Chorley Cakes are a traditional currant-filled pastry which originates from Chorley in Lancashire, England. The are similar to Eccles Cakes, except that Chorley Cakes are made with shortcrust pastry rather than puff pastry. They are also not so sweet as Eccles Cakes. I have read somewhere that in days gone by Chorley Cakes were often […]
This year instead of the traditional iced Christmas Cake I have decided to make Dundee Cake. It is still a rich fruit cake, but instead of using marzipan and royal icing to cover it there is just a layer of blanched almonds laid in circles on the top. This is a traditional cake too and […]
Christmas is less that 12 weeks away, so now is the time to start on things like Christmas Puddings and Christmas Cakes. These can be made well in advance and the flavour develops and gets richer as they are left to mature. I did a three part video for Christmas cakelast year so I wont […]
Eccles Cakes are named after a town in Lancashire, England. They are made with a flaky pastry, though some people use puff pastry, and have a spicy currant and chopped peel filling. I really like Eccles Cakes, and especially the lovely flaky pastry. I make mine with all butter, using a recipe from BBC Good […]
In preparation for making mince pies, just before Christmas, I have made my own mincemeat. I actually posted this recipe on my blog two years ago, but today I have done it again, this time with a video. Some may wonder why I have posted this on a baking blog. But of course, it […]
Easter, and specifically Good Friday is the traditional day for eating Hot Cross Buns. In fact it wouldn’t be Easter in the UK if there were no Hot Cross Buns. They are a deliciously fruity and spicy bun, with a cross on the top. I have made them before, but today I used a recipe […]
Simnel Cake is a very traditional bake for Easter. Made with dried fruits and almond paste(marzipan) it has one layer of the paste in the middle of the cake and another on the top, and is then decorated with 11 marzipan balls. The balls are to denote the remaining 11 disciples. For my cake I […]
As promised a few days ago, I have now made some more traditional Hot Cross Buns. These lovely Easter Treats, eaten by my family on Good Friday morning, are simply fantastic. With some gentle spices and dried fruit, what can be nicer for ‘elevenses’. I used a recipe from the delightful Delia, surely a […]
In preparation for making mince pies, just before Christmas, I have made my own mincemeat. Some may wonder why I have posted this on a baking blog. But of course, it is a precursor to another post, on 18th or 19 December, when I will make the mince pies. They are definitely baked items. […]
Fruit Shortcake biscuits are a childhood favourite biscuit, made with a short pastry and currants. The recipe I used to make these is actually referred to on Good To Know as squashed fly biscuits, from a recipe by Rachel Allen. This is another easy to make recipe, and the results are very tasty indeed. […]