Marbled With Love.

I want to take this time to ask one simple question first.
Just to give me some peace of mind, and to reassure myself that I am not actually an alien, or a Geordie Shore cast member, or something...
Did anyone else realise that the clocks went forward today?

I didn't. And it was a shock to the system.
There I was, snuggled like a little caterpillar in my bed. No rush.
10:30am... yeah. I still got time.
'JESS. NANA AND GRANFY ARE HERE!'
What the.. ?!!?!?!?!

Turns out. I hadn't changed my clock the night before. It was actually 11:30. And my fam had arrived in all their Easter-Egg-bearing glory, and I was still in my jammies...
Daylight savings. You rascal.

Despite that one (rather embarrassing) occasion... I like to think I'm kinda good at remembering things.
Like an elephant.
They have good memories, right? Yeah. I'm an elephant.

So when it comes to birthdays, I reckon I'm pretty much on that.
Okay, so remembering your friends' birthdays is a given. Yeah?
Well no. It's not.
There are people who check their facebooks. Just in case.
I know who you are.
And in a lot of cases, birthdays just kind of... come and go. People don't really want a fuss.
But I like love making a fuss. People secretly love being fussed about. They do.
And when I say 'people', I mean my friends.
My wonderful, crazy, cake-eating, instagram-loving friends.
We make a fuss of each other, even when we say 'ooh noo, it's just another birthday. Don't do anything special! It's not worth it.' - when really, we know we're going to be absolutely BOMBARDED with cake.
Because that's what we do on a birthday.. We bake and bake and bake, until there's cake on the floor, cake in our hands, cake round our mouths, and at least 50 new photos on everyone's instagram accounts.
I love it so much!

This latest Birthday Gift Extravaganza was for my really close friend, Sunny.
Let's talk about Sunny.
She's the kind of girl who can just do everything,
she can cook, bake, take a good photo, do maths...
And thanks to her, I've now found somewhere to buy pumpkin pie filling!
(Tesco have this new American grocery section which makes me so happy)

So what do you give a girl who does all that, for her birthday?

Well, you make a heart shaped marble cake,
put it on a miniature cake plate,
and wrap it in spotty cellophane with beautiful pink ribbon.
Duh!

Making a fuss is totally worth it. Especially when you get a smile at the end. :)
Oh.. and an instagram picture on Sunny's account.
If that's not appreciation. I don't know what is.


N.B - I'm just going to give you the recipe for a whole cake. Is that okay?
Cause of course, my heart-shaped tin was really small so I made cupcakes with the rest of my mixture.
Experiment with it!
Makes 1 Batch of Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Marble Cake Mixture
Ingredients
225g soft margarine
225g caster sugar
275g self-raising flour
2tsp baking powder
4eggs
2tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa
2tbsp of hot water
50g plain chocolate chips

Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degress
Grease and line a 30x23cm cake tin
Measure the margarine, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, milk and vanilla essence into a large bowl and beat well until blended
Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin, but blob the spoonfuls apart
In another bowl, blend the cocoa and hot water and add it to the remaining mixture with the chocolate chips
Spoon mixture in between the blobs of vanilla mixture to fill the gaps
Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean
leave to cool and enjoy!!

[recipe taken from Mary Berry's Ultimate Cake Book, cake tin from Kitchenmonger]

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Zingalingin' Orange Cake.

Okay everyone, please don't diss me for being unoriginal.. I reckon I've seen a photo like this before.

Is it deja vu? OH YEAH, because I've used a similar one on this post. But actually, now that you look at them both... if you scrutinise them side by side (as I am doing right now... me = no life) they're not that similar at all... what was I worrying about?
Stop making me worry.

So basically. Here's the deal. I live in England. Therefore, there's hardly any sun.. like, nil sun. Zilch. None.
Especially in this first part of the year. I know it's been wintery and all... but just so DREARY. It really makes me sad. And I lose all my baking mojo when I'm sad.
So whenever we have good weather... I'm gonna blog about it. That's just how deprived I am!

BUT, HEY, LOOK!
The sun came out on Tuesday!!! I mean... it went straight back in again (as in, the next day Mr Sunshine was nowhere to be found and I woke up to the same old grey, misty murk that I've been used to for the last 16 years of my life) and has rained for the the rest of this week.
But it was there, I saw it! I swear!!

And, as I'm sure you'll all agree, everything just seems so much better in the sun!!

Your clothes fit better, your skin looks clearer and you can forget your coat at the door, striding out with a confident smile that says 'No need for an umbrella. No need. At all. About-bloomin'-time.'
Sometimes you just feel like you deserve to smile like that, y'know?

And so, in this crazy whirlwind of happiness, sunglasses and 'gradual tan' buying - yes. I know what you're all thinking. IT'S MARCH JESS. Well... I believe it's good to be prepared - my Nana's birthday came around. On the sunniest day!!
It must be fate.

And to match my sunny disposition, I baked Nana an equally sunny and zingalingin' - yeah, I made this up. It's kinda like crackalackin', but so much more fabulous - orange cake!

I tell you, my friends. I was feelin' freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh!

This is my kinda cake.
So light. So... so... ORANGE-Y.

I don't know why but I never really imagined liking an orange cake.
Please don't ask me for a reason, because I totally LOVE oranges!
I knew it could be incorporated into a cake... but... really? To tell you the truth, I was sceptical.

However, Mary Berry said it was, and I quote - 'always popular with the family'.
She's never wrong. Why is this? Because she's a Goddess. Truly.

You just bung every ingredient in...

And waheeeeeeeey we go!!!

I'm going to call this my 'sunshine' cake from now on.
Happy Birthday Nana! x

Ingredients

For the Cake

175g soft margarine

175g caster sugar

3 eggs

175g self-raising flour

1 and a half teaspoons of baking powder

grated rind and juice of 1 orange

For the Icing

2 tablespoons of apricot jam

100g icing sugar

finely shredded rind and juice of 1/2 an orange

Method

Preheat the oven 180 degrees.

Lightly grease and base line a 20cm deep round cake tin with greaseproof paper

Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl and beat well until thoroughly blended

Turn into the prepared tin and level the surface

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 35 minutes until well risen and springy to the touch

Leave to cool

For the Icing

Measure the apricot jam into a small pan and gently warm through

Brush onto the top of the cake

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix in the orange juice

Pour over the top of the cake and spread with a palette knife

Leave to set then decorate with the orange rind
(I added the little iced flowers... as a spring-time addition to my Sunshine cake!)

P.S. I'm now getting a wised up on the ol'social network front!
You can follow me on twitter : here

And, you can follow me on pinterest : here

Check it out! I'd love to hear from you all!
Much love. xx

[recipe taken from Mary Berry's Ultimate Cake Book]

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Mini Chocolate Covered Doughnuts!

Okay, so as you've probably worked out so far... I am simple.

Wow. That was a rubbish start to a post.
I'm tired.

I'll start again...

AHEM.

Okay, so as you've probably worked out so far, I really like to appreciate the simple things. Or try to, at least. Like, the first sunny day of spring when you get that little bit of warmth on your back... or... oh! oh! When the leaves start to change colour in late September and there's the constant smell of bonfire in the air on a dry day... or - perhaps most importantly - when you get your monthly subscription of Cakes and Bakes in the post...
No? That just me?

Well, anyway, you get the picture. In my book, simplicity even beats honesty when it comes to the best policy. Hands down. No doubt about it.
Some may call it laziness. But I reckon that's pretty pessimistic. I like to think of it as my 'why-make-more-work-for-yourself-when-the-simple-things-make-you-just-as-happy' philosophy. Unless English Coursework Planning is involved. In which case...
Well, let's just say I'd make a whole other post for it. If I was that way inclined.

Anyway, I digress, (I'm being awfully waffle-y today, aren't I? It's in ma blooooood, I guess. I take English, remember? You were warned.    -  mmmmm... waffles.)

And as you've probably realised, dear readers, my baking is all about ease, rest, and relaxation.
Nothing fancy. Nothing frilly. No mindbogglingly fantastical piped décor or crazy ingredients that you'll use once and once only - Himalayan Pink Salt. Seriously?

For me (and hopefully for all of you too) baking is a leisure, not a chore. And after a slight disaster in the form of a way-too-gooey brownie bake yesterday - it just fell apart. Everywhere. - I decided to get back in the kitchen this evening, and ensure that I have something to take into school for my tribe of friends tomorrow.
That's another thing. Never give up on your baking abilities. Mistakes happen to everyone. Even to a wannabe Mary Berry like me!

SO, EVERYONE. May I present to you my 'Chocolate Covered Doughnuts'! One of the most simple things I have EVER made. IN MY LIFE.
You're gonna love it.

And just an N.B. for all you savvy bakeware shoppers out there who, like me, just want a tin for every cake/biscuit shape ever created in the history of time - don't fear my amigos! The dream isn't unreachable! For I have found something beautiful.
My mini doughnut tin! It's seriously my favourite piece of bakeware. Along with my baguette holder... and my battenberg tin... and that totally tiny, but totally cute heart shaped cake tin I bought at the weekend...

You can find it (and so many other lovely things) right here.

Oh my word, I'm in heaven. Would you just look at the sheen on those!?
Total Monday-night perfection.

What did I tell you? Simplicity is great.
No. It's better than great.
It's one thought, one conception and one purpose.

Mission accomplished? I think so.

Thank you all for dropping by to take a look into the ramblings of my food-filled brain!
I'm so, so grateful.
Always am, always will be. x

Makes 24 Boootiful Doughnuts
Ingredients - no crazy-bean salt. Pinky promise.
225g plain flour
1tsp vanilla extract
175g caster sugar
1tbsp butter, melted
2tsp baking powder
175ml milk (whole milk is best, none of that skimmed nonsense)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2tsp salt
100g plain chocolate

Method
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees
Grease the tine slightly
Put all the ingredients and mix together thoroughly until well combined
Pour the mixture into your tin, about 3/4 full
Bake in the centre of your oven for about 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean
Leave to cool, then melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water.
Dunk your doughnuts head first into the chocolate to coat the top, then leave to set

Hope you enjoy!
It's definitely the little things that count.

P.S. The link to the tin product is non-sponsored. I just love it so much. xx

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The 'Meltiest' Melting Moments with White Chocolate Buttercream!

So...
I had a dilemma yesterday.
Yes. A dilemma. A big, fat one. One that could've destroyed the very fabric of the space time continuum and shroud the world in darkness forever.

Okay. I totally over-exaggerated on the last one.
BUT HEY, DATS ME. If there was a Queen of hyperboleland. That would be moi.
And I'd have a massive tiara... And all the Louboutins I could want... Ever...

AHEM.
This dilemma doesn't sound so bad now, does it?
Well it was. And it was this...
Cast your minds back to Saturday morning. What were you doing?
Something exciting, I'll bet.
Me? Not so much. I'd been suffering from a STUPID COLD. So I slept in... like, really, really in.
I practically BECAME my bed.

So, to cut a long story short. I missed my Saturday morning gym session.
I slept through my spinning class and everything.
Runny noses ruin lives.
Which left me with said 'dilemma'...

Do I make up for lost time and go for a cycle in the only good weather we've had for months?
Or do I stay in and bake away my sorrows until the boyfriend arrives?

I think we all know what I did.
But hey, you can't blame me for it.
If I didn't do what I did, I wouldn't be here doing what I do now. Comprende?
I JUST LOVE BAKING.

Looking back on it. My dilemma was a bit wubbish.
It was a win win really wasn't it?
I love it when life is like that.

So here's what I made!
Simple. Delish. Melty. Yum.

And with my brother home from his hectic life in London, it was kind of an unwritten rule that I make something that uses insane amounts of buttery goodness.

Aaaaand then Harry arrived and got his mitts on them..
"STOP!" I was yelling, "THEY'RE NOT SANDWICHED YET!"
Boys...

TAH DAH! Oh, look at Harry and Mumma in the background.
Out-of-focus and mesmerized beyond belief.

Don't they look adorable! Expertly sandwiched by Harry.
Oh gawwd... I want another one...
But I'll refrain, and save them for you - (and Joe, and Harry, and Dad, and Mum.)

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend! Without any earth-shattering dilemmas.

Ingredients
For the biscuits
250g unsalted butter, softened
60g caster sugar
225g plain flour
85g cornflour

For the White Chocolate Buttercream
60g unsalted butter
125g icing sugar, sifted
50g white chocolate

Methods
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees and line two large baking trays with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together until creamy.
Sift together the flour and cornflour, then add this to the mixture and beat well.
Using floured hands, take tablespoons of the mixture (it's a kind of doughy consistency) and roll into balls.
Put them on the baking sheet and flatten slightly with a floured fork.
Baking in the oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the biscuits start to turn golden.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
While they're cooling, make your buttercream!
Beat the butter and sugar until completely smooth.
Melt the white chocolate and add this to the mixture, tablespoon by tablespoon and beat well after each addition until your buttercream is the right consistency to be spread.
Sandwich Time!
I found the best way to do this, was to pair up your biscuits beforehand (I got Harry to do that for me - it's nice having a slave) so you're not scrabbling around to find biscuits of similar sizes while your icing is starting to dry - we hate unnecessary stress!
Scoop a generous tablespoon of your delish buttercream and plop it on one biccy, and put the other on top, moving it in a circular motion to warm the icing and flatten it.

LET'S EAT.

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Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel Biscuits

Okay, so as you all know from my previous post, it's all going on down here in Somerset! The snow has arrived, and although it only fell for one day and has started to thaw today *sad face* everyone is still on a hype about it. And quite rightly so! We're desperately deprived of sledging antics in this part of the world...
However, although I love watching the snow fall and going for walks across the hills, I'm not really one for getting cold. Call me a scrooge if you like, I just have rubbish circulation in my hands and feet. :)
So, instead of trudging up the Knoll with a sledge that's inevitably going to break anyway, I did something MUCH more productive with my time yesterday.
Yep, you guessed it. I baked!
But I wasn't craving cake, or muffins, or anything like that... so instead I sifted through my Mary Berry's ultimate cake book and found these little gems!

PINWHEEL BISCUITS! Aren't they just the cutest?

And yes, I did go a bit crazy and run into the snow with my slippers on... just to get some nice pictures.

Being quite crumbly, they're surprisingly perfect for dunking!! Especially in a steaming hot mug of coffee. Sat inside while the snow falls. Watching a film... no prizes for guessing what I spent my day doing yesterday. ;)

Makes about 20 biscuits
Ingredients

Vanilla Biscuit Mixture
50g hard margarine - softened
25g caster sugar
25g cornflour
50g plain flour
a few drops of vanilla extract

Chocolate Biscuit Mixture
50g hard margarine - softened
25g caster sugar
25 cornflour
40g plain flour
15 cocoa

Method
Lightly grease 2 baking trays.
Measure all the ingredients for the Vanilla Biscuit Mixture into a bowl an mix until combined and it forms a dough.
Knead slightly.
Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30mins.
Make the Chocolate Biscuit Mixture in the same way, also wrap and chill the dough.
On a floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into 2 oblongs 25x18cm (10x7in).
Place the vanilla dough on top of the chocolate dough and roll the two together from the longer edge .
Wrap in cling film and chill for a further 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
Cut the roll into 20 slices with a sharp knife and place on the baking trays.
Bake for 20 minutes until the vanilla biscuit is golden in colour.
Lift onto a wire rack. Leave to cool.
Then enjoy!!

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The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies!

HELLO EVERYONE! :D
Oh goodness, I've got all behind... MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope this post finds everyone well and happy during the latter stages of the festive season, and the start of a new year!
How were your Christmases? Non-stop present opening and food eating? Yeah, me too. :)
And while I sit here, writing this post, watching Mary Poppins and munching on a bag of jelly tots, I'm still saying to myself, 'oh, this doesn't matter! It IS Christmas after all!'. Is that sad? I suppose it is. Seeing as right this minute my dad is staggering with the Christmas tree out of the lounge and through the front door. Oh well, only 357 days till we do it all again!

But, I have to say, I've had the loveliest Christmas and it's always better to go out on a high note.
And by courtesy of my lovely mum and dad, I've adopted a new piece of tech to my ever growing hoard of baking electrical equipment. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce to you...
MY NEW KNITCHENAID ELECTRIC MIXER! Isn't she a beauty?

And so, to ensure that my new mixer's début usage was a GLORIOUS one. I made a batch of possibly my favourite biscuits ever, from my favourite recipe ever, from my favourite blog ever! Thank you KatieCakes! These cookies are so wonderfully easy to make, and you can store them in your freezer, meaning you'll never be out of a homemade batch of cookies should the time arise. :)
This is definitely my 'most made' recipe and everyone loves it (especially my boyfriend Harry, who's always clamouring for some of these mega cookies!)

Ingredients
150g unsalted butter
125g soft light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
2tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, fridge cold
1 egg, yolk fridge cold
300g flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
350g pack of chocolate drops

Methods
Preheat the oven to 170 degree, line 2 baking trays with baking parchment.
Melt the butter and let it cool a bit.
Put the brown and white sugars into a bowl, pour the slightly cooled melted butter on the top and beat together.
Beat in the vanilla extract, the egg an egg yolk until the mixture is light and creamy.
Slowly, mix in all the flour and the bicarb, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop tablespoons-full of the dough and plop them down on the baking tray.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the edges of your cookies are a light golden colour.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then transfer to a wire rack.

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Garibaldi Biscuits : My Granfy's favourite. :)

Merry Christmas Everyone! I can't believe it's Christmas eve already! It always comes around so quickly and here in the Shiner household the festivities have certainly begun!!!
I hope this all finds you all well and jolly my little Christmas Puddings and although the weather here is possibly the most un-Christmassy I've ever seen it, that wont stop me bopping around the kitchen to Ella Fitzgerald with a shortbread biscuit in hand. :)
In fact, Christmas has been pretty relaxed this year, so relaxed that I wrapped my last present THIS MORNING! I know, crazy.
However, there is a reason as to why I've left it so late. You see, whenever I bake it's almost always for my friends and it's heartbreaking watching the forlorn faces of my parents and brother as tins of treats get carted through the front door and out of sight. They never get a look in.
Bless.
So this year I've decided to bake a whole lot more! And this specific recipe goes out to my Granfy. He is the sweetest, loveliest, kindest, gentlest man I know and the best Grandfather ever! However at Christmas, he's awfully hard to buy for... but then I suppose, most men are. ;)
So this year I decided to make his favourite things. Garibaldi biscuits and I used a recipe from BBC Food. He eats them by the packet and can't get enough! So this year I made a large batch, scooped them up and popped them in a box, complete with ribbon and a bow. :)
These biscuits are so yummy! And smell gorgeous too. :D
Merry Christmas Granfy! These are for you. x

Ingredients
110g caster sugar
110g butter, softened
1 free-range egg, separated
225g flour, sifted
pinch of mixed spice
55g currants
30g candied peel
3tbsp milk

Method
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees/Gas mark 3.
Line 2-3 baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg yolk.
Fold the flour into the mixture.
Stir in the mixed spice, currants and candied peel.
Stir in enough milk to form a stiff dough.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut the biscuits into your desired shape.
Place on a baking tray and bake for 10mins until golden brown.

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The Perfect Gift : Sugary Christmas Biscuits and Snowflake Decoration!

Mum was being sneaky with the camera..
Moi, in my element.

And so, little sugar lumps, for my second act tonight I bring to you a gift idea! My first, actually. And I'm so proud of these little beauties. :D
As a close group of people, my friends and I absolutely love Christmas! We buy gifts, bake cake and generally have a really good time! Anything to make school less of a drag. :)
But as we've got older, buying a gift for every single person in the group became difficult and money became pretty tight for a lot of us... *sigh*.
So this year, we decided to bite the bullet and try secret Santa. Buying only one gift?! It seemed ridiculous!
But actually, it worked so well! And my secret Santa (who actually turned out to be my good friend Sophie) got me the most beautiful bracelets, nail varnish and chocolate! She knows me so well. :)
In fact, this Secret Santa was such a success that I found the time to bake for everyone instead!
Using a really great biscuit recipe from The Primrose Bakery book, my new snowflake icing plunger from The Happy Cupcake Company, some Thorntons chocolates, lots of cellophane and metres of gold ribbon I managed to make gifts for everyone! Reeeeeeeeeesult!
Not being the most creative person ever, I was sooooooooo unbelievably proud of these and I hope it's not too late to inspire some of you lot either! :D

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..

The Result!

Makes approx. 30 biscuits depending on size of cutter.

Ingredients
85g unsalted butter
100g golden caster sugar
1 large egg
200g plain flour, sifted, plus more for rolling
1/2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt

Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/Gas mark 4. Line 1 or 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl.
Add the egg and mix well.
Gradually add the flour, salt, baking powder and mix.
Flour a work surface, roll the dough to a thickness of 5mm.
Cut out biscuits in your desired shape and place them well spaced out on your baking tray(s).
 Bake for 10-12 mins or until they turn a light golden brown.
N.B. Remember to keep a really close eye on the time, these cook really quickly and actually do continue to cook once out of the oven!
Leave to cool on a wired rack.
Decorate as desired! If you can, these plungers are a must have baking purchase!

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