I’ve been on a bit of a compulsive blackberry picking drive recently; I can’t seem to take the dog for a walk without coming home with a bagful of blackberries, it just seems a shame to walk past the heavily laden brambles without at least nabbing a few… I have made jam (recipe coming soon!) and I’ve been eating an awful lot of blackberry compote, which is delicious with yoghurt or porridge, but I think I enjoyed it most when I paired it with this creamy, comforting coconut and cardamom rice pudding….
Coconut
Muesli Bread
I think I may have found a new favourite bread; this muesli bread is hearty, satisfying, delicious and it’s healthy! It is also a great way to use up some of that half eaten packet of muesli forgotten about at the back of the cupboard for 6+ months… (just me?). It stays soft for a good few days in a airtight container and makes fantastic toast; I’ve been enjoying it for breakfast slathered with butter and jam. The flavour is slightly sweet from the dried fruit and a little maple syrup and there’s a hint of warm cinnamon. Because it is full of oats, fruit and nuts it is very filling, so it makes a great breakfast or snack….
Mango, Coconut & Passion Fruit Mousse Verrines & A Giveaway
One of the worst parts of being a regular home cook and baker is the mountains of washing up that I produce…and seeing as I am not lucky enough to own a dishwasher I have to do it all by hand, which I hate…It is staggering how much washing up builds up so quickly when you have people round for dinner, and the last thing that you want to do after an enjoyable dinner party is piles of washing up. So for those of you who are luckier than me and own a dishwasher, Finish are giving away a bundle of dishwasher products worth £25 to help keep your dishwasher in tip top condition especially in hard water areas; simply complete the Gleam widget at the bottom of this post to win….
Cherry Lamingtons
For the May challenge Marcellina from Marcellina in Cucina dared us to make Lamingtons. An Australian delicacy that is as tasty as it is elegant
This was the first time I had ever tried a lamington, I had heard of them of course, but never thought to try making them. Which is one reason why I enjoy being part of the Daring Bakers – it encourages me to try things that I wouldn’t think to (or have heard of) on my own, most of which I end up loving. For those of you who haven’t heard of lamingtons, they are a very popular Australian treat consisting of squares of vanilla sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in desiccated coconut, sometimes with a jam filling….
Passion Fruit, White Chocolate & Coconut Layer Cake
It seems I have a bit of a thing for three layer cakes; if you use 15cm/6in pans
they turn out perfectly proportioned, tall enough to look impressive, but not so huge that they are impossible to eat. In fact I use my 15cm tins far more often than any others I own (and I own quite a few…), as they are such a convenient size if you don’t have loads of people to feed; I also want to get some really diddy 10cm
ones to make tiny towering cakes with!…
