English Rock Cakes with Orange Drizzle

I have friends who cook and bake all the time, not me, I cook enough for my family! But when I do cook or bake, I always turn to old favorites. My 'go to' recipes that I can rely on to always turn out well. I like recipes that are quick, easy and inexpensive to make. Rock cakes are a good standby of mine, a favorite of my children and great to take anywhere.

 

This morning I decided to try something different with the recipe. I added fresh orange juice, and that one additional ingredient lifted my 'old' recipe into something new. I am so happy to share this with you all!

 

 

ROCK CAKES

2 cups self rising flour
3oz butter - softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Orange zest - about 2 teaspoons
1 egg - well beaten

Pre-heat the oven to 400F/Gas 6, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this saves a lot of washing up!)

Put the raisins into a small bowl, cover with the orange juice and leave them to soak.

Place the flour into a bowl and rub in the softened butter until you have a  mixture that resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add in the sugar and the orange zest. Drain the raisins and add them into the bowl, mixing until the fruit is coated with the flour. Beat the egg and add 3 tablespoons of orange juice. Add the egg mixture to the bowl and mix to a soft dough. Spoon small heaps onto the baking tray and transfer to the oven for about 12-15 minutes until the tops are a light, golden brown.

 

DRIZZLE

 

Mix together confectioner's sugar and orange juice until well blended and a nice runny consistency, not too thin, and not too thick!! Drizzle over the cooled rock cakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy, with a cuppa of course!

 

Wendy

 

 

 

 

Going for Groceries

Early Sunday morning, and it's a freezing, frosty cold day! I thought you

may like to see some of the pictures I took on the way to the grocery store.

 

Everything is covered in thick white frost

I stopped to say hello!
 

The long and (not) so winding road!

 

And after being out in the cold, I am now sitting down with a cuppa and a biscuit (and for all my American friends - that would be a cookie.) So make a cuppa, come and join me!

 

Wendy

Does it snow in Britain?

"January brings the snow

makes our feet and fingers glow"*

 

I am often asked if we get snow in the UK. It makes me smile.

April asked me the very same question on Monday, and I went to my desk to pull out my map of the world. (I love maps, but that's another post entirely!)

 

We looked at the location of the UK and at the latitude it is on. Did you know that London is at 51.5N while Quebec is at 52N? Glasgow in Scotland sits at 55.8N. Not quite as far north as Juneau in Alaska (52.9N) but it's a good way north.

The UK doesn't get the same bitterly cold weather as they do in Canada and Alaska, but we do get snow. And winters are long and dark and dreary. Once the clocks change, which happens in the UK about a week after the US, it doesn't get light in the mornings until around 8:30 - 9:00am. We go to work in the dark and we come home in the dark because the light starts to go around 3:00pm in the afternoon.

 

However, the summer is long and light. You can sit outside on a summer evening until 10:00pm and the birds are singing and the sun is coming through the window before 4:00am in the morning. And if you hanker for some time sitting in the sun on the island of Malta, just take yourself out to LA and sit on the beach there, the latitudes are so close you could imagine you're sitting in the Mediterranean! 


The photos on this page are of the last snow I 'enjoyed' before leaving the UK and moving to America!

All that talk of snow has made me feel cold, so I'm off to make a cuppa, you coming??

Wendy


 

*Sara Coleridge

Blue and white and palest lemon.........

Shabby decor encompasses many colors and designs, but for me, there is just one that says "This is shabby chic, this is comfort, this is where I want to sit."

Imagine the palest lemon painted walls, white wainscoting with a dado rail, stripped pine floorboards and pristine white net curtains billowing softly in the breeze from the open window. The sofa and chairs in blue and white, are soft and plump, with feather filled cushions that invite you to come in and sit down. Soft rugs sit beneath the seat to cushion your feet while a small table and a lamp encourage you to curl up with a book and read.

Pine shelves and cupboards display old dishes and china, many pieces collected over the years. Various patterns of blue and white china dominate. The English love affair with blue and white china began in the 18th century with the introduction of Willow Pattern china. Based on elements of the pattern, various stories were invented to promote the sale of the china.

The most famous of which tells the story of a wealthy Mandarin who had a beautiful daughter. She fell in love with a poor man, and wanted to marry him. This angered her father who banished the young man from his house and kept his daughter inside while awaiting the arrival of a powerful duke she was due to marry. However, on the night before the wedding, the young man came to 'rescue' the Mandarin's daughter and they escaped to an island where they lived happily for many years. One day, the duke found them and had them killed, but the gods, moved by their plight immortalized them as doves, eternally flying together in the sky.
 

Flow Blue, is another incredibly popular china, that also became available in the late 18th century. Many of the patterns were based on Chinese designs and the name Flow Blue came from the way the pattern was transferred onto the porcelain. Decorative patterns were applied with a paper stencil to white glazed 'blanks'. The stencils burned away in the kiln during firing, leaving behind a vivid cobalt blue color, which is the most sought after shade.

Delft blue tiles were also very popular and common in Victorian kitchens, providing a gentle hand-painted finish that contrasted so beautifully with the copper pans and skillets that hung from racks on the ceiling and glowed softly in the light from the range.

Victoria ware china, it's delicate blue and white patterns appeared on tea tables in drawing rooms through the country, serving breakfast and afternoon tea. Trays would be laid out with a teapot of black tea filled with hot water. Alongside this was a hot water jug, so that you may warm the tea and refill the pot. A sugar bowl and milk jug was also supplied along with tiny tea spoons. Madeira, Fruit or Seed cake graced the table in addition to light as air sponge Madeline's and all manner of sandwiches which were served during afternoon tea.

So come and sit down with us for a while, have a cuppa!

Wendy
 

 

Afternoon Tea

"Come along inside.............

We'll see if tea and buns can

make the world a better place.."*

 

Before I moved to live in America I was living in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, a town situated on the coast along the North Sea. It was a beautiful place to live, had two sandy bays separated by a headland with a ruined castle on top, a lighthouse and small fishing fleet. But Scarborough didn't have many large stores, so in order to get our shopping fix, my friend Shirley and I used to drive the 65 odd miles inland to the city of York.

 

We would spend our day wandering around the town, trying on new clothes, browsing the galleries and gift shops and taking time to look for bargains in the antique and collectors stores.

 

No matter what time of year we went to York, it was always busy and lively and a fun day out. And whenever we went, we had to visit Mulberry Hall.* The premises date from 1434 and inside there are multiple rooms in which the most gorgeous china and crystal glass can be found. I loved looking around the store, but even better was heading up the narrow stairs to the tea room. Sometimes, we had to stand and wait for a table to become available, but we always waited, because having tea at Mulberry Hall was a part of our day out. It was special and something Shirley and I looked forward to each time we went to York.

 

The tea room was small but so pretty, with perfectly set tables and the murmur of conversation all around. The tables were beautifully set with delicate bone china, crisp linen napkins and good heavy cutlery. Shirley and I generally ordered the same things, salmon and cucumber sandwiches, a toasted teacake to follow, and of course a pot of English breakfast tea served with milk and sugar. Once we were served we poured ourselves a 'cuppa' ate our sandwiches, discussed our morning and what we still wanted to do, and just relaxed. It was the best part of the day.

 

And if you wish to make some salmon and cucumber sandwiches, here's my recipe for you:

 

• Thinly sliced whole wheat or white bread
• Tinned red salmon
• Good mayonnaise
• English cucumber
• Butter

 

Soften the butter and spread lightly on both slices of the bread. Drain the salmon, put it into a dish and remove all skin and bones, then break up with a fork. Add a spoonful of mayonnaise to the salmon and mix in gently. (The mayonnaise prevents the salmon from being too dry.)

 

Spread a good helping of the salmon mixture onto one slice of bread. If you are using an English cucumber, you do not need to peel it, just wash prior to slicing thinly. If you cannot get an English cucumber (also called 'seedless' or 'hot house') then remove the peel. Cover the salmon mixture with the thinly sliced cucumber, top with bread and cut the sandwich into four triangles.

 

Enjoy with a cup of tea!!

 

Wendy

 

 

 

 

*The Wind In The Willows



* http://www.mulberryhall.co.uk/