We've got people coming over later on this afternoon for a visit and some tea . . . you know the drill . . . finger sandwiches, a cake, and some other scrummy bits. I also wanted to make something a little bit different for these Brits, something that would lift my tea time repast from being humdrum and predictable, into something extra-ordinary.



I found this recipe in one of my Marks & Spencer's Cookbooks, Baking Bible. It's one of my favourite baking books and is filled with quite a variety of baking recipes from cakes . . . to tarts . . . to breads . . . and everything in between.



I've baked quite a few of them at one time or another, and they have always turned out beautiful. I thought these oaty milk chocolate and peanut butter squares would go down a real treat.



They are very reminiscent of an American type of slice or square as they are often called over there in the big US of A. Moreishly oaty, sweet and stogged full of milk chocolate bits and nuts.



The Peanut Butter is a surprise, and a pleasant one. I do hope they go down well. I couldn't resist cutting two yesterday and of course I couldn't wait for them to completely cool down before digging in. Oh wow. These are fabulous!



*Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Tray Bake*
makes 20
Printable Recipe

Deliciously scrummy oaty squares stogged full of lovely peanut butter flavour and milk chocolate chunks.

10 1/2 ounces milk chocolate (can use milk chocolate chips)
12 ounces plain flour ( 2 3/4 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
8 ounces butter (1 cup)
12 ounces soft light brown sugar (about 1 2/3 cup packed)
6 ounces rolled oats (scant 2 cups)
2 1/2 ounces chopped toasted pecans (generous half cup)
1 large free range egg, beaten
400g (14 ounce) tin of condensed milk
2 1/2 ounces crunchy peanut butter (1/4 cup plus 1 TBS)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Finely chop the chocolate. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Drip in the butter, cut into bits. Rub this into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar and rolled oats. Remove 1/4 of the mixture and place it into another bowl. Stir the chocolate into this. Set aside. Beat the egg and stir it into the remainder of the crumb mixture. Press this mixture into a 12 by 8 inch baking pan.

Bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes.

Stir together the condensed milk and peanut butter. Pour this over the partially baked crust. Sprinkle the chocolate crumb mixture over top and lightly press down.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into squares to serve.



Go on . . . bake them today. You know you want to! ☺

There is nothing more beautiful, both to look at and to smell than gorgeous English Lavender. Down in Norfolk they have fields and fields of the stuff.



When we lived in the cottage down in Kent, the whole back of the house was flanked with beautiful lavender and during the lavender season, you could scarce move without being assaulted by it's beautiful smell. I have spent many an afternoon sitting out on the patio watching the bumblebees bumble from bloom to bloom. Such a pretty sight.



We have lavender here at our house in Chester as well, albeit not as much and it is just ready to burst into bloom, several weeks ahead of it's usual season . . . but that is result of the unusually warm April we had I think . . . Each year when it grows I am careful to harvest some of it to be used in our dresser drawers to help to keep our clothing fresh, and to lay amongst our sheets, pillow slips and towels in the linen closet as well. It smells just beautiful. More gets saved and put into bowls here and there in the house to keep the air fresh and yet more gets stuffed into jars of sugar to be used in delicious baked goods such as these lovely scones.



You might think that with a smell such as strong as lavender can be, that it would overwhelm the flavours of things that are baked with it . . . but you would be completely wrong.

The lavender sugar in these scones gives them a subtle fruit flavour and scent, and goes so very wonderfully with fresh lemon curd or preserves.

Make it a wonderfully different teatime treat by baking these lovely scones. Keep them guessing as to what your secret ingredient is. Buttery, subtly scented, with a lovely little crunch.



You can use storebought lemon curd of course . . . but making your own is really quite easy. I have a recipe here. It's wonderful! I think you'll find it will come in handy for all sorts.




*English Lavender Buttermilk Scones*
Makes about a dozen
Printable Recipe

These delightfully buttermilk scones are infused with lavender sugar and go very well with my homemade lemon curd, or preserves for a special Spring tea.

225g of self raising flour (scant 2 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
50g of unsalted butter, cut into bits (1/4 cup)
75g of lavender sugar (see below) (scant 1/2 cup)
150ml of buttermilk (5 fluid ounces)
salt
To serve:
your choice of lemon curd or preserves

Preheat the oven to 220*C/ 425*F/ gas mark 7. Butter a baking sheet. Set aside.

Stir the flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Drop in the butter bits and rub them in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar. Add the buttermilk, and stir in with a fork, only adding enough to create a soft dough. Tip out onto a floured board and knead a few times before patting out to a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out into rounds with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter. Place onto the baking sheet leaving plenty of space in between for spreading. Brush with some more buttermilk.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before serving with your favourite spread.

To make your own lavender sugar:
Press two of three clean sprigs of fresh lavender, or a couple of TBS of lavender buds which you can buy in the spice section, into a jar of caster sugar and leave for at least 24 hours before using. Use pesticide free blooms, and wash and dry them before using.

Oh, I am so very annoyed with myself. I told myself the other day that I wasn't going to bake anything scrummy for a while . . .



I wasn't going to bake anything that I couldn't resist stogging into my cake hole for a while . . .



I wasn't going to bake anything so scrumptiously moreish that I would find it hard to resist for a while . . . and then what do I do???



I go and create something so moreishly, decadently, scrumptiously magnificent that NOBODY would be able resist it!!




I know . . . I'm one bad puddy tat! But then again . . . I can't stay mad at me for long.

One bite and you will be in flap jack heaven. Buttery, sweet, nutty and oh-so-very hard to leave alone. Resistance IS futile.



*Cranberry, Pecan and White Chocolate Flap Jacks*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Sweet and scrummy. Just perfect for those times when you want a little something to give you some extra energy.

5 ounces butter, plus extra for greasing (1/2 cup plus 2 TBS)
200g of porridge oats (2 cups)
25g of dessicated coconut (1/4 cup)
50g light muscovado sugar ( generous 1/3 cup packed)
5 TBS golden syrup
6 ounces toasted pecans, broken into chunks with your hands (1 1/4 cups)
2 ounces dried cranberries (1/3 cup)
100g bar of white chocolate (about 3 1/2 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 7 by 11 inch baking tin and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Melt the butter together with the sugar and golden syrup, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside to cool.

Stir together the oats, coconut, pecans and cranberries. Pour the cooled butter mixture over top. Stir to combine well. Break up 2/3 of the chocolate into bits and stir into the mix. Press into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and mark into squares while still warm. Allow to cool completely, then cut all the way through. Melt the remaining white chocolate and drizzle it over top of the bars. Store in an airtight container.

Back home in Eastern Canada, where I hail from, you can get these big soft white sugar cookies, filled with jam. Oh they are so yummy. I have been trying for years to replicate the recipe.



Have I succeeded?? Not quite, but I managed to get very close this morning! I think I baked these just a tiny bit too long and so the next time I make them if I take them out just a little bit sooner, they will be pretty much spot on.



I also think I'll add a bit of grated nutmeg next time as well.



These are really, really good though! FABULOUS fresh out of the oven with a ice cold glass of milk!



Quick and easy too! I am a quick and easy kind of a gal. I don't like a lot of faff. I only very rarely roll out cookies. I like to just scoop and drop if I can. I guess I'm rather lazy that way. These aren't quite scoop and drop, but slice and bake is the next best thing to scoop and drop in my books!



Tender, buttery and oh so scrumdiddlyumptiously good! I love jam anything. These ticked all my buttons and got my taste buds tingling in over time!



You only get about a dozen cookies, but . . . that's also a good thing . . . coz these are soooo moreish that any more than that would be dangerous!



*Simple Jam Jams*
Makes 12 large biscuits
Printable Recipe

Quick and easy with only five ingredients. A real milk and cookies teatime treat!

8 ounces self raising flour (a scant 2 cups)
4 ounces golden caster sugar (1/2 cup)
4 ounces of cold butter, cut into bits (1/2 cup)
1 large free range egg, beaten
4 TBS strawberry jam

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a large baking sheet well, or line with parchment paper.

Measure the flour, sugar and butter into a bowl. Rub the butter in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Stir in the egg with a fork, adding only as much of the egg as you need to create a stiff dough. Knead a bit with your hands and then shape the dough into a cylinder about 3 inches in diameter and 6 inches in length. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices with a sharp knife. Place onto the baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each one. (The mixture spreads a bit during baking.)

Make a small indentation in the middle of each with your thumb. Drop 1 tsp of jam into each indentation. Bake for 10 to `5 minutes, until slightly risen and golden. Let sit on the pan for a few minutes before scooping off onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Store in an airtight container.



These also come Mitzie approved. Yes . . . I did give it to her. I know . . . I spoil her don't I? But how can you resist??? She's just too adorable!

Nothing speaks spring time to me more than the fresh flavours of tender young fresh asparagus and sweet young freshly podded peas, and here in the UK we have the best asparagus and peas in the world! I don't think anyone could argue with that fact!



Nothing beats the taste of fresh peas from the pod. As a child, I loved being given the job of podding the peas and I think I probably ate half of what I podded, much to my mother's chagrin! Am I alone in thinking that peas taste beautiful raw and fresh from the pod?? I didn't think so!!



The herbs in my garden are taking off like wild fire right now. The thyme and chives are covered with little blooms . . . the sage too has beautiful flower buds just waiting to burst out into colour. This has to be my favourite thyme of year! (every pun intended!)



Here in the UK, we like to make hay while the sun shines and we have been taking full advantage of this recent spate of sunny days, having days out together and taking in all the gorgeous springtime scenery that we can. We often take a bit of a picnic with us to share together in the sunshine.



Oftimes it is just a couple of sandwiches and some fruit, but sometimes it's a delicious frittata like this beautiful springtime offering I have thrown together here.



Tender young spears of asparagus, tasty new potatoes, sweet young English Peas, fresh thyme, chives, farm fresh free range eggs and some crumbled Stilton cheese turn this into a truly British picnic offering.



Colourful and delicious it went down a real treat on our latest sunny day outing!




*Springtime Frittata*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A beautiful frittata, filled with all the lovely tastes of spring . . . tender young asparagus, sweet peas fresh from the pod, baby new potatoes, along with a smattering of thyme, chives and crumbled Stilton. This is British picnic food!

2 to 3 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp chopped fresh young thyme leaves
150g of podded spring peas, blanched for about 4 minutes and cooled (about 1 cup)
250g of baby new potatoes, peeled and sliced (about 3/4 pound)
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
a knob of butter
6 large free range eggs, beaten
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a handful of fresh chives, snipped finely with some kitchen scissors
2 ounces of good stilton cheese, crumbled

Heat 2 TBS of the olive oil in a 10 inch nonstick heavy bottomed frying pan. Add the onions, turn the heat down to low and season with a sprinkling of sea salt. Cover and allow to sweat, stirring occasionally until the onions are meltingly soft, about 15 minutes. Add the new potatoes and thyme. Cook for a further 10 to 12 minutes, covered, until the potatoes are just tender, stirring from time to time and adding the additional TBS of oil if needed. Season with some black pepper and turn up the heat. cooking and stirring the potatoes until they begin to colour. Toss in the aspagarus. Continue to cook and stir until the asparagus is crispy tender. Stir in the well drained peas. Stir about 3/4 of the chives into the eggs, season and pour this over top of the vegetables.

Preheat the grill.

Cook the frittata over mediium heat, drawing in the edges with a spatula until the base is set. When it is nicely browned on the bottom scatter the stilton cheese over top and then bang it under the grill for 2 to 3 minuttes until the frittata is set on top and starting to lightly brown. Remove from the grill and scatter the remaining chives on top. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Please Note: If you arfe not fond of Stilton Cheese you may substitute a good Parmesan. Gruyere is also very good.

I can see you wrinkling your nose . . . Prune you say . . . hmmm . . . not sure about that one.



Oh ye of little faith. Have I ever given you a bum steer yet?? Have I ever posted anything on this page that was not totally irresistably delicious??? (aside from spaghetti or beans on toast that is.)



I just adore the textures and flavours in this scrumptious salad. From the crispy tender green beans . . . to the slightly bitter and yet sweet flavours of the baby gems . . . the sharpness of the spring onions . . .



The pepperiness of the watercress . . . to the saltiness of the proscuitto ham . . .



And then there is the punchy lemon and garlicky dressing . . . slightly offset by the sweet little bits of prune



Altogether this is a beautiful combination of flavours . . . the textures are amazing. This salad is amazing. Truly.



You need have nothing else on the side, except for perhaps some steamed jersey royals tossed in an herby parsley butter . . . yes, heaven on earth does exist outside of chocolate . . . and this, my friends, is it.



*Baby Gem and Green Bean Salad with a Prosciutto and Prune Dressing*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

I love all the flavours and textures in this deliciously different salad!

1 generous handful of thin green beans, washed and trimmed
4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
4 slices of proscuitto, sliced thin
2 dried prune plums, finely chopped
2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 head of baby gem lettuce, washed, dried and torn into pieces
1 bunch of watercress, washed, dried and tough stalks discarded

Place the green beans in the basket of a steamer. Steam for 5 minutes, until crispy tender. Run under cool water to stop them from cooking any further than drain well and allow to cool completely.

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and prunes together. Season with some sea salt and black pepper.

Place the lettuce into a bowl along with the chopped spring onions, green beans, watercress and sliced proscuitto. Toss together gently with your hands. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.

We spent all afternoon today wandering around Tatton Park. What a gorgeous place that is! The gardens were so beautiful and we walked our not so little butts off! (ok . . . hmm . . . MY not so little butt.)



When we got home we were starving and so I threw together a quick Chicken Biryani. (Nothing special, just using a jarred sauce I got at the store, a couple of diced chicken breasts and some basamati rice. Quick and easy.)



While the chicken was in the oven I threw together a delicious dessert for us that turned out fabulous. AND . . . there's no fat in the apples at all . . . truly!



It's just apples, sugar and water . . . oh and a few spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.



Very healthy, very quick and oh sooooooo scrummy!!



Of course the Vanilla Mascarpone had lots of fat in it . . . but if you're feeling indulgent what the hey!! Quite, quite rich and delicious!



I had some non fat Greek yogurt with mine and it was quite yummy as well! Just look at those golden apples and that deliciously rich topping. Go on . . . just try to resist! I love it when something that is sooooo moreishly wanton . . . is actually not all that bad . . . don't you??



*Toffee Apples with Vanilla Mascarpone*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Simple, delicious and quite low in fat . . . ok well, the mascarpone is not low in fat, but you could substitute some fat free yoghurt instead if you wanted to.

6 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
4 TBS golden caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 TBS water

For the mascarpone:
250g of mascarpone cheese (about 1/2 cup)
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise

Place the apple pieces into a bowl along with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water. Give them a good toss together.

Heat a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add the apples mixture, spreading it out into one layer as much as you can. Let them start to caramelize and turn golden on one side, before you flip them over and do the same on the other side, removing them as they become caramelized on both sides.

Split the vanilla pod in half lengthwise. Put the mascarpone into a bowl. Using the tip of a knife, scoop up all the black seeds from the vanilla pod and drop them into the mascarpone. Mix them in well. (Use the split vanilla pod in your sugar jar to infuse your sugar with the scent and flavour. Just plunge it in and let it sit forever. Well, it will last for a very long time at any rate.)

Spoon the hot apples into individual bowls. Top each with a dollop of the Vanilla mascarpone and serve immediately.



I just love my new Santuko Knife that Eden Webshops sent me to try out! It is one of their Damast series of knives and has a beautiful pattern on both the blade and the handle. The Eden Quality Damast series is made of Japanese Damast stainless steel with a core of hardened VG10 steel. The handle is made of durable composed material containing linen and synthetic resin and, like the blade, has a beautiful pattern.

High quality Santoku knife with hollow edge. Versatile Asian type knife for cuttingmeat, fish and vegetables. Alternative for the standard Chefs knife, lighter and more easy to handle. Missing of a sharp point makes this knife additional saver.

Eden Quality price advantage!
This Eden Quality knife is produced by a manufacturer that fabricates as well for trusted trade marks. This price advantage without a brand and distributor in the marketing chain is yours!

Characteristics

* High quality Damascus steel with a core of VG10
* Hardness ca. 60 Rockwell C (HRc)
* Thin and perfectly sharpened blade
* Fine ergonomic handle made of composed material containing linen and synthetic resin.
* Modern shaped blade without thickening in the cutting edge. Easy to grind.
* Double steel bolster for perfect balance and protection of the handle.
* 25 years warranty on material and construction defects

You can't ask for any better than that. It also feels very good in my hand, and I loved the ease with which it cuts and slices. It is now my favourite knife!

They also sent me a Ceramic Sharpening Rod. I haven't actually had a chance to use this yet as my knives are all pretty sharp at the moment. But here is a really good video on them.



I think you will find the video very useful. I know I did. Many thanks to the people at Eden Webshops for affording me this fabulous opportunity to try out some really fine kitchen kit!