And the winner is...

....after a later surge of entries (thanks to all of you, I truly wish you could all have won!) I have just pulled a name from all the comments...not very scientific, I put them all into a bowl and picked one with my eyes shut! The winner of the fabulous Honey & Co - The Baking Book is:



GEORGIE!!!! Many congratulations, Georgie. I must admit that my heart did a little loop of joy when I opened the scrap of paper to find your name, as I know after recent events and traumas you are definitely due a piece of good luck! I will get it sent off to you and I really hope you enjoy it. Let us all know when it arrives!

Thanks to everyone who entered. Georgie, along with everyone else who owns this beautiful book, will now be able to recreate the cake above...which is a larger version (I doubled the quantities) of the Peach, Fennel Seed & Vanilla Mini Loaf Cakes in the book. This, along with many other delights, will be on the stall tomorrow at Aylesbury Farmer's Market. The forecast isn't great from lunchtime on, but the morning looks ok...so if you are in the vicinity, do pop down to see me and my fellow stallholders! We really love to see you! 9am - 2pm in the lower Market Square.

Hoping you have a wonderful week....x

The first morning of a new life!

So that's that! After 8 years and 3 owners...the Coffee Tree has once again changed hands, but the new people have decided to go on without me. They have their own plans and ideas. A new broom! I wish them every good thing....but I can't pretend that the past week hasn't been a strange one!
For the final few days, I thought I'd deliver some old favourites from the past...cakes that have been requested and loved many times...

like good old Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins...

and Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake....
In the middle of the week I also had the Farmer's Market - it was half-term too, and I thought the Hallowe'en theme was appropriate!

and if you read my last post, Robin's banana date cake sold out by lunchtime!

Then it was back to thinking of the Coffee Tree's final days. There was a farewell drinks party on Friday evening at the shop, full of everyone I knew...so many sweet comments and people who's lives I've shared a little of over the years. I was given cards & presents...a beautiful white orchid...I shed a few tears.

And Saturday dawned - a beautiful, sunshine day. I was up early as usual, as I wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for my final delivery - the most popular items of all, really:

Victoria Sponge Cake (with non-traditional decoration...but I couldn't resist!)

 

my famous cheddar scones....(pictured on their stand at the shop)

and finally...I wanted something fun, so I made these vanilla cupcakes...

that said it all in as many ways as I could think of!  I popped in a few times that day- some customers who had moved away made a special journey back to say goodbye, so I had coffee and a chat with old friends. And then it was time to really say goodbye, with a hug and a few sobs! Thanks to Sue & Barry, Roy & Sandra for being such fabulous, loyal customers. We've shared so much over the years - while supplying them I've got married, had a heart attack, two nephews have been born...we've all been through good times and bad together and supported each other through everything. I wish them all a happy & fulfilled retirement!

Monday morning - today felt very strange, will continue to feel so for a while yet, I think. I have been so programmed into always thinking of the next thing to bake for them, searching for new ideas to try out, planning my work day around them. The only customers who never gave me an order - I always just baked what I thought (hoped) would be right...and, thankfully, it usually was! A great freedom, but also a great responsibility in that arrangement.

Anyway...I'm looking forward now, as always (the only way to look!) So much to do and accomplish - I have a book to finish, I'm baking christmas cakes this week, and I have so much to plan and prepare. But I'll always think fondly of my time with The Coffee Tree...and everything it's given me over the years.

I hope you have a wonderful week and a faaaabulously spooky Hallowe'en! xo

Wedding Cakes...

I'm just about to leave to watch The Wedding (capitals!) with my Mum...but I thought I'd quickly post a few pictures of some of the cakes I made yesterday for different customers...these vanilla cupcakes were for The Coffee Tree (which is closed today) and I made extra to take there tomorrow morning too...

Especially pleased with the hearts & the Union Jack wrappers...I made 2 extra for Mum & Dad too!

Next was a huuuge chocolate cake (14 inches square) for a Garden Party this afternoon with 60 guests. I wasn't given any real instructions, just that it be chocolate. So, being me, I went a bit mad...

everything is edible bar the little flag picks above the hearts...

And there's red, blue and gold glitter there too...it doesn't photograph too well...

I love the Union Jack sugar buttons...

I made the sugar crowns and brushed them with gold lustre powder...the initials are picked out in gold glitter too!
Hope you like them...I have to deliver the big cake on my way to the farm now...so I hope THEY like it too!!

Happy Wedding Day everyone xoxo

Mother's Day Treats

These are the Strawberry Chocolate Fudge Bars I made for The Coffee Tree yesterday, part of their Mother's Day weekend offerings! I have to thank the wonderful Jaz of October Farm who posted this amazingly delicious and easy recipe on her beautiful blog on Friday. Her description caught my imagination immediately, and I had to try it out. I used a different frosting, as you'll see...I wanted an all-chocolate cake, so the shiny dark chocolate ganache seemed appropriate. But I'll be using this recipe a lot - and I urge you to try it too, it's sticky and intensely flavoured and, above all, quick!!

Have I convinced you to try it yet?!

So that was my chocolate fix dealt with - and now I wanted to make something vanilla-y and light...fitting for a gorgeous Spring weekend...

You may not be able to see the glitter, but these are Vanilla Cupcakes with Meringue Buttercream frosting...as you can tell, I eschewed the traditional pink colouring for violet...which I adore! The frosting recipe was taken from Sarabeth Levine's Bakery book...another discovery that I'll be making a lot from now on! Despite being full of unsalted butter, the gorgeously light, whipped texture means that the frosting isn't at all sickly or sweet. A real winner and so versatile too...

I made a few extra to take to MY mum today...I'm very lucky to have a mother who's also a wonderful friend and I love her very, very much!

Have a wonderful Sunday, whether you're celebrating Mother's Day or not! Blowing a kiss to you....xo

Saturday treats....

I started my weekend delivery with these Black & White Cupcakes. Very heavily frosted cupcakes don't go down too well at the Coffee Tree - the customers tend to prefer more understated offerings! I thought that these fit the bill perfectly. Beautiful, vanilla sponge on the bottom and dark chocolate ganache poured glossily on top - finished with a gold sugar star..

Simple yet sophisticated? Hopefully they went down well anyway... next was one of my own creations. I call them Glazed Blueberry Bars -

sticky, oaty slices with a tart  fresh blueberry middle and lightly glazed on top (which also stops them from becoming dry.) I love to have plenty of filling so that it oozes slightly when you cut (or bite!) into them..

I always overdo everything slightly because, as regular readers will know, my baking motto (actually my LIFE motto) is 'Too much of a good thing is wonderful....!'

And lastly, with a small nod to Valentine's Day (more of which tomorrow) I baked a yummy Spice Cake with Peanut Buttercream frosting, from Rose Levy Berenbaum's 'Heavenly Cakes' book which I talked about last week...

I love anything with peanuts and it was a change to find something that used them but didn't also contain chocolate (I try and balance things with my Coffee Tree order, so that there's a fruity cake alongside something rich & chocolatey...or a very sweet thing and a savoury one) As you may be able to make out, I sprinkled the top of the cake with some tiny red sugar hearts...

but I warn you now....I won't be so subtle tomorrow!

have a wonderful Sunday xoxo

Marmalade & Meringues

Hello...Happy Wednesday! It's the middle of the week already, and as I write the moon is bright and full in the clear sky. We woke to frost this morning and it's been  gorgeous sunny day...I think that the temperature will plunge again overnight but when it's gorgeous like this I don't mind a bit. My mother told me that she had to go out into the fields at the farm at 2am this morning to release a sheep that had got it's fleece trapped in the bramble hedge. I was worried for her, out in the dark & cold, but she said that she'd felt 'privileged to be outside in all that beauty'...which was a lovely thing to hear. I knew just what she meant.

First, today, I wanted to show you my new teatowel...that's it in the picture above - gorgeous, no? I love teatowels and collect them from wherever I visit (I have several kind friends who add to my collection too!) This is my new favourite...

So, it's marmalade season....bitter Seville oranges are one of the very few truly seasonal fruits - they are available for a very short time from mid-January here. Reading my friend Cherry Menlove's beautiful blog reminded me to buy them & MAKE MARMALADE!! So I prepared jars, labels...and scrubbed the gorgeous fruit (I also added in some limes & lemons for extra interest...)

this is the cooling period after boiling to soften the skins...then the chopping, which I love! Boiling with sugar until just right and potting into the warm jars...

and then labelling, leaving to cool - and that satisfying feeling of a job well done and the cupboard stocked! For us, for friends and family..for enjoying a little taste of bittersweet sunniness whenever and remembering the dark, rainy January day when I made...

That was for home. For The Coffee Tree today, I decided to use the egg whites left over from yesterday's Lemon Passionfruit Bars to make meringues. I love meringues - eating and making.

I made them last night and left them in the oven to dry out and crisp up. These were made with brown sugar for a caramel flavour and a touch of espresso coffee powder too..still a little chewy & toffee-like inside.

This morning, I mixed some sweetened chestnut puree with pure vanilla seeds and mascarpone to make a thick, luscious cream...

which I used to sandwich the pairs of meringue together. Chestnut puree has an amazing texture and flavour...it tastes so deep and complex, it's almost alcoholic!

I think these looked so pretty, resting on their little paper cases - another individual delight!
They don't keep well, but hopefully they won't have to...a good dessert for a special dinner perhaps?

I hope you've had a beautiful day...and that you can see the moon, wherever you are!

xo

Everyone's an individual...

and I find that individual - or mini - cakes are what sell best at the coffee shop. Scones, muffins, slices, brownies, squares...something that doesn't have to be cut in front of you, but feels like it was made just for your plate, to accompany your cup of tea...

So today, I made the ultimate in single serving sized cakes...

mini Victoria Sponges...ooh, I was so proud of these! Don't they look cute?

here's a close up. I made the vanilla butter sponge cake as a sheet and cut out the rounds with a biscuit cutter...then sandwiched them with home made raspberry jam and cream cheese vanilla frosting before dusting them with a little icing sugar.
The beautiful paper cups they rest in are from a lovely, bright & pretty store in Marylebone, Central London, called Totally Swedish. They have a wonderful, though expensive, range of beautiful baking cups that I can't resist even though they're actually too big for the tins I have! These are printed with violets.....

and these with an array of coloured flowers on a black ground...gorgeous and they make good holders for these cakes, I think!

So, there you have it...a little Victoria Sponge, made just for YOU!!

I'm having a different kind of day tomorrow - so looking forward to it and I'll let you know all about it soon. There will be a baking post though, of course....

Thanks so much for reading, I really hope you're enjoying the Year of Blue Angel Baking so far....

xo