Good and Easy

I tried out one of my Aunty Peggy's recipes yesterday. It was marked "Good and Easy". How could I resist? The recipe is for a fruit loaf and boy was it good (it didn't last long!). It was easy too. Just as her note said.

I did mess up a little bit because I opened the oven door a few times to check it wasn't burning and it sagged a in the middle as a result! I obviously forgot all those instructions from my domestic science teacher at school to NEVER open the oven door while a cake was cooking. I was never very good at following instructions. I just prefer to make it up myself as I go along. Unfortunately, with baking, you really do have to follow the instructions. I had to grab one of my vintage cookbooks to check on the conversions from Gas marks to degrees C but we got there in the end.

Saggy it may be but it is REALLY good. It'll only take you about 10 minutes to put it together and throw it in the oven so why not have a go yourself?

Here's the recipe:

Aunty Peggy's Fruit Loaf

Ingredients

2 Cups Self-Rising Flour

1 Cup Caster Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)

Pinch of salt.

100g Butter

1 Cup water

1 Cup mixed dried fruit (I used Christmas cake mix because it was on special and I like fruit peel)

1 egg (lightly beaten)

To make

1. 
   
   Line a loaf tin and set oven to preheat at 180 degrees C
2. 
   
   Mix together first 4 dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. 
   
   Put butter, water and fruit into a saucepan and boil for 3 minutes.
4. 
   
   Pour into the bowl of dry ingredients along with the egg and mix until just combined.
5. 
   
   Pour into loaf tin and bake for 1/2 an hour at 180 degrees. Then turn down heat to 160 degrees and bake for 20 mins.

Do let me know how you got on if you made it and what you would change, if anything.

Why not make yourself a cup of tea, grab some craft books and curl up with a piece of cake this afternoon?

More Aunty Peggy recipes will be coming as I try them out.

Ballet and Banana Cake

It's cold and windy and very damp outside today. Eloise and I went to her ballet lesson this morning.

My eyes were hurting with the pinkness of it all by the end of the lesson!

So cute though!

Doesn't it make you smile?

We went to the supermarket after ballet and found a whole pile of brown bananas on special. Perfect for banana muffins. I won't give you the recipe as I'm sure you already have a good banana cake recipe. If you do want it, do leave a comment and I'll happily post it.

 Whilst I was doing the baking, I remembered my Aunty Peggy's recipe book. She was the best baker and made the most amazing flapjacks. When she passed away, I asked if I could have her recipe book. I've been having a read through of her recipes today and had a good giggle at all the notes she left by the recipes.

"* GOOD But Messy"

" Jane's Recipe. Don't really understand her writing (like mine) so have to hope for the best."

There are little notes like this all the way through her recipe book. It's like she knew she was going to be passing it on to someone and every one of the little notes makes me smile. She was such a wonderful Aunty and it's so special to have this. There are many blank pages left in the book and I have started adding my own favourite recipes to it. I'll share a few of hers (as well as her comments) as I bake them. Do any of you have a family recipe book that is special to you?