Fresh from the oven

Flapjack (recipe here) ready for this week's classes.

xxx

Book club cake of the month...July

This month, I was the host and gave the members of the book group their three choices. 'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman (I have read this already and think it's brilliant!), Evelyn Waugh's 'The Loved One' and, the one they all plumped for, 'The Snow Child', a first novel by Eowyn Ivey.

This is a really beautiful novel, the author captures the wilderness and stillness of Alska perfectly. And portrays the ache in the hearts of the main protagonists, Jack and Mabel for a child of their own with a tenderness and emotional depth.

One day an ethereal child arrives, seemingly out of nowhere, reminding Mabel of her favourite fairy tale 'The Snow Child', about a girl made of snow who magically comes to life.

              Watch the video below tho get an impression of the feel and mood of the book.

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Fortunately, after The Finkler Disaster (see here), everyone really enjoyed this book, we had a good discussion and opinion varied about Faina (the child) from realistic explanations to the magical. There were a few problems about the book that were raised, but they were minor and didn't detract from the rest of the novel, but I would urge you to read it yourself and make your own mind up. 

We gave it an average of 8 1/2 with a few 9s thrown in for good measure.

Mabel bakes pies to earn extra money, and one of the pies she makes is a dried apple pie. I decided to come up with my own version. I bought some ready made puff pastry (because really who has time to make their own?) I stewed two cooking apples with plenty of brown sugar then place them on top of the rolled out pastry. I then arranged dried apple slices on top of the puree and brushed them with some maple syrup. (Now I must admit that the dried apples burnt to a crisp, so once the pie had baked I took off the first lot, added the bits left in the bag and placed it under the grill to brown a little.) No-one knew though and it went down a treat.

The host also provides nibbles, so I thought you may like to see the savouries I provided (no-one ever has tea before book club).

We are having an informal meeting over the summer in a pub somewhere and reading a book I can't mention, as my Mum will be reading this! (But it involves vampires.)

xxx

Previous book club cake of the month;

May

April

February

January

November

July

June

March

April

February

November 

October

September

Wimbledon cake

A post in which the writer proves her lack of piping skills.

(ps, I know I misspell Murray above but it was too late to change)

It  probably won't surprise you to learn that were many different cakes and sweet treats baked in my house while I was growing up. Syd special, melting moments, the rude Christmas cake, lemon drizzle, my Dad's chocolate cake and ... the Wimbledon cake. This was in the days when Borg, Mcenroe and Nastase were the stars. Traditionally, in honour of the men's final, my Mum would dig out her bumper Marks and Spencers cook book and make a Wimbledon cake. 

I have followed Wimbledon on and off during the past few years, and never felt inspired to make this cake. However, as there is a Brit in the final for the first time in (insert number, probably about 70, can't be bothered to google) many years, the time has come.

Unfortunately my parents haven't been answering their phone, they are either too busy watching Wallender or something else Swedish or are flooded out of their home! So I had to recreate the cake from memory.

It was a light fruit cake, with water icing and, I recall, a vague orange tang. The tennis court is piped onto the green icing and the names of each of the finalist piped on the opposite ends of the cake. Then, with great ceremony, the losing end is cut and eaten first.

Now I did consider covering the cake with fondant, and painting a beautiful court, with portraits of Murray and Federer, but, apart from the lack of time, I really felt I should stick with tradition. Plus, the cake benefits from the slight crunch of the icing rather than the softer fondant.
You can add any fruit you like, I included some freeze dried strawberries I found in my local supermarket to give it that real Wimbledon feel.

Wimbledon Cake

Cake mix

300g unsalted butter (at room temperature)

300g caster sugar

6 large eggs (at room temperature)

300g self-raising flour

250g mixed fruit (I used dried strawberries, apricots, cherries, raisins and sultanas)

Grated rind and juice of an orange

Grated rind of a lemon

Icing

350g royal icing

2 teaspoons orange blossom water (or orange juice)

water

Green food colouring

For the cake:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C(or 175°C forfan-assisted ovens).

Butter, flour and line a 20cm x 27cm rectangular tin.

In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until they become creamed and lighter in colour. Add the eggs one at a time and beat into this mixture (if it curdles add a teaspoon of the flour), then add the grated rind and mixed fruit. Sift the flour into the bowl and fold it into the mixture with a spoon. Fold in the fruit and then add the orange juice into the mixture too.

Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 35 -45 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Make sure to take the cake out of the tin and leave to cool on a cooling tray.

For the icing:Beat all the icing sugar with the orange blossom and then add water until you get the consistency of double cream. Set aside a small amount of the icing for the piped details. Beat in the food colouring and then pour over the cooled cake. When the icing has hardened slightly pipe the markings of a tennis court and the names of the finalists.

You can get a downloadable version here

I don't hold out much hope of a Murray win, but it is fabulous to have a Brit in the final of anything!

Enjoy the match!

xxx