Looking to the Future

This is the time of year when things start to get busy, and it helps to hunt out recipes where ingredients can be prepared ahead and then cooked the next day.
Muffins are a perfect example, they make a great offering when those Trick or Treaters come round at Halloween (also popcorn - see next posting). To assemble, put the dry ingredients into one bowl, and the wet ingredients into a measuring jug (but not the egg) and these can be left overnight. All you do the next day is stir the egg into the 'wet' jug and pour that into the 'dry' . A quick stir (do not overmix), and spoon into muffin cases.
The 'boil and bake' fruit cake is another recipe where you can keep the wet and dry separate and assemble to bake the following day. By including chopped glace cherries, nuts and candied peel it is good enough to serve at Xmas. When cooked, spoon brandy over the base, and keep wrapped. Spoon over more brandy every couple or so weeks if you are that way inclined!