Cooking Up Christmas. Katie Ginger

like being 5 years old again, home from school at her grandma’s house while her mum worked. Esme remembered being hungry and happy sitting with her grandma at her old fold-out table, talking about the things she had done at school that day, or playing Happy Families with Alice. It was one of her favourite recipes of all time.

      Esme re-read the instructions she’d written down, changing some of the wording and some of quantities to suit her own palate. Instead of white sugar, she had added light brown sugar for a hint of toffee and though she could use orange juice or flavouring, real oranges were better. Two hours later, she helped herself to another slice of the delicious bread and typed up her findings, posting for the second time.

      *

      Grandma’s Kitchen

       Hi again, everybody. For the first-ever recipe here on Grandma’s Kitchen, I wanted to share one of my favourites and one that means a lot to me. This is great for a tea party (if people still have those) or kids’ parties, or just as a snack for yourself. I’m presenting my comforting and delicious Orange Tea Bread! Ta da!

       This is delicious warm or cold and you can even have it as dessert with some ice cream, crème fraiche or mascarpone. I used to eat this when I was little and it’s still my favourite comfort food recipe today. And I don’t mind telling you, I need a little comfort at the moment. If you’re going through a bit of a hard time, like me, this is just what you need. It’ll give you a warm fuzzy feeling right through to your soul.

       It’s really simple to make, so don’t worry. All you do is: gently simmer an orange or two small clementines in a small amount of water for about an hour until soft. You don’t even have to peel them! Once they’ve boiled and cooled, whizz them up into an orangey mush. The last time I made this with my mum, which was shockingly a couple of years ago now, she kept stealing most of my orange mixture to add to a glass of Prosecco. It makes a wicked posh Buck’s Fizz. Needless to say, mum got sozzled and I finished the cooking alone. Now … cream the sugar and butter together then add everything else and spoon in the orange mixture.

       To see if it’s cooked, test it in the middle with a skewer. If the skewer comes out clean, it’s done.

       Enjoy! And let me know how you get on!

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      After the snack, Esme checked the counter again. Still nothing. It was four o’clock and the bright afternoon sun was beginning to set, casting the brown fields in a warm orange light. Writing the post had been difficult. Esme struggled with how much to say and how much to hold back. She didn’t want the world to know every little detail of her life, but she wanted to be open and connect with her readers on a personal level. Some of the blogs she’d read were so cold; just a list of direct instructions that read like orders. She wanted people to read hers and feel like they were with a friend. That they weren’t alone. But sitting staring at the counter wasn’t helping her mood so Esme changed into her running clothes and laced up her trainers.

      She’d missed running when she was in London. Leo always used the posh gym, saying it wasn’t safe to run outside. Esme hated it. A treadmill just wasn’t the same as the ground beneath your feet. As Esme left the house and began running through fields with nothing and no one around, she felt a strange sense of freedom. As she ran, the wind blew away the few stray hairs that had escaped from her ponytail and it cooled her cheeks, even though she was hot and sweaty. Her lungs filled with clean air and her heart, beating hard, reminded her she was alive, fit and healthy, even if that heart still ached for the man she’d loved so much.

      An hour later she opened the front door, her lungs burning from the effort, her body fired up and igniting. The smell of the orange tea bread still hung on the air, making her smile. With the energy that had been pulsing through her body now spent, Esme ran a bath, washing her long red hair with a jug. After changing into clean pyjamas and adding four more long jumpers to keep out the cold, she checked the counter again. Still nothing.

      This was excruciating. How long did she have to wait for someone to read her blog? There were millions of people in the world – surely one of them wanted to read about cooking? Esme sighed and grabbed her phone to call Lola.