What to bake this weekend

Weekends creep up on us so quickly and with schools reopening this month there is less spare time all around. I always feel that having a home-baked sweet treat around on weekends will always lighten the mood.

Sure, you can always pick up some goodies at your favourite bakery, but you know, baking from scratch is always applaudable and you can get your children involved. Although recently I have come to realise that the children are the bakers and the parents are the tasters. Whatever the situation bake some goodies in your kitchen this weekend and have some fun all around.

Happy baking!

Delightful doughnuts

4½ cups all-purpose flour

2 ¼ tsp yeast

1 tsp salt

¼ cup sugar

1¼ cups milk

8 tbs melted butter

2 eggs

Coconut oil for frying doughnuts

Sprinkles for garnish

Place flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer; add milk, butter and eggs. Mix until mixture comes together. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Cover and let rise for about one hour.

Punch dough down; gently roll to about ½-inch thickness.

Stamp out doughnuts with a floured doughnut cutter.

Let rise for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat oil in a saucepan; place enough oil to comfortably deep fry doughnuts.

Heat oil to 375F.

Fry doughnuts until golden and puffed.

Drain and glaze.

Makes about 12

Glazes:

Chocolate: Combine 1½ cups sifted icing sugar, 4 tbs cocoa powder, 2 tbs milk and a few drops vanilla. Dip tops of doughnuts into glade and place on wire rack to set.

Vanilla: Combine 1½ cups sifted icing sugar, 1-2 tbs milk and a few drops vanilla. Dip tops of doughnuts into glaze and place on wire rack to set.

Lime custard tart

Crust

8 digestive cookies

2 tbs melted butter

⅓ cup oatmeal

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325F.

Place cookies in food processor, add oatmeal and cinnamon.

Pour in melted butter and mix well.

Press mixture into a greased 8-inch pie plate.

Bake for 5 minutes.

Filling:

½ cup fresh lime juice

4 egg yolks

⅓ cup corn starch

1 cup milk

1 1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan beat egg yolks with cup’s sugar until light in colour and thick.

Add corn-starch, stir well and add lime juice.

Stir in milk.

Cook mixture, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and cool.

Beat whipping cream until fluffy,

Fold in half the amount into lime custard.

Pour filling into pie shell.

Chill before serving.

Serve with additional whipped cream.

Serves 6 to 8.

Victoria sandwich

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

4 eggs

1⅓ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbs milk

Filling:

½ cup butter

1½ cups icing sugar

1 jar fruit jam of your preference

Icing sugar

Pre heat oven to 350F.

Grease and flour 2 8-inch cake sandwich tins.

Beat sugar with butter until smooth, add eggs and beat well, beat in flour and baking powder.

And milk.

Divide into 2 8-inch tins.

Bake for 20 minutes, until cake springs back to the touch.

Remove from tin and cool on cooling rack.

Make filling by combining butter with icing sugar, beat until creamy.

Add vanilla extract.

Spread the butter cream over the bottom of one of the cakes.

Top with the preserves, spread.

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