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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

I have no idea on the history behind these yummy, scrummy squares of minty and chocolate gorgeousness but they are one of my absolute favourite traybakes to munch on , especially when the weather gets a little colder and the evenings a little shorter. Snuggle up under the duvet with a good book, a warm mug of Ovaltine and a piece of this.... you can tha...

Today is the sort of day, for curling up on the sofa with a good book, a mug of frothy coffee and something yummy to dunk... the king of dunkers has to be a biscotti ❤️ It's crisp enough to suck up just the right amount of coffee, with just the right balance of chocolatey sweetness to satisfy the tastebuds. Heaven in every crunchy bite
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The combination of creamy butter, zingy lemon and luscious figs, makes this simple French pastry an absolute taste sensation. I love to eat it warm from the oven. Because it's so simple, make sure you use the best quality ingredients you can afford, don't skimp , I guarantee it's worth it x

Filling

200ml water

150g soft dried fi...

If there was a cookie that could tell the story of my life, it would be this this delicious recipe. Never sophisticated, it's an honest to goodness, no frills chunky morsel that just brings a smile to your face. I have called it a kitchen sink cookie because it really does have everything in but the kitchen sink. Choose whatever goodies you want to flav...

Brandy snaps

110g butter or block margarine

110g granulated sugar

110g golden syrup

110g plain flour

1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch salt

Place the butter, sugar and golden syrup into a small saucepan and put onto a very low heat. Stir constantly, feeling the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. You want...

Chocolate pop cake

250g self raising flour

300g sugar

3 heaped dessertspoons cocoa powder

Really good pinch bicarbonate of soda

250g butter or block margarine

250ml fizzy pop drink - you can use anything from cola to cherryade, orangeade to lemonade... whatever you like!

125ml milk

2 medium eggs, beaten

Serves 8-12

Light, moist and nutty, this is the perfect alternative to Christmas pudding after a heavy dinner. I would describe it as tasting a little like a coconut macaroon and with its mantle of whipped cream, chocolate stars and jewel like pomegranate seeds and it’s just so pretty… best of all tho, its simplicity itself and can be baked...

Biscotti- are Italian cookies which literally translates into ‘twice baked’ and are one of the tastiest and simplest biscuits to bake as well as making a wonderful gift when placed into a pretty glass jar or cellophane bag tied with ribbon or raffia.

A ‘good’ biscotti should be crunchy but not teeth breaking or jaw crunchi...

Anyone that knows me, knows that I’m always up for a bit of a challenge, whether its jumping 855ft off the top of a very tall building or skydiving from 15,000 feet, if it grabs my attention then I will have a go…

A few days ago one of my lovely friends asked me for a recipe for a chocolate cake that her and her partner ate recently in...

Sometimes you just have to let your ‘INNER FREAK’ out, and Halloween seems to me the perfect excuse to have some decidedly creepy and freaky fun with my Mummy cake covered in chocolate bandages and filled with frog spawn and beetle bug frosting….

I had been thinking about this cake for days before I finally managed to get into t...

( serves 12 ) free from gluten

225g plain 70% chocolate, broken into small pieces

225g butter

200g soft light dark brown sugar

3 medium eggs

150g ground almonds

For the cheesecake swirl

180g full fat cream cheese

1 small very ripe banana (the browner and squidgier, the better the flavour)

If you happen to visit the city of New Orleans on Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday as it is affectionately known in the USA (Mardi Gras translated from the French means Fat Tuesday….) you will be mesmerised by the vibrancy, loud noise and party atmosphere of the carnival that happens at this time every year

Parades, marching bands, floats and ...