Its been a while, but so much has happened in the past few weeks.....mostly I was fighting of the dreaded cold and aches that comes with it.  

I had hoped to make a lemon pie of some sort a while ago, and kept buying the lemons, but used them for other things and not getting round to making a pie but on a cold, cold Saturday last weekend, I made Lemon Meringue Shortbread pies....they were delicious.

I didn't use the normal pastry for the bases, but used a shortbread recipe instead (bit of an experiment) which even though it was a little tricky to roll and line the tins with, it tasted fantastic in the pies.  Again I am going to link it to Pamela's Heavenly Treats, the blog to showcase Desserts!

Makes approx 18

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius, 2 x muffin tins 

Shortbread

2 cups plain flour

1 cup salted butter

1/2 cup icing sugar

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Mix in the flour, then use your hands to make a smooth dough.  Wrap the dough in cling wrap and chill for a minimum of 30 mins. 

To make the pies:

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and using a round circle cutter, cut out circles to line your muffin tins. (Preferably so the pastry is the depth of the cup for deep pies).  Place the tins in the refrigerator for approx 15 mins to chill the dough again.

Bake the pastry shells blind (use pastry weights/rice etc) for approx 8 mins until golden.  Remove the weights and bake for a further three to four mins.  Remove from the oven and leave in the tins.

To make the Lemon Curd

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup lemon juice (about 4 - 5 lemons)

2 tsp grated lemon zest

4 large eggs yolks (keep the whites for the meringue)

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup cornflour

2/3 cup cold water.

Place the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolks into a saucepan. Mix together then pour in the boiling water and then mix again thoroughly.  Mix together the cornflour and the cold water.  Place the saucepan over a medium heat, and stirring all the time.  Pour in the cornflour mix and continue to stir over the heat until the curd is thick.   Remove from the heat and pour immediately into the shortbread shells.  

Meringue

4 egg whites

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 tablespoon corn flour

1/4 cup boiling water.

Whisk the egg whites in a grease free bowl until thick . (A good tester is if you tilt the bowl, the egg whites shouldn't move).  Gradually beat in the sugar to form a thick glossy meringue.  Mix the corn flour and boiling water together to make a gel.  Spoon into the meringue mixture and mix in thoroughly.

Spoon the Meringue into a piping bag and pipe the meringue over the curd, to cover it completely.  

Place the trays back into the oven for approx 5 mins to give the meringue a golden colour.  You may need to turn the trays and watch it carefully as the meringue can burn quickly.  

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the trays.  Best Eaten on the same day as the shortbread softens overnight, but still tastes just as good!

Half term holidays so there will be time to experiment this week with some baking and cooking.  Valentines was spent with our boys and we had a lovely meal cooked at home followed by some warm chilli chocolate brownies.  They were delicious, with just a mild spicy kick every now and again.  The next day, when the chocolate bits had hardened, they tasted good, but they were better warm.  Still this is the first batch I made, so I am now going to try using other brands of chilli chocolate and see if there is any difference in heat.....any excuse to bake more!

I am also going to link this to Pamela's Heavenly Treats who runs a blog hop on a Saturday for Desserts.....right up my street!

Recipe

Grease and base line a rectangular baking tin...mine measured 12 x 9 x 1 1/2 inches

Preheat oven to gas mark 4/ 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 F

150g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

200g dark chocolate 

250g butter

300g caster sugar

4 eggs (beaten)

150g chilli chocolate chopped into small pieces

Melt the dark chocolate and the butter in a large bowl together. (I do mine in the microwave in 30 second bursts), but over a pan of hot water is an alternative.  Stir to combine them together then remove from the heat.  Stir in the sugar and the eggs.  Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold into the chocolate mix.  Fold in the chilli chocolate.

Spread the mixture into the tin, then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for exactly 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin.  Cut into squares and enjoy.

It is snowing yet again, so there is some fresh build up of snow on the ice outside!  The men in the house are watching the snooker finals and I am contemplating if I should bake....but a Sunday roast is currently cooking in the oven!

I thought I would post some pictures of my chocolate cake.  It is the one that I am asked to make the most by friends and family and for charity donations etc etc.  It is four layers of chocolate sponge cake, sandwiched together with vanilla cooked flour buttercream then wrapped in a dark chocolate collar (band) and topped with truffles, maltesers and chocolate buttons....basically it is a chocolate indulgence cake!  Quite simply it is amazing just how a collar of chocolate cake can make a basic chocolate sponge, look classy!

I have this week bought another recipe book (my collection is huge) entitled "Made at Home Preserves" by Dick & James Strawbridge.  It has simple recipes for preserves of all kinds which I will attempt to make over the weeks/months, but as soon as I can get to the supermarkets out of town, I will most definitely get the ingredients to try the chilli chocolate brownies (pg 168).  I love chilli chocolate and the brownies look divine.  

Snow!  School is closed today because of snow.....and it is still coming down where we are!  As we are home today, I thought I would again try and use up some of the coconut stored in the cupboard...hence coconut fingers were made today!  

Being from St Helena, a coconut finger is a traditional celebration cake.  It would be outrageous if there was a wedding, christening, or birthday party, family gathering, day out, picnic, etc.  and there were no coconut fingers!  They are usually iced in pink, or green. I imagine it is because they were the food colours that was widely available when our grandparents, and great grandparents and great - great grandparents made them all those years ago.  

Every family or district on St Helena I am sure has their own family recipe for making the sponge cake and for decorating them, which is a messy business.  Some dip the whole sponge into the icing before rolling them in the coconut, or some do them the way I do (which my mum does) by using a flat blade knife and spreading the icing on each side while holding onto the small ends between thumb and index finger, before rolling in the coconut.  

Nevertheless they are a sweet mix of soft sponge cake, icing and coconut.  My smallest son, asked me if it was "St Helena Day" as I usually only make these on 21st May, when we celebrate St Helena Day.  When I told him it was a treat to have with a cup of hot chocolate after playing in the snow, he was then asking "how soon could we go outside?"

This recipe is how I make them.....there will be numerous St Helenian ways of making them, but this one works for me.  The ingredients are in ounces too......next time I will convert them!  

Coconut Fingers

Makes 18

6 oz self raising flour

6 oz caster sugar

6 oz margarine or butter

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla flavouring 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder.

Icing

8 oz icing sugar

pink or green food colouring

hot water

1 small pack desiccated coconut preferably fine.  (But medium will do)

To Make the Cake:

Preheat the Oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Grease and baseline a 8 inch square baking tin.  (You may need to double the ingredients if you are using a larger tin).

Whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl until pale and creamy and there are no traces of sugar.  Pour into the prepared tin, and bake on the middle shelf  for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins.

Remove from the tin and cool completely.

To decorate:

Cut the cake half and then cut each half into strips (9 fingers from each half).

Pour the coconut onto a plate.  Place the icing sugar and a small amount of food colouring in a bowl and add hot water by the tablespoon and stir until the icing is of a thick glossy consistency.  Add more water if it is too thick to spread.

Spread the long sides of a finger of cake with the icing, then roll in the coconut.  Set aside for the icing to dry.  Repeat with the remaining cake.  

When the weather is cold, nothing beats some good ole tasty home-made food!!  It's January and theoretically we should all be counting calories etc etc, so to cut back on some the calories in these individual beef and vegetable pies, I have just made a herby shortcrust pastry lid for them...trying to bling up a boring shortcrust lid!  The family really enjoyed them......there was no complaints!

The filling is cooked ahead, before the pies are baked in the oven.  It is all a little time consuming, but the end  result is worth it.  

Beef and Vegetable Pies with a Herby Shortcrust Pastry Lid

Makes six individual pies (deep filled)

For the filling:

1 kg beef shin
1 large onion diced
2 large carrots sliced
3 large flat mushrooms diced
1 medium red chilli (optional)
3 sticks celery sliced finely
3 garlic cloves crushed
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 beef oxo's
1 litre hot water
Fry light Spray

Remove any visible fat from the beef and then dice into 1 1/2 cm cubes.  Spray some fry light into the bottom of a medium saucepan (which has a lid).  Place over a medium heat source and add the beef.  Stir the beef over the heat until it is browned on all sides.  Add the diced onion, garlic and chilli if using and the balsamic vinegar, and stir. Dissolve the oxo's in the hot water and add to the meat in the saucepan.   Stir, then add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover the saucepan with the lid and allow to simmer for approximately one and half hours until the meat is tender, stirring from time to time.  Add the carrots, mushrooms and celery to the meat and cook for a further ten until the carrots are cooked.  Remove from the heat. 

Shortcrust pastry: 

400g plain flour

200g butter cubed

2 tablespoon mixed herbs (dried or fresh)

1/2 tsp salt

4 - 6 tablespoons very cold water

Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the salt and the herbs.  Add the water and combine to make a dough.  Add some more water if the mixture is too dry.

Wrap in clingwrap and chill for up to half and hour.

Making the Pies

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.    Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface.  Place one of the pie dishes upside down on the pastry and cut around it, slightly larger to make the pastry lids.

Fill the pie dishes with the beef filling.  Place a lid on the top of each pie, ensure that it touches the meat and press the pastry into the sides of the pie dish.  Use a knife to make a few slits in the pastry to allow the steam to escape so the pastry will become crisp.

Brush the pastry with some beaten egg and bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

It's a New Year and before I find myself bending under the weigh of my resolutions, I have decided this year that I wont make any!  I am heading for a milestone birthday this year....hopefully the weather will be good to me in August, when it is, and apart from wishing that myself and my family will remain happy and healthy  and achieve successfully what we set out to do, there is nothing more, that I should really ask for!!

After the Christmas and New Year splurge.....its back to simple healthy ish ( healthy most of the time I hope) meals.  Having thought this morning that some sort of protein with veggie sticks and dips would be nice this evening, as the hours have ticked by and its has become duller and colder....that idea has fallen by the way side and so, beef and vegetable pies with a home made pastry crust....it is!! So healthy has gone out of the window and had I made a resolution....I would have fallen foul by day 2!!

In September I entered my  mince pie recipe in the Tesco Real Food Bake Off and at the end of October, I got an email which said  

"Congratulations! After you submitted your recipe at tesco.com/realfood you have been drawn as a lucky winner in the Tesco Baking prize draw (week five) featured online at tesco.com/realfood.

Your fabulous prize is a Morphy Richards Hand Blender Work Centre, which combines the convenience of a hand blender with the flexibility of a processor. It has a powerful 700W motor with a turbo setting and an array of accessories to cater for all your food preparation needs."

In November, my prize arrived....all I can say I was well chuffed and naturally the family was very proud of my achievement.   The blender has had a good testing over the weeks, blending my home made soups and the blade attachment made light work of crushing the 300g of ginger nuts for the baileys cheesecake base, I made on Christmas Eve....so Thank you Tesco!!

New Year is upon us and once again we reflect on how fast the last year has gone.  As parents we have watched our children grow up so much in the past year.... our older sons have develop into young street wise men,  and our youngest son has won the battle with ear complications and has started to make some major progression in guitar and piano playing.  Of course there has been lows mixed with the highs, but we have managed to stay positive and now look forward to reaching newer goals in 2013!

Christmas for us is always a family affair, and I for one, enjoy preparing our Christmas meal and making sure everyone gets there requests filled at least on this day.  Having said that I wouldn't be making a cheesecake this year, as we do one almost every year and we would have a trifle instead (I know just a bit boring) I was persuaded by the middle son, on Christmas Eve to make one.....hence the baking of a Baileys Cheesecake!

Having researched several options, I couldn't quite find one that had enough Baileys (if you're going to use it you might as well be able to taste it).....so I winged it....and boy did it taste good!!

Baileys Cheesecake

12 Generous Servings: - Thousands of Calories

Base

300g ginger nut biscuits (crushed into fine crumbs)

50g butter melted

Cheesecake

4 x 250g tubs cream cheese (1000g total)

250ml Baileys 

250ml Double Cream

4 eggs

5 tablespoons icing sugar
50g plain flour

Mixed the melted butter and the biscuit crumbs together and press into the base of a 9 inch round loose bottom tin.  (Deep one preferable)

Bake at 175 degrees celsius for 10 minutes.

While the biscuit base is baking, whisk together all the cheesecake ingredients until thick and creamy,  about 5 minutes.  

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit base, and bake for approximately 45 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven until firm on the outside and still wobbly on the inside.  Remove from the oven.  Allow to cool, then chill for several hours, preferably overnight.  

The days are rolling by so quickly.  I have had various work commitments over the past two weeks, so haven't had much time to bake.  I still wanted to give Alphabakes November Challenge, hosted by Caroline Makes and The More Occasional Baker, a go, but the letter of the month being "J", was a tricky one!  Hmm I couldn't really come up with much inspiration for "J", only Jam and Jelly came to mind and I couldn't quite come up with anything really exciting.  Tea Time Treats hosted by Karen at Lavender and Lovage and Kate of What Kate Baked is having a birthday challenge to celebrate one year of their challenges, with "Cake", so thought it would be perfect to enter my cake their too!

So after much deliberation, Jam Crumb Cake it was!!  Having made it twice over the past two weeks, once using raspberry jam, which seems to disappear, and then as below using blackberry jam with whole blackberries....it was brilliant.  The mix of sweetness from the crumble and the tartness of the berries in the jam, along with a vanilla sponge, worked well together and it went down a treat, on a rather cold evening last week!

Jam Crumb Cake

Grease and flour a 8 inch round tin, (mine was about 1 1/2 inches deep).

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.

Cake:

5 oz plain flour

4 oz caster sugar

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

3 oz butter

125 ml milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 oz (I added a bit more) jam

Crumb Topping

3 oz butter softened

2 oz brown sugar

2 oz granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

6 oz plain flour

For the Cake......Whisk all the ingredients together until combined and pale in colour and then pour into the prepared cake tin.  Dollop the jam on the surface of the cake mixture and lightly swirl in. 

For the Crumb Topping....Mix together the sugars, butter and cinnamon.  Stir in the flour and using your fingertips rub the mixture together  until it looks like breadcrumbs.  Sprinkle over the jam cake mixture.

Bake for 25 to 30 mins until golden and a cake tester/wooden pick, inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the tin.  

Tis the season for lots of pumpkin!  Pumpkins here are not like the ones I can get at home (St Helena), or like my grand-parents grew, with their dark green skins and bright orange flesh inside!  I haven't tried cooking any of the orange ones found here, as they look all dry and forced ripened, so they appear to be grainy and bitter!  To get around this.....Libby's 100% canned pumpkin found in Waitrose, is the best answer to proper home-grown stuff, and can easily be found all year round!

Yesterday I made a Pumpkin Cheesecake.  It is one of my absolute favourite baked cheesecakes, even though for some pumpkin is a bit like Marmite.....you either like it or you hate it.....but in our house we love both!

How to cook Good Food and Franglais Kitchen host a One ingredient challenge, which this month happens to be pumpkin or squash so my Pumpkin Cheesecake is perfect for this. (Recipe Below).

My friend Sue gave me this recipe about 20 years ago.  I think she got it from her aunt after visiting her in the USA or Canada. Having twigged it  with varying amounts of cream cheese or the years, I think its now in a good place!

Ingredients - Base:

1 1/4 cups of finely crushed ginger biscuits crumbs

1/4 cup of melted butter

Filling:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

14 oz cooked pumpkin or a 14 oz can of pumpkin

600g of full fat cream cheese (I used supermarket value brand)

2 eggs

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground mixed spice

Method:

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius and base line a 9 inch round, deep spring-form pan.  Half fill a Roasting tin with hot water....to use later. 

Mix the biscuit crumbs and melted butter together and press into the base of the pan.  Bake for ten minutes and then remove from the oven.

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar then mix in the eggs, one at a time.  Add the spices and mix until well combined.  Using a large metal spoon, gentle fold in the pumpkin.....dont worry if there are areas of white, it looks great in the cooked cheesecake.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the base and place in the middle of the oven.  Place the roasting tin with water at the base of the oven, to create a steamy atmosphere in the oven.  

Bake for 40 -45 minutes until the outside edges of the cheesecake are firm to touch, but the middle of the cheesecake still has a slight wobble.  (Try not to open the oven until around the 40 minute mark, otherwise the steam will escape).

Cool and then chill well....overnight, if you can wait!

I have been wanting to bake up a storm all week, but I seem to be loosing my mojo very fast amongst other things too and yet baking is what makes me happy....but it hasn't been working this week!!

I came across The more occasional Baker and Caroline Makes by chance and they host a monthly Alpha Bakes challenge, with this months, host Ros, hosting the letter N.

With nuts off the menu in our house as my husband has an allergy, and most recipes beginning with a N have some sort of nuts in it........Neapolitan Mousse Cake was an option. I baked my three sponges in the same pan, to make a slim, layer cake.  

I used a 6oz victoria sponge mix ( 6 oz of each self raising flour, caster sugar, butter, 3 large eggs, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and the seeds from one vanilla pod). I divided each one equally and then added pink food colouring to one and three tablespoons of cocoa, mixed with two tablespoons warm water to the other.   I baked it at 180 degrees celcius for around 15 minutes.  

I filled the layers and outside with a soft chocolate mousse filling.  - equal weights of light double cream and dark chocolate, heated together and allowed to cool to a soft butter consistency, before stirring in some more hot melted chocolate, which sets quickly and make a mousse with chocolate bits in it.  (sweet but yummy).  

Autumn is upon us and the days are certainly feeling colder.  Small son was asking this morning "how many more days until Summer!" He was appalled that it wouldn't be for another 8 months - and to be honest I really didn't need to be reminded of that myself!

At least at this time of the year there is an abundance of apples and pumpkin! After  swimming club  on Friday evening, I made an apple pie.  It was lovely warm with a bit of cream, and perfect comfort for the cold, wet weather!

I used granny smith apples, which I sautéed in a small amount of butter, then added some cinnamon and a tablespoon of brown sugar.

The sweet shortcrust, using plain flour, icing sugar and egg yolks. (Recipe to follow).

After a long break, I am building up to a blog post.  I have had a lovely summer off with my family....some scattered baking here and there along with the odd card and tag.  I have met up with friends and family who I haven't seen in a long, long time and its been great to get reconnected with them.  

We went off to see Team GB men at the Olympic football....our first ever football match!  The atmosphere was electric and we were literally sat on the edge of our seats the whole time....and yes Team GB won (on that occasion).  We were interviewed by the BBC Wales reporter and we had our picture (as below) on the BBC Wales news and on the BBC Wales on line page....to add to the excitement!

Scattered baking....here and there ( Shabby Chic cupcakes.....love the colours)

Unusual colours for a wedding cake....but it turned out beautifully....white chocolate and carrot cupcakes!

We spent a few days in London, which we really enjoyed.....(that little head, photo bombing our picture again)......took the boys on the London Eye this time and met up with friends......who we hadn't seen for ten years!

Now its back to school and as the Autumn is now here....dark nights, dark mornings and cold days....I expect I shall be spending many hours in my corner in the kitchen....which I am really looking forward too.

I came across Masion Cupcake by chance....and I am so glad that I did.  I enjoyed reading the write ups and I am always inspired by any Cake Blog!!  I couldnt resist joining in with the Zero Baking Challenge and made these homemade marshmallows last night!  Marshmallows are making a real comeback with new flavours and names....now being named Gourmet Marshmallows etc.

My mum used to make these when I was a child.... so did my aunties (Janet and Joan), so I am using a family recipe.  We always had them in different flavours and colours.  When I was making these yesterday, the first time in years...my eight year old couldn't really believe they were marshmallows...and covered in coconut!! He has been only used to seeing the stiff ones on the shelves in Supermarkets in either pink or white!  They did go down a treat when they were ready.....but they are sweet!!

Vanilla and Toasted Coconut Marshmallows

Recipe: (Makes 16 - 20 pieces)

1 lb granulated sugar
275ml very hot water
2 sachets gelatine.
2 tsp vanilla flavouring/extract
6 oz coconut.

Toast the coconut, either in a hot oven or over a low heat in a saucepan (I do mine this way, stirring all the time so it doesn't burn).

Allow the coconut to cool, then use half of it to cover the base of a 8 x 8 square tin.

Place the sugar in a large bowl.  Measure the water into a cup or bowl and add the gelatine.  Stir until the gelatine is completely dissolved, and then pour the mixture over the sugar.  Add the vanilla flavouring.  Whisk on a high speed for approximately 10 minutes until the mixture is really thick and light in colour.  (Beware of the sticky splashes).

Pour gently over the coconut in the prepared tin.  Tap the tin slightly to release some of the larger air bubbles.  Sprinkle over the remaining coconut to completely cover the marshmallow.  Allow to set in the refrigerator for about an hour, before cutting into squares.

It's been ages.....but this week.....I have an excuse.....I have had no time to blog......I have been enjoying the sunshine and making the most of each hour of my summer holidays with my family.....because at one point with all the rain, we were beginning to think that our next chance of some sun would be summer 2013!!

I haven't been baking much - I had a major cake disaster a few weeks ago which is still haunting me....and I still need to pick myself up of the floor!!  I hate to fail!!! I have made a few novelty cakes.....but I have sat tonight and look through my whole blog reflecting....there were days when I used to make cards upon cards but how materials have changed and now the craft world is forever evolving!!

I have promised the little one that we would bake tomorrow (its suppose to rain)....so a carrot cake is on the cards!!

The weeks have flown!  Work has been busy, home life has been busy and the weather - that is debatable!! The half term holidays have been so relaxing and we even managed a visit to Choccywoccydoodah in Brighton!!  It was a dream of our 8 year old son, to go there, so during a visit to see our older son, who is at Uni in Brighton, it seemed only fitting to visit, the famous cake place!!

 The cake displays were amazing in the shop, the interior decoration in the Bar Du Chocolat was brilliant, and a slice of Tiffin decorated with melted Belgian chocolate was so huge, our boys had to have half of their slice in a takeaway box.  My hubby and I shared a slice of the Choccywoccy chocolate cake - it was huge, great chocolate taste but slightly dry, not sweet, served with lots of melted Belgian chocolate, berry sauce and a huge dollop of vanilla ice-cream made it so delicious.   (Could have gone for another shot of this on the second day......oh but the calories).  I will keep it on my tick list for a visit again.....it isn't a place, you should do just once!!  The coffees and the hot chocolates are served in the biggest cups, I have seen.....and they take some finishing!!

Baking is my down time.....my time to relax and to escape into a little world of my own.....it saves me from the stresses of life!!  These fresh strawberry and coconut cupcakes, with vanilla swiss meringue, a dollop of cream and summer berries were delicious!  They were perfect for the warm day that I made them and they disappeared quickly too!

Fresh Strawberry and Coconut cupcake with Swiss meringue and summer berries

Makes 12

Topping - 150g frozen summer berries defrosted.

 Cake

6oz self raising flour

6 oz caster sugar

6 oz butter or margarine

3 eggs

100g fresh strawberries – washed and chopped into small pieces

1 tsp vanilla

1oz dessicated coconut

3 tablespoons milk

Mix the eggs, flour, sugar, margarine and vanilla together until the mixture is thick and pale and creamy.  Stir in the fresh strawberries, coconut and milk, then divide between 12 large cupcake cases.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius until well risen, golden and springy to the touch

Swiss meringue buttercream

2 egg whites

100g caster sugar

175g softened butter

Whisk the egg whites at high speed in a clean bowl over a pan of simmering water until soft peaks form.  Gradually whisk in the sugar, until the sugar is dissolved.  Carefully remove the bowl from the simmering water and whisk for approximately 10 minutes.  Allow the meringue mixture to cool completely.  When cooled, whisk in the softened butter, whisking until the meringue is of a consistency suitable for piping.

To Assemble.

Pipe the swiss meringue butter cream onto the cakes.  Spoon over a tablespoon of defrosted summer berries and serve immediately.

Jubilee Cupcakes  (For the Local Hairdressing Salon)

A few weeks back I was asked if I would like a German Friendship cake by a colleague and friend....to which I accepted.  In the same week, three other people asked me, and I had to turn down the offer, as I knew I was getting some later in the week.   Having then been given a container with gloopy, bubbly mixture inside and a set of instructions on how to look after the mixture.....called Herman.....I came home and Googled it (as you do) to see what this thing would eventually look like!!  As it look decent and I always like a bit of a baking challenge.....I sat Herman on my kitchen worktop in a bowl as instructed and....told my 7 year old that he needed to remind me to look after Herman!!

Now Herman happened to visit our house during the birthday weeks....so as it was a sourdough cake, I decided to delay Herman a little to fit in around our birthday cakes by keeping him for 13 days instead of nine days........by giving him his food on day 5, and then just stirring him for the next 6 days.  When I added Herman's last food, I didn't divide him and gave him away as instructed,  instead, I divided it the next day, baked mine and then gave my colleagues the starter dough with a piece of cake, the next day at work!!!  The result was....it was more convincing to show friends, what their starter would turn into and they were happy to take Herman home!!

I added mixed dried fruit to mine which had orange peel in, instead of just raisins, and it was a beautiful, moist cake....that the two oldest men in the house...ate warm with ice cream (alright for some).  

If you haven't been offered a started.....or would like to start one to hand around the instructions for a starter can be found here http://www.hermanthegermanfriendshipcake.com/