Baking = Happiness

I've only been living in London for a month and I have already happened upon another baking fanatic. Before you ask, I haven't stalked and hunted down Rob the Fit Baker from Great British Bake Off. And my new baking friend is not a figment of my imagination.

No, my new baking friend (NBF for short) is lovely and she has invited me to join her Lurpak baking club. I am like a fat kid at Christmas with a double chocolate fudge cake shaped present. From what I can gather, everyone in the club (or those who can be bothered) has to bake each week and then you post photos and recipes and everyone in the club 'rates the bake.'

[An aside: When you log into the Lurpak Bake Club website it says two highly cringe-worthy things:
1) The first rule about bake club is....tell everyone about bake club.
2) If you've been here before, you know how to get cracking.
i.e. Baking puns for full retards.]

The first offering was so impressive it had to be shared. So here is my NBF's frangipane tarts with raspberry jam. Yum.

frangipane tarts...

100g Ground Almonds

100g Butter

90g Golden Caster Sugar

1tbsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 zest Orange

1 egg

1/2 250g Jar of good quality raspberry/strawberry jam

Shortcrust pastry cases

1. Preheat oven to 190°c.
2. Crack egg into mixing bowl then add almonds, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, orange zest. Mix together with wooden spoon. Spoon a SMALL teaspoon of jam into each case then on top spoon a HEAPED spoon of frangipane mixture
3. Cook for 18 mins until golden around the edges.

Don't they look completely delicious? I'm totally like Homer Simpson when he peels the Venus de Milo gummy bear off that girls bum.