We've not been away, as such, but we've been back in hospital. Niblet got a strange version of impetigo, and ended up needing IV antibiotics.... I'm not 100% convinced that was what he had, but he's on the mend and seems to be responding well to the antibiotics. Fingers crossed that he carries on improving!
I had so many blog post ideas to do, that haven't been posted... it's been radio silence. Sorry about that!
I was meant to go back to school for our INSET (training) days on Monday, but being with Niblet in hospital made that somewhat impossible.... I'll have to catch up on what I missed when I go in on Friday.
Tea for
Last week, there was a bank holiday on the Monday, and my husband invited some of his friends over for tea and cakes.... I hadn't realised that there would be 9 people, one of which was very anti-cake! I had fun baking, but very little time - only just over an hour, and I still had Niblet to look after, so if you want some quick cake ideas, read on!
My first bake was a classic scone... I used an old recipe my Mum gave me, which she got from Good Food, which a few alterations to make it suitable.
Simple Sultana Scones
350g self-raising flour , plus more for dusting
¼ tsp salt (I left this out to make it baby-friendly)
1 tsp baking powder
45g Pure Olive / Sunflower marg
40g Trex vegetable shortening
3 tbsp caster sugar
175ml milk (I used rice milk) with 1 tsp cider vinegar added
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 big handful sultanas (or other dried fruit)
- Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the fats, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar. Add the sultanas.
- In a jug, mix the milk, the cider vinegar and the vanilla and set aside. You can warm it to body temperature, which is meant to help the rise, but I didn't bother.
- Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife - it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then pat into a round about 4cm deep.
- Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. By this point you'll probably need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Brush the tops with a little more milk, then carefully place onto a baking tray.
- Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/fan140C/gas 3) for a few mins to refresh.
My next bake was going to be a Victoria Sandwich, but it didn't really work properly. It came out far too moist, and bits of the top stuck to the tin, so it wasn't going to work like that... How to salvage it? Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting... I know, I know, it's a bit chavvy, but it tasted good, it was there when I needed it, and it doesn't contain anything we can't eat....
Vanilla Fudge Cake (AKA Disaster sponge!)
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
175g caster sugar
175g dairy free marg (I used Pure Olive)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3tsp Orgran egg replacer whisked with 6tbsp water.
Heat the oven to fan 180C.
In a stand mixer, cream together the marg and the sugar. Add the vanilla and baking powder and mix well. Add about 1/3 of the flour and 1/3 egg replacer. Mix well. Add the next third of each. Mix. Add the last bit of flour and egg replacer. Mix well, scraping down the sides to make sure it is all combined.
Pour the mixture evenly between two greased and lined sandwich tins, level out, making a slight well in the middle, to allow the cake to rise evenly. Don't do as I did, don't skimp on lining the tin. I didn't bother, I just sprayed it with cake release. This time, it didn't release! Bake for about 20mins, or until a skewer comes out clean from the middle of the cake. Turn the cakes onto a baking rack once cooked.
Allow the cake to cool thoroughly before icing. I used about 1/3 of the tub in the centre, and the rest on the top and sides. I then shaved some dark chocolate onto the top to make it look prettier.... It didn't look at all like a Victoria Sandwich, but it sure tasted good! I'd make it again like a shot!
My third cake was the minty brownies from Sweet Vegan. They were great... I didn't do a buttercream icing, I made a green water icing with a little peppermint essence. I added to much green though, and then look a bit too bright! They seemed to get brighter by the minute! I didn't do the chocolate topping either, as I didn't have any suitable chocolate. They still tasted yummy though, and I would recommend them.
