I've got one thing to say to you Kimmy, "Chocolate Ginger Cake"

Combining two of my favourite flavours and upon special  request I attempted a Chocolate Ginger Cake. Lucy (who has been freelancing in our office) left work on Thursday and like all special occasions, I mark it by baking a cake. This time upon request. There are a number of recipes for chocolate and ginger cake - but no one in particular grabbed me. I love Nigel Slater's Ginger Cake and the icing from Nigella's Choco-ginger (as well as the idea of chocolate drops from another recipe) so I set about adapting both and making my own additions. Leaving out the sultanas and adding in chopped up 70% dark chocolate (Green and Black's no less) removing a touch of the flour and replacing with cocoa - and then the most fabulous touch of all, added ginger beer to the chocolate icing. It was done. Moist, rich and a little dense but ever-so divine. We scoffed it the office like gannets. There were a couple of bits left for me and Karl at home. We popped them in the microwave for 30 seconds and topped with ice cream. OMG. I will be doing that again very soon. Recipe will be appearing on my website soon.

Paddington Bear would be proud

Famous for his love of marmalade, Paddington Bear should have made a beeline for Norbury Station and not the train station that bears his names. Last week I decided it was time to tackle marmalade. Seville, no less! A handy pack of oranges and one lemon from ASDA (yes - it was from ASDA), an hour hunting around Kingston for muslin cloth and a years' worth of saved and sterilised jars - I was ready. All was going well, but after an hour of scraping the insides of the oranges, pith and all, I was thinking, isn't it easier to buy the damned stuff? I soldiered on.  Boiling away (and after a failed first attempt at a set) it was done. Cooled off, signed, sealed and delivered - and served on hot buttered toast the next morning. Boy was it good - fabulous in fact. It got Karl's seal of approval and Stef loved it too. Worthy of any bear, any time of day. Come on over Paddington, breakfast is served.

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