Honey and Almond Cake with Lemon Buttercream Icing

Honey and Almond Cake with Lemon Buttercream Icing

I wanted to come up with a cake that would be tasty, comforting and satisfying to my sweet tooth alongside a nice, hot cup of tea on a cold and bleak wintery day.

This is it.

Honey and Almond Cake with Lemon Buttercream Icing


Ingredients: 


For the cake:
12oz butter (softened)
12oz light brown sugar
12oz self raising flour
6 eggs
6 oz ground almonds
8 tbsp honey

For the lemon buttercream icing:
6oz butter (softened)
12oz icing sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
8 tbsp milk

Method:

To make the cake:


Preheat oven to 180°/350°/Gas Mark 4.

Grease and line two 10" springform cake tins.

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl.

In a separate, larger bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and light.  Add the eggs and honey and whisk the ingredients together well.

Sift the flour into the mixture, add the ground almonds and then mix thoroughly making sure it is all combined.

Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and bake for approximately 25 minutes.

Once baked, allow to cool slightly in the tins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Whilst waiting for them to cool you can get on with making the buttercream icing.

To make the lemon buttercream icing:

Mix together the icing sugar with the butter.  Add the zest and juice of 1 lemon.  Keep mixing, adding the milk one tablespoon at a time until you have reached a fairly thick but spreadable consistency.  It shouldn't be so thick that you can't spread it easily.  Set it aside until the cakes are cool enough to put together.

Once the cakes have cooled completely, spread a generous layer of lemon buttercream icing onto your bottom cake, then sandwich the second cake on top.

Spread another generous layer of icing onto the top cake.  To finish, drizzle with a couple of teaspoons of honey.

Make a cup of tea.

Cut a big slice of cake.

Eat and enjoy.


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Banana and Raisin Breakfast Muffins

Banana and Raisin Breakfast Muffins are a great recipe idea for toddlers

Oliver, at two years old, has plenty to be getting on with.  Eating and mealtimes just get in the way of his busy life.  He tends to graze at the moment, preferring to walk about with a bunch of grapes or a handful of cherry tomatoes to chomp on, rather than sitting at the table for any length of time.

He isn't a big eater at breakfast time nor lunch times and though he doesn't look any worse for wear, my mother instinct still feels like I have to fool him into eating something I feel is substantial enough to give him a good start to his day.  I wanted a healthy breakfast recipe.  This is where breakfast muffins come into play.

Breakfast muffins contain the good ingredients that reassure me that my toddler is getting enough nourishment and everything he needs to get his day off to a good start.  Breakfast muffins are also a great option for fussy toddlers and picky eaters.   They are a healthy breakfast recipe for toddlers who, like Oliver, are too busy to sit still and he is happy because he just think's he's eating a cake!

Don't be fooled by their name though because breakfast muffins are certainly not just for breakfast!

Banana and Raisin Breakfast Muffins
(makes 36)

Ingredients:

10oz plain flour
10oz porridge oats
2 tbsp baking powder
8oz light brown soft sugar
4oz raisins
4 bananas
20fl oz milk
8fl oz sunflower oil
4 eggs

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

Grease muffin tray or line with cases.

Sift plain flour into a large bowl with baking powder.  Add porridge oats and sugar and stir well.

Mash bananas well, then add to dry food mixture along with the raisins.

In a separate bowl whisk together the milk, sunflower oil and eggs.  Pour into the dry food mixture and mix.

Fill the muffin cases almost full with the mixture.  Bake in oven for approximately 20 minutes or until muffins are risen and lightly browned on top.

The muffins can be stored in an airtight container and can be warmed up by heating in the oven for 5 minutes at 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2.


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Slow Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon

Slow Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon

Mike has recently become quite a dab hand in the kitchen.  This was his first attempt at this dish and it was so lovely there was no way of not having a second helping.  This is the ideal dish to warm you up in the winter, especially when teamed up with a helping of Potatoes Boulangeres.

Boeuf Bourguignon
(Serves 8)


Ingredients:


2lbs diced beef
350g celery
4 large carrots
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
150g mushrooms
3tbsp olive oil
Bottle red wine (preferably Burgundy but any red will do)
600ml beef stock
4tbsp cornflour
Salt and pepper to season

Method:

Put olive oil in the bottom of your slow cooker or casserole dish.

Chop onions, garlic, celery, carrots and mushrooms and place in bottom of dish.

Coat the diced beef in flour and put in a pan to brown.  Once browned add to casserole.

Pour in red wine.

Whisk cornflour into beef stock to thicken then add to casserole.

Season then cook on low in the slow cooker or in a lidded casserole dish in the oven for at least seven hours.

Enjoy!


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Squeezing out the last drops of summer with fruit picking and home made jam

For the preceding days we had been hearing about hurricane storms due to come over to batter Britain at the start of this week. Yes, the end of summer comes with a definite full stop, I thought.

When plans for Sunday afternoon were non-existent yet the sun was shining it seemed a shame to waste it. Goodness knows we'd be cooped up enough indoors over the next few months as it is so despite a weekend filled with Braxton Hicks contractions we decided to take the children fruit picking.

We searched around for local farms. Many of them offered pre-picked fruit for sale in their own little shops and the ones who did allow you to pick your own had finished at the end of August. We did find one place not too far from us which still had several different types of fruit available for picking. So we ate an early lunch and headed off.

We were the only family there that we could see.  We saw nobody else near us until it came to leaving.  This was fun as we could then pretend that we were on our own farm.  Make believe isn't just for the kids, you know!  *Sigh*... maybe one day we'll get that farm we'd love...

Oliver wasted no time at all getting into the swing of things...

... and it wasn't long before he had his own little punnet filled to the brim of strawberries.  The only thing was it took a little trial and error to get the hang of not tipping the punnet over every time he bent down to pick another strawberry, resulting in the lot falling out and needing to be picked up over and over again.  It didn't faze him too much.  For every strawberry that ended up in the punnet, two or three were eaten.

Oliver wasn't the only one guilty of eating the produce...

Some people say that it is no longer necessary for families to have a lot of children.  They say it was acceptable in the olden days because parents needed lots of children in order to work on the farm.  I have to say that it's quite handy even now.  And boy, did we work them hard!  I mean, you only have to look at Caitlin wiping the sweat off her brow to see the sheer amount of child labour these poor little souls had to endure....

... They were all clearly worn to the ground and begging for mercy...

Hey!  That's not enough strawberries yet, kids!  Get back to work!  Now!!!"

Mmm, raspberries too....

... and our final bounty resulted in two boxes like this...

If you can squeeze the last drops of summer out and get yourself a few strawberries before autumn sets in you can make yourself some lovely, home-made jam.  Here is a quick recipe for you:

Strawberry Jam Recipe

Ingredients:

Strawberries - make a note of the weight

Sugar - equal in weight to the strawberries

1 lemon

Method: 

Wash the strawberries and put them in a large pan (preferably stainless steel) with high sides.  Add the sugar and set the hob to medium-low heat.  

Stir sugar and strawberries together well, adding a quartered lemon into the mix.  As the mixture heats mash it up with a potato masher and keep stirring.  

Keep the jam cooking until it reaches setting point.  You can find this by using a jam thermometer which indicates where the setting point is.  If you don't have a jam thermometer put a small plate into the freezer for a few minutes until it is very cold to the touch.  Then take out a small amount of jam and drop it onto the plate.  If it quickly forms a skin and sets firmly onto the plate then it has reached setting point.  If it doesn't, cook it a while longer, put the plate back in the freezer for a few minutes and try again.  

Once your jam has reached setting point, remove the lemons from the mixture and pour the jam into sterilised jars, making sure you fasten the lids on tightly.  

Remember to be careful and to keep children away as it gets extremely hot and would be very painful if an accident occurred. 

Enjoy your home-made jam!

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Galaktoboureko

Galaktoboureko is a Greek recipe which, when translated, means "Milk Pie". It's not actually just milk in the centre but a custard, which is fortunate as milk would spill and then you'd cry even though that wouldn't be any use.

It's a dessert and a little goes a long way. Of course, that would also depend on your version of "little".


Here is the recipe for you:

Ingredients:

12 sheets filo pastry
2 tbsp melted butter
6 cups milk
1 cup fine semolina
3 cups sugar
3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tsp salt
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup water
Zest of one lemon
1 cinnamon stick

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF Grease a large baking pan and place six layers of filo pastry onto the base one at a time. After each sheet of pastry has been placed brush it with melted butter. Keep remaining six covered so they don't dry out.

2. Place milk in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. While waiting sift the semolina, cornflour (cornstarch), salt and 1 cup of sugar into a bowl.

3. When milk reaches boiling stage turn down the heat to a simmer and add the semolina mixture very gradually to it, stirring constantly as you do so. Keep mixture simmering on a low heat, stirring all the time, until it thickens and comes back to full boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Beat eggs and slowly add half a cup of sugar as you do so. Continue beating until the mixture becomes very thick and fluffy. You may find it easier to use an electric mixer. Well, it would be easier. But a manual whisk will give you strong arms. You decide.

5. When mixture thickens add vanilla. Then, very slowly, add the eggs to the hot pudding, making sure you stir all the while until the egg mixture is thoroughly mixed in. Allow to cool.

6. Pour the custard mixture into the baking pan over the base of filo.

7. Carefully layer the remaining six sheets of filo on top of the pudding mixture, ensuring you gently brush each layer with melted butter before adding the next layer to it. Don't worry, it won't sink into the pudding mixture!

8. With a sharp knife, score the top of the pastry into small squares, about two inches square.

9. Bake in the centre of your preheated oven for around 40 minutes until the custard is firm and the top is nicely golden.

10. Time to make the syrup. Pour 1 cup of water into a saucepan and heat with the remaining 1 and a half cups of sugar. Add the lemon zest and cinnamon stick and heat while stirring until the sugar dissolves and an aromatic syrup forms.

11. Remove galaktoboureko, take the cinnamon stick out of the syrup then pour mixture evenly over the top of the galaktoboureko ensuring no part of it is missed out.

12. Allow to cool before serving and then keep refrigerated.

13. Enjoy!

Click here for the printable recipe.

Penne Alla Vodka

Each time I make this meal I plan to take a photo of it so that I can post the recipe for you here complete with pictures.

Each time I make this meal we can't wait to eat it, and when it comes to dishing up time taking a photo of it doesn't come into my mind.

I didn't want to put off sharing this recipe with you any longer because it feels like I'm keeping a wonderful secret all to myself.

And that simply would not be nice.


This recipe is quick, easy and incredibly delicious.  Just don't worry about the calories too much.

So here it is, sans photo. Perhaps one day I'll add it on. 'Til then... imagine.

Penne Alla Vodka

Ingredients:

500g Penne Pasta

500g Bacon 

1 onion

2 small cloves garlic

600ml double cream

400g can chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp oil

Half a cup (4oz) vodka

Salt and pepper 

Method:

1. Cook pasta in a large pan. The pan must be big enough to be able to hold the cooked pasta and sauce together comfortably.

2. Meanwhile, chop onions, garlic and bacon and lightly fry until cooked through. 

3. Add tomatoes and seasoning and allow to simmer for a while.

4. Add vodka. Don't try the taste test immediately after adding the vodka. It will still be very strong and you will be able to taste it clearly and you will get a kick out of doing so.    Do the taste test immediately if you dare.

5. Add the cream. Stir in well. Simmer together for ten minutes.

6. Drain pasta and place back into large pan. Add sauce and mix it all up together, ensuring all the pasta is coated with the sauce. 

7. Enjoy!

You can also make this recipe omitting the bacon, or replacing it with sausage instead.

Click here for the printable recipe.

Let me know if you try it and what the verdict is. In the meantime, I'll try to add a picture to this... some time.

Nanny Pam's Bread Pudding

While Michael was off work thanks to the snow, he had a go at making his mum's bread pudding.  I'm not sure where she got the recipe, but she passed it onto us and it's a firm favourite.  It's beautifully soft and moist in the middle and just so... yum!  Be warned though, because it's very, very moreish!

Nanny Pam's Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

1 large loaf of bread
8oz softened butter or margarine
12oz brown sugar
4oz mixed fruit
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tbsp mixed spice

Method:

Soak bread to soften then drain for 2-4 hours. (We've left it to drain overnight with no ill effects).

Put moist bread in a large mixing bowl.  Add all other ingredients and stir well until it becomes a mushy, smushy mixture.

Pour into greased baking tray.

Bake at Gas Mark 3/170ºC for 2 hours.  You may need to cover with foil halfway through baking so that the top doesn't burn while the inside cooks.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Don't worry if it looks too smooshy still, as it cools it will become more solid.

Nanny Pam also advises to hide the bread pudding from Uncle Dennis.

If you have an Uncle Dennis you have been warned.

I advise you to practise self control if you are on a diet.  This cake will not help.

But it's just so yum.

Surely one teeny, tiny...

... bite won't...

...hurt.

Will it?!

Click here for the no fuss, printable recipe.