Yep! 1 lb of guava paste (NOT jelly/preserves), diced and simmered over medium heat with 1/3 cup water.

I looked for guava paste and found some at Walmart. Gonna look for recipes with guava paste to make some desserts this summer. Hihi.....

Strawberries and cream cakes again.
No icing sugar this time, as it made them messier to eat.
Also smaller pieces of strawberry, based on feedback.

There is also a well of strawberry jam (added after baking) inside. Which made assembly slightly more fiddly, but baking so much easier.

Went down very well.

:yum: Have to back away ...

Honestly, they look great, Sundae. I can almost taste them.

Those look YUMMMMSTERS !!!!!

I asked my sister to buy me a small jar of good quality jam to make these today. She asked me if I will really going to make them because I always ask her to buy ingredients and never make the them and are they to be given away because we don't eat cupcakes. Got so pissed that I told her to forget it to which she happily crossed off the jam of the grocery list. :mad: I've been wanting to make the strawberry and cream cakes. :( Anyways, I have to bake the shortbread cookie dough first and when I have a chance to go to the grocery store, I'll just use my own money and buy the jam myself. Blah.

Sorry to hear of your jam-related woe, Lola.
I will add a jar of jam to my suitcase when I finally make it to America.
I'll even put a special label on it for you, "My friend came all the way across the Atlantic and all she brought me was a lousy jar of jam."

The recipe for the strawberry & cream cakes makes 24.
The fact that it uses fresh cream means they have to be eaten the same day, pretty much. So I talked to Mum about it and we decided I would make a whole batch of the plain cakes, but freeze half.

I defrosted six yesterday and made them into cola cakes. Basically just adding cola frosting, sugar and a couple of cola-bottle sweets. I wasn't sure how well they'd go down, so I didn't want to risk all 12.

I had one, the chap who came to clean the gutters had one, and this morning there is one left. I'd say someone in this house had more than one... Not pointing any fingers... Not a complaint, nothing makes me feel quite as good as people enjoying what I've made.

My Patronus memory would probably be Limey's post about my chocolate cake.

Sundae, you're such a sweetheart. Muah! :D she let me make apple cinnamon cupcakes for her birthday though.
Attachment 44425

This is her birthday cake. It is coffee flavored, and the decoration is really pretty. It's a tad expensive for an okay tasting cake.
Attachment 44426

I don't remember that. You'd better send me another slice :cool:

I finally get my benefits through on Wednesday.
Lots to pay off/ pay back.
But cakie will definitely follow. It's been in my mind for a while.

My dear girl, my cakie needs should, nay MUST come last on your list of expenditure!


Sent by thought transference

Mum had a rough day yesterday.
She has decided to give up her volunteer work because of it.
I'm not good at consoling her, so although I have done what I can verbally I thought a cake would mean more.

It worked out SO well.
I suggested she went to the market and asked for over-ripe bananas, half expecting that she'd just get them from Tesco and I'd have to wait for them to ripen.
Nope. She did exactly as I asked.
Chap on the market stall took her round the back (oo-er) and gave her six over-ripe ones for free. I've had the chutzpah to ask for this sort of thing for about 15 years, this was Mum's first experience as far as I know.
She came home glowing (although I bet she gave him some money anyway - I know my Mum.)

SO. More 'nanas than I expected, so two loaves.
One loaf of Wolf's Chocolate Banana Bread.
One of Mum's (from her big blue cookery book which was a wedding present back in the '60s.)

I will take photos.
I would also send samples, but I'm in the desert between benefits and salary.
As opposed to the desserts.

Because it was a monster bake I'm probably going to freeze 1/2 - 2/3 of each loaf anyway. Just need to check with Mum. She loves to offer home-made cake to visitors, and in fact loves it more if I've made it. Partly because it's less bother, but also partly because she can big it up without seeming arrogant. But if she has no-one scheduled this week I know she'd rather save it for when people are definitely coming.

Again, feedback when I get it.
'nanas not my bag.

:)

So nice, I hope your mom can find a happy resolution to her work/volunteer situation. Quitting sounds so final.

When Mum is offended she is OFFENDED.
They are dead to her now.
I know I come across harsh about her, but she can be very cut & dried herself.
They hurt her feelings, she will never go back.

Photo of banana bread below.

Will photog Wolf's chocolate one when it comes out of the freezer.
Mum enjoyed both, but clutched the chair in panic when I suggested putting half of this in the freezer.

I can't take any real credit for it, apart from being arsed to bake it. It's her recipe, her staple and she loves it. I just wanted to make her happy and it worked.

I made Sundae's "Ultimate Chocolate Cake" recipe today. When I first looked at the recipe, the thing that stumped me weren't the UK measurements but the different sugars and flour. Luckily, my googling was productive. I found out that an acceptable substitute for golden caster sugar and muscovado sugar is light brown sugar. Also, I found how to make self-raising flour. :D I'm sure the cake would've tasted better if I had used good quality ingredients, but it was good enough for me. :D I ended up not make ganache because I forgot to buy chocolate to make it. :p: And lastly, I made cupcakes rather than cake, hihi.

The reason why I had wanted to try this recipe is because I had tried this one chocolate cupcake at one of those gourmet cupcake shop, and it was really good. (someone else bought it and let me try, hihi.) I refuse to pay over $3 for a cupcake when I am most capable of make decent ones. Arrogant? Maybe but at least I won't be wasting money on cupcakes. :D (emergency, brb)