Did you know that my kids came home from school every day to find a freshly baked treat waiting for them?? I'm not bragging or anything, but it's true! It was a very rare occasion when there wasn't something tasty waiting for them when they got off the bus! I loved to bake. I loved my kids . . . I loved to bake for my kids. I don't tell you this to brag or anything . . . it is simply a matter of fact! (With five children, three of them boys, nothing lasted overly long in my house, I needed to bake every day!)



Some days are just milk and cookie days are they not??? There is nothing more inviting when you come into the house than a plate of freshly baked cookies and a jug of ice cold milk. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy it either!



I am one of those who loves to indulge myself every so often in this lucious treat of milk and fresh baked cookies. Ok . . .so my waistline say I indulge myself more than just every so often . . . but . . . meh!



One of my favourite milk and cookie indulgences are these amazing peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. (Now that's a mouthful!) Oh so scrummy . . .
Crisp, peanut buttery, oaty, chocolatey and filled with lots of salted peanuts. These go down so very well with a tall glass of milk. I make em even more moreish by using chopped Green and Black's milk chocolate.



They are my only weakness . . . (shaddup cheeky!!!!)



*Amazing Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies*
Makes about 6 dozen
Printable Recipe

Two of these, fresh out of the oven, along with an ice cold glass of milk. Cookie heaven!!

8.5 ounces rolled oats (3 cups)
1.5 ounces whole wheat flour (1/3 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
7 ounce soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
6.7 ounces caster sugar (1 cup)
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)
3 ounces natural peanut butter (unsweetened, 1/2 cup)
2 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
11 ounces of salted whole peanuts (2 cups)
12.5 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
(Or use an equivalent weight of chopped good quality milk chocolate with a
high cocoa content, such as Green and Blacks Milk, my preferred)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture just until combined. Stir in the peanuts and chocolate.

Scoop onto the prepared baking sheets using dessertspoons, leaving at least 2 inches apart for spreading. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown and set. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Repeat until all cookies are baked. Store in a tightly covered container.



Cooking at The Cottage today, a deliciously old fashioned Potato Pudding! One of my favourite recipes from The Big Blue Binder.

Considered to be one of Cumbria's most popular village, Grasmere sits about halfway down the ambleside area of Lake Windemere. (The most popular of the Lakes in the Lake District.) This is due in large part to the fact that the writer William Wordsworth lived here from 1779 to 1850. It was also sometimes the home of Coleridge and Thomas de Quincy.



There is a lovely museum there where you can read their works and see photos etc. You can also visit Dove Cottage where Wordsworth lived with his sister Dorothy. A very worthwhile place to visit as well.



Another thing that Grasmere is famous for, and maybe even more famous for than it's Wordsworth connections is that it is the place that Grasmere Gingerbread is made! (Since the 1850's) The shop that makes it is tucked into a corner of the churchyard where Wordsworth now sleeps, and unmistakingly surrounded by the delicious smell of baking gingerbread.



The recipe, of course, is a very close held secret, but there are a few versions about, all claiming to be as good as the orignal. Jamie Oliver has a version here. (It looks very, very good too, I might add.) I also found another recipe on the BBC Good Food site, which I have adapted to American ingredients and measurements below.



In any case, this was my first opportunity to try out the Gingerbread, having come up here on some threee separate occasions now, and I can say . . . unequivically, without a doubt, it is some of the best Gingerbread I have ever eaten. Somewhere between a gingerbread cookie and a cake . . . it's quite unsual and quite, QUITE delicious! (I have not baked this recipe, but the picture on the BBC Good Food page looked very delicious and quite close to the original!)



*Grasmere Gingerbread*
Makes 12 slices
Printable Recipe

Adapted from a recipe on BBC Good Food.


First mix:
95g shortbread biscuits (generous 1 1/2 cups)
95g oatcake biscuits (generous 1 1/2 cups)
30g soft light brown sugar (2 1/2 TBS packed)
4ml of ground ginger (about 3/4 tsp)

Second mix:
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
40g mixed peel
35g crystallised Ginger (minced)(2 1/2 TBS)
40g oat flour (porrige oats put through a coffee grinder)(1/2 cup)

Toffee Mix:
55g golden syrup
30g treacle
(In North America use a scant 4 TBS of mild molasses instead
of the syrup and treacle)
70g soft light brown sugar (Generous 1/3 cup packed)
55g butter (1/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Grease a 7x11 inch baking tin. Set aside.

Put the "First Mix" ingredients into a food processor, and blend to a fairly fine crumb. Remove 40g of this, and put in a small bowl (to be used after the baking stage). Put the remainder into a large bowl.

Add the "Second Mix" ingredients to the large bowl. Mix in.

Put the "Toffee Mix" ingredients into a small pan. Slowly bring to boil while stirring. Using a thermometer, slowly heat until the boiling point reaches 119*C. (This temperature is quite critical.) Add this hot liquid mix to the large bowl, and mix in thoroughly. Pour this mix into the baking tin, and smooth down firmly. Bake near the middle of the oven for 15 minutes.

Spread the reserved mixture evenly onto the hot ginger slice, and press down gently. Leave to cool completely and then cut into slices. Enjoy!



If you'd like to read a little bit more about our holiday and see a video I took of the Cumbrian Fells, do hop on over to the Cottage to see more!

Remember this picture from last year??? Yep! It's that time of the year again, the Toddster's Birthday! He is like a good cheddar that just gets better and better with age. He is 73 years young today and doesn't look a day over 63, seriously! It must be all that TLC I give him!

Last year I baked him a delicious Buttermilk Spice cake, which he truly enjoyed, but that really isn't his favourite cake.



Every year I ask him what kind of cake he would like and he always says fruit cake, and so I have fruit soaking in some brandy at the moment so that I can make him one of those, but I also made him his second favourite of all cakes, a Cherry Almond Cake.




It's a delicious family type of cake . . . a teatime cake . . . a buttery rich cake that is chock full of candied cherries and almonds . . . with a scrummy ribbon of marzipan running through the middle of it.



Oh, this cake is just perfect for celebrations of any kind . . . wonderful for tea parties . . . luncheons . . . and birthdays. (Well, if you're a Todd at any rate. I'd still pimp for a chocolate fudge cake myself.)



It's a great cake though and everyone who shares a piece of it loves it. It's not as pretty as a traditional type of birthday cake, but it's what the Toddster wants and so it's what the Toddster gets.



I don't know what I'll make him for supper . . . he has only one request . . . that it not be pasta.



*Cherry and Almond Cake*
Makes one 8 inch round cake
Printable Recipe

This is a delicious family/teatime type of cake. It's dense and buttery and chocker block full of delicious cherries and almonds.

8 ounces butter, at room temperature (1 cup)
8 ounces golden caster sugar (1 cup plus 2 TBS)
4 large free range eggs, beaten
8 ounces self raising flour (2 cups)
8 ounces glace cherries, chopped (1 cup)
4 ounces ground almonds (1 scant cup)
2 to 3 drops of almond extract
9 ounces marzipan (a generous 1/2 pound)
2 ounces flaked almonds (1/2 cup)
sifted icing sugar to serve (optional)

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Butter a deep 8-inch round baking tin and line the base and sides with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the eggs, a bit at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour one third at a time. Fold in the cherries, ground almonds and almond extract, mixing all in until evenly combined.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared tin.

Roll the marzipan into a 7 1/2 inch round. Lay this on top of the batter in the tin. Spoon the remainder of the batter over top.

Smooth over the top of the cake with the back of a spoon and then sprinkle the flaked almonds evenly over top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, covering with foil after the first hour if it appears to be getting too dark. The cake is done when it shrinks away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Optional: Dust with icing sugar to serve



Over in the Cottage this morning there are some delicious Chicken Fried Pork Chops!

One thing that I really missed when I moved over here to the UK was Hummingbirds. I always had a hummingbird feeder hanging by my window back home in Canada. I used to get quite a few of them too. They were so much fun to watch. Sometimes they would fight each other . . . their aerial dances were so beautiful to see, and quite amazing!



When we lived down south I was quite certain one day that we had a hummingbird in the garden. It flew from the honeysuckle at the side of our cottage over to the honeysuckle that was growing in the hedge at the back of our place. It flew just like a hummingbird and I was sure it was one . . . except it was a dull brown, but no matter . . . I thought perhaps it was a European variety or some such. I watched it for a good five minutes and was so excited to see it. I could hardly contain myself when I went into the house to tell the Toddster.



I was mistaken. It was not a hummingbird at all . . . it was a hummingbird moth, and I am not the first one to make that mistake . . . it is quite a common occurance over here in the UK. Moths in the daytime that act just like hummingbirds! In truth, I was every bit as excited to see a Hummingbird Moth as I would have been to see a Hummingbird! Funny how that goes!!



Of course that has nothing whatsoever to do with this lovely cake! When I told Todd it was a hummingbird cake, he looked at me like I was all doolally! I was quick to tell him it was not made from hummingbirds . . . no!



Just made of things that one might find in the countries where hummingbirds winter . . . things like bananas, and coconut . . . and sweet pineapple too.



It's very moist and oh-so-delicious. Each bite is quite quite lucious. The Toddster quite enjoyed.



Make sure you drain the pineapple very well for this, saving the juice of course . . . if the fruit is too wet the cake will be too heavy. Do use very ripe bananas too . . . if they aren't ripe enough, you won't get a good balance of flavours I topped mine with toasted coconut, but you don't have too. I just thought it would look prettier. Kinda like a hummingbird . . .



No Hummingbirds were harmed in the making of this cake.



*Hummingbird Cake*
Makes one 9 inch square cake
Printable Recipe

Moist and delicious. Moreishly scrummy!

450g tin of crushed pineapple in syrup (2 cups undrained)
210g plain flour (1 1/2 cup)
105g self raising flour (3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch salt
200g soft light brown sugar (1 cup packed)
45g dessicated coconut (1/2 cup)
2 large overripe bananas, mashed
2 large free range eggs, beaten
180ml of vegetable oil (2/3 cup)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square deep pan. Line the base with baking parchment. Set aside.

Drain the pineapple well, reserving the syrup. (Really press it to get out as much liquid as possible.)

Sift the flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and brown sugar into a bowl, mixing well. Beat together the eggs, banana, vegetable oil and 60 ml (1/4 cup) of the reserved pineapple syrup. Stir this mixture into the flour along with the pineapple and mashed banana using a wooden spoon. Stir in the coconut. Spread into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cooled spread with the cream cheese frosting.



*Cream Cheese Frosting*

30g butter softened (2 TBS)
60g full fat cream cheese, softened (4 TBS)
1 tsp vanilla
240g of sifted icing sugar (2 cups)

To make the frosting beat together all the frosting ingredients until light and fluffy.

This cake will store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. If you don't want to use cream cheese frosting you can make a simple glaze type of frosting using some of the pineapple syrup and some icing sugar, enough to make a drizzle. Just pour on top of the warm cake and leave to set until completely cold.



Over in The Cottage today, some delicious Pancakes! (made with sour cream!) These were always my eldest son's favourite ones when he was growing up!

I don't need to remind you about how very much I love blueberries do I??? Well . . . just in case I do . . . it's a lot, Lot, LOT!!



I love them in pies and in cakes.



I love them in sweet crumbles and buttery cobblers.



I love them in fluffy pancakes and . . . I simply ♥adore♥ them in muffins!!



Especially when the muffins are huge and buttery and so stogged full of the lovely delicious sweet little blue babies that you couldn't possibly stog any more of them in.



Oh . . . and a buttery . . . crispy . . . crumbly . . . sweet streusel topping doesn't hurt either!



Moreishly scrummy!!!



*Blueberry Streusel Muffins*
Makes 8 medium/large muffins
Printable Recipe

Deliciously moist and buttery, with a crisp streusel topping.

210g plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
150g caster sugar (3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
75g butter, melted and cooled slightly (1/3 cup)
1 large free range egg, beaten
150ml of milk (2/3 cup)
1 tsp vanilla
150g punnet fresh blueberries (about 1 1/2 cups)

For the streusel topping:
100g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
35g plain flour (1/4 cup)
4 TBS cold butter, cubed
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/gas mark 6. Line 8 medium to large muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.

To make the streusel topping mix together the sugar, flour butter and cinnamon with a fork until it looks like coarse sand. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl. In another small bowl, beat together the milk, butter, egg and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once. Stir just to combine. Gently stir in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling to the top and sprinkle with the streusel topping.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.



Baking over in The Cottage today, a delicious Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

I had the pleasure recently of having been sent a lovely baking book to review. You all know how much I love baking (and eating baked goodies, but we won't talk about that!) It's entitled The Great British Bake Off, How to Bake the perfect victoria sponge and other baking secrets, and is the companion book to the newest 8 part series of the hugely popular Great British Bake off on BBC2.

This is the brand new book to accompany the latest Great British Bake Off series, and features over 120 new recipes, Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood's 'technical challenges,' and the best contestants' recipes!



Divided into 8 delicious chapters, there is plenty to challenge keen bakers here, showcasing everything from brandy snaps to elaborate pastries, pavlovas to iced celebration cakes, and everything in between!



Two guesses as to which is my favourite chapter!!



It is filled with Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood's expert advice and tips which can help just about anyone to achieve baking perfection. Each chapter begins with a specific baking skill, which once mastered, allows you to tackle Mary and Paul's technical challenges, as seen in the series, with the utmost confidence.



There are over 120 recipes in the book ranging from mary's Coffee and Walnut Battenburg and Tarte au Citron to Paul's Pork Pies with Quails' EGgs. It's not just a collection of tasty recipes however, as it also covers the essential techniques, terms and ingredients to help your baking taste, look and smell it's very best ever!



I am most impressed with the variety of recipes and it's practical yet pretty design as well as the full-colour, step-by-step photography included.



Of course you know I wouldn't judge any book by it's cover alone. I need to put it to the test before I can actually declare it a winner or a dud, and this one is a real winner by all counts!



So far everything has turned out beautifully, including this delicious Sticky Orange Marmalade Cake which I baked this afternoon.



It's moreishly moist and chock full of flavour, with a delicious old fashioned appeal. I love the stickiness of the marmalade glaze which covers all that buttery cake goodness, and lurks just beneath a simple icing sugar glaze. I gave it 10 out of 10 and Todd gave it a definite two thumbs up!



*Sticky Orange Marmalade Cake*
Makes one 9 inch single layer cake
Printable Recipe

You want to use a really good Seville Orange marmalade for this cake, with an intense bittersweet flavour, plus decent chunks of peel in it.

For the sponge:
175g unsalted butter, softened (3/4 cup)
175g of caster sugar (3/4 cup)
3 large free range eggs, at room temperature and beaten
175g self raising flour (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 TBS chunky Seville Orange Marmalade
2 TBS full fat or semi skim milk

To finish:
3 TBS chunky Seville Orange Marmalade
100g icing sugar, sifted (1/2 cup)
2 TBS warm water

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch round cake tin and line with baking paper. Butter the paper. Set aside.

Cream the softened butter with an electric mixer or spoon until nice and creamy. Beat in the sugar gradually, then continue to beat until it becomes pale and fluffy.

Gradually beat in the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add a TBS of the flour with the last portion of the egg. Sift the remaining flour, the salt and baking powder into the bowl and gently fold into the mixture with a large metal spoon. When thoroughly combined, stir in the marmalade and milk.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Run a round bladed knife around the inside of the tin to loosen and then carefully turn the cake out onto a wire rack. Flip to right side up. Gently warm the marmalade to finish and brush it all over the top of the warm cake. Allow the cake to cool completely before proceeding.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the warm water and mix to a smooth and runny icing using a wooden spoon. Spoon the icing over the cake, allowing it to run down the sides a bit. Leave to set before cutting into wedges to serve.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.







There is a tasty Roasted Vegetable Lasagne Verde cooking over in the Cottage today!