When we were young (longer ago for me than most), Valentines Day was all about flash gestures and expensive presents with the aim of wooing our next or current victim partner. When kids come along it becomes more of an ‘Oh sh*t it’s Valentines Day. What the hell can I get for a 10er?’ experience and is often left to the last minute. Well not this year…. this year we are baking

It has been a while since I baked anything so I enlisted the aid of 2 seasoned pros namely my son Noah and my God Daughter Isabel. We cleared a sizeable working space in our kitchen and discussed what to make. After toying with the idea of a modern spin on the Baked Alaska, we finally settled on buns, but not just any buns, these bad boys are gonna have cherries in them (although I forgot to add them to the first batch).

The recipe goes a little something like this;

• 225 g (8 oz) self-raising flour
• 75 g (3 oz) margarine
• 75 g (3 oz) caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 100 ml (4 fl.oz) milk
• 100 g (4 oz) glace cherries (yes I know it needs a ‘ over the e)

First you need to put 12 bun / muffin cases in a funny tray thing with dips in it, as demonstrated by my helpers below.

Next comes the sifting of the flour into a bowl, again as demonstrated by my minions.

So having kept most of the flour in the bowl we add the margarine and mix with our fingers.

Once it has become a bit doughy you and the sugar and mix, add the egg and mix and add the milk and you guessed it mix. You should end up with a thick gooey mix capable of being spooned. Next you do the spooning evenly into the 12 cases we prepared earlier and you…. Oh wait wait wait the cherries.

For a special Valentines twist we are adding cherries to the mix. Take the cherries and finely chop them (technically I liquidised them because I have no idea what I’m doing). Add these to the mix and yet again mix them. Now do the spooning evenly into the 12 cases we prepared earlier. Phew.

So, we have cases filled with our cherry goo. Place these into an oven preheated at 200 degrees celcius celsios oh you know what I mean or 180 in a fan assisted bad boy. For old people that’s 400 degrees fahrenheit or gas mark 6.

Leave for 15 – 20 minutes until they go a golden to noticeable brown.

Remove and place on a cooling rack and you should have a little something like this.

Once cooled you are free to eat or ice as you like. For icing we used a simple Royal Icing made from egg white, icing sugar, lemon juice and water. I’m not going to list quantities as I completely winged it and made far to much as the people eating these cakes will bare witness to. Finally we topped it all off with a ickle choccy heart ahhhh bless.

And last but not least you eat them with the poise and finesse they deserve.

Yes baking with the ickles can be a bit stressful. But man alive it is worth it. Enjoy……