Your favourite cake or afternoon tea treat?

Charleygirl5

If somebody offered me a jam sandwich it would still be sitting there.

I prefer savoury but if it was to be sweet, walnut or carrot cake.

I have never baked in my life so Waitrose I would visit.

I like those cake choices too, Tesco make very acceptable cakes when you know visitors are coming and no time to bake.
I also like your last sentence, very Yoda like😃

Siope

Tuaim if you’re not a dab hand with cakes, why not try making some biscuits? Much simpler and still lovely.

One basic dough, several different types of biscuit www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/basic-biscuit-dough

These oat biscuits are brilliant and super quick and easy.

NB I usually add some lemon zest to the recipe - it gives it that extra something.

First turn oven on to 180, 160 fan, and line a flat tin with non stick baking paper.

75g/3 Oz each of SR flour, oats, butter and sugar (I use caster).
1 tbsp Golden Syrup, ditto of milk.
Melt butter, syrup and milk together.
Add to dry ingredients, premixed in a bowl. Mix all well.

With wet hands, form about 12 round balls, place on baking paper and flatten out. Space them a little apart - they spread.

Bake for around 10 minutes, until golden but not hard. They firm up on cooling.
Once cooled a bit, transfer to a wire rack - and if your dh is anything like mine, keep him away!

petra

Witsend
Jam pennies are a jam sandwich but cut out with a biscuit cutter.

Thank you!
I might pinch that idea for the Gdcs who’ll be staying twice during the school hols. Only I’ll probably make them Nutella pennies, if that’s not too much of a travesty!

They might well enjoy making them themselves - must check that I have cutters of the right size - they’re arriving tomorrow.

Date and walnut, Victoria sponge or Scones with jam and cream. I do enjoy a Coronation chicken sandwich too.

Esmay, I make a similar sauce for any cold chicken - mayonnaise plus curry powder plus mango chutney and a little lemon juice. Livens it up no end.

Witsend
Jam pennies are a jam sandwich but cut out with a biscuit cutter.

My home made choice would be apple and lemon sandwich cake which is a Mary Berry recipe and so delicious. It won’t go dry because it has grated apple in the sponge mixture.
If buying it’s definitely coffee and walnut cake from M and S.

Chocolate eclairs and custard slices. Then a good cheesecake followed by some lovely fruit scones with jam and cream.

My besty used to make the most amazing coffee walnut cake. Sadly she is no longer able to do so but boy were they good and better than any commercial one I've ever tried.

shysal

Baggs' Apple Cake, baked as a tray bake, is my go-to recipe when I want to make something foolproof and delicious. I swap her caster sugar sprinkle with Demerara, but lovely either way.
www.gransnet.com/recipes/dish/6620-Apple-Cake

Thanks for that - apple cake is lovely. I used to make a GF one for a strictly GF visiting BiL - IIRC with some ground almonds as well as flour - the apple stopped it being too dry, like some GF cakes.

What are jam pennies? Small jam tarts?

If ever we have anyone round at teatime, my go-to is a Victoria sandwich with blackcurrant jam* - very slightly tart against the sweetness - can do v quickly thanks to trusty old Kenwood Chef.
Always goes down well.
*no cream because I don’t like it.

I keep meaning to try a lemon drizzle but have never got around to it.

Baggs' Apple Cake, baked as a tray bake, is my go-to recipe when I want to make something foolproof and delicious. I swap her caster sugar sprinkle with Demerara, but lovely either way.
www.gransnet.com/recipes/dish/6620-Apple-Cake

Being gf makes things a bit more difficult and please don't serve me a brownie (gf people I know have a mantra that 'it's always a bl**dy brownie'.

Carrot cake, lemon drizzle and raspberry and lemon loaf cakes are my go to at the moment.

Traditional Victoria sponge, and cream scones. Home made of course. Love baking these, and Roddicks clotted cream. Yum.

Lemon drizzle cake for me please.

Hi OP here. Thank you for all your great mouth watering contributions. Perhaps I ought to get onto You Tube and start practising. Dear friend is not coming for a couple of weeks so still time.

I make a good Madeira cake but I make a good fruit cake too. I make my own Christmas cake too and soak the fruit in brandy overnight.

I love jam sandwiches. But visiting a friend and enjoying her company is what counts - not her baking prowess.

I am sure she will be too polite to sit in judgement.

So make your jam pennies, sit back and enjoy each others company😊

Go to Iceland and buy a Dairy Sponge .
Buy some fresh strawberries and wash and slice them up .
Squeeze some fresh lemon over them and add some castor sugar .Allow to marinate in the fridge .
Just before your guests arrive pop inside your sponge cake having drunk the excess juice !

Hide the box !

I also prepare my cucumbers as follows.
I slice them thinly and sprinkle with salt .
Place between two dinner plates which have been weighted down .
After a couple of hours remove the liquid which will seep out , wash and dry on paper towels .
These make superb sandwiches .

I also add curry powder to Hellmans mayonnaise and allow it to mature over night .
I slice up some cold chicken and cover the chicken with the flavoured mayonnaise .
If I have time I might add some finely chopped dried apricots and a dipping mango sauce .
Delicious and easy !

Do you have an air fryer Tuaim ? Scones baked in an air fryer are just the best. Add a pot of clotted cream and they are another level.

Another favourite of mine is a slice of home made coffee and walnut cake.

If somebody offered me a jam sandwich it would still be sitting there.

I prefer savoury but if it was to be sweet, walnut or carrot cake.

I have never baked in my life so Waitrose I would visit.

My favourite afternoon tea menu is: smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches, scones with blackcurrant jam and clotted cream (cream on first to replace butter) and chocolate eclair and battenburg cake.

Yes, jam sandwiches of any kind - pennies or not - wouldn't be a hit with me either, unfortunately. But it'd be very boring if we all liked the same things. A good brownie is always a hit here! I've never made beetroot brownies, Siope, so might try that this year when our garden beetroot is ready. I have made courgette cakes before - courgette and lime was particularly popular.

Tuaim if you’re not a dab hand with cakes, why not try making some biscuits? Much simpler and still lovely.

One basic dough, several different types of biscuit www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/basic-biscuit-dough

I’m a keen baker, and have an allotment, so at this time of year I tend to inflict vegetable cakes of various sorts on people.

Beetroot brownies are always popular, and if I lie about why they are green, my grandkids even like spinach and vanilla cupcakes.

I also don’t wish to be rude, but I’d be a tad disappointed with jam sandwiches, no matter what shape they were.