Apple Cake

I've been meaning to make this cake for a while, and as I've been given some lovely windfall apples I gave it a go yesterday. It's fairly easy to make and has a lovely autumn flavour, perfect with a nice hot mug of tea.

3 Cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced      

5oz butter softened

5oz soft brown sugar

2 eggs beaten

8oz self raising flour

1/2 tsp ground mixed spice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

2oz sultanas

2oz glace cherries, halved

grated rind of a lemon

1 dessertspoon demerara sugar for sprinkling

Cook the apples with a little water until soft, then sieve to produce a smooth puree; there should be 4 to 5oz. Allow to cool. Set oven to 350 f or mark 4. Grease and line a 7 inch round cake tin. Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, a little at a time. Sift together the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and salt and stir into the mixture. Add the dried fruit. Mix the lemon rind with the apple puree and fold into the mixture. Put into the tin and smooth the top. Sprinkle a dessertspoon of demerara sugar over the cake to give a crunchy topping. Bake for 45 Min's or until golden brown and springy to touch. Cool in the tin for 15 Min's, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Enjoy!!!

The Great British Bake Off

Tuesday nights are my absolute favourite night on TV at the moment, and that's purley down to one show, The Great British Bake Off. But alas my enjoyment will be short lived as tonight is the last show in the series; the final, which happens to be an afternoon tea party :o) YIPPEE. Already brimming with anticipation here. Roll on 8 o-clock BBC2.

And look what arrived in the post today. The book to accompany the show which I ordered on Sunday. Look at the eye candy!!!! Vintage crockery, Emma Bridgewater tins, and on the show every colour of magi mix imaginable and smeg fridges galore, not to mention oodles of pretty bunting. It's got to be every girls dream hasn't it? I can't wait to get baking from the book. I think I'll start with Miranda's Vanilla Biscuits. I need to get me some of those gorgeous girly cutters, e-bay here I come.

Also giving me much enjoyment this week are the bargains I picked up from the banana bookshop on Sunday. I've been hankering after these two books for a while. Mainly for the vintage-ness of them. And at only £4.98 for the two, they jumped straight into my basket.

And then these jumped in too ''The wonderful weekend book'' I have already flicked through and it looks great and the other two look a good read too. Having seen so much on ''Pay it forward'' in blog land I couldn't resist this book. All three for £5 again a bargain I think. :0)

Last but certainly not least adding to this weeks enjoyment factor has to be the new Cath catalogue. Full to the brim with lovelies. I'd do a wish list, but basically I want it all! If you ladies spotted the large Provence jug in the pages which was priced at £15 and can't seem to be able to order it, it's because it's not available until November :o(  I phoned them and asked, cos I really wanted it.

Well that's it for now folks, hope your all having a lovely week.

 TTFN

Hobnob Recipe

These are my husband's favourites. He bugs me all the time to bake them for him, so as he's being good at the moment making a radiator cover for the hallway and a wardrobe for the spare room, I thought I'd treat him to a batch :o) lol!  I was going to make an apple cake as well, but decided that could wait until Saturday. So I whipped up a batch of hobnobs and a warming beef stew and dumplings for tea, comfort food indeed.

Hobnob Recipe - Makes 45 (although the size I make them it's more like 35)

8oz/225g self raising flour

8oz/225g sugar (I use vanilla sugar, but any will do)

8oz/225g porridge oats

8oz/225g butter

1 tbsp golden syrup or honey

1 tbsp water

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Mix the dry ingredients together, melt butter, syrup and water very gently, let it cool slightly then pour on dry ingredients. Mix well and form into balls the size of walnuts. Put on a greased tray and flatten with a fork dipped in cold water. Bake at 180 or gas 4 for 15 mins. Leave on a tray a minute then put to cool on a rack.

You could also melt some chocolate and make choccy hobnobs yummy.

TTFN

Another Year Older.....

I can't believe I haven't done a blog post since June! I really don't know where this year has gone, it just seems to be flying by. I have had a busy summer and have lots of pics to share with you all, from our holiday, camping trips, jam and chutney making, swaps received etc, but can't possibly put it all in one post, so I'll just show you some pics of flowers and cakes instead.

I turned 30 last week :o(, which I had been dreading for ages but my lovely hubby and my brothers girlfriend arranged a surprise party for me, which was lovely. I received lots of flowers, champagne, a pamper voucher, and lots of other lovelies. My brother took me out for the day, so I wouldn't suspect what was going on. We visited the pack-house in Farnham, and the cath kidston outlet in Bicester and were out for 7 hours! I'll show you my purchases another day. Thought I'd put my feet up when I got home, but nope the house had been taken over by family and friends shouting surprise at me!

My Sister in law made these gorgeous cakes, they were so pretty it was a shame to eat them, but we didn't take too much persuading, all gone now.

A great time was had by all, and I had a sore head the next day.

Well just a short and sweet post I'm afraid, to get me back into the swing of things. Hope everyone is well and had a great summer.

TTFN from an old git!