Individual Soured Cream Cakes with Butter Glaze

We had an old friend to come to visit and stay over night on Saturday. We had a blast: catching up on the last few years, laughing (he's a seriously funny guy) and generally relaxing in the early summer sun that graced our weekend. For supper that evening I cooked pizzas: tomato, chilli and sweet potato; asparagus, feta and pistachio and kale, onion and parmesan, which I served with a big green salad. For pudding, I made these individual soured cream cakes with butter glaze and served them alongside berries and mascarpone. I followed this recipe from BBC Good Food.

For a while I had been wanting to create some pretty little cakes. I bought a dainty tin mould for the purpose, but no matter how much I buttered and floured the tin, the cakes would get stuck and break when I attempted to ease them out. Needless to say I gave up with that tin. It was while in Milan last month that I came across a rather pretty silicone version of the original tin. I decided to try my luck and bought it. This recipe was its big moment - would the baked cakes come out effortlessly or would they become trifle sponges? I'm pleased to say that they popped out with no effort required. I think they are really pretty. No doubt there will be other versions of these appearing on the blog in time.

On the subject of pretty things, I just had to share these photographs of my gorgeous Hydrangea. It was my impulse purchase from my local florist last week. I simply adore its colour. It's in my kitchen and every time I see it, it makes me smile. That's 'flower power' for you.

Home Grown

I've kind of fallen out-of-love with our allotment. It happens every now and then. It's a rocky relationship at the best of times. It demands so much time and being someone who likes stuff in order, it frustrates me that I can't keep on top of it all of the time. I know I'm being unrealistic and must cut myself a bit of gardening slack, but that is how it is with me.

I wrote post earlier this year, full of enthusiasm about my big plans to grow cut flowers down the allotment. Well it started off pretty good, but then the rain came and stayed (and stayed some more) preventing me from having as much time down the plot as I would have wanted or needed. I do, however have a very modest (unkempt) cut flower patch from some of the seeds I sowed back in the early spring. The picture above shows a few vases of them. I won't be having a 'glut' and my local florist won't lose my custom, but I'm enjoying them all the same and it hasn't completely dampen my enthusiasm to try and grow more next year. I am, however, hoping that Mr G will keep to his word and build me a cold frame on our balcony in time for next years sowing, so those seedlings can be kept warm and dry and have half a chance whatever the weather brings.

A Good Friday

Ahh, four whole days off. Although there is a nip in the air, it is sunny and full of promise. We're spending part of our Easter holiday with family & friends and part of it at home. A perfect mix. Today was a home day and a productive one at that. You know those rare days when you actually get stuff done and feel pretty good about it? Well it's been one of those. 

First off, yesterday, I made Hot Cross Buns for the very first time (with the kids as my ever willing kitchen helpers). I've always been slightly nervous of cooking anything involving yeast. I am rather weak at kneading. However since getting my Kitchen Aid, I've become rather more adventurous, and with my dough hook I and am up for the challenge. 

I started making them at 2pm. There were two rounds of kneading and waiting for the dough to rise, piping the crosses and once baked, coating the buns with a glaze. It was 8pm, by the time they were ready, albeit due to trying to cook dinner in the middle of it all and helping put the kids to bed. 

With half of my household having a fierce hatred of dried fruit, I replaced the fruit in half the recipe with plain chocolate chips. It was trial and error; but it was a success. Both the traditional and the  chocolate versions tasted divine; a world away from the shop bought ones. I will, without doubt, be making them again next year. I love a 'culinary tradition'.

But, the real achievement of the day has to be the window boxes. We use to have window boxes, but when we had the exterior of our house painted four years ago, we had to take them down. Today they finally went back. It was just one of those jobs that never got done. They're only small window boxes, four in total, but they do make the house look pretty in the summer. I planted them up with some red Geraniums, yellow Viola and blue, white and purple Trailing Lobelia. I also popped in some seeds: yellow and orange Trailing Nasturtium and some pale blue and 'Persian Jewels' Nigella. They look rather tame at the moment, showing just a small splash of colour, but over the next few months, I'm hoping for a riot of colour in my boxes. It is one of lives little pleasures to be greeted by beautiful flowers when you draw back the curtains each morning.

Flower Power

Image: House Plant Guru.

OK, even as I type this I know I'm adding unnecessary pressure by making such an early announcement. But hey, with something to prove I'm more likely to succeed right? 

Well here it is. This year I am going to grow cut flowers down the allotment. Loads of them. Beautiful varieties. Vases of blooms will fill my home all summer long and beyond. I'll give bunches to friends and neighbours if I have a 'glut'. Everyone will benefit (except for my local florist - sorry Lynette, but your beautiful shop has probably gone some way to ignite this passion within me).

I've much to learn. A lot. From scratch. But I've a great starting point. I've ordered my 'starter pack' of seeds from Higgledy Garden. Winging their way to me are no less than twenty varieties of seeds:

Amaranthus, Ammi Majus, Bupleureum, Calendula ‘Art Shades’,Carnation ‘Superb', Phlox ‘Grandiflora Mix’, Cornflowers ‘Blue Ball’,Cleome ‘Violet Queen’, Cosmos ‘Purity’, Cosmos ‘Sensation’, Godetia. ‘Double Crown Mix’, Gypsophilia. ‘Covent Garden’, Helianthus. ‘Earthwalker’,Larkspur Giant Imperials ‘Crown Blend Mix’, Lupin ‘Sunrise’, Aster ‘Ostrich Plumes’, Nicotinana ‘Lime Green’, Nigella. Love in the mist ‘Persian Jewels’, Ricinus, Scabiosa. Pin Cushion Flower Tall Crown Mix. Then I added a pack each of Sweet Pea Beaujolais and Sweet Pea Purfumed Delight as I just couldn't resist.

Higgledy Garden's customer service is second to none. Their blog is crammed full of useful information and tips so you feel you have someone to 'hold your hand' along the way.

It's all very exciting. Roll on Spring; I can't wait to get started!

The Power of Flowers

I love flowers. They are a bit of a vice of mine. I wouldn't like to add up how much I spend on flowers a year. Don't get me wrong, I don't have Elton John style habit. I don't have cascading floral blooms billowing from vases strewn throughout my home, but more often than not there will be a vase of flowers in my living room. Usually just something seasonal and simple; tulips in the spring, peonies or stocks in the summer. They instantly brighten a room creating a happy welcoming space.

Every now and then I will pick up some flowers from my local florist, Viva Verde in Hove. It's the most gorgeous shop. It's crammed with beautiful bits and pieces that compliment the ever-impressive selection of overblown blooms for sale. Antique pieces of garden furniture sit alongside vintage teacups, plant pots, interesting vases and various curios. The owner Lynnette has given her shop a very personal style which makes it stand apart from your average florist. Miles apart in fact.

But it's not all about looks. Lynnette and her staff are generous with their knowledge, happy to advise on flowers that they sell. I often go there to buy flowers to decorate my cakes and their advice on 'long lasting' and 'good traveling flowers' is always much appreciated. 

But what I love the most about my local florist is that every time I go in my eyes are greeted with a floral rainbow of blooms quite different to what was there on my last visit. Nearly every time I visit, there will be some extraordinary bloom to tempt me. Whether a bunch or a few stems, I can take some blooms home to live in my living room and make that makes me happy.