Monday Inspiration - Carrot Cake

What a lovely birthday week I have had :o)   I am classing it as a week as Hubby took me out last Saturday and then my actual birthday was yesterday!!   The above photo was taking this morning on my walk into town - such a gorgeous blue sky!

Hubby had bought me a red velvet birthday cake - we had some yesterday morning, it was delicious.  Minibakebakegirl had just got up so she had some for her breakfast!! 

Last Tuesday I went with FriendD to see Cats at The London Palladium.   Nicole Scherzinger plays Grizabella - She only sang Memory  (twice) but boy she has an amazing voice.  During the interval, Old Dueteronomy sat on the stage, and signed programmes and spoke to the theatre goers.   I had never seen this before,  we were in the Royal Circle so I couldn't see if people were just going up or whether this was a pre-booked thing, but I think more theatres should do this.

For Christmas Hubby had given me tickets for Strictly Come Dancing The Live Tour, I went last year on my birthday and did the same again this year.   This year I took Minibakebakegirl, we decided to have a Mummy and Mini day so I let her choose what to do in the afternoon and she chose Camden Market.  We went to Camden back in 2013 with Sister and Nieces.    It was a lovely sunny day yesterday, a wee bit cold but it was great to wander round all the lovely stalls and wee shops.   

Then we headed to the 02.   The show was good.   Len hadn't done the other shows due to a knee operation but he did do the 2 days at the 02 - I love Len!  Also there was no Bruno, instead Camilla Dallerup and Tom Chambers who won it in 2008 were on the judging panel.   Zoe Ball didn't host on our night which was a shame - I love Zoe!  Instead we had Lisa Riley, who did it last year.   I really enjoyed seeing Simon and Christina's amazing Argentine Tango and Caroline did her charleston with Tristan which was excellent.   You can text vote on the night and we voted for Caroline, she came second to Simon.

                        

As with tradition I did some baking today to take into work tomorrow.  I made Fay Ripley's carrot cake from her What's for Dinner book and Mary Berry's lemon drizzle traybake.     These are both really easy "throw it all in a bowl and mix it up" recipes.

Thanks for visiting,
Bakebakegirl

Today's top three Spotify songs:

1. Memory - Elaine Page
2. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics
3. Night Fever - Bee Gees

Monday Review - London - Sea Containers

It's my birthday soon and before Christmas Hubby told me to keep Saturday the 31 January free - exciting!  So with Minibakebakegirl on a sleepover with her Best Friend we set off to London - he didn't tell me where we were going till we got to Blackfriars bridge. We were staying at Sea Containers right on the river Thames.  There was a double connection to staying here -  Hubby's very first job was in this building back in 1989 when he worked for HM Revenue and Customs and my Dad was in the Merchant Navy, he may have transported goods for Sea Containers.

After dumping our bags we went for a wander along the river and around St Pauls.

London is so pretty at night by the river when everything starts to light up.   That evening we had dinner in the restaurant at the hotel.    For pudding I had a Gingerbread Sandwich - which was gorgeous, Hubby had the apple pie.

The next morning we went to Bills for breakfast.   Mmmm blueberry pancakes with fruit and bacon.   

We then went for a huge walk along the river to Tower Bridge and then back along the otherside.   It was a lovely morning but blooming freezing - the wind was bitter!

I had a lovely weekend - hope you did too.

Hope to see you next week,
Bakebakegirl

Today's top three Spotify songs:

1. Watching You - Rogue Traders
2. In Love Again - Rogue Traders
3. Voodoo Child - Rogue Traders

Monday Bake - Chocohotopots

We have had CatK for a whole year!  He settled in with us so quickly, it feels like we had never not had him.   Sometimes he is a bit stingy with his cuddles but I would say the only bad thing about him is his delivery of "the presents".   We've had mice, birds (ranging from baby ones to a massive pigeon) and a live rat.....eurgh....coming home to a trail of feathers is not fun!  Either is lying in bed in the morning hearing your Hubby shouting "kill it" or "just eat it - stop playing with it!"  A collar and bell have been considered but he is soooo fluffy and climbs so many things I do worry a collar won't be a good idea and he might get stuck somewhere - might have to do some investigation.  
  
For pudding yesterday I made Nigella's Chocohotopots from her Feast book.  You can find the recipe here.  These are lovely little puddings, spongy and gooey and yes, very hot!   I served them with a dollop of vanilla icecream.   Her recipe states it's for 4 but I divided the mixture between 6 ramekins, had 3 one night and put the others in the fridge for the next night.  As mine were slightly smaller I just adjusted the cooking time.

Minibakebakegirl said they were nice but not as nice as the Molten Chocolate Babycakes, which is probably due to the amount of chocolate in the Babycakes!

Thanks for visiting

Bakebakegirl

Today's top three Spotify songs:

1. Fire - Gavin DeGraw

2. Let The Day Begin - Simple Minds

3. Ballad Of The Mighty I - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Monday Bake - Spiced Muscovado Loaf Cake with Brown Sugar Icing

It's a bit chilly here at the moment.   I spent most of the first part of the morning in the kitchen, I made gingered beef with bay to go in the slow cooker for the day.  As I type this it smells amazing!    I was going to make biscuits but I didn't have enough greaseproof paper to line my baking sheets so I will make some next week.  After having a look at what I had in the baking cupboard I decided to I make this cake.  I had cut this recipe out of the Sainsbury's magazine a long while ago. 

Ingredients:
Cake:
175ml whole milk
2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
75g dark muscovado sugar
75g soft unsalted butter
75g black treacle
100g golden syrup
200g self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 medium egg, lightly beaten

Icing:
25g very soft unsalted butter
40g dark muscovado sugar
25g unrefined icing sugar
1 tbsp double cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180c, fan 160, Gas 4.  Line a loaf tine with baking paper.

Put the milk, spices, sugar, butter, treacle and syrup in a large saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer, stirring.  Sift the flour and bicarbonate into a large mixing bowl.  Pour the wet mixture onto the dry ingredients and stir well, add the beaten egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean,  Leave to cool.

Place all the icing ingredients in a bowl and beat for 5 minutes until fluffy.  Spread on top of the cake.

This is a really quick and easy cake to make.   I would definitely make this again, probably without the icing and serve it spread with a little butter.

I have finally finished my crochet blanket, after frogging the edging several times, well I say finished I just need to block the edge.  Maybe a ta-da Thursday makes post soon!! 

Hope to see you next week,
Bakebakegirl

Today's top three Spotify songs:

1. 11.59 - Blondie
2. Picture This - Blondie
3. One Way or Another - Blondie

Monday Bake - Gooey Date and Stem Ginger Pudding

Sometimes you have to buy that one ingredient for a recipe.  For me over Christmas that was Stem Ginger for my Christmas pudding.   So this weekend I went in search of another recipe to use it in - didn't have to look far as my new Rachel Allen book had a recipe for Gooey Date and Stem Ginger pudding, you can find the recipe here.  A perfect for pudding after Sunday dinner.  Soft spongey top, slightly chewy round the edges with a lovely sauce on the bottom.

We had it with Mackies Vanilla ice cream - gorgeous - just as well as that is the only flavour I can get down here!

In the top picture I also have the leftovers of a bottle of dessert wine, again from my Christmas pudding - if anybody can suggest other recipes to use this up - please let me know! It's far too sweet for me to drink.

Hope to see you next week,

Bakebakegirl

Today's top three Spotify songs:

1. Love Plus One - Haircut 100

2. Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung

3. Never Tear Us Apart - INXS

Monday Inspiration - Thumbprint Cookies

Happy new year!

Now the tree and all its decorations has been packed away.  Christmas seems like a long time ago!

For Christmas I got three new cook books.  Rachel Allen's new book All Things Sweet, Nigellas Forever Summer book and Lorraine Pascals book A Lighter Way To Bake.

I have seen thumbprint cookies before, if you Google them there are lots of different recipes out there - mostly with jam centres.  In Lorraines book she has a version with fresh raspberries and blueberries. I decided to make some with the huge raspberries I had.

These were delicious on the day, however I stored them in a tin and were a bit soft the next day, caused I think by the raspberries.  But they did look very pretty with their bright pink tops.

Thanks for visiting,
Bakebakegirl

Today's top three Spotify songs:

1. Believe In Me - The Pierces
2. Budapest - George Ezra
3. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars