Week ending 16th August

I didn't think I would be baking this week but lo and behold I did manage one tray of muffins toped with buttercream and mini smarties  I also used a newly purchased gadget which allows me to use two colours in the icing - I left half plain buttercream and added violet to the other half making it a pale mauve colour, I am not sure how clear this will be in the photos hence the explanation. No more this week though although  I do intend to make some mini muffins in my new tin (another new purchase ooops) next weekend with my little grandson Max and will publish the results after next weekend 

First of all nude cakes, then decorated, then a close up of one individual and then all packed for delivery :-)

Week ending 10th August 2013

Well I think I got a bit carried away this week - well Thursday Friday & Saturday to be precise. I have managed a white loaf (although to be fair this was made last Sunday), some small granary loaves, rock cakes, mini black forest gateaux, blueberry muffins, naan breads, and a Bakewell tart - the latter I blame entirely on my sister who went to Bakewell for the day and the talk of Bakewell tarts and puddings made me search for a recipe - Jo Wheatleys wonderful books again - the granary bread rolls and the white loaf were also courtesy of Jo's book A Passion For Baking.


Start of the week was the white loaf

Next were the rock cakes, they were lovely - found this recipe via google and they were lovely and light

Next on the agenda were the mini black forest gateaux, before and after filling with cream and cherry jam

Blueberry muffins were next

quickly followed by the granary mini loaves

naan's to accompany tonight's chicken biriani

a few jam tarts made form the left over pastry from the Bakewell tart, 3 raspberry jam and 3 apricot jam

and finally the bakewell - 1st pic straight from the oven, second one cut and dusted with icing sugar and the third one a slice to show the inside

Still to make another week is the baked cheesecake, and some variations on biscuits. That's all for this month though as I wont be around at home to bake again until September  Thank for looking at my blog, feel free to comment on anything I have done.

Week ending 3rd August

Busy day baking on Friday - this week I made some more cherry bakewell cupcakes, quite a favourite now, plus some butterfly cakes - first attempt at these, just made some plain vanilla ones and used some chocolate butter-cream plus some chocolate buttons to decorate, unfortunately there were more buttons in the packet than I needed so I just had to eat them as I couldn't let them go to waste ;-). I also made some gingerbread men, these are so far undecorated as my 2 year old grandson is here for the weekend and he is hopefully going to help with the decorating of these - maybe pics of the decorated ones later, and finally I made a banana and walnut loaf.

Cherry bakewell cupcakes first - not really very pleased with these this week although I can confirm they taste fine, just a little spready (if there's such a word) ....tried to tidy up the edges hence the crumbly edges

Butterfly cakes (for hubby's work place)

Banana and walnut loaf

and finally the undecorated gingerbread men 

I am going to spend a little while now looking through my book of 1000 cupcake recipes and Jo Wheatley, Mary Berry etc etc to get some inspiration for next weeks baking - might have a go at bread again too, try my hand at some granary rolls maybe, and I have yet to attempt a baked cheesecake..... watch this space

PS  some decorated gingerbread men