May: Sewing, baking, Brighton Festival and books.

May has been busy and although I have done lots I haven't had much time to say anything about it. Chris has been nagging at me to write a blog post and it occurred to me that with our kids constantly shouting for our attention in the evenings and weekends it might be the only time he gets to find out what I am up to. Maybe written communication would be easier for us.

So then Chris, this has been my May so far....

I've been helping in school and nursery a lot. I love going in and seeing what the kids are up to and how differently they learn maths now. I now know how to do calculations that I couldn't do at school! The nursery is fun and I get to do craft stuff with them, like bubble painting and mask making.

I normally help at school on a Wednesday morning but as year 2 are doing the sats that they don't know that they are doing I got to do some filing and come home early. Which is good because I am tired today, I went to see The Great Gatsby at the cinema last night and loved it so much that it took ages for me to relax and come down of my pic n mix high. I came away inspired by the outfits, the sequins and with an urge to be very rich and throw lavish 1920's themed parties. If you haven't seen it already, go!

I've been listening to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories and Frank Turner's Tape Deck Heart on Spotify. Frank Turner is my sewing music of choice.

Lots of hanging out with my kids, reading Swallows and Amazon's by the campfire. Enjoying every bit of Ruby's last pre-school days (I don't want September this year) and being forced into taking selfies with her.

We have been reading Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons to Jacob and not only have we all really enjoyed the story, it has inspired Jacob's games and attitude towards playing. I think this will be the summer he embraces the outdoors and adventures.

I also managed to read a book for me. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I was surprised how uplifting the book was despite it's topic and the ending. I read it very quickly and felt motivated to get on with some things that I have been putting off (like finishing the bathroom tiling). Check it out!

I've been making and baking...

Attending...

...a couple of Brighton festival bits and pieces. The Spiegeltent and The Embroidered Tattoo Parlour.

 Sewing...

A cute little felt ice cream garland for a lovely friend's birthday present.

 ...and some tops and dresses for me using patterns from Make Hey While the Sunshines by Pip Lincolne, burda style as inspiration.

With the exception of G.C.S.E textiles my sewing skills are self/mum taught. For a while I've felt that I have a gap in my skill set. Whenever I make something for me I am always dissatisfied with the fit and usually have to make alterations to the patterns to fit me. In hope of fixing these issues and fulfilling a teenage dream I have booked myself on to a Pattern Cutting Course at MIY Workshop starting at the beginning of June. I am so excited and feel like I'm 18 again with the opportunity to follow the creative path that I deep down wish I had gone down 15 years ago. I'll let you know how I get on!

I've also been cutting out hundred of little flags for a bunting craft activity planned for the school fair.

What have you been up to this May? Any bank holiday weekend plans? Our plan is to enjoy the festival atmosphere and maybe finally make it to an open house or two.

Sprinkle Polka Dot and Rainbow Marble Cake Tutorial - Part 1 Rainbow Marble Cake

Here it is the biggest cake I have ever made. A massive 2 tier polka dot and rainbow sprinkle cake. I think in the end it weighed 7kg!

On the outside 6 packets of sugar strands (it could have done with 8 but I ran out of time to pop back to the shop).

The special surprise inside!

Rainbows and Polka Dots!

If you would like to make one too here is how!

I used this recipe and the denser mix recipe as it needed to be sturdy!

 

Recipe in grams for a 25cmx20cm tin:

150g butter/marg (I use stork)

150g caster sugar

2 medium eggs (120g) lightly beaten

200g self raising flour

2 tablespoons (30ml) of milk if needed to soften mix

1 teaspoon (5ml)

Food colourings of your choice

180c / gas mark 4 

for 30 mins

You probably don't need to make such a massive cake, but you can use the above recipe and method below to make the cake to any size you want to.

Depending on the size of your tin calculate how much mix you will need. I found this really good guide for tin sizes, cake mixture and icing quantities here.

Bottom Tier Rainbow Marble Cake

Grease and line your tins and pre-heat the oven to 180c (because my cake was so large I dropped the heat to 170c and increased the cooking time)

Weigh out your ingredients. In a bowl (or electric mixer bowl) cream the butter and sugar until it is light in colour. Add the vanilla. Add the lightly beaten eggs and continue to whisk (by hand or electric mixer) to combine. If your mix starts to curdle had a desert spoon of sifted flour and continue to whisk. Turn off whisk and sift in flour a little at a time. Using a metal spoon fold the flour in using a figure of 8 movement taking care not to knock out the air you have just whisked in with the egg. If the mixture is too stiff to stir gently add the milk and combine.

Take 4 bowls (or however many colours you want to use) and divide the mixture equally. To each bowl of mixture add the food colourings, the more you use the stronger the colour will be.

Start with your darkest colour and empty the mix into the middle of the tin.

Give the tin a gentle shake to get the mix into the corners and pop it in the oven.

When it comes out it will look something like this!

You can then add your filling of choice (I used seedless raspberry jam) and cover with buttercream. 

I used white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and used this fantastic tutorial on Sweetapolita. I could spend hours looking at the lovely creations on this site!

If you want to add a polka dot cake on top my tutorial for that is coming up next!

Polka Dot Cake Practise

I'm having a bit of a Heston Blumenthal day today and I don't want to see a cake pop again!

I have been practising for the cake I am making for my friend Rachel's 30th! birthday party next week.

She has asked for a polka dot cake.

So for the last couple of days I have been experimenting (hence, a Heston day) with different ways of making the spots. 

I've been using the method on Once Upon a Pedestal as a guide. I don't own a cake pop pan or maker so I tried it out using mini cupcakes.

The colours are amazing but the dots aren't round enough.

I'm not a cake pop fan. The only time I have made cake pops was last Christmas when I made snowmen using crumbed cake and buttercream rolled into balls before being covered in white chocolate. They were too sickly and not something that I plan to make too often so I didn't want to buy a cake pop tin.

Luckily Rachel was able to borrow a Popcake Maker from her friend and Ruby and I have spent the morning making approx. 100 cake dots with different types of mix.

The first batch came out like pebbles so I added more mix for the yellow ones and there was a spillage.

Five batches later and the dots are ready for the freezer.

And the ones that were a bit wonky got covered with chocolate and sprinkles by Ruby.

I've sampled to many though and I'm not sure I can manage another. Cake Pop Anyone?

Pop back after the 27th to see how Rachel's cake turns out!

Happy Easter!

This is what our house looks like today...

Happy Easter!

Guest Post - Chris Bakes Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns,

Hot cross buns,

One ha' penny,

Two ha' penny,

Hot cross buns.

If you have no daughters, 

Give them to your sons,

One ha' penny,

Two ha' penny,

Hot cross buns.

Happy Hot Cross Bun Day!

My house smells amazing, Chris was in the kitchen all morning baking Hot Cross Buns and Greek Easter bread!

As Chris has made them I am handing my blog reigns over to him today so that he can share his recipe with you!

Here he is!

I love baking, especially anything yeast leavened. Easter gives me a good excuse to bake some sweet breads and buns. My hot cross bun recipe is based on the one in the Elizabeth David book English Bread and Yeast Cookery. I like this recipe as it doesn't have the nasty white stripes on them. I know they look good but I think they taste horrible. These buns just have a cross cut in them. The cross doesn't always show but it's the thought that counts.

There's not much I'll bake without adding some of my sourdough starter. It's been with us for about a year now. I'd encourage you to have a go, it's easy and fun, there's loads of geek bread sites with instructions. Even if you don't make sourdough bread you can add it to all sorts of things (it's really good in pancakes) to get that sour taste. That's what I'm using it for here and I've used quick action yeast to get the rise. If you have the time try giving it a go without the yeast.

At Elizabeth Davids suggestion I've added a little cumin to my mixed spice. I also popped in a pinch of mahlab. Mahlab is a spice used in greek and middle eastern food. It is the ground stone of a small wild cherry. It has an intense flavour, slightly aniseed and a lovely almondy smell. One of my sisters got this for me as she lives in Crete but you should be able to find it online. If you can't get any don't worry.

Finally I've used a little wholemeal flour. I love the darker colour and texture you get from using it. Infinity Foods in Brighton used to have a big hot cross bun Easter display in the window and their bakery makes the most delicious wholemeal buns. All wholemeal is a bit worthy for me but adding a little gives you a nuttier bun with a good texture.

Anyway here's the recipe...

Hot (and Sour) Crossed Buns

Ingredients

The Buns

100g wholemeal strong (bread) flour

300g white strong (bread) flour

100g sourdough starter

1 tsp of fast acting yeast

1 tsp salt

125 g dried fruit (I used currants and a little candied peel)

60g butter (softened and cubed)

60g golden caster sugar (white would be fine as well)

230 ml milk (warmed slightly)

2 eggs beaten

2 tsp mixed spice

a small pinch of ground cumin

a small pinch of mahlab

a couple of scratches of nutmeg

Rind of 1/2 a lemon and 1/2 an orange (grated)

For the Bun Glaze

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of milk

Method

Rub the butter into the flour so that there are no big buttery lumps (you'll not quite get 'breadcrumbs' as there's not much fat).

Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir to mix.

Add the sourdough starter, the beaten eggs and the milk.

Mix until a soft (and rather sticky dough) forms.

Turn onto a floured or oiled surface and knead. You'll end up in a sticky mess but keep on, it should start to form a slightly more elastic dough.

After ten minutes kneading place it back in a large clean bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film or a shower cap if you've got one and pop it somewhere warm to rise for an hour or so.

Once the dough has doubled in size it's time to make the buns.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and give it a quick knead.

Cut the dough into 12 equal sized portions.

Roll each bun into a round.

Place the buns onto a greased baking sheet (I like to give the greased tin a light dusting of corn meal as well) place the buns quite close together so that when they rise you'll get a nice kiss crust.

Cover with oiled cling film and place somewhere nice and warm again for a second rise. This will take about 30 minutes or maybe an hour. Once the buns have doubled in size again they are ready to go.

Gently brush the buns with milk.

Make the cross by cutting across the top of each bun fairly deeply with a sharp knife. It's easier if you wet the blade before each cut.

Place the buns in the centre of a fairly hot oven at about 200c and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Near the end of the baking you'll want to start the bun glaze.

Boil the milk and sugar together until a syrup forms.

Brush the glaze on to the buns as soon as they come out of the oven. 

Leave to cool, then enjoy. 

I like mine split and toasted with butter and a cup of tea. 

How do you eat yours?

I bake bread for the week most weekends. Today has been extra busy with all of the Easter treats. With a little help from Ruby and Jacob I baked 2 wholemeal cobs, a dozen hot cross buns and some Tsoureki bread. Tsoureki is a greek easter bread, sweet like brioche and scented with orange and mahlab. Emma and I used to live near Green Lanes in North London when we were at university. It's a big Greek, Cypriot and Turkish area and at easter the bakers shops were full of the plaited loaves with red eggs embedded in them. The red eggs represent the blood of Christ. Unfortunately we didn't have any red colouring so it seemed a good excuse to have a go at a rainbow coloured loaf. There are loads of recipes online. I based mine on Paul Hollywoods but added some fennel seeds to get little pops of aniseed.

We'll be serving these tomorrow for an Easter tea along with the Simnel cake and Easter nests that Emma and Ruby have already made. I can't wait!

Do you eat anything special at Easter?

Ruby Makes - Easter Nests Recipe

Yay, it is Easter! and that means I can eat lots of these!

(Easter nests, not Rubies)

I only use this recipe at this time of year. I love the way the shredded wheat makes them so nest like.

I had help making this batch and I found it really hard handing over the Easter nest making reigns. Ruby is a very capable baker and she wanted to make these all by herself. And she did with the exception of the hob part. I had to sit and supervise and restrain myself from "helping"which was hard when this is normally my job. I feel a bit surplus to requirement! At least until she learns to read and write I get to share the recipe with you.

The recipe is from a Tate and Lyle cookbook that belongs to my Mum. I've made many times over the last 30 odd years. Give it a go!

Easter Nest Recipe

Makes approx. 12 nests

Ingredients:

150g Butter or Margarine

100g Rich Brown Soft Sugar

100g Golden Syrup

50g Cocoa

150g Shredded Wheat

A Bag of Mini Chocolate Eggs

You will need:

Approx. 20-30 minutes

Saucepan

Bowl

Spatula

Cupcake cases

Cupcake trays

A helper (optional)

How to make:

Put your apron on and enlist a helper!

In the saucepan, over a low heat, melt the butter, sugar and syrup. 

Whilst the mix is melting get your helper to break up the Shredded Wheat into little twigs. You might need to help with some of the tougher bits as they can be a bit rough.

Go back to the saucepan and take it off the heat. Stir in the cocoa.

Mix thoroughly until you get a lovely glossy sauce like this. Then pour over the Shredded Wheat "Twigs".

Mix really well, it takes a few minutes to get it all combined.

Allow your helper to spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and make a dent in the centre to make them a nest shape. 

Finish off with some mini eggs and put in the fridge to set.

We used Smartie Mini Eggs as the two supermarkets I tried had run out of Cadbury Mini Eggs! You can buy them on boxing day but not four days before Easter! The Smartie ones are nice but I'd rather have the Cadbury Mini Eggs.

All done and so yummy! 
It's the school bake sale today and I am begrudgingly parting with some :( I might have to buy them back later!

Are you going to make some? Are you a fan of Mini Eggs?