This weeks batch of baking is Lemonylicious cupcakes from 'Cupcake Magic' by Kate Shirazi. Wow, they were so simple to make (in the 'low faff' section of the book) but taste light, fresh and sunny. They have lemon juice and zest in the sponge, lemon curd in the centre and a big dollop of creme fraiche on top. The lemon curd and creme fraiche go together well and give a Summary flavour. Here they are nestled up to the book from whence they came.
The book's packed with recipes and is straightforward to read, but also written with a good sense of humour. I especially enjoyed the little section on Kates ex-battery chickens - not what you'd expect from a cupcake book but a nice edition.
I've been trying to soak up every last bit of Summer these past few days (well, on Sunday when it was actually sunny). It's peaceful sitting on the step in the sun, knitting and enjoying the flowers and plants.
Bright stripes, sunshine and flowers in full bloom made me particularly happy.
I love my small garden; it's not much, just a concrete yard, but it's packed with pots of flowers, herbs and veg and is in a fairly quiet corner. I'd love a garden with enough space to grow things in the ground, or an allotment but they're so popular that getting one is a case of dead mans wellies. But at least I have my yard and it's as low maintenance as it could possibly be - hardly any weeding, no digging and no grass to bother mowing! It's quite enjoyable day dreaming about what I'll plant when I have a garden; all the fun of planning without any hard work. And sometimes a mighty beast such as this one comes along to mull things over with me.
