The Best Chocolate Cake in the World!

After seeing this recipe in the monthly Waitrose magazine - we made it with our 5-10 year holiday cooks in our February Holiday Cooking Classes and then one of our cooks went onto use the same recipe for her school cake competition!

Its super quick and loved by all the recipe tasters at Waitrose!

You can add double cream and strawberries/raspberries/blackberries or blueberries either on top or in the middle

Or you can make chocolate butter cream (butter/icing sugar, splash of milk and cocoa powder) or Chocolate ganache - chocolate and cream gently melted together

Best Chocolate Cake in the World!

Traybake tin (34 x 22 cm)

OR in two 20cm round tins

Serves 5 Small foil container portions

225g plain flour

75g cocoa powder

300g caster sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

½ tsp fine sea salt

175ml sunflower oil

2 large eggs

175ml milk

150ml hot water

Decorate

2 tbsp milk

125g unsalted butter

125g icing sugar

20g cocoa powder

OR – Nutella

OR – Melt chocolate very gently with some milk or cream and drizzle over

ADD – raspberries/smarties/chocolate shavings/nuts/Maltesers/chocolate fingers/skittles

1.     Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4

2.     Grease the cake tins with some oil and greaseproof paper

3.     In a large bowl mix together;-

·       Sieved Flour

·       Sieved Cocoa powder

·       Sugar

·       Raising agents (bicarbonate soda and baking powder)

·       Salt

4.     Then add in the wet ingredients;-

·       2 eggs

·       Milk

·       Hot water

·       Sunflower Oil

5.     Mix thoroughly and pour into the tin(s) and cook for 25-30 minutes.

6.     Test that it’s cooked by putting in a clean fork in the centre and when you remove it there shouldn’t be anything on it as the mixture is cooked. If there is – just put it in the oven for another 7 minutes and keep checking it.

7.     When its cooled remove from the tin and decorate with the icing and sprinkles!

Sushi!

We have made this A LOT!

In our holiday classes and in many of our After School Cooking Classes, this is one of the most asked for dishes to make.

And its so enjoyable watching cooks learn how to make sushi, which is really quite easy once a few techniques have been taught and you can add anything into it!

Its also super healthy and not as expensive as expected as there are only small amounts of filling in a sushi roll, its mostly rice!

You can add anything; - peppers, tuna, cooked egg, cooked meats, spring onions...

Like some of our cooks at a secondary school we run classes at did, if you want to add some spice - add some paprika or chilli flakes on top of the cut sushi! Or add these flavourings into some mayonnaise and dip the sushi into

Sushi mats are available at large supermarkets for just over a pound - cover them with clingfilm so that it keeps clean

Teriyaki sauce or even chicken with sweet chilli sauce adds more flavour to sushi rolls 

Sushi

Make as many as you wish!

Sushi rice - 500g

Sushi rice vinegar

Nori sheets

Salt – small amount

Sugar- small amount

Have a small bowl of water to hand.

Sushi rolling mat

Cling film (to cover the sushi rolling mat both sides)

Filling Options; Cucumber, Tinned tuna, & Carrots

Other Options: Red peppers, Salmon, Avocado, Spring onions, Shrimp, Fried Egg

Any fillings you have - you must cut into long thin strips - otherwise there is too much filling!

Serve with soy sauce/wasabi/pieces fresh ginger/teriyaki sauce

Prepare the Sushi Rice

1. Take the 500g sushi rice and rinse well until the water is clear

2. Soak the sushi rice in cold water for 30 minutes and then thoroughly drain

3. Then cook the sushi rice by adding 650ml cold water so the sushi is clearly covered - add a saucepan lid

4. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes

5. Turn off the heat but keep the saucepan on and the lid for 20 minutes

6. Allow to cool - after 10 minutes add the sushi rice vinegar (according to instructions) and salt (1tbsp) and sugar (2tbsp)

7. Cool

Making the Sushi

1.     Put cling-film on the bamboo rolling mat both sides.

2.     Have a bowl of water ready – helpful for spreading rice on the nori (don’t use too much) and to dip the fork in and when using the knife at the end to get sharp edges on the sushi

3.     Place the sushi mat with the long side facing you and then take a nori sheet and place on the cling-film on the sushi mat, (shiny-side down bumpy side where rice will be placed) - again with the long side facing you.

4 Spread 3 tbsp of the sushi rice on the nori leaving a small strip at the top of the rectangle (2 cm deep)

5.     Take a little rice at a time and push it to the edges so you have a layer about ½ cm thick.

6.     In the middle of the rectangle lay the filling you want from one end to the other. Add the other fillings on top of the first one. Dont put too much otherwise roll will break - long and thin strips of filling on top of each other from one side to another.

7.     Roll up the bamboo mat slowly, tucking in the closer end of the sushi roll to start a roll and press lightly with both hands. Ensure clingfilm and mat do not get rolled up with the roll!

8.     Roll until the last 2 cm which hasn’t rice on and put a little water all along the edge (it acts like glue) – not too much but just enough

9.  Continue until it’s all rolled up.

10.  Cut with a sharp knife - dipped in water to ensure a clean cut.

Teriyaki sauce

85g light brown soft sugar

70ml light soy sauce

1 large garlic clove, crushed

4cm piece ginger very finely grated

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1.     Mix the ingredients of the teriyaki sauce together - slowly bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.

2.     Marinade the chicken in the teriyaki sauce for at least 30 minutes

3.     Cook in a frying pan and cut into long strips to use in the sushi

Courgette & Carrot Sausage Rolls

Our holiday and school cooks always love making these - so simple and you can put your own twist on it either adding apple sauce or cranberry sauce onto the pastry before you add the filling.

And the adding of grated vegetables gives not only additional nutritional value but a perfect level of moisture to avoid any dry sausage rolls!

Softened (in butter) and small strips of leeks can be added too

And you can use shortcrust or puff pastry - whatever you have to hand!

For our cooks who eat halal only you can use halal beef instead

For our cooks avoiding pork minced beef works perfectly well

Christmas Sausage Rolls              

Makes 6 sausage Rolls

3 tablespoons of sausage meat

1.5 tablespoons of grated courgette

1.5 tablespoons of grated carrot

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 tablespoons of Cranberry Sauce or Apple Sauce

15 x 5 cm piece of ready-made puff pastry

¼ beaten egg

Salt & Pepper

Black poppy seeds 

1.     Take the sausage meat and grate in the carrot and courgette

2.     Peel the garlic, crush and add

3.     Add the salt & pepper and thoroughly mix all the ingredients

4.     Cut 10 x 5 cm piece of ready-made puff pastry

5. Brush the cranberry sauce onto the piece of pastry before you add the sausage meat.

   
   

6. Put the sausage mixture in a line in the middle

5.     Fold over the sides and press together, so it look like a long present

6.     Brush with beaten egg

7.     Sprinkle over black poppy seeds and cut into 6 equal pieces

8.     Cook at 200 fan for 13-15 minutes until pastry is slightly browned and sausage meat is cooked