Ten Warm Drinks To Make You Feel Cozy!

Because you can't always drink regular old tea... or wine, for that matter.  Sometimes you need to change it up a bit, don't you?  Here are some nice drinks to give you a fancier time with your favourite mug.

1. Condensed Milk Chai via The Spendid Table //// here
2. Very Best Cocoa via K Shimotsu Photography //// here
3. Gluhwein via Pip //// here
4. Ginger Tea via Martha //// here
5. Mexican Hot Chocolate via Nigella //// here
6. Non-Alcoholic Mulled 'Wine' via Pip also //// here
7. Warm Apple Cider via Jane Spice //// here
8. Hot Chocolate via The Hairy Bikers //// here
9. Irish Coffee via Martha //// here
10. Warm Vanilla Milk via La Cucina Italiana //// here

Orange Cake

click to enlarge

Favorite Cakes
Card 13
Orange Cake

Ooh it has been a while since I posted a Yellow Box recipe... That has more to do with the fact that I haven't taken photos of the recipe cards, rather than the fact that we haven't been Yellow Box-ing. Because we HAVE been Yellow Box-ing!

So here we have the Orange Cake!  This cake was quite yummy.  Either I cooked it for too long... or it was badly in need of a syrup... perhaps the first, because it was a bit dry.  I hate a cake that is not quite cooked, so I think maybe I did err on the side of caution and cook this a bit long... (be careful not to do that, if you make this cake.)

This cake is a real old fashioned tea cake. It will keep for an age, I reckon.  Maybe a week or more.  I decided to fancy up the icing a bit, and added some Mandarin Zest, which gave it a nice lift.  This glace icing is the sort that sets, so you can wrap it in cling film and the plastic won't stick to the top. I think that makes it a good cake to take to a friend's house, which I did.  (The friend thought this cake was nice.)

While I was icing this, Ari told me too much icing is a bad thing, so I did not completely smother it as I usually do.  He was quite mortified that I slowly tipped the icing on and let it flow volcano style.  He thought I should spread the icing carefully. Hmm.

So what do you think?  Too much icing a bad thing? Tip or spread?  Is this a cake your Nan used to make?

xx Pip

NB :: More on Project Yellow Box here....

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Simplicity Chocolate Cake - via NMAA

I made this today. It turned out great. I used a bit more butter and dutch cocoa and a tablespoon of espresso instead of instant.


2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cocoa
1 cup SR flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp instant coffee

Grease a ring tin very well and heat oven to 350F

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Add cocoa, vanilla and coffee. Add flour and milk alternately. Bake for 30 mins. Cool in tin and then turn out.

NMAA Banana Loaf :: from NMAA Cooks

125g butter
2/3 cup raw sugar
1 egg
1 cup wholemeal plain flour plus
1/2 cup wholemeal self raising flour mixed with a pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups mashed banana
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup yoghurt or 1/4 cup milk mixed with some lemon juice (to make buttermilk!)

Grease a loaf tin and heat your oven to 375f

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix well. Now mix the mashed banana, vanilla and yoghurt/buttermilk together. Add this mix and the flour alternately to the creamed butter until all is mixed in. Pour into a greased tin and bake for 40 - 50 minutes! Cool for ten minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.

I sprinkled the top with cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar before I baked it - for a bit of a spicey crunchy top!

Never Fail Chocolate Cake

Okay.. this cake is missing two pieces.. but that's because they've scooted into the lunchboxes of two hungry boys. I got up early to face the week and make soup and cake for the boys and cake for Brown Owls too. Lots of early making makes me happy, I can tell you! I'll show you the cherry cake a bit later on (it's still in the oven.)

Never Fail Chocolate Cake
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa
pinch salt
1 cup of milk
dash of vanilla essence
2 cups of SR Flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time beating constantly. Add salt and vanilla. Mix cocoa and milk together in a jug. Add this cocoa/milk mix alternately with spoonfuls of the flour until nicely combined. Bake in a moderate oven in a 7"pan for 40 mins or until done!

*adapted from 'Royal Flying Doctor Women's Auxiliary Cookbook'

Cherry Cake

Cherry Cake

2 cups of flour
3 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
100 g butter
1 cup of sugar PLUS 1 extra tablespoon of sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 cup of frozen or fresh pitted cherries
rind of a lemon


Cream the butter and the sugar until pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the lemon rind, salt and the vanilla. Beat in the sifted together flour and baking powder, and the milk alternately until just combined. Pour into a well greased 7" tin and dot with the cherries, then sprinkle with the extra sugar. Bake for 40 minutes in a medium/moderate oven - or until a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Enjoy! Yum!

* adapted from this recipe

I think I cooked this one a bit long... it was a tiny bit gooey in the centre after 40mins... but I'll just be sure to douse it with lots of cream and I think it'll be fine.... perhaps I might even warm it to serve?!

Tea with Delia? Delia Smith's Crumpet Recipe

You really need to take your time cooking these. Otherwise they will be doughy and yuk. And doughy crumpets are for slappers, right? I make the batter and whack it in the fridge for delicious sourdough crumpets the next morning. I'm a bit clever, sometimes. You could get these started early in the day and have them for afternoon tea. That would be clever too. This recipe makes 12.

8 oz (225 g) strong plain flour
1 level teaspoon salt
1 level tablespoon dried yeast
1 level teaspoon caster sugar
½ pint (275 ml) milk

You will also need a thick-based frying pan, some egg rings and a little lard.

Heat the milk and 2 fl oz (55 ml) water together in a small saucepan until they are 'hand hot'. Then pour into a jug, stir in the sugar and dried yeast and leave it in a warm place for 10-15 minutes till there is a good frothy head on itMeanwhile, sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre then, when the yeast mixture is frothy, pour it all in.

Next use a wooden spoon to work the flour into the liquid gradually and beat well at the end to make a perfectly smooth batter. Cover the basin with a tea-towel and leave to stand in a warm place for about 45 minutes - by which time, the batter will have become light and frothy.To cook the crumpets: grease the insides of the egg rings well, and grease the frying pan as well before placing it over a medium heat.

Arrange the rings in the frying pan and, when the pan is hot, spoon 1 tablespoon of the crumpet batter into each ring. Let them cook for 4 or 5 minutes: first tiny bubbles will appear on the surface and then, suddenly, they will burst, leaving the traditional holes. Now take a large spoon and fork, lift off the rings and turn the crumpets over.

Cook the crumpets on the second side for about 1 minute only. Re-grease and reheat the rings and pan before cooking the next batch of crumpets. Serve the crumpets while still warm, generously buttered. If you are making crumpets in advance, then reheat them by toasting lightly on both sides before serving.

Slapper Tea-Cup and Plate from here