I generally don’t bake. When people say things like ‘if cooking is an art, baking is a science’ I get scared and decide to cook instead. I’m arty, I’m creative! I can’t do science and I definitely can’t do maths. One time I tried to make this recipe and it was still liquid after being in the oven for about three hours. The mixture burnt before it set. I spent almost an entire week trying to wash the dish I had made it in.

However, one of my 30 before 30 goals is to learn how to bake on signature dish. Here it is in writing. It would seem that I like to set myself ridiculous challenges in the hope that over the next nine years I will become a successful, Masters degree possessing, jetsetting, student loan free lady who will turn up to your shindig carrying my signature dish. Then I will drive to the airport in my own car, hop on a plane to New Zealand, write my diary on the way there and my first novel on the way back.

That’s the dream, folks. Apparently.

Today I decided to start on the road to being such a person, and baked. I got out the trusty Be-Ro book and I made not only some cheese scones, but also some fairy cakes. I not only made normal cheese scones, but I made them with a mix of cheddar, gruyere and parmesan, and I glazed one with Marmite and studded one with green olives. I not only made regular iced fairy cakes but I made three varieties of flavoured icing: vanilla, cinnamon and coffee.

Then I covered them with ridiculous Christmas themed decorations. Because I’m a ridiculous person.

Have I found my signature dish? No, not really. Were they delicious? Yes, and they taste like accomplishment. Now let’s hope I don’t eat them all before my boyfriend arrives.

Both recipes come from the Be-Ro book. If you don’t own one you’re kind of missing out.