I suppose this post could have been saved until St Patrick’s Day given that the key ingredient here is Guinness. However, I think we all appreciate a few more cake pictures in our lives. The creamy mascapone icing on this cake is a dream and makes the uncut version of this cake actually look like a pint of stout. I made this cake one Sunday … Continue reading Chocolate and Guinness cake
Sometimes I think with baking its nice to revisit something you loved as a child. Everyone remembers having these beauties at birthday parties or when your mum or grandma fancied doing a spot of baking. Sometimes going back to old school baking is best (and makes you very popular with all involved). As a coincidence this is also one of those recipes that is ingrained … Continue reading Butterfly cakes
When I was a child, like a lot of children born in the 70s and 80s, I was a big fan of books by Judy Blume. I recall reading her semi-autobiography “Starring Sally J Freedman as Herself” with vivid interest. The book document the life of a Jewish family in Post War America and as such they mention various foods that as a 10 year … Continue reading Challah loaf
Flapjacks are one of the easiest and most versatile things you can bake. They are also delicious, the addition of the dates and apples was almost a stroke of genius on my part (check out my modesty). While I wouldn’t exactly say adding a bit of fruit to the mix makes this a healthy recipe, you could argue that it makes it healthier which is … Continue reading Date and apple flapjacks
I seem to gone on a bit of a pastry bender over the last few weeks. Forgive me – but tarts of all kind are perfect summer foods. The Company Sophie Conran who make some exquisite stuff very kindly sent me some products to review. The most adorable mini chopping board and oven glove. Having used cheap plastic chopping boards for so long it is … Continue reading Two tarts perfect for the Summer – Lemon Tart and Easy Fruit Tart
I’m yet to find anybody who dislikes these beauties. There’s something pretty wonderful about homemade caramel slices that is even more decadent than the shop bought versions. Each step of making these is really straightforward but it is time consuming waiting for the caramel to cool – you really can’t add the chocolate layer while the caramel is too hot or it ruins the chocolate. … Continue reading Caramel slices (Millionaire’s Shortbread)
I don’t know why filo pastry makes pastry based goodies look so much prettier; but I think it does. It also works well in this recipe as it is light and an excellent carrier of the different flavours of tomatoes and feta. My mother used to make a similar tart from her French cookery book (which I will blog about at some point as its … Continue reading Tomato, feta and filo tart
I have a confession to make. I don’t actually particularly like hot cross buns. I want to like them, I think they smell amazing, but mixed peel is seriously not for me. However, as with anything homemade, these hot cross buns are a horse of a different colour so to speak. The apricot glaze and the addition of a couple of apples add to the … Continue reading Hot cross buns
I have recently got into baking bread in a big way this year. I find it a relaxing weekend afternoon activity with the added bonus that my house is filled with the wonderful aroma of fresh bread. In addition I love that you can make a delicious loaf for a fraction of the price that you would pay for something similar inan upmarket bakery or … Continue reading Wholemeal bread – basic, no mucking around bread
As is well documented by this blog I am a fan of sweet treats. Scones are no exceptions to this rule. Occasionally I watch the Vicar of Dibley and I laugh when the Vicar says something about being greedy and it strikes a chord with me. In this case the quote, Jesus did a lot of things right, didn’t he? I mean men’s bottoms are … Continue reading The perfect buttermilk scones
The Bunfight 