Sunday often seems to be Baking Day

Today became baking day because Cath and baby Charlie are coming tomorrow to visit.

Once Sarah and I start baking it's hard to stop. Today we made puff pastries with chocolate filling, chocolate chip biscuits, gingerbread cake and two date and chocolate rolls. There seems to be a bit of a chocolate theme running through the cooking. Life is SWEETER with chocolate! The 2 leftover bits of puff were filled, one with jam and cream and one with my lime curd and cream.....the puff pastry delicacies became the cooks reward!

I've never made anything in a nut roll tin..they've always scared me! They sort of look like everything will fall out one end BUT I know my grandma used to make rolls all the time so I figured it was one thing I had to do before I died and today was the day that I broke out Ma's two nut roll tins and risked a mess in the oven. Thank goodness she had two of them because that's what the recipe called for. It was originally a "Milly's Kitchen" recipe but (as always) I've changed it a bit!

Date and Nut/Chocolate Roll Recipe

240g dates, chopped

3/4 cup boiling water

125g butter

3/4 cup raw sugar

1 egg

1.25 cups self raising flour

1/2 cup plain flour

1 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (though we used CHOPPED DARK CHOCOLATE instead, I don't think I'd use milk chocolate as I don't think it would taste as good, the dark stuff goes with the spice so well)

Place dates in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes to soak. Beat the butter and sugar and then add the egg. Stir in the dates with the water and then add the dry ingredients. Mix well and add the CHOCOLATE (or nuts)!

Spray the inside of 2 nut loaf pans with oil and divide the mixture evenly between the two tins. Make sure the lid is on the bottom BEFORE adding the mixture! Put the top lids on and bake upright on a tray in a moderate oven for about an hour.

Let cakes stand in tins, with lids on, for about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

We had to try some before tomorrow's play date of course. They were BEAUTIFUL with a smear (??) of butter. It is one recipe I will definitely be using again and again and again..............well you get the drift!