Nothing quite beats the smell of freshly baked bread and when I was little my Nan’s house always smelt like a bakery.She would have an array of cakes and slabs of bread set out on the table with cold cuts of meat and pickles. It’s funny what you remember about your Nan but my memories of her will always revolve around her two Panasonic Bread Makers . She made huge batches of everything so 1 bread maker was never going to be enough.In her younger days, she worked for Rumbelows so not only did she always have the latest electrical equipment she got a huge staff discount too.
My fondest memories of my Nan are seeing her stood in the kitchen in her red frilly pinny, flour on her face, mixing the dough and adding whatever herbs and spices the recipe called for before plonking it in the base of the bread maker and saying a little prayer to the bread Gods. Her signature bake was Hot Cross Buns which were always served with 1/2 a block of butter on them and accompanied with milky tea. I think my Nan is the reason I could never do the Atkins diet and give up carbs.My love of all things bread started from a very young age.
My Nan is now in her mid 80’s and her legs won’t let her stand long enough to make a piece of toast let alone a loaf of bread but she won’t let anyone sell her 2 pride and joy bread makers and her red frilly pinny still hangs on the door, just in case. I have never followed in my Nan’s footsteps and enjoyed baking but when I last visited her she was really craving an iced finger and as she refuses to eat any ‘shop bought muck’ so I promised to have a go at making some. I don’t have a bread maker or a red frilly pinny but I found the easiest recipe I could for iced fingers and set too. I’m not going to lie it was a painful process with all the kneading a proofing involved but if my dear Nan wants an iced finger I would walk over hot coals to do it for her.I made the basic bread recipe and Harry helped me decorate ( and eat ) them. The biggest test will come later when i deliver them to my Nan.Never one to mince her words her critique is a cross between Paul Hollywood and Simon Cowell.I don’t ever think I will feature on British Bake Off but maybe one day I will persuade my Nan to let me have one of her Panasonic Bread Makers and give the whole bread making business another try.
What are your fondest memories of your Nan? Has she inspired you to try something new? Comment below.
*This post was in collaboration with Panasonic but all my thoughts, opinions and memories are my own
Oh wow those iced buns look AMAZING! I love the star sprinkles. Both my grans are great cooks too – one bakes lovely cakes and the other always had Welsh cakes on the griddle. I remember being told to always stir cake mix in one direction – I’m not sure why, but it stuck with me.
Alana x
I think baking is up there with some of my favourite memories with my Granny too. I remember making apple pie and mince pies with her. She always made sandwiches with butter spread as thick as the cheese, and squash with half a glass of cordial x x
My Nan’s house always used to smell of pasties or saffron buns – all the Cornish treats 😉
Stevie x
My Granny is now 94, she’s a huge inspiration to me in so many ways. Lovely post #postsfromtheheart
Oh my word these look absolutely amazing. So so pretty – I Love and I want! Am going to try baking these for sure! Hope they pass the Nan test! I am certain they will xx #postsfromtheheart
Oh wow Im doing the 5:2 diet and today is a fast day- my mouth is watering!! Great post #postsfromtheheart
This is lovely , I hope your nan approved!My littlest is a budding baker and we love making bread but iced buns never ocured to me , our little treat this weekend though I think!! #postsfromtheheart
Your iced buns look fantastic. My nan was a baker too, her mince pies where to die for! She taught me all her secrets and I love baking too. Unfortunately I can’t stand very long now. I do love kneeding dough though, it’s very therapeutic.
#postsfromtheheart
Ooh those iced buns look amazing!! My nan is 90 this time and always gives me different recipes whenever I visit. Some of my favourite memories of her are in the kitchen, making soup, chattering away, I hope that I have many more years of that yet. #postsfromtheheart
My gran is still alive but is currently staying with my aunt in Australia. She struggles with altzheimers so doesn’t always remember me, but she was and is the best gran ever. Baking, sewing, and endless patience with a fierce love for her grandchildren. I hope to see her later this year, she’s the last of her generation on both sides of my family. Lovely post.
#postsfromtheheart
Love home made so much healthier than shop bought muck#PostsFromTheHeart
It looks like you did a good job! I can still smell my Granny’s larder under the stairs – it was always full of ‘shop bought muck’ though – Walker’s crisps and Mr Kipling’s french fancies!! #postsfromtheheart