July? Already?!

It's been longer than I would have liked since my last post. This is such a busy time of year...Charlie's season is in full swing (he's the renowned Coffeeman, who takes my brownies & other things with him to all the major equestrian eventing competitions on his mobile coffee trailer...) and keeping him supplied is a full time job on it's own! Plus there have been many other unexpected occasions and requests. One of these was from a neighbour & friend...she celebrates her 80th birthday this year and her husband his 90th. They decided to have a big family party last weekend and she asked whether I would cook the food for the buffet...plus the cake, of course! I was happy to agree, although 40 people is quite a lot from my home kitchen. I worked through the night before to get everything ready...2 whole poached Scottish salmon with lemon/dill mayonnaise...a huge bowl of Coronation Chicken...2 big Salade Nicoise'...Greek Salad...new potatoes...crudite platters....plus desserts which you can (sort of) see on the table above! Joan was very certain that she wanted a chocolate fountain on the dessert table - I managed to borrow one from a friend - and I must say that it did make a lovely focal point...

I also wanted something interesting for the vegetarian guests that would be easy to eat, and would appeal to the carnivores too! My mum used to make pissaladiere from an Elizabeth David recipe and I found it again. It's really just a big, rectangular South-of-France version of pizza..and absolutely delicious. I made a rosemary garlic yeasted base and topped it with caramelised red onions, red & yellow sweet peppers, courgettes, lots of herb, capers and tiny black nicoise olives...

It also traditionally has anchovies arranged in a criss-cross pattern...but as this would stop it being vegetarian, and as so many people absolutely hate these strong & salty little fish (which I adore!) I placed a bowl of them on the table for guests to add if they wished (to the Salade Nicoise too...)

Paul helped me to deliver and arrange everything and we left them all to it....but I have heard that the party and food went beautifully and - most importantly - Joan & Bill were very happy with everything and enjoyed their joint birthday party so much...I was so pleased to be a part of it!
Of course, there has still been The Coffee Tree to supply...and I had the Farmer's Market last Tuesday too (you can maybe see why posting has been difficult!) Some recent deliveries:

Banana Pecan Bread...

Summer Lemon Cake - which I made up but is a lemon sponge, drizzled with sharp lemon syrup and glazed with home made lemon curd before I went a bit mad with the decoration and ....

added lemon buttercream and edible glitter too! It's my Hollywood side...!

Lastly, my absolute bar none favourite cake.....Salted Caramel Chocolate...

even the name sets my mouth watering!

I worked all day yesterday baking lots of trays of brownies for the week ahead...so today, a bit of a rest. But I am just about to bake a Rhubarb Crumble Cake for the Coffee Tree tomorrow, and a tray of caramel Popcorn Brownies for another neighbour who tried them at the Farmer's market last week and was impressed!

So I'm never far from the oven...

with love to you and wishing my American friends a wonderful July 4th celebration tomorrow (even though you're celebrating your independence from US!!) Happy day xoxo

Treats for May

These are the Cinnamon Pecan Sticky Buns that I delivered about an hour ago to The Coffee Tree...sadly, I had a couple of small offcuts left...which of course I couldn't waste. I fear the WeightWatchers scales tomorrow...:-)

But honestly, they smelled and tasted so good - and it's in the interests of my consumers to occasionally check the goods I think. Well, that's what I'm telling myself...as I run on the spot to burn off the calories!!

I had some of the sugar crowns that I made for the Royal Wedding left, and thought that they'd finish off these Orange & Poppyseed Cupcakes perfectly....

I love the taste & texture of poppyseeds....I brought these organic blue ones home from Australia last Autumn and I keep them in the fridge...

And lastly, for this post, a magnificent Nutella Cake. It's a chocolate cake, with hazelnuts and Nutella filling and topping...

Luscious! Hope you are having a wonderful week so far....xoxo

A happy accident...

Today is such a gorgeous, warm sunny day...hardly like early April at all. If it weren't for the lack of leaves on some of the trees, I'd be convinced it was late May. To celebrate I made this Sunshine Orange Drizzle Cake for the Coffee Tree this morning. Flavoured with orange zest, soaked in orange syrup while still warm and then finsihed with an orange sugar glaze. When I took the lid off the delivery box we all 'aahhed' as we breathed in the smell!

Sometimes, a mistake can turn into something unexpectedly good. So it was when I created these Pecan Caramel Custard Bars...

I was going to make something completely different, and began to make my favourite caramel sauce. I boiled the sugar and water, and when I had a beautiful burnished brown colour & that unmistakeable toffee smell, I added double cream. But in my enthusiasm, I added far too much! I was left with a thick, creamy caramel custard that would never have done for what I'd intended...but of course, i couldn't waste it! I'd already made a shortbread base, so I toasted some pecan nuts I had....added some egg yolks to the custard ...added the nuts and poured it over the cooked shortbread before baking it for around half an hour at a low temperature. It turned out perfectly...smooth and rich and the caramel went perfectly with the pecans.

The recipe is now going in my book! You'll know the story behind it ...it proves that sometimes it can be good to make mistakes!

Have a great day xoxo

Upside Down Cakes!

11 days since my last Brownie's for Mozart post...it's been so annoying, wanting to blog and not having the equipment. Modern technology is SO fantastic...the only problem is that we come to rely on it for so much. When it fails...it's like a cloud of fog descending. Nothing feels right. I'm just so lucky that I got a new 'smartphone' recently, so I've been able to keep up a little with the online world. And compared to the tragedies in first New Zealand and then Japan...not to mention man-made horrors unfolding in Libya as I write...I guess that puts it all in perspective a little.

Just to continue the theme of computer blues....

ok, this is weird...good, but weird! The photos that I took of just a few of my creations this past week-&-a-bit all came out upside down! Hence the title to this post. I just thought that I'd write it anyway to get started again. And hey presto...when I downloaded to the blog, they're the right way up! Who knows how these things work? Not me, obviously....I'll just hold my breath & thank goodness that something worked at last!

Above is a Whipped Cream Strawberry Cake. It's from Rose Levy Berenbaum...an amazing recipe as it contains no butter! Just whipped cream. It made a beautiful, moist, white cake...I filled it with mascarpone cream, home made strawberry preserves and fresh strawberries too...a breath of early Summer in March - felt wonderful!

This was my own recipe...Toasted Pecan cake. Ground pecan vanilla sponge inside, sandwiched with vanilla buttercream and covered in more toasted pecans. I ADORE pecans, and even though I didn't get to eat any of this cake, I just love to think about it! It sold out fast...

Last Monday I made Cinnamon Rolls. I've never made them before but I'll be doing so again...and often! They are flavoured with cardamom and filled with brown sugar, unsalted butter & lots of cinnamon. Heaven. I did make an extra few...took them to my parents where my Mum, youngest sister & 3 year old nephew devoured them over coffee while catching up on news. We did leave a little for my Dad - but it was difficult! I shared the recipe with my lovely friend Joann from The Girl Gets Real and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out for her!

So that's a little catch up. But I'm back on line for good now (famous last words...) so I'll see you tomorrow!

Thanks for coming back - I hope you've had a great weekend xo