New Neighbours

There are new neighbours across the road so I baked them a cake!  A carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and orange and kiwi on the top.

Baking fest!

First up it was a coffee and walnut cake using this recipe from Nigel Slater.  I've tried a number of C & W recipes but this was the best yet and got 10 out of 10 from some visitors as well as those 'in house'.  It's hubby's favourite so appropriate for Father's day I think.

Then there was this little number

which looks slightly sad in the photo but was delicious.  It is a 'Damp lemon and almond cake' by Nigella, recipe here and in her book "How to be a Domestic Goddess".  I think I would probably add some kind of icing or creme fraiche and raspberries if I were to do it again as it needed just a little something to set off the sharpness of the lemon and the density of the ground almonds.

Then there had to be more of this

'Cinnamon Bun popcorn" only this time I used real butter and not a butter blend and halved the time in the oven as my fan oven seems to be very quick indeed and it was much better than before!  Recipe here in case you didn't get it last time.  And if you are in the UK and like me haven't a clue where to get almond bark from then just use milky bars which work out really fine for the topping.

So I guess this side of the weekend as the cakes are now eaten (last piece of the C & W  for hubby with a cup of tea any moment now) we are all several pounds heavier - well maybe not!!!

You must try this!

This is cinnamon bun popcorn and is absolutely wonderful!  It got big raves here at home so much so that I made it twice over the weekend!  You can find the recipe here where those wonderful ladies at Our Best Bites have come up trumps again.

And in a baking mood with lemons and blueberries on hand I tried this little number

Lemon and Blueberry Loaf

which was also absolutely delicious.  You can find the recipe here from Two Peas and Their Pod - what a fun name.  Enjoy!

Pilgrim's Bread

When life gets a little too stressful, then it is time to bake bread! So this is what I did on Sunday evening.

Nothing like pounding that dough to let some of the tension subside! And look what you get into the bargain!

This is a three flour bread (cornmeal, wholemeal and white) and comes from the book "More with Less Cookbook" which I have had since we were first married and I see from Amazon is still available. In these days of credit crunch and feeling the pinch, it is good to get back to basics and rediscover old recipes that were family staples in the past. And if you would like to have a go at this one here it is:

Combine in a bowl:

half cup of cornmeal

half cup of brown sugar

1 tablespn of salt

Stir gradually into

2 cups boiling water then add one quarter cup of oil and cool to lukewarm.

measure out One and half cups wholemeal flour and three and half cups white flour and add a packet of dried yeast. Add the flour to the liquid and knead for three mins or so.

Put in a clean bowl covered with clingfilm in a warm place until doubled.

Take out and knead again for three mins then shape dough into two greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise again until double in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 mins - if you have a fan oven then it will be less but you will smell the wonderful smell of baking bread and be drawn to open your oven!! Happy baking!