Ginger Curd

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Curd, Ginger, Tea Time Treats

I’m aware that this is slightly random recipe to be appearing on Signor Biscotti, but I was inspired by the fact that October’s theme for Tea Time Treats was Jams, Chutneys, Curds and Conserves.

As it happens, I have done quite a bit of preserving in my time, but for various reasons I had fallen out of the habit. But on a recent holiday, I bought a jar of a rather lovely ginger curd, and have since been unable to find anything similar in the shops. So that was another incentive to don my preserving hat once more.

Rowies (Aberdeen Butteries)

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Aberdeen, Scotland, Scottish

Although I was born and brought up in Devon, in the south west of England, my parents came from Aberdeen, that lovely sparkling granite city in the north of Scotland. It is almost as far from Devon as you can get without actually leaving the UK, so we only made occasional visits there, to visit the relatives and be feasted with endless cups of tea accompanied by home baked cakes and biscuits.

One of my favourite Aberdonian things were these rolls, which we always called Rowies, although their official name is Butteries.

Make Fondant Fancies…? Are You Mad?!?

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GBBO, Great British Bake Off

In the Final of this year’s Great British Bake Off, the Technical Challenge was to make Fondant Fancies. None of the contestants did very well, and while viewers may have been surprised by that, they were almost certainly taken aback by the frankness with which Mary Berry, who is normally so supportive, expressed her disappointment at the bakers’ efforts. But I knew exactly what they were going through, for I have made Fondant Fancies myself, and it was not by any means my happiest baking experience.