This one does what it says on the can! Perfect use for leftover beer. Ingredients: 340g / 12oz self raising flour 50g sugar (I used soft brown but just use what you’ve got!) 400ml beer Method: 1) Preheat oven to gas 4 / 180c / 350f 2) Grease a loaf tin 3) Mix above ingredients… Continue reading Easiest ever no-yeast leftover beer bread
Situation: Had a couple of beers on the boat the evening before, accidentally fell asleep leaving most of a can of beer (a delicious milkshake IPA, as it happens). Woke up to the realisation that we had forgotten to bring the bread for the bacon sandwiches, but really fancied a cheese scone. We had the… Continue reading Drunken cheeseboard scones
I love cheese scones, especially the ones I grab in Marks and Spencers’ bakery from time to time. I’ve tried several recipes, taken the best bits from each and come up with what I believe to be the perfect cheese scone. Best eaten smothered in real butter, I reckon these give the M&S ones a… Continue reading Perfect Cheese Scones
Emily made this delicious banana bread the day before setting off on her big Italian adventure. Apparently the recipe was stolen from one of her friends. It was so good that I didn’t have chance to take a photo before it was eaten. Ingredients 125g butter 150g of sugar 2 very ripe bananas, mashed 1… Continue reading Stolen banana bread
I discovered a tub of ricotta at the back of the fridge that I’d completely forgotten about. A love for cheese scones and determination not to waste food led me to invent these beauties which are so delicious I’ll most likely be buying more ricotta in the near future to make them again. I added… Continue reading Ricotta, chorizo and herb scones
This recipe came about because we had an almost-full can of sweetened condensed milk in the fridge and some fruit that was looking past its best and needed using up. I’m a big fan of banana bread and hate food to spoil and go to waste so thought I’d combine these ingredients and see what happened.… Continue reading Banana, apple and sweetened condensed milk cake
I love it when bananas are a bit overripe in the supermarket and reduced to 10p/kg! This little lot cost me 17p this morning and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them. Usually I make them into banana bread but as I’ve been rushing out of the house with little time for breakfast this week I… Continue reading Overripe banana bars
One of my Dad’s recipes, this one is made a bit less frequently than some of the others but is equally delicious. It really does improve after a couple of days so is worth making ahead of time. Ingredients: 325g Golden Syrup 150g Brown Muscovado Sugar 150g Butter 170g Self Raising Flour 120g Medium Oatmeal… Continue reading Traditional Parkin
Another recipe that my Grandma used to bake in the same 8-inch square cake tin as her Cherry & Almond Cake, this makes a lovely moist gingerbread that tastes even better a day or two old if you can manage not to eat it all first. Ingredients: 8oz (225g) Plain flour 1 level tsp. Bicarbonate of… Continue reading Gingerbread (Cake)
A sort of cake-meets-tart hybrid, these buttery goodies are delicious. These are the ones that my Mum always used to demolish first when Grandma had been baking! They’re also really quick and easy to make – bonus. If you’re looking for health food, look elsewhere though. Ingredients: 8oz (225g) Unsalted Butter (they really wouldn’t be the… Continue reading Viennese Tarts
These are similar to bakewell tarts, but with a slightly lighter topping and made with strawberry jam rather than cherry. I’m not sure why this was, or whether these tarts have any other history or link to the similar baked goods from Bakewell but they do taste good! Grandma used to make her own shortcrust pasty for these but hasn’t included… Continue reading Almond Tarts
Grandma always used to make this one in an 8-inch (20cm) square tin, greased and lined with baking paper. I’ve made it a few times in a similar sized heart-shaped silicone cake mould from Ikea too. Imperial measures first as they were what Grandma used, but I have converted to metric too. Ingredients: 8oz (225g) Butter… Continue reading Cherry & Almond Cake
Messing About In The Kitchen 