Tag: baking (page 7 of 8)

July 3, 2010 / 0 Comments

Red, White & Blue

The Fourth of July is on the horizon and I have my whole menu planned for the weekend festivities, except for the most important part: dessert! That, for me, is the hardest thing to plan, there are just too many choices. I could make my Strawberry Shortcake Cake, or good old fashioned ice cream sandwiches made from fresh chocolate chip, oatmeal or sugar cookies and filled with vanilla or strawberry ice-cream.

I spotted these goodies on the Martha Stewart site. I love the cookie spoons, although I would probably break them on purpose so I could munch away on my edible utensil and then get another one.

I also loved these jam stars. However, I would feel wasteful to not use all of my dough when I have smeared it so lovingly with jam, I would probably use my scraps up by cutting out some little circles or mini stars to go alongside the bigger ones.

It would also be tempting to make a mile high Pollyanna Cake, like the ones they baked for the Church bazaar. That is an old Disney favorite of mine. It is one of those movies that you better make sure you have something sweet in the house to eat when you watch it, although, unless you have one of Tillie’s (the Harrington’s cook in the movie) cakes you will be sadly disappointed with whatever exists behind the doors of your cupboards.

That does it! I think I will make my Nana’s marble cake with chocolate frosting! I just might have to make two, one for me and one for everyone else…

*Click on the Martha Stewart Images to be taken to the recipes for those mouth-watering cookies!

(Images: Sugar Cookie Spoons & Jam Stars: copyright Martha Stewart; Pollyanna: images found on Flickr; Pink Flags & Circle Labels: a Pugly Pixel Freebie)

June 16, 2010 / 0 Comments

Mile High Banana Cream Pie

In lieu of a traditional Birthday Cake this year, I decided to make a MILE High Banana Cream Pie!

And it was Delicious! I even had a piece this morning for breakfast! Now what could be better than that? It could only have been topped by getting to share a piece with you!

(Images with my new Birthday Camera by J. Michie embellished with the Dot Freebie from The Pugly Pixel)

May 15, 2010 / 1 Comment

Button Mushrooms

I found this adorable recipe on the Bake it Pretty Blog and I thought I would share. I love making shortbread, usually I just mould it into a pie shape and then cut it into thick wedges to have alongside a nice cup of tea. These would be perfect for a “Gnome Tea Party”, with Bake it Pretty’s gnome or mushroom sprig cake toppers placed on cupcakes and their gnome or snail shaped cookie cutters used for sugar cookies or to shape tea sandwiches. The possibilities are endless and I know I am already getting carried away with the ideas buzzing around in my head…

The use of a beer bottle dusted with cocoa powder is a fantastic idea to create that sweet squat mushroom stem. How inventive! Since I am in a shortbread baking kind of mood this weekend I thought about trying this recipe if we can squeeze it in to the crazy weekend that will be happening…

I have included their recipe if you want to try it for yourself:

Ingredients:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees – yields approx. 42 cookies

1 – 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon table salt

One empty soda or beer bottle (cleaned and dried)
Cocoa powder (about 1/4 cup)
Water

Recipe:

Sift together flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar and salt. Add softened butter and vanilla, and mix thoroughly until a thick but light dough is formed. It should be soft but not too sticky, and easy to handle.

Roll the dough into 1″ balls and place about 1″ apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat mats. Place about 1/4 cup of cocoa powder into a small bowl, and about 1/4 cup water in to a separate small bowl.

Dip the top of the soda/beer bottle into water and shake off any excess. Dip the bottle into the cocoa powder and tap the side to shake if any excess. Gently press the bottle straight into one of your dough balls, pressing just barely into the dough, only about 1/4″ inch, then pull the bottle away.

Continue with the rest of your cookies, dipping your bottle into the cocoa between each pressing. If it gets too light, do another water-dip then keep going.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Take them out when they are just done, and barely the tiniest bit brown on the bottom. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

*Details:

– You can substitute flour for the cornstarch if you like, it will make the cookies a little more dense and toothsome. I definitely reccomend using the cornstarch if possible, it really adds to the delicate and crumbly nature of the cookies.

(All images and recipe text copyright Bake it Pretty, cookie cutter image embellished by J. Michie)

May 5, 2010 / 2 Comments

1 Year Blogaversary

Today is my One Year Blogaversary! So put on your party hats! I can’t believe that a year has passed so quickly! I started this blog as a way to keep my creative juices flowing, to write about all the crazy things that flow in and out of my head and to work harder on my goals of getting my children’s books published and start my Etsy shop.

I never thought when I wrote my very first post that I would would meet so many wonderful people over the year and I want to thank all of you for reading and commenting, I never dreamed that I would have followers, readers and commentators, I thought only a few people would find me here and there, and that was ok, I created this Blog for me, and I have enjoyed every minute of it!

I wish we could all be together, I would have a party, a tea party of course since I live in jolly ole’ England. But, we might have to serve some iced sweet tea as well, I have not forgotten my Southern roots! If I was having a party I would serve this cake:

It just made me smile, and it looks perfect for a fun garden party. It also made me think of Burl Ives’ Lollipop Tree song, I had this record when I was little and my sister and I would dance around to this song. Oh if only there could be a real lollipop tree, I would quite enjoy that!

Keep reading, I have so much more to come, so much more to write and share, so much is happening at the moment, I am on the rollercoaster of life and not the merry-go-round and I am prepared to be surprised!

(vintage party children copyright The Baby Gardner)
* Obviously tea parties are floating around my head at the moment, since I wanted to have one on Monday as well…
**The actual Martha Stewart Lollipop Cake is a carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting, but I love the recipe for the Ruffle Tower Cake so I chose to use that one instead; you can find both on her site.
***Happy Cinco de Mayo

May 3, 2010 / 0 Comments

Tea Party

We went shopping this weekend and I came across these silicone tea cups:

Unfortunately, the store was out of stock, they just had an empty display box, stating more stock would be in soon. I thought that this would be an adorable idea for a children’s tea party, or even a grown-ups tea party for that matter. To have delicious cupcakes baked in these pipped with twirly-whirly swirls of icing in a rainbow of colors and sprinkles.

And you could serve them alongside these yummy lemon raspberry sandwich cookies:

These little ham & cheese thumbprints:

Mini cucumber sandwiches made with my Mom’s mouth-watering cucumber and carrot spread and a selection of delicious vegetables with a homemade buttermilk ranch dip. I am getting hungry just thinking about it!

The day started out rainy this morning, but now has gone sunny and deliciously cool, the perfect tea party day, for bunting strung in trees, white tableclothes billowing in the breeze, good music floating through the garden and a group of friends to enjoy the afternoon with as day slips into night.

When these get back in stock, they might just jump into my hands, because I think this is a truly cute idea!

(Click on the cookie and thumbprints pictures to be taken directly to the recipe, tea party girl by Belle & Boo)

April 29, 2010 / 1 Comment

Berries & Cherries

I’m in love! And what am I in love with other than my adorable red-head you ask? I am in love with Bonne Maman’s Berries & Cherries Conserves. When we went grocery shopping last week, they were out of the usual strawberry and apricot and raspberry jams that I keep in, but there was a jar of this sitting on the shelf; and anything topped with red gingham ought to be good! Right?

Well, it was better than good, it was downright delicious! I can’t stop putting it on things; toast, bagels, blueberry muffins, my fingers…This will add a new dimension to my turnovers. I cheat when I am in a real rush and want to make turnovers for dessert.

I use my left over puff pastry and instead of making a fruit mixture to put in them, I put jam in the middle instead. They always come out deliciously tasty with the right amount of jam that has always oozed out a little, making one corner a crunchy sugar encrusted sticky jam bite!

I usually make a quick runny icing mixture and just do a little drizzle on top. I am afraid to make my turnovers with this jam though, I might not be able to stop eating them….

March 31, 2010 / 1 Comment

Quick as A Rabbit

I went to the gorgeous Susan Branch’s website today and saw this bunny cake on her homepage. He is too cute not to share! Wouldn’t he be fun to make for all the little people coming to your Easter party?

(Image copyright Susan Branch)

March 15, 2010 / 0 Comments

Put the Kettle On…

Put the kettle on, I’m making scones this morning. I am making The Pioneer Woman’s delicious scones today. However, I have made a few adaptations, there are some things that I can’t get at my local grocery store in Jolly Ole’ England, so when in Rome…

The house smells like a cozy tea room and makes me yearn for the little cottage we stayed at in Cornwall with the sun shining so brightly today it would be perfect for a walk down the coastal path and a stop at Daisy’s for a doorstop sandwich and then some cake and tea.

Oh, I hear my kettle whistling, I wish you were here, you could join me for a spot of tea and a pecan scone….

March 5, 2010 / 0 Comments

Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!

I feel like Max this morning from “Where the Wild things Are” and I am ready for the wild rumpus of a weekend to start. There are still bears and bunnies to finish, Mother’s Day gifts to buy (they celebrate Mother’s Day early here) and my sweetie pie wants to see the new “Alice in Wonderland” film.

I loved reading the book as a child, what I loved most was that when I finished the first book, I had to turn it upside down to read the 2nd, “Alice Through the Looking Glass”. I am going into this film with my 3D glasses on and an open mind, I am not so sure about, it looks almost too out there, which my cute ginger argues with me is the point, so we shall see.

There is also a menu to be plan. My friends laugh at me, but I plan my menus for two weeks, we don’t have a large grocery store in our town, so it is a ride down the rails for groceries with my hessian bags and red granny cart in hand. I buy a few things to get us through locally as we need them, milk, bread, salad…

I am far from frugal, we eat very well and for the most part very healthy in our house, I don’t cook junk; I just don’t understand how they can randomly walk into a store and just see what they happen to find. One of my friends goes grocery shopping every morning and spends about £30-40 each time, that is insane!! I plan some meals for one nights, some will be leftovers some will have something entirely new made with their leftovers.

There will be a menu discussion in the house tonight, so far Aioli is on the menu one of my favorite pasta dishes and so simple, with oil and garlic and parsley; a mexican night with homemade bean burritoes, queso sauce and homemade guacamole; it is still very cold here so probably a stew maybe with dumplings and mashed potatoes on the side or just a hearty bowl with some buttermilk biscuits. Since we have had our first taste of spring, I really feel like either some homemade banana pudding or Nigella Lawson’s “Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake”. This cake is a favorite in our house, it has been made for many a birthday. Although I do make a few changes, I half the required dark chocolate for the icing and mix it with milk or use all milk chocolate, since I found the dark at times became too bitter. (click on the photo to get the recipe)

But in all this sewing, movie watching, grocery shopping crazy filled weekend we will have, I want to make sure that we carve out a little bit of time to just be. I know sometimes I am guilty of trying to do too much in the space of 48 hours, I just need to remember to sit back and breathe!

What are you doing for your weekend?

(Alice in Wonderland image by: Katogi Mari)

February 12, 2010 / 0 Comments

Owl Be Yours

Just cleaning the house this morning and getting ready for the weekend. I love going into the weekend with the house fresh and ready for anything: relaxing, unexpected guests….

I am also busy wrapping up my Valentine’s surprises today so I can hide them away for the Big DAY.

Cooking has also taken over my kitchen, I am making another batch of cupcakes, the house smells wonderful. The heavenly scent of chocolate is permeating every nook and cranny! Oops, I hear my buzzer time to go and pull the last batch out…..