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Berry Crumble Squares

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Difficulty: Easy–Medium • Makes: 12 squares

These berry crumble squares are half traybake, half dessert. With a buttery base, jammy fruit centre, and crumbly topping, they’re perfect for afternoon tea or as a lunchbox treat.

Ingredients

For the base and crumble:

  • 250 g plain flour
  • 200 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 100 g caster sugar
  • ½ tsp salt

For the filling:

  • 300 g mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
  • 50 g sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Line a 20 x 20 cm baking tin with parchment.
  2. Make the base/crumble: In a bowl, rub the cold butter into the flour, sugar and salt until it looks like coarse crumbs and starts to clump together.
  3. Press about two-thirds of the mixture firmly into the base of the tin to form an even layer.
  4. In another bowl, toss the berries with sugar, cornflour and lemon juice.
  5. Spread the berries over the base.
  6. Scatter the remaining crumble mixture over the top.
  7. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
  8. Allow to cool completely in the tin before slicing into squares.

Cosy Oven Tip

These are lovely slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a simple dessert.

Cinnamon Swirl Buns

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Difficulty: Medium • Makes: 9–12 buns

Intro

These cinnamon buns are a proper weekend bake. Soft, fluffy dough rolled with buttery cinnamon sugar and glazed lightly on top — they’ll make your kitchen smell just like The Cosy Oven on a busy morning.

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 250 ml warm milk
  • 7 g fast-action yeast (1 sachet)
  • 75 g sugar
  • 75 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 large egg
  • 500 g strong white bread flour
  • 1 tsp salt

For the filling:

  • 75 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 120 g light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the glaze:

  • 100 g icing sugar
  • 2–3 tbsp milk

Method

  1. In a bowl, mix warm milk, yeast and 1 tbsp of the sugar. Leave for 5–10 minutes until slightly foamy.
  2. Add the remaining sugar, melted butter and egg. Whisk briefly to combine.
  3. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Pour in the wet mixture and bring everything together into a soft dough.
  4. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 8–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  5. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave to rise for 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
  6. While it rises, mix the filling: beat together softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon into a paste.
  7. Once risen, roll the dough into a rectangle about 40 x 30 cm.
  8. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the surface.
  9. Roll up tightly from the long side to form a log, then slice into 9–12 even pieces.
  10. Arrange the pieces in a greased baking tin, leaving a little space between each. Cover and prove for another 30–45 minutes.
  11. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C).
  12. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
  13. Mix icing sugar and milk to make a pourable glaze, then drizzle over the warm buns.

Cosy Oven Tip

If you like extra gooey buns, pour a couple of tablespoons of warm cream into the tin just before baking.

Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Difficulty: Easy • Makes: 12–16 cookies

These cookies are everything we love in a treat: crisp at the edges, soft in the centre, and packed with chocolate chunks. They’re rustic, comforting and perfect with a mug of coffee or a glass of cold milk.

Ingredients

  • 150 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 100 g light brown sugar
  • 80 g caster sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 220 g plain flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 180 g chocolate chunks or chips (milk, dark, or a mix)

Method

  1. Beat the butter and sugars together until light and creamy.
  2. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
  5. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes (up to 24 hours) for thicker, richer cookies.
  6. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C) and line two baking trays with parchment.
  7. Scoop balls of dough (about 1½ tbsp each) and place them on the trays, leaving space to spread.
  8. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centres still look slightly soft.
  9. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Cosy Oven Tip

Sprinkle a tiny pinch of sea salt on top of each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven for that bakery-style finish.

Cosy Oven Lemon Drizzle Loaf

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Difficulty: Easy • Serves: 8–10 slices

There’s always at least one loaf cake on our counter at The Cosy Oven, and this lemon drizzle is a firm favourite. It’s simple, bright, and full of zesty flavour — the kind of bake that disappears slice by slice with cups of tea and coffee.

Ingredients

For the loaf:

  • 200 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 200 g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 3 tbsp milk

For the drizzle:

  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 100 g icing sugar

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan 150°C). Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture looks like it’s curdling.
  4. Fold in the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder and lemon zest – until just combined. Stir in the milk to loosen the batter slightly.
  5. Pour into the tin and smooth the top.
  6. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  7. While the cake is baking, mix the drizzle: whisk the lemon juice and icing sugar together until smooth.
  8. Poke holes all over the warm cake with a skewer and carefully pour the drizzle over the top, letting it soak in.
  9. Leave to cool in the tin, then slice and serve.

Cosy Oven Tip

For extra lemon flavour, add an extra teaspoon of finely grated zest to the batter and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.