While exploring mojewypieki.com I came across a recipe for a carrot cake, advertised as the best ever, super awesome and totally faultless. I made it, underbaked it, dwelled on it for a few minutes and shoved it in the bin.  I still wanted my carrot cake though, so baked another one, the GF recipe used here on the blog before. That worked a treat once again, I did make the icing this time and that from mojewypieki.com’s recipe.  And that’s a keeper; Philadelphia cream cheese whipped with 4 tbsps of very soft butter, 1,5 tbsps of icing sugar and some vanilla paste. Yum. Finished with toasted pecans and a dusting of cinnamon.

Wednesday, the day of the week when BBC1 airs “The Great British Bake Off”, so there must be something freshly baked to munch on, while watching. I made the cookies, which I had at Ewa’s last Sunday. Had them for the second time and found them surprisingly lovely, but- I thought, with a touch of cinnamon and maybe pecans they would rock.

I took Ewa’s basic recipe, which asked for ” a glass of flour” and “half a glass of sugar”, just as if my mum had dictated it( classic Polish way, I suppose, the glasses!), but I measured everything I was putting into the Kitchen Aid, so that the corrections could be taken into account next time.  So I used 2 egg whites, which got whipped with 60 g of sugar. I then added the yolks, 80 g of plain flour, a tsp of baking powder. Also the oats, I used 2 sachets of posh Aspen porridge with apples and raisins, good call, lots of extra flavours. Also in went half a melted butter. The original recipe called for margarine, which I don’t like using, I’m all for the butter when baking. Then in went the pretty bits; about 50 g of chopped pecans, a good handful of sunflower seeds( such a nice crunch and flavour!), 2 tbsps of desiccated coconut, 1 tsp of cinnamon and 2 tbsps of maple syrup. All those quantities are to my taste and liking.

Ewa’s method said nothing of the oven temperature or timing, so I went for the cookie temperature that works for me- 180 degrees, they baked for about 17 minutes.  The house smells like a tasty, posh porridge on Saturday morning. The cookies- a treat. Sweeter than Ewa’s, who’s a diabetic, so must be careful with lashes of maple syrup and stuff like that.  I think hers were also crunchier. And I bet- healthier. Nevertheless, a tea time treat. 🙂

Recipe from Gordon’s wifey, apparently. I must say, a keeper, it’s surprisingly fluffy, light and moreish. And easy to make too.  Kitchen Aid creamed 115 g of soft butter and same amount of sugar for me, I added 2 eggs, a zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsps of yuzu juice, now available to people who don’t work in Dinings any more- courtesy of Waitrose.  Tiny bottle costs a kidney, of course, but there is no flavour like yuzu, so hey, every now and then one splashes out. 🙂

Err, the cake. Self raising flour in the same amount like sugar and butter went into the mix, all nice and pale, all this to the lined long tin and into the oven for 45 minutes in 180 degrees.  When baked I spiked it all over and poured over the lemon and yuzu syrup, made by simply mixing a juice of 1 lemon, whatever yuzu I had left and lots of sugar,some icing, some caster.

It is sooooo going to be enjoyed this evening with a cup of tea!

Long time ago I bought “Leith’s Cooking Bible”, had a look through it, put it on the shelf and let it sit there, gathering dust. £15 well spent. Last night, when having a cup of tea I longed for something sweet, but there were no biscuits at home, so right before bed I picked the bible off the shelf and found a few nice recipes in terms of cookies,  worth attention and a try.

A certain chocolate fan, that I share my life with, insisted that the cookies must be chocolate ones. I like baking with chocolate, so I obliged.

For the dough I used 115 g of butter that I melted with 100 g of plain chocolate and 1 tsp of instant coffee granules.  When slightly cooled, I added to a bowl, in which I had 140 g of caster sugar, 140 g of light brown sugar, 250 g of plain flour, 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 30 g of cocoa, 2 beaten eggs and a small bag of chocolate chips( Dr.Oetker’s on this occasion). The dough was quite thick, but I used a tea spoon to form little balls, flattened them and placed on a greased baking sheet. They baked for 10 minutes in 180 degrees. When out of the oven they seemed a bit under done, but I followed the recipe and it worked. They’re rich, moorish and lovely.

The dinner I made this evening was a bit of a waste, cause we got stuffed on cookies like silly kids and there was no space for proper food. I should also mention that I’m trying to lose the baby fat around my stomach. Clearly not trying TODAY. 🙂

I saw it on tv last night, there was nothing in it that I don’t like- apples,cinnamon, had to try. Lovely recipe, easy and quick, made it and whacked it in the oven in no time, while Izzlett was napping.

I used about 40 g of soft butter which I whizzed with 100 g of self raising flour and 50 g of brown sugar. Added a generous tsp of cinnamon, then 1,5 chopped apples ( I had pink lady in the fruit bowl, worked nicely) and 2 eggs, lightly beaten. All this went into a loaf tin, topped with thinly sliced apples and some brown sugar sprinkled on them. Baked in 180 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Mary suggested warmed apricot jam glaze after it cooled a bit, I used maple syrup. Yum!

Inspired by Masterchef last night, starring so called celebrities. Some bint, who’s famous for socializing, made a frangipan tart. I felt like making  some kind of frangipan tart, found Paul Hollywood’s recipe with apricots and pears. I had neither, but I had strawberries.

Izzie was asleep upstairs, like a good child that she is, so I managed to do the whole thing in one go. Sweet shortcrust pastry( 250 g of plain flour, 125 g of butter, 2 egg yolks, some sugar and a drop of water to bind it), blind baked it in 200 degrees for 15 minutes with baking beans and then about 8 minutes without. Then, on the bottom went some strawberry jam followed by the said frangipan. Easy, Kitchen Aid did the job-for my small round tin I used 62 g of butter and sugar, nicely creamed together, 75 g of ground almonds, 25 g of plain flour, 1,5 egg and a generous tsp of vanilla paste. It smelled great. Onto the frangipan went sliced strawberries and chopped hazelnuts( ran out of almonds). And all that baked in 160 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Very pleased with the pastry and the whole thing, strawberries were a good choice with the sweet tart, they balanced the taste nicely. Will be playing with frangipan again.

We visited Over Farm Market outside Gloucester yesterday, I was hoping for some lovely strawberries and asparagus, they had both. We had Eton mess last night, today I baked the cake and there’s still lots left, I need to use them in something good, not just strawberry/banana smoothies, lovely as they are.

The cake, recipe from GF, simple and very decent indeed( there’s a quarter of that cake left). 90 g each of ground almonds, self raising flour, sugar and soft butter, 2 eggs and a touch of cream all mixed together with an electric whisk that struggled, as the mixture was quite thick. The recipe asked for a tsp of cinnamon, I added 2, big cinnamon fan that I am. Half of that thick mixture went on the bottom of my small round baking tin, on it cleaned and sliced strawberries, around 250 g. The rest of the cake mix on top and into the oven for about 50 minutes, in  180 degrees. Finished off with icing sugar, served with cream. The remaining slice will be enjoyed after spaghetti bolognese this evening, but with vanilla ice cream. 🙂

Cover recipe from one of the GF mags.  I have my Mum over so needed something nice for the coffee in the garden. Really nice, a keeper.

For my small 6″ tin I used 100 g of Philadelphia cheese, quickly mixed with half an egg, some icing sugar and vanilla paste. For the cake mix 90 g of soft butter, 125 g self raising flour, 50 g of caster sugar, 2 eggs, 25 g of ground almonds, 2 tsp of fat yoghurt and some more vanilla paste( naturally, if that little jar stands there open it must be abused!). Half of the cake mixture gets on the bottom of the tin, some sliced strawberries  and half of the cheese, then the rest of the cake mixture, carefully, in order not to disturb the cheese, more strawberries, some flaked almonds on top and to the oven for roughly an hour in 180 degrees. Delicious served warm, as we had in the garden, with The Bundle of Love sleeping quietly in the basket. 🙂

I’m finding all sorts of ways to pass time, hoping Izzie will stop nudging and get to work of emerging into the world.  It’s Easter tomorrow and though I’m not massive about tradition ( my father would disown me again if he read it), I thought one little eggy thing would be nice.  So I baked a New York Cheesecake according to that very same recipe-

New York Cheesecake.

only I swapped lemon juice for yuzu juice, which Nicolo brought me from Dinings 2 weeks ago. Yuzu flavour is unmistakable, fresh and lovely. Especially the glaze I’m very pleased with. All topped with chocolate eggs it’s now setting in the fridge. Pleased with the way I made it look and I’m wondering, if I ever get brave enough and start doing it for a living- what would I charge for it?

Happy Easter, come on Izzie!!! 🙂