A nasty taste...

Dear Lucy,
As you can probably tell from my lack of haste to shout from the roof-tops, I DID NOT win the cake bake-off at work. The judging was intense, and you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife, but my offering was deemed to be lacking. In what area I shall never know, as the judges did not return the score sheets to the entrants with their comments. We were only told which were the best two cakes, much to the annoyance of some who entered and were left feeling that their previously scrumptious cakes were less than satisfactory. I suppose that if one puts one's head above the parapet, one must expect it to be shot off, so to speak. Such is the lot of the valiant loser, as I have discovered...
Attached are some photos to show you the standard:

The winner:

The runner up (most annoyingly, it was her first ever go at a Victoria Sponge):

All the entrants, with mine to the right of the winning cake:

I have to say that there was a real sense of anticipation that morning and that the fact that we raised £69 for a local hospice (the cakes were sliced and sold off to all the staff who chose not to enter), took away some of the disappointment of not winning.
There has been a call for another round of charity bake-off in the autumn. It has been suggested that we make scones next time, which would leave a bit more room for creativity, but I wonder if I can take another blow to my ego...
With love,
Cathy x

Hello, Lucy, dear!

How lovely your buns looked! I am so impressed with the uniform nature of the piping - what sort of a bag and nozzle combination do you use? I'm yet to purchase a piping bag, I don't know why icing isn't a big favourite in our family, but I do think it adds a touch of glamour to an otherwise ordinary offering.
So good of you to let me know the competition guidelines for Victoria Sponges. Thanks to your information, plans have moved on apace: I have organised judges, emailed everyone at work and chosen the charity that our funds will help; so far 8 responses! I am very excited, but now feel the need to practise my sponges so that I can feel a little confident of doing a good job. I have to say that I am most concerned about losing marks because of my 'rustic' presentation; I want to be assured of a flat top but don't want to over-cook it by having it in too low an oven for too long. The last VSC I baked looked fabulous, but was a tad on the dry side - just what I want to avoid. Previously, they have been beautifully moist but with a peaked top due, according to Mary Berry, to one's oven being too high... I've got over a week to perfect my technique and will post pictures of my efforts in the meantime. We shall all be using Mary's recipe, from "Simple Cakes", to create a level playing field; I know that there are some who'd like to take a gamble with butter icing, so I may benefit from their hung-ho attitude, but I would so love to play by the rules and WIN! I shall pop out and buy some eggs later and practise. I can't believe that I've never entered a competition of this sort before...
As I sit and write, it seems incomprehensible that it will be June in a matter of days: the rain is quite persistent and the central heating is back on. Thankfully, earlier on, I managed to find a gap in the precipitance in which to walk the dog. Cats are SO much easier in that respect, but I bet nobody got firm thighs from walking a cat across the fields and hills! How are your doggy plans going, incidentally?

I'll write again, soon; in the meantime: ta-ta!

Cathy x

Competition Guidelines

Dear Cathy

I am SO sorry! Would you believe that I wrote to you weeks ago and forgot to post!

Since then I have been baking for Brownies again. You may remember that every now and then we have to bake 48 cakes for the little darlings to gorge themselves on at the end of a meeting. To keep things simple this time I decided to make all my cakes the same, and didn't they look pretty!

I dug out my copy of 'On With The Show' the W.I. Handbook for Exhibitors, Judges and Show Committees. Herewith, some pointers for you:

Cakes - General
Schedule should specify type of cake and may specify a recipe or tin size.
Unless otherwise stated, cakes should be presented on a plate with a sweet doiley

Victoria Sandwich
Filling: Raspberry Jam - sufficient and evenly spread
Topping: Light sprinkling of caster sugar

Points to Consider when Judging
No cooling rack marks
Pale golden brown colour, evenly baked
Flat top, no air bubbles or crumbly edges
Both halves same depth
Fine even texture
Delicate flavour

The book also states that the lining paper should be removed from the cake - what good advice!

Hello, dear!

Yorkshire calling, come in Lucy!

My dear, Lucy it's been so long since I wrote and no reply; I do hope that all is well, dear, and that you've not been stricken by some nasty illness caused by scavenging the lanes of Shropshire for foodstuffs. I only ask this as I saw an old Hairy Bikers edition on TV last week and they interviewed some people who did just that and it reminded me of your whinberrying and I began to worry.
I'm still waiting for your advice about the rules of Victoria Sponge-making. Do let me know what you advise, dear, or I fear there may be an element of the 'bun-fight' in my charity cake-baking foray.

Much love,

Cathy x

Banana Marble Lemon-Drizzle Brownies!

My dear Lucy,

I do hope that you and the Lattes have thawed-out by now; I must say that we were very lucky - we just had to brave Siberian winds - and totally escaped the snow. We did, however, have to cancel our trip in the caravan: 15 foot snow drifts would have prevented us reaching our Scottish campsite. As a result, we have had a few nice day trips and it feels like the Easter break is a long one. We walked the city walls at York two days ago and the youngest Chino children returned from their historical foray bedecked in Viking garb (the eldest is far too sophisticated for that kind of thing now he is 12). He is having a sleep-over party next week, which I hope will go well. We have decided not to let the boys sleep downstairs as that is where the TV, PS3, Wii and computer are; far better to have them upstairs where there are fewer distractions and more inclination to sleep, I think... It feels strange to have a child of that age, although it has made me wonder how my own dear mother feels knowing that her eldest child will be 50 this year. Will I be sanguine when I'm in that situation, I wonder?

I have done quite a bit of baking recently, all thanks to Marry Berry's "Simple Cakes". They couldn't be more straight-forward and I love the photographs - I am totally with you on cookery books and photos, it puts me off even trying a recipe if I can't see what I'm meant to be aiming for. I have been delighted with the Banana Loaf and Marble Loaf; the Lemon Drizzle tray bake and Chocolate Brownies have been requested on a number of occasions and will no doubt prove to be enduring favourites. I love the way you just whack it all in the mixing bowl and give it a good old beating. No faffing about!

I did have to laugh when you told me about the 'fool-proof' cake-baking method your friend told you about! Poor you: egg on your face there, I think! Apparently, (I have never tried this method myself and only heard about it recently) you are meant to weigh the eggs in their shells. I am sure that this slight adjustment to the weights would make all the difference to the result. What a shame it was Mr Latte's birthday cake that had to suffer for this misunderstanding.

I'm planning on organising a cake-baking competition at work in aid of charities yet unspecified (and hoping to win!). The idea is to bake a Victoria Sponge and a guest judge will decide whose is the winner. Entrance will be £1 and the cakes will be sliced and sold off after the winner is decided. I'm yet to make my mind up about whether to allow variations like butter cream. Can you advise following your village show experiences?

Much love, Cathy x

Mr Latte's Birthday Cake

Dear Cathy

I write on the occasion of Mr Latte's 45th birthday. We are knee deep in beautiful white snow, and the birthday boy is about to take the children out sledging. In my opinion he ought to have gone first thing this morning rather than wait until three o'clock in the afternoon when the light is fading, and frankly, so are the children, but what do I know?

For the birthday cake, I took a tip from a friend of mine who is relatively new to baking. She said she had it on good authority that the following was a fool-proof method of producing a fabulously impressive cake every time:

Take three duck eggs (which as I'm sure you know are huge) and weigh them. Whatever, they weigh, add the same of flour, sugar & fat, and slap in the largest cake tin you possess for an amazingly well-risen, moist and delicious cake, which cuts easily into two halves and can then be sandwiched back together with a filling of your choice. Now, as a rule, Cathy, I never use this crude 'cutting in half' method, favouring instead the rather more elegant option of baking two separate cakes in sandwich tins, designed for that very purpose, but I thought 'who dares wins'.

My duck eggs weighed seven and a quarter ounces without the shells, so I added the same of self-raising flour/cocoa, sugar and fat (with a teaspoon on baking powder for good luck). The mixture looked a little stiff to me but I popped it in a deep round nine inch tin (the one I use for my christmas cake) and popped it in the oven at gas mark 4. Twenty minutes later I could smell burning. I checked the cake but it was still wobbly in the middle, so I had no choice but to leave it in the oven. When it came out, it was not particularly well-risen and the sides were burned. I cut them off, covered it with chocolate and put it in the pantry.

At lunch time the cake was brought out and I think it's fair to say that every member of the family was under-whelmed. I think it will do as a pudding if we warm it in the microwave and dump some ice-cream on it. Not sure whether to try again as my novice baker friend says she has produced three amazing cakes using this method. Where did I go wrong? Can I blame the oven - again? My friend baked hers in a Rayburn and she said it took an hour and twenty minutes! Perhaps you could try and let me know how you get on.

Much love, Lucy x

PS I have never wilted spinach in my life! I am rather partial to a slice of Spanakopita but I've never made it myself. x

Jasminder's Chicken Pie

Hello, Lucy!
Thank you for such a lovely day; I can't tell you how joyous it was to be in the (very ample) bosom of your home! All of us had such a wonderful time, which is testament to your skills as a hostess and your warmth as a person. Be assured, we shall take you up on your open invitation whenever time allows. I have to say that the Cappuccino cake was indeed delicious - one of the Chino children has very simple tastes and he could have eaten thirds! Have you thought of letting MB know of your alterations, I'm sure she wouldn't mind...?
If you should ever venture north, then I may well rustle-up another of Jasminder's Chicken pies. I did this last week, fortunately on the very evening when we had an uninvited unexpected guest to tea: the eldest Chino child brought a friend home after school and there was plenty of pie to satisfy us all. Like you, I made some adjustments to the recipe - Mr Chino only eats 'green things' if they are round and a variety of pea (petits pois, garden or marrowfat, he's not fussy which), therefore I had to omit the spinach; he has also, for some reason, taken against nutmeg, so I had to be careful not to add too much; I began to make the pie before I'd checked my pantry and found I was short on plain flour, so had to make up the measurements with plain wholemeal. Poor Jasminder, I fear I did not make the pie as she intended, and she looked so proud of it on Page 219...
Well, the nutmeg slipped in under the radar and I seemed to get away with it, as everyone cleared their plates. I had some wilted spinach on the side, although I so seldom cook it that I can't say I've perfected it yet; any suggestions?

So sorry to hear about the panto palaver - I do hope you weren't too heavily involved. It's unfortunate in such small communities when people get precious about these things, there's little chance of avoiding the fallout. But at least you do all get involved, our local secondary school has to keep cancelling events due to lack of support; to quiz or not to quiz, that is the question.

Today I am enjoying the tranquility of an empty house as Mr Chino has taken the boys out for the day. I have tackled some of the ironing, walked the dog in local woodland, read a few chapters of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and written to you. I can't decide whether to bake a cake today or wait until tomorrow when I get my copy of MB's "Simple Cakes". Happy Mother's Day!

Much love, Cathy x

Dear Cathy

How lovely to see you last week for lunch and a walk over the local hills. It was such a success that I would like to extend an open invitation for the whole family to come for lunch whenever you are travelling down to this part of the country. It's the perfect start to your trip - I suppose the only down side for you is that the rest of the holiday must seem a little dull in comparison.

I took a photo of the Cappuccino Cake that I made especially for you - well what was left of it anyway. The recipe was from my latest purchase, Mary Berry's 'Simple Cakes'. The Lady in my local bookshop, 'Brilliant Books', recommended Mary Berry's 'Fast Cakes' but that particular volume has no pictures, and in my opinion, one must have pictures in a cake book! Dare I mention, however, that I made a couple of minor alterations to Mary's recipe? The cake was superb as it was but I wasn't quite happy with the filling and topping, it was neither sweet enough nor coffeeish enough for my taste. I added an extra teaspoon of coffee granules mixed with warm water along with a couple of tablespoons of sieved icing sugar and crossed my fingers. The result, I think, was quite perfect - I do hope Mary wouldn't mind.

I must tell you about the latest debacle in the village. The annual pantomime has just closed and there have been all sorts of tensions running throughout. The scripts are being scrutinised, the choreography has come in for criticism, and there have been some critical comments concerning the casting! The various factions are all trying to gather support for the Amateur Dramatics Committee Meeting later this week. More on this next time darling!

Ta ta for now, Lucy. x

Hibernation

Dearest Lucy, How are you? I feel like I've just emerged from hibernation - where did November and December go? - but, in truth, I could sleep for a couple of months. I've just surfaced from a nap on the sofa to make a cup of tea accompanied by a fresh bread roll slathered with Lemon Curd in order to have the energy to write to you. I do hope that you got my Christmas card so you know I hadn't totally dropped off the radar...
I really feel as though Christmas crept up behind me and took me by absolute surprise, despite the fact that I'd bought cards last January and the presents were all wrapped three weeks before the big day. The Chino children decorated the tree, so my tradition of playing Dean Martin's "My Kind Of Christmas" with baubles in my hand was ignored, and the poor tree was heavily decorated in one spot and virtually bare the rest of the way round - I spent the next few days surreptitiously moving decorations to fill in the blanks. I have baked - boy, have I baked - but I don't have any photographs to prove it, so I shall add some 'professional-looking' ones to illustrate what I've done.
I made Margot's Sticky Marmalade cake for a friend;

a Raspberry Clafoutis (although it's not strictly called a clafoutis unless you use cherries, apparently)

and a Lemon Meringue Pie.

I have resorted to shop-bought pastry cases and have had none of the disasters that befell me when I made the whole thing from scratch.
Chino child number one had to produce a model of a specialised cel for Science, so I made a square sponge cake and he iced, decorated and labelled it. He dyed some royal icing yellow, used a strawberry shoelace, jelly tots and a giant chocolate button for the various parts and finished it with white royal icing. I do so wish we had a photograph, but it was whisked away by a teacher and returned a week later in an inedible condition.

He did terribly well, getting a 6A, but a friend of his (whose mother made the whole thing out of jelly for him) got a 7A. I was gutted, but proud that my son had earned his mark, not me! I don't think we teach our children anything by doing everything for them, to which end, the little Chino children were wielding the vacuum cleaner yesterday. They declared it to be 'very hard work' and now have a bit more insight into what mummy does.
We were away skiing in France for the Christmas week (where I indulged in the most fabulous chocolate and almond gateau), nevertheless, the Chino Family hosted our annual tradition of a New Year's Day walk and feast so as to allow us to catch up with friends in our town. What a triumph! After a bracing walk on Redcar beach, Mr Chino served a chili and a prepared selection of M&S nibbles, while I delighted our guests with another Clafoutis, Lemon Meringue Pie and a Death by Chocolate cake.

Other offerings to the banquet were a Turkey Curry, home-made Christmas pudding, mulled wine and a Pineapple Cheesecake; our friends are so generous! (As are the people whose pictures I've used to illustrate my efforts)

I was delighted to hear of your dancing success and envision Mr Latte and you to be very much like the triumphant Louis Smith and Flavia in Strictly 2012! Well done you!
And now, I am in need of much rest before next Monday when we all return to school.
Off for another nap; much love Cathy x