Analogies and Cinnamon Cookie Cakes of Deliciousness

Can we start with an analogy here?

I like analogies. They're sorta, your own tiny little parable, right? Always with a cute meaning at the end.
Sometimes. Most times.

And that is why we're beginning with one.

Do you like analogies?
Oh, you do? Fab.

O.K. Let's go.

So, I kinda hate being late. You know, just anywhere.
I'm pretty conscious about getting places on time, be that a train/bus/spinning session (yeah, really.) or anything that involves me looking like a complete and utter stupid-person when I finally turn up.
Like running between platforms,
or shaking my fist at the bus driver as he smugly chugs into the distance,
or trudging in reluctantly and getting the last bike left. Which is always that damned wobbly one.

But the worst, for me, is being late at school.
I mean. Being in 6th form, it's not such a scary prospect now but...
Ugh. You get my drift.

(guys, bear with me. I am totally going somewhere with this.)

You know the feeling, when the bell has long gone, and you're huffing and puffing your way through school, knowing that somewhere, there is a very quiet class and an even quieter teacher (they're always the worst) waiting for you with a stony, you're-going-to-die-because-you're-late-to-my-lesson sort of glare on their face.
And you're still running. Kinda sweating a little with fear and a need-to-go-to-gym-more mentality. Maybe if you just slink in quietly, nobody will notice?

What a joke.

You get to the door, deep breaths.
You peep your head around the side (you may have got the wrong classroom, happens to everyone)
and walk in. The personification of humiliation. With added beetroot face.

And that, my friends, is how I'm feeling right now.

Picture it.

Me. Red. Sweating. Humiliated... (okay. don't. please.)

But, why? Well, because I haven't kept to my one post a week rule.
I am that late student.
Give me as many detentions as you wish.
I am truly sorry.

But, I have made you these.
As a make-up kinda present.

I've named them 'Cookie Cakes' because I changed the original recipe and added muscovado sugar, just to give it that wholesome, hearty-cookie sorta edge.
And the almond milk? Well... I didn't have any vanilla essence on me.
Are you cool with that?

I think you'll like them.

P.S. The original recipe is in cups. I've done some rough conversions, so they may not be completely exact. Bear that in mind, my lovelies! 

Ingredients

2 cups/256g plain flour

2 teaspoons bicarb of soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 

6oz/170g unsalted butter, softened

11/4 cups/275g muscovado sugar

1 teaspoon almond milk

1 large egg

handful (or 2.. or 3) chocolate chips (optional)
handful (or 2.. or 3) chopped almonds (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper

In a bowl, whisk/mix together the flour, baking soda, salt cinnamon and ginger

Beat the sugar and butter in a separate bowl until light and fluffy

And egg and almond milk, beat again

Add the previously mixed together dry ingredients at once, and beat slowly until it forms a dough

Drop the dough in tablespoon size balls onto the paper
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until browning

Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack

[adapted from Joy The Baker- she is amazing!)

Tweet Pin It Now!

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]

Tweet Pin It Now!

Woozy Oozy Choccy Egg Cupcakes!

OHMIGOSH, HEY!

I am shattered. Absolutely. Zonked. Out.
Want to know why?
Of course you do. That's why you're here.
I love you for that.

Basically, I've had a scary/great/bake-worthy week all in one.

Scary - Exams are on the horizon. I've been given a stupid amount of essays to do, and I've still got to re-read Frankenstein. Mary Shelley didn't think through the complexity of her book. Oh, Maz. What do you do to me?
Great - This to me seems to vastly outweigh the 'scary' stuff. Thank the great Mary Berry for that.
1) I did my good deed for the week and made a surprise cookie delivery to my boyfriend before he went away on a trip. Okay, so he was only away for three days. But I think he was happy to see me... or the cookies. Probably the latter.
2) I finally made the most of being a part of sixth form. I ventured out of school campus to have lunch. OUT OF SCHOOL. It was great. Thanks to my friend Sunny, I'll never work in my study periods again. I've officially been corrupted. And in the best way possible.
Bake-worthy - I've baked. Quite a bit actually! In one week.

It's been fabulous.

Oh gosh everyone. What is this beautiful thing??
I'll explain.
So basically... My tutor group at school (a group of cool dudes/dudettes you hang with every morning until it's time to trudge on to lessons) have a cake Tuesday... no prizes for guessing who assisted in thinking up that initiative.

And this week, it was my turn to bake. We have a rota and everything... we're an extremely organised tutor group.
I relished this challenge.
Well, not too much. I DO have essays to write in the evenings, you know.
So what did I do? I continued the Easter spirit, and hoped to instil it in a few others too.

So I made cupcakes. With a special guest.
These bab-aaaaysss.
Aw yeah.

The result? UBER, SUPER, DUPER CUTENESS.
And if you get a caramel one?
Well, lets just say that's where the 'oozy' begins.
The 'wooziness' is the pure fact that you'll be drunk on chocolate...



Man, I love Easter. And it's only just begun!

Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
1 bag of Cadburys mini assorted eggs
150g unsalted butter
125g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
130g self raising flour
20g cocoa
75ml crème fraiche
100g plain chocolate

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees and lay out 12 cupcake cases in a muffin tray
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
Add the eggs
Sieve in the flour and cocoa
Beat briefly together
Add the crème fraiche in nice dollops and melted chocolate
Mix this together until combined and spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases until just about half full
Unwrap your miniature eggs, one for each cupcake and press the egg lightly into the mixture in each case until it reaches the bottom and you can only see the top
Bake for about 30 mins - or until a skewer comes out clean

If some look a bit liquid-y still in the middle around the egg. Don't panic!
They'll be totally oozy, totally yummy caramel ones. x

[adapted from a recipe in Making Cakes and Bakes. Latest issue]

Tweet Pin It Now!

Lazy Baking

I feel I owe you all an apology.
Okay, I owe you two.
1) On this cold freezing Sunday evening (it's the end of March and 2 degrees outside. what, even?) I am FINALLY uploading a post. I know, it's been a while... I've neglected my blogging duties somewhat. And I've totally missed it, and you!
Of course, I've been musing through endless amounts of blog posts every evening and thinking 'okay, I've really gotta bake something soon. I'm lacking tremendously in the Pretty Little Bakes department'.
So yes, I'm infinitely sorry for being so slow. I just.. have had no baking inspiration as of late. And everyone I know seems to be on a diet.
Mwaha, that'll go out of the metaphorical window soon. It's Easter next weekend.

2) Apology number two, (it's been said that I say 'sorry' too much. It's my favourite word. I even say sorry for saying sorry, if you get what I mean. Which must get very brain-shreddingly annoying. But what can I do? I'm a genuinely apologetic person.) is that this post is a lazy one.
However, it is a Sunday. Surely that is justification enough?

And after all that, my friends. This is what I've done with my day.

I have taken my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe...

And added 'poowsh' Easter-egg chocolate - kindly donated by ma bro. (Cheers Joe.)

I thought I'd get in the spirit of Easter, which seems to be sprinting towards us at an alarming rate.
In a sophisticated way, of course.
The only UNsophisticated thing about it all was that I had these while watching National Treasure... 2.
It's a guilty pleasure guys. Guilty pleasure.

However, the problem with this now, you see, is that every time I bake these... I'm going to have to buy Lindor 'irresistibly smooth' chocolate.
Goodbye money. Hello beautiful cookies!

I promise double promise that I'll produce something more interesting soon.
Perhaps Cadbury-mini-egg- themed?
Hey, tell you what... I'd absolutely LOVE some suggestions!

Toldya it was simple.
But heyhideyho, 'tis only Sunday!
Sorry, guys. ;) x

Tweet Pin It Now!

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]

Tweet Pin It Now!

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

Tweet Pin It Now!

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.

Tweet Pin It Now!