BLUEBERRY & CARDAMOM MUFFINS

A bit of blue like the painted wooden doors and tiled floors in Essaouira last week; like my dress and the boats and the sea; then the same subtle scent of spice as the tea we drank sitting in the Persian café on Peckham High Street before I left.

And if the above counts as dwelling on the past again (someone did tell me once that I do that a lot), then let these sweet summery muffins also speak of the blue of the water in swimming pools in back gardens, and of river valleys in far away places I want to visit; and of every cup of cardamom tea we will drink, at the café or our desk or my old flat or the new one or yours that I’ve yet to see; and of more new colours and more new smells and of new beginnings.

PAIN D’ÉPICES - FRENCH SPICED LOAF CAKE

You may think this is quite a sad-looking plain loaf cake but you may think again. I am known for getting over-excited about cake but this, ladies and gentlemen, this is my new favourite cake in the uuuuniverse (after Stereo's upside-down orange cake maybe, but I'm going back for more of that later on). I used to have pain d'épices all the time back in Italy and then found some when I popped down to Paris last summer, and was getting slightly upset about the lack of it here in good (?) old Blightey. Well last week I thought I'd assemble all my troops and go get some nice spices to make it myself. You should too. It's like a moist sticky spice party in cake-form and actually healthy (no fats or anything) and it has the best unusual spongy texture ever because of the flour combination. Plus if you too have a lonely pack of rye flour lying in your kitchen cupboard and you're moving to God knows where in six months, then there you go, vegan pain d'épices saves the day. 

ORANGE & CARDAMOM BISCUITS

I am trying really hard to stay away from pumpkin as this blog was quickly becoming a pumpkin baking blog, plus I'm drinking so much pumpkin spice latte that I foresee turning into a pumpkin myself before autumn is over, with a big orange belly and everything.
So yes, this biscuit recipe is 100% pumpkin-free, however no, I haven't given up pumpkin yet. It just means that whilst I develop a brownie recipe packed full of pumpkin goodness I have the best crunchy tasty sweet-but-tangy vegan biscuits to munch on. Oooh yiiiss.

CARDAMOM PUDDING

If you're sad, have some pudding.
(And if you're not)