The Bakinglady 

These decadent  little pine nut studded crisp/chewy cookies with a hint of citrus and heady almonds, hail from the south of Italy and the island of Sicily. They are a staple  in every bakery and are the absolutely perfect mid morning sweet treat with a strong cup of espresso or to enhance your festive sweets and treats at Christmas time...They make lovely little gifts, just pop into an airt...

My Dad used to make a mean old fashioned bread puddin’, my mum only ever ate it hot and the rest of the family only ever ate it cold... either way it’s a perfect way to utilise stale bread. Dads secret was to use leftover brewed tea from the pot, and a good sprinkle of crunchy white sugar on the top after baking.... it's the little things ❤️❤️❤️ &...

Over the last few nights I have been fantasising about a frosting containing toasted coconut and oven roasted squidgy marshmallows, I could almost taste it, the thoughts were that vivid!!! But what to put it on? What cake would be worthy of it’s awesomeness??? Friends, romans, countrymen.... I give you

2 large very, very ripe, brown and squi...

Hard, sucking toffee, rather than the chewy or liquid caramel varieties have always had a soft (if not crunchy) spot in my heart. It evokes memories of my childhood when my Soldier father would go into the kitchen and boil up a big saucepan of brittle, golden, glass like caramel toffee made with nothing more than a ton of sugar and a splash of vinegar.....

There is something utterly decadent about a Florentine, buttery/crisp yet chewy and full to the brim with nuts and juicy fruit. If a cookie could be described as sexy it would surely be this French frivolity with its little chocolate bottom ❤️ Just remember to put them in a safe place ( preferably hard to get to) because once you start mun...

I don't think there is a nicer pudding than a rich, crisp, buttery crumble resplendent on a layer of luscious , sweet but sharp fresh fruit. This simple dessert is perfect with a jug of neon yellow custard or a good scoop of vanilla infused ice cream... delicious!

1000g bramley cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2cm chunks

3-4 heaped...

Having two recipes for the same cake, isn't a hardship as far as I'm concerned, the more yummy cake love in the world the better!!! I have added this second Parkin recipe with a zesty orange twist because it's just sooooooo good and absolutely perfect for cold, frosty days when your tummy needs an edible hug ❤️

170g self raising flou...

This yummy slice is one of the easiest and quickest sweet treats to knock up... perfect for children's birthday party's too, just sprinkle with some bright and colourful sugar sprinkles and cut into small squares ❤️❤️❤️

350g mars bars or any other caramel/nougat/chocolate bar - chopped into small pieces

This aromatic chutney is my absolute favourite, slathered over a good strong cheddar cheese or dolloped onto Scotch eggs, it's absolutely gorgeous and well worth taking an hour out of your day to knock up a jar or two.... 

What you need...

1 kilo carrots, washed, peeled and grated (I used my food processor for this)

2 onions peele...

This simple recipe is great fun to get the children involved with ( adult supervision required when melting the mallows) and they can be squished into one big cake or bar, or spooned into individual paper cases, perfect for party's and picnics...

80g  butter 

125g crunchy or smooth peanut butter 

280g marshmallows divide...

I worked for many years as a lecturer at Blackpool and the Fylde college in Lancashire, from the beginning of November, right through to the middle of December the students would bake literally thousands of these delicious mince pies with a buttery, melt in the mouth Viennese topping. The last year I was there, I think we ended up baking over 22 th...

One of the first things you learnt how to make in school cookery lessons were good, old fashioned, sausage rolls, super easy to make and carried with pride all the way home in a plastic Tupperware box or an empty sweet tin left over from Christmas. Aaahhh sweet memories.... These sausage rolls are even easier to make ( if that's at all possible) but tas...

Wham -Bam - Laming-tons are the Ozzie version of a traditional English Madeleine cake, the good thing about them is you don’t need any fancy schmancy baking tins, just a square baking tin and so are much easier to make. I love them served for afternoon tea, and sometimes in the summer, I decorate them with fresh edible flowers, violas or even rose...

As a young teenager in the late 1970’s I lived in New Addington , a large council estate on the Surrey/Kent border. Every Saturday we would buy our bread from a small, family run bakery at the parade of shops, and if Mum could be persuaded, a cake or two.... my favourite was a ring of soft, fluffy buns - filled with billowing, synthetic cream and...

Japanese milk bread

I cannot begin to tell you how damn good this utterly delicious, soft and fluffy bread is - similar in taste and texture to a brioche loaf, It’s incredibly simple and easy to make but I would definitely recommend only making it if you have a stand mixer with a dough attachment or a bread maker as the dough is extremely we...

I have wanted to bake one of these jiggly-wobbly-utterly delicious cream cheese cheesecakes for absolutely ages, and today is the day I finally put whisk to bowl and satisfied my hungry belly.... let me tell you... it was Soooooo worth it....

60g full afternoon cream cheese

20g butter at room temperature

50ml milk

30g plain flour...

The flavours of Moroccan cooking are as warm and fragrant as the country itself. Cinnamon, garlic, juicy apricots, lemon and fresh herbs bring a touch of the exotic to a simple, economical but oh-so-tasty plant based dish.

1 long red pepper, thinly sliced ( save 1/4 for the couscous)

1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

When I was young, we used to make the filling for lemon meringue from a little box , I think it was made by a company called Greens but I couldn't swear on it. You added the water to a sachet in a small saucepan and cooked over a low heat until a little gelatine capsule burst , filling the kitchen with mouth watering aromas of zesty lemon. This yummy pu...

I had to get up at 7am this morning to bake a batch of scones for the afternoon tea orders I sell through my little cake company. These are guaranteed to be the best ever... soft and fluffy and the grated apple gives them a very subtle flavour whilst keeping them incredibly moist , they are without doubt...

The best scones everrrrrrrr!!!!!

4...

We spent a very lovely two weeks, travelling around Italy, enjoying sun, sea and an abundance of fresh pasta dishes. This simple recipe is based on one of my favourite meals we ate in a small restaurant in Napoli. It had tiny little meatballs in a rich and creamy tomato based sauce but for speed and convenience I have used sausages (vegetarian ones in t...