Week ending 7th July

Well I am back to my baking and blog now after being away on holiday to the lovely sunny Caribbean island of Cuba, had a brilliant time and will put some pics up on my Facebook page very soon. I am also now back looking after my two small grandchildren in Surrey 3 days a week so could be slightly less baking time - well maybe......

So this week I have not done as much as I have only had four days but have made an apple cake, some oat and raisin cookies and my first attempt at naan breads to accompany our chicken curry yesterday. Time to look out my cook books again, maybe before the Murray match this afternoon, could read them in the garden with a nice cup of tea, or maybe even a Pimms? while its so lovely and sunny.


Here are the pics of my baking this weekend

First the apple cake

 Now the oat and raisin cookies 

and finally, for now anyway, the naans

Fortnight ending 9th June

Well its been another busy fortnight in my teeny kitchen, and my attempts this time have been blueberry muffins, banana and sultana loaf, white bread, (twice) mini Victoria sponges, one full size Victoria sponge, a small white loaf and 4 mini white loaves from one batch of dough, a giant Jaffa cake, a country farmhouse style one pound fruit cake, and some chocolate chip decorated cupcakes. Here we go with the photos then

First up - the blueberry muffins

Next my banana and sultana loaf

The two white loaves, from the same recipe but on different days

This loaf comes from Jo Wheatley's first book, A Passion for Baking and works successfully every time

Next I have been trying out my new purchase of a mini Victoria sponge tin - it has straight side and loose bases and this are my first attempt

I then did the mixture again but a larger quantity and made a Victoria sponge and six mini sponges - loving the tin!!

Bread again next - another new tin!! = this time a 1 lb loaf tin and 4 mini loaves, same recipe as before

Now the giant Jaffa cake = recipe from Jo's Blue Aga http://www.josblueaga.com/2013/05/a-giant-jaffa.html

Then the large one pound country farmhouse style fruitcake. I forgot to take a photo of the inside but as it was so lovely I will no doubt make it again and will try to remember to post a photo then.

and finally for this week the chocolate chip cupcakes from cupcake to added decorations then ready for delivery to my daughters place of work in my lovely cupcake carrier. I couldn't decide between minstrels or maltesers so did half with one and half with the other

Week ending 25th May

This week I have attempted a fat free fruit cake, rocky roads, tried my hand at a Paul Hollywood recipe for a white loaf (twice), melting moment biscuits, my first ever attempt at a swiss roll in my new swiss roll tin, and my first attempt at a meringue base (I had some egg whites left over and some cream from the swiss roll filling - and its a shame to waste it lol), and finally a coffee and walnut tray bake from the Mary Berry Baking Bible.

First up and its the rocky roads - most of these went to my daughter Jo's place of work!!

Then two loaves using a Paul Hollywood recipe this time and using the dough hook in my Kenwood - this is the first loaf from dough through to loaf

And this is the second one made a couple of days later - I like the recipe a lot although I still think my favourite white loaf is the one from Jo Wheatley's first book  'A passion for Baking' http://www.sainsburysentertainment.co.uk/en/Books/Hardback/Jo-Wheatley/A-Passion-For-Baking-Sainsbury-s-Exclusive/product.html?product=E11076373

Fat free fruit cake (from a Rosemary Conley magazine courtesy of my sister)

Melting moments - these were so easy and taste delicious (oops more weight gain I feel)

Next my first ever attempt at a swiss roll with jam and cream filling this time

And my first ever meringue base, quite small as I only had two egg whites this time. and its a fairly thin base but still scrummy - if i only had two whites another time I would make the circle smaller and thicker, but no complaints were had from those who ate it - and yes that included me!!

Finally, (for this week anyway - have plans in my head for next time already.....) a coffee and walnut tray bake

Now what was I saying about weight gain.........!!!!

Fortnight ending 18th May

Well, another busy week, but I didn't have time last week to post or bake, so this is in fact from two weeks ago.

Okay, so this particular week I made a white loaf, some of Jo Wheatley's take on Maryland cookies, chocolate celebration cupcakes, a banana walnut raisin and cinnamon loaf cake, two variations on a vanilla tray bake, one for the nursery girls and one for hubby to take to his place of work too.

So here we go with some photos:-

bread from dough to loaf

Maryland cookies, 

Chocolate celebration cupcakes before and after decorations

Banana loaf

Nursery girls tray-bake topped with butter-cream and maltesers

and final bake of that week - another tray-bake but with extra swirl of butter-cream topped with flake

Week ending Sunday 5th May

Another busy week when I have made a plaited loaf, a dozen white soft rolls, tried out a new (and very successful) way of doing the butter-cream for my sponge cake (duly decorated and mostly eaten by the day nursery girls ;-), banana and blueberry cupcakes, Anzac cookies and honeycomb bars too. phew, wipes brow.....

So here we go with some photos...

Plaited loaf from dough stage to baked loaf - it was very light and a lovely loaf, definitely doing this one again

Soft white rolls - need to find some proper parchment paper, or may flour the grease-proof paper first as two or three did stick very slightly to the paper, but it didn't deter from the taste and they were wonderful for egg and bacon brunch - photo of brunch also attached ......

Sponge cake next - before and after chocolate topping!

Banana and blueberry cupcakes

Anzac cookies

and finally (for last week anyway)

Honeycomb bars - 

I am now busy reading through my many, many cookbooks to see what I can make this weekend :-). As mentioned before, if anyone would like any of the recipes posted please let me know.