Wednesday 27 August 2014

Yummy Gingerbread Loaf!!

Well, hello there!

It's Wednesday again, and you know what that means... Only another yummy recipe in honour of The Great British Bake Off!!
This week it's a gingerbread loaf, and it's the easiest recipe yet...


Ingredients:

  • 175g unsalted butter
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 3 tablespoons golden syrup
  • 250ml milk
  • 250g plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda


  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease and flour a loaf tin.
  2. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, golden syrup and milk. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat and set aside. 
  3. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and allspice into a large bowl. Stir in the boiled mixture until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
  4. Turn down the oven to 160 C / Gas 2 1/2 and bake for 1 hour or until the top of the loaf springs back when lightly touched.

See, easy peasy!!!!

Love
Ms Bee
xxx

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Chocolate Cola Cupcakes!!!

I know, amazing right?!
Now in all honesty, I haven't tried these myself... Yet! I found the recipe this morning and knew straight away that I'd have to share it with you guys for my weekly baking post!


As I haven't baked these myself (yet!!) I found this pics on Pinterest, along with other versions of the recipe, however, I've decided that the original recipe was my favorite because they're finished off with popping candy!!!! Yum!!
This recipe's from Christmas at the Christmas Cafe by Jenny Colgan (her books are fab, and they have recipe's in them!)


Ingredients for 12 large cupcakes:
200g plain flour
250g golden caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 large egg
125ml buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
125g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
175ml cola

For frosting:
400g icing sugar
125g softened unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons cola syrup (Soda Stream is recommended)
40ml whole milk
popping candy
fizzy cola bottles, candied lemon slices, or candy canes to decorate 
  1. Preheat oven to 180*c and line 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a seperate bowl, beat together the egg, buttermilk and vanilla
  3. Melt the butter, cocoa, and cola in a saucepan over a low heat. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, stir well, then add the buttermilk mixture, beating until the batter is well blended.
  4. Pour into cupcake cases and bake for 15 minutes, or until risen. Set aside to cool.
  5. To make the frosting, beat together the butter and icing sugar until there are no lumps. Stir the cola syrup and milk together in a jug, then pour into the butter and sugar mixture, whilst beating slowly. Whisk until light and fluffy, then add popping candy to taste. The popping candy will lose it's fizz after a while so they should be eaten straight away for full effect!
  6. Ice cakes and add decorations! This is where I would personally add LOADS of popping candy!!!!!
And Voila!!
Don't they sound amazing?!!!!



Do let me know if you make these - I'd love to know how amazing they are!!!!!

Love
Ms Bee
xxx

Tuesday 19 August 2014

Pretty pics from Wells!

Helloooooooo from a lovely sunny Wells!!

I just thought I'd share some pretty pics from my little trip... A couple of my favorite shops, the best greengrocers in the world, and my pretty new Cath Kidston skirt!

Love
Ms Bee
xxx

Tuesday 12 August 2014

The grand tour!...

As I've been promising you all a proper nose around my home since I moved I figured I'd better get on with it, knowing full well that if I don't there'll be a wool stash/stable door riot soon, you naughty lot!!!

So here goes...

Love
Ms Bee
xxx

Wednesday 6 August 2014

Meet the Maker: Rachel @ Crafty Little Creations

It's about time for a brand spanking new Meet the Maker!!
Today it's Rachel from Crafty Little Creations...


Who are you and what’s the name of your business?
My name is Rachel Gillham and I'm from Crafty Little Creations

Where are you from?
I am from Leicester originally but now live around half an hour from there in the Rural county of Rutland in a little village surrounded by fields.

What’s your favourite colour?
this one is so hard to choose as I love a lot of colour, but my favourite at the moment seems to be turquoise- I am using it whenever I get a chance in my cards!

What’s your favourite food?
 love paella and making it too- I make it at every chance I get, usually deviating from the recipe to add whatever is in season and ready from our allotment


How would you spend your perfect day?
I would love to spend a day at one of the big papercraft events drooling over the nummy goodies there was on sale- if it was my perfect, perfect day it would be a free spending spree sort of day!

What do you make?
I make cards mainly but dabble in other sorts of papercraft too- I have a love of origami boxes which I also make, and would love to make 3D paper keepsakes but they still scare me a little!


What’s your favourite thing you’ve ever made?
My favourite card so far is  a shabby vintage style card that took me hours to make, using flowers from another facebook page Samaflora and lots of other interesting products including paint and embossing enamel!

Why did you start your business?
I originally started crafty little creations to sell something else, but I really wasn't enjoying it. My friend Sam introduced me to papercrafting just over a year ago and since then it has become a major part of my life- not just a business, it is a large part of my life, and I love to make people beautiful and personal cards that you just would not be able to find in a shop.


What are your inspirations?
I get a lot of inspiration from my two children, and also the fantastic Design team makes for the images I use (all made by very different digital/rubber stamp designers)

What would be your one tip for anyone taking up a new hobby, or turning that hobby in to a business?
Keep trying..it is a hard market out there today and it doesn't happen overnight!


Do go and say hello to Rachel!

Love
Ms Bee
xxx

Lovely lemony victoria sponge!

Great British Bake off starts tonight! I can't wait!


In honour of the bestest cakey show on TV I've decided that every Wednesday (ish!) whilst it's on, I'll share one of my favorite recipes... Which also means I'm going to have to bake at least once a week so I can take pics to go with my recipes, yay!!

So, today it's my lovely lemony victoria sponge...
(sorry if the photo quality's a bit ropey, these are old pics that I found whilst deciding what recipe to do)



Ingredients:

180g self-raising flour
180g butter
180 g caster sugar
3 eggs
2 small lemons
200g cream cheese
3 tbsps lemon curd
Lots of icing sugar
  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, and grease and line two sandwich tins
  2. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the butter, caster sugar and eggs, beat it all together until light and fluffy.
  3. Grate the rind and squeeze the juice from one of the lemons and whisk in, then divide the mixture evenly between the two tins. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden and firm to the touch, and the cakes are starting to pull away from the sides of the tins. Turn out on to a wire rack, remove the baking paper and let them cool.
  4. Grate the zest from the second lemon. Beat the cream cheese and zest together, then beat in enough sifted icing sugar until it's light and spreadable. 
  5. Sandwich the cakes together with a third of the mixture, adding a lovely dollop of lemon curd, then spread the rest of the cream cheese frosting on the topYou can also add sprinkles, lemon zest, sugar lemons, or anything else you fancy on top! Or you can shove all of the frosting in the middle of the sandwich, and dust icing sugar over the top - this is slightly less fussing, and easier if you're baking with kids!!

If you're feeling extra specially fancy, candied lemons are amazing on top... I usually cheat and buy them... But here's some instructions if you fancy trying it yourself!

You'll need:
2 lemons
225g caster sugar
225ml water

  1. Rinse and 'top and tail' the lemons and with a sharp knife, vertically peel strips between the top and the tail. 
  2. Place the peel into a small saucepan and cover with water. Over a medium heat, bring the water to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and set the peel aside.
  3. In the same pan, add the sugar and the 225ml of water. Once again heat until the sugar dissolves and you have a syrup. Add the peel and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.
  4. Prepare a drying area by placing some baking paper under a wire cooling rack. Drain the syrup and place the peel on to the cooling rack. Sprinkle with caster sugar to coat thoroughly. Allow to cool and dry out completely.
  5. Store in an airtight container or use immediately.

Enjoy!

Ms Bee
xxx

Friday 1 August 2014

In pictures... July

Well, July's been one hell of a month!!
It kicked off with a trip to Brighton, which involved loads of shopping, great food, amazing cocktails, and catching up with friends, it couldn't if been a better start to the month!
Its also been a strange one as I've left my day job after almost eight years, but there's been lots of laughs, tears, cake, nights out, and love along the way... I've found out who my real friends are, had a cull of the ones that no longer deserved to be a part of my life, been on a few really lovely dates, spoilt myself, been spoilt by others, and just enjoyed all of the things that I LOVE about my life! A lot can be said about the kindness of others y'know!
And lastly, I'm happy, truly happy, the sort of happy that makes you smile to yourself for no reason, and I like it!

Love
Ms Bee
xxx