At the end of last year my dad was diagnosed with cancer. After an operation to remove it, he’s been going to hospital every other week for chemo, which hasn’t been all that fun for him at all.
Anyway, he’s now finished his chemo and went back in to get the results of his CT scan to make sure he’s cancer free.
He’d been talking to the nurses in the chemotherapy unit about my baking and asked me if I could make them some cakes to show his appreciation, and I was only too happy to help. He said “I did buy them a tin of biscuits but I didn’t really feel it was enough.”
Earlier this year I went on a pastry course in Devon and one day we made blueberry muffins. This was one of the recipes he’d told the nurses about, so I made them again. They were slightly paler than I’d hoped but I didn’t want to cook them for any longer as I didn’t want them to dry out.
Look how I’ve tried to be arty in this photo by chucking a load of blueberries at the counter. Honestly. Thinking I’m Mario Testino or something.
I’m not one to do things by halves so I decided to make a bit more.
Now I’ve found a brownie recipe that works (!!!) I’m a bit obsessed and decided to make them again. Once again they turned out well which is excellent (I know they turned out well because I tested one two).
I also tried Mary Berry’s shortbread recipe, which has semolina in it for added crunch. I have made shortbread before but I don’t think it turned out this well, and it got the seal of approval from my Dad.
I was only too happy to make the nurses some treats as they are much deserved, and I hope they enjoyed what I made.
P.s my dad’s CT scan showed he is cancer free 🙂
