Thursday 6 January 2011

A cup of coffee & a slice of cake...

This morning is damp & cold...but the birds are singing and my unit kitchen is full of the fragrance of the Walnut Fudge Brownies that I'm baking at the moment (at least I'm told it is...one of the sad effects of baking so many trays of brownies, day in day out ,is that the smell is so familiar to my nose that I no longer detect it!) I can see the wild rabbits which graze on the rich, grassy farmland just beyond the kitchen window. This little industrial estate is on the site of a huge former WW2 airfield - which means that the wild bits are largely left alone, so there's plenty of beautiful animals and birds to look at in my spare moments! But today I'm using those spare moments to savour a cup of my favourite Ethiopian Washed Yirgacheffe black coffee and tell you about this morning's Coffee Tree delivery.
Another Blue Angel Bakery creation...Fresh Pear, Cranberry & Walnut Cake.

This cake I could smell...and it was really heavenly! The top was crusted with sparkling demerara sugar and there were both fresh and dried cranberries inside for the different textures and tastes they add. The pear was a large, sweet organic one from Kent (I know it was sweet, because I ate the unwanted last quarter for my breakfast!)

I would actually love a slice to go with this coffee....but it's gone, and hopefully being enjoyed by others having a mid-morning break.

I won't post the recipe because it's an original that (if all goes to plan) will be in my book. But I promise that I'll give you a good one tomorrow....I've already decided what it will be, and I'm looking forward to making it later. In the meantime, I believe these brownies are almost ready...and then it's on to making trays of Bakewell Pudding.

Have a wonderful Thursday, and I hope that you taste something delicious at some point today. I'd love to know what it is, if you'd like to tell me in your comment....thanks for reading! xo

13 comments:

  1. This is my first time reading the blog, love the pic of the brownies they look so yummy! Also love the flower wallpaper, so pretty. Have a great Thursday!
    Peace,
    Doreen

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  2. mmmm Yirgacheffe!

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  3. Good morning Rachel,
    Enjoyed reading your post. Pear, cranberry & walnut cake looks delicious! Am so looking forward to your book! Can't wait to see what you surprise us with tomorrow. I won't be making tasting anything sweet today, but for dinner I will be baking halibut in the oven with some butter, lemon, parsley, salt & pepper. Simple and delicious. Happy Thursday! xo

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  4. This sounds like a perfect combination of ingredients for January. Pear, brown sugar, cranberries. Well done! (I am SO looking forward to your cookbook my love!)

    I can't tell you how happy I am that you are now blogging daily, and posting all these luscious treats. It's going to be a good year! :)

    xoxo

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  5. That cake sounds just the thing. I can imagine how well all the ingredients go together. Like the idea of fresh and dried berries for the texture. Looking forward to your book

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  6. Mmm I can smell the brownie and the cake from here and I could happily dive into a slice of either with a cup of tea or coffee right now!
    Gosh I am really looking forward to your cookbook and making all of your wonderful creations :)
    Love Morwenna
    xoxo

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  7. Your cake sounds delicious, Rachel, and I love it when you give us a glimpse of your surroundings. Picturing you baking that cake on the site of a WW2 airfield adds another layer of richness to it.

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  8. Oh, dear Rachel! What a wonderful way to start the day...with you & your delicious blog!
    Hope the publisher has you put in your great photos, too!! Well, I will be having some of the Christmas bean soup I made yesterday : )
    Sometimes it is better next day.
    Love, Sherry xx

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  9. I need to cook some of your recipes, especially the brownies! Please send me a recipe of this one. Or any cake you have, actually.

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  11. Mmmm, Fresh Pear, Cranberry & Walnut Cake surely must be a girl's best friend. Oh, and brownies too! My delight for the day was an egg and cheese souffle' with hazelnut coffee.

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  12. Oh my goodness Rachel; the sound of this is so delicious! Your book will definitely be on my shelf for certain. I love the bookshelf idea and have added it to my blog and shared the idea w/ several friends- what a lovely way to share the books we love!!!

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  13. I will be first in line to buy your book! My delicious treat was a cupcake made by my daughter. Baking runs in our family! xxxxx

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I love to read what you write! Thanks for visiting! xo