The Sunday Roast

Hi. It's totally me again.

Thought you'd got rid of me for another week? Well yah. You did.
I bet it was stupidly lonely and laugh-less though...
Am I right, or am I right?

1) Hug me. It's Monday tomorrow.

2) I've been muchin' on these. All week. Revision makes me so huuuungreh.

3) In case you were wondering, (which I know you always do) exams are actually going kinda well right now. It's completely my excuse for not baking a whole lot this week... but hey, what's a gurl to do? Gotta get ma grades. Then I can make all the friggin' delicious browniez I like.

And for all of you out there taking exams at the moment, you're going to relate to this.
I really do apologise for bringing up all the pain/hand cramps/oh-my-god-I'm-a-failure-crying-fits, but here is my week in photos.
Hey, don't look like that... you never know, it might cheer you up. Might.

4) Understatement of the year, I feel.

5) I am super proud of my colourful French tense revision. Took ages. Bloody ages.
So worth it.

6) "I am malicious because I am miserable." -   Huh. I feel ya there, buddy.

7) SO MUCH COLOUR. CAN'T. HANDLE. IT.

8) A sharpie jug will save your life. I'm not even kidding - the blue one's my fave.

9) Staedtler coloured fineliners. Makin' revision bearable since 1835.

(yeah, I Wikipedia'd Staedtler's founding date. Don't judge. I've memorised a stooooopid amount of Frankenstein quotes this week.)

10) I just love random acts of kindness. Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally cliché, but it's true. And look what turned up out of the blue the other day...

Isn't it gorgeous! And inside? A beautiful pair of pearl earrings - a good luck present from a family friend.
It took me completely by surprise, and actually really moved me... just shows, it's worth the effort to make someone smile.

11) Look at this, what do you see? (Other than those damned revision plans):

I totally know what you're thinking...
"Is that Eurovision I see printed in beautiful handwriting and in an exclamatory form - therefore signalling it's importance?"
Well, yes. Yes, you do.

For me, Eurovision takes pride of place on my timetable, because it's the highlight of my year. Serious.
I made these to take to Harry's. We watch it every year. It's a tradish.
Don't believe the hype? Don't know what Eurovision is? Firstly : What is wrong with you. Secondly : Google it. You will not be disappointed.
Here is the winner from this year's competition! I bet on her to win. Harry lost. He predicted Germany. Pfft. Eurovision amateur right there.  

12) I made smoothie!! It was pretty scrum. Though, kinda needs an iddy biddy bit a'tweakin'.
Jus'saying. They're a great revision snack. In between the crying fits.

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Christmas Bake : Peanut Butter Fudge Style.

Bonsoir everyone! Are you all feeling festive my lovely candy canes!? I hope you all are, seeing as it's only 2 SLEEPS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! In fact, I think I can feel the elves getting frantic. It's in the air...
And so, with not long now until the big day, it's been pretty crazy and hectic in the Shiner household, hence my silence. :)
However, baking has been one of my main priorities over the past weeks. I've been commandeering the kitchen for hours crafting gifts to hopefully make people as excited as I am about Christmas this year!
This evening I'm going to post my past activity, so stay tuned for a couple of posts winging your way!
My first post for this evening is a Peanut Butter Fudge recipe from this years Christmas ASDA Magazine. It's a small, modest recipe that's a complete piece of cake but tastes absolutely delicious!
I stumbled across it when I needed to whip up something quick and easy for a charity fair at school, and I have to say, I thought ASDA were trying to deceive me. So many of my friends have tried and failed to make the perfect fudgey pieces, but ooooooohhhh nooo, not me! This recipe is foolproof, and when placed in a pretty jam jar with ribbon, it makes the perfect tasty gift!
Go on, give it a try. Next time, I might substitute the peanut butter for Nutella... now there's an idea. ;)

Ingredients
125g butter
500g soft brown sugar
120ml milk
250g crunchy peanut butter
1/2tsp vanilla extract
300g icing sugar

Method
Grease a 20cm x 20cm shallow cake tin and line it with baking paper.
Melt the butter in a large pan.
Add the brown sugar and milk and stir over a really low heat until the sugar dissolves - do not let it boil.
Scrape down any mixture that has splashed up onto the sides an boil for 2-3 minutes - do not stir.
Remove this from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.
Put the icing sugar in a large bowl and pour the hot mixture on top - beat until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into a tin and leave to cool.
Cut into squares, these yummy bites can be stored in the fridge for up to a week!

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The Drizzliest Lemon Loaf.

Happy Birthday Fabian!

Have no fear my lovely cinnamon swirls, Jess is here! Ah, ah, ah! Okay, so, I promise that I have a good excuse for being so silent recently. I know it's unacceptable. Look at me, wanting to start a blog, reaching someone in Spain, posting a recipe, being all 'blogworthy' and then just... mute. I apologise, I really do. However this latest instalment I'm sure will go down well with you all.
Yes. Indeed. Make way everyone. The Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe has arrived.
Original right? No, I didn't think so either.
I know it's generic, but I really do believe that no baking archive (blog/book/scroll/bible) is complete without this gorgeously simple bake. There's just something so fresh about the zing of lemon and sugar coinciding with a crumbly cake that makes my mouth water.
So what's caused Jess to share with us her lemony adventures? I hear you ask.
Well of course, being the storyteller and general chatterbox that I am... I will tell you.
Actually, it's not greatly exciting (I live in a village remember, not a lot goes on. In fact, getting caught up in a cow crossing is pretty much the highlight of any day) however, this particular cake was requested of me a while ago from a friend who managed to get me a ticket to Glastonbury Festival next year! I was so unbelievably happy that without thinking I exclaimed 'Fabian, oh my gosh! Thank you so much!!! I'll bake you anything you want. You name it, I'll bake it.'
I instantly realised that right there, he had the perfect opportunity to conjure up any crazy concoction in his head and I would be faced with the challenge of baking it... I felt weirdly nervous as he thought of what he fancied.
And then, with a smile spreading across his face he said 'Y'know what? Lemon Drizzle is my absolute favourite...'
Unfortunately, it all got forgotten about with the whirlwind of work/revision etc. until now.
Today was Fabian's 17th birthday and I decided not to back out on a promise. So he finally got his lemon drizzle. I think he enjoyed it. ;)
And so, my little sugar plums, my Lemon Drizzle Loaf! (Taken from The Primrose Bakery Book - These recipes are wonderful!)

Ingredients
155g self-raising flour, sifted
1tsp baking powder
155g golden caster sugar
20g cornflour
155g unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

For the Drizzle
160g granulated sugar
juice of 2 lemons

Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4. Grease 1 x 900g loaf tin and line with baking paper or a loaf tin liner
Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and cornflour into the bowl or a food processor. Pulse the mixture for 4 seconds, or mix with a wooden spoon until evenly mixed.
Add the butter, eggs and lemon zest and juice. Process briefly until evenly blended, or beat with an electric hand whisk until evenly blended.
Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and level the top with a spatula.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown, or when a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Leave the loaf to cool.

The Drizzle
Stir the sugar and the lemon juice in a jug.
Prick the loaf all over with a fork, pour the drizzle over the loaf and allow it to set.

(apologies for the pictures not being so great, the artificial lighting in the common room was terrible!)

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