Dutch Apple Cake

Oh my goodness this is another must try from Rachel Allens book "Bake"...I know I must be a real yawn banging on about this superb book. But it is, when I went to purchase it from Amazon I read the reviews and lots of people had baked more than 1/2/3/4/5/ and more recipes from this book...as apparently on average people maybe do 2 to 5 recipes from a book. Unless that is you do have a personal favourite book. But somehow this darling book ticks all the boxes.....its what I call home comfort food and well the Dutch Apple Cake surely does that. It is basically a batter on which you lay the apple slices..I used one apple but two would do it superb justice too. So I have just finished a lovely plateful of this with ice cream....scrumptious....and this is my 6th recipe with loads more still to do...they have a lovely section on savoury baking as well.

On another topic have you ever added up the total amount in monetary terms that you have bought on cooking books. Well my main books are in a shelf in my larder ....I always seem to have two or 3 out at a time..... and believe me I was really suprised at the total...I averaged about £10 per book, with others costing more and phew!!!! I have spent about £600.....but then again (and my family smile at me) well I read them...oh yes! I love it when the author/ress has written little anecdotes to go with recipes etc. My daughter cannot understand it at all but I love nothing better than curling up with a coffee and turning the pages of a cookery book and generally I tag the pages on recipes that interest me etc.

So "Whats on your shelves?". Byeee for now.....x

Oh my goodness I you fancy a loaf that isn't made with yeast then believe me you just have to try this one. Its made with bacon lardons and I used grated red leicester cheese instead of the cheddar which the recipe calls for. Its from Rachel Allens cookbook called "Bake". I thoroughly recommend this book it has a bit of everything and so far I have cooked 5 recipes from it.

Talk
Talk about bread baking....well one of the best investments I have made in the past (apart from my beloved Rayburn ) is a bread machine. To turn out lovely home made bread without all the extra salt, which somehow shop brought bread seems to have is wonderful. The only downside is we eat it too fast.

I made a lovely rocket and gruyere cheese flan...the 4 eggs mixed with 20 fl oz single cream and baked in parmesa pastry. This flan is supposed to feed 10 hehe!!! it fed me hubby...daughter son in law and two 16 month old toddlers....I think it was a hit.

Of course no tea would be complete without some chocolate cup cakes. These are from Nigella of course...Domestic Goddess book...mind you I do have a confession to make I curdled the chocolate and cream topping duh!...I just toke my eye off the pan for a 2nd. So with family due to arrive any time, afraid I had to resort to good ol' glace icing. The chocolate logs are shop brought and I tried one after my home bake cakes and they tasted absolutely yeuk...so synthetic. Oh yes the cup cakes are made with 100g dark chocolate and mixed with a jar of morello cherry jam....honestly they are heavenly. So have been busy all round lately. For now...byee