This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Memories are often tied up in food. They can also be tied up in flowers. Take Poppy Carmichael. Poppy has just been left her grandmother's beloved flower shop by the sea in St Felix, Cornwall. Only, Poppy doesn't want it. She doesn't even want to go back to St Felix, the place of her happy childhood and her grandmother's home. She hasn't been back in well over a decade.
St Felix holds too many memories. Some too painful to revisit. But Poppy's mum insists she goes. Just to check it out. So Poppy does. And from that very first day in St Felix, her life begins to change.
She soon discovers that the little flower shop is rather special. And, despite her scepticism, that different flowers have different meanings.
Poppy visits The Blue Canary Bakery, a bakery she used to peer into on tippy-toes as a child. Now she doesn't have to stretch to see the cakes. She's enticed inside and remembers the custard tarts she used to eat as a child. She recalls being rather fond of them. As was her grandmother, the two bakers remind her. They were her favourite, too.
This beautiful summer novel is out on 30th July. Top tip: Have one of these easy-to-make tarts on standby whilst reading. 
Easy and quick custard tarts
Equipment
Baking tray, saucepan, whisk, bowl.
Ingredients
6 ready made tart cases
140ml double cream
140ml milk
2 tbsp caster or granulated sugar
2 eggs
A few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg (or, if you prefer, vanilla)
Method
- Lay out your tart cases and preheat the oven to 160 fan.
- Bring the cream and milk to the boil and stir in the sugar.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl.
- Pour the creamy milk over the eggs whilst whisking (if using vanilla add this now). Allow to cool.
- Pour the mixture into the tart cases. You may find this easier by putting the baking tray on the oven shelf – pulled out – and pouring the mixture in there so it doesn't spill.
- Sprinkle over the nutmeg if using.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Perfect for a summer's day.