Bake Off batch cooking recipes including chocolate chip cookies and Victoria Sponge (perfect for packed lunches)

IT'S the tastiest time of year  – when The Great British Bake Off returns to our screens.

A new batch of bakers are in the tent from today, whipping up all kinds of treats.

Fancy a slice of the action?

Take on a few of these recipes to get in the spirit. Better still, grab a friend or the kids and go head to head competing in your own Bake Off-style competition.

Whether you have a sweet tooth or prefer a savoury snack, try your hand at these delicious ideas.

And remember, soggy bottoms are not allowed!

All these recipes are suitable for freezing, so you don’t have to worry about eating the results all at once.

Simply portion and freeze and you will have plenty of great food ready to fill the family’s lunchboxes for the weeks ahead.

Victoria sponge cake (makes 10 slices)

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

YOU NEED:

• 250g margarine or butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 4 eggs
• 250g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• To serve:
• 3 tbsp raspberry jam
• 150ml double cream
• Handful fresh raspberries
• Icing sugar (to dust)

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease two 8in cake tins with baking parchment.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, caster sugar and vanilla essence with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.

Next, add the eggs, and whisk between adding each egg.

Now sift the self-raising flour and baking powder into the mixing bowl with the eggs and mix well until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the lined cake tins, distributing evenly between the two tins.

Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and cooked through and when you insert a skewer it comes out clean.

Ready to freeze: Leave the cakes to cool completely before wrapping in cling film or tin foil.

Place in the freezer.

Ready to eat: Remove from the freezer and leave to defrost on the counter.

It will take around two hours to defrost the two layers.

Put one of the cake layers on a plate and then spoon over the raspberry jam.

In a mixing bowl, add the cream and whisk until thick.

Spoon the whipped cream over the raspberry jam evenly, sprinkle over the fresh raspberries and then place the second cake layer on the top.

Sprinkle with the icing sugar and serve.

Apple and cinnamon cupcakes (makes 12)

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 15-17 mins

YOU NEED:

• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 150g self-raising flour
• 150g margarine or butter
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 apple, diced
• 1 tsp cinnamon

METHOD: Preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and line a 12-mould muffin tin with some cupcake cases.

In a large mixing bowl add the caster sugar, eggs, baking powder, flour, margarine or butter and vanilla essence, then mix using an electric whisk until you have a smooth batter.

Once smooth, fold in the diced apple chunks and cinnamon.

Using a tablespoon, put the mix into each cupcake case so they are three-quarters full.

Pop in the oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes until they are golden.

An easy way to check if they are cooked is to take a small knife and insert it into the top of the cupcake.

If the knife comes out clear with no cake batter on it, the cupcakes are cooked.

Ready to freeze: Once cooked, leave the cupcakes to cool before placing in a large, reusable freezer bag.

Ready to eat: Remove the cupcakes one by one from the freezer and leave them to defrost for 30 minutes.

Chocolate chip cookies (makes 12)

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

YOU NEED:

• 130g softened butter
• 75g light brown sugar
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 100g dark chocolate chips
• 100g white chocolate chips
• To top (optional):
• 1 tsp Biscoff spread
• 1 tsp Nutella
• 1 tsp peanut butter

METHOD: Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix with an electric whisk for three to four minutes until light and fluffy.

Next, add the egg and vanilla and mix again.

Then add the flour, baking powder and chocolate chips and mix until all incorporated.

Once you have a dough, place into a tub and pop into the fridge for an hour.

Using an ice cream scoop, make 12 balls of dough.

If you want to use one of the additions above, flatten the ball and add a teaspoon of spread then fold over the top.

Once you have done them all, place on a baking tray and put in the freezer.

Ready to freeze: Flash-freeze the dough balls for an hour until hard, then add to a freezer bag ready to grab when you want them.

Ready to cook: Remove however many balls you want to cook and place on a lined baking sheet.

Make sure you space them out, as the cookies will flatten as they cook.

Place in the oven at 170C/150C fan/ gas 3 for 15 minutes until they are golden at the edge – but keep an eye on them, as ovens vary.

Leave them to cool or enjoy them warm with ice cream.

Cheese & pesto pinwheels (makes ten)

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

YOU NEED:

• 1 sheet pre-rolled shop-bought pizza dough
• 4 tbsp pesto
• 3 large handfuls of grated cheese
• 8 sundried tomatoes, finely diced

METHOD: Roll out the pizza dough and spoon over the pesto, leaving a 1cm border round the outside.

Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly all over, then add the diced sundried tomatoes.

From the short end, carefully roll up the dough into a log.

Slice up into around ten equal slices.

Ready to freeze: Place the slices on a baking tray and flash freeze for an hour until hard.

Pop them into a large reusable freezer bag.

Ready to cook: Preheat the oven to 190C/ 170C fan /gas 5.

Place the frozen pinwheels on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until they are cooked through and golden.

Cheese scones (makes six-eight)

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

YOU NEED:

• 165g self-raising flour
• Pinch of salt
• 55g margarine
• 120g cheddar cheese, grated
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp mustard powder
• 1 egg
• 120ml milk

METHOD: Put the flour, salt and margarine in a large mixing bowl, then mix well, rubbing in the margarine with your hands until the mix looks like breadcrumbs.

Add in the cheese, smoked paprika and mustard powder then pour in the wet ingredients and bring together to form a dough.

Tip on to a floured surface then roll out using a rolling pin to about 4cm deep.

Take a round cutter and cut out as many rounds as you can.

Place on to a baking tray, brush with a little milk and place in a preheated oven at 220C/200C fan/gas 7 for ten minutes until golden and risen.

Ready for the freezer: Leave the scones to cool then add to a labelled freezer bag.

Ready to eat: Defrost and heat through in the microwave for 30 seconds.

White chocolate & cranberry flapjacks (makes 12 squares)

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

YOU NEED:

• 100g butter
• 125g light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 250g porridge oats
• 100g white chocolate chips
• 100g dried cranberries

METHOD: Preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with greaseproof paper.

In a large saucepan, place the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup and then melt on a medium heat.

Add the porridge oats and stir.

Remove from the heat and leave the mix to sit for one minute before adding the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.

Pour into the prepared tin and pop into the oven to cook for 14-15 minutes until golden.

Once cooked, leave to cool in the tin.

Ready for the freezer: When the flapjack has cooled, slice into squares and place in a Tupperware container.

Ready to eat: Remove from the oven and leave to defrost.