A TASTE OF WALES

As tomorrow is St David's Day, here are a couple of my favourite recipes.

WELSH CAKES
250g Plain Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
Pinch Salt
125g Butter
100g Caster Sugar
75g Currants
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tbs Milk

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter. Stir in the sugar and currants. Add the milk and egg until the mixture makes a firm dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and roll out to approx 5mm/1/4in thick. Cut out rounds approx 2 1/2 - 3in in diameter.

Heat a little butter in a heavy based frying pan (if you have a bakestone - even better). Cook the cakes for approx 4-5mins on both sides. Transfer to a wire rack and sprinkle with caster sugar. Leave to cool.

BARA BRITH (speckled bread)

225g Mixed dried fruit and chopped mixed peel
225ml Strong Hot Tea, strained
225g Self Raising Flour
1tsp Mixed Spice
25g Butter
100f Brown Sugar
1 egg, Lightly Beaten

Put the fruit in a heatproof bowl and pour over the tea. Cover and leave overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 180'C/Gas Mark 4, Grease a 21b loaf tin (or use a liner).

Sift the flour and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, then add fruit with it's liquid along with the beaten egg. Stir well to make a mixture with a soft consistency.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf tin and level the surface.

Bake in the oven for approx 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

VALENTINE BISCUITS

1 Medium Egg

50g Caster Sugar

50g Soft Brown Sugar

75g Golden Syrup

80g Butter

1 tsp Mixed Spice

1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

375g Plain Flour

Preheat oven to 180'c. Rub the butter into the flour and then stir in the dry ingredients. Add the egg and golden syrup and bring together to form a dough.

Roll out onto a floured board and cut out hearts using a heart shaped cookie cutter. Arrange on a greased baking tray and bake for approx 20mins, until they are a golden colour.

Decorate with icing or icing pens.

LITTLE COTTON RABBITS' BEAUTIFUL CUPCAKES

I have been after a good cupcake pattern for a long time now, but have never been able to find a really good one until now. I popped over to the Little Cotton Rabbits blog and came across her wonderful patterns. I bought this pattern from her site on Folksy, but she also has lots of lovely free patterns on her blog - they are absolutely wonderful. I can't wait now to knit some more of them!

MY KNITTED BAG

At last!! I've managed to make this patchwork bag. I've been meaning to make one for ages and kept putting it off. In the end it took just over a week to make, evening only, so not too much time spent on it. The pattern was from last month's Let's Knit magazine, which was well worth the money as there were lots of good patterns in it this time as well as the free handles.

I lined the bag with some gingham which was one of those things which I bought for those 'it may come in handy for something' moments!!

It's smaller than I imagined it to be, so I think it will be used to hold my current cross stitching project. Very pleased with the result!!