Playdate Muffins

Lyra and I had a playdate this week with a mum and her little dude who I met through my antenatal classes waaaaaay back in May.  We've been meeting up pretty much every week for the past few months. This week Lyra and I went over to their flat for a couple hours of rolling and crawling.  

I was really glad to go over to their flat.  While I love meeting at cafes and chatting over coffee the little monkeys are getting bigger and more active and more vocal and they really need space to explore...not to be stuck sitting in a high chair.  And also...my mat leave money has run out so I'm trying to stop frivolously throwing my money away on decaf lattes and scones.  So a playdate was the perfect way to hang out and save a little money.  

I offered to bring something healthy(ish) to snack on and ended up whipping up a batch of muffins Tuesday afternoon while Lyra watched on.  Muffins are my go-to bake these days.  They are easy and fast...perfect for baking with an unpredictable 6 month old looking on.  A big plus is that they freeze really well too...not that this batch was for freezing.  

I adapted this banana muffin recipe substituting some oats for flour, adding some cinnamon and a good handful of frozen blueberries.  The banana muffin recipe alone is great, I've used it loads and am going to hold back half of the sugar next time and make some minis for Lyra.  The addition of the oats and blueberries in this batch made us adults feel less guilty about shovelling them in our faces while trying to stop the babes from head butting/scratching/crawling over/squashing each other.  Now that they are on the move I don't feel guilty about eating 2 muffins in 1 sitting.  

my little (carrot) muffin

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Empire Biscuits and takeout goodies from Dalkeith

Last week a friend of mine popped by for a visit and to cuddle Little Miss Perfect and brought us a whole bag full of baked goodies from The Wee Bakehouse in Dalkeith.  Brownies, tray bakes, soda bread and Empire biscuits.  Actually she brought one of each goodie and we cut them in half so that we could try a little bit of everything...except the Empire Biscuits.  She brought two of those.  She has a bit of a weakness when it comes to Empire Biscuits and...well...there was no way she was going to share (I don't blame her).  

This week Little Miss Perfect is 2 months old and because I am determined to celebrate every month with something sweet I thought I'd try my hand at making some Empire Biscuits. I used James Morton's recipe and it couldn't have been easier.  

I filled the biscuits with rhubarb and ginger jam and put a dollop of really thick icing on top, instead of completely covering them.  Of course I had to make mummy and mini sized, it wouldn't be fair if I didn't.  

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Blueberry Lemon Drizzle Muffins

I am typing this with a sleeping baby attached to my chest.  I probably should be doing some laundry or  making the bed but when she's sleeping I like to do something for me...besides there is no telling how long she will sleep for... 

Wednesday morning Lyra and I whipped up a batch of Blueberry Lemon Drizzle Muffins.  Using my Quick Anytime Muffin recipe I added some lemon zest in with the wet ingredients and then, once baked and slightly cooled, slathered them with a lemony icing sugar topping.  

These muffins are great without the drizzle but sometimes I think it adds a little something special to jazz up my morning (or anytime) treats.

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Macarons and some respite

My mum has come to stay with us for a month.  She is cooking and cleaning and cuddling and today she gave me some time to play with the macaron set she brought me.

I've never been brave enough to make macarons before. I am terrified of piping and I was under the impression that they were a real faff to make.  I'm not saying that every shell turned out perfectly, but for a first attempt I was really pleased with myself.  

The kit my mum brought  me is a silicone sheet that has little circles on it to help make the shells uniform.  It also comes with a fancy schmancy silicone piping set and a recipe book.  I had seen the set in some shops a while back and was skeptical, but I was actually really pleased with how everything worked out.  

I made vanilla macarons with a dark chocolate ganache filling. It took a while...luckily the baby sat happily in her bouncy chair in the kitchen while I finished off filling the shells...and in the end I have been converted.  Also, I had a pretty horrible macaron (made by a professional pastry chef) at an afternoon tea I went to last week so the fact that mine tasted and looked a billion times better has really boosted my confidence.  

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A Wee Scone

mama scone and baby scone 

I am so happy that I finally feel human enough to sit down and blog again...and I've even managed to get into the kitchen! That's right...our wee scone has finally arrived.

Just over 2 weeks ago we welcomed our gorgeous little girl into the world.  It was tough and we needed a few extra days in hospital, but we are home now and settled.  My mum has come to visit/help out for the next few weeks...allowing me time to close my eyes and also to bake (cinnamon and mixed fruit scones).  

I hope that it won't be too long before I get a chance to write again.  

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