To sew or to bake?

The hubby is out at the first open evening for the new school tonight, so I have a free evening all to myself. And, after this morning's epic baking fail, sewing wins the contest of how I plan to spend it.

Would you like to see the evidence?

Here we have rock (cup) cakes, alongside a battenburg in the making. Both managed to be hard yet raw in the middle, and so disgusting that even the youngest girl rejected them.

If at first you don't succeed, throw them in the bin...

...make your old favourite instead. Chocolate brownies!

Without sounding like a Great British Bake Off wannabe, it is rare for me to fail to this degree when it comes to cakes. Normally, this would shake my confidence, but today, I had too many other things I wanted/needed to bake to let that stop me. But still, how did I manage it?! I put it down to tools. Or lack of. What was that about workmen, I hear you say?

To be fair, I dropped my hand held mixer a few weeks back when I was rushing to finish the biggest girl's birthday cake, and still haven't replaced it. One for Father Christmas to take care of, maybe (only perhaps something a bit more like, well, like they have on the Great British Bake Off - should he be reading this...).

So, buoyed up by the smell of brownie success, I had another go at the sponges. No american recipes this time - just old school fairy cakes and window cake made using fool proof 6-6-6 with elbow grease.

They are out of the oven - and looking good! Phew. Having a load of people round in the morning to take part in this (any excuse for eating cake immediately after breakfast through to lunchtime) so now will have something to offer beyond the remains of the pack of biscuits our neighbours gave us from their holidays.

Jumbo ric rac I tell you! Say no more. Should it ever be seen on clothing intended for grown ups? WHO CARES!

I'd originally thought I might make some pistachio macaroons too and so have the ingredients in (the inner need to show off couldn't help it). But, well, tonight, sewing wins. I plan to add the finishing touches to my Kelly Skirt.

Maybe I'll make the macaroons another time. (When no one else is coming round, so I can greedily eat more of them than I should...)