It's been a while...

If you read my other blog, Mozart's Girl , you'll know that we had a break in the Lake District last week. When I go away, I bake the Coffee Tree's orders for the week in advance - choosing recipes that freeze or improve on keeping...so it's always really fraught in the lead up to time off!

But I must admit that I've felt refreshed by not baking for a few days, and my enthusiasm has returned really quickly since we've been home...luckily, because I have the Farmer's market tomorrow...so it's been back to my oven with a vengeance since Friday. Above you see a Lakeland Ginger cake that I devised for Saturday's delivery. It's quite a light cake, sticky and topped with a glace ginger & lemon butter syrup.

This, on the other hand, is a much darker & spicier gingerbread. This is the mixture before baking...I found these beautiful wooden baking moulds on the Bakery Bits website and couldn't resist them even though they're a bit expensive to give away...

here's a baked cake...they are now all tied up in cellophane wrappers with blue bows and labelled ready for the morning...along with these...

beautiful Banana Teabreads. I got the recipe for these from one of my favourite bloggers, Mary at Ocean Breezes & Country Sneezes who posted that her Nana used to make it (Mary was just one of her 40 grandchildren!!) The recipe looked delicious and was very simple - so I thought I'd give it a try...

smells wonderful - thanks to Mary & her grandmother!
Lastly, a photo of a cake I made just before we left...Caramelised Peach & Vanilla. I love the look of this and it always sells well at the coffee shop.

I hope that you're having a lovely week so far...xx

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

Presents from a friend...

There are many bad people in this world...the events of this week have highlighted that yet again...and it's a depressing thought, of course. BUT I'm so happy that there are many, many more good, kind and generous souls around!

A  few weeks ago I mentioned that in the UK we don't have flaked, sweetened coconut. The moist & delicious kind. We get desiccated coconut...shaved, dried coconut...and of course we can buy fresh ones, milk & cream. But I love the strands of white deliciousness that are so great to bake with, and I find mentioned so often in my American recipe books. I always bring some back from my trips to Australia...but it never lasts long.

So how thrilled and touched I was to receive in the mail this week four - yes, FOUR! - packs of gorgeous flaked coconut from my dear Canadian friend Rosinda . She's just started a beautiful new food & family blog...you can go to it by clicking on her name & I'd highly recommend it. Anyway, I was so delighted by her kindness that I decided to create a new bar for the Coffee Tree in her honour. You can see it above - and it'll be in my book too! I've called it a 'Double A Bar' as she has two beautiful young daughters whose names both start with an 'A'! The bar is chewy, coconutty, oaty with a touch of lemon...there's a filling of lemon curd...and a lemon frosting with more coconut pressed into the top. Beautiful! Just like the thought.

Two were sold before I even left the shop after delivering yesterday...a new classic?

Thanks again Rosinda....xo

Happy weekend everyone...it's going to be a hot one here...xx

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

Finally it was Easter!

It doesn't often happen, but this weekend - with Easter orders and the Farmer's Market today to bake for - I was actually fed up with baking!! But we had a wonderful couple of day's break in London...and Paul took me out or cooked every meal so I could have a complete rest from the kitchen...and although I'm so tired right now (see my post on Mozart's Girl for the early morning expedition that contributed to this...not that I regret a moment!) I know that I'm already looking forward to the Royal Wedding weekend and planning the treats I'll be making for the holiday...

So first thing on Friday morning came the spicy Hot Cross Buns...

I added to their fragrance this year with a special - and very authentic - ingredient. Beautiful essence of cloves from a fantastic company....Bakery Bits ....which sells all sorts of hard to find and indispensable bread baking ingredients and accessories. They were recommended to me by the British food writer, all round guru of local produce & radio broadcaster Vanessa Kimbell, and what a find they are. It was less than 24 hours after ordering that my parcel arrived (I bought some other lovely bits too!) Fabulous service and products...so now I'm recommending them as well!

Next, a Simnel Cake. I decided to leave the traditional sultanas, currants & raisins out of this one to give it a twist. I used dried apricots, plums & dates instead...but I had to stick with tradition for the 11 marzipan ball decorations on top to represent Jesus' disciples...or the customers would have balked!

Not really my kind of cake - to make or eat - but most religious celebrations demand traditional foods and I find it's best not to tamper with them too much!
Lastly...and because I knew there would be lots of child visitors to The Coffee Tree at the weekend...

Chocolate Truffle Caramel Nests. Don't they look cute? Rich dense chocolate truffle cake with homemade caramel sauce & sugar coated eggs...

So that was Easter made & delivered. And then we escaped for a couple of days...absolute bliss. I wanted to show you some of the gorgeous produce I bought on Sunday at the Farmer's Market...it all looked so beautiful!

Inspirational...already thinking of ways to cook it all. You see? It doesn't take me long to be refreshed & revived!

Have a wonderful Tuesday xo

Easter Week Creations...

Fresh Raspberry Shortcakes....delivered this morning & two were ordered before I left the shop! Looked so pretty...

I use mascarpone instead of cream inside...it holds it's shape better and keeps a little longer too...I'll be making these again in a month or so, when English strawberries arrive at the market...

Peach & Apricot Shortbread...buttery polenta shortbread top and bottom, sandwiched with fresh ripe peaches and tart apricot preserves...

Lemon Curd Layer Cake....I have a real weakness for anything lemon...so  I make sure there is lots of zest in the sponge and juice in the frosting so it's really sparkly & zingy in your mouth...

Malted Coffee Cake....in the UK, coffee cake means that it's coffee flavoured! I know my friend Nancy will be curling her lip at that...as she doesn't like it at all - so apologies to you sweetie & I hope you enjoy some of the other treats in this post instead!! I use malted milk powder in the sponge, and real espresso...but it's quite a subtle coffee rather than a caffeine smack in the mouth!

And with the Malteser decoration, it looks so yummy doesn't it?

Monday is ANZAC Day....more on my Mozart's Girl blog later in the weekend about that. But the traditional biscuits/cookies to commemorate the day are called....Anzacs! They are actually incredibly popular all year round at The Coffee Tree...so I make plenty...

oaty, coconutty, syrupy & crunchy. I'm giving you the recipe in case you want to make some...they keep really well in an airtight tin. Apologies for the metric measurements...

Anzacs (makes 16)

Preheat oven to 180c/375f

Line a large baking sheet with non-stick parchment

85g oats
85g coconut
100g plain flour
100g sugar
100g butter
1tbsp golden syrup/dark corn syrup
1tsp baking soda
2tbsp boiling water

Place oats, coconut, flour & sugar in a bowl and mix well. Melt butter in a small pan with the syrup and set aside. Dissolve soda in boiling water in a small cup. Add soda mixture to butter & syrup...it will foam up! Quickly add liquid to dry ingredients and mix well. Take small balls of the mixture (I find it easier to have wet hands for this) and place, spaced about an inch apart, on baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the heel of your hand & bake for 8-12 minutes, turning pan halfway through baking time. They will be dark golden brown when ready. Remove from baking sheet with a palette knife and cool on a wire rack - they will firm up as they cool down. Store in an airtight tin.

Enjoy - with love from me! xoxo

Twas the week before Easter...

Lots to show you today, from my recent deliveries to The Coffee Tree. This is a Chocolate & Salted Caramel Cake....

Dark, soft chocolate cake with milk chocolate whipped frosting in the middle & on top...drizzled with sea salted caramel....it's one of those cakes that I have to get out of the house quickly....as I'm in danger of burying my face in it otherwise!

I think it's the smooth silkiness of the frosting, the deep chocolate flavour and the crunch of the salt flakes with the ultra sweet caramel....mmmmmmm!

Toasted Coconut Cake....another beautifully fragranced offering to the Gateau Gods!

We don't get the lovely moist flaked coconut that's available in the US & Australia, so have to make do with sort of shavings that I toast myself...

Lemon Passionfruit Muffins went down a treat....all gone in 2 hours!

The actual muffins were just very lemony  quite plain...with a very zingy fruity fresh passionfruit glaze which I put on while they were still warm...

And here are two trays of my famous Cranberry Carmelita Bars. Difficult to show you because I couldn't cut into them to photograph...but imagine an oaty, buttery, crunchy top & bottom with dried cranberries, chocolate chips & caramel sauce in the middle...again, very popular (I make variations on them too...one with walnuts replacing the cranberries, which I prefer...)
So that's a little selection. There will be lots of egg-themed delights this week of course....so watch this space!

Happy Monday xo