13 Mar 2016

baking favourites


What's new? Not much. I didn’t bake much over the summer, but when I did turn the oven on, I mostly pulled out recipes for long-forgotten favourites: puddings and cakes and bikkies I made with a crush-like frequency months or even years ago, but I haven’t touched since.

Melting moments — with or without that daub of rich goo — were the first things I baked. I'd been craving these magically short little biscuits for weeks, so much so that I bought one at a cafe. A disappointing move — dry and hard; definitely stale (do you ever find the stuff you make is far superior to what’s in the shops?). I wouldn’t be satisfied until I made my own. Once I did, I decided that I really should have a tin of these in the kitchen at all times, like a sweet staple!

But then I moved on … to bread and butter pudding. B&Bs aren’t obvious summer fare, but when there’s rich stone fruit and other sweet stuff growing, it makes sense. I’d cut a handful of rhubarb stalks, and rather than stew it up for brekkie oats, I couldn’t get the idea of pudding out of my mind (probably because a foray into my chest freezer revealed I had about four panettones stashed away). And because ginger pairs well with rhubarb, I soaked the fruity panettone slices in some ginger wine. Such extravagance!

Then one evening I wooed my lovely friends with jammy cheesecake cake. I'd really forgotten how good that is, which its moist plain base and just-rich-enough cheesecake and jam layer. It  made enough for oohs and aahs on the night, and seconds to take home (which V had for breakfast the next day. Cake for breakfast — what a champion!).
And most recently I’ve been indulging myself with those dark fudgy spelt brownies (so much so that I forgot to take a picture this time around). Next on the wishlist is the speckled prettiness of currant-studded shrewsbury biscuits.

As a blogger, I probably should be trying new recipes all the time, so I’m writing about new things for you to read about. But in real life … I’m in the mood for the familiar and cosy, for enjoying those fondly-remembered flavours again (and not worrying if the new recipe will turn out!). However, because these forgotten stars are (shamefully) not on high rotation, it’s not ho-hum (and how could ginger-wine spiked pudding be ho-hum?!).

Like a comforting hug from your mum, or a laugh on a Friday night with friends, these kind of recipes serve a very important purpose in one’s life.

I would love to know: what goodies have you neglected, that perhaps need to be baked again?


12 comments:

  1. They all sound absolutely scrumptious, especially that bread and butter pudding, I bet it's utterly delicious. I've been meaning to make a leek and cheddar quiche for ages, just need to get down to the allotment and pull up a couple of leeks. And I have some fruit in the freezer still that I'll put in crumbles. Bakewell tart is one of my regular bakes, it always disappears quickly, you have reminded me I should make one soon. I completely agree that familiar recipes are important and soothng, and it's always interesting to see what other people have as their favourites. CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you have a good list of 'ones I must make soon' - that quiche sounds wonderful, and now YOU have reminded me that I should make a crumble with the fruit I have stashed in my freezer!

      Delete
  2. Sounds like you've been enjoying your baking, E... there's been a distinct hiatus at my place... too much of a good thing and only two oldies to eat it all. LOL. Thanks for sharing. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel that way sometimes lizzy when it is only me to eat it all - one person is even harder! I hope then you've enjoyed reading about baking :-)

      Delete
  3. SO when can I move in??? :) Your baking is wonderful and I always return to those comfort favourites. That bread and butter pudding is just begging to be eaten. I baked jam drops the other day as they had been neglected for a long time :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jem, any time! bring some jam drops with you - you now, I don't think I've ever made jam drops!

      Delete
  4. Rhubarb and ginger crumble is one of my favourites. It has stem ginger with the rhubarb and ground ginger with the crumble, but I am loving the idea of an addition of ginger wine..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ginger wine is a bit like sherry, I think jo - has very old fashioned, maiden aunt connotations, but the tastes is amazing. to cook with, of course! (a drop to drink is not bad on a cold winter's night either)

      Delete
  5. Slate-like melting moments!? That is absolutely criminal! I totally agree with you - a packet of melting moments that-never-runs-out in the pantry would be fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you would have one of those packets, M, surely? :-)

      Delete
  6. I have a few old favourite recipes, like my mums chocolate brownies and plum streusel cake. Like you I often spend more time and energy on trying new recip s, but sometimes you just want an old favourite foolproof easy thing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. plum streusel cake, made with your home-grown harvests, bek - yum! foolproof and totally wonderful, I'm sure.

      Delete

Word-verification is on, as the robot-spammers are loving my tuna past bake too much at the moment! I hope you understand - and I hope you'll still leave a comment at Dig In. I love hearing your thoughts, knowing someone is reading, and will always reply. Unless you're a robot-spammer.