Baking Lately - the adventures and happenings at United Cakedom

I wouldn't say I loved my job at Sainsbury's, as an online shopper, but I didn't hate it either. I loved being a witness to the sun rising and to scenes like the one above. I loved having my whole day ahead of me, but most of all I loved my co-workers. It was a comfortable environment and we were a great team of people. The only thing that made me want to change my job is that I was tired of dragging myself out of bed at 3:30am for a 4pm start. Picture below was taken on my last day and you can see how tired I am. 

I have found another part time job that suits my lifestyle better. It's just another change in a year of changes. I am looking forward to a new challenge, but sad about leaving behind two years of essentially some really great friendships. There are a handful of people I will be keeping in touch with, and the rest well let's just say thank goodness for Facebook!

One of things I did before I left is bake this Coffee and Walnut Cake for a charity bake sale going to BIBS, the local charity that our branch is currently supporting. Recipe can be found in Nigella's Kitchen on online here! 

I was told it was big hit and I got pictures of people eating it and the empty plate! The bake sale it's self was a big hit and it raised money for a great cause! BIBS (Babies in Buscot Support) is a registered charity that supports babies and their families in the special care baby unit (Buscot Ward) at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. 

This cake is one of many things I have baked lately, but haven't shared with you all! A lot of what I have been baking is stuff I not only have baked before, but also blogged. Here are a few of the things I've been Baking Lately: 

Strawberry & Cream Muffins 

Banana Bread 

(I haven't actually blogged this, but the recipe comes from the hummingbird bakery cookbook.) 

Muesli Flapjacks

So, that's a quick update on what I've been up to lately! I am still baking, but not as frequently nor as experimental as I used to be. I have also been a terrible baking supporter and have missed most of the Great British Bake Off this year. Think I will spend the rest of my Sunday trying to catch up with it as it is the semi-finals this week! 

It is my hope that once I've settled into my new job and I get a new routine set I will have more time to not only bake, but blog and get back into the blogging world! I have missed it as I have been dealing with real life stuff. 

I was all ready to get my Jamberry business off the ground and running and I've literally done nothing in regards to running it as a business, but I am still buying and using them! My latest manicure is called Ribbon Dance and I'm very pleased with it! 

United Jamdom

A link to my sight if you want to check them out! 

There are a lot of new styles for Autumn/Winter! 

Thanks for reading! Do you have a favorite cake or cookie or pastry or bread and so on recipe that you bake over and over again? Leave a comment below I would love to know! 

notes: This post has not been sponsored in any shape or form by any of above mentioned people/places/things! Please see my contact/policy page above for more information! 

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cream Pie

January is always grey and depressing. So is November, December, and February but January always gets the grief for being so. It’s not it’s fault it has to come after the glitzy over the top month of December.

We should ease off on January. If it weren’t for us telling January it’s grey and depressing then maybe it wouldn’t be.

From now on I think we should give January an ego boost by telling it it’s great no matter how cloudy or cold it is. Because like who needs the sun all year long anyway?

And why would you need the sun to comfort you when you can make a no-bake peanut butter cream pie and eat it? One cannot not like this pie. It asks very little of you. No one likes an over assuming pie and this pie is not assuming .... assuming you like peanut butter that is.

The pie itself is great! Not too peanut buttery and the creamy filling compliments the cookie base really well!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cream Pie 

Pie Crust 

462g (3 packages) chocolate peanut butter sandwich cookies
150g unsalted butter, melted

Lightly butter a 9 inch pie dish. Blitz the chocolate peanut butter sandwich cookies in a food processor until they are fine crumbs add the melted butter and mix until combined. Press down in the prepared pie dish, use a spoon and your hand to push it up the sides. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge while you get on with the filling.

Peanut Butter Cream Filling 

226g cream cheese
120g icing sugar
150g peanut butter
1 tablespoon milk
500ml double cream
231g (1/2 package) chocolate peanut butter sandwich cookies

Beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, peanut butter, and milk together until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk the double cream until thick and smooth.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until just combined. Spoon into the set pie crust and smooth down. 
Bash the cookies in a bag with a rolling pin or hammer whatever is to hand and sprinkle the crumbs on the top!
Leave to set for 1 hour or more as it probably should be stored in the fridge! Enjoy!

notes: Inspired by a recipe from Emeril’s New New Orleans Cooking by Emeril’s Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Could have possibly done with a peanut butter glaze/drizzle - for next time!

Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte aka Black Forest Cake

This past Saturday I celebrated surviving another year. The last thing you want to be responsible for on your birthday is providing your own cake. However, if you don’t then you might end up with some horrible store bought cake with icky fondant, to me that would be worse then no cake at all.

I didn't get a chance to make a cake on Saturday because we were out for a day in Bath. Did a bit of exploring and stuff. Then back for a BBQ with close friends of the family, all in all a good day! There was a grand plan to make myself a cake on the Friday, but like most things I plan it didn't go accordingly. As I had all the ingredients I went a head and made it yesterday.

There was a little bit of trouble with it. The cake is super soft and delicious, but because it’s so soft when I was layering the cake up, the cake I choose for the middle layer split on me. It was definitely an eek moment. It just meant the next layer made it really squish out the side. After a bit of time in the fridge it’s all right, but it would also work as a trifle. Just layer it up in a bowl!

To be honest I don’t think I have ever had a Black Forest Cake. It’s a classic or retro cake that has stood the test of time. It even appears in more then one of Ursula Todd’s re-lives in Life After Life. This is the second cake I was talking about in the previous post where I shared the Sherry Cake.

The Sherry Cake represents Ursula's life at home and time of peace. Where this cake represents war and the somewhat darker sides of her life. Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte/Black Forest Cake is not only a favorite of our heroine but noted as a favorite of the Fuhrer himself. It is a well known fact that Hitler had a big sweet tooth

Life After Life questions if you had the opportunity to change things, would you? If you could have a second chance? If I could go back and make this cake again I would know to be more careful with the layers. However, I believe that no matter what choices we make some things cannot be changed - some things stay the same.

Black Forest Cake

185g unsalted butter

150g dark chocolate

125ml milk

175g self-rising flour

225g golden caster sugar

150g light brown sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

3 eggs

75ml buttermilk

6-8 tablespoons morello cherry conserve

ganache (recipe follows)

whipped cream (recipe follows)

fresh cherries to decorate

Heat the oven to 150C and grease/line three 7in/18cm cake tins.

Melt the butter, chocolate, and milk over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool, while you mix the flour, both sugars, and cocoa powder together. Add the eggs to the dry mixture one at a time. Then when the chocolate mixture has cooled stir in the buttermilk before adding to the flour/egg mixture. Gently stir until combined. Pour into the prepared tin(s) dividing between the tins as evenly as possible. Bake for 45-50 minutes using the skewer test to make sure they are cooked through. When the cakes are out of the oven and cooling make the ganache and whipped cream.

Lay the first layer of the cake on a plate/board/stand and spread 3-4 tablespoons of the cherry conserve over the top, then pour ½ of the cooled ganache over it. Pipe 1/3 of the whipped cream in circles on top, leaving a little room around the edge. Repeat with the next layer. Finish the top with the whipped cream and fresh cherries.

ganache

200ml double cream

25ml kirsch

1 tbsp honey

100g dark chocolate, broken up

Simmer the cream, kirsch, and honey together before adding in the dark chocolate. Whisk until shiny.

whipped cream frosting

500ml double cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

25g golden caster sugar

Whip the cream, vanilla, and sugar together until it holds a soft peak.

notes: Recipe loosely adapted from Jaime’s Comfort Food - Sherry Cake & more on Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - Other retro cake: Pineapple upside down cake. Recommendations for World War 1 & 2 fictional novels. Follow Teddy Todd's (Ursula's brother) story in Kate Atkinson's new novel A God in Ruins. All opinions are my own and I purchased Life After Life for my Kindle App.

No-Bake Chocolate Cherry Tart {Valentine's Day Dessert}

This weekend couples all over the world will be celebrating the ultimate day of love and romance, Valentine’s Day. (This Saturday if you didn't already know!)

Basically it started because of a guy named St. Valentine and apparently he married couples that were refused by the church. He was jailed for it, but while in jail he “healed” the jailer’s daughter. Before he was executed he gave her a card and signed “Your Valentine” as a way of saying goodbye. It wasn't until the High Middle Ages that the day became associated with “romantic love.” Courtly love was very popular then and it’s them we have to blame for the mushy over the top lovey dovey crap we see today.

By that last statement you may think that I am a bit of a cynic or something, but I do love the idea of a holiday that celebrates love. As Frozen has taught us love saves and heals us and that I think is worth celebrating!

Another thing that ‘heals’ people is chocolate. Chocolate is associated with many things and during this love holiday it’s a popular choice of gift and celebratory treat!

Why not wow your loved ones with this amazing No-Bake Chocolate Cherry Tart!

It’s easy and delicious and rich. All the things you want in a Valentine’s Day dessert. Chocolate pairs very well with most fruits and especially with red berries like strawberries, raspberries, and cherries.

Cherries can be a bit tricky because of their pits, but if you have a cherry pitter tool it makes pitting the cherries easy peasy lemon squeezy. OXO Good Grips sent me a cherry pitter to try out, along with a 3-piece Berry Bowl &Colander Set that came in handy when rinsing the cherries before placing them in creamy chocolaty ganche and I used my OXO Good Grips small silicone spatula when mixing my ganache. 

Wait no longer here’s how I made this rich Chocolate Cherry Tart!

No-Bake Chocolate Cherry Tart

419g of chocolate cream filled Oreo Cookies

100g butter, melted

200g dark chocolate, broken up

200g double cream

30-35 cherries, pitted and rinsed

Gently butter a 9 in or 22 cm tart tin and set aside. Place the chocolate biscuits (3 (UK) packages minus four cookies (to eat)) in a food processor and pulse until they look like breadcrumbs. Add the butter and pulse a couple more times until the crumbs and butter combine. Pour into the tin and press down and up the sides of the tin, try to even it out as best you can. I just used my hands it was the easiest way to get it pushed down.

Place in the fridge to cool while you pit the cherries and make the ganache. Pit the cherries according to the instructions of the pitter tool. In a heat proof bowl place both the broken up chocolate and double cream and set on top of a simmering pan of water. Gently stir with a spatula while it’s melting. Once it becomes a smooth shiny ganache pour into the tart tin and then add the cherries. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.

notes: In association with OXO, for further information see my contact/policy page and also check them out they have some great kitchen tools! Recipe is adapted from mowielicious blog. Also I did a short spontaneous video and I uploaded it here. It’s un-cut and I didn't know what I was trying to say half the time, but I thought I’d post it anyway! Let me know what you think!!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

It is easy to get wrapped up in time; it is as common a topic as the weather is. Perhaps it’s a sign that I am getting old. It seems I find myself talking about how fast time goes these days. I don’t remember talking like that when I was in my 20’s.

Now I say things like “I can’t believe it’s already the middle of January! Gosh o’Golly this year is already zipping by!”

Maybe I don’t say it exactly like that it’s probably more like “What is the date today? Are you fucking kidding me? Shit I was supposed to do this or that yesterday! Gawd where does the time go?”

Time isn't the only thing that makes me feel old at 32, it’s when it’s my friend’s birthday and she’s only turning 28!

It’s okay my younger friends keep me young! I made this cake for my friend Kellie’s birthday today and we had a lovely morning eating cake with tea and coffee!

This is the cake I made:

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

225g unsalted butter

225g caster sugar

3 heaped tablespoons of cocoa powder, extra for dusting

4 large eggs

200g self-rising flour

1 tsp baking powder

150g caramel sauce, extra for drizzling on top

1 tsp sea salt flakes

300g double cream

Heat the oven to 180C, grease or line 2 7in (18cm) round cake tins. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, and baking powder before adding in the eggs and beating until just combined. Spoon into the tins and gently level the batter with a spatula inside the tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. While the cake is cooling mix the sea salt flakes in the caramel sauce. Then whip up the cream until soft peaks form. Once the cakes are cool, spread the caramel sauce on top of one layer and pipe the whipped cream on top of that before placing the other layer on top. Dust with cocoa powder and drizzle some caramel sauce on top! Enjoy!

notes: Recipe adapted from Jamie’s Monster Bake Sale pamphlet for Comic Relief 2011. Sometimes people don’t like cake, they do exist (I know I was as shocked as you) and if you know one of these people try thisshortbread I made for my cake-hating friend!

Orange, Passion Fruit, & Champagne Jelly desserts {product review}

After being at home with my girls for the last 7 years, I have jumped back into the working world. At the moment I currently have 2 ½ jobs. It seems like I have found myself with a lot on my plate.

I am finding out what it really means to time manage. So, I was pretty proud of myself for making these jellies’s in the morning so they would be set for after dinner!

It’s pretty impressive if I even have dinner on the table on time these days!

Jelly is one of those things that everyone loves. It doesn't matter how old you are. As we get older our tastes buds change and sometimes our favorite childhood treats just don't taste the same. This Taste the Difference range of jellies from Sainsbury's is full of flavor and has fun flavor combinations! 

These jellies can be made according to the instructions and therefore will be suitable for the whole family, but making it with the suggestions I listed below make it a bit more adult.... then again maybe not?

I was sent Orange, Passion Fruit, and Champagne Jelly and Blackcurrant, Elderflower, and Cassis Jelly to try out.

First I made the Orange, Passion Fruit, and Champagne Jelly with half orange juice and half prosecco. I added in some canned mandarin’s for texture and topped with whipped cream and passion fruit seeds/juice.

Then I made the Blackcurrant one in champagne flutes to add a bit of festive fun and topped that one with some whipped cream as well.

There are so many ways to be creative with this range, such as:

• Use prosecco in place of water, as suggested on the bottle
• Use your favorite fizzy drink, lemonade or an orange soda
• Different juices to match the flavors of the chosen jelly (ex: elderflower juice in the blackcurrent or orange juice in the orange etc…) if you do use half water half juice sometimes it is a little too soft when setting if you use just juice.
• Add in matching fruits, canned usually works best because the fruit will be soft.
• Make it a jelly terrine!
• Make it in a flat baking tray and once it’s set use cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes
• Make it in a trifle (my husband wanted me to do this and I just don’t like trifles that much…. I know I know we’ll talk about this later!)
• Make it in fun shapes using jelly moulds
• Top with whipped cream or meringues or ice cream
• Drizzle with all sorts of fruit syrups

Jelly is fun for all ages and these Taste the Difference ones from Sainsbury’s were super easy to make and they make a great treat for any time of the day! Especially during the holiday season that is full of rich and heavy foods. Why not lighten the load a bit with a jelly dessert! My favorite part is that they are made in advance and takes some of the stress away from the big day! See my time management is already getting better! 

notes: in association with Sainsbury's they sent me the jelly to try all opinions are my own please see my contact/policy tab above. 

Pumpkin Cake for pumpkin pie haters

When I was a child I hated Thanksgiving dinners, everything except the mash potatoes. Dry turkey with weird jelly sauce and cooked carrots, I abhorred cooked carrots! I could eat them raw, but never cooked.

Then there was the desserts pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and so on. I disliked those too. They were too weird and too nutty.

It’s amazing how our tastes change as we grow up. I can tolerate roasted carrots, if I have too. I have learned to enjoy homemade cranberry sauce, still do not like the caned or jarred stuff.

However I didn't have to wait until I was all “grown up” to fall in love with pumpkin pie. 

When I was about 10 we were at a family friend’s Thanksgiving feast and it was there that I was persuaded to try pumpkin pie again.

I am glad that I did because who knows how long it would have taken me to learn that I love pumpkin pie.

Now this post isn't for pumpkin pie, but for a delicious pumpkin cake for those at your Thanksgiving dinner who, like a younger me, hated pumpkin pie.

It has a nice spongy texture with a comforting spicy flavor. The whipped cream and caramel drizzle I added on top complemented nicely! 

Pumpkin Cake

425g pumpkin puree, canned or fresh

200g soft unsalted butter

300g light muscovado sugar

4 eggs

300g self-rising flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp salt

150g currants

Heat the oven to 180C and line a 8x11 inch (20x28cm) tin with grease proof paper, allow a bit of an over hang so you can get the cake out of the tin.

Cream the butter and sugar together until lighter in color and a bit fluffy. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until combined. It doesn't look pretty; add the eggs one at a time. It still doesn't look pretty all curdled like, but keep beating. Mix the flour and spices together and sift into the weird curdled mixture. Beat until just combined. Then fold in the currants. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour (60minutes) or until a skewer poked in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes before taking out of the tin and cutting into squares. Serve with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle! Tastes best when warm out of the oven!

You could add some cinnamon to the whipped cream or instead serve with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream or vanilla if you prefer or even caramel ice cream.... I am getting a bit carried away. I will stop now. Enjoy!

notes: recipe was adapted from Rachel Allen’s book Cake, if your pumpkin pie haters hate pumpkin pie because of the spices then chances are they will hate this cake too, but if it's because of the texture then it's a safe bet they'll love it! For homemade cranberry sauce check out my previous post here! 

Creamy Cranberry Pie with a Pretzel Crust

This is an awkward post to write. The pie looks beautiful and it tastes good. However it’s not what I was expecting.

Expectations can make or break anything.

If there is a movie that has great reviews saying it’s the funniest movie in a decade; naturally the expectations will be high for a hilarious movie. Once the movie has been viewed and there was only a laugh here or there, disappointment will inevitably follow.

If reviews hadn't been seen previous to viewing the same hypothetical movie, the laughs may have been the same, but as there were no expectations there wouldn't be any disappointment.

I wanted this pie to be more cranberry and less cream cheesey. There was a lack of tartness that I was expecting from the cranberries to balance out the cream cheese and whipping cream.

It could have been because I used homemade cranberry sauce or it could just be the recipe? Plus the recipe for the filling made way too much. Almost enough for a whole other pie!

I saw the recipe in a Better Home and Gardens magazine I picked up when I was in America and immediately knew I wanted to make it. It looked like the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving dessert menu. My expectations were high being a Better Home and Gardens recipe as my sister swears by them.

Saying that this isn't a bad pie, it is definitely creamy so it delivers on the title. It also reminds me more of a cranberry cheesecake than that of a cranberry pie.

Plus, the salty pretzel crust is amazing and it does help balance the sweet creaminess of the pie.

It’s not bad! I just wanted it to be something different!

The recipe is available on the Better Home and Gardens site here, if you are interested in making it for your holiday season. Hey, you never know after reading this your expectations may be extremely low and therefore it will taste pretty darn good.

If I were to tweak it I would start by possibly halving all the ingredients. Then I think I would eliminate the sugar from the pie filling. The reason being that there is a lot of sugar in the homemade cranberry sauce and I don’t know that the pie actually needed it.

notes: If you are interested in this recipe in grams and milliliters instead of ounces and cups let me know I did convert it! 

Ginormous Jaffa Cake Cake

Until I moved to the UK I had never heard of Jaffa Cakes.

I can’t recall the exact moment I tried a jaffa cake for the first time, but I do remember thinking they were a bit odd.

The thing was I couldn't quiet decide what it was.

We, us humans, like things to be defined. We feel safer when things make sense or fit into a category. That way we can say we understand it because it fits into something we already know.

Jaffa cakes didn't really make sense to me and I wasn't sure I liked them or not. Even though I have a love of orange and chocolate. 

Then there was a new tax on chocolate covered biscuits. Which then began the whole debate on if a jaffa cake was in fact a cake or was it a biscuit.

Finally we would know where the jaffa cake stood and by knowing that we could sleep better at night.

It was decided they were more cake like and therefore wouldn't be taxed. They proved their point by making a large jaffa cake and I would like to think it was a bit like this one.

Ginormous Jaffa Cake Cake

orange jelly

juice of 4 large oranges

100g golden caster sugar

6 gelatine leaves

Line a 8in/20cm round cake tin with clingfilm. Before juicing the oranges, zest them and save it for cake below. Once zested juice the oranges and place in a saucepan with the sugar. Gently stir to dissolve. While that’s doing that, place the gelatine leaves into cold water to soften. Once soft, squeeze any excess water out before placing in the warm orange juice/sugar mixture. Gently stir until the gelatine is completely melted, then pour into prepared pan and set for 4 hours or more in the fridge.

cake cake:

250g unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed

300g golden caster sugar

4 large eggs

100g full fat natural yogurt

300g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

zest of 4 large oranges

Line a 10in/23cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper and grease with a little butter. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl or the bowl of a freestanding mixture and beat until everything is combined. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes or until springy to the touch and a skewer test comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin until the tin is cool enough to handle. Finish cooling completely before placing the jelly circle in the middle of the cake.

chocolate ganache

284ml double cream

150g milk chocolate, broken up

150g dark chocolate, broken up

Place all the ingredients above in a heat proof bowl and set on top of a simmering pan of water. Once the chocolate starts to melt gently whisk in the middle of the bowl in tiny circles. It just slowly mixes the chocolate and the cream and it always gives a smooth silky ganche. Cool slightly before pouring on top of the jelly topped cake.

notes: For further information the jaffa cake tax decision look here and/or here. Recipe is adapted from BBC Bakes & Cakes Magazine Spring 2014 edition 

Some Serious Strawberry Shortcake

Recently I have been thinking of home, home being America.

I haven't been back for years. Things like life and money just always seemed to get in the way.

It was a priority for me to see my family this year so with the help from my parents we booked tickets for the end of July. 

I know a lady from South Africa who's husband gets upset when she refers to SA as home. Which in turn upsets her that he doesn't understand. 

I understand.

I thought maybe after so many years that I would stop calling America home, but I haven't yet. I call England my home too, two homes are better then one they always say. 

Well, I'm sure someone has said that somewhere? And if they haven't then I have!

I am looking forward to being home, but I still have life to live before then so I've not packed my bags just yet!

There will be a lot of visiting, but a lot of down time as I am going for 5 weeks! I will be posting a few posts before I go and hopefully be posting while I'm there, sharing with all of you what I'm getting up too! 

In the meantime I have a few classic American desserts and bakes to share with you among other things. 

I decided I wanted to make Strawberry Shortcake when I found myself smelling strawberries at the store with my oldest little person. While I was smelling freshly baked shortcake and sweet whipped cream she was smelling strawberries and nothing else.  

I made sure we got two packages. I made Strawberry Shortcakes and her and her sister ate 400g worth of strawberries in one sitting. 

We limit their in take of strawberries so it doesn't become a serious problem in their adulthood. I'm lying we let them eat as many as we can afford! 

To me Strawberry Shortcake is a classic dessert and perfect way to highlight fresh strawberries. Plus it gave me an excuse to use my Wilton pan I have only used one other time. This is some seriously good dessert! 

Strawberry Shortcakes: 

strawberries

400g strawberries

50g sugar

Mix the sliced strawberries with the sugar in a bowl and cover and leaver until ready to use. We want the strawberries to be nice and juicy! 

shortcake

300g plain flour

100g sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

114g butter, chilled

140ml milk

1 large egg

Heat the oven to 190C grease the dessert shell tin by Wilton or a 8inch/20cm round pan, with a cake release spray and lightly dust with flour, tap out excess flour.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together before adding the butter in cubes. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like course crumbs. If you have a pastry blender tool thing then use that.

Fold in the milk and egg until just combined. 

Use heaped table spoons to fill the indents in the dessert shell tin and gently press down and smooth with the back of the spoon. Or spoon into the cake pan and smooth down as much as possible. The batter is a little sticky. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes if using the dessert shell, but 30-35 minutes if in the cake pan. The skewer test should be used to make sure it's cooked all the way through. Cool in the tin/pan for at least 10 minutes before turn out on a plate. 

to serve

150ml whipping cream

1 tsp caster sugar

Whip the cream and sugar together until it holds it's shape. Then I drizzle some of the strawberry juice on the cake(s) to soak in a little before adding strawberries, whipped cream to taste! 

Then eat! Ice cream would also be great in these! 

notes: My post on home being where the heart is! The only other time I used this pan was for this post. Recipe roughly adapted from a Betty Crocker cookbook. 

Deconstructed Strawberry & Cream Pie

The sun has found it's way around the clouds and we are finally getting some sunny days here in Britain! 

Which means right now is a great time to enjoy some of Britain’s best produce.

Like tomatoes, asparagus, new potatoes, rhubarb, and everyone’s favorite strawberries!

When the weather starts to get warmer I do bake less. It’s just uncomfortable to be in front of an oven when it’s hot outside.

Which is why deconstructing some desserts makes a perfect summer pudding! 

I’m not really a fan of deconstructing things, it seems a bit silly to me at, but I didn't know how else to describe this dessert.

So, deconstructed it is. 

It’s strawberries soaked in strawberry puree with fresh mint leaves and sugar. Topped with whipped cream served with lemon curd and shortbread. Sounds like a strawberry pie to me.

It’s super easy and perfect to make ahead of time, especially if you are having a BBQ or something.

So, here is how I made this refreshing and light summer pudding!

Strawberry Pie {deconstructed}:

400g strawberries, hulled and quartered

1 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp of cider vinegar or lemon juice

3-5 mint leaves

75 ml British whipping cream

MacKay’s Lemon curd

Sainsbury’s All Butter Shortbread Petticoat Tails

Puree 150g of the strawberries with the icing sugar, vinegar, and mint leaves. Add more sugar or mint to taste. Pour over the remaining strawberries and leave in the fridge for about an hour or until ready to serve.

Whip the cream to soft peaks and swirl about a tablespoon of lemon curd into the whipped cream. I didn't do this because my husband is allergic to all things citrus, so I placed a tsp of lemon curd on the side when serving so he could have some too!

To serve place two heaped tablespoons of the strawberries on a plate, place a heaped tablespoon of whipped cream next to it with a tsp of lemon curd and a couple petticoat tails. Enjoy!

The recipe could always be doubled to serve more people. The quantities above would serve about 4. Another way to serve it would be to crumble the shortbread at the bottom of a bowl and spoon the strawberries over them, top with whipped cream and garnish with a mint leaf. I always think of these things when I’m writing out the blog post.

Stay tuned! I have another recipe using British Strawberries to share with you soon! 

notes: In association with Sainsbury’s The Best of British campaign. Recipe is adapted from Sainsbury’s Magazine’s June 2011 issue. Mackay’s had sent me a few jars of jams and curds last summer for their #bakingwithmackays campaign and this was leftover so I thought I’d mention it. This post was written for day 19 of Blog Every Day in May, #BEDM. 

Twinkies made with love by Janet

A while back I decided I wanted a Twinkie pan.

They don’t exist in the UK as far as I am aware.

They aren't that abundant in the US either from what I understand.

Anyhow I decided that it was something I had to have and I had to have it right away. So, my sister Janet sent me one and bought one for herself!

I have yet to use mine.

I've had it for like 6 months or so? I've also had this recipe she used and her pictures for about that same amount of time.

Oops.

If you've been following my blog for a while, you may remember I would post what my sister Janet had baked recently. I called it “Weekend Baking with Janet” but I haven’t posted anything for her in a long time.

So, I gave her button an update and thought I better get some of her back-dated stuff posted! If you want to know a little more about my sister, check out the about me page or some of her old posts by clicking on the button on the side!

Here is how she made her Twinkies, it is an American recipe and uses cups. I also added a way to make them without the tin at the bottom. However neither of us have tried and tested the method. 

Twinkies cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

½  tsp salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

½  tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350F and spray your molds with nonstick spray.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside. Combine the butter and sugar and beat at a medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, make sure each is completely combined before adding the next.

Reduce the speed and add flour mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add the vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Over mixing will make the cakes chewy.

Fill the molds with batter and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cakes are a light golden color and a tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool.

cream filling

2 tsp hot water

½  tsp salt

2 cups marshmallow fluff

½  cup shortening

1/3 cup powdered sugar

¼  tsp vanilla

For the filling, mix the hot water and salt in a small bowl and stir until salt is dissolved. Let cool. Combine the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy.

notes: If you don’t have a Twinkie or canoe pan, try folding a square sheet of aluminum foil in half lengthwise and then in half again to form a smaller square. Wrap the foil square around a 4-inch round spice container to form a canoe shape with the top left open. Remove the spice container and place the molds into a deep baking dish. The recipe was taken from this website. Twinkies were made by Janet, but I wrote the post! How I convert butter from cups to grams and so on…