Well, it's taken several weeks, but I am thankfully back online now! All the boxes are unpacked and we are finally settled into our new home. Well, almost settled anyways!

It's been a whole lot of fun trying to cram all of our belongings into a much smaller place . . . NOT! There's been ever so much we have had to get rid of . . .



The first thing was my lovely electric cooker. Yes . . . I don't know why we didn't notice it before we moved in . . . but . . . there was no point in the kitchen on which to hook up our electric cooker . . . only a gas point.



We ended up having to go out and buy a new gas cooker. It was kind of exciting, really!! Todd wasn't too thrilled about it, but as most women know, there is nothing like a new cooker to put a smile on your face!

I wasn't very smart though . . . there was only a small space to fit one in to and I didn't want to make Todd do a lot of extra work by having to trim the counter edge to fit a large one in and so I went for a more compact model that would easily fit.



Besides . . . it was really cute. I just love toast done under a gas grill . . . sigh . . . that was something I had missed the whole time we were down in Kent . . .

Don't you think it's really cute? I fell in love with the gold buttons and handles and well . . . I just fell in love with everything about the way it looked!



It wasn't until I went to bake something in the oven for the first time that I realized . . . it is much, much smaller inside the oven than what I have been used to. I had thought it was plenty large at the shop . . . but when you take the heat shields into consideration . . . I lose about 6 inches off of the inside.

*Note to self . . . don't get too carried away with how something looks in the future, be a bit more practical and take measurements into consideration.



Half of my pans don't fit. They are too wide and you can't get the door shut with them in it. This meant that I had to go out and buy some new pans. Oh woe is me . . . woe is me . . .



It also means that when I bake a double layer cake, I have to have both layers on different racks in the oven. The top layer bakes quicker than the bottom one . . . so I found myself having to switch the racks halfway through the baking time.

Which was rather dumb of me actually as, in retrospect, I could have just taken the top layer out a bit sooner than the bottom . . . which is what I will do next time.



I was in Lakeland buying some new pans and saw these handy dandy pan liners . . . kind of like big muffin pan liners, but for larger pans and for loaf pans as well. I bought some as I thought it would be a lot quicker to use them than to have to trace and cut baking parchment.



It was quicker, but . . . my cake layers ended up being a bit lopsided. What with the combination of me switching shelves halfway through the baking time and using paper tin liners, it's a wonder my cake turned out at all when I think about it.

It turned out fabulous. Each layer moist and perfectly ribboned with delicious swirls of blackcurrant preserves . . . the centre filling of buttercream and more blackcurrant preserves being oh so yummy, yummy.

This fabulous cake went down a real treat! It was the most perfect way to celebrate a new home and a new beginning!




*Blackcurrant Jam Cake*
Serves 8 to 10
Printable Recipe

A deliciously moist cake, with ribbons of black currant conserve running through the sponge layers, and filled with tasty vanilla butter cream icing and more conserve. Scrummy yummy!!

8 ounces plain flour (1 3/4 cup) (245g)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
284ml of buttermilk or sour milk (1 1/4 cup)
(to sour the milk add a tsp of lemon juice
Or vinegar to the measure and finish with milk.
Allow to sit for 5 minutes before using)
8 ounces caster sugar (226g, or 1 1/4 cup)
5 ounces butter, at room temperature (142g of 10 TBS)
2 large free range eggs, at room temperature
½ tsp vanilla
4 ounces blackcurrant conserve (about 1/2 cup)

For the butter cream:
2 ounces butter, at room temperature (56g, 1/4 cup, or 4 TBS)
4 ounces icing sugar, sifted (114g or 14 TBS)
A few drops of vanilla
1 tsp milk

To finish:
2 heaped TBS of blackcurrant conserve
Icing sugar to dust over the top
Preheat the oven to 170*C/320*F/Gas Mark 3. Butter and base line two 8 inch sandwich tins.

Place all of the cake batter ingredients, with the exception of the blackcurrant conserve into a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk for several minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl down now and then, until you have a smooth batter.

Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins. Whisk the conserve with a fork until smooth. Dot over the surface of the cakes into 5 dollops on each. Using a round bladed knife, drag and swirl the jam through the cake.

Bake in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the cakes test done. The top should spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean. Remove from the oven and loosen from the tin. Let rest for about 10 minutes before removing completely to a wire rack to finish cooling.

To make the butter cream, place all of the ingredients into a bowl. Beat well with an electric whisk until it is smooth and fluffy.

Place one of the sponges on a plate. Spread the butter cream over top. Top with the blackcurrant conserve, swirling it over a bit. Top with the remaining sponge, right side up. Lightly dust with icing sugar to serve.

Butter and toast your buns under the grill.  Top with cheese, pickles and onions,   Pop back under to melt the cheese.  Divide the shredded pork amongst the buns, close up and enjoy!

The English, especially English men, find a particular comfort in drawing closed the curtains on a leaden afternoon sky, lighting the fire and enjoying some little delicacy that they can toast and butter themselves.  

Afternoon Winter Teas have the capacity to chase away the Winter blues like nothing else can  . . .

makes 18 to 24

What would afternoon tea be without a plate of tasty sandwiches?  (Choose 3 of the below fillings)

12 thin slices of white or wholemeal bread, crusts removed
room temperature butter, for spreading
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired

For the egg and cress filling:
2 TBS good quality mayonnaise
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest from an unwaxed lemon
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
a handful of mustard cress

For the Gentleman's Morsels:
1/4 pound shaved roasted ham
apricot jam, seived
Dijon mustard

For the Roast Beef:
1/4 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef
horseradish mayonnaise
a handful of rocket leaves

For the Parma Ham and Fig filling:
1/4 pound of parma ham
1 ripe fig
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp olive oil
handful of rocket leaves

For the Stilton and Pear filling:
50g of Stilton cheese, thinly sliced (1/4 pound)
1 ripe firm pear

To cut sandwiches, lay your hand on top of the sandwich and lightly press down. Using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cut diagonally into quarters or lengthways into 3 fingers.

For the egg and cress sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of the bread.  Combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest, egg and season with some black pepper, folding together well.  Spread evenly on half the slices of bread.  Sprinkle with the cress and top with the remaining 2 slices of bread.  Cut as above.

To make the Gentlemen's Morsels., thinly butter 4 slices of the bread.  Spread 2 slices with seived apricot jam.  Spread the other 2 with Dijon mustard.  Lay the ham evenly over top of 2 slices and top with the other 2.  Cut as above.

For the Roast Beef, thinly butter 4 slices of the bread.  Spread 2 slices with the horseradish mayonnaise.  Top with the roast beef and season to taste.  Sprinkle with the rocket and top with the other 2 slices of bread.  Cut as above.

For the Parma Ham and Fig sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of bread and fold ham on top of two of them.  Cut the fig into thin wedges, remove and discard the skin and then arrange the wedges on top of the ham.  Whisk the vinegar and oil together.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper.  Drizzle over the figs.  Top with rocket and the remaining slices of buttered bread and cut as above.

To make the Stilton and Pear sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of bread.  Arrange the stilton over 2 slices of the bread.  Slice the pear into thin wedges, removing and discarding the core, then arrange on top of the cheese. Season with black pepper, then top with the remaining slices of bread and cut as above.
Note:  If you are not serving these right away, cover and chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.  Dust with paprika just prior to serving.

Makes 25

A drop scone or pancake by any other name.  Yummy.

150g of self raising flour (1 cup + 2 TBS)
1 TBS caster sugar
pinch of salt
185ml of milk (3/4 cup)
1 large free range egg
butter to brush the grill

to serve:
softened butter
preserves

Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl.  Beat together the milk and egg.  Add all at once to the dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth.  Heat a large griddle pan, or nonstick frying pan.  Brush with butter.  Drop the batter by tablespoons onto the heated griddle.  Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the bottom is lightly browned.  Flip over and cook on the other side until golden.  Allow to cool completely and serve with some softened butter and jam for spreading.
Cook in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.  Delicious!

TO make the frosting, whisk together all ingredients unil smooth and creamy.  If you think it is too soft, chill it for about 1/2 an hour prior to using.  Spread generously on top of the cooled cake and sprinke with chopped nuts, if using.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

I Knew then that I wouldn't have time to bake another cake from scratch, so I gave Todd a quick buzz on his mobile and asked him to bring us home a Victorian Sponge from M&S.  It was actually quite good for a store bought cake.  Here is my recipe for one you can bake yourself from scratch and I can tell you that it is very very good.

(If you so wish you can use 170g of butter, or 12 TBS,
but your cake won't be as light in texture)
170g caster sugar (1 cup)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 large free range eggs, beaten
170g self raising flour (a scant 1 1/2 cups)

To finish:
3 TBS raspberry jam
buttercream to fill (optional)
icing sugar or caster sugar to dust the top


Butter and base line two 7 inch sandwich tins.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Cream the butter, margarine, sugar and vanilla together until light in colour and fluffy.  Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.  If the mixture begins to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour.

Fold in the flour with a metal spoon, taking care to use a cutting motion so as not to knock out too much of the air that you have beaten into the batter.  Divide the batter evenly between the two cake tins, leveling off the surface.  Make a slight dip in the centre of each.

Bake on a centre rack of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the sponges have risen well, are golden brown, and spring back when lightly touched.  Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes before running a knife carefully around the edges and turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, place one layer on a cake plate. Spread with raspberry jam and buttercream (if using).  Place the other cake on top, pressing down lightly.  Dust with icing or caster sugar and serve.
It's not really all that hard if you follow a few rules of thumb . . .

1. Use a good quality loose leaf or bagged tea
2. This must be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature
3. Always use freshly drawn boiling water
4. In order to draw the best flavour out of the tea the water must contain oxygen, this is reduced if the water is boiled more than once.
5. Measure the tea carefully
6. Use 1 tea bag or 1 rounded teaspoon of loose tea for each cup to be served, plus one for the pot.
7. Allow the tea to brew for the recommended time before pouring
8. Brewing tea from a bag in a mug? Milk in last is best . 

"Tea! Thou soft,thou sober, sage, and venerable liquid, thou female tongue-running, smile-smoothing, heart-opening, wink-tipping cordial, to whose glorious insipidity I owe the happiest moment of my life, let me fall prostrate!"
Colley Cibber, The Lady's Last Stake, 1708  

And there you have it.  A Winter's day mood brightener for two.