Cooking with Mother....or Aunty!

When I was in Australia recently, one of the things I enjoyed most was cooking with - and for - my niece and nephews. They really enjoyed choosing the dishes and became quite adventurous (they are 9, 8 & 4) although they are currently going through a vegetable hatred phase (except for tomatoes, potatoes & raw carrots with the odd avocado thrown in!)

This was an adapted verson of the Surprise Tatin from Yotam Ottolenghi's wonderful book, Plenty. It had a puff pastry base with layered sliced potato, tomato & feta cheese....

Absolutely gorgeous! Another favourite, of course, is pizza. There's something magical to children, I think, in having an individually created dish to themselves and it's so easy. In the Queensland summer heat, the dough for the base rose like a beautiful balloon!

Of course, they got to choose their own toppings. My oldest nephew loves mushrooms, mozzarella & black olives....his sister preferred her fresh, homegrown basil instead of the mushrooms...and the little one just wanted 'cheese & tomato please'!

 And of course there were treats too. Like big batches of chocolate chip cookies...

that I made into ice-cream sandwiches when it was very hot & they'd been very good! I wrapped them in greaseproof paper parcels to store in the freezer....irresistible!

And on the last Sunday we spent together, I set up a 'cupcake competition' for the 2 oldest children. I was scrupulously fair about it! They each had two vanilla cakes, one in a yellow case & one in a green...and they were set on identical plates. I made up some plain buttercream icing and left them with food colours & various sprinkle & sparkles. The brief was to make either the most beautiful or the craziest cupcake...

The one in the top of the picture was judged the most beautiful...a pale pink glittery butterfly on a pastel green background...

 and the one in the foreground below was the craziest...I loved the dribbles of green on the cranberries especially!

Happily for all of us (!) each child won a different category...and picked up a little prize as well as eating their own creations!

It can be so frustrating when children won't eat something that's been lovingly prepared for them. But it helps a lot when they choose and help create the meal themselves. And I know from experience that most of the faddishness disappears in time...my sisters and I were terrible when we were young. Nowadays we will eat just about anything!

Hoping you have a wonderful weekend xo

Christmas Farmer's Market - a labour of love...

Yesterday was the Christmas Farmer's Market. I was up until 2am on Sunday night preparing....icing these dark chocolate & rum cupcakes with whipped milk chocolate chestnut frosting...

tying up little bags of Brownie Bites & my Alternative Christmas Truffles (which are - deep breath - gluten, wheat, dairy & fat-free, with no added sugar & suitable for vegans too! also, despite all that, totally delicious!)

making labels for the loaf cakes...

and finishing the decorations on the Christmas cakes (this one was spelt, apricot & brandy)
I was up at the crack of a very frosty, sparkly dawn...packing the car and filling flasks with very hot coffee to keep me sustained! I also (from experience) knew to wear as many layers as i could - 4 in all. I resembled the Michelin Man, but I was warm...for a while!
I laid out the stall so that it looked as Christmassy and enticing as possible...

Fresh Cranberry Orange Muffins...

plenty of Mince Pies (baked with orange pastry)

my brownies of the month were Frosty Mint...loved sprinkling the glitter & piping the decorations on these...

and then the heavens opened. It poured and poured. Freezing, unending rain.Absolutely miserable. And this, coupled with the fact that our market is usually on the 4th TUESDAY of the month and no-one appeared to know that this one was on a Monday meant that most of my hard work went un-noticed! I did have quite a few regular customers who just stumbled upon the market by sheer chance and were upset that they hadn't realised earlier...but otherwise, it was all fairly miserable and disheartening and, above all, COLD!! Luckily, my 'baby' sister Lucy & nephew Will came to help me pack up at the end and I took them out for a lovely lunch afterwards. I can sell much of what I made elsewhere, but I also thought it would be nice to pack up some boxes of treats to take round to the neighbours this week...and, of course, my family will benefit from the extra cakes & brownies at Christmas!
Despite the lack of footfall, I'm very pleased to say that ALL of my Panforte (recipe in my last post) sold in record time!

So , if you haven't already, it may be an idea to make some for the festivities! I'll be baking some more tomorrow....
Stay warm and enjoy all the preparations. It's a magical time of the year (unless you're standing in the cold & wet for 6 hours that is....!) xo

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

So much baking...!

I have a lot of private orders this week...one of the pitfalls (and pleasures) of being a baker is that I am the first port of call for friends & neighbours when birthdays, weddings, christenings, bar mitzvahs etc come around! I soon have to bake 360 rabbit shaped shortbread biscuits as wedding favours/place cards for a neighbour...and above you see another creation for a 17 year old's birthday tomorrow. Dark chocolate & vanilla cupcakes...they're for a boy, so I didn't want them to look too feminine...but I couldn't resist a little 'sophisticated' gold sparkle!

The Coffee Tree has had a busy week too...sunshine and warmer temperatures mean that people love to find somewhere that they can bask in the sun while drinking coffee & (hopefully) eating cake! So some of the deliveries have included...

Lemon & Organic Strawberry Muffins....with sharp lemon curd glazing the tops a little...

Grasshopper Bars...a brownie bottom, peppermint middle and chocolate top...I sprinkled the finished tray with crumbled Aero bars for extra colour too...

But only thought of it after I took this photo...!

I had a special request to deliver some type of cheese scone on Saturday morning - these contained spring onion snippings and wholegrain mustard too...

Also on Saturday, there was a big and beautiful Pistachio Cake with Honey Butter Frosting...

that I was very tempted by...and a Lazy Daisy Cake which was from a lovely recipe that I found on a fabulous foodie blog that I've just begun to follow...The English Kitchen

It's a fairly plain cake with a caramelised coconut brown sugar top...

We're now into English gooseberry season...I really love their clean, grassy tang and clear green colour so I use them as often as possible during the short time they're with us. These muffins had an elderflower glaze (it complements the fruit so perfectly...)

And finally...I made some Fresh Apricot & Almond Muffins. Based on the very first recipe I posted on this blog, which was from the incomparable Ottolenghi - the cookbook they were an absolute delight. The originals were made with plums - but the apricots worked beautifully too..

they are, in fact, one of the few fruits that tastes better cooked - in my opinion, of course! To make them extra special, I baked them in some rather extravagant mini loaf cases I had - not great for the profit margins, but sometimes the artistic heart overrules the head!!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend...I would love to serve you one of these with a cup of something delicious at my kitchen table - but I'll send you my love instead 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