-
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives
Author Archives: Fiona
Vegan month and slow beginnings
Oh hello spring. I see you there, all coy, flirting with us then dashing away when we get all hopeful. I saw crocuses last week, little purple cups scooping up sunlight next to snowdrops, and a fat, heavy bumble bee bobbing dopily through the cold. March is meat-free month; for me it’s a month of veganism. Continue reading
a break
A month later and we are still cooking without a proper light – ever tried chopping onions lit only by a string of fairy lights? The kitchen is dark, gloomy and deeply uninspiring. Cue fat sweet-dough rolls with an egg, and sugar, and melted butter, wrapped round lovely vegetarian sausages and brushed with a butter sugar crisp. Continue reading
a return and a challenge
So my challenge is this: one cook book recipe a week, every week, without fail. That could be anything, from cookies to cheesecake, mains, starters, drinks or snacks. With that recipe, a blog post. Continue reading
Posted in me
Leave a comment
pumpkin pie
I’m learning my way round a gas oven (oh hellooooooooooooo, sexy gas hob), the oven’s a bit under temp but I’ve just turned out a perfect loaf so I feel like I know my way round it now. My first big project with the oven was pumpkin pie. Continue reading
love and cupcakes
I met a boy, who I already knew like the back of my hand. We kissed and all sorts of things that had been fizzing around inside me fell gently into place. I haven’t heard from him in weeks, so I’m enjoying the first days of autumn alone. Autumn promises spice and warmth, and nothing evokes them for me like pumpkin recipes. Cinnamon, eggs, butter, sugar, and pumpkin. I start work tomorrow, so a batch of pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon icing, and for the vegan staff vegan chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting. Continue reading
Posted in cupcakes, desserts
Tagged buttercream, chocolate, cupcakes, frosting, pumpkin, spice
Leave a comment
pecan caramel rolls
These are not diet food – some are going to have to go in the freezer for fear I get into the shop and my arteries spontaneously clang shut, cutting short my dreams of a Lush Christmas. They’re perfect with strong coffee; buttery caramel oozes over crisp pecans and soft, fluffy cinnamon bread. Continue reading
Posted in pastries, sweet dough
Tagged caramel, cinnamon, dough, pecans, rolls, spiced, sweet
3 Comments
Foodie gifts
My little sister turned 23 on Wednesday! Happy birthday, dear. I had a beautiful tote bag made for her from Alexander Henry robot print fabric, and filled it with home made goodies. I’m not very crafty so it was really satisfying to have a gift made up of things I’d made specially for her. Continue reading
peach cobbler
Magic and food are never far apart, and what really enticed me through Beautiful Creatures (lovely story, rubbish ending) was the food. After a funny old weekend, I wanted sugary summery sweetness. Peaches nestled in sugar under a creamy, fluffy topping, crunch with demerara sugar. Continue reading
a rare bright day
The sun is shining, the breeze is whipping away the clouds. In my garden, sweet peas are climbing everything but their canes, french beans have conquered the bird feeder, little green butternut squash are fattening happily. Continue reading
marmalade bread and butter pudding
Spiced sugared fruit, tangy orange marmalade and a rich egg custard. Perfect food for the strange, grey, monsoon-like summer we’ve had here for the last month. The reservoirs might be low, but luckily we don’t need those banned hosepipes anyway. Continue reading