With the weather turning colder and our opportunities to venture out becoming rare, we have moved most of our activities inside. During these cold, dark winter months we like nothing more than getting together for what we affectionately call “cozy” activities, and for us baking is the ultimate cozy activity. Nothing beats baking homemade treats and enjoying them warm from the oven with a cup of tea.

This week our lovely kitchen team wanted to join our cooking club and asked if we’d be happy to make jam tarts, we were more than happy with this choice, who doesn’t love a jam tart? We all love them, we love to reminisce about baking these sweet treats in years gone by, there isn’t one of us that hasn’t burned our fingers on hot jam because we were too impatient to wait for them to cool down.

We had a great time, we rolled and cut the pastry and filled it with yummy strawberry jam and lemon curd. As they baked the room was filled with the most delicious scent wafting from the oven. Whilst we waited, we chatted about our past baking endeavors, some more successful than others. We have some very talented bakers among us who are over the moon to be able to continue their hobby. We also have some people who would be happy never to set foot in a kitchen again, I’m somewhere in the middle, I enjoy baking for pleasure.

Once the tarts were ready, we served them up for everyone for tea and unsurprisingly they went down a treat.

We are looking forward to trying some Christmas themed baking in this month we have already planned to make mince pies, cookies, gingerbread men, and Christmas cake. We may even have a little glass of sherry whilst we’re doing it.