January would be baking month

Just like last year - number two son had a burst of holiday enthusiasm and has been baking up a storm. We have an Alison Holst best cakes and biscuits book which he is working his way through. There are lots of traditional simple recipes, which suit him (and us). He still has his enthusiasm for random flavourings and decoration though. I haven't got a picture but last week he made chocolate mint biscuits with mint icing - they were tasty and looked lovely but quite the mint explosion.

These are coconut haystacks - no-one had ever made these before and we think they're a winner. Easy and taste a bit like coconut ice. Yum.

This is just a chocolate cake - with a chopped up mars bar on the top. There was one mini mars left in the packet, so the boys thought the fairest thing was to chop it up and stick it on the cake. Good call.

These are cinnamon oysters I think, or maybe ginger biscuits. I forgot to take a photo of the brandy snaps which were surprisingly successful - I have never had any luck with brandy snaps. They never end up a proper shape. My son's weren't a wildly professional shape either, but they tasted absolutely delicious, especially filled with cream. He wants to give them another go and try different shapes.

This is a rosewater flavoured sponge cake - it's luridly pink inside. Those are crystallised rose petals that he made with egg white and icing sugar and a rose from the garden. I have never crystallised a flower in my life but he just did it! Followed the recipe and it all worked perfectly. The family was divided on the artistic merits of the silver balls but I like them. And there's another sponge in the kitchen ... but the boys have friends over at the moment so it's only half a sponge. Or less. I won't take a photo.