Muffins are a real family favourite and I love to make muffins with strawberries throughout the summer. These delicious easy, fruity muffins are a perfect summer treat for a picnic, garden party or just to enjoy with a cup of tea alfresco.

I like to serve my muffins slightly warm and they are at there best eaten the day they are made but I have to say I never ahave any left to put in a airtight tin for another day.

For my Strawberry and Cream muffins you are going to need: 250g self raising flour, 150g caster sugar, rind of 1 orange, 1 egg, 75ml sunflower oil, 142ml single cream, 125ml milk, 150g english strawberries and icing sugar for dusting.

First preheat your oven to 180 c/ 350 f/ gas 4. Now shift your flour into a large bowl and grate the rind of the orange placing the rind and sugar in with the sieved flour. Mix together the egg, oil, cream and milk and whisk together before pouring in to the flour mix and mix together with a wooden spoon. Remove the hulls from your strawberries and shop them into small pieces before adding these to the mixture and gently stirring them im. Place the mixture in to silicone muffin moulds or muffin paper cases. You will have enough for 8 to 10 muffins. Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and golden. Then dust with icing sugar to finish and serve warm. Delicious!!!!  I bet you don’t have any left over!

Cooks tip - Try using other fruits like raspberries, blueberries etc for even more fruity muffin ideas!

Take a look at my previous blog silicone bakeware makes it oh so easy to clean and great traditional recipe in my blog classic recipe for Victoria sponge cake, plus there are many many more delicious recipes for you!

With a local fete, carnival or charity event nearly every weekend at the minute, an essential item on any cake stall has to be the Victoria Sandwich Cake.

Although I have played with this recipe with family members with food intolerances using gluten free and wheat free flours and egg substitutes which work well I have to say although these ingredients do mean you have to adjust the liquid quanities in your recipes I have found. There is absolutely nothing to beat this traditional cake. Whether its a birthday cake or for a stall you cannot go wrong with this favourite of cakes and once the recipe is mastered you can add different flavours, fruits etc its endless to this timeless classic.

For my classic victoria sponge cake you are going to need: 100g butter (cut into peices), 100g caster sugar, 2 eggs (beaten lightly), 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 100g self raising flour, pinch of salt, 1 tblsp milk, 3-4 tblsp homemade strawberry or raspberry jam, 120ml double or whipping cream and caster sugar to sprinkle on top for finishing.

First position your oven shelves towards the middle of your oven and preheat your oven to 180 c/350 f/gas 4. Lightly grease 2 X 18cm sandwich tins with oil or butter and line the bases with circles of greaseproof baking paper which should then be oiled or buttered. Start your sponge by creaming together the butter and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl. You can do this using a wooden spoon or a hand-held mixer (or even a food processor), until light and fluffy. Then gradually beat in the eggs a bit at a time being careful not to let it curdle. You can add a little flour with the egg to stop this if needed. Stir in the vanilla extract and sift the flour and salt into a bowl then using a large metal spoon fold the flour and salt into the cake mix gently, before gently adding the milk. Be gentle to keep the air bubble in the mixture which you have took the time to add which cause the cake to rise.

Then divide the mixture between the prepared tins and level the surface. Place in your preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The cake is cooked when the surface is golden brown, and when lightly touched it springs back. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for a few minutes. The remove the cakes from their tins and cool on the wire rack and then remove the lining paper.

When completely cooled sandwich the cake together with the jam and whipped cream before sprinkling the top with caster sugar and placing a sliced strawberry to decorate before serving.

Tips - remember to keep your cake in a airtight tin and in the fridge if it lasts more than one meal sitting that is (mine never make it that far, its always eatten in full!)  Also make sure you use the right cake tin size for the recipe else as my daughter Emma found you could end up with a biscuit. If your using 20cm cake tins you need to have 175g butter, caster sugar, self raising flour and 3 eggs for instance to get the same light and fluffy sponge. Also if you haven’t got a wire rack to cool your cake on use the rack from you grill pan and improvise!

Why not tell me about your cake greats and dissastors too, and we can put them together with my own collection for a future fun blog for us all!

Check out my previous blogs perfect raspberry jam recipe for your toast and cakes, irresistable eggless cake and quick homemade teatime treats just to name, but a few of blogs containing delicious cake recipes for you to try!

Its indulgent with a great nutty texture that your guest will adore! Whether you use it as a cake, dessert or pudding is entirely up to you but make sure you give it pride of place at the dining table. Its a Fabulous dessert in my eyes to impress your guest with but without taking you hours of preparation and cooking time.

Check out my previous blog Traditional Soda Bread Recipe for some great silicone baking sheets which you can use for this recipe rather than tin baking sheets.

So here we go for my fantastic Raspberry Roulade you are going to need:

350g raspberries, 1/2 tsp mixed spice, 50g ground toasted hazelnuts, 2 tblsp chestnut puree ( you can use the remaining puree in soups, breads or even in stuffings with your Sunday Roast), 4 large free range eggs, 225g caster sugar, 150g pot of greek yogurt (or homemade see my previous blog yogurt recipe depends on milk used), and 2 tsp icing sugard to dust with.

Firstly preheat the oven to 180 c/ gas 4 and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Whisk your egg whites for 4 minutes until it forms firm peaks. Add the sugar and whisk again until stiff. Mix the chestnut puree with the ground hazelnuts and mixed spice to form a paste and fold this into your meringue mixture. Spread your meringue mixture on to the baking sheet to form a large rectangle and cook for 25 minutes. Leave this to cool. Meanwhile puree 150g of your raspberries in a blender and ass sweetner to taste and pour into a serving jug. Then crush the remaining raspberries into the yogurt. Dust a clean surface with icing sugar and place meringue topside down on to the dusted icing sugar and spread your meringue with your raspberry cream before rolling up. Placing your meringue roulade on a serving plate scatter with remaining raspberries and serve with your raspberry coulis you prepared earlier in a jug.

Have you got a favourite dessert recipe you would like to share with us?

I am sure many of us stop to think what can we do to make someone specials birthday that extra special. Well one very special person in my life like many of this is my Mum, like me Grandma she too believes in wholesome local and seasonal food as we were both taught to cook by her.

Wanting to make her birthday extra special we were looking to serve her a great birthday breakfast as a real treat.

Other breakfast recipes can be found in my previous blog ‘yogurt recipe depends on milk used’. You could also look at my previous blog ‘perfect omelettes’ too.

I knew exactly the breakfast Mum loves and headed for Red Hill Farm for fresh farm eggs straight from the field from their free range hens. Heading back Ed had already started to put together a tray fit for a queen together with a vase of flowers from the garden.

What were we preparing for this very special lady well one of her favourites scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. While Ed set about preparing his grandmother a cup of the best earl grey I got together the ingredients.

You will need: 4 Large free range eggs, pinch of cayenne pepper, 2 tsp butter, 2 small bunches of cherry tomatoes on the vine, 2 thick slices of homebaked bread, 50g fresh smoked scottish salmon cut into strips and fresh dill.

Start by preheating your grill and line your grill pan with foil. Place your beaten eggs, cayenne pepper and butter in a nonstick pan and cook on a low heat. Make sure you stir gently and constantly with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes until the egg is softly set. While cooking your eggs, grill your vine cherry tomatoes for about 5 minutes until softened and they are starting to split. Toast your bread, butter and cut in half (like triangles).  Placing 2 triangles of toast on a plate, then top with scrambled egg, pile on the smoked scottish salmon strips and snip some fresh dill over the top using scissors. Serve with you extra toast triangles and grilled tomatoes.

Putting together our tray complete with tea, toast, flowers & birthday breakfast, not forgetting the birthday cards we headed for the bedroom with a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’. To say she was delighted and enjoyed her breakfast was a understatement she loved it.

What would you serve that special someone for breakfast in bed, why not send in your recipes for a tasty special breakfast!

If your planning a birthday party check out my previous blog ‘The Big Dipper’.

For a great toaster with great functions for full use in your kitchen try this Morphy Richards accents polished stainless steel pause and check toaster. With its great function to Pause and Check your toast without interrupting the toasting cycle for perfect toast and removable crumb tray to keep your toaster clean and tidy, the crumb tray can be removed to clean. This toaster also has a hi lift facility to remove smaller items from your toaster such as crumpets etc. you can use this lift on the lever to safety remove these; along with a variable browning control allows you to set the browning of your toast so you can have your toast just the way you like it. One of the best functions is the deep vari-width toasting chamber - thick doorsteps or thin wafers, whatever your choice of bread the variable bread width function can cater for your needs, so you can toast homemade bread too, which some toasters just cannot accomodate.
 

One thing alot of people struggle with is dairy and I am very often asked to make a eggless cake. This recipe has developed to suit our tastes shall I say but its moist, chocolaty, keeps well in a airtight tin and no one will ever know that this cake is different, just simply delicious!!!!

Making a eggless cake can be a nightmare, however you can buy various egg substitutes and use alternative ingredients like oil and rising agents so try my chocolaty cake.

You will need: 225g light soft brown sugar, 400g self raising flour, 50g cocoa powder, 5ml baking powder, 125g creamed coconut, pinch of salt, 200ml sunflower oil & icing sugar for dusting.

First you need to oil and line a 1.7 litre loaf tin. Then pour 650ml boiling water over the coconut and stir until dissolved and then cool. Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder & salt into a bowl and mix together with the sugar. Making a well in the centre, pour in the coconut mixture and the oil and using a wooden spoon beat the ingredients until a smooth batter. Pour this into the prepared tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180 c/ 350 f/ gas 4 for 1 1/2 hours or until well risen and firm to touch. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for around 10 minutes then turn out on to a wire cake rack and allow to cool before dusting with icing sugar before you serve.

Make sure you have the tool for the job and have the right loaf/cake tin to obtain perfect results for your baking. I love these flexible silicone bakeware so check out this great tefal jamie oliver silicone bakeware loaf tin. It dosen’t get as hot as conventional bakeware and its so easy to get your cake out once baked.

There are loads of ways to serve your eggless sponge, you can serve this as it comes with a cup of tea in the afternoon or why not add fruits and whipped cream to a piece for a scrummy summer dessert.

Have you tried baking without certain key ingredients and made substitutes, how did you get on??

Stuffing a omelette is an easy way to transform a handful of eggs into a delicious dish in a matter of minutes. This can add flavour like fresh variety of mushrooms in a cream sauce, or a generous scattering of freshly picked herbs. The filling can also build substance like potato in a cheesey sauce, it can also offer the chance to use up left overs too. There are no rules to stuffing an omelette so you can experiment with your own variety of favourite flavours.

For perfect results where the egg is light, layered & slightly runny always make individual omelettes using a 15 to 18 cm omelette pan.    The Le Creuset non-stick omelette pan made from tough, durable enamelled cast iron which has excellent heat retaining properties. Each piece is unique, cast from molten iron in a sand mould which is used only once. Suitable for all cooker types and it is dishwasher safe

For 2 people break 4 to 6 eggs into a large measuring jug, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper and beat together. Put 15g of butter into your omelette pan over a high heat and when it is sizzling pour half of your egg mixture into your omelette pan and stir quickly with a fork. Draw the set mixture to the centre and tilt the pan to allow the uncooked egg to run underneath. Cook until the omelette is golden brown underneath but still moist on top. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon half of your choosen filling down the middle (slightly off centre) then fold the rest of the omelette over to enclose the filling as you roll it from the pan onto a plate and serve immediately.  (I cover with foil to keep it warm in the oven while I make the other omelettes so we can eat together).

One of our favourite fillings for omelettes is Haddock Cream: Simply skin, bone and flake 100g of cooked smoked haddock. Warm through the fish in 3 tablespoons of double cream stirring in 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley and plenty of black pepper. You could also used smoked salmon or even trout for this too which work well.

Tell me about your favourite omelette filling?

I developed this great finale to any dinner party over the years. If your in our house no meal is complete without some form of dessert, even if we are heading for the cheese & fruit platter. Sweet Toothes hey! we all know one and my house is no exception.

So I developed a twist on a great british traditional pudding to give not only fabulous flavours, enough sweetness to melt the heart of even the sweetest of toothes amoungst us; but also packed with a good source of vitamins A, B C E, iron, calcium, selenium & zinc, too good to be true I know, and there is more.

This fantastic pudding can be made in advance and kept in a fridge, so no last minute panic.

What am I talking about well its Luxurious, warming & colourful Fruity Bread & Butter pudding!

Your going to need: 350ml full cream milk, 300g fresh or frozen mixed fruit of your choice, 50g butter, 8 slices of wholemeal bread, 3 tablespoons of light muscovado sugar, 2 large eggs, 1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract, nutmeg for grating & icing sugar to decorate. Oh and either fresh cream, greek yogurt or custard to serve with your finished pudding.

Preheat your oven to 220 c/425 f/ gas 7, heat the milk gently in a pan, do not let it boil. Grease 4 overproof ramekins. Remove the crusts from the bread and butter the slices cutting into 4 triangles. Arrange a few pieces in bottom of each dish (pointing slightly upwards) then add a spoonful of your fruit mix and a sprinkling of sugar then repeat this process until all the bread and fruit it used up ending with a layer of bread in each dish. Break your eggs in a bowl and whisk lightly, stir in the warm milk and vanilla. Whisk again and carefully pour over the custard mix evenly into each pudding dish. Grate a little nutmeg over each of the puddings and place them on a baking tray before baking for 15 minutes or until set and golden brown. To serve sift icing sugar over the tops and serve with cream, yogurt or custard of your choice.

 I think this funky Le Creuset Stoneware Heart Shaped Ramekin Gift sets are great they look superb and make a pudding special, so surprise your guest by serving your desserts in something extra special like them ! ahhhhh!

 They are stylish tableware for both entertaining and everyday use, coming in their fabulous     Espresso Exterior finish, they offer the perfect presentation for individual desserts. Suitable for use in the Freezer, Dishwasher, Oven,Grill and Microwave and each ramekin holds 0.3l and is 11cm in diameter.

Whats your dinner party finale! (& keep it clean please!)