Wedding cakes or a date slice anyone?

When my daughters got married....they searched for wedding cakes and the prices for what they wanted were sky high....."Mum", well you can guess what came next..."do you think". Well I knew I could make the rich fruit cakes etc, but sugarcraft etc, well that was a different matter. Well as luck would have it I was talking casually to one of my neighbours and was telling her about my dilema. Well I didn't even know that she was a proficienado at sugar icing and teacher as well, she took me under her wing and showed me the basics and away I went. I spent many an hour making the red sugar roses and leaves listening to Steve Wright in the afternoon on the radio. I was pleased with the result of the rose cake. The other cake was a winter wedding and a lot simpler, even though you cannot really see it, there is embossing all around the sides. The draping effect looks so effective but is so easy. Funny thing is I have been asked to make for other people but I couldn't do it...there was so much of my heart/soul and love put into these cakes....such tender sweet memories of when they were small was on my mind a lot when making these.

AND NOW.....date slice....yippee

Hmmm....fancied a bit of baking this afternoon. First thoughts were of a huge fruit cake, but then the guilt trip stepped in...fruit cake. I can never eat ONE slice, especially with a lovely cup of tea. So browsed my lovely new "treat for myself" baking book and came across date slices. Well I have made these numerous times from another recipe before but thought.."they're easy, healthy and I won't feel a guilt trip". The recipe called for soft brown sugar of which my cupboard was alas bare...so subtituted dark brown musqovada. Isn't is strange how one standard ingredient can change a recipe, they have turned out richer with a strong molasses taste, very nice indeed. Only problem is they're very moreish too...so I have been a good girl and frozen the other half. Anyway if you can get hold of this great book. I thoroughly recommend it. I purchased it for £10 from Waterstones, on amazon I think its now gone up to £12.99.