❩❩ new bananas

seems a while back ~

it was my first blog where I shared my banana teabread recipe:

still a favourite and great for using up those over ripe fruits:

then I ate a piece of banana bread with dried fruits at a friends ....

so here's a yum alternative:

banana, apricot and sultana bread

you will need ....

75g apricots ~ chopped

{I used a ready-to-eat variety as they are softsoft}

75g sultanas

100g softened butter

125g caster sugar

3 ripe bananas ~ mashed

200g self raising flour

2 eggs ~ beaten

grated zest of a lemon

set your oven to 160°c/ gas 3:

line and grease a 1kg loaf tin:

cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy:

gradually add in the beaten egg, a little at a time:

stir in the mashed bananas, lemon zest and dried fruits: 

fold in the flour:

and pile into your prepared tin:

bake for 55 minutes:

test for doneness by pressing a skewer into the centre:

if it comes out clean ~ it's done!

cool in the tin for a while, then turn onto a 

cooling rack:

deliciously moist and some of your five a day:

keeps in a cake tin for 3-4 days:

ꈸ rocking it

there's something warm in receiving a handwritten recipe:

like a baton being passed on:

cakes we are so familiar with:

the stuff of childhood and family:

hopefully these staples of baking will

always be handed along:

I'm doing just that for you ....

{my tweaked version}

Rock Cakes

you will need ....

 90g plain flour

90g wholemeal flour

{or 180g plain flour}

85g cold unsalted butter

85g caster sugar

85g seedless raisins

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 generous pinch of cinnamon

an egg

a little milk

preheat your oven to 180°c/350°f/gas 4:

line some baking sheets with greaseproof paper:

in a large bowl, add the flours and give them a little stir 

 with a whisk, to de-lump:

{a little tip I picked up from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall}

add the sugar and butter cut into little pieces:

now rub the butter into the flour and sugar until it looks

like sandy rubble:

mix in the cinnamon, raisins and baking powder:

whisk the egg in a small bowl and add to the mix:

mix mix and add a little {and I mean a scant little}

 milk to bind it all together:

it should be dry & crumbly so don't worry!

pile rocky heaps onto your baking sheets:

leaving space for them to spread:

you should easily make 12 rocks:

bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown:

leave to cool slightly before putting onto a 

cooling rack:

these will keep for 3-4 days in a tin:

as if!

{these are delish with dried apricots, cranberries or blueberries:

swap the cinnamon for lemon/orange zest for a fruity hit}

❤ because we're worth it

as Nigella makes a return to our tv screens,

I thought I'd look through her older books:

the language she uses to describe her dishes really make me smile:

she loves to add 'ness' to the end of words

and frankly anyone who can slip the word 'frangible' into a recipe

deserves a nod:

her cake recipes are my kind of baking:

delicious with legacy:

instead of cake, we felt like making biscuits for a change:

these are made in a food processor

and are the best you'll ever taste:

custard creams

you will need ....

{for the biscuits}

175g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 tablespoons custard powder

3 tablespoons caster sugar

50g butter

50g vegetable shortening

1 egg

1 tablespoon of milk

{for the custard cream}

100g icing sugar

1 tablespoon custard powder

50g soft butter

1 teaspoon boiling water

preheat your oven to 180°c/ gas 4

put the flour, baking powder and custard powder

into your processor and pulse for a few seconds:

add the butter & vegetable shortening {cut into cubes} 

and pulse until it's a crumbly rubble:

add the sugar to mix and then the beaten egg:

add the tablespoon of milk a dribble at a time

and pulse until the mixture forms a ball:

{you may not need all the milk, or you may need more}

make your dough into a blob, wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes:

now roll out your dough to about 4mm thick:

I rolled mine between two pieces of clingfilm as the

dough is very crumbly: {less mess too!}

carefully cut out your biscuits and put onto your baking sheets:

remember to cut out an even number of shapes ^_^

bake for 15 minutes then leave them to cool on a rack:

when they are completely cool ....

make your custard cream:

put the icing sugar and custard powder into your processor

and pulse to get rid of any lumps:

add the butter to mix until you get a smooth cream:

then add the teaspoon of boiling water:

carefully smear this yummy yellow cream onto a biscuit

and sandwich on another:

keep in an airtight container if they last that long:

{makes at least a dozen, maybe more depending on the size of your cutter}

⸭ a cake for early Autumn

seasons change:

golden light and harvest:

cooler temperatures and fresh flavours:

so let's have a light fruity cake:

blueberry burst:

you will need ....

125g butter {room temperature}

100g caster sugar {plus an extra couple of tablespoonfuls}

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

grated rind of an unwaxed lemon

200g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

a pinch of salt

100ml milk

2 large eggs {yolks separated from the whites}

200g fresh blueberries

preheat your oven to 180°c / gas 4:

grease a 20 x 20cm baking tin:

in a large bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar 

until light and fluffy:

add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing good between each:

gradually add the milk, mixing well:

stir through the vanilla and lemon zest:

now beat your egg whites to a fluff:

gradually add a couple of tablespoons of caster sugar

until the whites are glossy peaks:

back to your main bowl again ....

using a spatula, tumble in your blueberries and mix softly:

fold in the flour, baking powder and salt:

now carefully fold in the egg whites:

turn into your prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes or so:

test for doneness:

leave to cool in the tin before cutting into squares:

will keep for a few days, but remember this is fresh fruit, 

so keep in a cool place but not the fridge:

{this cake would be tasty with raspberry or blackberries}

☯ away with the cicadas

we've been on a summer break at Viveka:

a beautiful retreat and experience in France:

delicious and nutritious vegetarian dishes

were prepared for us by Joseph and Liz:

homegrown salads and freshly baked bread everyday:

Joseph baked bread in his grandfathers tins:

he told me his family have been bakers since

the 16th century:

I swapped this gorgeous cake recipe 

for an origami ball & a book:

it's so so light and tasty:

it's the best carrot cake you'll ever make:

thank you for sharing PapaJo

^_^

this is his hand written ingredients list:

but I forgot to ask the method!

so we here is our own version with halved measures:

it turned out just as good:

yAy:

Coconut Carrot Cake

our method ~

you will need ....

*any teacup will do if you don't have a set of measuring ones*

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup of sunflower or corn oil

2 eggs

1 cup wholemeal flour

1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

a heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup walnut pieces

a teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup desiccated coconut

½ cup grated carrot

preheat your oven to 180°c/ gas 4:

line and grease a 20cm cake tin:

mix the sugar and oil together in a large bowl:

lightly beat the eggs and add gradually to the sugar/oil:

grate the carrot, tip into the bowl and stir:

add a teaspoon of vanilla and a very generous spoonful

*or two* of cinnamon:

now weigh out all your dry ingredients ~

flour, salt, coconut, baking powder and walnut pieces:

add to your bowl, carefully turn and mix:

pile into your prepared baking tin and bake for 35 - 40 minutes

or until golden and springy to touch:

leave to cool:

slice and share:

one of your five a day!

︘ things that make you go mMm

a raid on my friend Nicola's allotment gave me some

gorgeous stems of rhubarb:

not so pink but smelling yum:

as there wasn't a huge amount I decided to make

a pot of jam:

now don't be scared:

it's easypeasy!

rhubarb, ginger & lemon jam

you will need:

equal amounts of trimmed rhubarb weight 

and jam sugar

*you need jam sugar as rhubarb is low in pectin,

the science bit that makes your jam set*

yes yes it looks like far too much sugar

but this is jam remember?!

a thumb of ginger ~ finely grated

one or two lemons ~ zest finely grated

*ginger and lemon to your taste

firstly sterilise your jars by cleaning them

thoroughly with hot soapy water:

rinse well then pour over boiling water and

put into a low oven to keep warm:

yes the lids too!

wash and dry your rhubarb then cut into 2cm pieces:

pile into a saucepan and add the sugar:

heat very gently and stir stir:

yep it looks dry and you think it's going to burn 

but stir and watch:

the rhubarb will release it's juices and the

sugar will start to melt:

now put two small plates into the freezer:

you will need these later:

when your jam starts to look more jam like ~

turn up the heat and let it roll and bubble for about 6 minutes:

keep stirring occasionally:

the rhubarb should be tender but still have shape:

add the ginger and lemon zest:

stir stir:

now take one of your plates from the freezer 

and drop a little of your jam onto it:

let it cool slightly then push with your finger to see if it's set 

enough for your liking:

if it isn't, then roll and bubble for a bit longer:

get your other plate and test again:

turn off the heat and add a small knob of butter:

this will take care of any bubbly bits on the top of your jam:

leave to cool slightly:

now pour into the warm jars:

some people like to put a waxed disc on the top, 

but as I only make small batches I don't bother:

ready to eat as soon as it's set:

summer in a jar:

※summer flavours

the brilliant thing about Summer = herbs:

there's nothing better than

being able to pop outside to pick some leaves 

to add to your dish:

I ❤ thyme as much as the bees do:

and this Nigel Slater recipe uses two of the

best Summer flavours:

thyme and lemon cake

you will need :

200g softened butter

200g caster sugar

100g plain flour

100g ground almonds

{if you have nut allergy then omit almonds and use 200g flour}

½ teaspoon baking powder

4 eggs

1 lemon ~ zest

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

for the top:

4 tablespoons caster sugar

2 lemons ~ juice

½ teaspoon thyme leaves

set your oven to 160°c/ gas 3:

line and grease a loaf tin:

cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy:

lightly beat the eggs and add to the mixture little by little:

{we put a smiley face on the eggs that need using up first}

grate the lemon zest into a bowl and add the thyme leaves:

pound together to release the flavours then add to the mix:

now sift in the flour and baking powder:

add the ground almonds and stir through:

pile into your tin and bake for

45 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly:

meanwhile ....

mix the sugar, lemon juice and thyme leaves together:

when your cake is ready and still hot 

pierce all over with a skewer and

drizzle on the sugar+lemon+thyme syrup:

leave to cool:

enjoy: