml milk

-170g self-raising flour (300ml)

-50g chopped blanched almonds (125ml)

-3ml almond essence

Instructions

1. Grease a suitable microwave round baking dish or ring mould, line base with paper towel.
2. Cream butter or margarine and sugar well.
3. Add the eggs and fruit mincemeat or raisins or cake fruit.
4. Stir in the milk, flour, nuts, and almond essence. Mix well to combine.
5. Pour into prepared dish.
6. Cover with plastic wrap, do not pierce.
7. Cook on 70% power for 5 - 7 minutes, the mixture should begin to come away from the sides of the container, but there should be a few "wet spots", which will complete cooking during the standing time.
8. Remove plastic wrap immediately after cooking is completed. After standing time, invert pudding onto a serving plate, remove paper towel; serve with rum-'n-raisin, brandy or custard sauce. 

Serves 6

A few store-cupboard ingredients will turn this chicken into a quick dish to satisfy the hungry hordes.

Ingredients

-45ml sunflower oil

-500g skinless chicken breasts, cubed

-1 medium onion, finely chopped

-1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)

-250g button mushrooms, sliced

-500ml chicken stock

-30ml cornflour

-125ml cream

-15ml fresh or 5ml dried thyme

-5ml paprika

-5ml mustard powder

-5ml lemon juice

-Salt and pepper to taste

-500g penne, cooked

-45ml brown or wholewheat breadcrumbs

-3ml paprika

-250ml Cheddar or Emmental cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan/Gas Mark 4.
2. In a large frying pan, heat oil.
3. Add chicken, and sauté for about 3 - 4 minutes; turn over half way during the cooking time.
4. Add onion and chilli to the pan and sauté until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms, and fry gently for a further 2 - 3 minutes.
5. Return chicken to the mixture, then add chicken stock. Simmer for a further 8 - 10 minutes.
6. Make a smooth paste with the cornflour and cream.
7. Reduce the heat, and add cornflour paste to chicken. Stir through until sauce is smooth and has thickened.
8. Add thyme, paprika, mustard powder and lemon juice, and mix through. Season to taste.
9. In a large bowl, mix together the pasta and chicken mixture. Pour into a greased ovenproof dish.
10. Sprinkle over breadcrumbs mixed with 3ml paprika, and then top with grated cheese.
11. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is golden in colour.

Serves 8 

Tips

• Reduced-fat cream may be used in place of full-fat cream.
• Use natural yoghurt instead of cream, if wishing to reduce fat in the diet.

Carrot Cake

-250ml cooking oil

-3 eggs

-250g brown sugar (315ml)

-5ml vanilla essence

-5ml bicarbonate of soda

-140g cake flour (240ml)

-5ml ground cinnamon

-5ml mixed spice

-5ml ground cloves

-500ml grated carrot(about 250g)

-40g chopped nuts (100ml) (optional)

-50g raisins (100ml) (optional)

Additions

-Use 500ml unpeeled courgettes, grated, instead of carrots and 10ml mixed spice for a different flavour

-Bake mixture in large greased muffins pans for carrot muffins.

Instructions

1. Whisk the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla essence together in a food mixer, until pale and creamy and volume has increase.
2. sift the bicarbonate of soda, flour and spices together.
3. Fold into the oil mixture together with the carrots, nuts and raisins.
4. Pour into 2 x loaf pans or 1 x 22 - 25cm ring pan, lined with baking parchment, Teflon or paper towel rectangle, depending on which mode of baking is being used.
5. Microwave: Cook on 70% power for 5 - 7 minutes per loaf or 8 - 10 minutes.
   Combination: 180ºC + 50% microwave power for 25 - 30 minutes, until golden brown and skewer comes clean.
   Convection: 180ºC for 40 - 45 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool, turn out of pan and remove paper lining.
7. When cold ice with cream cheese icing.

Makes 2 x loaves or 1 ring cake

Put the kettle on, its time for tea! These look like cupcakes, but taste like muffins. There is very little sugar in these muffins, as the icing is very sweet. If you choose not to use the condensed milk in the icing, double the amount of sugar in the recipe.

Ingredients

-280g cake flour (500ml)

-20ml baking powder

-2.5ml salt

-15g granulated sugar (30ml)

-1 extra-large egg, beaten

-250ml milk

-200g dark or milk chocolate

-50g btuter(50ml)

-150ml condensed milk

-15ml icing sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/Gas mark 6.
2. Grease or 'spray and cook' a 12-hole muffin pan; or line with paper cup liners.
3. In the bowl of a large food mixer, sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add in sugar.
4. Beat egg and 250ml milk together.
5. Place 100g chopped chocolate and butter in a glass bowl, and microwave on 70% power for 2 minutes.
   Using the handle of a wooden spoon, mix together until smooth, and chocolate has melted.
6. Add to the egg mixture, and mix gently.
7. Stir into the prepared muffin pans (or use an ice cream scoop with a built-in release.
   Fill ¾ full; then bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked.
8. Topping:Place the remainder of the chocolate and condensed milk in a glass bowl, and microwave on 70¾ power for 2 minutes. Mix well. Add icing sugar and stir vigorously until combined. Cool slightly, then spread over the chocolate muffins.

Makes 12 muffins

Tips to decorate:

• Instead of the above topping, use chocolate butter icing.
• Sieve icing sugar over the top.
• Decorate with chocolate, silver or rainbow-coloured balls.
• One Malteser chocolate ball also makes a great topping treat.
• Make chocolate curls, using white chocolate.