It's here

My new blog, not nicer weather sadly.

I haven't posted in quite a few days... my time in Paris is sadly coming to a close and I've been busy both at work and out. I also had to leave the blog alone so that I could give Michelle of ShabbyCreations time to do her magic, and it is all finished now!

I had wanted a makeover and found Michelle online - her work is beautiful. Michelle asked me to provide as much detail about what I wanted as possible. I drew this terrible doodle - I can't even figure out how to attach it (does anyone know how to attach a pdf?) - of small caps writing and a handwritten 'and', of flourishes and cake stands. Anyway, Michelle was able to very quickly transform my vision into a header. She gave me several options and I tweaked things. I love the outcome! The hardest choice for me was what to do with the buttons. Michelle proposed a number of flourishes and fonts, but in the end I wanted cake stands! I decided that they looked more original.

Hopefully this will be the start of a better blog!

Lately I have been baking simpler, fresher tasting things because I am in the mood for summer and feel 'done' with gingerbread, chocolate (blasphemy, I know) and cinnamon things for now. My palate says that it is time for berries, fresh lemonade, light cakes. If only the weather would cooperate!

Here is a very simple and easy cake that is refreshing in case you feel, like me, that we might just be able to summon some sunshine if only we ate 'sunny' food... here's hoping!

Apple and raspberry lemon cake.

Ingredients

2 cups + 2 tbsp flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 apple, peeled and diced
200g raspberries
1 lemon (grate rind, then squeeze juice)
icing sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 9x13 pan with foil.

2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Combine sugar and butter.

4. Add eggs, beating well to combine.

5. Fold in flour mixture and grated lemon rind.

6. Fold in apples.

7. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan.

8. Insert raspberries one by one into batter with fingers (mixing these in will squash them).

9. Place in oven and bake until cooked through, when top slightly bounces back to the touch, about 30 minutes.

10. Take juice of 1/2 lemon and heat on saucepan, adding icing sugar (about 1 1/2 cups) until dissolved. The result should be a fairly clear and liquid icing, not a thick one.

11. Pour icing over cake, wait to cool, cut and serve.




New pink things

I treated myself to some lovely new baking things: a ginormous mixing bowl and some pie dishes in baby pink... aren't they sweet? I'm already thinking of the girlie teas I will host!