Lemon and Almond Cake.   (Recipe by Mary Cadogan)
Ingredients: The cake mix: 6oz soft butter, 6oz caster sugar, 3 eggs, 6oz self-raising flour, 2oz ground almonds, grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 tsp almond essence.   To Finish: 2 lemons, 2 tbs clear honey.

Preheat oven 160C (325F Gas 3).  Grease and base line an 8" diameter loose-bottomed round cake tin. Now put all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and mix well, beating with a wooden spoon or a whisk for 2 or 3 minutes. Put the mixture into the tin, smoothing the surface.   Peel the 2 lemons, making sure to remove the white pith.  Slice thinly, removing any seeds. Place the slices over the top of the cake mixture.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes till the cake is firm and golden brown.  Let it cool in the tin for a few minutes before loosening the sides of the tin and removing the cake to cool on a rack.   Warm the honey gently in a small pan or the microwave and brush it over the lemon slices.  (Linda's comments. The recipe says it serves 8-10.  Mine was demolished by three people.  Very yummy - I have also tried an orange version)

Cornbread.  Serves 8. (Recipe by BBC Good Food Magazine)
Ingredients: 6oz plain flour, 1 tbs baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 10oz  white or yellow cornmeal, 1oz caster sugar, 4oz butter, melted, 4 eggs, beaten, 8floz milk, 2floz single cream.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. (You may need only 180C in a fan oven) Use an 8 inch square heavy cake tin, well buttered.  Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and add the cornmeal and sugar.  Pour in the melted butter and stir well until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Beat the eggs, milk and cream together in a bowl, then add to the flour mixture, stirring until it is a thick paste.  Warm the baking dish in the oven for a few minutes, then take it out and spoon in the cornbread mixture. Bake 25-30 minutes.  It should be golden brown on top, and a skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Cool for a few minutes before turning out. (Linda's comments. I must admit I use 10floz milk instead of the milk and cream!  Cornbread is little known in the UK - I don't know why.   It's so versatile.  Eat it plain or buttered, to accompany a bowl of soup or as a teatime treat, or as a part of a meal instead of the usual potatoes or rice. It's best eaten fresh but it freezes well.)

Nutty Chocolate Tiffin (Recipe adapted from one in Sainsbury's magazine)
Ingredients: 8oz unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons golden syrup, 8oz quality plain chocolate (50-60% cocoa solids), 300g pack rich tea biscuits, 2oz blanched hazelnuts, chopped, 2oz dried apricots, chopped, 2oz dessicated coconut.

Cut butter in cubes, break up chocolate, and place, together with the syrup in a heatproof glass bowl over a pan of not quite simmering water.  Let it all melt together gently while you prepare the other ingredients.  Crush the biscuits to crumbs.  You can either do this in a food processor or by putting the biscuits in a polythene bag and crushing with a rolling pin.  Either way, it speeds up the whole process if you roughly crumble them with your hands first.  Now just stir all the ingredients together till well mixed.  Pour into a 8" square cake tin, lined with clingfilm.  Let it set in a cool place.  (Linda's comments - Cut into whatever size pieces you think best - the original recipe suggested 16, but it is very rich so I cut it into 32.  Nice on a picnic or a buffet table or for tea, or small pieces would make good petit fours. )