Simple and delicious pud

I try to resist making pudding during the week, inevitably I end up eating them, believe me when I say I do NOT need puddings!! so if I am going to make one its probably on a Sunday when there is a bit more time and usually extra people to feed. I was rootling through the cupboards and realised I had dried figs and apricots left over from Christmas and that I should do something with them rather than leave them until they are beyond their best. Earlier in the year I made a very simple recipe from Nigella's Express . Basically a sheet of puff pastry, score a line around the edge about 1/2" in, this will create a little puffed up edge when cooked. Mix together a little cream and jam - supposed to be apricot but I had some homemade blackberry so used that instead. Spread this mix over the puff pastry up to the score line at the edges. Then I tumbled on lots of snipped up pieces of dried fig and apricots, also a few sultanas and then some blueberries from the fridge. Finally I sprinkled on some soft dark brown sugar......

then popped in the oven at 170C (mine is a fan oven) for around 25-30 mins and it came out looking like this...

it smelt divine, very christmassy. Gorgeous to eat, slightly chewy and full of flavour. Should probably have egg/milk washed pstry edges but forgot and it was fine.  The original recipe was for thinly sliced nectarines which was delicious. I guess it would work with most fruits though.

Does anyone know?...

....where Alice from HookKnitSpin has gone? if I click on the site I get a message from wordpress.com that she has closed the site, which if true, is really sad. I loved reading her blog Crochet With Raymond, I understood why she stopped blogging on there and was thrilled when she started up again as HookKnitSpin. So Alice  - hope everything is good in your world and that you come back xx

Happy New Year!

Hello! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and got the chance to chill a bit and enjoy their families. We had a quiet time for once which was lovely and just what we needed. I took the opportunity to finish some projects and work on others.

This is a little cardigan that had been hanging around for weeks waiting for me to knit the button bands and then sew together - the most hateful job. Its for a baby due in 3 weeks so really needed to be finished, Its a sweet pattern and I like it very much,

A simple guernsey jumper for my little grandson - nice and loose fitting, perfect for layering. He will look adorable in it.

 A headband for my daughter, I didn't think she would wear one but when asked said yes, so out came the needles. Very quick and simple knit. Here it is being modelled!

Then - helping my daughter finish a blanket destined for her future ma-in-law! Poor girl has been working so hard in the lead up to Christmas that she just couldn't find the time so I gave her a hand.

 
I love the idea of small squares outside a large one, and have mentally filed this away as a future project to think about.

And last but certainly not least... a fabulous Christmas present from my daughter. A gorgeous doorstop, handmade for me, in the image of an allotment shed (but much nicer than my actual allotment shed!).

LOOK at those beautiful embroidered hollyhocks

Sweet peas scrambling over a wigwam

 

 

 

Lavender and a pair of green wellies

 

 

and a door. Isn't it truly gorgeous, the girl who made it for my daughter is young and sews beautifully. I love it.