Autumn Goodness

It truly is my favourite time of year, I love Autumn especially October and its ghoulish baking madness, I have just been shopping for a few bits and pieces for our annual Halloween tea party, that over the years seems to have evolved into an extravaganza. (If I'm truthful its a medium to go to town with baked treats) I am a little challenged by last years cupcakes as they were very ghoulish. A guiness cake batter and cream cheese frosting for the Ghastly Gravestone Cupcakes and rainbow cupcakes for the Zesty Zombie Cupcakes! I have a few ideas swishing about but will need to have a few practice runs before all is decided.......red velvet sponge springs to mind.
My little one and I have just enjoyed a mini slice of pumpkin pie with a cup of tea before the school run commences. We have an addition tonight as a friend is coming for tea, hopefully I can channel their energy by enlisting them to make their own tea in the shape of Tortilla Pizzas.
This pumpkin pie more than hits the spot on a day like today.

My Royal Wedding Cupcakes

These are the cupcakes I baked for our Royal Wedding tea party.

As it was a truly British affair they had to be flavoured with big British flavours. 

Strawberries & Cream

I puréed fresh strawberries into the batter to give a delicate flavour with a beautiful light pink sponge, the frosting was a white chocolate buttercream.

They were definitely fit for a (future) King and Queen.

!

What to bake today.....decisions, decisions.

Today has proved a little tricky on the Sunday baking front, I couldn't decide what exactly to make. After a lengthly discussion over breakfast we narrowed it down to use our over ripe bananas. Its was quite a challenge to fulfil everybody's whims........in the end we opted for Banana and Chocolate Cookies for the little ones, with a big splash of rum for the adults! There were heavenly I used my standard basic cookie mix and but with a slight change from all caster sugar to half light muscavado and half golden caster. The end result was gorgeous.....they were a very welcome addition to a cup of tea. My only problem when baking cookies is no matter how I try they never turn out perfectly round, needless to say they still hit the spot this afternoon.

New oven nerves.........

After the demise of my oven last week I now have a new one and I am now baking with trepidation. My after many happy years with my last oven I knew what she was capable of and knew how to pull off a perfect sponge. (My marker for a happy baker/oven relationship) My last oven was a fan oven and we had a very good understanding of each other.
After taking delivery of my new oven I felt a bit of a traitor to my previous. After all, I had baked our wedding cake, children's birthday cakes and generally grew to love baking everything whilst having a happy relationship with her.
My shiny new oven now in place looked the part but would he deliver? (I made assumptions about its gender by its  slick black and mirrored looks) The first dish I prepared on him was a Braised Beef Chilli, every time I turned my back to go to the fridge I felt like he was smirking a little, like he was my last oven's smug, more technically minded older brother.
But....after a few days and a lot of reading about the switch from a convection to a conventional oven we got along swimmingly and I threw a challenge at him - Choux Buns. I'm very happy to say he performed perfectly and if anything he left my old oven in the dark. (She will remain to be thought of very fondly!)

My Never-ever-fail Christmas Cake

I have used Nigella Lawson's Chocolate fruit cake recipe to make our Christmas cake for the last few years and I find it scrumptious.. My husband and I are big coffee liqueur fans and any recipe with a large glug of it is worth giving a whirl in my book and I'm so glad I did, this recipe is very satisfying to make and the heady aroma when baking is very festive indeed.

Chocolate Banoffee Pie

A firm family favourite tinkered about with to make it more deliciously chocolately....

A sure fire hit for any chocolate lovers. This was made initially as a bit of any experiment but somehow the original doesn't quite hit the spot now. This recipe is truly delightful, I feel an addition of black treacle gives this a lovely rich treacle toffee-ish depth. I have been know to make this dish on Bonfire Night with a hint of popping candy amongst the cocoa  to give it an extra pop and fizz, very fitting for the occasion.

It always surprises me how a slight tweak here and there can create a whole different spin on a recipes, making them more elegant or more family friendly.

A blast from our past - Our Wedding Cake

Probably my finest cake decorating achievement, 

Our wedding cake 2007.

Dark Chocolate Sponge with a white chocolate ganache (two top tiers)

Rich Fruit Cake (bottom two tiers)

I had never made anything like this before and was thoroughly delighted with the result.

Kays 50th Birthday Cake

Kay's Cheeky Willy 50th Birthday Cake

Isla's 6th Birthday Cake

Harry's Hogwart's Magic Sponge Cake

Vanilla rainbow sponge with classic buttercream filling. 

I used a few new decorating methods with this cake, the gold food colouring pen worked a treat to achieve a Hogwart(-y) font.

From cupcakes and beyond.....

After a busy few months it has been a pleasure to return to the kitchen with a new vigour and mountain of ideas to experiment with. After a few challenging birthday cakes, chiefly my eldest daughter's 6 year old birthday cake and youngest daughter's 2nd birthday cake.
Also with a Royal Wedding to contend with how could it pass by without a very British flavoured cupcake recipe, Strawberry and Cream!