Baking with friends

Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's March - whatever happened to February. There I was being impressed I'd been keeping my blog (and new years resolution) going, and then promptly stop! Oops. Well, I may have been quiet, but the baking has continued in the background, so I'll try and do a quick up date to get us up to speed!

So back on the 9th Feb, I popped round to my friends house for a spot of baking with her. I was given a choice of what to bake, the text message read:

"It's either, apple, sultana and pecan cake, or toffee apple cake or carrot whoopie pies"

Am not sure why, but I'd read the apple, sultana and pecan cake as a pie and picked that one - I loved the message I got back though:

"yes OK, except it's walnuts not pecans. Cos I haven't got pecans :)" 

- Love it!!!! :)

So on arrival, we have our regular cuppa and catch up, and she's kindly cooked me the most amazing veggie cannelloni. I think there was enough to feed an army, but instead it was just us and I thoroughly enjoyed tucking in, and eventually, when we were very full, we set to in making the cake. I can't claim much responsibility for this bake, but I did chop the walnuts and roast them, and I think I may have stirred something (important roles). I have to admit I spent a long time looking through the recipe book loking at far too many other things I want to make (including the other two things I'd been offered previously - why did I not go to carrot whoopie pies, they sound amazing!) Ohh, nearly forgot the rest of the baking fun, as well as not having pecans, we also had the wrong sugar, and I'm sure there was something else we substituted (I'm sure I'll have a reminder, and then I can update this post). But eventually, we got it all mixed up and into the tins for baking (after checking the raw mixture tasted OK, of course).

Here's the pre-baked cake:

Then time for another cuppa and catch up (that's what baking with friends is all about), and then we whipped the cake out of the oven and I was made to leave it to cool (despite the recipe book saying we could eat it warm) - I was informed that "warm" doesn't mean hot out of the oven - some people are such spoil sports (even if they are correct!)

Here's the cake as I wait for it to cool - arghh! And then finally being allowed a piece with my cuppa (and crochet)

My verdict - I love having other people bake for me as much as I love baking for myself, and baking with friends is always going to be something special and fun to share! Thank you!! Ohh, the verdict on the cake, I really enjoyed it, and I took half of it into work and fed it to colleagues. I don't think it made it past morning tea break so must have been good :)