Memories of cake......

In cooking these sweet little rasberry crumble cakes last night it evoked lovely memories of visits to my beloved Grandparents' houses when I was a little girl. Especially the visit's to my Mum's parent's house, where Poppy, my Grandpa, used to sing me the Strawberry Shortcake song religiously on every visit. I remember sitting on his lap and begging him to sing it again and again. As an 80's baby I was right into my Strawberry Shortcake and her sweet smelling strawberry hair, although I'm sure I probably enjoyed the idea of eating strawberry shortcakes more than actually watching the cartoon or buying the paraphernalia. In fact, in googling images of her and You-Tubing the Strawberry Shortcake song just now, I oddly did not recognise her nor recall the song.....mind you I am twenty five years older these days!

These recent baking expeditions of mine remind me too of my Dad's Mum, Nanny, who could have been compared to the likes of Margaret Fulton. Her house always smelt like a bakery every time we visited, putting on the biggest of spreads for the family of scones with fresh jam and cream, teacakes and traditional fruit cake. I always wondered where she found the motivation to create such things each weekend, but as I get older I too seem to find it somehow and I actually enjoy it.....cripes I  must be getting old!! Speaking of which, I better hit the gym hard to counteract all these goodies I've been baking. Enjoy.

Madam MEKO
XX

1 cup plain flour

3/4 cup wholemeal flour

1 cup caster sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

300g packet frozen rasberries

1/3 cup olive oil

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 tsp grated lemon zest

Icing sugar to serve

Crumble topping

1/4 plain flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 ground nutmeg

1/2 cup walnuts

30g chopped unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Lay 12 patty pans within a muffin tray.

For the crumble topping, whiz up the flour, sugar and spices in a food processor. Add nuts and butter and pulse til butter is just incorporated. Tip into a bowl and chill.

Place dry ingredients in the processor and whiz up. Transfer to a large bowl. Put 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture in another bowl and toss with two thirds of the rasberries (still frozen is fine). Set aside.

Whiz oil, milk, egg, vanilla and zest in the processor.

Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add milk mixture. Stir til combined and then gently fold in rasberry mixture.

Spoon into patty pans and sprinkle the crumble over the top and press the remaining rasberries into the crumble.

Bake for 35-40 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool and dust with icing sugar.