WEEKEND GOODIES

I usually bake at some time during the weekend as by Friday the cookie jars and the cake tins are all empty. One of our very favourite cakes at this time of the year is orange lavender cake. Everyone who tries it expects it to taste like scented soap and ends up asking for the recipe which is very simple.

ORANGE LAVENDER CAKE

1 orange rind and juice

a good tablespoon of lavender flowers

6 oz caster sugar

4 oz softened butter

6 oz self raising flour

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons of milk
Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and light .Add the eggs orange rind and flour and beat again adding the milk as you beat.

Pour the mixture in to a 2lb loaf tin greased and lined and bake a 150oC for 35-40 minutes.
While the cake is baking put three ounces of granulated sugar in to a bowl and add the juice of the orange and the lavender flowers ,stir well.

Remove from the oven and prick full of holes with a tooth pick then spoon the orange mixture evenly over the cake . Leave to cool in the tin.

This cake is wonderful served with vanilla iced cream,it truly is the taste of summer. The addition of a little orange liqueur does this cake no harm what so ever.


SPECIAL CHEESES SCONES

10 oz plain flour

3 0z strong cheddar cheese coarsely grated

3 oz sun dried tomatoes, the ones preserved in oil, chopped finely

2 oz butter

1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

salt and pepper

2 oz Gruyère finely grated

Heat oven to 400oC . Rub the butter in to the flour then add the dry ingredients and mix,add the tomatoes add the milk and mix to form a firm ball of dough.
Roll out to 1” thick and place on a greased baking sheet, gather up any oddments of dough and roll out again until all the mix is used up. Brush with a little milk and sprinkle of some of the Gruyère cheese, bake for 10-12 minutes. Eat warm. Should you have any left over re heat by sprinkling a little water over the scones ,wrap them in a cloth and place in a hot oven for about five minutes.
These scones are equally good if olives are substituted for the tomatoes,you can even be really indulgent and use both at the same time.
A very simple way to make sausage rolls a little more interesting,especially to children is to use shortcrust pastry instead of puff and spread a little tomato purree on the pastry before making the sausage rolls, a light sprinkling of fresh chives or rosemary finely chopped can also be used particularly if mini sausage rolls are required for a buffet.
With the shopping and the cleaning done the weekend is before me and although my son will be gaming all weekend and a steady stream of visitors will call I am looking forward to Sunday when the Postman will not! Cantering down stairs at he crack of dawn to collect parcels is the bane of my life!
Twiggy,dear little soul that she is sat in the garden yesterday afternoon amongst a bevy of newly fledged robins,she watched as they flitted about her and at length fell asleep with one of the birds perched cheekily on the roof of her cat house. I call that conduct above and beyond the call of duty and yo boo to Bill Oddie..cat hater!