❀ daisy daisy

there are many recipes that include lemon:

*I shall put up my lemon drizzle soon I promise*

but not so many with orange:

so I was delighted when I saw this recipe a few years back:

it was in a book that I bought for my sister:

thumbing through the cake section *like you do*

it read

 "this cake is a novelty as it comes from the oven

already iced and ready"

why it is called daisy cake I'm not sure:

perhaps it's the yellow and white effect of the cake

that reminded the creator of those simple little flowers:

*the recipe is measured in cups and since I am

lucky enough to own a vintage set, that's what I use*

you will need:

½ cup butter *which is about 115g*

½ cup sugar *115g*

2 eggs

1 cup self raising flour *100g*

3 tablespoons of milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

grated rind of an orange and a squeeze of the juice

1 extra tablespoon sugar

½ cup dessicated coconut *40g*

preheat your oven to 180°c/ 350°f/ gas4

grease a 20cm round cake tin:

in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy:

then add the yolks of the eggs, one at a time:

add the milk, vanilla, orange rind and juice, and mix:

now fold in the flour and pour into your tin and level off:

beat the egg whites to a stiff froth:

add the tablespoon of sugar and beat again:

then fold in the coconut gently:

spread this mixture over the top of the cake batter:

and bake for 40 ~ 45 minutes:

enjoy the delicious orangey coconut aroma:

cool, cut, eat:

maybe I'll try it with lemon too:

next week ~ a savoury recipe perhaps?

∻ tasty combination

I do love pears and chocolate:

it always seems that pears are either too hard to eat 

or at that soft-but-not-too-soft perfection, all at the same time!

so this recipe is great for using them up and oh so delicious :

you will need :

140g self raising flour

175g butter ~ softened

140g caster sugar

2 large eggs

5 ripe pears

75g chocolate ~ chopped

2 tablespoons apricot jam

preheat oven to 140°c/gas3

then line and grease a 20cm square cake tin

 

first chop two of your pears into small chunks:

then slice the other three into thin strips :

*I don't peel them as the skin cooks to soft, but I slice around the cores 

then throw those in the bin*

chop the chocolate into various sized chunks :

in a large bowl add the flour, butter,sugar and eggs

and mix until smooth:

*I use an electric whisk for this*

now fold in the chunks of chocolate and pear :

spoon the mixture into your prepared tin and smooth the top:

then arrange your sliced pieces of pear on the top of the mix 

pressing down lightly :

bake for 50~60 minutes until firm to the touch

cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn onto a rack:

warm the apricot jam and brush all over as a golden glaze:

slice: eat: savour: share:

❣ Mmm chocolate

in the early nineties, we got our first computer and internet access :

remember those days of dial-up?

that was when I started using the name chocolategirl online :

it wasn't a difficult decision as I had a habit of eating too much of the brown stuff :

even for breakfast :

*not anymore dear readers, just for treats*

the recipe I am about to share was sent to me by an

internet 'friend' as she thought they'd appeal, given my nickname and all :

it's a treat and a real hit with chocolate lovers everywhere :

miss jenny ann's chocolate brownies

you will need :

4 tablespoons cocoa powder *the best you can get*

100g butter

200g sugar *or 1 cup*

*yes I can hear you all gasping at this amount of sugar but just this once let's indulge 

and it's what makes them gooey and gorgeous inside*

2 eggs

75g plain flour *or ½ cup*

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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

grease or line a 20 x 20cm baking tin

over a low heat melt the butter and cocoa powder :

* I give it a quick zap in the microwave until melted*

leave to cool :

in a large bowl mix the dry ingredients together and add the vanilla extract :

break the eggs to your cooled chocolatey-butter mixture and stir well :

now tip the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry stuff and mix carefully :

don't over do it!

your mix will be quite thick and gorgeously glossy :

pile into your prepared tin, smooth over and bake for

15 - 20 minutes ~ it should be springy to touch but fudgey inside :

meanwhile naughty daughter licks out the bowl :

wash up and breath in the yummy chocolate smell that is

tempting you from the oven :

check your brownies after 15 minutes:

you know the drill ~ prod and see if it's springy in the middle ....

leave to cool in the tin then cut into squares and grab one now while 

you have the chance! :

thank you Miss Jenny Ann ^_^

❨( let's go bananas

For my first cakey blog I'll share this recipe with you ....

*drum roll please*

Banana Teabread :

This was one of the first things I baked when I moved

away from home, to a house I shared with 5 other girlies :

Helen, a few years older than me and a keen cook,

would fill the house with savoury smells :

*she made a mean curry!*

so I decided to make us all a cake :

delving into a 2nd hand cookbook, *the title I don't recall* 
I made the first cake away from Mama's kitchen :

it's a recipe that I've never forgotten and is a winner all round :

*that is, if you like bananas*

You will need :

125g butter

125g sugar

2 eggs

250g self raising flour

½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

500g bananas

*a little note on bananas ~ it's better to use them when they're 

soft and even bruised as it adds to the flavour*

set your oven to 180°c/ 350°f/gas 4 :

line and grease a 1kg loaf tin :

in a large bowl ➸

mix the butter and sugar together with a fork until light and fluffy :

beat in the eggs ~ one at a time :

 mash up the bananas, add to the bowl and stir :

then sift in the flour and bicarb and fold into the mixture :

*don't over work it at this stage or you'll make your teabread heavy *

pour into your prepared loaf tin and bake

for 1 to 1¼ hours ....

*as ovens vary ....after an hour check your loaf, push a 

skewer through the centre to see if it's cooked through*

turn out and cool on a rack :

now this is best eaten after a day ~ trust me!

store in an airtight container until then :

slice and eat as it is or buttered with lashings of jam, or honey,
or peanut butter or chocolate spread :

yum :

*will keep for 3-4 days ~ if there's any left!*