Patio Drinks: Pimm's Cups

I don't think I'd ever even heard of Pimm's before I moved to England. I think the first time I noticed it was while watching 30 Minute Meals, and Jamie Oliver drizzled some Pimm's over sliced strawberries that were waiting to be spooned on top of cream and meringue to become Eton Mess (I haven't tried this myself but it sounds like a solid idea if you ask me).

I was intrigued. Then summer rolled around and Pimm's Cups started to become a "thing". I was keenly aware of all the signs at pubs and restaurants advertising pitchers of Pimm's and lemonade (i.e. 7-Up or Sprite, to us North Americans). I knew enough to piece together that Pimm's No. 1 is gin-based, and I like gin, and therefore I should probably hop on this sweet, sweet Pimm's train ASAP.

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Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream

More cake! I can't help myself. These were made in honour of my workmate's last day in the office. She's a glamorous kind of girl so the cupcakes had to look the part, and I wanted them to be sweet but not too cloying. After telling me her favourite colour is purple, I thought, "Ooh blueberry" and then I thought, "Ooh blueberry and lemon!" and then I thought, "I get way too excited about cupcakes" and tried to get back to work.


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Lemon Cake with Vanilla Meringue & Raspberries

I've been alone in the house for almost 6 weeks while my brother and his girlfriend have been off seeing the world. As much as I like my alone-time, I've really missed having them around. And the novelty of blasting music late at night/leaving messes in the kitchen/talking to myself has worn off.

I wanted to make something as a "welcome home" gesture - something that says "look how green and summery it got while you were away!" (some consolation after having to come back from an epic holiday) that tasted fresh and looked somewhat impressive. I think the lemon/raspberry combo is generally a safe bet, and the meringue adds some fluffy creaminess without being super rich or overly sweet. Decorating took all of 5 minutes, but I'm really pleased with how it looks; I wanted to take the customary "slice" photograph, but I couldn't bear cutting into it just yet. I may not hold out for much longer though - if they're too tired to have any tonight, they may wake up to a half-eaten cake tomorrow. I'm just saying...


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