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Vegan Carrot Cake

One Piece

I hope that the first month of the year has been good to you and that you are keeping up with any resolutions made.

One of those resolutions may have been to eat more plant-based foods? If so, then the Vegan Carrot Cake recipe could have appealed to you.

I can say that I found the recipe very easy and the results excellent. You would not know that this was a vegan cake. The only thing that gives it away is possibly the consistency of the frosting. The taste and texture of the actual cake are no different.

Tray Bake

If you do attempt this recipe then please do not be shocked by how thick the mixture is. It is really quite thick and needs to be eased into the corners of your baking tin. However, the carrots will release extra liquid during the cooking process and the cake will come out risen and soft.

Also, do not over-whip your frosting, as it can easily split. However, if it does split, don’t worry; it will still taste lovely and you can distract from its appearance with a sprinkling of chopped walnuts.

** NEXT MONTH**

February sees Real Bread Week from the 15th until the 23rd. With this in mind I am going to change things up and encourage you all to give bread making a go. There are lots of recipes on the Real Bread Campaign website. (Click here)

I have followed a No-knead Bread recipe by Nigella Lawson in the past, which gives great results and is especially good for those who can maybe no longer do 10-15 minutes of kneading. (Click here) However, please note that the first rise takes place overnight, so do plan ahead if trying this recipe.

I think that I am going to attempt Jamie Oliver’s Iced Buns recipe, icing the buns pink and giving them a bit of a Valentine’s Day twist. If you wish to try this recipe then please click here.

As always, please join in with me and send me some pics if you do bake anything yourself.

12:48, 03 Feb 2025 by Paula Cottrell

Book Club Meeting

10 January 2025

Wind in Willows

As with many great children's books, The Wind in the Willows was written after having started out as stories invented by an adult to tell to a child.
 
As adults we all commented on how we had enjoyed reading the book and found so much more in it than when we had read it as children. Reading this book as an adult revealed a multi-layered and complex book detailing characters, relationships, conflicts and the nature of friendship.
 
More than one commented on Grahame's use of language, described by one of our members as 'poetic'. The descriptions were so evocative of springtime in the countryside, particularly of the wild flowers growing on and near the riverbank.
 
"... the rich meadow-grass seemed that morning of a freshness and a greenness unsurpassable. Never had they noticed the roses so vivid, the willow-herb so riotous, the meadow-sweet so odorous and pervading."
 
Others loved identifying with the animals in the book and recognising their traits in people that they know. Especially the Mole, who had a childlike quality of seeing evetrything for the first time.
 
"The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated. By the side of the river he trotted as one trots, when very small, by the side of a man who holds one spellbound by exciting stories; and when tired at last, he sat on the bank, while the river still chattered on to him, a babbling procession of the best stories in the world, sent from the heart of the earth to be told at last to the insatiable sea.”
 
We also compared different editions of the book that members had brought with them to the meeting; we were all entranced by the different styles of the illustrators and illustrations, which had obviously been influenced by the development of publishing techniques throughout the 20th century. 
 
This book was a universal success with our group and we thank Pat for suggesting it.
 

The next book to be read will be "Pride and Pejudice" by Jane Austen.

This will be discussed on Friday 14th February 2025.

A very fitting choice for Valentine's Day!

12:15, 13 Jan 2025 by Paula Cottrell

What's Cooking?

Christmas Goodies.

Rocky Road

So, Christmas has been and gone and we are already part way into 2025. Happy New Year to you all.

December was, as expected, a busy baking month. I managed to find time to bake the usual mince pies and rocky road, plus try something new, Pistachio Amaretti.

I tried making the mince pies with some puff pastry this year and these went down quite well with my family, although I still prefer the shortcrust pastry version.

Mince Pies

The Pistachio Amaretti were relatively easy to make (although a bit messy), looked quite professional and tasted great. I will definitely make those again.

Pistachio Amaretti

Unfortunately, I was unable to make the planned Panettone Biscuits as I could not source any mixed peel in my village. I will need to prepare in advance for these next year.

** NEXT MONTH**

With Veganuary taking place this month I have decided to make a vegan version of carrot cake. I have chosen an easy tray bake version from The Plant Based School (click here), but there are many other recipes online to choose from.

Alternatively, if you do not wish to make a vegan version then why not try “Amy's Best Ever Carrot Cake” from the Women’s Institute website (click here).

As always, please join in with me and send me some pics if you do bake anything yourself.

13:20, 09 Jan 2025 by Paula Cottrell

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