Honey almond (and raisin) oat biscuits. As versatile as they are moorish.

I'm totally addicted to both honey and almonds so when I was left home alone on Friday evening this was bound to happen! In fact, I don't think I even made a decision to bake...I'm sure I only got up to make a cup of tea.

I was so pleased with these honey almond oat biscuits I made as a Friday night treat that I made them again with raisins on Saturday morning to take to a children's birthday party! 

One versatile recipe coming up...

 Recipe (makes 6 biscuits - perfect for a Friday evening binge)
40g almonds (whole with skins - whole for now anyway…muhahaha)
40g plain flour
25g oats
45g caster sugar

35g Stork (buta as I call it)
1 tbsp honey (lick the spoon after - you will be filled with happiness)

1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda
2 tsp boiling water

Method

1.      As always, the necessarily practical part first: baking paper on a tray. Oven set to 150C fan (160C if not assisted). Sorted.

2.      Pop your almonds inside a food bag and place on a chopping board. Hold the opening of the bag closed to avoid mess (don't tie it shut or you may cause your food bag to explode!) Gently but with purpose hit / chop the almonds with a heavy knife. This should miraculously chop the almonds and leave the bag reasonable intact! Mess free: the way I like my kitchen.

3.      While you are still tripping from the magic of cutting the almonds without cutting the plastic bag, pop them in a large bowl on your scales so you can add and mix in your oats, sugar and sifted flour.

4.      On the hob very gently melt your butter and honey into each other. Beautiful!

5.      Drop in your bicarbonate of soda and boiling water into your honey-butter mix (you may want to giggle at this point because the frothy fizzing is all very exciting), stir it in and then pour this immediately into your dry ingredient mixture and combine well.

6.      Get yourself a little messy rolling the mixture into inch diameter balls and give them a squish down on your parchment. Keep in mind they will spread because of the honey yumminess so don't put them too close together or you will end up with one massive tray bake (but if you don't want to share then go ahead!)

(Note: This is a picture of the raisin version and is a stickier mixture)

7.      Bung 'em in the oven fur tweny mins. 

8.      Leave them on the tray for 5 mins when you get them out of the oven (they will be a little gooey until they have some cooling time).

Transfer to a cooling tray using a fish slice to finish cooling. 

9.      Eat entire batch in one sitting. Joke!

These are so yummy! I just made them on auto-pilot but they were such a success. If you want to make 2 dozen instead just times up the recipe by 4. 

And if you don't like almonds (in the first instance try them again because they are amazing) or, if like me you just don't want to risk triggering a nut allergy at a children's party, then you might like to try them with raisins. Just use raisins instead of almonds and keep in mind that it will make a stickier mixture. 

Next time I am going to make them with honey, almonds AND raisins. I know. I spoil myself. 

I hope you go Nuts for these almond biscuits!

Cake Love, Fayerie Faye x

Cake in a Mug! YES!

Yes, you read that right. Cake in a Mug is a THING - how wonderful is the world to live in?

Cheers to my gorgeous boyfriend for this delicious, 3 mins in the microwave, Cake in a Mug.

Just look at this thing of beauty!

I won't write anymore because I'm sure you are dashing out of the house to go buy one of these right now! (This one is from Lakeland). I can see lots of variations on this recipe in my future.

Cake Love, Fayerie Faye x

Banana Bread News: This just in!

Very quick update!

As promised, I tried my banana bread recipe with dark brown sugar and everyone went even more banana bread bonkers! 

Served here with a dollop of greek yogurt, sliced banana and blueberries

I used a slightly smaller loaf tin for my main banana bread so I had mixture left over to trial half a dozen muffin buns with walnuts in and these were really good. 

Served here with mashed strawberries, kiwi and flaked almonds with a little strawberry and honey drizzle. Yum!

I thought the walnut complimented the banana bread well but if you really love a strong banana flavour then I wouldn't add the walnuts as their flavour really comes through. Enjoy!

Cake Love, Fayerie Faye x

Nummy Nana Banana Bread

Nummy Nana Banana Bread - say that three times fast!

Who wants to make some Nummy Nana Banana Bread with me? And who wants to eat it?! Yer, you do!

Had some lovely friends over for tea, scones and nummy nana banana bread - now try saying that with a mouthful! It was so nummy that we couldn't stop eating it, so it was all gone in no time! I am going to have to make another batch very soon...but here is the recipe for you now.

Recipe

110g / 4oz butter (I'm still swearing by Stork on this one), plus a little for your favourite loaf tin

225g / 8oz caster sugar (I'm trying it with golden or a chunky granulated grown next time as an experiment so I'll let you know how that goes)

2 free-range eggs (let those chickens live the life a little)

4 ripe bananas, mashed (fork of potato masher - choose your own weapon)

85ml milk soured with 1 n' 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla essence (love this stuff)

285g / 10oz plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

1.      Flick the oven to 180C (a smidge higher if you aren't fan assisted). And butter your 20cm x 12.5 cm / 8in x 5in loaf tin while your'e at it, then the functional bits are over with and you can get on with the fun of baking banana bread.

2.      Grab a jug, measure out your milk and pop in the lemon juice to curdle it a little. (Wee bit healthier than buttermilk) Stand this aside to do its thing while you are busy with the next step.

3.      In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until silky smooth. (I use a good old wooden spoon like Grandma taught me but the electric mixer does the same job quicker - unless you have built up your cake making muscles of course).

4.      In another bowl - mash up those bananas! Use a fork, masher or just mash it plain bare-handed if you like. Baking is meant to be as fun as it is delicious!

5.      Thoroughly stir in the eggs, mashed banana, milk mixture and vanilla extract.

6.      Sift and fold in the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Easy. 

Looks yummy already.

7.      Pour your cake mix in the tin, level with a spoon and tap the tin on the counter top to help it settle (Grandma's old trick). Then it is time to wash up because your banana bread will take about an hour. Yesterday I popped mine out to check the centre with a knife at 50 minutes and it was still a little guey, so it had exactly an hour fan assisted at 180C.

And it looked like this! Nummy!

I ate mine with a little greek yogurt but it was lovely and moist already. Nummy! Right, I think I am going to have to go make some more...

Cake Love, Fayerie Faye x