The Great British Bake Off

                                                               An Ella Bella creation

Well, we're back in bake off territory again, the new series started last Wednesday and already I'm hooked. The show is so popular in fact, it has now switched to BBC1 where it is lovingly referred to as 'The tea and biccie' show.

Unfortunately baking cakes has never been my forte, however, there can be no question about the fact that the Great British Bake off has contributed to the resurgence of interest in baking. Interestingly the over fifty fives are least likely to bake according to statistics, but for the younger generation home baking has undergone a revival in recent years.

I grew up in a household where baking was the norm, I don't think I even tasted a shop bought cake when I was a young child. By the time I was a young woman baking had become unfashionable and increasingly baking faced growing competition from out of home leisure activities.

The Great British Bake Off arouses nostalgic feelings and it's homeliness and familiarity is a large part of it's appeal, hopefully this will lead to a resurgence of young mums baking with their children.

A friend of mine excels at creating gorgeous cakes, however, Ella is not a mature, seasoned baker, she is a young girl with an extraordinary flair and creative lean, such is her talent she should really be writing her own blog.

                                                 Young and talented Ella Bella Bisset

                              Ella's cakes always take pride of place at birthday parties

For the cake baking challenged like myself, fairy cakes are pretty foolproof, once cooled they can be decorated with all sorts of creative toppings

Easy fairy cakes

Recipe
125g self raising flour
125g sugar
125g butter
2 eggs

Preheat oven 180c/gas mark 4
Cream butter and sugar
Add flour and stir
Add eggs and mix until smooth and creamy
Place a tablespoon of mix into each paper cup case
Cook for 20 minutes or until risen and golden

          

                                           My rather un British Bake Off calibre cakes

Fortunately I'm rather better at deserts than cakes, fruit deserts are my favourite and quite often, as with this next recipe, I serve them to accompany a cheese course.

Baked lavender figs

Recipe
6 fresh figs
A pinch of sea salt
Butter diced into 12 small cubes
2 tablespoons honey
1 glass white wine
Dried lavender

Preheat oven180c/gas 4
Halve figs and place in baking dish
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt
Dot each halve with butter
Drizzle honey over the figs
Pour wine over the figs and sprinkle with lavender
Bake for 15 minutes or until the figs ooze juice

Delicious served with vanilla ice cream or with a soft cheese such as brie or feta.

'There was a mood of magic and frenzy to the room. Crystalline swirls of sugar and flour still lingered in the air like kite tails. And then there was the smell - the smell of hope, the kind of smell that brought people home.'
- Sarah Addison Allen

Love Donna xxxxxx