Ma Baker...

Now that life has returned to normal (husband was up and 'at 'em by 7.00 this morning) I am able to go ahead with the Boozy Tea Party I have every few months or so.  This is an occasion when I supply the cake and tea, and my friends, who seem to know me very well, bring round copious bottles of Prosecco, unceremoniously pushing my favourite teapot to a dark corner of the kitchen worktop, thus making room for the more important corkscrew and glasses.

They're a discerning lot, my girl friends, and over the years, there have been tea parties which were successful (seven bottles of Prosecco, not a cake-crumb left, last lady crawling out the front door on all fours after 8.00pm and several hangovers) and a couple which need erasing from memory.  As I may have touched on in the depths of blog-time, I used to bake cakes in a previous life, so as you can imagine, there's always high expectations when you receive an invite to mine for cake.

The year I always try and forget is the one where I failed miserably on the cake front, choosing instead to buy my cakes and scones from the local supermarket.

I sort of knew that they would be able to tell the difference, but what I had failed to realise was the depth of their disgust at being offered a shop bought scone, when they were expecting some kind of Mary Berry Showstopper of a cake.  

So I've learned a lesson, and have been baking since Wednesday to allow for a full table of goodies for them.

They are due here at 4.00.

I'll report back tomorrow as to the success (or otherwise) of my one woman bake off...