The Bakinglady 

What do you do with four overripe bananas, half a dozen dates and half a tub of double cream left over from Christmas???? You make a gorgeous banana infused dessert with an indulgent banana and Rum sauce that’s what…. Bananas and dates both contain masses of potassium a fantastic natural remedy to combat high blood pressure and bananas are a val...

When I was young My Grandmother used to visit us at Christmas time, laden with our presents (normally socks and jumpers) and carrying a plate, covered in shiny silver tinfoil bearing the best festive treat in the world....Coconut Ice!

Christmas didn't start until my gran descended with her plate of pink and white, creamy squares of deliciousness ...

There is nothing quite so quintessentially English as a Scone cream tea with thick clotted cream and a great big massive dollop of extra fruity strawberry jam and no baking collection worth its salt(-ted caramel shortcake)should exclude this favourite old fashioned friend from its pages, never mind the fact that they originated in Scotland…yes Scotlan...

You can tell when autumn is coming long before the leaves start to drop from the trees or the wind starts to bite because toffee apples appear in the shops. I adore the combination of hard red caramel surrounding a crisp tangy apple and the fact that it comes on a stick makes it even more of a delight as it means I can type and scoff one at the same time wi...

Over the last couple of months I have had a little live cake/baking chat with the lovely presenters from BBC Radio Lancashire and this month (October) they asked me to chat about puddings. As I always talk live from the Blackburn studio I take in a little baked treat ( well it would be rude to turn up empty handed) and I thought I w...

Long, long ago an Anglo Saxon or two (after they had of course finished marauding and smashing things up) would sit around the fire; drink ale and stuff their little hairy faces with the forefathers of these little pikelets. Unlike pikelets of today they were more like a hard pancake (and there wouldn’t have been any lovely jam or sugar and lemon juice...

Mary Queen of Scots, daughter of the infamous Henry VIII (scoffer of pies and Richmond maid’s of honour) was reputed to rather dislike cherries in her cakes (why she couldn’t just spit them out is beyond me) and so a fruit cake containing almonds was made just for her and decorated with concentric circles of the little nut to keep her royalness happy&#...

Ask any fella in any pub what they associate with Manchester and they will invariably say football, whether they are a red or a blue supporter football is synonymous with this great Northern city… However ask any girl and they will probably come up with the Gallagher brothers or the Arndale centre which is full of fabulous shops and restaurants but it...

In the mid 19th century Yorkshire farmers would cook turf cakes on a spade over a turf fire. A cross between a traditional scone and a rock cake they would have been made with the simplest of ingredients, flour, sugar, a drop of fresh milk and an egg and if the farmer’s wife was feeling generous a handful of currants or raisins.

In ...

I have had this hand written recipe in my collection since about 1980 and it’s a lovely tea time treat that I have revisited and updated especially for these chilly autumnal evenings when something decidedly warming covered with a great big dollop of vanilla infused cream is called for. Although there are lots of ingredients in this recipe and three l...

One day (so legend has it) Henry the Eighth was strolling through Hampton palace and happened upon Anne Boleyn and her girlfriends eating these tasty little pastries from a silver dish, now Henry was so enthused by them that he decreed that only the royal household should be allowed to wrap their diamond encrusted gnashers around their pastry, almond ...

In the North east of England, particularly around Northumberland there is an afternoon griddle scone that goes by the lovely name of a Singin’ Hinny so called because whilst its cooking it ‘sings’ ( if you listen carefully it will sing knees up Mother Brown)

Served warm with lashings of creamy butter and a good dollop of homemade jam...

Sometimes you just need something incredibly quick and easy to slap into the oven when unexpected guests turn up for a few drinks and there isn’t a packet of crisps to be found in the cupboards.

These delicious cheesy nibbles are adapted from our lovely friend Gary’s mum who makes them every time we descend on them for t...

I would like to tell you that these gorgeous no bake.... yes you read me right....NO BAKE....bars are healthy because they contain oats, bran flakes and honey but I would probably be fibbing because once you start munching on them you wont be able to stop and then you will turn into a great big marshmallow fluff sat on the sofa watching endless reruns...

The North of England is renowned for its pastry, think Eccles or Chorley Cakes, Grasmere gingerbread and Betty's Hotpot but go further North and you will get to the Scottish town of Ecclefechan and their culinary offering the Ecclefechan tart. With its buttery rich filling, full of plump fruit, flaked almonds and a hint of orange they are ridiculously easy ...

When I lived at home my mum used to cook this gorgeous savoury pie on a regular basis for tea, served with creamy mashed potato and fresh vegetables. Its mildly spiced with curry powder but if you like a stronger curry flavour then just add a little more.

It is very quick and easy and will serve a family of 6 for next to nothing, the best thing is tha...

I love baking bread, the smell of it permeating through the house is one of lifes little pleasures and beating seven bells out of the dough is a great stress reliever. My gorgeous hubby on seeing my hand kneading efforts wanted to know why I wasn't u...

This is one of my all time favourites when the weather gets a little colder and the nights start to draw in, serve this on its own with a mug of hot chocolate (fluffy whipped cream and a sprinkle of ground ginger are extra delicious) or warm as a pudding drizzled with a little hot lemon sauce or a ...

Tis the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness.... Well actually tis' the season of cold, damp and rain so what better reason to get baking in the kitchen and use up a few  windfall apples....

I came up with this recipe after recieving a big bag of apples from a fellow lecturer to make into Chorley Chutney for my Farmers market stall and wa...

I make these fabulous cookies all through the year, chucking in whatever I fancy to change the flavour. the basic ingredients and method stay the same its just the 'Fancy-Schmancy' bits that change and the only limit is your imagination....

Some combinations that have ti...