Sliced Plum Frangipane Tart

I bought a punnet of plums from Aldi, these were an impulse purchase based on price and the fact that the plums looked so pretty! There were only 5 plums and I decided that cutting them up into slices was the way to go.

The buttery pastry base is easy to make and likewise with the frangipane topping. I was slightly concerned the plum slices would sink but amazingly they stayed on top to show how bright they are. I sprinkled over some flaked almonds and crushed over a few amaretti biscuits.

Mixed Seed Loaf

It's Real Bread Week - there is nothing more satisfying than making your own bread, I'm not an expert bread maker but make my own week after week.

This recipe is full of flavour using sesame seed oil, and honey as a sweetener. A mixture of white and wholemeal strong flour ensures the bread isn't heavy and gives a light crumb.

I made my loaf into a twisted shape which whilst not perfectly formed doesn't make a jot of difference to the end result.  After all, home baking isn't about making everything look Instagram perfect or production line perfect, it's home cooking in the kitchen and enjoying the process of making a loaf of bread.

Eggless Chocolate Cake

I was given this recipe by a family member, her grand daughter has in the past been unable to eat dairy products and this is the turn to recipe which is perfect for everyone, including all chocoholics.  I've very slightly adapted the recipe. My icing includes dairy but the cake is just as delicious without any topping. The cake is moist, improves and gets quite sticky after a couple of days. We served ours with creme fraiche and it's also fabulous with a dollop of ice cream.

Spicy Red Lentil Soup

A warming bowl of delicious spicy soup that is quick to make but has a ridiculously long list of ingredients.

The recipe is very versatile and the sweet paprika can be swapped with smoked sweet paprika, next time I make this soup I'll add a chopped carrot to give a more interesting texture and I'll cut down on the amount of lentils.

Lentils aren't a pulse I usually cook with but they're only about £1.00 a bag, are super good for you, don't require any soaking and can be used to thicken stews and soups.

The mixed seeded bread is made in the Thermomix and I'll post the recipe for this over the next few weeks.

Thermomix Soft White Bread

There is nothing quite like making your own bread. I've never been one to break out into a sweat kneading bread dough and any piece of kitchen equipment that helps make life easier is okay by me.

I find it easier to make the bread dough in the evening and then place the covered dough overnight in the fridge. In the morning take the risen dough from the fridge, allow to come up to room temperature for an hour or so, and then remove the air and shape ready for the next prove.

This is the recipe I mostly use and it will also work perfectly in the bread maker on the dough setting (using instant dried yeast only) or using a stand mixer.

Easy Pea and Mint Soup

Home made soup takes some beating. Can you believe that I've never eaten or made a pea and mint soup, that is until now. As you know I'm a bit of a gadgeteer and this soup was made in my Thermomix but if you've bought a soup maker, or are thinking about buying one for the winter months, then this recipe is a great one to try.

Christmas Chocolate Chip Shortbread

It's that time of the year again! Christmas wouldn't be the same without munching on a piece of buttery shortbread, but for extra indulgence I added a handful of dark chocolate chips. There's little point in counting calories at this time of the year, let's save it for January 2018.

Thermomix Casserole Dish Baked Bread

The crust on this bread took me by surprise! One of the ladies on the Thermomix forum gave me a few hints and tips on how to bake bread in a casserole dish and for my first attempt I was more than a tad pleased. I think on this occasion the crust was the star rather than the crumb but homemade bread doesn't have to be perfect. Even though I say so myself, that crust is amazing.

Thermomix Tomato and Mozzarella Pizza

This is a very straightforward pizza, a standard pizza dough topped with organic tinned chopped tomatoes and grated mozzarella.

The original recipe says to knead for 2 minutes but that's not long enough, knead for 4 minutes and you'll end up with a fabulous dough.

Mini Chocolate Cakes with Strawberries

Strawberries are still being sold on Bridgnorth market and these were really sweet, fragrant and juicy.
As we know, baking doesn't always deliver what we expect and these cakes were made from a chocolate cake which didn't quite go to plan.

The cocoa powder didn't mix into the raw cake batter, my cake was a little heavy but rather than throw the chocolate sponge away I cut out tiny rounds and topped them with swirls of vanilla and chocolate icing.

Cream Tea Cupcakes Recipe

These cupcakes are a lighter alternative to the usual scones, possibly not lighter in calories though I'm afraid, but at least there is an element of portion control!

It's very rare that I buy clotted cream but I made an exception for these cupcakes and I'm really pleased that I did.

The cupcakes are really easy to make and can be made in a food processor, food mixer or Thermomix.

Thermomix Berries and Cherries Smoothie Recipe

I made this smoothie a couple of weeks ago when the sun was shining non stop here in the West Midlands, unfortunately this last week it's been rain, sunshine, rain, sunshine.

Redcurrants from my garden, a mixture of cherries and blueberries from the freezer and the last orange from the fruit bowl all make a delicious and refreshing smoothie.

White Bloomer Bread Recipe

I've never made so much bread since owning my Thermomix. It takes only a few minutes to make the most amazing bread dough. I don't think I've bought bread for many a year, this isn't entirely due to my newest kitchen gadget because previously I used my bread maker to make complete loaves of bread or just using the dough function. Even now I can be found mixing bread in the Thermie and the bread maker is on the work surface making dough or a complete loaf of bread.

Mini Strawberry Pavlova

One of my favourite desserts has to be pavlova. Fortunately I had a few egg whites in the freezer waiting to be used and hey presto an almost instant summer dessert.

The strawberries were shop bought, the ones in my garden aren't doing very well and need replacing but I managed to pick just enough to make the strawberry sauce.

I've received a few emails from readers who struggle to make pavlova and a couple of years ago I wrote a step by step blog post Summer Berries Pavlova which should ensure a stress free bake.

Instant Pot Easy Vegetable Soup Recipe

This is a soup recipe that I adapt, and mostly cook in a large pan, but now the electric pressure cooker has made an appearance in my kitchen, the very least it can do is to somehow pay for it's keep.  I store it away in a cupboard - the pressure cooker that is - I had to empty my cupboard of baking tins and move them to a cupboard which is already heaving with baking paraphernalia, there is absolutely no room on my work surface for any more gadgets.

Anyway back to the soup, it's ridiculously easy to make and can be bulked out with borlotti beans and small pieces of broken spaghetti to give a more filling version of a family friendly minestrone.

Chopped parsley added to the soup after cooking lifts the flavours, and a grating of Parmesan cheese is perfect.

Mini Chocolate Raspberry Cakes

These little cakes came about because I made a chocolate cake and one of the layers didn't rise as much as I would have liked due to a heavy hand when adding the cocoa powder! I use Green and Black's cocoa powder and it's a must for these little choccie cakes.

It's a wasteful method but I cut out tiny rounds to make these little cakes and the leftover sponge cake is the cooks treat!

The filling is simply seedless raspberry jam and a few fresh raspberries crushed . I served my little cakes with vanilla ice cream.

Thermomix Raspberry Sponge Cake

One of the best things about a Thermomix is it's ability to whip up a cake in only a few seconds. I would never before have believed that I could be cooking dinner whilst rustling up an easy sponge cake for dessert.

I used an old school method to weigh out the ingredients and it really is a foolproof way of making a sponge cake. Simply weigh three eggs in their shells - in my case they came to 160g. The same weight of flour, butter/margarine and caster sugar.

Coffee and Walnut Traybake Recipe

Coffee and walnut cake is a flavour combination made in heaven and for a coffee lover like me, it's win win!

A classic cake that shouldn't be messed around with too much and one, that for me, still has it's place in a coffee shop, regardless of how 'too cool for school' they are.

I've made this cake with instant espresso powder which can be found at the supermarket, the cake is made with a mixture of butter and margarine which produces a lighter sponge.

Rum, Raisin and Apple Crumble Muffins Recipe

I love a recipe that can be used as either a cake or pudding and these definitely fit the bill.  They are equally at home eaten as is, but preferably warmed through, or removed from the cases and served with cream or custard.

If you've got a very ripe banana in the fruit bowl along with a couple of eating apples then you're more or less sorted for this recipe which can easily be adapted to make it your own.

The crumble makes them quite sweet. but if I made them again I'd definitely halve the quantity of sugar in the crumble mix. There will also be crumble mix left over but it will freeze to use in another recipe.

Individual Raspberry Frangipane Tarts Recipe

I couldn't resist buying a punnet of huge raspberries after I spotted them on one of my favourite market stalls in Bridgnorth.  I know we should buy seasonal food but they said 'buy me' and so I did. These were some of the best raspberries I've ever eaten, in fact they were far superior to the ones I grow in my garden!