Christmas decorations! (if it is not too late)

I love Christmas, especially the preparation for Christmas bit... you know, buying gifts and decorating... except I have not had a chance to decorate the festive tree for quite some time! You see, I usually spend Christmas in Lithuania and often I find that by the time I get there my little brothers (aged 12 and 9 years) get it all decorated without me.... Well, this year I thought I will go to Lithuania early therefore in advance I tried to negotiate if I could get at least one tree. It wasn't easy as my little brother got stuck with those traditions that the tree should be decorated exactly on 1st of December as that's when Advent starts. However I managed and the Christmas tree viewed above now is mine!

I don't know but I most likely to be late with Christmas  decorations, but if you are like me (being late) and stuck for ideas, there you go - I am sharing here with you!

I used felt material to cut, stitch and fill inside of bird's body with leftover felt and stitched beads (can also use small buttons) as birds' eyes.... Happy decorating!

Eton Mess :)

So, now when I live in Slough I cycle pass Eton on my way to work in Windsor. And I always wonder if this is the place where Eton Mess (meringue, whipped cream and berries dessert) originates from. So I came up with my own theory for it (prepare yourself for a long story)...

I will start by saying that Eton is filled with college boys (from age 13) that are running around like other normal kids, except that they are dressed in tail coats (otherwise called morning coats, which makes them look overly formal). I found that quite ironic (you know... kids look odd when they are put in boundaries like that)  so I thought of this theory: As a prestigious college, Eton college only served the most delicately presented deserts in their canteen....  however, one day one boy rebelled and said "enough is enough" and completely destroyed (and ate) a piece of "Pavlova" on his plate which later became so popular and started to be called "Eton Mess" . Ok, maybe this story is not as long as I thought, but it is not so far away from original theory. After a little bit of Googling I found out that "Eton mess" was served in the 1930s in the school's "sock shop" (tuck shop), and was originally made with either strawberries or bananas mixed with ice-cream or cream. Meringue was a later addition!

Eton Mess is really easy to make and there are so many versions of it. This is my version:

 

ETON MESS

Ingredients: 4 egg whites

                    225g caster sugar

                    200ml double cream

                    1/2 pack of strawberries

                    1/2 pack of grapes

1. preheat the oven to 100C. Whisk egg whites while gradually adding sugar until it is thick and glossy. Lay it on the parchment paper and bake it for around 1 1/2hours (really watch it, because it really depends on the oven on how long it takes to bake)

2. meanwhile, whip the double cream and chop straberries

3. Mix baked meringue, whipped cream and berries together and spoon it into the sundae glasses.

Away from London

It has come up to a month since I exchanged my busy lifestyle in London for royal Windsor and I am ready to give you my feedback  so far. For those who did not know I left my old job for a cafe managing job so I get to learn practical ways to run my own cafe at some point and so far it have been life changing! Although I am learning a lot about the cafe industry (really enjoying that) the biggest thing that changed is my lifestyle. I am not saying that I am less busy, just that I am not living in such a rush anymore. The most amazing thing that now it takes me around 15min on the bike to get anywhere I need in town (that is a big difference to 1hour in London). So if I get a moment of "woops... I forgot my sandwich at home!" I have no regrets of coming back and getting it back. Well... that does not happen exactly like that, but you get the picture!
... And for the end here are some "royal" treats for you - the truffles...

ROYAL TRUFFLES 

Ingredients: 250g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa content)
                    120ml double cream
                    50g butter
                    1-2 tbsp brandy or dark rum or any other liquor (I used "Tia Maria") 

                    15-20 glazed cherries
                  
                    for rolling: cocoa powder, ground almonds, desiccated coconut etc

1. Melt butter and chocolate together in microwave or in the bowl over boiling water.
2. Remove melted butter, chocolate from heat and add double cream while mixing it well.
3. Let the mixture to cool and then put it into the fridge for at least an hour
4. When the mixture is hardened scoop with the spoon the small pieces of chocolate and cover the glazed cherries with that and shape them into to the small balls. Roll the balls into the cocoa powder or ground almonds or desiccant coconut.

These would go splendidly with the tot of sweat cherry!

Back to my childhood....

It is my birthday today and my mum and my little brother have visited me here  in London. So my mum baked me an apple cake (not a pie) as my birthday cake (well I requested that from her). It is very basic cake and even my brother could have baked it, but it brings back good childhood memories... Well, around twenty years ago, when I think I was 9years old my mum baked it for my personal birthday party where the only guests were me and her (I had a bigger birthday party on the weekend but my actual birthday was on weekday). So I remember I really liked it as it was quite nice to have another birthday "party"!...

Other then the cake, me and my family visited the Legoland in Windsor (I used my little brother, who is aged 9 years as an excuse to visit there...). I think what I liked most is the mini London made out of Lego (never mind the long queues and the fact that we only were able to make to seven rides through all day because of that). Here are the pics...

And back to my birthday cake, here is the recipe...

MY MUM'S APPLE CAKE

Ingredients:  5 apples (medium size)
                         7 eggs
                         8 tbsp sugar
                         8 tbsp flour (with the heap)
                         Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease the baking tin with butter
2. Cube the apples (remove seeds, but no need to peal the apple peal) and put them into the bottom of the tin
3.  To make the cake mixture whisk eggs with the sugar until pale, then add flour and cinnamon (if wanted).
4. Pour the mixture over the cubed apples and put into oven. Bake the cake for around an hour until golden brown.

Inspired by Sims game... (if you not in it please skip this)

I promised to someone (anonymous) to write a feedback about my previous bake sale, but I took quite a long time as you can see :(. You see.... I got addicted to Sims (literally) and I know that is very sad story, but this was the reason why I took sooo long to write this post (I will write more about this in the minute). Anyway, the bake sale... it was great experience, even though it wasn't as busy as the previous one  (I blame the rain for that!). But it was still fun as Bekka (my thoughtful helper) managed to keep me entertained at all times!... And, as embarrassed as I am (can't be more embarrassed after my Sims confession) I did try to dance ballet...

And here are few pics from the actual bake sale as well as new mini bakes, the mini cheesecakes...

 
Now back to Sims(if you have never played it this might sound like gibberish to you, so I recommend you skip it to the last paragraph)... Initially I got addicted to actual Sims computer game (later I got addicted to the Facebook Sims Social as well) and then only lived "their" life (or shall I say I was creating my own), even at night until 6am in the morning sometimes! I think what got me addicted is that I could achieve everything so easily... So, I have joined culinary career at Little Corsican Bistro where I started as The Kitchen Scullion (apparently the one who gets all the rubbish jobs from Chef) and meanwhile  I was learning recipes (some interesting ones like Goopy Carbonara, Eggs Machiavellian  and Baked Angel Food Cake that I would like to try to make in real life) from books at home so I could get up the level in cooking.  Eventually I became Five-Star Chef earning 350 Simeons per hour and recipe Librarian (???), builded a big house (not so pretty but really practical!), Had five children (long story, but in my defence one was adopted), and became "Filthy Rich" (at least that's the phrase they use to describe rich people :D). I even bought that Little Corsican Bistro and renamed it to The Friendly Nettle Cafe! So after all this no wonder I got inspired (or shall I say I got carried away) to take similar actions in real life... Last Sunday I popped in to one of my favourite cafes by Cambridge Heath  station to  "join culinary career".... Turns out they did not have any vacancies, I suppose it is not that easy to get any job in this life :(

To end on the happy note here is the recipe for the best seller so far, the Banoffee cupcakes. After all, this is supposed to be the feedback for my bake sale;)

BANOFFEE CUPCAKES

Ingredients:     300g flour
                        1tbsp baking power
                        1 egg
                        200ml milk
                        150g soft brown sugar
                        85g melted butter
                        2 bananas
                        150ml double cream (preferably elmlea)
                        Milk based toffee ( to make it boil a can of condensed milk for three hours) or 4 tablespoons of dulce de leche

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and line 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake cases.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into the mixing bawl
3. In separate bowl beat the egg with milk, than add the sugar, melted butter and chopped banana. Mix it all up and tip it into the flour. After mixing it one more time divide the mixture into the cup cases.
4. Bake for about 25min until cupcakes are risen and golden (I am usually tempted to eat them at this stage... but don't, you will enjoy it even more with the topping!)
5. So, whip the Elmlea cream. I recommend Elmlea, because it goes velvety (not grainy) and never turns yellow! I know this might sound like I am promoting this brand but it is really good. I give the credit for this discovery to my dear friend Jacqueline who suggested this as I was not happy with double cream I was always using.
6. Pipe (or spoon) the double cream on the top of the cupcakes and follow it by toffee swirl. Enjoy ;)

Another bake sale, but not any less important!

 Well.... for those who missed my previous bake sale, not to worry... here comes another one! I am expecting it to be bigger, better, sweeter ... and so on. So please bring yourself here on 27th of August and no, I won't be dancing ballet (just serving you with the mini bakes as always). Just that I used to like ballet when I was a child, but my mum send me to learn folk dancing instead :(... So I thought I will send my children to learn the ballet dancing... not any more after seeing Black Swan movie.... Anyway, I hope to see you soon:-)

After my first bake sale....

I just wanted to give you all thanks to who was buying my bakes last Sunday! It was great success as it raised £112 for the LoveUkraine Mission... and that's after deducting baking costs! Anyway.. here are the pics!