I’m back in the land of the working again 😦  Maternity leave is beginning to seem like a distant memory and I’m having to find new levels of organisation to make sure we all get out of the house in the morning with the right bag of food in our hands!  I’m being really good and taking lunch every day and trying to make sure there’s a little treat so that I’m not tempted to nip to the shop at lunchtime to buy something naughty!  These cherry and almond cake bites do the job nicely.

You will need:  175g butter, 175g caster sugar, 3 medium eggs, 100g self raising flour, 50g ground almonds, 1tsp baking powder, 1tsp almond essence, 8 glace cherries (halved).

Preheat the oven to 190°C and grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.  Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and almond essence.  Mix until well combined.  Spoon the mixture into the tin and place the halves of glace cherries on the top in a grid pattern.  While you bake the cake the cherries will sink so you will find a little surprise as you bite into each one.  Place in the oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Leave to cool in the tin.  Cut into 16 squares.