Mississippi mud cake (for Max)

I hesitate to say any recipe's fool-proof, but this is the nearest I've come to one. And, what's more, it's delicious.1 tbsp instant coffee100 gms dark (or cooking) chocolate1/2 cup water1 cup sugar100 gms butterPut in pot, & heat until chocolate's melted and sugar's dissolved. Allow to cool and add 2 tbsp whisky or sherry.Meanwhile …

Pavlova, take 4

Possibly it was a touch of guilt at going away again so soon after the last trip, and knowing how much L likes pavlova, that made me try another recipe before I left. This time I resorted to the good old Edmonds’ Cookbook. They did talk about using an electric mixer, which I didn’t, ‘cos …

Kitchen disasters

 Okay, time to ‘fess up. Sometimes things go wrong in the kitchen. And I’m not just talking about my recent adventures with pavlova. Last weekend, for example, at the market, 5 terakihi for $10 sounded such a bargain, I couldn’t walk past it. But when I got them home I wasn’t sure which year, let …

Taking on pavlova

 Lawrence announced that he’d like a pavlova for his birthday. Rather than scurry to the supermarket and buy one, I determined – especially as there were 8 frozen egg whites in the freezer – to make one. A step into the unknown. Which had me turning to a variety of cookery books for guidance. The …

Date scones

 The long weekend provided a great excuse to get across to the Sounds again. Just the two of us, so a peaceful, relaxing time with only birds for company. Some gardening, some work around the property, but nothing too arduous. And a fair bit of eating. Decided one day that I’d make date scones. After …

Greek coconut lemon cake

A colleague brings a generous bag of lemons to work, and as our tree has still never borne a fruit, I’m in. And, once home, inspired again to bake. Greek coconut lemon cake, a Jo “easy peasy” Seagar recipe that perhaps I once photocopied, or someone once gave me, but have never got around to …

Return to winter

The most obvious thing to say about returning to NZ from Samoa … it’s cold! Weather for lighting fires and baking cakes. So, as a sort of welcome home consolation prize, I decided to make this lemon syrup cake, a friend’s recipe.           6 oz caster sugar           6 oz softened butter           6 oz …

Marmalade loaf

After dinner we thought it’d be good to have something sweet. You’re good at knocking something together, said Lawrence, hopefully. But no cream, no ice cream in the house, so no quick sauces tonight. Instead I thought of Shonagh’s marmalade loaf.  225 gms self-rasing flour 1 level tspn ground mace (I have no idea what …

Winter puddings: Bakewell tart

Winter, so a time for puddings. And the leek stew the other night put me in mind of English food, English cooking, and (for some reason) Bakewell tart. Something I’ve only ever made once before, many many moons ago. And this, I have to say, wasn’t quite as I remembered it … the problem, I …

Walnuts & chocolate

At the centre of one of the lawns in the Sounds is a walnut tree. It’s been there, oh, forever, and is a real feature of the garden. Beautifully bare & silver-barked in winter, freshly green in spring but, at this time of the year, autumn, with leaves browning & nuts falling on the grass, …