afternoon tea

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake

July 23, 2017 by hannahhossack 7 Comments

Classic Victoria sponge cake (Victoria sandwich) – the classic British tea time treat; simple yet elegant, it can’t be beaten! This traditional cake is perfect for Birthdays, celebrations or Afternoon tea.

After several years of complaining about my oven burning everything I put in it, resulting in much swearing, frustration and strategic placement of icing/fruit/chocolate/props to hide the burnt bits, I finally have a lovely new oven! A range cooker in fact, so I have loads of space for baking and cooking and it looks pretty sexy!

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Pimm’s Fruit Tarts

May 17, 2016 by hannahhossack 25 Comments

Did you know that the Queen has not one but two birthdays? Obviously there is her actual birthday, on April 21st; but since 1748 the sovereign of the UK has had an ‘official’ birthday which is generally set around the start of June, to coincide with a higher probability of good weather for outdoor ceremonies. For her 90th birthday this year, June 11th is the official date, but celebrations will begin on June 10th as well as there being events on May 12-15th….

Dark Chocolate, Pear And Hazelnut Cake

September 30, 2015 by hannahhossack 48 Comments

Lately I have been feeling like time has been rushing past me at an unbelievable rate, I’ve been struggling to find enough time to get everything done and I have to admit that I have let things like cleaning the house slide a little as I struggle to fit everything in… I’m not even particularly busy, there are just so many little tasks that all add up into an overwhelming mass and I have been tired and inefficient. I always make sure I find some time to fit in a bit of baking though!…

Lemon And Ginger Drizzle Cake

August 6, 2015 by hannahhossack 42 Comments

As much as I love an impressive, multi-layered, over the top cake; for general every day cake eating you can’t beat a simple lemon drizzle loaf cake. It is fairly plain, but gloriously so, damp and sticky yet light, with a sharp lemon tang and a slightly crunchy crust. I added a bit of a ginger kick to mine – not too much, the lemon should be the predominant flavour, but enough to take it beyond the standard lemon drizzle and add a subtle warmth and depth of flavour….

Marzipan Cherry Scones

May 29, 2015 by hannahhossack 32 Comments

Fellow bloggers, do you ever have those days where you can’t for the life of you think of anything to write…? I’m having one of those…I sat for at least an hour trying to come up with something to say but instead just ended up procrastinating on Pinterest (on which I spend FAR too much time) and didn’t write a single word… So now I’m just writing about having nothing to write and I apologise for the short post!…

Cherry Lamingtons

May 27, 2015 by hannahhossack 44 Comments

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….

Spiced Poached Pear and Frangipane Brioche Tarts

October 16, 2014 by hannahhossack 20 Comments

This recipe took a couple of go’s to get right, the first time I made them, the tarts were delicious but the frangipane sort of exploded and spread everywhere, they tasted good but looked a mess. I was determined to get them right and not be defeated by a tart; so I tried again with a few tweaks and they turned out beautifully!…