Oh Nigella!

So I had some leftover egg yolks from the cranberry-orange and almond cake I made recently.

And mucking about the fridge, I found a zested orange sitting forlornly in one sad corner. Also found a couple of lemons I'd forgotten about lurking in the crisper of said fridge.

So what do I do?

LEMON-ORANGE CURD!!!!

Yummy!

Did my bestest Nigella Lawson impersonation this morning, complete with British accent (in my head) and her signature - finger dipping in the luscious, lemony curd and licking my fingers, smacking my lips after, while making eyes at..... my kitchen wall.

Oh well..... waste not, want not! :D



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Me bake?

I've always enjoyed baking.

Whether others enjoyed my baking.... now, that's another story.

I remember when I was younger, whenever I wanted to bake, my Mom would say "Please don't, don't waste flour". Sigh.

And when I DID bake, it always turned out as unrisen, hard doughey things. Which would sit on the kitchen table till it smelled funny, and ultimately end up in the bin. (even the dogs wouldn't have a go at them).

But lately, I've picked up baking again.

And this time, I bought MY OWN FLOUR!

And boy have I been baking!

I've done several! Red velvet, pink velvet, velvet baileys, key lime coconut, banana butterscotch walnut, pandan chiffon, passion fruit meringue, lemon meringue, pavlova (which didn't turn out so well) and strawberry shortcake!

I enjoy scouring the internet for recipes and tweaking them to suit whatever's in my baking stash. No heavy cream? No problems, I've got baileys.... what? They're both creamy-ish....

No lemon essence? No issues, absolut citron/bacardi limon should do the trick ;)

No orange flower water (whatever that is!!!) ? Hello cointreau! :D

Stick with things you know I say. And thank the heavens, them cakes have turned out.... passable.

So far no one's hurled either the cake, obscenities, rotten eggs, tomatoes or fruit, or simply hurled at me whenever I give them cake, so I take it as a good, and promising sign.

Well, it's no where close to them professional bakery cakes, but I'm having a great time baking! For one MUST sample the ingredients that go in (which reminds me, I'm running low on Bailey's and rum (for all them rum soaked raisins.... ahh....yummmm) and one must also sample the finished product (damn my jeans are super tight now... I wonder why....).

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