Christmas Cake

It still isn’t too late to make your own Christmas Cake. I usually make mine in

Iced Christmas Cake
Iced Christmas Cake

September and then spend the next few months “feeding”it. This loosely translates to pouring more brandy over it as it matures. My recipe for Christmas Cake is adaptable to your own tastes and preferences, which I’ll point out as we go. Continue reading “Christmas Cake”

Christmas Pudding

Stir up Sunday is an annual tradition when you make your Christmas Pudding.

Christmas Pudding
Christmas Pudding

Usually the last Sunday in November which in the Anglican calendar marks the last Sunday before theĀ  start of Advent. When I was a little girl my Mum started to make her own Christmas Pudding and they were amazing. My own adult life always seemed too hectic and crazy so to make my own so I stuck to shop bought. That was until recent years when I was prompted to make my own. Continue reading “Christmas Pudding”

Guinness Fruit Cake

The weather here on Skye has taken a turn for the better so after weeks of rain it’s time to get outside. We decided Saturday would be some gardening

Guinness Fruit Cake
Guinness Fruit Cake

and Sunday a hike. These plans meant I needed to bake a robust cake that would survive a trip in a rucksack, wrapped in tinfoil. It calls for a Guinness Fruit Cake, any stout, or very dark ale will do but we always have Guinness in the fridge.

If like me you aren’t a beer drinker fear not you will still enjoy this Guinness Fruit Cake. You taste the richness of the stout rather than the hoppy beer flavour!

Continue reading “Guinness Fruit Cake”

Lavender and Lovage Book Review

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky to receive an advance review copy of Lavender and Lovage by Karen Burns Booth. The book is released on 13th November 2018 and is Karen’s first solo book. I met Karen many years ago at

Lavender and Lovage
Lavender and Lovage

Malton Food Festival and have followed her work with great interest. Karen’s blog Lavender and Lovage is packed with mouthwatering recipes, tantalising food photography and passport grabbing travel. Now she has unleashed all this into a book – Lavender and Lovage. Continue reading “Lavender and Lovage Book Review”

Toffee Apple Cake

As I made a Spiced Chocolate Cake last week it triggered the call for a Spiced Apple Cake, it is that time of year after all – Halloween and Bonfire Night! After a bit of encouraging on Twitter to create an Apple Cake here is my answer… Toffee Apple Cake.

This is a cake that looks impressive and seems as if it should be tricky to make. But fear not, this Toffee Apple Cake is easy to bake and uses the simplest of

Toffee Apple Cake
Toffee Apple Cake

ingredients. I’ve added an extra twist by covering it in Maple Syrup Buttercream and topping it with home-made Caramel Sauce. The best thing is you don’t need fresh apples, this Toffee Apple Cake keeps things simple by using shop bought apple sauce. It couldn’t be easier so lets get cracking… Continue reading “Toffee Apple Cake”

Chocolate Spice Cake

This week I dug out my 40th Edition Be-Ro book and did the Cookbook Challenge. It is a well thumbed recipe book so was hard to find something I

Chocolate Spice Cake
Chocolate Spice Cake

haven’t baked before but hiding away on page 53 is Chocolate Spice Cake.

This cake is suits Autumn perfectly, especially this week being Halloween and Bonfire Night. The Chocolate Spice Cake is lightly spiced with cloves, cinnamon and mixed spice so is a lovely alternative to parkin and gingerbread. Continue reading “Chocolate Spice Cake”