Recipes: Iain Watters

Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Charity is delighted to announce Iain Watters as the latest celebrity calling on the nation to ‘raise some dough’ for this year’s BIG Bake, to improve the lives of sick children in hospitals and hospices across the UK.

Lemon Drizzle Traybake (pictured above)

Makes about 25 to 30 portions depending on size

Ingredients
For the sponge
225g (8 oz) margarine or softened butter
225g (8 oz) Golden caster sugar
275g (10 oz) Homepride self-raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs, free range if possible
4 tablespoons milk
Finely grated rind of 2 lemons

For the topping
110g (4oz) granulated sugar
Juice of 2 lemons

Method
Pre -heat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas 3.

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and beat well for approximately 2 minutes or until well blended

Turn the mixture into a traybake tin, 30 x 23 x 4 cm (12 x 9 x 1 ½ inches) lined with non-stick baking parchment levelling the mixture carefully with a spatula

Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until it springs back when you press the middle of the traybake with your finger

Once removed from the oven allow to cool for a few minutes before lifting the traybake from the tin by the lining paper. Remove the lining paper carefully and place on a wire rack with a tray underneath to catch the drizzle topping

Mix the lemon juice and granulated sugar in a bowl and spoon this mixture evenly over the traybake while it is still warm and cut into squares.

For a change add 40g of poppy seeds or spread 150g of blueberries over the mixture before you put the traybake into the oven

Wensleydale Soda Bread

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Ingredients
450g (16oz) Homepride plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
A small grinding of black pepper
1 tbsp Caster Sugar
200g (7oz) Wensleydale cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp Mixed herbs
285g (10oz) Buttermilk or natural live yoghurt
285ml Whole milk

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180c or gas 4 as this recipe is quick to prepare

Grease and flour small loaf tin.

Place the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt, pepper, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and stir to combine.

Now add the yoghurt or buttermilk along with whole milk to the flour mixture and stir to bring all the ingredients together to form quite a wet dough.

Stir in the crumbled Wensleydale cheese, careful not to break it up too much.

Turn the dough into the prepared loaf tin heaping it up slightly in the middle. Bake in a preheated oven for 60 minutes, Cool the bread on a wire rack, then slice and enjoy with some butter or more Wensleydale cheese.

Top tips: To test if a loaf is ready by tapping the bottom – when you get a hollow sound, the bread is ready to be taken out of the oven.

Press your bicarbonate of soda through a small sieve into the flour mixture, because only need a tiny lump and you will get an unpleasant metallic taste

Chocolate and Raspberry Brownies

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Ingredients
350g/12oz dark chocolate (at least 55-60% cocoa solids)
250g/9oz unsalted butter
3 free range eggs
250g/9oz dark brown or muscovado sugar
110g/4oz Homepride plain flour
1tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
175g/6oz fresh or frozen raspberries

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.

Line a 23cm/9in square cake tin or a roasting tin 20x25cm/8in x 10in with baking parchment

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a glass bowl over boiling water ensuring that the water level is always below the base of the bowl and then allow cool slightly.

Next whisk the eggs until thick, gradually add the sugar and beating until glossy. Add the melted chocolate mixture gently folding in the flour, baking powder and salt.

Pour just over half the mixture into the prepared cake tin and scatter over the raspberries. Finish by adding the remaining mixture.

Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the surface is set. A skewer is inserted into the middle should come out with just a little mixture sticking to it. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before lifting the brownies from the tin using the edges of the baking parchment and place on a wire rack and only remove the paper when completely cold. Then cut the cake into squares. Serve as a dessert if desired with crème fraiche and some extra raspberries

For a change spoon a 397g tin of Carnation Caramel with a pinch of salt flakes over half the mixture before adding the rest. Draw a skewer through the mixture to ensure the caramel is well distributed. Alternatively add 150g chopped walnuts instead of raspberries.

More recipes found at: www.wallaceandgromitcharity.org/event/wallace-gromits-big-bake