Original subtitles

Baking really is one of the best things in life.

Who can resist the joy of a warm cookie...

And I can tell you it is absolutely delicious.

..the pleasure of a creamy sponge...

That looks gorgeous.

..or the comfort of a roast dinner?

Sometimes, it's the simple things that we love the most.

So in this series, I'll be celebrating the everyday,

elevating ordinary bakes into extraordinary treats.

This bake is so easy, anyone can do it.

When I cook things that are really fast,

I feel really accomplished.

From family meals that let the oven take the strain...

If you are looking for an epic bake,

you came to the right place.

..to fun-packed weekend brunches...

All that delicious flavour. Just look at it!

..and the simplest of celebratory sweets.

That is the magic of baking.

Plus, go-to favourites from some of the best bakers in Britain.

Cos I love what I'm doing. It's bringing me joy.

This is baking for you, for me,

and the people you love for every day of the year.

This week, fat-free bakes for all the family.

From my triple stack naan sarnie packed with tandoori chicken...

Ask my kids who makes the best sandwich.

Ma makes the best sandwiches. They know it.

To a punchy Mexican one-pot wonder.

Is this everyday cooking? Of course it is.

Is it special? Absolutely.

Plus, my epic cookie pie.

Yes, you heard right.

Cookie pie.

Need I say more?

But first, a traditional sweet treat gets a Hussain family makeover.

Family baking can be everyday.

It can be simple.

It can be stuff that you've done time and time again,

but it can still be special.

Flapjacks are a staple, a must in our house

ever since we've had kids.

I have made so many different variations,

and this one is my favourite.

# We are family... #

With a secret layer of tart raspberry jam

and a cheeky triple chocolate topping,

these ultimate flapjacks are a foolproof bake

for all the family.

But don't just take my word for it.

Hey. Hi.

This is one of the first things that my daughter Maryam

and I baked together.

And it has since been one thing she makes all the time.

Tell them what your favourite thing is in the whole wide world.

Flapjacks. Yes!

So the first thing we're going to start off with -

250g of unsalted butter.

This is what makes flapjacks delicious.

Lots and lots and lots of butter.

Next, 180g of both golden caster sugar and golden syrup.

And then because these aren't your average flapjacks,

two teaspoons of almond extract.

I always put almond extract.

I always put almond extract cos it gives me that almondy

cherry bakewelly flavour.

Then gently melt over a low heat.

I love the way it looks, like, when it melts.

It smells like caramel.

Smells caramely.

Minutes, this takes minutes, doesn't it? Yep. Right.

We've got 500g of oats,

and those oats are like a sponge.

They take up all of that flavour.

These are very easy to eat straight up...

I could. You coul...you DO!

SHE GIGGLES

You do.

Pop half the sticky sweet mixture into a prepared baking tin

and flatten down with a spoon.

Would you say that you were a flapjack expert?

Flapjack fanatic.

Oh, yes.

NADIYA CHUCKLES

This is not just any old flapjack.

It's flapjack with a layer of raspberry jam

and another layer of flapjack.

Imagine the surprise when you think, "Oh, it's just a flapjack."

And then you open it and there's this tangy, fruity, jammy surprise.

Like a sandwich. Mm-hm.

Like a flapjack sandwich.

Yum. That sounds like a recipe, if ever I heard one.

I think that's good.

Straight in.

Onto my speedy shortcut to a scrumptious topping.

It starts with just three simple bars of chocolate.

We're not going for one flavour of...

SHE CHUCKLES

..we're going for white, milk and dark.

Why have one when you can have all three?

Do you find me funny? Sometimes.

What's your favourite? Dark.

Oh, you're so sophisticated.

All right.

Right. Time to get these flapjacks out.

That smell smells so nice and buttery.

BOTH: Ah.

Now for the best bit.

No extra pans for melting.

Our chocolate is going straight on top of the flapjack.

Pop it back in the oven.

And after mere moments, it's deliciously gooey.

Look at that. The chocolate has just melted,

and now we're going to have a little bit of fun.

This is like really quick edible art on top.

And it's really simple.

It really is a brilliant family bake.

It's so easy and, oh, my goodness, so delicious.

These are the most specialist flapjacks ever.

Our super simple, supremely tasty flapjacks

are a real favourite for us,

and we hope they'll become one for your family, too.

Mm, mm, mm!

Mm, mm, mm, mm!

Sweet tart jam nestled between our

ooey gooey caramely flapjacks with that hint of almond.

What's your favourite bit?

The jam in the middle. What about you?

Everything.

You guys are going to love these.

Next, I turn a simple sandwich into a family feast

with a recipe that will blow your socks off.

You can't beat a good sandwich.

And this one is truly epic.

It's filled with flavours that I grew up with,

and it looks pretty incredible, too.

Move over chicken burger.

This mighty sarnie is a meal in itself and big enough to share.

A triple layer naan stack, packed with succulent tandoori chicken,

fruity cabbage slaw and a crunchy poppadom surprise.

I grew up around Dad's restaurants,

and the one thing I remember eating a lot of was tandoori chicken.

That bright red colour, that really delicious aromatic spice.

Dad would always bring it home.

And if we were making sandwiches for school,

it was always tandoori chicken.

My version starts with a crunchy red cabbage and spring onion slaw,

then some grated apple for a fruity zing.

It's got this kind of gentle sharpness that works

really well with cabbage.

To that, add the zest and juice of a lemon and a good pinch of salt.

It's time to get your hands in, really squash everything.

And this is going to help to kind of gel those flavours together.

Leave it. It's going to start to soften just very gently.

Then onto our spicy marinade that starts with a nifty shortcut.

Tandoori paste.

You can get this at most Asian supermarkets,

and you can get it in the world food aisles at the supermarket, as well.

Ooh! It's tangy, it's got that beautiful red colour.

Just instant, instant tandoori flavour.

It's loaded with tart tamarind, earthy cumin,

coriander and paprika.

Now, to make it extra luxurious, chickpea flour.

This is going to help to kind of thicken the marinade

and help it to stick to the chicken.

And then for a kick.

Cayenne pepper.

We want just a tiny little hit of heat.

Nothing explosive.

A pinch of salt and the rich, tangy marinade is done.

Now on to our chicken.

I'm going to show you how to butterfly your chicken breast

so you get that thin layer,

which cooks evenly.

Cut horizontally without going all the way to the end.

Just open it out.

And just push it down.

Ready to take on that mouthwatering tandoori flavour.

Get your hands in.

Smoosh it in that marinade.

And this smell, the way it looks,

takes me right back to Dad's restaurant.

While our marinade works its magic, there's time to whip up

a fresh mint, coriander and garlic mayo.

Garlicky herby mayonnaise.

All the good stuff.

Let's get this chicken out.

The chicken breast has cooked perfectly.

That is crammed with tandoori flavour.

While the chicken cools,

I've got a little tip for the crunchiest of slaws.

Look at that.

You don't want a soggy sandwich.

It's about the details, my friends.

It's about the details.

Straight into a tea towel.

Don't forget to put the bowl underneath.

This is worth doing, I promise you.

That's about as much as I can do.

Look at that. What you're left with is delicious cabbage,

but none of the moisture.

Time to build this beast.

First thing I'm going to do is grab my paper.

Trust me, you're going to need it.

It starts with super tasty shop-bought naan

smothered in that creamy, herby, garlicky mayo.

Oh, my goodness. That smells amazing!

There is nothing meagre about this sandwich.

I want all of the filling to get in every nook and cranny.

Now you can see the commitment that I put into making a sandwich.

I do not muck around.

Ask my kids who makes the best sandwich?

Ma makes the best sandwiches. Ma makes the best sandwiches.

They know it.

And because every sandwich is better with crisps.

Oh, yeah. Poppadoms.

They are going to add the most sensational crunch to this sandwich.

Let's get the last naan bread on top.

OK. You have to...

..squash those layers.

POPPADOMS CRUNCH

And this is what the paper is for.

Wrap it tight, OK?

And this is just going to allow you to really

squeeze that sandwich down without worrying about

everything falling out. Right?

We're going to cut it right through the paper.

And our sandwich is ready to eat.

If anyone's thinking,

"Oh, did she just show us how to make a sandwich?"

Yeah, I did. I showed you how to make a sandwich,

but I showed you how to make the best sandwich

you are ever going to eat.

Look at that.

Crunch, spice, soft, sweet,

you name it.

It's got it all.

My triple decker tandoori chicken sandwich,

a complete family meal in one shareable stack.

The sandwich of all sandwiches.

There is nothing to not love about this sandwich.

It has everything.

Gorgeous, soft naan,

crispy poppadom, garlicky mayo,

crunchy sweet coleslaw

and that tandoori chicken.

Everything that I love in a sandwich, in every single mouthful.

Bringing my family joy through my baking means everything to me,

and it's a passion that also drives

Edinburgh cupcake creator Louise Nicholson.

A cupcake is a perfect family bake

because it's usually the first thing that you bake with your children.

So it's special, I think.

And what's particularly special about these

is that they're all vegan.

So there's no eggs, dairy in them at all,

but they're still completely delicious.

The cupcakes that I'm going to make today

are the Candyfloss Unicorn and the Highland Cow.

First of all, I'm going to create our vegan buttermilk,

which replace the eggs and butter in a traditional cupcake batter.

Blend cider vinegar with soya milk,

add oil and then vanilla.

Give it a good whisk.

My son was diagnosed with allergies and intolerances.

I couldn't find anybody that could make him a birthday cake.

So I experimented with vegan baking.

And after many months of disasters,

I came up with quite a few recipes that tasted nice.

Our buttermilk rested for several minutes.

We're ready to mix our dry ingredients.

I was determined to make sure that the sponges

were the same as a normal, traditional sponge.

And now we have vegan cake batter.

By the time his next birthday came round,

I had a completely vegan cake for him.

Before I knew it, I was like, "OK, I kind of enjoy this.

"I really like doing this."

And the business just kind of grew from there.

Now the fun bit, we get to colour the batter

and make some very pretty cupcakes.

I find it easy using a jug to pour the batter,

and that way you don't spill batter all over your cases.

The pink batter is the last layer of the cupcakes,

the sort of crowning glory.

What's so fun about doing colour inside cupcake sponge

is it's a beautiful surprise when people cut into the cupcakes.

They're not expecting it.

They're always like, "Oh, wow, look at this. It's beautiful."

These vegan cakes are very delicious.

So delicious that you can't tell that they're vegan.

My son loves them.

Everyday, he's saying, "Mum, can you bring me a unicorn cake home?"

They're fun.

I'm proud of what I do.

So many people, whether they've got allergies or whether they're vegan,

they enjoy our products.

Everybody's entitled to a unicorn cupcake!

I think momentous family moments should always be marked

with a delicious bake,

and thanks to Louise, her son's always will be.

Next, a stress-free one-pot wonder

to shake up your family dinner time.

This is the kind of everyday meal that gets me

out of a pickle when I'm in a rush.

My warming beef chilli loaded with crunchy tortilla chips

topped with oozy cheese and punchy jalapenos

is a sure fire way to spice up your weekly repertoire.

One of my favourite things about this dish

is that it is all cooked in one pot.

What is not to love about that?

As a mum with three kids, the fact that I can cook everything,

all of it, in one dish is pretty spectacular.

And I know you guys are going to love it!

It starts by transforming shop-bought tortilla wraps

into tortilla chips,

simply slice into strips and drizzle in oil.

Be generous.

I'm going to add them to that chilli.

And it takes it from being a boring bowl of mince

to something a little bit special.

But first, they need to bake at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes,

just enough time to rustle up our chilli.

We've got a kilo of beef mince, and let's get all of that in there.

SIZZLING

So we're going to cook that till it starts to brown.

Now, one of my favourite fast tracks - garlic paste.

It's really good to have things like minced garlic,

minced ginger in the fridge.

It just speeds everything up.

So does my next shortcut.

Chuck your onions straight in with the meat.

The traditional way might be to brown off the meat,

take it out, and then let the onions soften.

But on a busy weeknight, why not just whack it all in?

It still works.

Now it's time to spice things up a bit,

starting with some chilli flakes.

There are so many different variations in Mexican spicing.

For me, you can't have a chilli without cumin.

So two tablespoons of ground cumin.

And I want that to be the predominant flavour.

I'm also going to add ground coriander,

and that is very classic in Bangladeshi cooking.

And it's a flavour that works really, really well

with cumin and chilli.

Now for a good squeeze of tomato puree

and an extra flavour bomb from some tangy Worcestershire sauce.

I've seen recipes where you kind of just go, "Oh, yeah, just like that."

You can't really taste it.

I'm going to go 50 mil, so just like...

I want to taste it.

What this does is it gives you sharpness.

That's what we want.

And then we are going to add a tin of tomatoes.

Straight in.

Chilli does not have to be time consuming.

It doesn't have to be hours and hours.

It can be simple, it can be easy, but it can also be pretty special.

You wait.

It smells...

..so good.

And now, our crispy tortilla chips are ready to do their thing.

They are going to soften,

and they're going to soak up that flavour.

And we want to add lots of texture.

So take the rest of them and then chuck them,

just chuck them on top.

So if I'm making a one-pot dish,

and I want to please those kids of mine, where's the cheese?

Be generous.

And when I say "generous", my kids love cheese.

And it's any hard cheese, Cheddar, anything that's got a stretch.

Then fire in a flurry of pickled jalapenos.

This is going to add some more spice,

but it's also going to add a tang.

All it needs is just a brief bake.

In it goes.

SHE INHALES DEEPLY

Ahhh!

That has all the aromas of a Mexican dinner.

It's got all the good smells.

Oh, yes. Look at that!

Spicy chilli, tortilla strips, crunchy,

soaked with that gorgeous chilli.

Ohhh!

This one-pot dish takes the humble midweek meal

straight to the fiesta.

# I'm walking on sunshine... #

My warming chilli in a rich, earthy, tomatoey sauce

loaded with crunchy tortilla chips

and oozy cheese, pumped up with pickled jalapenos,

it's guaranteed to put the spark back into your mid-week family meal.

The spice is also beautifully balanced with the mince.

Then you've got the tortilla strips with that gooey-ooey cheese.

What could be better?

Cooking for your family is the thing that brings you all together.

It's the one thing that says,

"Come on, come on, let's sit down, and let's enjoy this."

Is this everyday cooking? Of course it is.

Is it special? Absolutely.

My final recipe turns the humble cookie

into an audaciously indulgent treat for the whole family.

If you are looking for an epic bake,

you came to the right place

because this is where I'm going to show you how to make

the most sensational, outrageous, most wonderful cookie pie.

Yes, you heard right.

Cookie pie.

Need I say more?

With its deep, decadent filling of chocolate nut spread,

crushed hazelnuts and crisp chocolate wafers

parcelled up in a chocolate chip cookie dough crust.

This bad boy will feed the extended family too.

This dessert is definitely one for sharing.

It's so epic. I'm surprised you can't see it from space.

If your family love chocolate as much as mine do,

they're going to love this. So come on, let's make this pie!

It starts with a simple cookie dough.

In with 200g of unsalted butter

and 325g of soft brown sugar.

It adds that caramel flavour,

gives you that chewy texture and that gorgeous golden caramel hue.

Electric whisk, straight in.

OK.

Now I'm going to add two eggs and one egg yolk.

Give that a good mix.

To make it extra scrummy,

a teaspoon of both vanilla and almond extract.

Separately, they taste really good, but together,

they create a totally different flavour.

Pinch of salt.

Next, 425g of plain flour

with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.

And this will give it a nice little lift.

What you don't want to do is over whisk

because it's a cookie dough, so it's really stiff.

Before you finish mixing, don't forget,

is it a cookie without a chocolate chip?

WHISPERS: I don't think so.

So we are going to add 400g of dark chocolate chips.

They'll bring a beautiful bitterness to this sweet dough.

Make sure you've got, two things - no floury bits,

and that you've got no loose chocolate chips.

Everything is very well incorporated.

You want to work fairly quickly with this dough

cos it's quite sticky.

Just bring the dough together.

This bake is family baking through and through.

Whether that's the kids being involved,

this is about having fun, finding the joy in baking,

finding a reason to be in the kitchen together.

Set aside a third for your lid,

then make your pie case.

Roll the rest into a circle that's bigger than your cake tin.

Now, over,

and just, very quickly, like, it will break,

lift it up, whack it on,

and it'll break.

Don't panic.

Like, if you are an anxious baker, like,

this should be one of the ones that you do.

Because this cookie dough pastry is very, very forgiving.

What does one put into a chocolate pie?

Well, you put in all the best bits in life is what you put in.

Mix 220g of roasted chopped hazelnuts

with 750g of rich, gooey chocolate hazelnut spread.

Got that sweetness of the chocolate,

and we've got that roasted hazelnut texture.

It's about creating those yummy layers.

So, for another surprise pop of crunchiness,

I'm adding crisp chocolate wafer biscuits.

Now let's take the rest of this and plonk it,

that is the official term,

on top of the wafer biscuits.

Spread that out

into a thin, even layer.

Use the tin

to kind of measure out the lid.

Yes, about right.

What we don't want is for any of that chocolate

to bubble away and leak out.

So what we want to do is seal the edges.

If you've never made a pie before,

it might be time to surprise everyone around you and say,

"I made, oh, I made my first pie, I did.

"But I made a chocolate cookie pie."

Give them the shock of their life.

Ooh! It's weighty.

It's heavy. It's going to be good.

Pies are meant to be heavy. It's good.

Like all cookie doughs,

this needs a spell in the freezer, so it holds its shape during baking.

# Sugar pie, honey bunch

# You know that I love you

# I can't help myself... #

Once the pie has cooled, pop it into the fridge to chill completely.

Trust me, it will be worth the wait.

Maryam, come over here and come and have a look at this!

Chocolate pie!

That looks amazing!

It looks good, right?

Maryam, is the world ready for this?

Oh, my gosh.

Oh, it's so beautiful!

It's so beautiful.

Come on, look. The sun's shining,

I reckon we go and eat this outside.

# We are family... #

With its chewy cookie dough crust,

encased in a rich hazelnut chocolate centre with bursts of crisp wafer,

this is a bake to make those precious moments

with your family extra special.

Mm, mm, mm!

What's your best bit?

The cookie.

It's so chewy. Mm-hm!

It's, like, perfect. Just perfect.

Music to my ears.

Next time, check out my brilliant breakfast bakes.

How good does that look?

Pimped up granola cups...

Any excuse for a bit of chocolate.

..and a fusion of two classic dishes -

a fry-up on a pizza.

Why didn't we think of this sooner?!