There's a lane where I walk occasionally which is very good for blackberries - and very good for lime blossom for tea, if you like that kind of thing, but I don't much. But on Friday I noticed a tree laden with golden mirabelle plums. They were literally falling from the bough ... what luck that I got to them before the birds! So now there's a mirabelle almond cake in the oven ...

And this will be a short post as I mustn't let it burn!

I've been experimenting recently with baking with flowers. First off, tiny lavender meringues which would be lovely as petits fours with coffee. Then I used lavender sugar to bake a batch of lavender shortbread.

Then I got braver and thought I'd make fennel meringues ... whoops, only after I served them I realised I'd picked dill flowers instead. I felt slightly crestfallen until I told myself that you'd pay a whack for dill  meringues in a swanky Michelin restaurant. Wouldn't you? They have a rather grown-up, astringent anis-y taste and I think I'm quite pleased with them.

I'm also planning apricot and lavender cake from this lovely book. And I'm eagerly awaiting this.