The 1st of March is St. David’s Day, commemorating the patron saint of Wales. Now while most people know that St, Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland,and recognize St. George for killing a dragon, St. David remains less well-known. So…
Let’s Have a Slice of Lardy Cake!
In this post, we enjoy a slice of a traditional British favourite, albeit one that might make modern health food fanatics faint. Give a cheer for lardy cake! Lardy cake is an enriched yeasted cake, made by taking bread dough…
Butterfly Cakes
Anyone who grew up in the UK in the 1970s or 80s no doubt remembers butterfly cakes. They always seemed so fancy and eating them was a careful procedure involving removing each wing and eating them separately. So we suggest…
Simnel Cake: For Mums or Easter?
Simnel cake – a fruitcake with distinctive marzipan decoration. Most places I see it mentioned talk of it as an Easter cake, but I was sure I remembered learning about it for Mother’s Day in school. So which is it?…
National Baking Week
We are slap-bang in the middle of National Baking Week, but let’s face it; we Brits don’t need a week for baking. It’s always a good time to whip up a batch of cupcakes for an impromptu tea party or…
Scotch Whisky – Great for Drinking and Cooking
The previous post explored Scottish salmon as part of our Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight series. But, as you all know, you can’t discuss the cuisine of the Highlands without mentioning whisky. So in this post, we take a look…
Battenberg Cake
With its harlequin sponge and marzipan wrapping, Battenberg (or Battenburg) cake is a firm teatime favourite in the UK. It is also surprisingly easy to make. As for where it originated, that’s not quite so easy. Battenberg cake is made…
Do You Know Your Eccles From Your Banbury?
Britain has a huge number of regional dishes, but it can be easy to confuse some of them. For instance, you might be familiar with the Eccles cake, a small pastry case filled with spiced dried fruit. But do you…
Maids of Honour – Henry VIII’s True Love?
On June 24, 1509, the young Henry Tudor was crowned King of England, just a few days shy of his 18th birthday. During his reign, the country underwent many changes. Perhaps most notably, we broke away from the Catholic church…
Hot Cross Buns for Easter
As Good Friday draws near, we pay tribute to a seasonal favourite with a long history. Hot cross buns are sweet, yeasted rolls, often spiced and containing currants. Their top is marked by a cross, whether it be cut into…