As it's a drizzly bank holiday Monday, I thought I'd share a little slice of sunshine with you in the best Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe.
This is a Mary Berry recipe (she's always got your back with the best bakes) and wins every award in my book due to the sweet, sour, crunchy, sugar topping - the dream. It's the most simple recipe - one of those just mix it all together and bake kinda recipes - and the chances are you'll have most of the ingredients lurking about in cupboards already.
Ingredients
for the cake:
225g butter (softened)
225g caster sugar
275g self-raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
4 tablespoons milk
finely grated rind of 2 lemons
for the crunchy topping:
175g granulated sugar
juice of 2 lemons
Equipment: Traybake tin (30x23x4cm)
Prep Time: 10 minutes Bake Time: 40 minutes
1. Line your cake tin with baking parchment to cover the bottom and sides and pre-heat your oven to 180°C.
2. Measure all the ingredients for the cake into a large bowl and mix well for around 2 minutes - I'd recommend using an electric whisk as it's much quicker, but it can be done by hand if you're up for an arm workout! Once the mixture is smooth, pour the mix into your lined tray, scraping the sides of the bowl and then smoothing over the top of the with a spatula.
3. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Test the cake is baked by putting a cocktail stick into the centre, if it comes out dry your cake it ready to come out. If it has cake mix on it, it needs a little longer.
4. Unlike most cakes, you want to do your icing whilst it's still warm, so allow the cake to cool slightly in the tin for a minute or so, then carefully lift the cake out, remove the baking parchment and place on a wire rack.
5. Now for the the best bit, the crunchy topping! To ensure the lemon drizzles straight in, use a fork or cocktail stick to create small holes over the top of the cake. Then, spoon over your lemon and sugar mix whilst the cake is still warm - the lemon should sink in and the sugar should sit on top. you might want to place a tray under your wire rack to catch any drips as it can get a little messy.
6. Once cool, cut into squares and enjoy!
It's perfect to make on a rainy bank holiday like today but it's a recipe I find myself using all year round - particularly for Summer BBQ's... which feel a lifetime away right now, huh?
What's your favourite cake to bake?
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Pancake day, an excuse to break all healthy eating rules and have pancakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, right?
I thought I'd share my favourite recipe for thick and fluffy American pancakes!
I thought I'd share my favourite recipe for thick and fluffy American pancakes!
It's a Jamie Oliver recipe and it's absolutely fail safe.
I'm strictly a lemon and sugar gal when it comes to crêpes, but with thick pancakes I like to change up my toppings - my favourites are Nutella and fresh fruit or Maple Syrup and Bacon.
Ingredients
Serves 3-4 people
3 large free range eggs
115g plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
140ml milk
pinch of salt
lemon/sugar/nutella/fruit/syrup/yoghurt - whatever your desired toppings are!
1. Separate your egg whites and yolks into two separate bowls.
2. Add the flour, baking powder and milk to the yolks and mix to make a smooth, thick batter.
3. Whisk the whites (much quicker to use an electric whisk) with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks.
4. Fold the egg whites into your batter - the mixture should almost double in size and look light and airy with lots of air bubbles.
5. Pop a non-stick frying pan with a dash of oil onto a medium heat. Use a ladle to pour a small test piece of batter into your pan.
6. Cook your pancakes for a few minutes on each side, once they start to firm up around the edges, they're ready to flip!
7. Once you've used up all the batter, go crazy with your toppings and devour the most delicious American pancakes you've ever had!
I've made this recipe so many times and it's never failed me. I'm hoping to master crêpes one day - much trickier in my opinion!
What's your favourite topping for Pancakes?
In December, Henry and I booked a staycation in Bath, Somerset. I'd been once as a youngun' and always wanted to go back and discover a new place, that I secretly knew I'd undoubtedly fall in love with. We arrived and checked-in to our AirBnB on the Friday and left around midday Sunday, so we had a good few days to explore.
We stayed in the most incredible (but affordable!) AirBnB called 'Beautiful Bathwick'. Modern, light, airy and full of colour. There fresh flowers in the kitchen and bedroom, a personalised typed message on the typewriter and a fresh loaf of bread with jams and a glass bottle of milk in the fridge. Our hosts, Daniel and Anna could not have been more helpful meeting us on arrival and leaving a huge list of recommendations on the table for us to browse. It was a 5-7 minute walk in to the centre of town, so location was perfect. Kitted out with all the basics, there was also a speaker to play your music, Netflix on the TV and a collection of classic books if you felt like having a good read! 
If you're looking for beaut pizza, head straight to The Stable. (The cheesy garlic bread will blow your mind, just fyi) They do cider tastings, with over 80 ciders to try and the vibe is awesome. Perf for a fun Friday night.
Hunter & Sons
A banging breakfast spot. A hidden, but well known gem in Milsom Place. You can get your fix of good coffee and they serve brunch until 4pm, which is great if you've been snoozing all morning. I definitely recommend the poached eggs (I've never seen such a perfectly poached egg in my life), bacon and avocado on sourdough.
The Dark Horse
The best discovery of our trip. An underground, dark and mysterious bar with the most divine cocktail menu. The menu is changed seasonally to ensure the freshest ingredients, which are all foraged in and around Bath. The bar-tender was an absolute babe and made me two 'off-menu' cocktails completely to my own taste, they were insanely good. With no standing about allowed, it's capped to the amount of chairs they have, which makes it feel exclusive and extra special. We were lucky to get a walk-in, but I'd recommend booking.
Koh Thai
If you like Thai food and love the idea of sharing small plates to get a taste of everything, Koh Thai is the place. Hen and I often go out for Thai and we both agreed it was one of the nicest meals we'd had. We had small plates to share for starters, but opted to have a curry each for mains (sliiight issue with sharing when you're an absolute spice wimp...) The Massamann Chicken Curry and Papaya Salad were delicious.
There are plenty of interesting sights to see including The Royal Crescent (pictured below), Roman Baths, Bath Abbey but we didn't particularly plan, we just wanted to see what we stumbled upon. With the town being a mix of your favourite high-street shops and quaint independent store there's a little something for everyone - Check out Liv Purvis' post here for the hot spots to shop. (Liv also stayed in the other AirBnb owned by Daniel and Anna - another beautiful place)
It was the happiest weekend and I've definitely got a little soft spot for Bath now.
Where your favourite places? We'll definitely be heading back!
Last week, I wined and dined in a Winter Wonderland.
Alright, I actually sipped endless cups of tea, order a second round of savoury food and scoffed cakes in a Winter Wonderland, but you catch my drift!
After spotting this London hot stop on The Londoner's blog last year, I knew I wanted to go there this year. It books up very quickly, but luckily Charlie and I managed to find day at the end of November to fit in an Afternoon Tea.
Dalloway Terrace is hidden away in the Bloomsbury hotel in the centre of London. A winter dream land where you can wrap up in blankets and cuddle a hot water bottle to your hearts content.
We had GBBO Bake Off Winner, Candice Brown's Afternoon Tea and it was divine. Interesting but delicious flavour combinations and they'll cater to any dietary requirements you have with no fuss at all. We had refills of both tea and the savoury selection at no extra cost too, which was a lovely touch to an afternoon with such a luxury vibe.
I'd definitely recommend for a festive and breathtakingly beautiful afternoon!
This time two weeks ago I was enjoying a beach bbq, complete with slightly burnt sausages and toasted marshmallows, the most beautiful sunset, great company and, thankfully, a big thick jumper (1st September evening beach BBQ's aren't that warm, just fyi.)
The perfect final evening of our week long holiday in Polzeath, Cornwall.
I completely fell in love with this little seaside town, so thought I'd write up a Seaside Guide - similar to my St Ives one, with my top places to stay, eat and this time, surf. It's a mix of camera photos and personal phone photos as I wasn't concentrating on it too much, I just wanted to enjoy quality time with the family (and if I'm honest lifting anything heavier than a feather hurts after surfing for 6 days straight soooo...)
I completely fell in love with this little seaside town, so thought I'd write up a Seaside Guide - similar to my St Ives one, with my top places to stay, eat and this time, surf. It's a mix of camera photos and personal phone photos as I wasn't concentrating on it too much, I just wanted to enjoy quality time with the family (and if I'm honest lifting anything heavier than a feather hurts after surfing for 6 days straight soooo...)
S T A Y
We stayed in Drumfish, (found on Latitude 50) for a week and it was perfect for our family of 6. You can admire the beautiful sea view, with the most wonderful view of the sunset on the large balcony. It's got three double bedrooms and a lovely upstairs open kitchen/dining/lounge space. It's in a really practical place to pop back and forth from the beach too.
We witnessed some serious sunsets during out stay, it was hard to pick just one photo! Every night we'd rush outside to capture the sun at different points as it disappeared and left behind pink/grey fluffy clouds and an orange glow.
F O O D & D R I N K
Surfside - I had the Lobster Mac & Cheese and Heirloom Tomato salad. If I could relive this meal every day, I would. All the fish dishes were amazing, but the tomato salad was the stuff of DREAMS.
The Cracking Crab - Delicious fish dishes alongside some crazy dressing up costumes - which of course, my family ended up wearing!
Rum Bar - absolute hidden GEM. If rum cocktails, palm trees and gypsy kings sound like your kind thing you'll fit right in here. The best on a sunny day - as there's little shelter for rain! - you'll feel like you've just landed on a tropical island.
Cone Zone - Perfect beach pit stop for smoothies, ice creams and pasties!
S U R F
Surf's Up Surf School
There's plenty of choice when it comes to surfs schools in Polzeath, but if you want one with a team of absolute babe instructors who are there to help with anything and everything, then there's really no other than Surf's Up. From booking lessons and picking out your wetsuits to popping up on your board in the water and providing you with photo evidence, they've got you covered. Friendly and fun, these guys really are awesome and I really hope I'll get to learn with them again.
Big thanks to Nisha, Goose and Harry for all the help and to Ryan Perring for these awesome photos!
There's plenty of choice when it comes to surfs schools in Polzeath, but if you want one with a team of absolute babe instructors who are there to help with anything and everything, then there's really no other than Surf's Up. From booking lessons and picking out your wetsuits to popping up on your board in the water and providing you with photo evidence, they've got you covered. Friendly and fun, these guys really are awesome and I really hope I'll get to learn with them again.
Big thanks to Nisha, Goose and Harry for all the help and to Ryan Perring for these awesome photos!
Surfing photos -
Already excited for another visit to beautiful Polzeath.
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