New week… same me… with bonus features: sunshine, good friends, some random yet surprisingly successful bakes, and a little less of a stressy head - who am I kidding, I’ve still been stressing but the friends, baking and sunshine make the stress a little quieter!
I don't know if you remember our chat on here a few weeks ago about my biscuit dough woes, but I wanted to say thank you so much for the encouragement to keep trying - and for the amazing recipes! Today, I tried your oat biscuit recipe and it was honestly amazing - all the little details made it accessible to a novice, which so many recipes aren't. The biscuits have turned out really well, with just the right texture and a lovely flavour. I'm so chuffed with them! I won't be winning any presentation prizes with them, mind you - how do you get the lovely rounded edges in your photo?!
I still love reading this each week, though I'm sorry to hear that you haven't had such a good couple of weeks.
Looking forward to this week's instalment - and thanks again for all the wisdom :)
Hey Lara - of course I remember - and you've 100% just made my day. Firstly, thank you SO much for messaging again and I'm so delighted to hear that the oat biscuit worked for you, this is the BEST news. Hahah - you sound like me, presentation is absolutely not my forte - I take the view that taste is the number 1 priority along with enjoying doing it! Oh - excellent point re. the round edges - so, for cookie recipes, if they come out a bit higgledy piggledy, immediately they come out of the oven once baked, use a round cookie cutter or even a glass/old yoghurt pot (it needs to be just larger than the diameter of the cookie) and gently wiggle it round the outside of the cookie - it helps to tease it into a rounder shape - I hope that description makes sense. This dough cooks up a bit firmer therefore it's potentially better to pay a bit closer attention to them being a nice round shape when they enter the oven, but honestly, it doesn't matter - irregularity is beauty!
Thanks again for being such an angel! sending lots of love! xx
They are definitely higgledy piggledy - that's a perfect description! Thanks for the tip - I will certainly try that next time - but I completely agree with you that taste is the most important thing. I am so often disappointed that biscuits that I bake come out a bit bland - but not so with these - they taste delicious. I foresee that I will be baking them many times more :)
(By the way, the bicarbonate of soda did fizz a bit - and it was great - like a chemistry lesson!)
I did it! I made the tarts and I did creme patisserie for the first time ever and it was BANGIN! 😌🤣🥰🥰🥰 my fruit was rainbows for pride month here in the states and gonna bring them in to work tomorrow! 😍♥️♥️♥️🌈
They went down quickly haha— my work friends were thrilled!!! And thank you for the guidance and recipe — honestly the blind bake on the tart method was the BEST! They weren’t soggy at all even after a couple days (saved a few home for me heee) i still have crust shrinkage issue but it was so flipping hot when I was rolling and cutting the crust who knows why. And those tarts don’t suffer from smaller crusts bc It doesn’t really “leak” . Anyway very happy. ☺️
Steph, I know how it feels to have a "good" life, exposure and access to lovely things! And still feel, what I call, alarms-bells-&whistles. I don't know why some of us have this. It cheers me to know I'm not alone. Not that I don't hope and pray we all recover! But it's good to not feel alone. I love reading your thoughts and recipes. So fun. My best to you, Carolyn
I completely agree - it helps so much to know you're not alone in your thoughts, so thank you for your honesty too - sometimes I just feel like such a miserable cow and all I want to do is 'pull myself together'... but it just doesn't feel as simple as that eh?
Thanks so much for the support! take care and lots of love xx
You're such an amazing talent. Every turn of phrase a triumph and a delight to read. You have a really special gift. Can hardly imagine, but I bet your Dad was beyond proud. Happy Father's Day.
We hit the jackpot with our plum tree this year. We have never harvested more than a few every year until now - 300+ and we can't eat them or give them away fast enough. Can't wait to try out your methods for baking and adding them to porridge. I, too, have developed an addiction to granola and porridge (oatmeal for us).
Thanks for the parchment paper tip. I hate parchment paper too! I felt they were mocking me. I used to fold the edges backwards with heavy creases which helped somewhat but I still hated them.
So glad to hear about your week, I sure hope the sunshine continues inside and out. Your writing is pure sunshine. Can't wait to try out the cherry almond cake and the custard tarts. And thanks for the reminder - I actually need to get a bone scan. Have been putting it off! Great shout out to the good doctor - these are rare! Have a wonderful week and God bless!!
Hey Hazel, Thanks for the lovely message! Your plum tree sounds wonderful! Definitely get them baking/roasting! God I love oats... I also just love cereal - I sometimes think I'm so simple and like the most basic things!
It's the devil isn't it?
Definitely get your bone scan!!!! Take care of yourself and thanks as ever for the lovely words! xx
Thank you first of all got the Fathers Day wish. Made my day. And for the ultimate surprise cake that you invented. I’m salivating at the thought. Lastly, hearing that most of this week was happy for you. I’m glad you have support and when when your brain takes over you re able deal. I still struggle. Virtual hugs and high fives.
I’m determined to make some time this week to bake. Thanks for all the inspiration. And that Primavera recipe- couldn’t agree more. My husband and daughter are veggie and I was fed up making the same sort of thing. Stumbled across that recipe and just had to make it. Simply stunning. Big hugs today xxx
Hi Steph,
I don't know if you remember our chat on here a few weeks ago about my biscuit dough woes, but I wanted to say thank you so much for the encouragement to keep trying - and for the amazing recipes! Today, I tried your oat biscuit recipe and it was honestly amazing - all the little details made it accessible to a novice, which so many recipes aren't. The biscuits have turned out really well, with just the right texture and a lovely flavour. I'm so chuffed with them! I won't be winning any presentation prizes with them, mind you - how do you get the lovely rounded edges in your photo?!
I still love reading this each week, though I'm sorry to hear that you haven't had such a good couple of weeks.
Looking forward to this week's instalment - and thanks again for all the wisdom :)
Lara xxx
Hey Lara - of course I remember - and you've 100% just made my day. Firstly, thank you SO much for messaging again and I'm so delighted to hear that the oat biscuit worked for you, this is the BEST news. Hahah - you sound like me, presentation is absolutely not my forte - I take the view that taste is the number 1 priority along with enjoying doing it! Oh - excellent point re. the round edges - so, for cookie recipes, if they come out a bit higgledy piggledy, immediately they come out of the oven once baked, use a round cookie cutter or even a glass/old yoghurt pot (it needs to be just larger than the diameter of the cookie) and gently wiggle it round the outside of the cookie - it helps to tease it into a rounder shape - I hope that description makes sense. This dough cooks up a bit firmer therefore it's potentially better to pay a bit closer attention to them being a nice round shape when they enter the oven, but honestly, it doesn't matter - irregularity is beauty!
Thanks again for being such an angel! sending lots of love! xx
They are definitely higgledy piggledy - that's a perfect description! Thanks for the tip - I will certainly try that next time - but I completely agree with you that taste is the most important thing. I am so often disappointed that biscuits that I bake come out a bit bland - but not so with these - they taste delicious. I foresee that I will be baking them many times more :)
(By the way, the bicarbonate of soda did fizz a bit - and it was great - like a chemistry lesson!)
Hope you're having a good weekend. xxx
I did it! I made the tarts and I did creme patisserie for the first time ever and it was BANGIN! 😌🤣🥰🥰🥰 my fruit was rainbows for pride month here in the states and gonna bring them in to work tomorrow! 😍♥️♥️♥️🌈
OMG YES YES YES... Anna, you have MADE my day, honestly this makes me so happy! Let me know how they go down at work? LOADS of love! xx
They went down quickly haha— my work friends were thrilled!!! And thank you for the guidance and recipe — honestly the blind bake on the tart method was the BEST! They weren’t soggy at all even after a couple days (saved a few home for me heee) i still have crust shrinkage issue but it was so flipping hot when I was rolling and cutting the crust who knows why. And those tarts don’t suffer from smaller crusts bc It doesn’t really “leak” . Anyway very happy. ☺️
Steph, I know how it feels to have a "good" life, exposure and access to lovely things! And still feel, what I call, alarms-bells-&whistles. I don't know why some of us have this. It cheers me to know I'm not alone. Not that I don't hope and pray we all recover! But it's good to not feel alone. I love reading your thoughts and recipes. So fun. My best to you, Carolyn
I completely agree - it helps so much to know you're not alone in your thoughts, so thank you for your honesty too - sometimes I just feel like such a miserable cow and all I want to do is 'pull myself together'... but it just doesn't feel as simple as that eh?
Thanks so much for the support! take care and lots of love xx
Hi Steph,
You're such an amazing talent. Every turn of phrase a triumph and a delight to read. You have a really special gift. Can hardly imagine, but I bet your Dad was beyond proud. Happy Father's Day.
We hit the jackpot with our plum tree this year. We have never harvested more than a few every year until now - 300+ and we can't eat them or give them away fast enough. Can't wait to try out your methods for baking and adding them to porridge. I, too, have developed an addiction to granola and porridge (oatmeal for us).
Thanks for the parchment paper tip. I hate parchment paper too! I felt they were mocking me. I used to fold the edges backwards with heavy creases which helped somewhat but I still hated them.
So glad to hear about your week, I sure hope the sunshine continues inside and out. Your writing is pure sunshine. Can't wait to try out the cherry almond cake and the custard tarts. And thanks for the reminder - I actually need to get a bone scan. Have been putting it off! Great shout out to the good doctor - these are rare! Have a wonderful week and God bless!!
Hey Hazel, Thanks for the lovely message! Your plum tree sounds wonderful! Definitely get them baking/roasting! God I love oats... I also just love cereal - I sometimes think I'm so simple and like the most basic things!
It's the devil isn't it?
Definitely get your bone scan!!!! Take care of yourself and thanks as ever for the lovely words! xx
The apricots were a smash! I used cinnamon over cardamom and it was addicting. Thank you for another scrummy yummy treat
OMG THIS IS THE BEST NEWS, thank you so much for trying them! and so glad you liked them too! xx
It’s my birthday this week so I now know what cake to bake thank you!
Lost my dad 17 years ago so sending hugs on this difficult day x
Awh yay - hope you like it and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
So sorry to hear about your Dad, sending you massive hugs too! xx
Thank you first of all got the Fathers Day wish. Made my day. And for the ultimate surprise cake that you invented. I’m salivating at the thought. Lastly, hearing that most of this week was happy for you. I’m glad you have support and when when your brain takes over you re able deal. I still struggle. Virtual hugs and high fives.
Sending love and hugs! x
Thank you
I love the care that you put into your recipe directions. Very thoughtful and detailed!
That's so kind, thank you!!! x
can't wait to try that cake! really enjoying the newsletters!
Thanks so much Alex, hope you enjoy the cake. x
I’m determined to make some time this week to bake. Thanks for all the inspiration. And that Primavera recipe- couldn’t agree more. My husband and daughter are veggie and I was fed up making the same sort of thing. Stumbled across that recipe and just had to make it. Simply stunning. Big hugs today xxx
Hey Sharon, omg it's amazing isn't it? I do love a find like that one and Jordon is a genius when it comes to food! Hugs back at you! xx