COOKBOOKS GALORE

I found some buttermilk hidden in the back of the fridge, so decided this was the time to try the buttermilk scones from Nigella's 'Kitchen'. They're quite generous, like the lady herself! You can find the recipe here . They taste really good; a keeper I think. Next time I'll add some dried fruit - cranberries, sour cherries, chopped dried apples or pears. Wonder what they'd taste like with chocolate pieces?!

Thought I'd make some cookies for a change and found this recipe in my folder. They're part of my new 'healthy eating' - well oats are healthy aren't they? Forget about the butter and syrup! It makes about 18 cookies. 115g butter 115g caster sugar 2 tbspn golden syrup 1egg 115g plain flour 1 tspn baking powder 1 tspn each of cinnamon and mixed spice 115g oats Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas4 Cream the butter and sugar together till it's nice and fluffy. Add the syrup and the egg and beat together. Fold in the flour, baking powder and spices and then the oats. Grease a couple of baking sheets and put spoonfuls of the mixture on the sheets; make sure you leave a space between each one as they spread. Bake for about 15 mins till golden and just firm when you touch them. Leave them to cool on a wire tray.

A very Happy New Year. I wanted to make a different sort of cake, so searched through my books till I found this recipe in an old book of world cookery belonging to my Mum. It's of German origin. Preheat oven 160C/gas3 Grease and line a 20cm square tin. 115g butter 115g caster sugar 2 eggs 175g sr flour 4 tbspn milk 1 tbspn instant coffee dissolved in a tbspn boiling water Streusel: 85g walnut pieces 1 level tspn coffee granules 115g soft brown sugar 2 tbspn plain flour 30g butter [melted] Beat the butter and sugar together till nice and creamy. Add the eggs and beat again. Fold in the flour, milk and coffee. Spread half of this mixture into the tin. Put the streusel ingredients into a blender [ except butter] and make into a fine powder. Add the butter and give it all a quick whizz. Sprinkle half of this on top of the cake mixture and top with the rest of the cake mixture, Then sprinkle the remaining streusel on top. Bake for about an hour in the middl...