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On the afternoon of November’s closing day, six of us gathered in the light and colour of Maggie and Ian’s Ponsonby villa to taste, bake and bask in their flower kitchen-garden.
We came together for Scones & Spongecake (a food and flower event) which saw us learn to perfect the spongecake, sweet & savoury scone, and ottolenghi’s chocolate meringues.
The day was a delight. We chattered and nattered (probably when we should have been watching without word) but Maggie created such a friendly buoyant atmosphere and many of us felt rather unleashed at having a few hours away from our enriching dependents, that we broke into inappropriate chortles throughout gastronomic hours.
The flame-headed Maggie dressed in white ruffles and red rouge shared an abundance of baking tips such as which part of the tin to grease and when, temperatures for fan versus conventional bake, soaking dates or not, room versus fridge eggs, et cetera. We scrawled notes with brightly coloured artists’ pens on our provided recipes, and peered into bowls, sampled mixtures and kneaded and sifted upon invitation.
A proportion of the recipes involved observation as Maggie experted and a proportion of the menu got us ‘competing’ with the opposing trio to measure, mix and produce the better result on a spontaneous scone-off.
Dipping Ottolenghi meringue puffs into dutch cocoa was a final collaborative activity before retreating around Grandma’s teacups in a corner of the mass of roses, delphiniums, sweet peas, bumble bees alongside the French Bulldog Mimi and chocolate Spoodle.
During Spongecake & Scones many of us marveled at some of the Brown Street Kitchen equipment. Milly’s Kitchen stock the sturdy flour sifters (Maggie has two, one for cocoa and one for flours), and the assortment of stiff and flaccid (yes you read correctly and I’ll say it again) flaccid spatulas. House of Knives stock the round cake tins we used for the sponges, and I adore their inexpensive simple chef’s frying pans. Southern Hospitality is another store Maggie frequents.
Click here for more photos of Maggie’s garden, and here, and here.
Maggie makes bespoke cakes (and exquisite sugar flowers) for birthdays and weddings and other necessary festivities. You can find her at florabunda & cake. These are a couple of the beauties she crafted in the hours preceding Scones & Spongecake. 
Should your hens’ do, baby-shower, team building activity or general group of girlies, boylies, or a pick-n-mix want to participate in a Maggie baking-eating-flower-extravaganza contact her on or 029 356 3668 or at maggie@florabundacake.co.nz .
