(One note on fairy cakes- these are old fashioned “buns”, not cupcakes. I’ve decided that I don’t actually like cupcakes: the frosting is waaaaaay too sweet!! These are perfect, sweet little morsels, completely delicious with a pot of tea (or coffee!))

 Recipe for : Very Easy Fairy Cakes and Apple cake

250g of butter (preferably unsalted)

350g caster sugar

350g self raising flour

4 eggs

small amount of milk

Simply blitz the whole lot in a mixer, moistening the mixture with enough milk until it is like softly mashed potato.

I use teaspoons to put a heaped dollop in each bun-case, and get 24.

While these are baking, I add:

1-2 sweet apples, peeled and chopped to the remaining mixture,

and put it into a 9” cake tin, lined with greaseproof paper.

Bake all at 180’ C for approx 15-20 mins.

 Deeeelicious!!!!!

 And some more artworks that I’ve almost completed.

I have an exhibition next Wednesday, the 24th of March as part of the East Galway Library Art Trail in Ballinasloe library.

Our table on Christmas morning… the cake was a delicious Victoria Sponge (how dreadfully un-festive of us!!) decorated with a doily with a Christmas tree shape cut out of the centre.

I then dredged it with icing sugar, it is such a simple and effective decoration!

Today we spent the morning planning the garden for 2010, it’s such an exciting time of year!

Fergal has been emptying our compost bins and spreading it out on the dormant vegetable beds in preparation. The polytunnel needs clearing out, and even on these freezing days it is really pleasant being in there. But even more pleasant is when we are in the kitchen planning and baking!!

We went up to dear friends of ours for a truly delicious New Years Day dinner and  came home with a few dozen duck eggs- aren’t the blue ones just gorgeous?

So I baked and baked today- currant buns, bread, fairycakes, scones- exactly what we needed after a week or two of biscuits and chocolate!!

We went visiting today… bringing these fairycakes which were decidedly “short” (buttery, like shortbread) Then I realised I had overdone the butter ratio… something I must definitely do again, once I taste-tested them with a hot cup of tea!!

Choc Chip Fairycakes (with added tasty cholesterol, ha ha)

In my “vintage” Kenwood mixer (best auction buy ever) I tossed in 250g butter, approx 225g caster sugar and whizzed up til fluffy. I cracked in 2 eggs, then approx 225g of self-raising flour. It all looked a bit dry, so I added approx 3 tablespoons of milk, 1 twirl bar and 1 dairymilk (for good measure) I got 36 decent buns from this mixture, not that you would know since my hungry savages scoffed most of them before we got out to the car…