"Autumn Days When the Grass is Jewelled"

Autumn is my favourite season, tied with Spring. Honestly, it's the trees that do it. I'm fairly certain I drive my lovely husband mad with constant chatter about the changing colours of leaves. The green to yellow, burned orange and reds. I love it! Last Autumn we visited Paris and I was in paradise strolling little back streets, bag of macrons in hand, staring up at trees and enjoing a crisp, Autumn weekend. 

Paris. October 2012.

Thinking back to this time last year made me think about what I'm most looking forward to this Autumn. Sadly, Paris 2013 isn't on the list, but there are lots of other things to get myself excited about!

• Weekend walks crunching fallen leaves underfoot
• Keeping snug in my new Massimo Dutti cape
• Heading down to the annual firework display at Sefton Park on Bonfire Night, followed by a slice of gingercake and a mug of hot chocolate.
• Baking (and eating) Autumn puds
• Travelling to a research conference in New Orleans in November and eating pralines
• Weekend walks crunching fallen leaves
• Watching two very small and gorgeous kittens grow into little tigers
• Curling up on the couch under a blanket catching up on brilliant Sky Atlantic dramas 
• Making exciting festive plans for Christmas

What's in your diary this Autumn? I hope that there's something fun in there to look forward to!

An Autumn Pud

I am a sweet toothed pudding kind of girl. I love a good serving of sponge cake. I adore a good blob of whipped cream. I'll even take a bit of single cream, if I have to. In the Summer months I happily take a lighter fruit salad, yogurt or ice pop but now that the cold is starting to creep back, a bowl of chopped fruit just doesn't do it for me. I need something warm, something tasty but, if possible, something that isn't guilt inducing. Well, I've found such a pud. A yummy, warm in your tummy kind of dessert that can be served up with ice cream, custard or, for the calorie conscious, fat free fromage frais. D-elicious! 

We bought a 500g bag of frozen Summer fruits and a small Warbutons cinnamon and raisin loaf, and used four tablespoons of demerera sugar from the cupboard and a slither of butter. Defrost the fruit and then put most of the bag into a medium sized baking dish. Use a blender to make a puree with the remaining quarter(ish) of bag and pour over the fruit. Depending of the size of your dish, butter six to eight slices of the loaf and cut each in half. Arrange them over the top of your fruit, just as you would a bread and butter pud. Sprinkle the sugar over and then oven bake for around 15 minutes until the sugar starts to caramelise. Serve with a dollop of fromage frais, or your choice of topping. Next best bit, you've got slices of loaf left over for breakfast!

Oh I do love a good pud. Enjoy!