Rhubarb custard cake

This is a recipe from the BBC Good Food website, link here.

It is very delicious, moist and tasty. I've just eaten a slice cold but it would be lovely served hot with custard as a dessert.

You might think my blog's been quiet lately, that's because I've started a new crafty blog over at http://shazronnie.wordpress.com/ if you'd like to take a look xxx

Pooh's Yummy Cookbook - tried and tested!

I'm very excited about this post because it's my first review for The Book People who sell loads of books at great prices, for little people, middle-sized people and grown up people too!

 So here is the first book they sent us - Pooh's Yummy Cookbook which is aimed at children aged 5 and over. Anthony is 7 next week so I quickly enlisted his help.

The book is nice and colourful with wipe clean pages, some Pooh stories, and 8 recipes. These recipes are all child friendly sweet treats, like cookies, pancakes and brownies. Anthony chose to make the "hunny cake."

The first instruction for this recipe was to separate 3 eggs; Anthony loves cracking eggs and did a pretty good job of this. He also weighed out all of the ingredients on his own but these are all recipes which require parental help and supervision.

Look at that speedy stirring!!

Poppy popped by to help with the mixing too.

The egg whites were whisked until white and fluffy, then folded into the yolks, sugar and honey mixture.

Ready for the oven!

Ta-dah!

We decorated it with icing and sprinkles, because all good cake has icing and sprinkles!

And then we all had a slice! Very yummy it was too, which is the most important thing about a recipe book!!

One of the nicest things about this book is that after each recipe there are pages to fill in. Anthony really liked asking everyone what they thought and writing about making the cake.

I think this feature would definitely encourage children to use these recipes.

There are also other pages to write on; about ideas for snacks, drawing pattern designs on a cake, a list of favourite foods.

Now it is a time for a confession... I actually don't like Winnie the Pooh!  I have to say though that this book is rather nice, and would make a lovely present for a child's birthday. 

Just one more thing...

The trouble with making stuff, is that just when you've decided you've made enough stuff, you have an urge to make some more stuff.

So, I made 7 little sweetie bags to be favours on our Christmas table.

I knitted a handbag for Poppy. 

I baked a boiled fruit cake.

And I made myself a large gin and tonic!

Happy Christmas everybody!

I like sewing cupcakes more than baking them!!

The cupcake image is just so sweet and easy to make, and I love it in this red, pink and white colourway. Good enough to eat - except the buttons might stick in your teeth!

It's Handmade Thursday today; why not take a look at some more lovely crafty stuff at www.whitelilygreen.blogspot.com.

Lemon cupcakes

I don't usually bake in imperial measures, but this is a variation on a cupcake recipe a friend gave me.

In a large bowl measure out 3oz margarine or butter, 8.5oz plain flour, 10 oz caster sugar, 1 rounded tbsp baking powder and mix until you have something which looks like sand!

In a jug mix 240ml milk, 1 teaspoon lemon extract (or some lemon juice) and 2 large eggs (or 3 small ones!) and pour gradually into the sandy mixture, mixing it in as you go. Mix until the batter is smooth.

The batter will be very runny, so pour it into a jug.

Fill cupcake cases about 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees until springy.

I've decorated mine with lemon buttercream icing, a little lemon jelly sweet and a sprinkle of caster sugar.

It's not all great...

Today I made a cake. It was flat in the middle and crispy at the edges.
This is my blog for showing off, for pretending I am perfect.

Well nobody's perfect all of the time.

At least it tastes okay!

Making Art - for the first time in about 20 years!

Today I bought a canvas in the 99p store. (Yes, it was 99p.)

I painted in with the pink emulsion which I used for the kitchen.

Unfortunately the pink paint had gone all grainy and stiff, but I was planning a rustic finish so that was okay!

I painted the rest with some old acrylic paints, and hey presto, a lovely piece of artwork for my kitchen!

And it only cost 99p!

Boiled fruit cake; I promise you this is delicious.

These mini fruit loaf cakes are for our Royal Wedding celebrations, the little round one will probably get eaten before then!

To make them you a need a large heavy based saucepan.

Into the pan empty a can of condensed milk (397g) and 125g butter.

Add 800g dried fruit - I used a mixture of sultanas, raisins, cranberries, chopped apricots, chopped dates, glace cherries - basically all the stuff I had lying around in the cupboard!!

Heat on low until the butter melts into the condensed milk, and then simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Leave to cool a little.

In  a large mixing bowl put 225g self raising flour, 2 tsp ground spice and 1 tsp ground cinnamon, mix together.

Make a well and put 2 large beaten eggs in, followed by the cooled fruit / milk / butter mixture.

Mix quickly and pour into your tin.

If you are using a deep 7 inch tin it will take about 1 3/4 - 2 hours at 150 degrees.

These small ones took about an hour - until the tops are brown and firm and a skewer comes out clean.

cakey picture

Applique practice; what better subject than cake?

Healthy - ish cake!

This is a bran loaf.

Fat-free, egg-free; you could make it vegan if you used soya milk.

In a large bowl stir together:

2 cups dried mixed fruit

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups of All-Bran cereal

2 cups milk

Leave for a few hours or preferably overnight.

Mix in 2 cups of self raising flour.

Bake at 160 degrees for about 1 and a half hours.

I like mine with a bit of home made marmalade.

The 19p Tea Towel Challenge

 My bestest friend and I visited Ikea, and we both bought one of their 19p Tekla tea towels. We are both sewing machine novices so we thought we could practise by making a very utilitarian item into something lovely.

I edged mine with some other Ikea fabric, and appliqued three heart motifs to match.

And then I made a matching tea cosy!

Mini panettone

Recipe here

Chocolate coconut cake

Cream 225g soft butter with 200g caster sugar.

Add 175g self raising flour, 25g cocoa powder, 25g coconut milk powder and 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Add 4 eggs and beat until smooth and well mixed.

Bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees.

To make the icing mix 2 tablespoons chocolate spread with 100g icing sugar and enough hot water to make a smooth paste. Spread over cake and sprinkle with dessicated coconut.

Wartime Syrup Sponge

A very frugal cake, made with no eggs and no fats, so probably not too calorific either!!

Sift 8oz self raising flour and half a teaspoon bicarb of soda into a large bowl.

(I don't usually bake in imperial but it is a wartime recipe!)

In a saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of golden syrup into half a pint of milk.

(Heat until mixed in, no need to boil.)

Pour milk and syrup mixture onto flour and beat well until no lumps of flour remain.

Pour rather gloopy mixture into a greased 2lb loaf tin and bake for 40 - 45 minutes at 180 degrees.

This makes a rather nice, not too sweet cake. I see no reason why you couldn't use soya milk and make it vegan.

11th November tomorrow - how about baking a wartime cake to remember those housewives who managed to feed their families in such tough times?

Monster Cupcakes

Not very scary.

White choc, almond and cranberry blondies

Possibly the most delicious cake combination ever.

Melt 200g unsalted butter, then leave in a large bowl until it is just warm.

Beat in 150g caster sugar and 2 tsp vanilla extract.

Beat in 2 eggs, then add 250g self raising flour and 1 tsp baking powder.

Mix well, then add 150g dried cranberries.

Stir in 100g chopped white chocolate and 100g chopped almonds (or other nuts.)

Spread mixture evenly in a square tin lined with non stick paper.

Dot 6 teaspoons of cranberry sauce over the top.

Bake at 160 degrees for 40 minutes until just set.

Allow to cool in the tin, the middle will sink a little, press down the edges with a spatula.

Cut into 16 squares when cool, try not to eat all 16 pieces at once.

Lemon and Blueberry Loaf

I decided to make a loaf cake purely because I'd bought these loaf tin liners from Lakeland. They are bleeding marvellous!! Oh, how I love Lakeland, but I digress...

Cream 225g soft butter with 225g caster sugar.

Mix in 3 eggs, one at a time.

Add zest and juice of a lemon.

Fold in 150g plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 50g ground almonds and 100g polenta.

Fold in 150g (ish!) blueberries.

Bake at 180 degrees for an hour.

I topped mine with some lemon glace icing, and the result is a yummy, moist lemony cake.

Chocolate cupcakes

Mmmmmmm.........

Pecan Butter Rolls

For the dough;

1 egg, 150 ml milk, 50g soft butter, 50g sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 425g bread flour, 2 tsp dried yeast.

Mix into dough, I used the breadmaker as usual.

Allow to prove, then punch down and allow dough to rest for 5 minutes.

Divide into 2 pieces, then roll each piece into an 8" circle.

For the filling;

I spread pecan butter all over the 2 circles, then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.

(If you have no pecan butter you can make some by mixing about 2 tbsp butter and 50g finely chopped pecans.)

Cut each circle into 8 pieces (like a pizza!) then loosely roll them up towards the point.

Stretch slightly and place on a greased baking tray.

Allow to rise for about an hour, then bake for 12-15 minutes at 190 degrees C.

Baked Cheesecake

My first cheesecake!

To make the base I crushed 12 digestive biscuits and mixed in 50g caster sugar and 50g melted butter.

Then you need to press the mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a cake tin. Mine has a removable bottom, or you can use the springform type. Leave to chill in the fridge a little while.

Blend together 300g soft cheese, 50g caster sugar and 2 eggs. 

Pour on top of the base and bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes, or until it is set.

Allow to cool and top with fruit.

I used fresh strawberries, and made a syrup by boiling 1 tablespoon strawberry jam, 1 tablespoon golden syrup and a splosh of water. I allowed this to cool a little then poured it all over.