Sunday 10 August 2014

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.

6 comments:

kristina said...

Sounds heavenly! Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's lavender shortbread is perhaps my all-time favorite biscuit. Must have a look for the books. x

mary said...

I'll try his next time, Kristina. This one didn't have the best texture.

Anonymous said...

Scented geranium leaves placed in the tin under a sponge mixture ...

mary said...

That sounds good, Callmemadam. I was already tempted by an apple tart recipe with geranium leaves. Now I just need to find a geranium!

Cosy Books said...

Sometimes the most exciting things come from serendipity and your dill meringues are evidence of that, Mary! Glad you stopped sneaking plums from the bowl and put them to use in a cake...it sounds delicious!

mary said...

Though I say so myself, it was very good cake, Darlene - I would be ashamed to show you how little is left in the tin. Best eaten fresh, that's my excuse!