Page 47 of Summer at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

She got to the bedroom door and looked at Ben sleeping soundly in the gloom, his chest rising and falling. She tried to imagine peeling off her clothes, kneeling on the bed and shaking him awake, planting a kiss on his lips. The thought quickly evaporated into the night as she turned off the landing light with a sigh.

Something Borrowed

Lavender Shortbread

Inspired by Eve’s Nanna, and the lavender that grows in Eve’s cottage garden

Ingredients

100g (3½oz) unsalted butter

2 tsp fresh, unsprayed, finely chopped lavender flowers (or use 1½ tsp ready-made culinary lavender)

50g (1¾oz) caster sugar

150g (5¼oz) plain flour (sifted)

Method

Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Beat the softened butter with the caster sugar, then stir the lavender into this mixture. Sift the flour into the mix and bring together with a wooden spoon until it resembles breadcrumbs. Using floured hands, work the mixture together, and knead until smooth.

Chill the dough in a fridge for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas mark 3. Roll the dough out to 5mm (¼in) thickness. Cut out the biscuits with a circle or heart-shaped cutter. Place onto the baking tray and sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until pale golden-brown. Set aside to cool completely.

Fragrant and delightful, perfect with a cup of Earl Grey tea. Or, why not sandwich them together with fresh strawberries and whipped cream for a divinely different strawberry shortcake.

24

Walking down the hill from the little car park at Warkton, the view to the sea was stunning. Rachel wished she could get to the coast more. The harbour nestled at the bottom of a street, lined by characterful old stone cottages, with the open sea out beyond, today calmly glinting with silvers and golds, reflecting the azure blues and puffy clouds of this gorgeous summer day. ‘Flaming June’ was actually true for once, and the warm sun lit up the sea and sky with a little summer magic.

Maisy, eagle-eyed as ever, spotted the ice-cream van parked down by the harbour. ‘Daddy, can I have an ice cream, please?’

Jake gave a quick glance at Rachel, who had to smile at her daughter’s wily ways and gave a small nod.

‘Yeah, I think that sounds a great idea, Mais. We can take it down to the beach and go for a walk, and maybe make a sandcastle – that’s if we can find somewhere to buy a bucket and spade.’

‘I think there’s a little shop just down there,’ Maisy added sweetly. She’d remembered from the last time they came here, a whole year ago now.

‘Well, that’s us sorted then.’

They were now approaching ‘The Chocolate Shop by the Sea’, the chocolate business run by another local, Emma. They’d met and kept in touch since the Christmas Craft Fair at Claverham Castle. Rachel and Tom had ordered mini boxes of chocolates as wedding favours for their guests, one for each place setting.

‘Right, well this is me,’ she said. ‘I’ll let you two have some time together. So, shall I meet you back at the harbour in say an hour?’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Then it might well be time for fish and chips.’

‘Yay!’ cheered Maisy, who was already enjoying her day, and looking forward to all the delights to come.

‘Sounds good to me,’ added Jake.

Rachel waved them off, and couldn’t help but stand and watch as the two of them made their way down to the harbour and the ice-cream van, Maisy placing her hand trustfully in his, the pair of them soon swinging their arms in tandem. It was nice to see her little girl happy.

Okay, time to step away and let them have a bit of father–daughter time, she told herself. She opened the wooden door to the chocolate shop and the rich cocoa aromas hit her straight away. Emma was there serving a customer from a tray of gorgeous-smelling coffee and moist-looking brownies. She looked up, recognising Rachel immediately. ‘Hi, Rachel, won’t be a minute.’

‘There’s no rush.’ Rachel well knew what it was like to constantly multitask, running a small business with limited staff. She occupied herself by checking out all the mouth-watering delights at the counter. Oh yes, she could get a gift for Mum and Granny Ruth today, as a thank you for all their support in the build-up to the wedding. Oh, and something special for Eve too, for her wonderful, mind-bogglingly beautiful wedding dress, and her fabulous friendship.