Author: What Jessica Baked Next

Trained chef, food blogger and travel lover behind What Jessica Baked Next sharing recipes perfect for every occasion.
Baking · Chocolate · Muffins

Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins

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The fluffiest blueberry muffins studded with creamy white chocolate chips.

This comes as a shock to me, but this is the FIRST muffin recipe I’ve shared on WJBN!

Muffins are something I don’t tend to make often, but I’m going to rectify that now.

I love how simple they are to make, no different to a cake but without all the need for elaborate decoration. Simplicity is key here.

When it comes to muffins, the ultimate muffin, in my opinion, is the classic blueberry muffin. A chocolate chip muffin and a chocolate muffin are both close behind.

So, as blueberry muffins are my favourite, that’s where I thought I’d start with my muffin recipe creations.

These Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins are beautifully rustic. They are seriously light, fluffy, not at all dense thanks to the addition of yoghurt (which makes the softest muffins) and gentle mixing.

This muffin is filled with lots of blueberries, meaning you get plenty of sweet and juicy blueberries in each bite. The blueberries burst as they bake in the oven and will fill your kitchen with a gorgeous aroma.

I also decided to add a pack of white chocolate chips, because chocolate always makes everything better, in my opinion!

The creamy white chocolate works wonderfully with the blueberry flavour. You can use dark or milk chocolate chips instead, or just skip the chocolate all together and add even more blueberries to your muffin batter.

Once the muffins come out of the oven, they only need to cool for about 10-15 minutes and they’re ready to eat.

Even after a couple of days, if we do have any left, I heat one up in the microwave and it’s just like a muffin fresh from the oven!

When I start early at work, I love to wake up to a plate of these on the kitchen countertop for breakfast.

Or at the weekend, instead of having to flip pancakes, these muffins make an easy breakfast to grab along with a glass of juice or cup of coffee.

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Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins

Homemade blueberry muffins studded with white chocolate chips.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 100 g butter (salted or unsalted) or baking spread (I use Stork) at room temperature
  • 140 g caster or granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 140 g full-fat natural yoghurt substitute with buttermilk or sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 250 g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 150 g blueberries fresh or frozen
  • 100 g white chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter/baking spread with the sugar for 2 minutes until fluffy and lighter in colour.
  • Now add the eggs and beat to combine - don't worry if it looks curdled at this point, as once you add the dry ingredients, they will come together. Mix in the vanilla extract along with the yoghurt and milk.
  • Now take one tablespoon of the weighed out flour and stir that through your chocolate chips (this stops the chocolate sinking to the bottom of the muffins. You don't need to do this with the blueberries though). In a medium sized bowl, stir together the remaining flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt (omit this if you're using salted butter).
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Now add the blueberries and white chocolate chips and gently fold to combine - be careful not to over mix at this point.
  • Divide the muffin batter between the paper liners. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 180°C / 160°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4 and continue baking the muffins for 15-18 more minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre.
  • Once the muffins are baked, allow them to cool for a few minutes and then transport them to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. The muffins will keep for up to 3 days.

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Baking · Dips and Sides · Gluten-Free · Vegan

Spanish Roasted Almonds (Almendras Fritas)

What Jessica Baked Next5 Comments

Spanish-style almonds flavoured with olive oil, smoked paprika and garlic. A quick recipe to prepare ready for snacking on.

Almendras Fritas is a traditional Spanish tapa. The almonds are usually fried, but instead I’ve roasted mine and once lightly toasted and still hot from the oven, I’ve mixed the almonds with olive oil, garlic and paprika seasoning, and flaky sea salt.

In Spain, you’ll typically find fried almonds (only seasoned with salt) on the side in bars, ready to devour with a beer or glass of wine.

They also make a fabulous, healthy snack to munch on. They’re perfect for all occasions, whether it be for a mid-morning/midday snack to re-engerise yourself with, or served up at a party alongside other tasty nibbles.

Last summer, I went on a holiday to beautiful Nerja in Andalusia. It was on that trip that I discovered the Spaniards’ love of savoury and sweet nuts.

Walking around most cities or towns, there are many stalls selling warm almonds. We also found a shop that sold caramelised nuts. They took anything from almonds, to cashew nuts, to sunflower seeds and coated these nuts and seeds in caramel – some with salt added too.

I brought back a few packs to eat at home, but this is something I’ve wanted to recreate for the blog since my holiday.

But first, I chose to make a savoury version of roasted nuts.

I intended to share this recipe before Christmas/New Year and wanted to post it alongside these Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels. In the end, time got the better of me, but I made sure this recipe went straight to the top of my 2023 recipe planner.

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Spanish Roasted Almonds (Almendras Fritas)

Spanish-style roasted almonds, flavoured with smoked paprika and garlic.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 6
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 300 g raw almonds
  • 1 teaspoon garlic granules
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt I use sea salt, but table salt is fine too
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
  • Evenly spread the almonds out on a large baking tray. Toast the almonds for 5-8 minutes until slightly darkened in colour - watch them carefully as the nuts toast very quickly.
  • While the almonds are toasting, prepare the spice mix. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic granules, smoked paprika and the salt.
  • When the almonds are ready, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and the spice mix and toss to combine.
  • Serve the almonds warm or at room temperature. The almonds will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

The recipe makes enough almonds to generously fill a medium sized serving dish and will roughly serve about 6 people.

Deliciously crunchy and each almond has a tasty coating of smoky paprika and garlic.

You’ll find these addictive and will be eating them constantly by the handful…

Similar recipes to try next!

Patatas Bravas – my most popular savoury recipe

Paprika Roasted Potatoes

Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels (3 Ingredients)

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Baking · Chocolate · Crêpes and Pancakes

Homemade Crêpes

What Jessica Baked Next45 Comments

Soft and fluffy traditional French Crêpes are quick and easy to make from scratch. This 4 ingredient recipe is one to have ready for Pancake Day!

Originally posted in February 2015, recipe and photographs updated January 2023.

When I’m craving homemade soft, buttery and fluffy crêpes this recipe ticks all the boxes for me.

These crêpes are incredibly easy to make as the batter can be made in a blender or just in a mixing bowl with a whisk. The batter also doesn’t require chilling before cooking, but it can also be made ahead of time.

I enjoy serving my homemade crêpes with chocolate hazelnut spread, Chantilly cream and berries, but the neutral flavour of these means you can serve and top them with anything that takes your fancy!

With Shrove Tuesday approaching next month, I’m sharing one of my favourite pancake recipes.

Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day is a day we celebrate and eat lots of homemade pancakes. The reason is that it uses up butter, eggs and other items that are given up for Lent.

I have very fond memories of Pancake Day growing up. We ate plate after plate of pancakes, all with different toppings!

I love big, fluffy American-style pancakes equally as much as I adore crêpes, and this Nigella recipe has never let me down – it’s a recipe I’ve made for years.

This is the kind of dessert I could eat forever and I would be happy. I love a thin crispy pancake packed full of warm Nutella, that really is dessert heaven for me!

These crêpes make an awesome weekend breakfast. They’re light, airy, and delicious with the warm, oozy Nutella spilling out.

Crêpes are great served with savoury fillings such as ham (a vegetarian option is also brilliant too), cheese and mustard. Another favourite of ours is lemon juice and sugar, it’s such a fresh and sweet flavour combination.

The list and choices are endless!

You can even make a Crêpe Cake too! Layer each crêpe, spread with your choice of filling and continue going until you’ve used all your crêpes up – you will probably need to make a double batch of this recipe to make enough crêpes for a cake.

Bookmark this recipe to make right away or next month for Pancake Day! You might also like to try my popular Fluffy American Pancakes or Fluffy Vegan Pancakes too!

I made a double batch of this recipe, and that made plenty of crêpes for dessert one night and breakfast the next day. We can’t get enough of these and they use very little ingredients, which is an added bonus!

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Homemade Crêpes

How to make traditional French Crêpes! These thin pancakes are great served with your favourite savoury or sweet fillings.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 30 g butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 150 g plain flour
  • 325 ml milk
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  • Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly.
  • In a blender or mixing bowl blend/whisk the flour, milk and egg until combined. Now add the melted butter and combine until you have a smooth and thin pancake batter. If there are any lumps in your batter, pass through it through a sieve. At this point you can chill the batter for up to 2 days before using - I always allow my batter to rest overnight, but this is optional.
  • Heat a small amount of extra butter in a small pan (the pan I use is approx. 20cm / 8-inch in diameter). Once melted carefully wipe away any excess butter. Take roughly 2-3 tablespoons of the pancake mixture into the pan and swirl around until a thin, crisp pancake forms covering the base of your pan. It will only take about a 1 minute to cook on one side. Now flip over and cook on the other side for about another 30 seconds until lightly coloured. Once cooked place on some parchment paper and keep warm in the oven - placing a layer of parchment paper in between each crêpe to avoid them sticking together.
  • Repeat the above step with the remaining batter. Fold or roll the crêpes and serve warm with a choice of fillings and toppings.
  • Crêpes will keep once cooked, covered for up to 3 days. They can be frozen, wrapped well for up to 3 months - when ready to serve, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave in 20 second bursts until hot.

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Baking · Vegetarian Recipes

Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels

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An easy canapé to serve at upcoming Christmas, New Year parties or to take out for a picnic. These puff pastry pinwheels are made with only 3 ingredients!

Looking for a last minute, sophisticated canapé you can make in time for Christmas and New Year?

My Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels are a couple of bites of gooey cheesy, flaky pastry deliciousness.

We’ve made these pastry pinwheels for years and love serving them at all kinds of gatherings.

Both sets of our grandparents love these, whenever we made them (which was usually every Christmas or party) where we served a buffet for tea, these pastry pinwheels would disappear very quickly!

When I want to make something quick and easy, I always grab a pack of ready made puff pastry. It’s great to have a pack in the fridge ready for any occasion. I love how effortlessly easy these pinwheels are to make and how very little ingredients you need on hand to make them.

Ingredients can be switched around depending on your dietary requirements. For gluten-free, use gluten-free puff pastry, for dairy-free/vegan, use a dairy-free cheese you like.

Try some different cheese too, swap the Cheddar for Gruyère, Mozzarella or even Red Leicester.

Once they’re baked until golden, it’s very hard to stop at just one…

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Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels

An easy and impressive canapé to put out at upcoming Christmas, New Year parties or to take out for a picnic. These puff pastry pinwheels only use 3 ingredients too!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 22
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 375 g pack ready rolled puff pastry
  • 2 tablespoons mustard I use 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard and 1 tablespoon Dijon or English mustard
  • 100 g mature Cheddar grated

Instructions

  • Take your puff pastry and unroll it. Spread the mustard evenly across the sheet of puff pastry and top with the grated cheese.
  • Starting at the long end of the pastry, tightly roll the pastry. Cover and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 10 minutes - this makes slicing easier.
  • Once you're ready to bake the pinwheels, preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Line two large baking trays with parchment paper.
  • Take a serrated knife, trim the edges and slice the pastry roll into 1cm pieces and distribute evenly between the baking trays. The recipe makes approx. 22-24 pinwheels. (At this point you can freeze the (unbaked) pinwheels for up to one month.)
  • Bake the pinwheels for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. They can be eaten both hot and cold, store the pinwheels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

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Cheesecake · Chocolate · Christmas · No-Bake

No-Bake White Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

What Jessica Baked Next7 Comments

White chocolate cheesecake flavoured with zesty orange, on top of a buttery digestive biscuit base.

Ever since I made this Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake for my blog 7 years ago, this cheesecake has remained the most viewed recipe on the blog. It’s especially popular around this time of year!

That cheesecake is a recipe many have made over Christmas. For years I’ve loved seeing photos of your TCO cheesecake creations!

Since Terry’s chocolate orange comes in different flavours, I wanted to experiment with the white chocolate variety you can now get.

Sensationally soft and light cheesecake, that celebrates the divine combination of creamy white chocolate and orange.

No-bake cheesecakes are so easy to make. Just mix together all the ingredients and then pop the cheesecake in the fridge to set and your work is done! Once it’s set, decorate however you fancy.

I went for more whipped cream, white chocolate orange segments and, some grated chocolate and orange zest.

We loved this cheesecake, so much so we might just have to make it again before Christmas.

If you adore chocolate orange recipes, then this cheesecake is a MUST on your Christmas baking list! After you’ve finished one slice, you’ll be dreaming of the next…

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No-Bake White Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

White chocolate cheesecake flavoured with zesty orange, on top of a buttery digestive biscuit base.
Prep Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Biscuit Base:

  • 140 g butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 300 g digestive biscuits

White Chocolate Orange Cheesecake:

  • 300 g white chocolate
  • 600 g full-fat cream cheese softened - I leave mine out at room temperature for about an hour
  • 3 tablespoons icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoons orange extract adjust to taste
  • 300 ml double cream

Instructions

  • To prepare the biscuit base: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and mix until well combined. Tip the biscuit crumbs into a 23cm springform cake tin and press down until firm. Use the back of a spoon to smooth over, place in the fridge to chill whilst you make the filling.
  • To make the cheesecake filling: Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie or in the microwave in 20 second intervals. Leave to cool for a few minutes - chocolate stills needs to be slightly warm before adding the remaining cheesecake ingredients later to avoid lumps forming. In a medium mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese with the icing sugar and orange extract.
  • In another mixing bowl whisk the cream until soft peaks form. Fold through the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture. Finally, fold the cream into the cream cheese mix.
  • Spoon the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit base and smooth over with a spatula or palette knife. Cover and leave to chill for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
  • When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the tin and decorate. Best serve chilled. The cheesecake can be made ahead of time, leave it in the tin, covered with cling film for up to 3 days. Leftover slices can be stored in an airtight container in a fridge.

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies

Butter Cookies

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Butter Cookies are a wonderfully delicious bake all year round, but they’re extra special baked over Christmas. Serve with a light dusting of icing sugar or dipped/drizzled with chocolate. It’s love at first bite with these cookies…

I’ve been working on perfecting these Butter Cookies for over a year now. There’s been many struggles to find a recipe I was one hundred percent happy to share. When you finally get a recipe perfected, it’s the best feeling!

When I first made these, every time I tried to pipe the dough on my baking trays, I could never easily pipe the dough and countless times, my piping bag would end up splitting! Even though I was feeling frustrated, I wasn’t going to give up, so I kept experimenting with different methods of making these cookies.

I’m so glad I did, because the cookies are absolutely divine.

This recipe doesn’t involve creaming the softened butter and sugar like most butter cookie recipes instruct. Here we’re combining all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and creaming on medium speed until super light and fluffy – this takes just 30 seconds to achieve and, best of all, it’s EASY!

These are the biscuits you get around Christmas, very similar to Danish butter cookies, with a beautiful texture that’s like shortbread. Though I love buying tins of biscuits at Christmas, making your own is a fun activity and of course, they taste amazing because they’re homemade.

Why You’ll Love These Butter Cookies

  • Deliciously soft and buttery
  • Crispy edges
  • Quick to make with no chilling time required, the cookies keep their defined swirls even without chilling. These cookies are ready in 30 minutes!

These cookies look chic, they take only half an hour to make and all you’ll need is 4 ingredients! Swap the vanilla extract for almond or orange for a flavour twist if you like.

Decoration is where the fun continues. Before baking, top each cookie with half a glacé cherry. Once baked, dip half in melted chocolate or drizzle with (dark, milk or white) chocolate. Then top the chocolate with toasted nuts or sprinkles.

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Butter Cookies

Four ingredient Butter Cookies are soft, buttery and will just melt in your mouth.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 175 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
  • 175 g plain flour sifted
  • 50 g icing sugar sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 170°C / 150°C Fan / 300°F / Gas Mark 2. Line two large baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the softened butter, flour, icing sugar and vanilla. Cream on medium speed for 30 seconds, then stop the mixer, scrap down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for a few seconds to fully combine. The mixture should be creamy and light.
  • Fit a piping bag with a medium sized star nozzle and fill the piping bag with the cookie dough. Pipe even swirls of cookie dough on the baking trays. This recipe makes 10-12 cookies, depending on how big or small you pipe the cookies.
  • Bake the cookies for 20 minutes or until a light golden colour. All ovens are different, so yours might not need as long in the oven. Leave the cookies to cool on the trays for 5 minutes, before transporting to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Decorate with melted chocolate or dusting with icing sugar before enjoying.
  • The cookies will keep for up to 2 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Now grab your apron, put some festive music on and get baking these gorgeous Butter Cookies!

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Baking

Best Yorkshire Puddings

What Jessica Baked Next4 Comments

An easy and simple recipe for making the best Yorkshire Puddings. This recipe won’t let you down and will become a staple of your Sunday roast dinner.

From now on until the New Year, I’ll be sharing festive-inspired recipes.

This is my mum’s foolproof Yorkshire Puddings recipe. With Christmas next month, you might be getting your Christmas dinner menu planned and ready.

The trimmings are my favourite part of a Xmas dinner, give me a plateful of crispy roast potatoes, sage and onion stuffing and fluffy Yorkshire puddings, and I’m content!

Yorkshire Puddings are simple to make. Made from a batter of flour, cornflour (in our recipe), salt, eggs and milk. They’re cooked in oil in a very hot oven until golden brown and crispy on the outside, with a deliciously spongey inside.

The secret to perfect yorkies is chilling the batter for at least 30 minutes. I chill mine for a couple of hours, but you can leave it overnight. Chilling helps the gluten in the flour relax and develops the flavour. Having the oil extremely hot is also super important – this helps with the rise.

I know it’s tempting, but try not to open the oven door until the timer goes off. If you do, then they’re likely to deflate!

Remember these are meant to look rustic, it’s all about the taste and texture here! Once you’ve made these, you’re going to be so proud when you take them out the oven.

These Yorkshire puddings go wonderfully enjoyed part of a Sunday roast. They also taste great with sausages (meat or vegetarian) with onions and gravy. You can also make toad in the hole (another yummy British recipe) and cook in a baking tray.

If you want to make these in advance, then once baked and cooled, transfer to a freezer bag, seal and freeze for up to one month. Take out of the freezer, place on a baking tray and cook in a preheated oven until crisp and warm.

I can’t wait for you to share and wow your friends and family with these wonderful Yorkshire Puddings!

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Best Yorkshire Puddings

Crisp and perfectly fluffy Yorkshire Puddings! These make any roast dinner extra special and taste fabulous with lashings of gravy.
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 100 g plain flour
  • 25 g cornflour (cornstarch) If you don't have this, substitute with plain flour
  • Generous pinch of salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 225 ml milk
  • 12 teaspoons vegetable oil

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl or jug, add the plain flour, cornflour and salt. Give it a good whisk to combine. Add the eggs and the milk, and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
  • For best results, chill the batter for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. If you haven't mixed the batter in a jug, then transfer it to a jug ready for pouring into the tin later on.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Pour a teaspoon of oil into each hole of the bun tin, and once the oven is hot enough, place the tin in the oven for 5-7 minutes until the oil is piping hot.
  • Give the batter another good whisk before carefully pouring the batter equally between the holes in the tin. Return to the oven quickly and bake for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and nicely golden in colour. Serve and enjoy.

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Baking · Brownies · Chocolate

Malteser Brownies

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These malt chocolate brownies are topped with crunchy malted chocolate spread and chocolate-coated malt balls! 

There’s SO many reasons to love these Malteser Brownies.

Incredibly rich and decadent brownies, that are sensationally soft and fudge-like. Malt flavour is incorporated in the brownie batter with the addition of malted milk powder and malt chocolate spread is placed on top of the brownie before and after baking!

Fnally, the brownies are decorated with crunchy Maltesers!

I’ve shared a couple of brownie recipes on my blog; these Vegan Brownies are incredible, but these Chocolate Fudge Brownies are spectacular too.

For my next brownie creation, I thought about combining a favourite chocolate sweet of mine in a brownie. If you’re a Malteser fan like I am, then prepare yourself for this heavenly brownie!

I used a wonderful recipe from Kelly over at Maverick Baking and I’ve been eyeing up lots of her other brownie recipes, all of which have got my mouth watering.

You can see by the photos of the brownies, just how fudgy they are. The fudgy texture is due to this recipe having a higher fat content from the quantity of chocolate and butter included, whereas cakey brownies have more flour added.

This brownie has that just-baked texture, so if you want you can leave them in the oven for a few more minutes longer if you want them slightly more cooked.

We ate these brownies throughout the week and popped a couple in the microwave to warm through and that was the BEST decision.

After being heated through, the brownies reminded us of a gooey chocolate fondant pudding!

The recipe makes 12-16 brownies. Decorate with the extra Maltesers just before serving, otherwise the malt balls lose their crunchiness.

Change the decoration up depending on the season, around Christmastime; top the brownies with Malteser reindeers, or when it’s Easter, switch the decorations with scrummy Malteser bunnies.

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Malteser Brownies

These malt chocolate brownies are topped with crunchy malted chocolate spread and chocolate-coated malt balls! 
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 250 g dark chocolate
  • 230 g butter (salted or unsalted)
  • 40 g malted milk powder (such as Horlicks or Ovaltine)
  • 40 g plain flour
  • 60 g cocoa powder
  • 250 g caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 100 g Malteser spread (plus extra for decoration)
  • Maltesers for decoration

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C / 140°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 3. Line a 20cm x 20cm tin with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Place your chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Set this aside to cool for a few minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the malted milk powder, plain flour, cocoa powder and, sugar along with a small pinch of salt.
  • In a jug, combine the eggs and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to chocolate/butter mixture and whisk together until just combined.
  • Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Transfer the brownie batter into the lined tin. Top with 100g of Malteser spread - dollop this all over the top of the brownie batter. Bake the brownies for 40-50 minutes. When the brownies are ready, you should be able to shake the tray and see no wobble in the centre.
  • Allow the brownies to cool completely to room temperature - I usually leave mine overnight.
  • Decorate with extra Malteser spread and Maltesers before serving. The brownies will keep stored at room temperature for up to one week.

More brownie recipes on WJBN!

Vegan Chocolate Orange Brownies

Ganache Frosted Fudge Brownies

Chocolate Fudge Brownies

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Baking

Butternut Squash, Cheddar and Sage Scones

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These scrummy scones make a tasty autumn lunch. Cheese scones are a British tea room favourite, put an autumn spin on the classic with the addition of sweet butternut squash and sage.

Scone recipes feature frequently on my blog. I have great recipes for both savoury and sweet scones. While, savoury scones are my personal favourite, this magical Lemonade Scones (3 Ingredient Recipe) has been a fabulous discovery and one of my most popular recipes!

In our house, we make these Cheesy Buttermilk Scones on many occasions, but as it’s autumn now, I wanted to put an autumnal spin on the popular cheese scone.

These scones are made just like any other scone recipe, though, you’ll need mashed butternut squash/pumpkin.

I roast mine in tin foil for 30 minutes until soft and mash-able! Alternatively, you can boil it until soft. It’s important once the butternut squash is cooked and mashed, to drain it over a sieve for at least 5 minutes to get rid of some of the excess water – the longer you drain it, the better.

I’ve added a couple of teaspoons of dried sage to my scone dough, but you can add any herbs or seasonings. Fresh or dried herbs like rosemary or some chives make a yummy addition too.

There’s a generous helping of grated cheese in this scone dough. I love using a good mature Cheddar cheese for a cheesy flavour-packed scone. Half the cheese goes in the scone dough and the other half is used to top the scones before baking.

I love that cheesy topping you get on one half. Whenever I eat a cheese scone, I always save the top half until last…

It’s the best part.

The scones before baking have the extra grated Cheddar sprinkled over the top. As the cheese bakes, it goes all melted and gooey. Any excess cheese around the sides of the scones, creates a tasty, crispy cheesy crust that’s great to nibble on!

If you wanted to, you could add some cooked bacon or vegan bacon if you’re vegetarian like me.

Soup season is here and why not switch a bread roll or slice of bread for one of these Butternut Squash, Cheddar and Sage Scones!

Once baked and you slice the scones in half, you’ll see the gorgeously vibrant orange interior.

These scones taste amazing, fresh from the oven and spread with soft butter. I found the flavour intensified the next day and I enjoyed the scones even more.

Print

Butternut Squash, Cheddar and Sage Scones

Cheese scones are a British tea room favourite, put an autumn spin on the classic with the addition of sweet butternut squash and sage.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 275 g butternut squash or pumpkin (peeled and deseeded)
  • 225 g self-raising flour plus extra for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 50 g butter (salted or unsalted) fridge cold and cut into small cubes
  • 125 g mature Cheddar cheese coarsely grated
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk plus extra for brushing

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Chop the butternut squash/pumpkin into rough 2cm pieces and wrap the butternut squash/pumpkin pieces in tin foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until tender.
  • Mash the pumpkin/squash until smooth and place in a sieve over a bowl to drain off any excess water and allow to cool slightly.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder and dried sage into a mixing bowl and season. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in half of the cheese.
  • Tip the butternut squash/pumpkin purée into the mixing bowl and use a table knife to start to blend it into the flour mixture. Add just enough milk to bring it together as a soft, but not sticky dough.
  • Turn the scone dough out onto a floured surface and pat out until roughly 2.5cm in thickness. Use a 6cm cutter to stamp out scones and transfer them to a baking tray lined with baking paper. I got about 6 scones from this mixture, but you might make more depending on your cutter.
    Re-form the remaining dough to stamp out further rounds until all of it is used up. Top Tip: When cutting the scones from the dough, press down and, lift up, don't twist as this will cause an uneven rise.
  • Brush each scone with a little milk and top with the remaining cheese. Bake the scones 12-15 minutes until risen and golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
  • The scones will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

The scones were inspired by this recipe.

Try these Cheesy Buttermilk Scones next!

Lemonade Scones (3 Ingredient Recipe)

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Travel

Nerja, Spain

What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

A fortnight exploring Andalusia. White buildings, idyllic towns and stunning coastal views. Here are some favourite snapshots from my holiday.

Buenos días or buenas noches!

A few weeks ago, I got back from a fortnight away in Spain, holidaying on the Costa del Sol.

I’ve visited Spanish islands (Ibiza and Mallorca), but this was my first visit to mainland Spain. This trip I took my camera and phone along to capture the sights I explored in this part of Andalusia.

My last travel blog post was posted in September 2019, before the pandemic hit, and little did I know it would be three years before I’d go abroad again.

During that time I’m grateful to have experienced a few lovely UK staycations. Getting back on a plane and having the chance to explore further afield has been absolutely amazing and something I hope I can continue doing.

Our travel day started off pretty early. It wouldn’t be a holiday abroad if you’re not up in the early hours and it’s still pitch black outside!

Once we arrived at the airport, it was goodbye to the UK and a few hours later, hola Spain!

We stayed in Nerja, which is a popular seaside town on the Costa del Sol, located halfway between Granada and Málaga.

I really enjoyed travelling to a new destination as finally going abroad after so long, we were tempted to head back somewhere familiar, but I’m actually glad we didn’t and we tried somewhere new.

We spent every evening, apart from the day we arrived, out in Nerja. We’d have dinner cooked at the villa and then head out for a walk around the town, enjoying views and watching sunsets from the Balcon de Europa and devouring delicious ice creams. I recommend Heladeria Valenciano and Albi for brilliant ice cream in Nerja.

As this is a food blog, I have to write about the food! The pictures below are ice creams from Heladeria Valenciano – I picked quite a few different flavours while away. Two of them were traditional Spanish desserts. On the left is Crema Catalana (like crème brûlée and on the right, Miguelitos (a puff pastry cream-filled dessert), I also had another Spanish-style flavoured ice cream which was nata nueces (wet walnut ice cream).

My other favourites were Tarta de Fresa (strawberry cheesecake ice cream), chocolate blanco (white chocolate), and watermelon.

As I mentioned earlier, we cooked all our meals at the villa where we stayed. Cooking on holiday doesn’t feel like a chore to me, I can pick fresh produce and create tasty dishes. We cooked up some vegetable paella and various vegetarian tapas dishes during our stay. Though, lots of the restaurants in Nerja smelt amazing walking past with the aroma of food on the tables.

You can also enjoy paella directly on the beach and sit beside the beach at a chiringuito and order a drink and tapas. I liked the idea enjoying a morning swim in the sea and then grabbing some breakfast of pan con tomate (tomatoes on toast).

Fruit stalls in Frigilana

Aside from the food, we visited many gorgeous places on this fortnight trip. Driving around, we found some stunning little towns and many coastal areas.

Frigiliana was another beautiful town we were keen on visiting and heard a lot about prior to coming to this region of Spain.

We could see Frigiliana in the distance from where we stayed and visited the town a couple of times. The narrow streets are full of shops and fruit stalls; it was idyllic and a lovely place to take a leisurely stroll around.

Views in Frigilana

A destination that topped my list, was Málaga. This has become one of my new favourite cities. The sunshine, blue sea, the vibe and amazing views are all reasons I’ll definitely be planning a city break here! We kept coming back to Málaga and that gave us the chance to explore more of the city. As with most cities, one day is not usually enough to see it all.

Views of Málaga from the walk up to Gibralfaro Castle – it is a very long walk up to see this view. As always, I recommend if you do attempt this steep walk, then do it early before it reaches the hottest part of the day and take lots of water with you too.

The walk was uphill for a long time, but the panoramic views of the city made it all worth it in the end!

We also took a look around Málaga Cathedral which was simply stunning and gave me a sense of calmness and tranquility in an otherwise vibrant city.

Centre Pompidou Málaga

Paseo del Parque – this park in Málaga is just like being in a jungle. If you’re lucky, you might spot the parakeets. I love the sheer amount of palm trees in this park! We have a massive castle park in the city I’m from in the UK, but unfortunately not as many palm trees (if any) compared to Málaga!

The Alhambra was absolutely stunning. I’m so happy I got to experience a visit here. The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada. It’s one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture.

I found the gardens extremely beautiful and provided some much needed shade at times during the hot sunny days.

We discovered this gem of a beach on our last full day in Almuñécar. If I come back, this beach is somewhere I will plan a visit to. The crystal clear waters are ever so inviting…

Torrox Costa – this beach is lovely too and you can have a relaxing coastal stroll

I loved my time in Nerja, I brought many souvenirs home with me and I’ll have treasured memories of this holiday. Now I can only dream of my next travel destination…

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