Hemlock and Hedge Read online

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  Method:

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  1. Put the lemons in a saucepan with some cold water, bring to boil, and then cook for two hours, with the lid partially on. Make sure the pan doesn’t run dry! It’s fine to top up with water if needed.

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  2. When finished cooking, discard the cooking water. After the lemons have cooled, cut them in half and remove the pips.

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  3. Add the lemons, skin and all, into a food processor and blitz them. You can also do this by hand.

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  4. Preheat your oven to gas mark 5/190ºC/170°C Fan/375ºF. Grease and line a 20cm / 8 inch Springform tin.

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  5. Next, add all of the other ingredients into the food processor and mix together. Alternatively, you can combine the other ingredients before mixing with the lemon pulp.

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  6. Don’t forget to taste the mixture to see if it needs sweetening. Don’t eat the mix if eating raw eggs is a health risk for you. If you’re worried the cake will be too bitter, err on the side of caution and up the sugar to 12 oz of your chosen sweetener. Another good tip to avoid eating raw eggs would be to combine the honey/sugar and lemon together before adding the eggs… and then taste to see if it needs more sugar. This really comes down to personal taste and what your lemons are like!

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  7. Pour the cake mix into your prepared tin and bake for an hour. Test the cake with a skewer, which should come out clean. After 40 mins, you may need to cover the cake with foil or paper to stop the top from burning. When ready, remove from the oven and let cool in the tin. When the cake is cool, remove it from the tin.

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  This cake improves with age and is even tastier on the second day! But it is delicious anytime. Eat as is, or add a dark chocolate topping, a lemon icing glaze, a dusting of icing sugar, or even a big dollop of mascarpone. It’ll be a lemon cake to remember!

  Let me know on Facebook, Twitter, or by email if you make the cake! I’d love to see your pics.

  https://facebook.com/rubylorenauthor

  https://twitter.com/rubylorenauthor

  Books in the Series

  Mandrake and a Murder

  Vervain and a Victim

  Feverfew and False Friends

  Belladonna and a Body

  Aconite and Accusations

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  Prequel: Hemlock and Hedge

  A review is worth its weight in gold!

  I really hope you enjoyed reading this story. I was wondering if you could spare a couple of moments to rate and review this book? As an indie author, one of the best ways you can help support my dream of being an author is to leave me a review on your favourite online book store, or even tell your friends.

  Reviews help other readers, just like you, to take a chance on a new writer!

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  Thank you!

  Ruby Loren

  Also by Ruby Loren

  MADIGAN AMOS ZOO MYSTERIES

  Penguins and Mortal Peril

  The Silence of the Snakes

  Murder is a Monkey’s Game

  Lions and the Living Dead

  The Peacock’s Poison

  A Memory for Murder

  Whales and a Watery Grave

  Chameleons and a Corpse

  Foxes and Fatal Attraction

  Monday’s Murderer

  Prequel: Parrots and Payback

  * * *

  DIANA FLOWERS FLORICULTURE MYSTERIES

  * * *

  Gardenias and a Grave Mistake

  Delphiniums and Deception

  Poinsettias and the Perfect Crime

  Peonies and Poison

  The Lord Beneath the Lupins

  * * *

  Prequel: The Florist and the Funeral

  * * *

  HOLLY WINTER MYSTERIES

  Snowed in with Death

  A Fatal Frost

  Murder Beneath the Mistletoe

  Winter’s Last Victim

  * * *

  EMILY HAVERSSON OLD HOUSE MYSTERIES

  The Lavender of Larch Hall

  The Leaves of Llewellyn Keep

  The Snow of Severly Castle

  The Frost of Friston Manor

  The Heart of Heathley House

  * * *

  HAYLEY ARGENT HORSE MYSTERIES

  The Swallow’s Storm

  The Starling’s Summer

  The Falcon’s Frost

  The Waxwing’s Winter

  * * *

  JANUARY CHEVALIER SUPERNATURAL MYSTERIES

  Death’s Dark Horse

  Death’s Hexed Hobnobs

  Death’s Endless Enchanter

  Death’s Ethereal Enemy

  Death’s Last Laugh

  Prequel: Death’s Reckless Reaper

  * * *

  BLOOMING SERIES

  Blooming

  Abscission

  Frost-Bitten

  Blossoming

  Flowering

  Fruition