Making the best of a bad bake

These were supposed to be lavender macaroons with a lemon buttercream filling. As you can probably tell - they aren't.

That's the thing about baking, it can be an awful lot like life sometimes. You can follow the instructions to the letter, do everything in the right order, keep a watchful eye on things; and yet sometimes, just sometimes, it all goes wrong. A new recipe can go just as wrong as one you've made hundreds of times before; and no matter how often or not you've attempted this creation, the sense of disappointment when the cake hasn't risen or the flavours just taste off is always the same.

And here lies your choice. You can choose to throw it in the bin and vow to never try making this thing again - or you can say to yourself, "oh well, I'll try doing it a slightly different way next time" and make the best of a bad bake.

They weren't lavender macaroons - but they were quite suitable as Eton Mess - particularly with homegrown blackberries and a drizzle of crème de mûre.