Just for fun: Recipe sharing
What's your fave cake? Mine is pear and rum cake. I am a huge fan of lemon anything, but have yet to find a lemon cake recipe that is moist enough and doesn't over-colour when baked.. one of my life's missions (I lead a sorry little existence hehe)
Here's my recipe for Pear & Rum cake:
1&1/2c sultanas
1c water
3c peeled and diced pears
1/2c marsala or rum (I’ve only ever used rum or masala – rum you can taste in the cake, marsala not so much)
1&1/2t baking soda
190g butter
1c and 3T sugar
2 large free range eggs
1t vanilla essence
2&1/2c plain white flour
1T baking powder
1t cinnamon
1t ginger
1t mixed spice
1t ground cloves
Bring the sultanas and water to a simmer, let them bubble away for 5 mins. Add the pears, baking soda and booze then turn off the heat, cover and leave to cool.
Cream the butter and sugar before adding the other ingredients.
Gently combine the wet with the dry and bake in a pre-heated 180 deg oven for approx 45 mins til cooked.
I line my baking tin but don’t think it’s critical, greasing it would be tho!
(No idea what size tin I use sorry, it's just "the pear cake tin"!) ;)
Serve dusted with icing sugar and with soft whipped cream as a dessert. Or cold with just the icing sugar dusting.
I have put pecans on the top of this before baking, that was a fab touch.
I have subbed in apples and they're good too!
This recipe never fails and even people who don't like pears or rum will scoff it happily.
PS If you wanted to share your fave recipe, I know I wouldn't complain - I am *that* person who tears a page out of a magazine with a recipe on it (well, not so much now, I tend to take a photo of it but before I had a cell phone you'd see me carefully watching everyone in the room to see if anyone could tell I was nicking off with the page I wanted) :-D
Poll: How should Guy Fawkes be celebrated?
While it is a fun occasion, fireworks on Guy Fawkes Night has caused much conflict over the years, upsetting our pets and disrupting the sleep of neighbours.
How should we celebrate Guy Fawkes Night? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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28.6% With a city-wide public fireworks display
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19.6% Small fireworks displays in each community
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8% Keep it as is
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32.9% We shouldn't celebrate it!
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10.4% Anything but fireworks
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0.4% Other - I'll share below
Plasterer
Can anyone recommend a plasterer for a small
Bathroom job ? Needing ine in a few days.
Painter wanted for small job
Have had no luck after contacting a couple of painters - they haven't responded at all so suspect the job is too small for them. Anybody out there know of a painter who does do small jobs please