Day 139. All things yellow.

Rapeseed in the background and a scrummy lemon drizzle cake. That's a perfect Sunday right there. Add in a walk to the river and it really is the icing on the cake. Here's the recipe for the cake. The rest of the day you'll have to create for yourself.


Lemon-Syrup Loaf Cake: Nigella Lawson

125g unsalted butter
175g caster sugar
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
175g self raising flour
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons milk
23 x 13 x 7cm loaf tin buttered and lined

For the syrup:
Juice of 1 and a half lemons
100g icing sugar

For the glaze:
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
150g icing sugar


To Make The Cake:

Preheat your oven to 180 C/ gas mark 4.
Butter and line your loaf tin well.

Cream together butter and sugar and add eggs and lemon zest, beating them in well.
Gently fold in the flour and the salt, mixing thoroughly and then add the milk.
Spoon the batter into your prepared tin and bake for 45 mins or until cake tester comes out clean.

For the syrup:
Put the lemon juice and icing sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves.
As soon as cake is out of oven, puncture all over with skewer and pour over the syrup.
Leave cake to cool completely before removing from the tin.

For the glaze:
Combine lemon juice and icing sugar until smooth and white, add a little more icing sugar if needed.  Make sure your cake is completely cool before drizzling with the glaze.

Enjoy - this is easy to make and exceptionally tasty. Fairly sure it won't last long.

Day 62. Chocolate pear pudding.

It's Sunday and as a thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings here's another recipe. Like the Blueberry and Pear cake I shared a few weeks ago this is really quick to make and a real crowd pleaser with its oozing chocolate centre. It's taken from Nigella Lawson's 'Nigella Express' so if you're dieting look away, this isn't for you.

Chocolate Pear Pudding

2 x 415g cans pear halves in juice
125g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
125g caster sugar
150g soft butter (plus extra for greasing)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 medium eggs (although I always use large)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6 and grease a 22cm square ovenproof dish with butter.

2. Drain the pears and arrange them on the base of the dish.

3. Put all the remaining ingredients in a food processor and blitz until you have a batter with a soft drop consistency. (You don't need to do this in a food processor - today's the first time I have - the bowl and wooden spoon approach is just as effective).

4. Spread the chocolate batter over the pears and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

5. Let the pudding stand for 5-10 minutes after removing from the oven before serving. Delicious with cream or vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy.

Day 41. Sunday + Winter = Crumble.

You've probably already worked out that I like to cook, specifically bake. On a day like today when Bea was at the theatre and Will on another of his crazy long runs, what better way to spend the afternoon than cooking a lamb casserole and a plum crumble for their return.

We were lucky enough to get a decent harvest of fruit from our plum tree last year and they have sat patiently in the freezer waiting for their moment of glory. Here it is. A crunchy and crumbly topping oozing with sticky fruit juice. Tomorrow it's back to work (and the gym) but as it's still officially the weekend I may have to mimic Nigella later and head down to the fridge for late night seconds.