PEAR AND GINGER UPSIDE DOWN CAKE ~ VERSION 2

Good Afternoon to you,

I am so sorry that I have not been posting as regularly as I used to, but to be honest, with all the changes which Google have made, I have become a little dispirited. Disappointingly, it seems that my 1,300 Google+ friends have simply disappeared into thin air.  I started using Google+ because like many, I assumed it was the way forward and I didn't want to be left behind, but it was obviously a mistake.  After all the hard work I have put into Ivy, Phyllis and Me! my lovely friends have disappeared.

I also discovered it was becoming difficult to leave comments on the blogs which I love to read and it was the same for friends who visited me.  So I unintentionally took a little break.... but I have returned until I decide what to do.

In the meantime, if you would like to see what I get up to on Instagram, pop over and visit me.  I have added the Instagram button to the top right hand corner of Ivy Phyllis and Me!  I think you will be surprised as to what you find there. I look forward to seeing you soon.

So what shall we do today?

I was thinking, that as I have been writing Ivy, Phyllis and Me! since 2012, it would be a good time to reflect on some of the recipes which I have shared with you over the years and also to update you on  any changes I have made to the recipe.

The recipe I thought we could look back on today, is very much a favourite,

Pear and Ginger Upside Down Cake.  I had decided to make Mr B a cake as we had been very good and abstained from sweet things during the month of January.  I also decided in February to use the contents of my store cupboard and freezer.  The only foods I shopped for, was milk, fresh fruit and vegetables and I have to tell you I saved a lot of money.

So once Mr B agreed that he would love a Pear and Ginger Upside Down Cake, I gathered my ingredients,

but I discovered I did not have any light brown sugar which I used in the original recipe which you will find here. So I decided to use Demerara sugar instead, and do you know I preferred the texture of the cake made with Demerara sugar.

I love when happy accidents occur.  If I had not run out of light brown sugar, I probably would never have used Demerara.

.... and this time I used the correct cake tin.... if you click on the original recipe, you will see that I had a brainstorm and decided to use a different cake tin, one which had a fluted edge.  It seemed a good idea at the time, but what I hadn't accounted for in my haste to create a perfect edge to the cake, was that the cake tin was too shallow.... oh dear.  So I lost a little depth to the cake.  It was not a catastrophe, because the cake was lovely.... but this time around the cake has a lovely depth to it.

I also discovered, that the following day, the flavour of the cake had developed even further.

I think you will get an idea of the texture of this cake by this closeup which I took.

When I asked Mr B what he thought about this new version of Pear Upside Down Cake,

he said he loved it and surprisingly that he preferred Version 2 of the cake.

So if you decide to make this cake, try adding Demerara (dark brown sugar) to the cake instead of light brown sugar and let me know what you think.

The other thing I discovered was that in my new oven, this cake took 1 hour and 30 minutes to bake, whereas in my previous oven it only took an hour.  So I would say keep an eye on your cake after an hour of baking.

I have also decided to leave the step by step instructions on how to make this cake as my Featured post, so if you prefer, you can click on the Featured post and it will take you straight to the recipe.

Take care and I will catch up with you next week.

As Always,

DAPHNE'S PLUM CAKE

Good Afternoon to you,

Today, I thought it prudent to bake a cake, as I have been receiving huge hints from George, that it's the weekend and the cake tin is decidedly empty. The only way he could make it any clearer that he wanted to indulge in a piece of cake, is if he stood in front of me and said 'Please bake me a cake'.

As the weather turns colder and the nights draw in, comfort food and cake, become an integral part of my cooking.

Do I see you rolling your eyes? Are you thinking to yourself, eating cake is not a good idea, because what is the saying.... oh yes.... 'a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips'.... well yes I suppose this is true, but surely everything in moderation.  

My mother, Phyllis eats whatever she wants, and her weight never seems to fluctuate by more than a couple of pounds, as she is a firm believer of eating everything in moderation.

I think it would be wrong of me to say, I am as good as my mother, because my appetite ebbs and flows with the weather.  In the summer time I eat less, but when winter arrives it is fair to say I do indulge a little more.

.... but this is how I compensate. Around the middle of November, I ban all things sweet, such as cakes, biscuits and chocolates from our house, (with George's agreement of course) until Christmas arrives and then I give myself permission to indulge in all the Christmas foods.  I don't know about you, but I  find, I can resist temptation if the forbidden foods are not in the house.  I might fancy a chocolate, but if there are none in the cupboard, then I find the fancy passes quite quickly.

.... and between you and me, I feel the constant hinting from George, is because he knows, very shortly, there will be no cake in the house.

But for now, I do feel this Plum cake will indulge his sweet tooth and as plums are plentiful in the markets at the moment, this is the perfect Autumnal cake.

So it's on with the pinnie and time to organise my ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

YOU WILL NEED

TO MAKE

DAPHNE'S PLUM CAKE

250g soft unsalted butter

250g soft brown sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

250g self raising flour - sieved 

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

500g plums ~ halved and stones removed

You will need:  22cm cake tin, buttered and lined

with baking parchment.

Pre heat the oven to 170C

HOW TO 

MAKE

DAPHNE'S PLUM CAKE

Using an electric whisk, 

Whisk the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Whilst the butter and sugar are combining. Whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract and set aside for the moment.

Sieve the s.r. flour, cinnamon and salt and set aside.

When the butter and sugar are light and fluffy, add the eggs a little at a time and continue whisking. If you find the mixture splitting, add a tablespoon of flour and continue whisking.

Add the dry ingredients a tablespoon at a time until thoroughly combined.

Spoon the cake mixture into the pre-prepared cake tin and smooth the top. 

Place the halved plums into the cake mixture, pushing them down into the mixture.  You can arrange them haphazardly or create a design. You will find to fit all the plums into the cake mixture, they will need to be quite close together.

Bake for about 1 hour or until the cake is golden in colour and firm to the touch.

Leave the cake in the cake tin for 10 minutes, then remove  and place onto a cooling rack to cool.

There are two ways to enjoy this Plum cake. You can eat it warm with a spoonful of double cream or enjoy it cooled with a sprinkling of icing sugar.

Either way, I think you will be happy to indulge your sweet tooth.

.... but not too much, remember the saying I mentioned earlier.

'A moment on the hips, a life time on the hips.'

Take care and I will catch up with you next Saturday.

Oh yes, just before I leave you, I wanted to mentioned that I am having great problems answering your comments.  The comments are there, but when I try to access them they disappear.  I know Google does not support Open ID Comments anymore.  Do you know of anyway around this to allow me to access your comments.  I would appreciate any help you could give me.

As Always,

DAPHNE'S ORANGE CAKE

Good morning to you,

Have you heard the latest news with regards to interiors?

Apparently the art of Macrame is coming back into fashion, albeit in a more up to date form.

.... and here I am, old enough to remember when Macrame was trendy first time around, in the early 1970's.  

When Macrame first appeared, it was such a contrast to anything our parents had in their homes, along with Peacock chairs and rattan tables.... it was an era of change. We did not want the same furniture and accessories, we wanted to be completely different. Practically every young couple seemed  to have Macrame decorating their home, in one form or another. Honestly everyone seemed to be Macrame crazy. I remember Phyllis thought the idea was silly and did not embrace the new fashion, in any shape or form, in fact I think it would be fair to say she hated it.  She could not understand why we youngsters wanted plants hung from the ceiling, it completely mystified her.

Macrame plant holders were the most popular item amongst my friends, filled with trailing plants and hung from the corner of the ceiling. With the more adventurous of my friends, having two or three holders suspended from the ceiling filled with plants.... and this could be hazardous, depending on the type of ceiling you had. I remember George screwing a hook into the ceiling, assuring me that it would be fine.  I did mention that the holder would be heavy because I intended putting fruit into the baskets, but he told me I had nothing to worry about.  So the macrame holder was hung, with the fruit placed into the baskets.... and what happened?  Yes you are right, it crashed onto the floor with the fruit rolling around the room. So it was off to the hardware shop where we discovered the type of fixing George needed. Due to the type of ceiling we had, we needed a butterfly screw. When the butterfly screw was inserted into the ceiling, all was fine, although to be honest, I did avoid walking underneath the Macrame holder for a little while, until I was fully satisfied it was secure.

... and what type of plant did we use to fill our Macrame holders. I remember my friends added Spider plants and instead of removing the new plants, they allowed them to grow. By allowing the baby Spider plants to grow, they created a trailing plant, from what should have been an upright plant, 

Another popular trailing plant was Devils Ivy, this was because the leaves were a glossy green and by regularly applying a little Baby Bio cleaner, the leaves would remain shiny. When the plant became too long,  it was re-potted and a moss pole was introduced, so the trailing plant, became a climber. The ivy was tied to the moss pole and  the size of the moss pole,  dictated how large the ivy grew.  Some friends managed to grow plants up to six feet tall.

It was always a trailing plant that was used.... although I was slightly different, because as I mentioned earlier, I inserted three different woven baskets into the circles and used the baskets to store my fruit.  The baskets were hung from the ceiling, over the the kitchen counter, which I thought was very chic.... it was so different to how my friends used their macrame holders. Over the years, I've always created a twist to whatever is in fashion, thus creating my very own style.

My mind is racing now, as different thoughts are popping into my head.

Do you remember the Macrame owls which were hung on everyone's walls.  The owl was hung from a horizontal twig which was attached to the top and bottom of the owl.  Actually if I remember rightly, I think the Macrame owl started life on the top twig and finished off on the bottom twig.

Oh and those long handled Macrame shoulder bags were very much in vogue.  If you were a follower of the 'Hippy style' then this was the bag for you.

.... and my absolute favourite, was a Macrame belt I owned, which I loved and used as a hipster belt for my hipster jeans.... does anyone use such a word nowadays.... hipster, I think it has been relegated to the 'old fashioned' section of our vocabulary. Oh and of course the jeans had to be bell bottomed jeans, the bigger the better.

From reading one small article, it brought back a memory, which was tucked away and something which I had not thought about in years.

.... and something which has been around for much, much longer, is an ingredient we are using today.... oranges.

Because today we are using oranges to bake,

an Orange cake. This may look like a very plain cake, but a cake does not have to be 'all singing and dancing' to be an enjoyable cake.  When time is of the essence, this is an easy cake to put together.

So without further ado, it's on with the pinnie and time to organise my ingredients.

INGREDIENTS 

YOU WILL NEED

TO MAKE

DAPHNE'S ORANGE CAKE

200g plain flour 

2 teaspoons of baking powder

200g caster sugar

4 large eggs

150 ml sour cream

1 large orange ~ juiced and zested ~ you will need 4 tablespoons of orange juice

150 ml sunflower oil

THE SYRUP

2 tablespoons caster sugar

6 tablespoons of orange juice

You will need 1 x 23cm loose bottom sandwich tin

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan 

HOW TO MAKE

DAPHNE'S ORANGE CAKE

Oil a 23cm sandwich tin and line with baking parchment.

Sieve the flour and baking power into a large mixing bowl.

Add the caster sugar and mix to combine the ingredients.

Using a separate medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, orange zest, orange juice and sunflower oil.  Whisk until combined.

Pour the wet ingredients, into the dry ingredients and thoroughly mix together, making sure there are no lumps of flour in the mixture.

Pour the cake mixture into the pre-prepared sandwich tin.

Place in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until the cake is thoroughly baked.

 When the cake has been baking for 30 minutes, make the syrup.

 Pour the orange juice into a small saucepan and add the caster sugar.

Stir, using a low heat, until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 3 minutes.  Set aside for the moment.

 When the Orange cake is baked, remove from the oven, leaving the cake in the cake tin. Using a cake skewer, prick holes over the surface of the cake and brush with the orange syrup. It will seem as if you have too much, but as  the cake cools, it will absorb the syrup.

 When cooled, remove the cake from the cake tin

 and all there is left to do

is

 enjoy.

I thought I would show you a close up of the Orange cake and as you can see, the cake has a lovely texture.

Before I leave you, I think I should explain why I was not with you last week. My only excuse is the weather.... yes the weather. After so much dreadful weather, we had the most glorious week, so both George and I spent our time working in the garden.  We worked hard everyday and to be honest, by the time Saturday arrived, I  was so tired. I never let my age restrict me from doing anything, but I am being honest when I say, sometimes I push myself too far and last week was one such week. 

Also,  because I wanted to get so much work done in the garden, I did not go to my new craft group either, but I fully intend to go this Thursday, so I promise to let you know how it goes.

Until then, take care of yourself and I will catch up with you next Saturday.

As Always,

APPLE CAKE WITH WALNUTS AND DATES

Good Morning to you,

Have you ever had a conversation with your mother, which is not as straight forward as you thought it would be. When the conversation begins, you think you know what your mother is talking about, but as the conversation progresses you become a little confused. 

The trick to conversations with my mother Phyllis, is to pick up little clues along the way, which hopefully will point me in the right direction.  And with a little luck I finally reach the point, where I am in tune with Phyllis and I know exactly what she is talking about.

.... and I had one such conversation with Phyllis on Sunday morning.

We talked about how she was feeling and what she had been up to during the weekend.

She mentioned that she had met her friend Jean and they had decided to go out for lunch.  During lunch, Jean told Phyllis about a new taxi company which had arrived in their area

.... and this is where the funny story begins.

Phyllis:  Jean was telling me that there is a new taxi company starting up here in town. You'll never guess its name. The company is called Hoover Taxis.

Daphne:  Oh said I, that is a strange name for a taxi company.  Are you sure the name is Hoover.

Phyllis:  Oh yes, said Phyllis.  I remember it because it made me think of my hoover (vacuum cleaner).

Daphne:  Funny you should say that, because that is exactly what I was thinking.   The name certainly doesn't make me think of a taxi service. 

I then said with a smile on my face, maybe the name implies that they hope to 'suck up' all the competition in the local area. At this we both laughed.  I then asked Phyllis, how do you spell the name?

Phyllis:  The same way you spell Hoover.

Daphne:  Or maybe it's spelt with a 'u' instead of double 'o'.... Huver.  Even so, I can't say that I've ever heard of the company.

Phyllis:  Maybe it hasn't arrived in Newcastle.  Maybe they will be in your area sometime next year. 

Phyllis went on to say. I think it is disgraceful that Hoover employ people on zero hours contracts.  How on earth are people able to support themselves and their families when they don't know how much they will earn from week to week.  No wonder so many people are struggling financially.

Daphne:  Then the penny dropped, I don't know if Phyllis was correct about zero hours contracts, because I thought the drivers were self employed, but I suddenly realised,  Phyllis was saying Hoover, when she must mean Uber.  So I said 'Oh I know which taxi company you are talking about.... the name is Uber mum, not Hoover.

Phyllis:  Yes, that's what I said, Hoover.

Daphne:  No mum, the taxi company is called Uber and I spelt the name out for her.... U.B.E.R.

Phyllis:  I'm sure Jean said Hoover.  Anyway that is a silly name for a taxi company.  I can easily remember Hoover, but Uber just doesn't sound right.  I feel sure there should be an 'H' in front of the 'U'.

Daphne:  That maybe so, but mum, the company is still called Uber.

Phyllis:  Well they didn't think that through, did they? If they had asked me, I would have told them that Hoover is  a much easier name to remember.

At this point I felt the conversation was rapidly going down hill and I really wasn't making any headway with Phyllis, so I decided to leave well alone and not correct Phyllis when she called the taxi company Hoover instead of Uber.

.... after all, it really makes no odds to Phyllis, as she will not be using the Uber taxi service anytime soon.

So after all the confusion with the pronunciation of Uber, or is it Hoover.... there is no confusion about today's cake, because we are baking,

an Apple cake with a difference, we are adding grated apple along with dates and walnuts.... and it is divine.

But first, if you have been reading Ivy, Phyllis and Me! for a while, then you will know how much I love listening to music.  I do not have a favourite style, I am open to all types of music, but the music I am listening to today, for me, is timeless,

The Good Life sung by the fabulous Tony Bennett.  I love this song, but it also reminds me of my recent visit to see Phyllis.  

In the evening we would settle down to watch an episode of the 1970s comedy series 'The Good Life' and I remember George and I watching this series, when it was originally aired by the BBC in the 1970s. Back then, it was such a popular series and do you know something, it still made us smile the second time around.

So it's on with the pinnie and time to gather my ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

YOU WILL NEED

TO MAKE

APPLE CAKE WITH WALNUTS AND DATES

225g self raising wholemeal flour

5ml baking powder

10ml ground mixed spice

175g chopped dates

75g dark brown sugar

120ml apple juice

2 large eggs 

90ml sunflower oil

2 eating apples

TOPPING

15ml chopped walnuts

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

1 kg loaf tin

1 teaspoon of butter

piece of parchment paper

Pre-heat oven 180C/160C Fan

HOW TO MAKE

APPLE CAKE

WITH WALNUTS AND DATES

Butter and line the loaf tin with parchment paper.

Using a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and mixed spices.

Add the dark brown sugar and chopped dates. 

Using the side of a fork, break up any dates which clump together.
Set aside for the moment.

Using a small bowl, beat the eggs,

add the apple juice

and

oil 

and mix together.

Core and grate the apples.

add to the wet ingredients.

Stir

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients

and 

stir well to incorporate all the ingredients.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin

and

sprinkle with the chopped walnuts.

Bake for 55-60 minutes. Test using a cake skewer.  I find this is the easiest way to check that a cake is baked.

Leave to cool for 10 minutes on a cake rack

Remove the cake from the loaf tin and leave to completely cool on the cake rack.

Actually, this cake is nice eaten warm.

Then find yourself a cake plate, cut yourself a slice of cake

and

enjoy.

You will find that this is not an ultra sweet cake, but when you bite into one of the chopped dates, you will have a lovely sweet explosion in your mouth.

Also I do not bother to peel the apples, I did once and found it did not make any difference to the texture of the cake.

.... and George, my taste tester,  what did he think of the cake.  

When I asked him, a lovely smile spread across his face and he carried on eating. 

I took it to mean, he enjoyed the cake.

Oh and by the way, today's featured recipe is a Dorset Apple Cake which I wrote in June 2012.... My goodness, I have just noticed how much I have learnt since my early posts.  Hence the photograph of Ivy's cooker appearing first, instead of the photograph of the Dorset Apple Cake. I am still very proud of what I achieved back then, because I really knew absolutely nothing about blogging, but as they say, 'It's onwards and upwards'.

Take care and I will catch up with you next Thursday.

As Always,

SCONES MADE WITH MAPLE SUGAR

Good Morning to you,

As I have grown older, I have noticed subtle changes in the way I look.

I did know that I would change as I aged, but I had not expected it to happen so soon.... well it feels too soon for me.

The other day I glanced in the mirror and I noticed something a little different. Now don't laugh when I tell you.... my nose is changing shape. Yes honestly, it really is. Just a slight change, there is nothing bulbous or unsightly about it, I certainly don't look like Schnozzle Durante.  There is just a slight change in the shape, which no one, other than me, has noticed.

I then visited the dentist.  My teeth, which  once were straight as a die, were beginning to become a little crooked. I wouldn't mind, but  I wore top and bottom braces in the 1960's which were really uncomfortable, but I persevered, or should I say, Phyllis made me persevere and the braces did the trick. So when did the crookedness happen and more to the point, why have I only just noticed.... and another thing, when did the tiny gaps start to appear in my front upper teeth.  There are gaps where no gaps have ever been before.... not huge gaps, but enough for me to notice. When I questioned my dentist, he said, sorry Daphne, yes he knows me that well, I'm afraid its all to do with your age. 

.... that was slightly disappointing.

On Tuesday I was talking to my friend and we were discussing shoes.  I mentioned that I used to wear a size 5, but nowadays I wear a size 6.  I thought it was down to the manufacturing, that companies were scrimping on materials, but she informed me no, it was because I was getting older and my arches were falling.

My word, that was enough, nose, teeth and feet. Surely that was it with the changes.

But no, there is more.

.... yesterday, it was a lovely sunny day, so I decided to pin my hair up.  You see I have decided to grow my hair a little longer.  The bob is still there, but the layers are longer.... I fancied a change for the summer. Whilst pinning up my hair, I caught sight of my ears. Was there something a little different about my ear lobes.  On closer inspection I have to say yes, there was, my ear lobes are certainly a little larger than they used to be. Again they are not huge, I think I need to put this into perspective. We are not talking about ears as large as Jar Jar Binks from The Phantom Menace. They are not flapping about in the wind. No there is just a tiny difference. 

So what is happening to me.

Am I going to morph into someone else the older I get.  Will the person I see when I look in the mirror be so different in years to come.  In that case, will I recognise myself.   More to the point will George, Natasha and Danielle recognise me.  Now that could be a problem.

I am only joking with you. This is all tongue in cheek. As you know the ageing process is not something which happens over night, it is a gradual process. So the changes on a day to day basis are slight and hardly noticeably. 

So what is my solution to these changes.

Will I become upset and hate my nose.... not at all. My nose is part of who I am.

Will I stop smiling because my teeth are not perfectly aligned.... oh no not me. I love smiling.

Will I worry about falling arches.... definitely not, I will continue to wear beautiful size 6 shoes.

Will I stop wearing earrings because my ear lobes are slightly larger?  Absolutely not. I adore earrings.

.... and do you know why I am not worried? 

Because I am a Phenomenal Woman.

PHENOMENAL WOMAN

DR MAYA ANGELOU

Many people wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model size.

When I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips,

I'm a woman,

Phenomenally.

.... and that is enough for me.

I love to hear the beautiful voice of  Dr Maya Angelou reading Phenomenal Woman. When I read or hear this poem, it reminds me to be proud of who I am, that with all the changes that come with age, I am still a phenomenal woman.

So what phenomenal bake are we making today.

These fabulous scones made with the maple sugar and maple cream I received from our friend Bea.

I love scones and there was a scone recipe card included in the parcel. The original scone recipe was developed by Chris Wickham, the owner of Glen Mountain Market, in New York. I had thought to make Chris' scones, but decided to use my own recipe with the addition of an egg and the maple sugar, instead of normal granulated sugar.... and the scones are scrumptious.

So it's on with the pinnie and time to organise the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS 

YOU WILL NEED

TO MAKE

SCONES WITH MAPLE SUGAR

460g (1 lb) plain flour

pinch of salt

2 oval teaspoons of baking powder

115g (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened

115g  (4 oz) maple sugar

1 egg

1/2 pint butter milk

1 tablespoon of milk

FILLING

250g blueberries

284 double cream

small jar of maple cream

YOU WILL NEED

1 x 12 case muffin tin

12 paper muffin cases

Pre-heat the oven to 160C

HOW TO 

MAKE

SCONES WITH MAPLE SUGAR

Place the muffin cases into the muffin tin.

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a medium

sized bowl.

Cube the butter and add to the bowl.

Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture

resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the maple sugar and mix well.

Beat the egg and mix with the buttermilk.

Add the egg and buttermilk to the bowl.

Gently mix the ingredients to create a soft dough.

I sometimes find that at this point

I need to add a little extra milk to loosen the mixture. For some reason, not always, but  on this occasion it was needed.

Add the milk.

Continue to bring the mixture together.

Using a tablespoon, place a tablespoon of scone mixture into each muffin case.

Place in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

Check after 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven when the scones are slightly golden in colour and thoroughly baked.

Place the maple scones on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Remove the muffin cases and cut the scones in half.

Spread a generous layer of pure maple cream  on each half.

Whip the double cream and add

 a teaspoon of whipped double cream to the bottom portion of the scone.  

Place 3 or 4 blueberries on top of the cream

and

replace the lid

Place another teaspoon of whipped cream on top and for decoration arrange a blueberry in the centre of the cream.

I loved the flavour of the maple sugar and the maple cream, oh my word it was lovely. 

The tartness of the blueberries cut through the sweetness of the maple cream and I have to say, these little scones are definitely a hit in my house and will be made again and again and again.

For my English friends who cannot buy maple sugar and maple cream, I would suggest trying light brown sugar instead of the maple sugar and if you can buy some maple syrup then whip a tablespoon or so into the cream.... I feel sure it will be lovely.

Actually, I am going to try this when I run out of cream and maple sugar.... but for now, we are enjoying our lovely treat.

Now you may have been surprised that I used muffin cases.  I love the traditional way of cutting the scones, but I was feeling a little lazy and did not want to have a lot of washing up to do, as I had a lot of sewing to catch up on, so I decided to use the cases as a trial. The bases are slightly smaller than the top, but when the scones are filled, you really do not notice the difference. 

There was also a difference in oven temperature and the scones took half an hour to cook instead of the normal 10-15 minutes.

All in all, I was thrilled with how these maple sugar scones turned out.  I have to say they were a triumph.

Take good care of yourself and I will catch up with you next Thursday.

As Always,