☃ scandi spice

there's something a little different about 

Scandinavian cake baking

it's cardamon 

a beautiful scented spice

with a tribal bellydancing Hafla to attend

and cakes to bring

I decided to use a new blend

Christmas Muffins

you will need ....

250g self raising flour

140g light brown sugar

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

a few cardamon pods

a generous spoonful of cinnamon {to your taste}

a pinch of ground cloves

a teaspoon ground ginger

85g butter ~ melted

200ml milk

2 eggs

preheat the oven to 180c/ gas 6

line your muffin tin with cases

 pop the cardamon pods and grind the seeds

with a pestle and mortar

add the other dry spices and mix

 in a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients

 add the milk and eggs to the melted butter and mix

pour the wet ingredients over the dry and combine

but don't over do it or your muffins will be flat

spoon the mixture into the cases 

bake for 15 ~ 20 minutes until firm to touch

eat as they are or adorn with icing and crazy 

festive decorations!

☯ oh Yoko

on the last day of the Summer holidays

we went to the Serpentine Gallery to see

an exhibition of Yoko Ono works

followed by tea and cake by the lake

we haven't eaten or made muffins for ages

my school friend Donna said so too

and sent me this > link  to a recipe of hers

I'm sure her recipe is healthier but we decided

to use butter and our own recipe

but with a nod to hers

thanks D!

coco cherry muffins

you will need ....

250g self raising flour

140g caster sugar

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

85g butter {melted}

200ml milk

2 eggs

a few tablespoons of dessicated coconut

{and some for sprinkling}

12 tsp of your favourite jam 

we used this sour cherry jam which we bought 

on our travels in Turkey

heat the oven to 200c/ gas 6

prepare a 12 hole muffin tin with greaseproof

or paper cases

weigh out all the dry ingredients into a large bowl

mix all the wet ingredients {except the jam} 

into a jug or bowl

then pour onto the dry

and stir until combined 

but don't over mix it!

put a tablespoon of this mixture into each muffin case

then a teaspoon of your favourite jam 

then cover with the remaining mixture

and sprinkle with more coconut

bake for 15 ~ 18 minutes until golden and firm

eat and sing this song 

{a jam for a woman too}

ᄋ cocoloco

coconut is an amazing thing

the water contains electrolytes which calm

an irritated digestive system

the oils within the flesh are 'good' oils

these strange nuts are a challenge to crack

but SO worth it, once you've got the knack of

getting the flesh out!

fresh coconut macaroons

you will need ....

250g fresh shredded coconut

2 egg white

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

30g ground almonds

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

75g caster sugar

a pinch of salt

preheat the oven to 170〫c/ gas 3

line some baking sheets with greaseproof or

silicon paper

beat the egg whites until a little bubbly

then add the cream of tartar and beat until peaking

keep whisking and add the sugar a teaspoon at a time

until glossy and swirly

add vanilla, salt, almonds and coconut

fold gently until mixed

pile mounds of this mix onto the prepared trays

it should make about 8

{each mound about the size of a tangerine}

bake for 20 minutes until the edges start to brown

cool on a wire rack

we drizzled ours with melted dark chocolate

and they were divine!

℺ berry picking

our veg patch isn't thriving too well with

the inclement UK weather

but the strawberries and raspberries 

are loving it!

after a friend tweeted that she was making

a cherry almond clafoutis, I was inspired to

make a strawberry raspberry cake along

a similar line

red red berry cake

you will need ....

200g plain flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

100g softened unsalted butter

200g sugar

1 egg

120ml milk

a teaspoon of vanilla extract

demerara for sprinkling

some fresh strawberries or raspberries

or both!

preheat the oven to 180c/ gas 4

line and grease an 8" springform tin

sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl

in another bowl cream together the butter and sugar

until light and fluffy

add the egg and mix well

stir in the milk and vanilla extract

add the wet ingredients to the dry

mixing well but gently

pour into the prepared tin

press in the strawberries and raspberries

then sprinkle lightly with demerara

bake for 1 hour or until golden and cooked through

cool on a wire rack 

delicious with a scoop of vanilla icecream I reckon!

ↀ sweet enough

sometimes I get a taste for savoury 

this recipe was an experiment

and I'm rather pleased with the result

and it's possibilities ....

cheese & oregano cake

you will need ....

320g plain flour {I used half wholemeal /half white}

half a teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

a good grinding of black pepper

100g grated cheddar

2 eggs

200ml milk

60ml olive oil

1 good dollop of wholegrain mustard

a pinch of dried oregano or lots of fresh

preheat the oven to 180c/ gas 4

line a loaf tin with baking paper

place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl

and use a whisk to mix them and add air

stir in the grated cheese and oregano

mix the eggs, milk and mustard 

and olive oil together

then pour onto the dried ingredients and

mix until combined

put the mixture into the lined tin

bake for about 50 minutes

until golden and skewer comes out clean

tasty with cream cheese and tomatoes!

thinking this recipe would be good with any herb

and caramelised onion

it's a light alternative to bread

perfect for picnics!

∬ summer?

us Brits love talking about the weather!

we should be used to how changeable it can be

sunshine one day, rain the next

hailstones the size of peas

gales to lift you off your feet

the sun has been rather shy so far

but we wanted a little tropical taste

so here's an oldie tweaked for inclement June

banana pecan loaf with a coconut top

you will need ....

3 medium sized ripe bananas ~ mashed

75g sugar

75g butter

175g self raising flour

2 eggs

half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

a pinch of salt

a generous handful of pecan nuts

coconut for sprinkling

preheat the oven to 180c/ gas 4

line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper

cream together the butter and sugar until light

and fluffy

beat in the eggs one at a time

mixing well between each one

stir in the mashed bananas and pecans

fold through the flour, salt and bicarb

and pour into the loaf tin

sprinkle on the coconut and make a sort of

tent with the excess greaseproof to stop 

the top from burning

bake for one to one and a half hours

{test with a skewer for doneness}

this loaf can be eaten when cooled the same day

but it tastes better the next day if you can wait!

▲△ postcard from the lakes

we received this postcard from my Mummy

she'd been to visit my sister in the Lake District

so we had to make the recipe on the card!

buttermere biscuits

you will need ....

220g plain flour

110g butter

90g caster sugar

45g currants {we used a mix of dried fruit}

grated rind of a lemon

half a teaspoon baking powder

1 large egg ~ beaten

preheat the oven to 180c/gas 4

line and grease some baking sheets

rub the butter into the flour until it looks like rubble

stir in the other dry ingredients

and the lemon zest

mix in the beaten egg to make a firm dough

add a few drops of warm water if needed

roll out the dough to 7mm thick and cut out 75mm circles

put onto the greased baking sheets

and bake for 15~20 minutes

until light brown and firm

alternative ~ use soft brown sugar, omit the lemon 

and currants and add 45g each of chocolate chips 

and hazelnuts

❤❥ partytime

last weekend I had a birthday

bingobango at my house

lots of guests to feed

and cake very much on the table!

this recipe is for two cakes

but I can say the main variation was

the over all winner

elderflower drizzle cake

{or triple chocolate cake}

you will need ....

175g softened butter

175g caster sugar

140g self raising flour

85g ground almonds

half teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

100ml milk

for the elderflower cake you will also need

4 tablespoons of elderflower cordial

and a few tablespoons of sugar to sprinkle

heat the oven to 160c/ gas 3

grease and line a loaf tin

beat together the butter and sugar until 

light and fluffy

add the eggs one at a time mixing thoroughly

between each one

tip in the flour, baking powder, almonds

and milk then mix until smooth

pour into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes

until golden risen and cooked in the middle

soon as the cake comes out of the oven

 prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle on

the elderflower cordial

sprinkle with sugar and leave to cool completely 

in the tin before cutting

for the triple chocolate cake you also will need

4 tablespoons good cocoa powder

50g choc chips or chunks

melted white chocolate for drizzling

for this cake, it's the same method as before, but adding the

cocoa powder and choc chips then baking

when it's cooked and cooled, drizzle with melted

white chocolate, leave to set then slice

good to share