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.

Week ending April 27th April

Another busy week in my teeny kitchen as this week I have made a granary loaf (unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of this), a lemon drizzle cake, oat and raisin cookies, malteser topped vanilla cupcakes, and cherry bakewell cupcakes. I also have the photo of the almond macaroons and some white and dark chocolate chip cookies made earlier in the week - busy busy time.

I have also been asked for the recipe for the lemon meringue cupcakes so am going to type it out here for those who have asked for it

Lemon Meringue cupcake recipe

Ingredients:

200 gr margarine or butter, softened
200 gr caster sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
200 gr self raising flour
2/3 tbsp milk

to decorate:

lemon curd
4 egg whites             (I did find this was too much meringue and 3 egg whites would be sufficient in my view)
110 gr caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 170C (fan) 325F or Gas mark 3

Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases

Mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (I use my free standing mixer - saves on elbow grease))
Gradually add the beaten eggs mixing well between each addition
Add the vanilla extract. Sieve the flour into the bowl and mix again until smooth, adding as much milk as needed to make it smooth.
Divide the mixture between the 12 cases and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until a wooden cocktail stick comes out clean when inserted into cakes

Leave to cool for a few minutes, then using a teaspoon, make a small hollow in the top of the cakes and fill with lemon curd

To make the meringue topping whisk the egg whites until stiff, then gradually whisk 1/2 of the sugar until the mixture is very shiny, fold in the remaining sugar then spoon the mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.

Pipe a swirl of meringue on top of each cake and pop back into the oven for about 10 minutes until the topping is golden brown

hey presto you then have this

Okay, now back to last weeks baking photos - if anyone would like recipes posted please let me know

Choc chip cupcakes

Almond Macaroons

Lemon Drizzle Cake

 Vanilla cupcakes decorated with buttercream and tooped with maltesers

Oat and Raisin cookies

Cherry Bakewell Cupcakes

A lot of my recipes and inspiration come from Jo Wheatley and her two wonderful Cook Books - A Passion for Baking and her latest one Home Baking - please look at her blog - link below.

Jo's Blue Aga

I also have a book called 1000 cupcake recipes so this could be a very long ongoing blog!!!! 

Yet another baking week in April

Well another busy week in my teeny kitchen, I have done lemon meringue cupcakes, white bread, granary bread, coconut macaroons, creme egg brownies and yet another batch of banana muffins with added sultanas and maple syrup and honey. I forgot to take a photo of the brownies but there were identical to the ones I did earlier so will be naughty and re-post the picture from then.

Here we go with the photos then, first of all I made the lemon meringue cupcakes and there were delicious and so much easier than I anticipated.

Next day I made a white loaf of bread

and very nice it was too - lovely with boiled eggs :-)


Next attempt was coconut macaroons, think I slightly mis-weighed the coconut as I got distracted mid weighing by a phone call - a nuisance call as it happens!, there should have been a bit more coconut added from a new now still unopened packet :-(, but am told they were lovely. 

Yesterday (Thursday) was the day for the brownies for my daughters place of work request for a full-fat Friday!!

And finally today it was the granary loaf quickly followed by the muffins

Tomorrow I have one more mission and that's the almond macaroons - the ones with rice paper on the bottom - if I have time I will post that tomorrow afternoon