Sweet Treats
Blogger Jane Dunn has seen interest in her bakes grow exponentially since the pandemic hit. In her debut cookbook, named after her blog, Jane’s Patisserie, she offers recipes for sweet treat after sweet treat; each one promising comfort, deliciousness and nostalgia.
The 28-year-old has been blogging her bakes for around six-and-a-half years, creating recipes designed to suit all skill levels and gladly recommends decorating her no-bake millionaire’s cheesecake with shop-bought millionaire shortbread bites.
Salted caramel-stuffed NYC cookies
These cookies are incredibly moreish. “When thinking of cookies, you may think crunchy, or you may think gooey and soft. But do you think a gooey soft centre of caramel? Well, you absolutely should!” says Jane. “These cookies have a molten caramel centre that is absolutely incredible, along with a salted cookie dough.”
Ingredients:
(Makes 8)
125g unsalted butter
175g soft light brown sugar
1 egg (medium or large)
1tsp vanilla extract
300g plain flour
1½tsp baking powder
½tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp sea salt
250g milk chocolate chips or chunks
8–16 soft caramel sweets
Method:
1. Beat the butter and soft light brown sugar together until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again.
2. Add the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt and combine until a cookie dough is formed, then add the chocolate chips or chunks and mix until they are evenly distributed.
3. Portion your dough out into eight balls – each should weigh about 110g. Once rolled into balls, flatten slightly and put one or two soft caramels in the middle, then wrap the cookie dough around the caramels and re-roll into balls. Put into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or in the fridge for an hour or so. While the cookie dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
4. Take your cookies out of the freezer or fridge and put onto the lined trays (I do four cookies per tray) and bake for 12–14 minutes. Once baked, leave the cookies to cool on the trays for at least 30 minutes as they will continue to bake while cooling.
Blueberry lime loaf cake
Intro: A slice of this with a cup of tea is the dream. “When you bake with fruit, you often get beautiful colours dotted throughout the bakes,” says Jane. “Combining berry and citrus flavours is always delicious too… lemon and raspberry, blackberry and lemon, or as in this cake, blueberry and lime. I adore it.
Ingredients:
(Serves 8-10)
200g unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
200g self-raising flour, plus 1tbsp for dusting
4 eggs
Zest of 1 lime
200g fresh or frozen blueberries
Buttercream:
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
250g icing sugar
Juice of 1 lime
For the decoration:
100g blueberries
Lime zest
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan and grease and line a 900g loaf tin with parchment paper.
2. Put the butter and caster sugar into a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the self-raising flour, eggs and lime zest to the bowl, and mix again until combined.
3. Put the tablespoon of plain flour into a bowl and add the blueberries, mixing until they are coated (this stops the blueberries all sinking to the bottom of the cake). Fold the blueberries through the cake mixture, then pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50–55 minutes, or until baked through. Remove the cake from the oven, and leave to cool fully in the tin while you make the buttercream.
4. Add the butter to a bowl and beat on its own for a few minutes to loosen and soften. Add the icing sugar and beat again until combined. Finally, add the lime juice and beat again.
5. Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the loaf cake, then sprinkle over the blueberries and lime zest.
Jane’s Patisserie by Jane Dunn is published by Ebury Press. Photography by Ellis Parrinder. Available August 5.
Rhubarb and custard blondies
“Rhubarb and custard is an iconic flavour combination – whether you think of those boiled sweets (my parents used to adore these) or even just stewed rhubarb topped with fresh custard, the sweet tang you get from the rhubarb, combined with the lovely flavour of custard, it really is amazing,” says Jane. “Add these delicious flavours to a blondie traybake and it wins everyone’s favourite bake!”
Ingredients:
(Makes 16)
175g rhubarb
300g white granulated sugar
2tbsp water
200g unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
125g plain flour
75g custard powder
200g white chocolate chips or chunks
100g custard
Method:
1. Chop the rhubarb into pieces and add to a pan with 50g of the sugar and the water. Place over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, or until the rhubarb softens. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan and line a 23cm square tin with parchment paper.
3. Put the melted unsalted butter and remaining 250g sugar into a large bowl and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and beat until smooth, then add the plain flour and custard powder and beat until combined. Fold through the white chocolate chips or chunks.
4. Pour the mixture into the tin and spread out evenly. Dollop the rhubarb mixture and custard over the top and swirl through slightly using a cake skewer or knife.
5. Bake the blondies for 30–35 minutes, or until there is an ever so slight wobble in the middle. Leave the blondies to cool fully in the tin before cutting into 16 squares.
Jane’s Patisserie by Jane Dunn is published by Ebury Press. Photography by Ellis Parrinder. Available now.