Cakecasions | Stately Home Car Park Cake

If wine is good enough for pairing, then so is cake. Just match your cake to your occasion. Any occasion.

There’s always time for cake. But some events call for a very particular sort of cake. Cake should always come out for a new job or a new baby, of course. But cake ought not to be saved just for special occasions. Cake is the stuff of life – the trick is to recognise when it’s needed and, more specifically, what sort of cake fits the bill. These moments are ‘Cakecasions’. Sunday afternoon spent sorting the shed? That needs a nice, stoic fruitcake – plenty of fruit and nuts for decluttering energy and a good excuse for punctuating the work with several cups of tea. Crafternoon with a friend? A simple Victoria sponge always hits the right note. But the cakecasion might simply be ‘Tuesday afternoon’. Who said the occasion had to pass a validity test? If it demands cake, that’s good enough for us. As the American author Dean Koontz once said: “Where there is cake, there is hope. And there is always cake.” To help you get started with your cakecasions practice, in our April issue, we’ve matched a few delicious cakes to some events and situations that practically demand them. Here’s one of them…

Picture this Sunday scenario: you’ve de-mucked the walking boots, piled the anoraks into the back of the car and are ready to set off to a National Trust property for a bit of light history and a couple of hours spent nodding appreciatively at the Capability Brown features of a large garden. What have you forgotten? A Thermos and some cake for after your walk, obviously. What this Cakecasion calls for is something cheering and practical. It should be easily transportable, and preferably not require the use of a fork so that you can hold your cake in one hand and your flask top of tea in the other.  Mini limey olive oil cakes are ideal. Sensible, but with a hit of Mediterranean sunshine. Moist, but with a light crust that allows them to be held without covering yourself in icing. They’re sturdy, easy to munch one-handed and individually portioned so you don’t even need the knife you’ve inevitably left at home. The other inevitability, of course, is that it’ll rain. So when the heavens open as you arrive, you can gaily abandon your plans to admire the landscaped gardens and, instead, enjoy cake in your car. Try not to look smug: rather, smile beatifically as damp dog owners and wet walkers stagger past you, back to their cars.

MINI LIMEY OLIVE OIL CAKES Individual cake bites with a crunchy edge and a moist centre. Makes 12

163g plain flour 
80g fine or medium polenta
11/2 tsp baking powder 
3/4 tsp salt 
2 tbsp lime zest 
250g granulated sugar 
250ml extra virgin olive oil 
3 large eggs 
2 tbsp fresh lime juice 

For the glaze:

120g icing sugar 
2½ tbsp fresh lime juice 
A couple of drops of vanilla extract 

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4 and grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

2 Whisk together the flour, polenta, baking powder and salt. 

3 Put the sugar in a large bowl, then rub the lime zest into the sugar using your fingertips. Add the olive oil, eggs and lime juice, and whisk until combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until just combined. 

4 Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-22 mins, or until golden. As soon as the cakes are cool enough to handle, pop them out of the tin and place them upside downon a cooling rack.

5 In a small bowl, whisk the icing sugar, lime juice and vanilla extract. Drizzle the glaze over the warm cakes. Wait a bit for the glaze to set before serving. Cook’s note: Store at room temp in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipes taken from Baking By Feel: Recipes to Sort Out Your Emotions (Whatever They Are Today!) by Becca Rea-Tucker (Harper Wave). Photography: Amy Scott

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Recipe | Apple Cake Bake

Cake to round off a woodland wander

Cuts into 16 squares

2 sweet apples (we used Gala), peeled, cored and cut into rings
Juice of half a lemon
250g butter
250g golden caster sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cinnamon
250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the topping:
2 tbsp demerara sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp chopped roasted hazelnuts

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/ Fan 180C/Gas 6 and line a 20x20cm tin with baking paper.

2 Prepare the apples by squeezing over the lemon juice and setting aside.

3 Add all the ingredients for the topping to a small bowl, mix together and set aside.

4 Meanwhile, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and light, then add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating before adding the next.

5 Add the vanilla extract, cinnamon, flour and baking powder, and mix until you have a smooth batter.

6 Pour half the batter into the tin and push it into the corners with a spatula. Add half the apple rings in a single layer, then cover with the remaining batter and add a final layer of apples. Sprinkle over the topping mixture and bake on the middle shelf for 45-50mins, or until the top is golden and a skewer comes out clean.

7 Allow to cool for 5 mins in the tin before removing and cutting into squares. Wrap up individual squares to serve up before leaving for the woods.

The apple cake bake is just one of the recipes in our ‘Gathering’ feature from our March issue. It’s a menu for a woodland picnic that we’ve called ‘Down with the Daffodils’ and includes recipes for Trail Mix, Sweet Potato, Ginger and Coconut Soup, Easy Loaf, Chorizo Chilli and Speedy Jacket Potatoes, with Mint Mochas and Peanut Butter Hot Chocolates to wash it down.

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Recipe | Posh Beans on Toast

While there’s nothing wrong with a reliable tin of beans, ring the changes with a homemade version. These smoky cannellini beans on garlic toast are bursting with flavour, but still quick enough for lunch.

Serves 2

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp oregano
Pinch of chilli flakes
200ml passata
½ tsp brown sugar
400g tin cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
A handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 slices sourdough bread
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half

1 Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion and cook gently until it’s softened, but hasn’t taken on any colour.

2 Add the paprika, mixed spice, oregano and chilli flakes to the onion and stir for a further 1 min before adding the passata and brown sugar.

3 Simmer for around 5 mins, or until the passata begins to brown a little, then stir in the cannellini beans and cook for another 5 mins until the beans are heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.

4 Meanwhile, toast the bread and rub each slice with the cut side of the garlic. Top with the beans and serve.

This recipe is one of the ideas from our feature, ‘Use Your Loaf’, in our March issue, which includes lots of ideas for lunches on toast, including Sourdough Rarebit, Smashed Chickpeas with Harissa Yoghurt, Brioche French Toast, and Black Cherry Compote and Ricotta. The recipes are by Lottie Storey and the photography by Kym Grimshaw.

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Two recipes for Pancake Day: fat and thin pancakes

An original fast food, pancakes take centre stage in February. How do you like yours?

Words: LAURA ROWE Illustrations: VICKI TURNER

Associated with many religious festivals including Shrove Tuesday (celebrated on 28 February this year) and Hanukkah, pancakes’ few ingredients symbolise big things: eggs for creation, flour the staff of life, salt wholesomeness and milk purity. It was also a celebratory way to use up the foods forbidden during Lent fasting.

Over time they’ve become more everyday. In the US they like them in the morning, fat, stacked high and covered in maple syrup. Maybe you prefer a mini version; bitesize buckwheat blinis from Eastern Europe, topped with sour cream, smoked salmon or caviar? Or perhaps you’re a fan of the thin pancake, rolled and stuffed with shredded roast duck, hoisin sauce, cucumber and spring onions for dinner in a bao bing like the Chinese. There’s a pancake for everyone and any time. But whichever way you like to eat them, the question remains: do you flip high or slide low?

FAT PANCAKES

Mix 135g plain flour with 1 egg, 130ml milk, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp caster sugar and 2 tbsp melted butter and whisk for a thicker batter. You want the consistency of double cream. 

Drop 1 heaped tbsp into a hot, buttered frying pan and fry for 1 min until you begin to see bubbles on the surface. Flip or turn over and fry until golden brown and risen

THIN PANCAKES

Mix 100g plain flour with 2 eggs, 300ml milk and 1 tbsp melted butter. Whisk thoroughly and rest for 30 mins. You want the consistency of pouring single cream. 

When ready to cook, add a knob of unsalted butter to a non-stick frying pan. As it starts to melt, add a ladle of the rested batter and swirl the mix around the pan until it covers the entire base. 

Cook for 1-2 mins before flipping, or gently turning over and repeat on the other side. Then bin it: the first pancake is always the worst. Repeat and you’ll have perfect pancakes for the rest of the batch. Serve with lemon juice and sugar or whatever takes your fancy.

Extract from Taste: The Infographic Book of Food by Laura Rowe, illustrations by Vicki Turner by Aurum Press, £20. Buy your copy here.

This blog was first published with issue 44 of The Simple Things.

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Recipe | Coconut Kisses (Beijinhos de Coco)

Photography and Styling by Catherine Frawley

Their name means ‘coconut kisses’ in Portuguese. They’re typical party sweets, but this version has plenty of coconut

Makes about 20

1 can condensed milk
150g desiccated coconut (plus 50g extra to coat the outside)
30g butter

1 Melt the butter, condensed milk and coconut in a large pan over a low heat.

2 Stirring continuously, the mixture will thicken after about 5 mins. It’s ready when you can drag your spoon along the bottom and it takes a 2–3 secs to reform. Pour onto a plate lined with greaseproof paper and chill for 1 hr.

3Using a teaspoon, form into small balls and roll in the extra coconut.

Their name means ‘coconut kisses’ in Portuguese – and just like the brigadeiros, they’re typical party sweets, but this version has plenty of coconut

Cook’s note: These truffles will keep in the fridge for 5 days.

The Coconut Kisses are just one of the recipes from our February ‘Gathering’ feature which is a fiesta style Brazilian feast. It also includes recipes for Brazilian Cheese Bread, Chicken Croquettes, Brazilian Barbecue Steak with Salt, Sauce a Vinagrete and, of course, Caipirinhas. The issue is in shops now.

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Recipe: January dauphinoise

From Mark Diacono’s plot in Devon this month, a recipe to make the most of his favourite blissfully bitter root veg - celeriac

“I’ll eat dauphinoise at any time of year, but this potato/celeriac split in the heart of winter’s cold is probably my favourite. Serve with griddled chicory or sprouting broccoli.”

January dauphinoise

Serves 6
25g unsalted butter, softened 
300g waxy potatoes
300g celeriac
300ml double cream
4 bay leaves
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 Preheat oven to 170C/Fan 150C/325F. Rub a gratin dish liberally with butter.

2 Peel the potatoes and celeriac and slice thinly, either with a sharp knife or a mandoline, submerging the celeriac slices in water with a little lemon juice to prevent them discolouring.

3 Whisk together the cream and garlic and season well. Toss the veg in the mixture and layer them in alternate layers in the gratin dish with the bay leaves, then pour over any remaining cream.

4 Bake for 75 mins, pressing down all over with a fish slice or spatula every 20 mins or so, to stop the spuds from drying out. It is ready when the top is bubbling and golden, and the vegetables soft and yielding when pierced with a knife.

Recipe and photograph by Mark Diacono, a green-fingered foodie who grows, cooks and eats the best of the familiar, forgotten and climate-change foods on his Devon smallholding. His book A Year at Otter Farm (Bloomsbury, £25) has inspiring recipes for every season. His latest book is Spice: A Cook’s Companion (Quadrille, £25). This blog was first published in January 2015.

Recipe | Mac 'n' Cheese Balls

Mac ‘n’ Cheese you can eat with your hands? We’re in! These moreish bites are ideal for a games night, when you need to eat one-handed if you don’t want to lose.

Makes about 30 balls

300g macaroni
40g butter
40g plain flour
1 tsp mustard powder
250ml milk
150ml single cream
100g cheddar, grated
50g parmesan, grated
Parsley leaves to garnish, optional

For the coating:
40g cheddar, grated
Small handful parsley
5 crackers, crushed

1 Preheat the oven to 220C/ Fan 200C/Gas 7. Meanwhile, line 2 baking sheets with baking paper (or cook in smaller batches).

2 Cook the macaroni according to pack instructions, minus 2 mins (as it will be finished off in the oven).

3 Mix together the ingredients for the coating on a plate and set aside.

4 In a medium pan, melt the butter. Once foaming, stir in the flour and keep stirring over the heat for about 2 mins. Remove from the heat, stir in the mustard powder and season.

5 In a large jug combine the milk and cream and start adding that gradually to the butter and flour mixture. Stir to fully combine it before adding the next splash. Once it’s all added, return the pan to the heat, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 min, stirring constantly. The mixture should begin to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheddar and parmesan.

6 Drain the pasta and add it to a bowl. Pour over the cheese sauce and mix.

7 With your lined baking tray and coating ingredients easy to hand, start forming small balls. Take a tablespoon of macaroni cheese, form it into a loose ball then roll in the coating and place on the baking tray.

8 Bake for 20 mins, turning halfway – the cheese should be starting to brown. Serve with a parsley garnish.

This recipe is just one on the menu on our Gathering pages this month, a feast for a board games evening that we’ve called ‘Let the Games Begin!’ It also features cauliflower bites, mini beetroot & sweet potato burgers, mini lamb & mint burgers, halloumi bites, winter slaw, churros with chocolate sauce and root beer floats.

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Recipe | Blood Orange Posset

A citrussy pud for a special dinner or the full-stop to a fresh, palate-cleansing lunch, this zesty posset is easy to make and full of flavour

Dating back to the 16th century, possets are one of the simplest desserts to make. Blood orange juice adds both flavour and a bright yellow hue to this pretty posset.

Serves 4

500ml double cream
150g caster sugar
2-3 blood oranges, zested and juiced

To serve:

4 x 150g glass jars (bowls or glasses will work if you don’t have jars)

1 In a pan, gently bring the cream and sugar to the boil over a low heat, stirring until the sugar’s dissolved.

2 Boil the mixture for 3 mins, or until it’s thickened, then remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice (you’ll need 75ml) and most of the zest (leaving some for a garnish).

3 Divide the mix between the glass jars and transfer to the fridge to set overnight. To serve, remove from the fridge and top with the remaining orange zest.

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Recipe | Sticky Sloe and Nut Clusters

These snacks are gooey, sweet, sticky, crunchy… and hard not to finish all in one sitting.

We were inspired to some sweet and slow cooking by the sloe recipes in our feature Let it Sloe in our November issue. It included Sloe Syrup, Sloe Gin Chocolate Cake and a Sloe Treacle Tart. But these munchy Sticky Sloe and Nut Clusters were too good not to share. Find the rest of the recipes in our November issue…

Makes 36

40ml rapeseed oil
140g demerara or soft brown sugar
200g sticky sloes, pitted
70g plain flour
1 heaped tsp cornflour
150g almonds or hazelnuts, roughly chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6 and line a large baking tray (30 x 40cm) with baking paper.

2 In a bowl, mix the oil and sugar, plus 1 teaspoon of water and the sticky sloes. Stir, then add the flour, cornflour and nuts and stir well to combine.

3 Make the clusters by distributing heaped teaspoons of the mixture evenly across the baking tray, with enough space between them for the mixture to spread out a little.

4 Bake for approximately 12 mins, or until the clusters are bubbling and dark brown at the edges. Remove from the oven immediately and leave for 5 mins before gently transferring from the tray to a cooling rack.

Cook’s note: These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Taken from Wild and Sweet by Rachel Lambert (Hoxton Mini Press) Photography: Elliott White

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Tipple | Spiced Pear Syrup

Serve diluted as a cordial or as an aperitif – equal parts syrup, vodka and soda water, with ice, a squeeze of lemon and a pear wedge.

Makes 600ml

700ml water
300g sugar
3 pears, roughly chopped (no need to peel or core)
2 star anise
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick

1 In a pan, heat all the ingredients until almost boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 mins. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool completely.

2 Once cool, sieve the syrup into a jug (save the pear to eat with breakfast granola or the maple crème fraîche), then pour the liquid into a sterilised glass bottle. Store in the fridge and use within a week

This recipe is taken from our November' issue’s ‘Gathering’ pages, which we’ve called ‘Giving Thanks’. The recipes and ideas, by Lucy Brazier, are for a British twist on an American Thanksgiving get together, including Celery Soup with Toasty Toppings, Roast Chicken with Winter Salad, Stateside Salsa Verde, Bean Harvest Stew, Sweet Potato Gratin and an Apple and Hazelnut Tart with Maple Creme Fraiche.

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Recipe | Beetroot Linguine with Goat's Cheese and Garlic Crumb

There’s nothing subtle about this. It ’s outrageously pink and all the lovelier for it. The crumbs are a must: they add a crunchy contrast to the rich sauce and a salty kick to balance the sweet beetroot.

Serves 2

325g whole beetroot, washed
120g soft goat’s cheese, no rind
½ lemon, zest and juice
180g linguine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
30g panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
2 large garlic cloves

1 Preheat the oven to 210C/Fan 190C/ Gas 6-7. Wrap each of the beetroot in foil and bake on a baking tray for 90 mins or until you can poke a skewer through without effort. Unwrap and leave to cool before peeling (the skin should just rub off).

2 Chop the beetroot into chunks and whizz in a blender until smooth. Tip the pur ée into a pan over a low heat and warm gently. Stir in half the goat’s cheese and all the lemon juice, season , then remove from the heat.

3 Cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and thyme and fry for 2-3 mins, or until golden. Crush the garlic to a paste with a little salt and add to the pan with the lemon zest, fry for a further 1-2 mins. Set aside.

4 When the pasta is ready, use tongs to lift it, and any cooking water that clings to it, into the beetroot sauce. Stir to combine then pile onto warm plates. Top with the breadcrumbs and remaining goat’s cheese and serve. Cook’s note: The breadcrumb s and sauce can be made a day in advance, but the finished dish needs serving immediately, so it doesn’t go stodgy.

This recipe is just one of the ideas from our regular Veg Patch Pantry series, by Kathy Slack. @gluts_gluttony. In our October issue you’ll also find Kathy’s recipes for Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, Parsnip Soup and Pumpkin and Ginger Cake. for more deliciously seasonal ideas, you might like to buy Kathy’s book, From the Veg Patch or tune in to her podcast Tales From the Veg Patch, via her Instagram page.

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Cake | Things to Sandwich Inside a Sandwich Cake

We’re celebrating the tenth birthday of The Simple Things this month, with this delicious blackberry and white chocolate sandwich cake, designed, made and photographed by Catherine Frawley. Why had we never thought of the winning combination of blackberry and white chocolate before, we ask ourselves?

While we were blowing out our candles, we got to thinking that there must be lots more winning combinations and things we had not previously considered sandwiching in a sandwich cake! A classic Victoria Sponge with raspberry jam and cream is always a winner, but the sky really is the limit here. We’ve put together a few ideas for sandwich cake fillings, as well as some suggestions on cake flavours to pair the fillings with. Pass the cake forks round, please!

• ·       Passion fruit curd – goes well with orange cake

• ·       Toasted marshmallows (or marshmallow spread in a jar) – goes well with chocolate cake

• ·       Whole Maltesers and buttercream – goes well with salted caramel cake

• ·       Cookie dough – goes well with chocolate chip cake

• ·       Eton mess (cream, crushed meringue and chopped strawberries) – goes well with a vanilla sponge

• ·       Blueberry curd – goes well with lemon cake

• ·       Coffee butter cream (mix some espresso powder into the cream – goes well with walnut cake

• ·       Marmalade – Goes well with white chocolate cake

Happy baking! And if you’d like to cook Catherine’s cake, pictured here, you can find it in our October issue on page 22.

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Recipe | Tomato Focaccia

Almost as much joy to bake as it is to eat. Use cherry tomatoes to get juicy little planets of blistered and sweet tomatoes in the surface of the bread, some sinking into the doughy dimples, and some not.

Makes 1 focaccia

330ml lukewarm water
7g fast-action dried yeast
500g strong white bread flour
6 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp salt
200g cherry tomatoes, some halved, some not
8 sage leaves or 3 rosemary sprigs, torn
Generous ½ tsp flaky sea salt

1 Stir together the water and yeast and leave it to sit for 5-10 mins, or until it becomes foamy.

2 When it’s ready, tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the yeast mixture, mixing vigorously, either by hand or using the dough hook on a kitchen mixer for a minute or so, then add 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the salt. Continue mixing for a further 10 mins, or until the dough becomes less sticky, smoother and more cohesive.

3 Brush a bowl with olive oil and tip in the dough. Cover and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about 1-1½ hrs, until it has nearly doubled in size.

4 Once proved, brush a deep-sided baking pan with a little olive oil, then tip the risen dough into the pan. Pull the dough towards the edges of the pan and use your fingertips to dimple it in places, keeping some spots still nicely aerated. Add about 1 tbsp more of olive oil over the surface of the dough, cover and leave to prove once more for about another 20 mins.

5 Preheat the oven to 230C/Fan 210C/Gas 8. Add the cherry tomatoes to the dough, squeezing some deep into pockets and leaving others protruding out a little more. Do the same with the sage leaves or torn rosemary sprigs, then sprinkle over the flaky sea salt.

6 Bake the dough in the very hot oven for about 25 mins, or until the crust is golden brown and puffed around edges.

7 Once baked, remove the focaccia from the oven and immediately drench it with the remaining olive oil, then allow it to cool for at least 10-15 mins before slicing.The loaf should sound hollow when it is tapped on the underside.

Taken from Tomato by Claire Thomson (Quadrille) Photography: Sam Folan

Find more tomato recipes from the book above in our September issue, including Tomato Carpaccio with Tapenade, Roasted Tomato Falafels with Tomato Yogurt and a Borscht.

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Recipe | Ricotta & basil stuffed nasturtium flowers

Packed with vitamin C, everything about the nasturtium plant is edible - and bold and beautiful, too

Makes 25

25 nasturtium flowers
125g ricotta
2 tbsp finely chopped basil leaves
30g finely chopped walnuts
¼ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste

1 Trim the nasturtium stems to around 1cm, then submerge flowers in water for 5-10 mins to remove any dirt or bugs. Gently rinse in cool water before placing on a towel to dry.

2 Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, basil, walnuts, and season with salt.

3 Using about 1 teaspoon per flower, stuff each nasturtium with the flavoured ricotta.

These nastirutium flowers make a wonderful nibble with drinks or a starter to a late summer lunch. They’re just one of the recipes by Lottie Storey in this month’s edible flowers series, Pick n Mix, in which we look at different floral edibles. August’s edible flowers are nasturtiums and chives.

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Tipple | Mason Jar White Sangria

A refreshing tipple that always tastes better outdoors and goes beautifully with a picnic or garden lunch

Serves 4
180g strawberries, hulled and cut in half (or frozen berries)
180g grapes, cut in half
1 lemon, thinly sliced
120ml white rum
750ml bottle white wine (preferably Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
Ice cubes
750ml lemonade

1 Divide the fruit between four jars.

2 Pour the white rum and wine over the fruit and give it a little stir. Close the lid tightly on each jar and keep chilled for up to 24 hours.

3 To serve, add some ice cubes and pour the lemonade to the top level of the jar.

This is just one of the recipes from our feature ‘Making Camp’ in our September issue, which includes lots of ideas for food with friends outdoors, such as Smoked Aubergine Dip, Toasted Breadsticks, Potato, Chorizo and Beans Pan Pie, Herby Nut Salad and a Deconstructed Peach Cobbler.

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Recipe | Summer Veg Coleslaw with Coriander

We can’t get enough of this crispy, flavoursome coleslaw. It works as a side for a barbecue, a picnic dish to add zing to your sarnies and sausage rolls or as a filling veggie lunch served with crusty bread

Serves 6

1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
5 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
4 celery stems, finely chopped
1 apple, cored and finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Zest and juice of ½ a lime
150g natural yogurt

1 Add the chopped fennel, spring onions, coriander, celery and apple to a medium bowl.

2 In a separate small bowl, stir together the fennel seeds, mustard, vinegar, lime juice, zest and the natural yogurt until blended.

3 Pour the dressing over the chopped veg and stir thoroughly. Season with a pinch of rock salt and some freshly ground black pepper before serving.

This recipe is part of our ‘Gathering’ feature in our August issue, which we have called ‘Field Day’ and which includes lots of recipes for a Summer picnic in a meadow, including Peach Daiquiri cocktails, Courgette & Tomato Tart with Herby Pesto, Chipolatas wrapped in Parma Ham on Rosemary Skewers, Rocket, Pea & Mint Salad and Raspberry & Choc Chip Muffins.

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Recipe | Honeysuckle Posset & Fennel shortbread

The nectar of honeysuckle flowers is sweet and alluring (just ask the bees) and adds a floral perfume to this posset recipe. A sweet way to end a summer lunch or dinner

Serves 6

For the posset :
450ml double cream
2 handfuls honeysuckle flowers, petals removed and refridgerated
125g honey, plus an extra teaspoon
Juice of 1 lemon

For the shortbread :
125g unsalted butter, softened
65g icing sugar
2 tsp fennel seeds, dry roasted and crushed
65g cornflour
125g plain flour

1 For the posset, place the cream, chopped honeysuckle flower bases and honey into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to infuse until cool.

2 Stir in the lemon juice before straining the mixture through a sieve. Pour into six small glasses or jars and chill in the fridge overnight.

3 To make the shortbread, cream together butter and icing sugar and then stir in the fennel seeds. Sieve the cornflour and flour together and combine with the butter/sugar mix and form into a log around 5cm in diameter. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate until firm, at least an hour.

4 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 5. Take the dough out of the fridge and unwrap, then slice the log into ½cm circles. Transfer them to a greased baking tray and bake for 15-20 mins until just golden.

5 Cool on the tray for 10 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

6 Remove possets from fridge. Brush the remaining honeysuckle petals with the teaspoon of honey and divide between the six possets as a garnish. Serve with the shortbread.

This recipe is part of our series on edible flowes, which we’ve called ‘Pick n Mix’, by Lottie Storey. This month we’re using honeysuckle and lemon verbena to make the pud above as well as a honeysuckle vodka and lemonade, heritage tomato and lemon verbena salad, and herby fish en papilotte.

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Recipe | Cherry & Coconut Tahini Cake

They may have a hard centre, but summer stone fruits make soft, sweet and sticky cakes that are all heart, says Benjamina Ebuehi

Serves 6-8

120g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
150g light brown sugar
40g tahini
2 eggs
130g plain flour
50g desiccated coconut
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp salt
90g cherries, pitted and halved
1 tsp sesame seeds

For the glaze:
40g cherries, pitted and halved
½ tbsp lemon juice
100g icing sugar

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4. Grease and line a 15cm cake pan.

2 Using a stand mixer or electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together for 4-5 mins until pale and fluffy. Add the tahini and beat for another minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3 In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, coconut, baking powder, ground cardamom and salt. Pour the mixture into the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined.

4 Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and add the cherries on top, along with the sesame seeds. Bake for 50-55 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

5 To make the glaze, add the cherries and the lemon juice to a small bowl and mash with a fork. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve, squeezing and pressing to get out as much juice as possible. Add the icing sugar to the juice and mix until you have a smooth, pourable consistency. Once the cake has cooled, drizzle over the glaze.

Taken from A Good Day to Bake by Benjamina Ebuehi (Quadrille) Photography: Laura Edwards. This is just one of the gorgeous stone fruit recipes from Benjamina that we have featured in our July issue, which is on sale now. Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More from our July issue…

More cake for your tin…

Tipple | Lemon Basil Spritzer

A refreshing drink for warm garden days

Serves 6

240g granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, peeled into strips
3 large lemon basil leaves (sweet basil works, too), plus more to garnish
750ml bottle dry sparkling wine, chilled

1 In a small pan, gently heat the sugar and 250ml water until the sugar has dissolved. Add half the lemon zest strips and the three basil leaves, cover and set aside to steep for 30 mins.

2 Pour the mixture through a coffee filter, keeping the liquid and discarding the peel/leaves. Allow to cool for 1 hr.

3 In a large jug, combine the syrup with the sparkling wine and stir.

4 Fill six glasses with ice and pour over the spritzer. Garnish with basil leaves and lemon zest twists.

This idea is from our regular ‘Pick and Mix’ series on growing and eating flowers and herbs. This month we’re using lavender and basil and Lottie Storey has recipes for Fig Toast with Whipped Honey and Lavender Labne, Rosemary, Basil and Za’atar Aubergines and a Lavender and Honey Cheesecake.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

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More summer tipples…

Tipple | Strawberry Mimosas

With notes of Wimbledon, garden days and long, balmy evenings, these strawberry mimosas taste of June in a glass

Serves 6

400g strawberries
1 tbsp local raw honey
1 bottle of prosecco, chilled
A handful of fresh mint leaves

1 Set aside one whole strawberry per serving to top each glass, then remove the green tops and halve the rest of the strawberries before adding to a small pan over a medium heat with a tablespoon of water and the honey.

2 Use a stick blender to blitz the mix until smooth, then allow to cool. Pour the syrup into a sterilised glass jar or bottle and seal until you're ready to use it. Store in the fridge if making the day before.

3 To serve, fill a third of a champagne flute with the strawberry syrup and top up with chilled prosecco. Give your mimosa a good stir and garnish your glass with a fresh strawberry and a few mint leaves. Enjoy!

This cocktail recipe is from our Salad Days feature in our June issue, which includes a menu for a gathering of friends in the garden, including Asparagus, Goat's Cheese and Pesto Puffs, Spring Greens Floral Salad, Spinach and Feta Herby Quiche, Lemon Flower Biscuits and Orange, Honey and Cardamom Cakes.

More tipples to tickle your fancy…

More from our June issue…