Banana Cake

Can’t believe it’s been 3 weeks since my last blog post but after my hubby’s business trip to Singapore we have been spending some quality and much needed time together. I’m still on my health kick and doing pretty well and my body loves me for it. I’ve lost over 8lbs and I can already notice the difference in my clothing, which feels good and motivates me to continue. Hubby and I spent a couple of days in the south coast during which time I was less strict on myself and we enjoyed a lovely meal al fresco on the seafront at a family run Italian restaurant. I feel it’s important to still enjoy the odd treat while losing weight to maintain a healthy balance. Now I’m feeling better about myself having lost this initial weight and the weather has cooled down somewhat I will be hitting the gym once again, which I know from past experience will help me drop the weight quicker. OK enough of me and my weight issues and onto my new cookbook purchase and this lush Banana Cake.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Lotte’s Country Kitchen by Lotte Duncan. She is a lady after my own heart with her girly pink kitchen and love of glitter and sparkle, which is reminiscent of my own kitchen and love of all things glittery. Her book is beautifully illustrated with an array of wonderful recipes for every month of the year. I was drooling whilst reading and browsing the book and couldn’t wait to get stuck in and decided the Banana Cake was a great one to start on, seeing as there is always a plentiful supply of ripe bananas in my fruit bowl.

Lotte describes this cake as the “very best banana cake in the whole wide world if not the universe and beyond” and I have to agree with her but my only disappointment was I didn’t have any preserved stem ginger in syrup in the house, so my cake was lacking this. Apart from that this cake is full of flavour and gorgeously fluffy. I will definitely be making this again but next time I’ll be sure to include the stem ginger!

Banana Cake

Ingredients
2 over-ripe bananas
juice of ½ lemon
110g/4oz butter, softened
110g/4oz soft brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
225g/8oz self-raising flour, sieved
50g/2oz sultanas
1 piece of preserved stem ginger in syrup, drained and finely chopped
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ baking powder

Grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin.

Preheat the oven to 180oC/fan oven 160oC/gas mark 4.

Place the bananas and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl, mash them together using a fork and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together in your mixer or with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the mashed banana and beat well.

Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the flour, sultanas, ginger, spices and baking powder and turn the mixture into the loaf tin. Spread it out evenly and give the mixture a little tap to settle it down in the tin.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven, leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.

Serve sliced and spread with lashings of softened creamy butter!

Madison also loves my new cookbook!!

Banana and Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I can’t believe I am moving next week and I’m still baking away. All my baking tins have been packed away in boxes but I made sure I left out 1 muffin tin and an extra mixing bowl. I think baking has been a therapeutic way for me in dealing with the stress of the move looming. The cake tin is yet again empty; those Chocolate Guinness cupcakes were too good to last. So I decided to make use of some bananas and apples in my fruit bowl and make up these quick and easy muffins. This is originally a recipe for banana muffins that I have done many times before. However this time I thought I’d throw some chopped apple into the mix. The apple works perfectly with this recipe, providing you with a moist sponge with nuggets of succulent juicy apple throughout. Perfect for snacking at any time of the day! At the bottom of this post I've added a pic I took lastnight of my gorgeous cat Madison, here he is laying on his blanket on his back and what I can only imagine is dreaming of being supercat, his tooooo cute!

Banana and Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas
125ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
250g plain flour
100g caster sugar
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 eating apples, cored, peeled and cubed

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan oven/gas mark 6 and line a 12-bun muffin tin with muffin papers.

Mash the bananas and set aside for a moment. Pour the oil into a jug and beat in the eggs. Put the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder and cinnamon into a large bowl and mix in the beaten-egg-and-oil mixture, followed by the mashed bananas. Fold in the chopped apples and then place equal quantities in the prepared muffin tin and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

As promised another instalment from Jo Pratt’s In the Mood for Food. I’m having fun rediscovering recipes I had book-marked. This Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe is one that I have had my eye on and then I remembered I had bought some Medjool dates, so no time like the present. This much loved British pudding consists of a moist sponge, made of chopped dates and covered in a toffee sauce. The original recipe in the book also includes stem ginger but I wanted to stick with the traditional and omitted the stem ginger. I will definitely be making this luscious sticky pudding again!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Serves 8

Ingredients
For the pudding
250g date, stone and chopped (I used medjool dates for best results)
250ml black tea (not too strong)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
85g unsalted butter, softened
175g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
175g self-raising flour, sieved
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice

For the sauce
75g light muscovado sugar
100g unsalted butter
125ml double cream

Preheat the oven to 180oC/fan 160oC/gas 4.
Place the dates and tea in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes for the dates to soften, then stir in the bicarbonate.

Cream together the butter and caster sugar before thoroughly mixing in the eggs, flour, mixed spice and date mixture.

Pour into a roughly 22cm square (or similar) buttered baking dish or tin. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is just firm to touch.

While the pudding is cooking, make the sauce by putting the sugar, butter and cream into a saucepan. Place over a low heat and simmer gently until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is a light toffee colour.

Serve the pudding with the warm sauce and, if desired, a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or clotted cream.

Here are some pics that I took today of my gorgeous Madison.

"Talk to the paw cos this cat's sleeping!"

"Did I hear you say kitty treats"

Revisiting Vanilla Apple Cake

I love baking new recipes and the excitement that comes as you wait for your new creation to come out of the oven but I also love revisiting recipes that have become firm favourites in my home. I have an abundance of cooking apples as you know from my previous post and whilst browsing for ideas to incorporate my apples I remembered this favourite, Vanilla Apple Cake. It’s the perfect autumnal cake, with its deliciously moist vanilla sponge and chunky apple wedges. We love to savour this rustic looking cake with hot custard or cream but it's also delish on its own to be enjoyed with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

Vanilla Apple Cake

Ingredients
250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
250g/9oz golden caster sugar (or normal caster sugar)
4 eggs, beaten
250g/9oz self-raising flour
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds removed and reserved (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
3 small Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges (or any other type of cooking apple, if not apple of your choice)
2 tbsp Demerara sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter a 20cm/8inch springform tin, then line the base with baking paper.

Beat the caster sugar and butter together until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour and vanilla seeds, then beat together quickly to make a smooth batter. Tip into the prepared tin, then lay the apple wedges on top, poking them halfway into the mix. Don’t worry if the apples appear crowded – they’ll shrink as they cook. Sprinkle with the Demerara and cinnamon, then bake for 1 hour 5 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean and the sponge is risen and golden.

Leave to cool for a few mins, then release the tin and cool the cake completely on a wire rack.

Today I'm adding a pic of my lovely cat Coco. Here she is in one of her favourite places to snuggle and sleep, her Willow's Cat-a-Sphere Cat Bed!

Apple and Cinnamon Cake

In the UK the first day of autumn falls in September and runs through to December and it has to be said that autumn is my favourite season! Apples come into their own in autumn, with the cooking apple being one of them. I am not short of cooking apples at the moment and my family and friends have been enjoying apple crumbles, pies and cakes galore. My mother in law has an apple tree in her garden which was brimming with apples, hence why I have enough cooking apples to keep me busy in the kitchen baking up a storm! Yesterday I received a couple of new cookbooks from my recent late night browsing session on Amazon and this recipe happened to be the first I landed on, must have been fate! This cake is incredibly yummy and is wonderful served warm with custard, cream or clotted cream.

Apple and Cinnamon Cake=A slice of comfort

Apple and Cinnamon Cake

Recipe adapted from Mary Berry's Baking Bible

Ingredients:

225g softened butter

225g light muscovado sugar

3 large eggs

100g walnut pieces, chopped

100g sultanas

225g self-raising flour

2 level tsp baking powder

400g cooking apples, peeled, cored and grated

1 level tsp ground cinnamon

To Finish:

light muscovado sugar, for sprinkling

extra chopped walnuts, for sprinkling

icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180oc/Fan 160oC/Gas 4. Grease and base line a 9 inch (23 cm) deep round cake tin with baking parchment.

Measure the butter, sugar, eggs, chopped walnuts, sultanas, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and beat well for about 2 minutes until thoroughly blended.

Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin then spread the grated apple and ground cinnamon in an even layer on top. Spread the remaining cake mixture on top, level the surface then sprinkle generously with light muscovado sugar and walnuts.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours or until the cake is well risen and golden brown. Leave to cook in the tin for a few minutes then turn out, peel off the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

I had to share these pics of my gorgeous cat Madison whose been such a comfort to me in the recent weeks since Ollie's passing. His unconditional love for me never ceases to amaze me and his truly special! Here he is doing what he does best, being cute and posing for the camera.

"To some blind souls all cats are much alike. To a cat lover every cat from the beginning of time has been utterly and amazingly unique."

Goodbye my darling Ollie

I'm very sad to be writing this but my Ollie passed away this morning. He fought as hard as he could but unfortunately he could not beat the FIP disease. This morning it was evident he had no more fight left in him and after not having eaten barely anything these past couple of days we had to bring him to the vet. The vet confirmed our fears and said it was the right time to let Ollie go. At 9.35am this morning Ollie passed away peacefully in my hubby's arms. Today has been one of the saddest days of my life but I am at peace in the knowledge that Ollie is now in a better place and no longer suffering. I am really going to miss him so much!!

Rest in Peace Ollie

08/07/08 - 15/08/09

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Vanilla Fudgies to celebrate Ollie's 1st Birthday!!

Today my gorgeous Ollie celebrated his 1st birthday, a day we didn’t think he would see! Many of my followers will know that back in February Ollie was diagnosed with FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis), with the diagnosis being bleak for him. Despite the vet not giving him much time, he has defied the odds and is doing well. He does have his bad days where it’s a struggle to eat and those days are hard for me to get through. Ollie having his 1st birthday gives me hope for his future but we take each day as a blessing, he's my little fighter!! I couldn’t go today without marking this special occasion and incorporating my other love…baking! I choose these Vanilla Fudgies as the colouring and their name remind me of Ollie and his distinctive cream colour. Fudge was one of the names in my top five list before we settled on Ollie. The muffins were super easy to make, with the chopping of the fudge being the only time-consuming task. These are light and fluffy, with a lovely vanilla flavour studded with melted nuggets of glorious golden fudge. Eat these while they’re still warm to really enjoy the squidgy, soft fudge chunks at their best but they are equally nice once cooled. Be warned these are very moreish!

Vanilla Fudgies

Makes 12

Ingredients
300g/10oz/2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
115g/4oz/ ½ cup caster sugar
100g/3½oz fudge, cut into pieces (any type of fudge you like – vanilla, chocolate, raisin, clotted)
125ml/4fl oz/ ½ cup milk
100ml/3 ½ fl oz/ scant ½ cup half-fat crème fraiche
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g/2o butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 200oC/180oC fan/400oF/Gas 6. Grease or line a 12-hole muffin pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder and sugar and sift into a large bowl, then scatter the fudge on top.

In a separate bowl or jug, lightly beat the milk, crème fraiche, egg and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the butter. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined, then spoon big dollops of the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.

Bake for about 20 minutes until risen and golden. Leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

This muffin recipe comes courtesy from my latest new book, Muffin Magic!

Apple Flapjacks

What better way than to start a glorious spring day in the kitchen with some light baking and trying out a new recipe. These Apple Flapjacks are so easy to make and not many ingredients, which most of us will have readily available in our kitchens. They are like ordinary flapjacks, except they have chopped apples which produce a really moist, delicious, sweet and buttery experience that resembles what I can only describe as toffee apple heaven! I have a feeling these won’t last long once my boys hit the cake tin. I couldn’t resist and had to add this pic of my cat Coco in one of her favourite spots, by the kitchen window watching me whilst I bake!

"What's that your baking? it smells delish!!"

Apple Flapjacks

Ingredients
250g (8oz) butter
250g (8oz) caster sugar
175g (6oz) golden syrup
425g (14oz) porridge oats
2 apples, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to Gas 4, 180°C, 350°F. Grease and line base a 20x30cm (8x12in) cake tin with baking parchment.
Melt butter, caster sugar and golden syrup together in a pan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in oats and apples.
Spread mixture in tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cut into 12-14 bars; allow to cool before turning out of the tin.

Be back soon!

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm away from today for a long weekend in the cotswolds with my hubby to celebrate our wedding anniversary. After a stressful and upsetting time we both really need and deserve this break! Sorry for my lack of blogging lately but with recent events I've not been in the mood but now with Easter around the corner I will be baking lots of lovely treats, so watch this space! I know most of you will want to know how Ollie is doing, despite him having this merciless disease he is doing quite well, still eating and playful at times, just sleeping more than usual. I'd like to thank each and every one of you for all the beautiful and kind supportive words, they have been a great comfort. Below are some pics I took of him this week. See you all very soon and have a great weekend.



Love and hugs

Maria

xx

A very sad day

I'm very sad to report that the tests came back positive. This is a very sad day for my family and me, and everyone that Ollie has touched. His long term prognosis is bleak, the vet can't say how long but could be as short as weeks. Our job now is to make his time left with us a happy time before we send him to heaven. One small mercy is he doesn't know his unwell. I'm totally devastated and not sure how I will get through this but it's such a comfort to know I have the support of so many friends. Thanks.

Love and hugs
Maria
xx

Thick and Chewy Macadamia and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last Friday I took my kitten Ollie to the vets for his castration and when the vet was examining him she found a lump in his lower tummy which she didn’t like the feel of and said she wanted to investigate and run blood tests, so as you can imagine I was shocked and upset to say the least! Hubby and me waited anxiously all day and then we went to collect him in the afternoon, I knew it was bad news the minute she asked us to sit down for a chat. So to cut a long story short, my Ollie is unwell and his blood tests came back showing severe abnormalities, and she couldn’t tell what the lump was from the ultra-sound and x-rays as he has fluid around his tummy. She would have opened him up to investigate the lump further but due to his low blood count and anaemia that was a big no no. And then came the news that every cat owner doesn't want to hear, she told us that she had sent tests off for Feline Infectious Peritonitis, which I had never heard of but wasn’t sounding good at all. Basically if the test comes back positive the prognosis is bad. There is no treatment or cure and it’s a death sentence and I will have to eventually euthanize. I’ve been trying to stay positive and hope the test comes back negative but at the same time preparing myself for the worse. We find out tomorrow and I’m starting to feel anxious now, however at least we don’t have to wait all day and our appointment is at 8am, thank god! I decided to take my mind off things and bake a batch of these melt-in-the-mouth cookies that are definitely for those with a sweet tooth. I have never tried the Macadamia and White Chocolate Chip combo in cookies and I can certainly say that this won’t be the last time, they are so yummy!

Thick and Chewy Macadamia and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups (10⅔oz) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

12 tbsp/1½ sticks/170g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed (7 oz) light brown sugar

½ cup (3½ oz) granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1½ cup (9 oz) white chocolate chips

1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 165oC/145oC fan oven/ 325 degrees/ Gas Mark 3. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 or 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beater as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the chips and nuts until incorporated.

Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 20 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

I'll let you all know the outcome of the test and visit to the vets tomorrow. Please keep everything crossed for us!

Mincemeat Wedges

I’m sure there are many of us with jars of left over mincemeat at the back of the cupboard begging to be used and incorporated into something scrummy. My hubby loves anything with mincemeat and as I was browsing some of my cookbooks this week I came across this great recipe in The Cookie and Biscuit Bible for Mincemeat Wedges. These wedges are certainly a fantastic way of using up your home-made mincemeat left over from Christmas, while your kitchen is filled with that festive scent once again. The recipe is so simple and quick to make and the wholemeal flour used adds a nutty flavour that combines well with the mincemeat. These rustic looking wedges would be perfect accompanied with a steaming mug of hot tea, sat by a blazing open fire.

Mincemeat Wedges

Makes 12

Ingredients
225g/8oz/2 cups self-raising wholemeal flour
75g/3oz/6 tbsp unsalted butter, diced
75g/3oz/⅓ Demerara sugar
1 egg, beaten
115g/4oz/ ⅓ cup good quality mincemeat
60ml/4 tbsp milk
crushed brown or white sugar cubes or a mixture, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 200oC/400oF/Gas 6. Line the base of a 20cm/8in round sandwich tin and lightly grease the sides. Put the flour in a bowl, add the diced butter and rub in with your fingertips just until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Stir in the Demerara sugar, egg and mincemeat. Add enough milk to mix to a soft dough. Spread evenly in the prepared tin and sprinkle generously with the crushed sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes until firm and golden. Cool in the tin, then cut into wedges to serve.

Ollie has a purrfect life!!

Honey Loaf

After my lack of blogging at the beginning of January it seems I’m definitely making up for lost time and what with all the snow this week and not being so pleasant to go out, this is the perfect time to try out some of those book-marked recipes. I decided to bake this effortless Honey Loaf, with great success from yet another recipe from Rachel Allen’s Bake. The honey adds the sweetness to this loaf, which really comes through, especially when toasted and buttered.

Honey Loaf

Serves 12

Ingredients
300g (11oz) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
100g (3 ½ oz) butter, softened
175g (6oz) runny honey
2 eggs, beaten
75ml (3fl oz) milk
1 tbsp warm honey, for brushing

13 x 23cm (5 x9in) loaf tin

Preheat the oven to 170OC (325oF), Gas mark 3. Oil and line the loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, and set aside. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the honey and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Continuing to beat, gradually adding the eggs. Fold in the flour with a spatula or metal spoon, the fold in the milk to form a soft dough. Place in the prepared loaf tin and bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until golden and when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to stand for 3 minutes, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack. Brush the loaf generously with warm honey and allow to cool.

The Goddess's Kitchen No1 fan, Ollie my kitten. He loves sitting on my computer desk watching me blog!

White Chocolate & Cranberry Muffins

First of all I would like to apologise for my lack of blogging lately but I will be doing the rounds and visiting all your blogs very soon. I have been unwell for the past 2 weeks with a cold and bad cough but I’m finally on the mend, thank god! I’m such a lousy patient and can’t stand feeling ill and useless. Today was my first batch of baking since coming down with that dreadful cold and it feels so good being able to get into my kitchen again and bake! I have missed my kitchen and my boys have missed my baking. I decided to treat my boys, who have been so good to me whilst I have been unwell and bake one of their favourites, White Chocolate & Cranberry Muffins. I adore the white choc and cranberry combo and these muffins are a mix made in heaven. These would make a luxurious Christmas breakfast treat! I promised to post some more pics of Ollie and below are some recent pics of Ollie which I took a few weeks back, his grown a little more since then but his still as gorgeous and cute as ever!

White Chocolate & Cranberry Muffins

Serves 12

Ingredients

150g plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

50g caster sugar

60g packet dried cranberries

100g white chocolate, roughly chopped

1 large egg

50g butter, melted

125ml semi-skimmed milk

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/Gas 6. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases. If you don’t have a muffin tin, double up the paper cases and put them on a baking tray. Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the caster sugar, dried cranberries and white chocolate. Whisk the egg, melted butter and milk together. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Mix until the egg is just combined - don’t over mix or the result will be muffins with a tough consistency - it doesn’t matter if the mixture looks a bit funny.Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool on a wire rack.