Who doesn’t love a bit of retro? Depending on the decade in which you were born in though, retro could be anything from shoulder pads & Rubik’s cubes to popper trousers & Tamagotchi’s (probably giving away my own era there). Fashions of the past aside, retro is a term that we also apply to food. …
Crackers, the savoury cousin of the biscuit. Simple, crunchy & the perfect partner to a whole host of toppings. Eat them on their own, with meats, cheeses, dips or spreads. You can even crumble them into a steaming bowl of soup, like a cheat’s crouton with more substance. In my opinion though, the main purpose …
Winter, it’s cold, miserable & gloomy (for the most part anyway – I’m not a January person). Baking in winter leaves us pretty limited to the store cupboard, but that doesn’t mean that winter baking has to be dull, flavourless & boring… We may not have the colour & freshness that the other seasons can …
Do you ever find yourself with a tonne of leftovers in the limbo period between Christmas & New Years…? You’re living solely off of turkey sandwiches, Quality Street & ‘plates’ as we like to call them, basically an amalgamation of bits of cheese, leftover pieces of roast vegetables & Yorkshire puddings put together to to …
Quite possibly the ultimate nostalgic treat, a simply timeless cake, would have to be the humble Swiss roll. Although it may have fallen out of fashion & been a bit neglected in a world full of cronuts & rainbow cakes, this lighter than air little sponge cake is still much loved by the nation (& …
Sweet, sticky, buttery liquid gold, who doesn’t love caramel? It tastes amazing with absolutely anything it touches, anything! You’ve really hit the jackpot though if it accompanies any nuts or chocolate. Probably one of my earliest experiences of caramel would be the now extinct Cadbury Taz bar (like a Freddo but better!), for just 10p of …
Light, golden, flaky pastry housing a substantial seasoned, meaty, filling… is there anything more gratuitous & comforting than a good sausage roll? A British institution, gracing picnics, parties & buffets since the dawn of time (dates may not be accurate). Big, cylindrical, hand-sized feasts or small, bite-sized, mouthfuls, it’s the snack that can be enjoyed both hot …
There are but few times in the year when I actually get excited to bake something a little bit decorative & themed…. Easter, Christmas & Halloween (you may have noticed). I’m more of a fondant-fearer by nature, someone who would quite happily pass over any cupcake for something less smothered in buttercream & more substantial …
The season has well & truly changed, the long, mild days of summer are but a distant memory as we turn our thoughts to chunky knits & wonder when to put the heating back on. With Autumn comes a whole new season of produce, not just pumpkins & root vegetables but also apples & pears. …
Foragers make haste, blackberry season is here! That’s right, September has arrived & than can mean only one thing… blackberry picking! Britain’s hedgerows are currently gleaming with juicy berries, ripe for the picking (even better it’s free!). The first blackberries will have already started to appear in late August but September & October are also …
