As I read back on my previous blondie recipe, it occurred to me that the weather takes a turn for the worse every time I make them. Indeed, it’s raining cats and dogs outside – so much for British summertime – though it’s hard to say whether or not it rains because of blondies. Either way, these blondies are awfully delicious and continue to propagate the exponential growth of my love for ground almonds – they have simply the most wonderful texture.
Diamond jubilee celebrations have begun here in Britain and whether one is in favour of the royal family or not (I am), it is hard to screw one’s nose up at the prospect of two public holidays. Only two monarchs in British history have had cause to celebrate 60 years of reign, though arguably such a thing meant a little more in the days of Queen Victoria who celebrated her diamond jubilee in 1897. Still, it is clear from the festive atmosphere to be found in Britain, as well as other countries, that the support and excitement surrounding the multi-national Royal Family remains palpable. Clearly, this is a very important time for Britain and failing to mark the occasion with a sweet and very British treat would be a little remiss. So, despite the rather gloomy lighting conditions, I hope you all enjoy my iced buns.
The Glamorgan Sausage, or Selsig Morgannwg, is a traditional vegetarian Welsh sausage which contains two very Welsh ingredients; Caerphilly cheese and leeks. It seems that they used to be made using Glamorgan cheese, but such a thing is no longer available, though it is reportedly very much like the creamy Caerphilly. If Caerphilly cheese is not available where you live fear not, mature cheddar cheese or something a little creamier will do just fine. Besides, it’s the breadcrumbs that really hold these incredibly tasty sausages together.
This is one of those very rare moments in which I draw rather direct inspiration and part of a recipe from someone else. However, there is no shame to be had in this particular case, since when my mother showed the photo to me I knew at once that a similar result had to be achieved. Of course, the recipe has been altered a little; the original contained no blueberries, was party to an orange instead of a lemon and lacked oats, not to mention the fact that the quantities are a little different. Still, enough was drawn from this particular recipe to warrant a mention – thank you, Mail on Sunday and each and every one of your entrails, most suited to middle aged women.
As promised, little over a week ago, here is my post for homemade ravioli and what good ravioli it was too! As expected, it turned out to be a little trickier than my previous attempt at tagliatelle, but as you can see, the end result wasn’t entirely offensive. The only reason ravioli is made more difficult than average pasta is that one must roll one’s dough out to the pasta machine’s thinnest setting, which only serves to pique one’s chances of manhandling it. Still, after a couple of tribulations, we were each faced with a scrumptious plate of rather interesting pasta.