h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

According to an article in Daily Mail (UK) 'Weekend Magazine (May 2007), Anglesey Abbey has more than 130 varieties of snowdrop, including a rare Victorian one 'recently discovered on a rubbish tip by the Head Gardener'.

The National Trust tea room at the Abbey makes and sells 'Snowdrop Cake', which is green and white on the top to represent the snowdrops for which the Abbey is famous.

Ingredients:

380g butter
380g caster sugar
380g S.R. flour
8 eggs
1 lemon
3tsp baking powder
85g pistachio nuts, shelled and chopped
Icing sugar and pistachio nuts to decorate

Recipe

1.Grease and line a 23cm cake tin. Preheat oven to 160 deg C (Gas Mark 3). Sift together flour and baking powder.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together ubtil white and fluffy. Beat the eggs and add to the creamed mixture, a little at a tie, beating well after each addition.
Add a spoonful or two of the flour and baking powder mixture towards the end to prevent curdling. Fold in the rest of the flour, the juice and grated rind of the lemon, and the shelled, chopped pistachio nuts. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed with a finger.

3. Turn the cake out of the tin and leave to cool. Decorate with finely sifted icing sugar, and finely chopped pistachio nuts to give a green and white effect on the top of the cake.