Lesson No. 1: Home Baking

As you get to know me, it'll become clear that Weightwatchers has become a feature of my life and so therefore has the odd spot of cooking/baking. This blog will NOT be a Diary of a Weightloser, however the new "gift" that has been given to me is an interest in cooking!!!

3 months ago if I wanted to fry an egg, I would holler at Daddy dearest to come to my assistance. It has been known to take 3 broken eggs to achieve the great culinary feat that is the "Fried Egg". But gradually I have been dipping my toes into the unfriendly water that is the world of cooking!!!! Now, Darina's Cookery bibles still scare the bejasus out of me but online personal recipes where it's spelled out for me...that I can cope with it....

Despite all this, come New Years Eve (and prior to the fall down the stairs that I took on route to dinner....that's another story) I got a random notion that I would bake Queen cakes (clearly not a Weightwatcher's classic) decorated á la Christmas theme...to take to my friend's New Years Party. Furthermore I would resort to the age old recipe that was used in the Friday cake sale days of primary school.

Now in what world I thought Drunken Revellers would suddenly decide that iced Queen cakes would be the perfect accompaniment to alcoholic beverages, I just don't know.

Queen Cakes / Butterfly Cakes (as from my Mother's Cookery Book circa 1972)

6oz margarine (that's Stork to you and me)
8oz caster sugar
4 large eggs
8oz self raising flour

• Now, this recipe is meant to make 25-30.....har-dee-har..... I got the grand total of 16.
• Royal icing as it turns out is a feat that can only be accomplished by the consummate icing professional. The worktop looked like my snow covered back garden as the icing poured off my over-sized deformed buns!!!!
• The piéce de resistance had to be my Christmassy decorations though that nearly broke my brother's teeth as he sample tasted my culinary delights.

Below...is an image of my forlorn buns still sitting on the snack's table at approximately 2 a.m. on 1/1/11...4 hours after the party had started and only 1 bun gone !!! Note: the extra tasty factor that is the burn!!!!

Result of Lesson No.1:

• More icing sugar required
• Practice my new skills more BEFORE I bring the goods to the party!!!