Broken Zip

Hands up......who doesn't like replacing zips especially the ones in trousers! I was shown how to do this many many moons ago. It is very simple once you get the hang of it!

Broken zip

Push the zipper tag to the base of the zip

Snip just above the zipper tag......

........remove a few of the zipper teeth

Gently pushing the snipped part of the zipper into the tag and pull as normal

Oversew above the snipped area with very strong thread (button thread is ideal)

Zip is working once again

CAKE!

Depending how deep you would like your cake and what sort or mixer you use. I have both a Kenwood (larger bowl) and a hand mixer (smaller bowl). If using the Kenwood I use three eggs and if using the hand mixer two eggs. My Kenwood dosen't seem to like to mix just a small amount of cake mix. There is nothing to stop to you make cake with three eggs and a hand mixer the choice is yours!

Pre heat the oven at 170 degrees fahrenheit, 325 degrees centigrade, gas 3

Accurately weigh the eggs in their shells, then to the same weight, weigh soften Butter, Sugar and Self Raising Flour

Beat the soften Butter and Sugar till very pale. Add the eggs one at a time and beat into mixture. I NOW add a desert spoonful of water and beat in at this point too as I find electric ovens dry out the mixture.

My mixture always curdles without fail, but I don't worry about it anymore! Sift the Flour, it doesn't matter whether the flour is the cheapest or the dearest I always sieve it! Then fold gently into the mixture.

YES! I cheat I buy the large cake cases. They are meant for large fruit cakes but I find they work well for my cakes! I always weigh the mixture as I am putting the mixture into the prepared tins to make sure I get equal in both tins.

After about 25 to 30 minutes check to see of the cakes are cooked. I can never get it right with my fingers I always use a skewer or a metal knitting needle!

Look closely you will see the cake mix has risen above the tin

When the cakes are cold fill with favourite filling

ENJOY!

Scones!

People ask me how I get my scones the way I do, well............

I use Delia Smith's recipe I used to use a recipe that pre-dated Delia! I use ordinary white sugar and semi-skimmed milk though. Don't know why but I weigh all the dry ingredients together think I was in a hurry one day and not concentrating!

When all the dough is mixed together lightly mould into a round like this about an inch high. I have never used a rolling pin for Scones. This is the way my grandmother showed me after presenting her with a hard round thing I made at school once!

Use a straight edge cutter.

Push straight down into the dough, and pull straight out. NEVER twist the cutter or the dough, this is the secret!!

Brush with either milk or egg

Cook!

In case you are wondering that fifth scone is the left-over dough just roll it into a ball and cook, 'cooks' scones to try straight from the oven!