Lemon Drizzle Cake

This was a bit on an impromptu cake for a celebration at work. Stuck with the ingredients I had available at 9pm, I decided it was time to make my first lemon drizzle cake (I’m fairly new to the sweet citrus world, usually preferring it savoury). My best friend, Eloise of A Bookworm Baker, was very interested though as she is a lemon drizzle fiend and has been hunting for that ‘perfect’ recipe. Dubious that this would be the one, I nevertheless thought it would make a perfectly acceptable lemon drizzle. Whilst I wouldn’t say perfect (always room for improvement) this really was a splendid cake.

I excitedly informed Eloise that I had possibly found a contender for her perfect lemon drizzle cake and sent her the recipe to try herself. She used brown granulated sugar and reports that  that works too. I based the recipe on a BBC Good Food recipe but adapted and added, to ensure the best lemon to sweet ratio. When I have a lemon cake, I really want to taste the lemon. A colleague took a slice home for her mum (whose favourite cake is lemon drizzle) and I heard reports back that it was the best she had tasted. Now, this may be untrue flattery, but it can only mean it was pretty good at the very least, right?!

Mother’s Day Cookies, A Variety of Shortbread

The internet is a wonderful thing, it enables people half way across the world to get in contact at the touch of a button. I’ve already talked about how thankful I am for my little corner of the internet, but today I’m here to tell a whole different story. A message arrived a few days ago from a mother-daughter duo, Patience Brewster, who make unique gifts, inspiring me to share a recipe that says ‘mothers day’ in my mind and if possible to discuss my mother (and grandmother) and daughter cooking story, in honour of mother’s day in the USA.

When it comes to be being surrounded by good cooks, I was blessed. My mother always kept me in awe in the kitchen with her sugarwork fruit baskets and elaborate birthday cakes that she made me each year. My grandma on my mum’s side was no cook unfortunately, but she left an even greater gift, her recipe for Christmas cake, it was the only thing she was good at making and it just happened to be the best in the world; I’ve shared that story already. Whilst I sadly never met my paternal grandparents, I was truly blessed with hands down the most amazing surrogate (long story) grandparents; the richness they bought to my childhood is immeasurable (along with the number of photos they have of me, along with stories), one (of the many) thing they bought me was a basket full of kitchen tools and cookery equipment, in honour of me starting cookery club. That was 17 years ago, when I was 7 years old and I still use most of those tools today. The first recipe I ever learnt by heart was shortbread. I’ve talked about my shortbread story before but it really is where my cookery journey started; inspired by one incredibly talented and fearless cook, my mother.

Cleansing Green Soup (Broccoli, Spinach and Lemon)

When I spotted this recipe on Deliciously Ella, it was a must make; all the flavours were favourites of mine. I’d like to try different spices in it; I like cumin but I imagine there are many other flavours that would work too, ginger and chilli for example. It is bright green too, which I love as anything that green must be fantastically good for you.

Lemony Spring Baked Risotto

Spring has sprung here in beautifully sunny Scotland, lovely weather for our final day of holiday here. The perfect spring day for a very spring inspired dish.

I have become somewhat of a savoury lemon fiend as of late, especially when combined with Parmesan. Lemon pasta, Lemon & Parmesan broccoli (by the bowl full) and I’ve been craving lemon risotto for a long time. I decided that is was time to fulfill that craving last week but to mix up that baked lemon risotto recipe, from a side dish into a main and throw in some chicken and spring vegetables. Oh man, it was good. I wish I could get the photo to convey how lemony the dish was, but short of dyeing it yellow, it just isn’t possible. It was so lemony and delicious and combined with the Parmesan, just wow. Even better is that it’s an oven risotto, so it doesn’t need constantly stirring.

Sausage, Kale and Cannellini Soup

Let’s talk about Bev Cooks, one of the wittiest bloggers out there. Her blog was a lot about food but since the arrival of two beautiful babies (twins!) in her life a year ago, the blog (whilst still predominantly food) has an element of life style and babies. The babies, oh my god, the babies. I’m not a broody baby lover but the captions Bev writes for the pictures she shares on Instagram, make my day, every single day. Please go and check them out.

This recipe is one of Bev’s favourites and I have been meaning to try it for some time. I snagged a gorgeous bunch of kale at the farmer’s market this weekend and decided  that the moment to make this soup had arrived.

Ok, so I know that it doesn’t look pretty and I know my new year’s resolution is to improve my photography and I will get there! Last night was a rush though, so a quick snap had to suffice. It was jam packed with subtle flavours, a comforting, warm hug in a bowl. I don’t have sausages often but it was a lovely change. I tried a new supermarket that’s just opened near us, they didn’t have any 100% pork (gluten free) sausages so I settled for 97% pork chipolatas. Bev recommends Italian sausages but the choice is yours. The secret is the Parmesan rind. I also got to use some of the delicious bone broth/stock that I’d left to simmer on and off over the weekend. I got a lovely, big bone free from a local butcher and later added the carcass of our roast chicken. I love having home made stock on hand, it makes me feel like I’m succeeding in life, ya know? In a ‘look at me, I work and I have home made stock’ kind of way, it is an illusion that I’ve got my life together. Cooking does that. Anyway….