These are classic British jam doughnuts, sugar-crusted and round-bellied. Doughnuts are a bit of a faff, but I think they’re worth it if you have the time, energy, and appetite. To me, they unite two skills to great effect: yeast doughs and deep frying. I heartily recommend roping in helpers, since even the smallest possible batch makes … Continue reading
A classic Victoria sponge: light, tender, buttery cake sandwiching a tangy-sweet layer of raspberry jam and buttercream. Don’t tell any of them in the WI, but I filled the sponge with homemade raspberry honey lemongrass jam. You can of course use any raspberry jam you want–perhaps choose one which isn’t overly sweet so it balances the buttercream … Continue reading
Strawberries have come. Ideally you’d eat them fresh, perhaps with some cream and a little sugar (and maybe a drop of balsamic vinegar), but sometimes life gets the better of you and you end up a few quid’s worth of strawberries sitting in the fridge. At other times, strawberries are disappointing and you’ve decided you want to make them more … Continue reading
The original banoffee pie is perfect as it is, but for this year’s Easter lunch I wanted to make something that was familiar and very welcome but also a bit different. I’m hesitant to call this a straight-up chocolate banoffee pie because the chocolate doesn’t actually dominate in the way that such a name would suggest. The aim was for the chocolate … Continue reading
Quite unlike Tara’s charming rhubarb story, the main way I’ve come by rhubarb recently is squatting on the pavement, picking out stalks from a crate. Once I encountered a slug so tiny that it was like the crescent of dirt beneath one’s fingernail. It glistened on the rhubarb stem. I flicked it off: no need for a … Continue reading
I think some households are united in having a particular aspect they love about a big meal, and take extra care over it in the making. They might focus on perfect rice (fluffy or stuck), or ridiculously good crackling, or maybe a huge pile of tender, sweet parsnips. All the other components of the meal … Continue reading
January has so far seen many, many failures. These buns are the result of learning and succeeding. I bequeath them to you: a perfect balance of sweet and tart swirled into rich, tender dough. The icing is a bonus. You don’t have to have it, but I’d recommend it. These are adapted from Deb’s cranberry … Continue reading
Oh, so loverly sittin’ absobloominlutely still I would never budge till spring Crept over me winder sill… Which will happen when, Britain, when?! Come on, Spring!!! Move your bloomin’ arse, etc. etc. I had an enjoyable Easter break. In Britain, there’s a long weekend around Easter, Good Friday to Easter Monday inclusive, which is (in … Continue reading
Yeah, I went there. Or rather, Nigella Lawson went there first in ‘Feast’, which is one of my favourite cook books. I think she conveys quite well the sort of feelings I have towards Valentine’s Day: she talks about her all-round cynicism (and it’s this darker side of Nigella which comes through in her writing … Continue reading
The Furious Pear Pie 
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