Happy Hobbit Day

 Available from Esty here

Two things about hobbits are immediately noticeable, a cheerful face and a rounded belly show they love food and are the most agreeable of fellows. Visit any hobbits home and you'll be sure of a welcome, with a pot of tea brewing and freshly made cakes to eat.

Hobbits love delicious but simple homely food, pies both savoury and sweet, pickles and jams, cheeses and cold meats, bread cakes and scones. They are farmers of the land and foragers of natures bounty on their doorstep for things like berries and mushrooms (a favourite with hobbits).

Honey is another great love, for all hobbits have a sweet tooth. Honey and cake are therefore a match made in heaven for hobbits.

Honey Cake by James Martin
(recipe here)

• 170g/6oz clear honey
• 140g/5oz butter
• 85g/3oz light muscovado sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 200g/7oz self raising flour, sieved
• water

For the icing

• 55g/2oz icing sugar
• 1 tbsp clear honey
• hot water

Preparation method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 3 and butter and line the bottom of a 7in/18cm cake tin.
   
2. Measure the honey, butter and sugar into a large pan. Add a tablespoon of water and heat gently until melted.
   
3. Remove from the heat and mix in the eggs and flour.
   
4. Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until the cake is springy to the touch and shrinking slightly from the sides of the tin.
   
5. Cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack.
   
6. While the cake is still warm, make the icing by mixing the sugar and honey together with 2-3 teaspoons of hot water. Trickle over the cake in whatever design takes your fancy.
   
   
   
   
   Hobbits love to party and celebrate any day of the year but birthdays are a particularly special to a hobbit. Their favourite place to gather is under the party tree in fine weather or in a cozy hobbit home if shelter is needed. They also love exchanging gifts but unlike the 'big people' on birthdays a hobbit instead of getting presents loves to give them. It's not the size of the gift that matters to hobbits but the giving and often they re-gift little presents called mathoms, things that were lying around their homes and land, it could be anything from clothing and food to a pretty stone or flowers. Gift giving to hobbits was a symbol of friendship not accumulation. So on this happy hobbit day lets raise a glass of porter and tuck into the feast as we enjoy their companionship for a little while and wish them and all hobbit lovers well. 
   
   
   

 I hope you enjoy this little trip in to hobbit land, we venture forth in the company of our host Celia from Adventures of the Stripped Stockings for this Hobbit Day Party.