No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

This cheesecake is a cinch to throw together! The buttery biscuit base is quick and easy to make and the creamy filling is an all in one mixture, no folding or whipping of cream in a separate bowl, just tip the lot into a large mixing bowl and hay presto you're done. No gelatine either so you only need to boil the kettle if you're having a cuppa!

Homemade Thieves Oil (Chemical Free Cleaner)

This homemade chemical free cleaner has the most wonderful Christmassy smell! Not alone does it have that alluring yuletide fragrance but it also is a wonderful cleaner. I discovered this recipe during the summer months, since then I haven't bother to buy my usual branded chemical concoction. 

Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemon is a favourite in this house, I just love it's clean fresh smell and I find that it really comes to life in when I use it in baking. This recipe may look tricky but in reality it is very easy, the sponge mix is an all in one, so nothing can go wrong there, same with the frosting.

Biscuit Base Lemon Meringue Pie

I have been working on my fitness the last couple of months, with getting older and all, I thought I should try and take a little time for myself and get fitter. 

I have tried many activities over the past ten years and as much as I love going out on my bicycle, it can be somewhat time consuming and with winter months closing in it can be a bit dangerous too. So I have found my newest love.....YOGA!!

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Cake

I am totally addicted to Pinterest, it is where I found the recipe for this beautiful cake! I pinned this recipe a while ago, meaning to try it, so when I eventually bought blueberries this was my go to recipe. Now I have slightly adapted the recipe from it's original source Sweet Pea's Kitchen, firstly I converted the measurements from American cup sizes to metric, then I tweaked (ever so slightly) the amount of vanilla extract and lemon zest. The link to the original recipe is below, so feel free to check it out. 

This to me is the perfect tea time cake, it has a light and delicate crumb and the combination of blueberry and lemon are classic. It is not a difficult cake to make, just make sure that you test it with a skewer to ensure it is cooked the whole way through. Enjoy!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the Cake
210g + 1 tbsp Plain flour, divided
2 tsp Baking powder
¼ tsp salt
250ml Plain yogurt (I used buttermilk instead)
220g Caster Sugar
3 large Eggs
1 Lemon, juice and zest
1 tsp Vanilla extract
125ml Vegetable oil
200g Blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed (important that the berries are thawed)

For the Lemon Syrup (Optional):
80ml  Freshly squeezed lemon juice
70g Caster sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:
120g Icing sugar, sifted
2 to 3 tbsp Fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180ºF/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf tin/ 8 inch round cake tin; dust with flour, tapping out excess.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt/buttermilk, sugar, eggs, 1 tsp lemon zest, vanilla and oil. 

Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. (It is really important to test the cake, my first attempt in a 9x5 inch loaf tin, took much longer to cook than the 50 minutes, more like 70 minutes!)

Let cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. (I have made this cake with and without the lemon syrup, I think it's gilding the lily slightly, the cake is so moist without it, however it will add that extra sparkle for a very special occasion.) While the cake is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. 

Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside. 

Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely. 

To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable.

Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. (I grated a small amount of lemon zest directly onto the wet lemon glaze and topped with three juicy blueberries). Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Recipe Notes:
This recipe will also yield about 12 standard muffins or 36 miniature muffins, baking time adjusted. It could be doubled and baked in a well-greased and floured bundt pan, baking time adjusted. This recipe could also be baked in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round, to create a thin cake (approx. 1 1/2 inches tall), baking time adjusted.

Source: adapted slightly from Sweet Pea's Kitchen originally viewed on Pinterest

Glycerine Lemon Cough Syrup

My son developed a cough a few weeks back and when it didn't clear I took him to our Doctor, who said it was viral and proceeded to prescribed Calpol. Having spoke to some of the mothers at the school gate they had a similar problem and that it was especially bad at night. Andrew is only four so I avoided over the counter cough medicine, the Calpol was enough. This will sooth a sore throat and with a drop extra of honey tasted pretty good too. So if like me your wrecked and in need of a full night sleep, give this a go.

Ingredients
1 Lemon
2 tbsp Glycerine
2 tbsp Honey (or to taste)

Method
Heat the lemon by boiling it in water for 10 minutes. Cut in half and squeeze out the juice. Add the glycerine and honey. Take 1 tsp as needed.

Easy Lemon and Orange Curd

  

I made this because I'm not very good at making Jam, all that pectin and and reaching boiling point! This is much less complicated and can be made at a reasonable price all year round. It's worth keeping a few jam jars for and as it happens this is very nice with my brown bread. This is not as firm as the shop bought curd, it has a silky smooth texture.  

Makes 3 x 1lb jars (3 x 454g)

Ingredients

4 Lemons

2 Orange

500g Caster Sugar

6 Eggs beaten

200g Butter cubed

Method

Grate the zest from two lemons and both oranges into a  heatproof bowl. Add the sugar, butter and eggs.




Add the juice from all the fruit to the bowl and combine with a wooden spoon. Place the bowl over a barely simmering (very important) pan of water for 15 to 20 minutes or until the curd coats the back of the spoon. 

If the curd won't thicken, whisk in 1-2tsp of cornflour (or rice flour) and continue to stir until it coats the back of the spoon.

Do not allow the water to boil or you'll have scrambled citrus eggs ugh! Pour into sterilised jars either straight from the dishwasher or warm oven and seal. 




To sterilise jars, either put them through a cycle in your dishwasher, boil them for 5 minutes in pan of water or place in an over preheated to 150C/ 300F/Gas 2 for 10 minutes. The curd keeps for 2 - 3 weeks in the fridge.