Vanilla Apple Cake and Thanksgiving Wishes

I love Apple Cake so I decided to take inspiration from Sweet and Simple Bakes and The Goddess's Kitchen. This cake was light, so moist and the mixture of apple and vanilla was delicious. This is real keeper. The recipe can be found here

We do not celebrate Thanksgiving here in the UK, but I really wish we did :) All the turkey, pies and family get togethers must make a lovely start to the festive season.

I would like to wish those who do celebrate Thanksgiving a happy time.

Please click here for a lovely Thanksgiving greeting from me to you.

Back soon, Love Lucie X

Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies

With all this wind and rain I haven't felt very adventurous this weekend, in fact I've been pretty lazy. In a sudden panic this afternoon I made these delicious cookies - so at least I can say I have done something with my Sunday! These cookies are another treat from Rachel Allen's Bake Cookbook. They are very sweet and very moreish - be warned :) Back soon, Lucie x

Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 30

110g Butter - softened

110g Caster Sugar

110g Soft Brown Sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

250g porridge oats

110g self-raising flour

1 level tsp salt

110g Chocolate Chips (or raisins)

Preheat the oven to 180oc (gas 4)

Cream the butter in a large bowl, add the sugars and beat until light (you can use an electric mixer). Add the egg, water, vanilla and whilst still beating reduce the speed and gently mix in the oats, flour, salt and raising to form dough.

Using your hands, roll the dough in to walnut sized balls and place spaced slightly apart on two baking trays (no need to grease or line).

Bake in the oven for 15-25 mins or until golden brown but slightly soft in the centre.

Allow to cool on the trays for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cook.

Christmas Freezer Cookies

The weeks are flying past at the moment, the weather is wet and mild here in the UK so it doesn't feel very festive just yet. But, I know that Christmas creeps up so quickly and I have lots going on in December so I am trying to do some bits and pieces now. These freezer cookies appealed to me as the cookies can be taken straight from the freezer to the oven - great if you have unexpected visitors or haven't much time. These cookies were tasty - and were lovely and soft in the middle. You can make alterations to these to suit your taste, I think I will use chocolate chips next time :) Back again soon, Lucie xx

The recipe for Christmas freezer Cookies can be found here

Spiced Chocolate Tea Loaf

I have been after a good chocolate loaf recipe for ages and this one really stepped up to the mark. This is an all in one recipe - so no rubbing or creaming involved, just as simple as sieving the dry ingredients and then adding the butter and eggs. It was so simple that I made this whilst making dinner this evening. I was a bit wary about the spiced element to this recipe - but it was such a subtle flavour and so much in the background to the cocoa taste it worked perfectly for my taste. This shall be taken into the girls in the office tomorrow and served with mugs of tea - as you can see I have had some tonight with tea in my favourite mug (I couldn't even wait for the chocolate to set on the top :) I shall definitely do this again. Back soon. Lucie X

The recipe can be found by clicking here

Birthday Cupcakes for Grandma

It is my Grandma's 82nd birthday tomorrow. I have bought her and I tickets to see the stage show Calendar Girls as a surprise birthday gift - but I could not go and see her tomorrow without baking something. Grandma and Grandad are plain eaters, especially when it comes to cakes so I decided to try out the Vanilla cupcake recipe in my Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. I topped with butter icing and little chocolate hearts, snowflakes etc - they shall be handy coming up to Christmas. Hope she enjoys these with a glass of bubbles tomorrow.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes 12

120g Plain Flour

140g Caster Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter - room temp

120ml whole milk

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C, 325 F, Gas Mark 3

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder , salt and butter in a electric mixer with paddle attachment - or use a freestanding handmixer and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy mixer and everything is combined. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.

Whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a spatula). Continue mixing for a couple of minutes until smooth - don't overmix.

Spoon into cases and bake for 20-25 mins, or until golden.

Vanilla Frosting

250 sifted Icing sugar

80g unsalted butter

25ml whole milk

A couple of drops of vanilla extract

Beat icing sugar and butter together until well mixed. Combine the milk and vanilla in a separate bowl and then add to the butter mixture gradually until milk is incorporated. Continue to bear until light and fluffy.

Christmas Pudding

I know it's only November and although I don't like Christmas to start too early, I am starting to think more and more about the big event :) I love Christmas and I love to enjoy the whole season - so the more prepared I am the better. This year I decided I wanted to make my own Christmas puddings, this is a first for me and I was pleasantly surprised at how simple it was. I love rich, dark puddings so having read several rave reviews I chose to follow Jo Pratt's recipe for the pud. There were LOTS of ingredients, but it was a case of simply mixing it all together. The puds are now happily sitting in the bowls ready for the big day.... just hope they taste as good as they smell!

The recipe for Jo Pratt's Rich Christmas Pudding can be found here

A New Look!

I have only been blogging since April this year, so I still feel pretty new to the world of blogging. I have enjoyed it so much so far I thought it was about time I gave my blog a bit of a new look. I have had a few technical problems - when I viewed it at work it all looked a bit odd - so apologies if you experience that too. Hope you enjoy my new backgrounds courtesy of http://joyfulblogskins.blogspot.com/ Thanks for stopping by. Lucie x