Sunday afternoon baking

When growing up pudding was kept for special occasions only and most definitely not on a weekday! If we did it was often fruit based such as tinned peaches. Sundays were the day for treats -chocolates and an afternoon of baking. Crumpets, chocolate cakes, scones, choc chip cookies, Swiss rolls just to name a few. Now the children have dessert at school daily and expect more at home! I've tried to make this something like yoghurt or some fruit but to them that's a snack. Our current dessert seems to be cereal and I can't be the only one that feeds their kids cereal just before bed to make sure they're full for the night?!

Last Sunday I got stuck into baking and we made chocolate and courgette cake. A kept forgetting what it was called "that cucumber thing that's not very nice" was his description! But I have to say I was so impressed that both children helped me bake, were willing to taste the cake and decided they did like it; although I have to admit I added a bit of icing and vanilla ice-cream to theirs:-)

For anyone unsure about this addition - well it makes me feel like they're getting one of their 5 a day, it does make the cake nice and moist and there is no courgette flavour through it at all! I used a bbc recipe, but I was also able to reduce the amount of sugar I put in, added ground almonds and some natural Cocoa liquid.

Chocolate and Courgette cake (recipe adapted from bbc website)

Makes 12 cupcakes or 1 big cake

Ingredients:

175g self raising flour

25g cocoa

90ml olive oil

100g brown sugar

2 eggs

splash vanilla essence

1 large courgette, grated

2T choc shot

50g ground almond (optional)

Method:

Sieve dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl mix all the wet ingredients. add these to the dry ones and mix until combined. Add ground almond if desired. Bake at 180C - cupcakes take 20-22 minutes, cake will take 30-35 min. They are done when a skewer inserted comes out clean. Ice them or eat them plain.