It may still be spring but the promise of summer is already in the air. The light is changing, the days are noticeably longer and there are moments when you are suddenly reminded how good it is to really feel… Read More ›
Baking
Leftover Easter Egg Chocolate Cookies
Easter is over for another year but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the chocolate has all gone. If you still have a heap of Easter Egg chocolates cluttering up your surfaces you might find this recipe useful. Either swipe them… Read More ›
Rich Chocolate cake – just add mini eggs for Easter
If you gave up chocolate for Lent (why???) then you’ll be looking for some chocolately treats for Easter. If you follow the chocolate calendar you’ll know that mini eggs, creme eggs, Easter eggs and egg-shaped versions of all your favourite… Read More ›
Five Grain Bread made with ancient grains – and the gluten debate
Unless you can produce a certificate that says you are coeliac very few people are going to take you seriously if you say you follow a gluten-free diet. It has become one of ‘those’ diets. Gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, raw food,… Read More ›
American Pancakes with Fresh Fruit for Pancake Day
Pancake Day was never one of my favourite days as a child. It’s traditional to make what we now call English pancakes and I’m not sure I had even heard of American pancakes until I was in my twenties. Thin… Read More ›
Raspberry and Chocolate Macarons for Valentine’s Day (if you need an excuse)
Valentine’s Day gets a bad press. Tired, over-priced flowers, cheap chocolates and badly managed expectations. A bit like New Year’s Eve, you probably love it or hate it. Although unlike New Year’s Eve, your may find your relationship with Valentine’s… Read More ›
The School Bake Off and the Perfect Victoria Sponge
The popularity of shows like the Great British Bake Off is a double-edged sword for parents of 12 year olds. Just as a pillow case and a piece of tinsel are no longer an acceptable basis for an outfit for… Read More ›
Baking, Writing and Accountability
Every now and then you get a chance to step back from your life and look at it properly. Taking stock, they call it. It’s a simple concept but perspective is everything. You get a very different perspective from the… Read More ›
Pecan, Chocolate and Cinnamon Buns
As Christmas foods were traditionally those that were far too expensive or indulgent to eat on a regular basis they tend to include a lot of dried fruits, nuts and spices. I’m lucky because I love all the typical British… Read More ›
Blackberry Friands, Champagne and Baking Demos
I didn’t need much persuading when my friend forwarded me an invite to a baking demo and champagne tasting at a kitchen showroom in Notting Hill and said that while she couldn’t go, she thought it would be right up… Read More ›