Love

‘The book of love is long and boring
No one can lift the damn thing
It’s full of charts and facts and figures and instructions for dancing
But I
I love it when you read to me
And you
You can read me anything’

Peter Gabriel, Book of Love

In January, my long distance boyfriend of 2 years moved to England, so this year has been full of ‘first holidays’ together. We had our first Valentine’s day, our first Easter, our first birthdays, our first Thanksgiving. Many opportunities for baking<3 together, which makes me so lucky!

And maybe this has me feeling all lovey, or maybe it’s Peter Gabriel, who knows……

So…for me the ultimate labour of love (in baking) has to be the macaron.

A blog I read once quoted macaroons as the baker’s unattainable dream, and for this reason I have never endeavored to make them. However, if you have about 7 hours to spare, and plenty of love and dedication, it’s absolutely possible.

When I lived in halls during my Masters, my lovely Chinese flatmate, who had silently observed me baking (a lot…stress relief) asked me if I would like to try one of her macarons, which I suspect were Laduree, and it was a revelation.

Heaven

I used this recipe, from a beautiful website, and it worked blissfully. The only addition might be a bit more food colouring to give them a brighter colour, but really these have only furthered my love affair. Please make them. Please.

http://www.cakeandallie.com/2012/03/pistachio-white-chocolate-macarons/

❤

Pipe white chocolate ganache on half the macaroons.

Eat them…stare at them…love them…maybe cry a little…your choice.

Stay Unchained ❤

Baking Love

This is Johnny Cash’s love letter to June Carter Cash…it is my favourite declaration of love, and came in a book which also provided Cash’s recipe for cornbread and grits. A bit of hunting and I found the recipe!  There is a definite link  between food and affection, even if I still have no idea what grits involves (and I’ve eaten grits before). Johnny Cash is the ultimate baking music…romantic, dark, moving and angry….

Johnny Cash’s Cornbread

1 1/2 cups cornmeal, self rising
1 1/2 cups flour, self rising
1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups of buttermilk
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup of melted butter

    ❤

My first Easter face to face with my long distance boyfriend….these espresso cups are screaming out for little chocolate mousses, (moussi) ? After long distance baking and swapping recipes/ photographs, and now we are together- trying to beat his baking nerves 🙂

❤

My best friends! Together since Royal Holloway Day 1, when we nervously drank Malibu and Pineapple together,  we have shared many food related activities. Pizza in Italy, late night snacks during allnighters, and brunch in Founder’s dining hall.

Brunch in a castle will help you bond with anyone!

❤

Florence will always hold a small part of my heart, and here I am with my ‘Festival Del Gelato’ favourite- fior de latte ice-cream and tiramisu mousse. Florence clearly feels the same way, they have dedicated a shop to me….

This Florentine horse understands how I feel about the food in Florence……….sometimes something is just so good that you have plough into it….

❤

Stay Unchained.

10 Baking Likes and Dislikes….

Sitting on the train the other day, on the way back from the London library that has been my home for the past three months, I calmed myself with some train doodling. The theme of this scribbling was my baking likes and dislikes, and I’ve collated them here for you. Let me know if you agree or disagree…

…but before I begin, A  moment please to commemorate Ryan…

Likes ❤

1.Great British Bake-off. Obviously. I am writing this blog in the aftermath of a tragic episode. I began in good humours… And now I know. And its going to colour the whole blog, day, life.

However, I cannot tell you the beauty of this programme. There are no producers setting people up to fail, no horrible ‘celebrities’ judges, and the worst insult I’ve ever heard was ‘you’ve slightly overcooked your plums.’ I love bake-off and I loved Ryan damnit. next.

2.Baking Presents.

Baking for someone else is superior to baking for yourself. fact. I’m not talking about the 3am eating cake with your hands alone in halls of residence because you got dumpedwhateverdidn’thappen. I just mean that no-one ever looks sad when confronted with cake.

I presented my wonderful parents with this, to say thank you for the postgraduate support. Focaccia, duo chocolate ginger hearts, hazelnut and dark chocolate biscotti, chocolate cake pops and coconut jam thumbprint biscuits. 🙂

3. Vanilla.

I just love vanilla, any type, any method. I love it.

4.Decorating

Whether it’s rustic or time consuming, decorating and design creates really beautiful baking.

Coconut and Jam Thumbprint Biscuits.

My Piped Roses

5.Cats

Ultimate 3am baking companion. I love my American but he is not baking proficient after 12am- and lonely kitchen syndrome is real. Also Danny never judges me when I chain-eat buttons at 1am. This is perfect company.

Dislikes 😦

1. Caloric Intake.

Speaks for itself. I don’t know why a combination of butter, sugar, butter, flour, chocolate and butter doesn’t aid weightloss. We just don’t know. Let it be. Have some shortbread and live your life.

2. Bananas and Tomatoes

I have seen tarte tatin made with both of these mistakes of nature. What happened in that baker’s  life to make them this way? How dare you. Bananas and tomatoes are the last resort of mad-men and I won’t tolerate it any longer.

3. 3am Baking Failures.

We have all been here.

4. Long Distance Baking

Myself and Evan used to bake, real- time, over skype. It was lovely, I could teach him how to make English puddings that he didn’t fully understand.

However, to those of you who have done long-distance, you know that Skype is switched off in seconds, and the illusion of company is gone. Baking long-distance leaves you alone, with no choice but to eat an entire pie.

5.Cats. Here’s why…

 

Well…..! hope you enjoyed my baking list. My dissertation is in and it’s time to take this SERIOUSLY. Stayed Unchained. ❤

Lost in Translation

One of the problems (and there aren’t many) is the pudding dilemma.

I’m an English girl, raised on steamed jam or sticky toffee pudding, The American is a…an American, from America- where pudding is served in a cup and looks like yoghurt. This will never do.

So far he has tried everything I’ve placed in front of him; frangipane, tart tatin, chocolate pudding….and loved it.

So, musing over a basket of left over bread in the restaurant I work in, I thought it was time to put him to the test. And in doing so I learnt that even those who love you most can doubt you.

I used three recipes for this, taking inspiration from Nigella for the spices, Jamie Oliver for the marmalade crunchy top, and the history of England for the design (this pudding is OLLLD).

So….here we go….

Oh he is UNSURE!

Verdict?

Oh I LOVE THAT BOY!!

Next stop Pudding Club….<3

http://www.puddingclub.com/

This club is a glorious celebration of syrup, ginger, chocolate and beautiful fruit puddings, and the hotel has pudding themed rooms. I stayed in the ‘Spotted Dick’ room- the children’s room (I was 9) was decorated with 101 Dalmatians and the bed had a mixing bowl above it. And no, I didn’t dream this.

The Cake Mix Dilemma

So, the American bought me a box of alarming pink sand….which with the addition of an egg would create something called…Pink Cake. Not a description….capital letters- thats the name of the cake.

Alarming colour aside, I agreed on one cake-fancying evening to succumb to the ease of a box cake mix.

and no….I am not converted.

The problem is baker’s ego, but also that sponge cake is so easy, and homemade doesn’t have 51 flavours and additives…..justsaying.

6oz flour, 6oz sugar, 6oz butter and 3 eggs, 1/2tsp vanilla and 2 tsp baking powder. Thats it.

You can fiddle with flavours yourself and avoid the bizarre neon glow of the Pilsbury Doughboy.

To appease my baker’s ego, I created a lilac buttercream, and used a rose piping nozzle to jazz it up a bit. Covered it with raspberries and curled some white chocolate. Had half a slice. Gave housemates the rest. Laterz cake mix, I’m and forever will be, a homemade girl.