More Baking!

Haven't done too much from the Bake Off book recently because I've been baking other recipes, some worked some didn't.....   All my adult life I have been ripping out recipes from magazines and newspapers and keeping them all in binders and folders with the intention of trying them sometime - one of my New Year's resolutions last January was to start cooking some of these!  So that's what I have been doing in the hope of discovering something really fantastic to put in my "favourites" folder.

Recently I made German Apple Cake from one of my Aga cook books - we have loads of Bramleys to use up this winter and it was very nice although I managed to give it my trademark Aga burnt top.  Basically it was a standard cake mix in the bottom, a thick layer of apples coated in sugar and butter, topped with a cinnamon crumble topping.  Nice served warm.

I also made Orange and Poppy Seed muffins - these were a bit different to usual muffins in that they had 200ml of yoghurt in the wet ingredients.  I felt that they were a bit plain so added some orange coloured tangy icing on top and that did the trick.

Orange and Poppy Seed Muffins

More Cup Cakes

I made these cupcakes just to christen my new cake stand, turned by my husband, David, who has taken his woodturning one step further by the use of mosaics.  It revolves so makes a wonderful centrepiece to an afternoon tea party - am sure I will be using it to display my baking!

My new cake stand!

Paul's Iced Fingers

This is a technical challenge using an enriched yeast dough and mine turned out more like iced "hands" than iced "fingers"!  However, they were very yummy and an absolute treat for afternoon tea.  I found the dough difficult to handle but eventually it did form a ball that I could shape.  I used my homemade strawberry jam made from last year's crop and was very generous with it (my husband's special request) so the end result didn't have the finesse of Paul's efforts!

My Iced Hands!

Chocolate Crackles

Made these biscuits after a boring day's housework due to very wet weather all day.  Very easy to make - I didn't have any light muscovado so used soft light brown sugar as I have a huge bag of that and it tends to go hard if left in the cupboard too long, so needs to be used up.

Chocolate Crackles

The biscuits turned out fine so I don't know what they would have been like with the muscovado sugar.  Will try them out tomorrow on Evelyn, a friend from Chipping Campden who is coming for a coffee and a chat.

Rich Beef Casserole with Dumplings

Made this today to eat over the weekend and putting in Guinness really gives it a good flavour.  I got the beef from David Moore's Butchers in Mickleton - great old-fashioned butchers who supply a lot of the restaurants in the area.  The meat is always good.  I was able to use onions, carrots and parsnips from the allotment.

Rich Beef Casserole with Dumplings

We decided that this recipe shouldn't be in the Bake Off book, but I guess it's the dumplings that give it a place.  They were just a bit different from the average dumpling by the inclusion of some mustard powder to give a little kick.  It was a really good casserole though, just right for a chilly September evening.

Quick and Simple Fruit Loaf

Autumn is here and the workload on the allotment and in the garden is much reduced, so the Aga is back on and I am once again in the kitchen!

Yesterday I made Quick and Simple Fruit Loaf and it certainly was quick and simple.  We sampled it today with morning coffee and it was nice but I felt it could have had a teaspoon of mixed spice in it.  The butter and sugar are melted together then added to the other ingredients and mixed well so you can see it is very quick.  David is very pleased that there is now homemade cake in the cake tin once again.

Quick and Simple Fruit Loaf

It's going to be a big baking session over the next few months....

A bit of a delay!

Apologies to all my readers for the lack of recipes but it's far too hot to cook cakes and I have been away on holiday twice this month!  Also the allotment and garden need me far more than the kitchen.... Normal service will be resumed asap!