Cupcakes are really popular these days. I think they always have been, but lately it seems they have been more popular than ever . . .

I mean . . . who wouldn't like a cupcake??? It's a tiny cake, just for you!!



All kinds of flavours. Filled. Iced or not, and usually covered with sprinkles of one variety or another.



I always make cupcakes for Valentines Day. I've done so since my children were small and they each wanted something to take to school for their class as a treat. Cupcakes were the logical choice as I could make tons and the kids could help me decorate them. They were also very easy to transport and didn't need cutting up when they got there. Each child had their own individual cake. What could be better??



Habits like Valentines Cupcakes are very hard to change. I still find myself baking them every year for the holiday, except now, I have no children here at home to give them to. Poor ♥Todd♥ ends up having to eat them all.

Poor Todd indeed. I've never seen a man suffer with so much pleasure before . . . in fact I think he's suffering right now!



*Sweetheart Cherry Cupcakes*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Irresitable and utterly girly. You can tint the icing pink if you like. I prefer to keep it white though and then decorate them with all sorts of bits and baubles!

115g butter, at room temperature
115g caster sugar
2 large free range eggs
100g self raising flour
2 TBS milk
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
12 to 15 glace cherries, chopped

Vanilla buttercream:
140g icing sugar, sieved
2 TBS softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS milk

Decorations as desired

Pre-heat the oven to 175*c/350*f. Line a 12 cup medium muffin tin with paper cases. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together for the cakes until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the flour along with the milk, and extracts. Mix until smooth. Stir in the chopped cherries. Divide the batter equally amongst the muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre of one comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely as soon as you can handle them. Don't allow them to sit in the muffin tin for too long or they will become soggy.

Once they are completely cooled, make the icing. Beat together the icing sugar, butter, vanilla and 1 TBS of the milk, until smooth and creamy, adding the additional TBS of milk only if needed.

Spread the frosting over the tops of the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with whatever decorations you wish to use, or leave plain.

As you know, I just love blueberries. I also happen to love lemon, and when I saw the lovely cake on the cover of the March issue of Good Food magazine I was in heaven! It was a beautiful lemon curd blueberry loaf cake and it looked really good . . .



The recipe uses lemon curd in the batter. I happen to already make a lucious lemon drizzle cake that uses lemon curd in the batter and I know first hand how very tasty a cake it makes!

I wanted to kick it up a notch though . . . (Forgive me Good Food Magazine . . . it's just in my nature to never leave well enough alone . . . usually with most delicious results, I might add!)



So I decided to add a cardamon streusel topping on top of the batter before I baked it. Oh, what a delicious decision that was. It is sweet and crunchy with just the merest hint of cardamom which as we know, goes so very well with lemon . . .



Once baked, a tart lemon icing was drizzled all over the top of the streusel . . .

Each mouthful brings you the delights of a moist lemon cake, sweet blueberries, crunchy streusel and a lemon drizzle icing . . . can you say MOREISH???

But it gets even better . . .



Once cooled and sliced, you want to serve it up with a dollop of lemon curd and lashings of creme fraiche . . .

OH MY GOODNESS !!!

This is a diet killer, if I ever tasted one. Could be quite dangerous to have around. Y'all will have to come over and help me get rid of it, ok?



*Lemon Curd and Blueberry Loaf*
Makes one 2 pound loaf
Printable Recipe

A deliciously moist and tangy loaf topped with a scrummy cardamom streusel topping and a lemon glaze.

6 ounces of butter softened, plus more for buttering the tin
100g Greek yogurt
2 TBS of lemon curd
3 large free range eggs
the zest of one lemon
8 ounces self raising flour
6 ounces golden caster sugar
85g of blueberries

For the streusel:
1 1/2 ounces of self raising flour
1 1/2 ounces demerara sugar
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 ounce soft butter

For the glaze:
the juice of one lemon
5 ounces icing sugar, sifted

To serve:
lemon curd
creme fraiche

Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Butter a 2 pound loaf tin. Line it with a long strip of parchment paper, for ease in lifting out. Butter the parchment.

Make the streusel by rubbing all the streusel ingredients together until crumbly. Set aside.

Place all the cake ingredients, except for the blueberries into a mixing bowl. Beat well until thorougly combined and smooth. Spoon half of this into the prepared loaf tin. Sprinkle the blueberries over top and then cover with the remaining half of the batter.

Sprinkle the streusel evenly over top.

Bake in the heated oven for 1 hour and 15 to 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the cake is well risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool in the pan before lifting out onto a wire rack.

Make the glaze by whisking together the lemon juice and the icing sugar. Drizzle this over top of the cake.

Serve in slices with some more lemon curd and some creme fraiche if desired.

One of the things we loved best about Roast Dinners when I was growing up was . . . that we knew there would be a lovely pot pie waiting at the end of it all . . . kind of like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow . . . sure you love that rainbow, but it's the pot of gold that always gets you in the end . . .



It was a sure thing if we had had a roast beef dinner, or chicken, or turkey . . . after my mother had served it up once the day of the roast, a second time sliced cold with some vegetables, a third time possibly as a soup or a hash . . . the rest would get made into a pot pie.



Oh how we loved her pot pies. Her crust was fabulously rich and flakey, the insides thick and chock full of vegetables, bits of meat and tasty gravy . . . I suppose it was a great way of making a little bit of meat go a long way . . .



Even now if we go to visit she is sure to break one of her pot pies out of the freezer as a real treat. Once, when I was about 13, she had to go away for the weekend. She had left a pot pie for me to heat up along with some oven chips and vegetables for our Saturday night supper. To this day I still get accused of taking the largest piece for myself . . . and truth is, I probably did!!!



You don't really need any leftover meat to make a delicious pot pie though . . . I make a rather tasty one using rich and moist chicken thighs, which are just loaded with flavour. Cheap and easy, this always goes down a real treat with anyone I serve it to . . .



It doesn't taste cheap and easy. It's wonderfully rich and comforting. Good eats all round. I like to serve it with some tasty mashed potatoes and a vegetable on the side. One trick for making really tasty mash is to whip some herb and garlic boursin cheese into them. Oh yummo! Probably not too good for the waistline . . . but sometimes you just got to do what you just got to do . . .

Besides . . . I have a bad cold. I need comforting . . .



*Chicken Pot Pie*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Pot pies are very popular in my house. Normally I use leftover roast, but today I decided to use some chicken thighs I had on hand. Delicious comfort food that is not only economical but very easy and quick to throw together.

2 TBS oil
2 TBS plain flour
500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 medium cooking onion, peeled and diced small
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 large rib of celery, cut into small dice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
2 chicken stock cubes
1 1/2 cups hot water
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried savoury
100g frozen peas
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley.
1.2 of a (17 ounce) packet of ready roll puff pastry
1 beaten egg yolk

Trim the chicken, discarding any fat. Cut into small cubes. Toss with the flour. Add the oil to a large skillet. Heat over medium heat. Add the floured chicken and brown, stirring until it is cooked all the way through, and no pink remains. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook, slowly, stirring from time to time until almost tender. Crumble the stock cubes over all and stir in the hot water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the peas and parsley. Place into a pie dish. Top with the puff pastry. Crimp the edges and vent. Brush with some beaten egg yolk.

Pre-heat the oven to 205*C/425*F. Place pie on a baking tray and bake in the heated oven for approximately 30 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and browned.

Serve hot with some mashed potatoes and a vegetable of your own choosing. Delicious!

 

One of my favourite ingredients to bake with is ripe bananas. The riper the better. I like them best when the skins are almost black. Just perfect for baking with. Oh, I do love me some banana chocolate chip cookies, banana tea bread, banana muffins, banana cake . . .



One of Todd's favourite things to eat is bananas. He usually eats them all up before I can do anything with them. Most annoying . . .



This week I managed to squirrel some away where he couldn't see them and I let them get . . . ripe, ripe, ripe . . .



I wanted to make a delicious banana cake. Rich and moist, and just chock full of banana flecks and flavour . . .

With a lucious cream cheese icing.



This banana cake is the epitome of the word M-O-R-E-I-S-H!!!



Ohh, but it is dangerous to have around. Anyone care to come over and help us eat it up???



*Dreamy Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting*
Serves 8 to 10
Printable Recipe

A deliciously moist and rich banana cake, topped with a lucious cream cheese frosting. It is best to store this in the refrigerator because of the frosting, but don't worry, because there is oil used in the cake batter instead of butter the cake stays moist and tender, even when served cold from the fridge.

For the Cake:
2 large very ripe bananas, peeled and lightly mashed
(8 ounces)
4 ounces of creme fraiche
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp loosely packed finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 ounces of light brown muscovado sugar (in America use Turbinado, or even just ordinary brown sugar)
4 ounces of safflower oil
170g of plain flour
30g of cornflour
(alternately use 200g of cake flour)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

For the icing:
6 ounces full fat soft cheese
(like Philadelphia)
2 ounces unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
400g of icing sugar, sifted

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a 9 inch round deep cake tin. Line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper and butter the paper. Dust with flour, shaking out any excess. Set aside.

Place the bananas, sugar and creme fraiche into a food processor and blitz for a few seconds until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides. Gradually add the oil with the motor running, until it is thorougly incorporated. Add the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Process again for about 10 seconds.

Whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder, cornflour and salt.

Pour the wet mixture into a large bowl. Sift in the flour mixture and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for several minutes until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape into the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the centre comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and then flip over and cool completely top side up.

To make the frosting, beat all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Spread this frosting to cover the top and sides of the banana cake. Store in the refrigerator.

I've done a lot of cooking at work over the last week . . . what with luncheons, Christening do's, brunches . . . that's a lot of long hours on my feet, cooking, serving, cleaning up . . .

Whew! It's a good thing I really enjoy that part of my job!



The parties are all done now and things will be back to normal tomorrow. I love the excitement of these special occasions, but, I think I am starting to get a bit too long in the tooth to enjoy a steady diet of them.

I hate to admit it, but . . . I am slowing down! A few days like this, now and again, are just about all I can, or want to handle.



Back at home this afternoon, I was ready to let my hair down and relax. This called for a lazy meal that didn't require a lot of work, or trouble.

Roasting/casseroling meals are the best for days like this. Days when I am tired and want to relax, but, I'm also starving because . . . although I've been spending a lot of time feeding everyone else . . .

I've not been feeding myself!!! (or Todd!)



This is the perfect . . . lazy . . . delicious . . . satisfying . . . indulgent . . . "feed me now" type of meal. All I had to do was to bung it all into the oven and then wait. Oh, I did cook a bit of rice to go with it and some veg, but really that takes little or no effort . . .



Highly recommended by Todd.




*Country Chicken*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A simple, yet delicious country style roast dinner. Wonderful with pasta or rice.

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
(Or 8 pieces of chicken, I used thighs)
8 shallots
5 fresh or dried bay leaves
250g of smoked bacon, chopped (generous half pound)
2 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 TBS wholegrain mustard
1 bunch of fresh tarragon, coarsely chopped
100ml of white wine (scant half cup)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
cooked pasta or rice to serve

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F.

Place the chicken pieces in a bowl. Add the shallots, smoked bacon and bay leaves. Drizzle with the oil and mix all together well. Dump into a roasting tin. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cook in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

Whisk the mustard and white wine together. Stir in the tarragon. Remove the chicken from the oven. Drain off any excess fat. Pour the mustard mixture over the chicken and return to the oven for 10 minutes longer. Serve warm with the pasta or rice, and any pan juices spooned over top.

Creamy vegetable soups are one of my most favourite of all winter foods. They make an elegant lunch, or a lovely light supper.



Parsnips are one of my favourite types of vegetables to use in winter soups. They have a natural sweetness, that is so very moreish to me. They smell a bit odd when they are cooking, or at least I think they do, but my oh my . . .what they lack in smell they more than make up for in flavour.



The key to a delicious vegetable soup is to brown the vegetables perfectly before you add any spices and herbs. This really helps to bring out the rich, and natural sweetness of any vegetable.



I like to use my stick blender to puree my soups. It's a lot easier and safer than using a conventional blender, although of course you can use a regular one if you like. Just take care if you do, as hot mixtures can be very explosive when rattled around in a sealed container.



Yes, I learned this the hard way. Either do it in small portions a little at a time, or cover the top very carefully with a towel and hold the lid down tightly!!!



I think the hazelnut/dried cranberry garnish on this soup makes it something really special. I really hope that you will try it.

I just know you will love it as much as we do. And that, my friends, is quite an awful lot!!!



*Creamy Parsnip Soup with Ginger and Cardamom*
Serves 3 to 4 as a main course
Printable Recipe

Creamy soup with a wonderful hint of sweet spices, ginger and cardamom m m m .

2 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 TBS butter
large pinch of sugar
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom (remove the seeds from green cardamom pods, and
grind them to a powder in your morter and pestle)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pints chicken broth
1 1/4 pints single cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Garnish:
1 TBS coarsely chopped skinned hazelnuts
1 TBS dried cranberries
1 tsp butter

Heat the oil in a large deep saucepan over medium high heat. Once it shimmers, add the parsnips, and onions. Saute,stirring very little at first, and then more frequently towards the end, until the parsnips start to turn golden brown. This should take 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add butter, sugar, and garlic. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until all the vegetables are a rich caramel colour, some 10 minutes longer.

Add the spices and cook, until fragrant, then add the broth. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender. This should take about 10 minutes.

Using a stick blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the cream and heat until warm. Season to taste with some salt and pepper.

Heat the tsp of butter for the garnish in a small saucepan. Add the hazelnuts and dried cranberries. Cook until golden and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

ladle the hot soup into heated bowls and top each serving with a portion of the hazelnut/cranberrie saute. Delicious!

Gingerbread, gingerbread, oh how I love thee!
I love thy stickiness . . . and thy spice.
A day with you is rather nice.



You smell so good
baking in my oven.
The thoughts of what's to come,
I'm a totally lovin . . .



Sliced into thick slabs,
and sitting on my plate.
You look so so yummy,
I almost can't wait!!



We must have syrup,
golden of course!
Can anything ever
be more . . . . moreish???



In goes my fork and
it's oh so yummy . . .
Just right to appease,
my oh-so-greedy tummy.



Run, run to the store,
just as fast as you can.
You must bake this today
if . . . you're a gingerbread fan!

(Ok, so a poet I ain't . . . but this is extremely good!)



*Gingerbread*
Makes one 9 inch square cake,
cutting into 12 to 16 pieces
Printable Recipe

Spicy and sticky and wonderful served at tea time. Also great in packed lunches and picnics. This is a good keeping cake that will last well for up to 3 weeks in an airtight tin. Serve, cut into slices with some warmed golden syrup poured over top for a real taste treat!!

1 (16 ounces)pound plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
6 ounces butter
6 ounces soft light brown sugar
6 ounces black treacle
6 ounces golden syrup
1 large egg, beaten
10 fluid ounces milk
warmed golden syrup to serve (optional)



Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Butter a deep 9 inch square cake tin, and line with parchment paper. (You want it to be at least 3 inches deep if not 4) Butter the paper as well.

Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, ginger and spices into a deep bowl. Place the butter, sugar, treacle, and syrup into a saucepan and heat over low heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool for several minutes.

Beat the egg and milk together and then beat this into the cooled syrup mixture. Add all at once to the dry ingredients. Beat well using a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Pour into the prepared tin.

Bake in the centre of the heated oven for 1 1/2 hours until well risen and just firm to the touch. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. This results in a lovely sticky gingerbread. If you would like a firmer cake cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin. Once cold, remove from the tin and overwrap with foil. Place in an airtight tin for up to one week to allow the flavours to mature.

Serve cut into slabs and serve for tea, or with cream for a pudding. Extra warmed syrup is delicious poured over top.