Cold….but we can cure that!

Dear London

I love you. I do. I love your densely populated Friday morning food markets where my friend and I can eat our way round- breakfasting on Turkish Delight and sourdough freebies. I love that I can walk ten minutes one way and be in the city, with sky scrapers and glittering office buildings filled with well-dressed beautiful people, but ten minutes the other way is a park surrounded on all sides by deep brown stone houses, with Christmas lights and and sparkling chandeliers, with every kind of dog in existence dashing backwards and forwards and under your feet.

I love that I live with people who are as dedicated to exploring as I am, and willing to spend a Sunday at a flower market, or a vintage stall, or a outlet sale, or a park, or a bizarre coffee shop that sells boiled eggs and squash muffins. I love that my flat has mould, and uneven walls and a kitchen in which it is a struggle to cook side by side, because we can make it better by adding our own junk, and make it cosy.

I love the libraries, especially Bloomsbury Square, where you can sit at a desk by the window watching red buses and orange leaves go past….and occasionally get some work done.

I love the cocktail bars, the restaurants, the South Bank, Brick Lane, Bow Road………I love London.

However, I think I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the illness. Oh the illness. I have been sniffling, snuffling, weezing, sulking, moaning, crying, choking, coughing, hiccoughing and napping. Rather than go on about it- here’s a recipe for a cure for London- just having a bloody good time will do the rest.

Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Livi’s Rice Pudding

400ml Double Cream (I know I know- but we’re ill right?)

400ml Milk

250g Pudding Rice

Really Good Vanilla- the one with seeds

2 heaped teaspoons of Drink Me Chai Tea powder

Method

Gently heat the Milk and Cream together in a heavy, oven proof pan.

Mix in the  as much Vanilla as you like…I like a lot.

Mix the Chai Powder to a paste with a few drops of Milk and add to the milk, stirring it until mixed.

Add the rice, and stir until coated.

Turn the heat down, and leave to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I like to eat it straight from the pan once the rice is cooked, but you can bake it if you are a skin fan- about 2o minutes until the top is golden brown.

n.b. The Chai optional, good vanilla isn’t!!

Pictures!

Stay Unchained ❤

Cakes of London

Hi There!

It’s been a long time.

Christmas in London throws a million distractions in your path everyday- a vintage sale, a coffee shop with incredible sweet potato soup and a vat of mulled something around every corner.

We had an incredible triumphant Thanksgiving. We cooked for 30 people and lived on the left overs for weeks. In this post I have included a recipe for my Salted Caramel Pecan Brownies- a twist on pecan pie- which disappeared very quick.

I have just got back from Borough Market- which is the most beautiful place at Christmas. We tried every freebie going; cheese, bread, oil, tea, chai, turkish delight, stollen, jam…and came back with bags filled with random jars, bottles and parcels. I tracked down the German bakery which stole my heart last time, and found the German Cheesecake I have lusting after since next year.

My flatmate trying out a selection of jams.

Feeling Christmassy yet?

Livi’s Salted Caramel Pecan Brownies

2 tbsp Caster Sugar

1 tbsp Butter

Seasalt

200g Dark Chocolate

175g Salted Butter

3 Eggs

325g Sugar

130g Plain Flour

In a heavy based pan, heat the caster sugar and 1 tbsp of butter. Slowly bring to the boil.

Throw in the pecans, making sure they are covered with the caramel.

Pour onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Leave aside.

Melt the chocolate and the butter together in a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water.

When melted, take off the heat and quickly mix in the eggs- if you are two slow you’ll get scrambled eggs.

Beat in the sugar, and fold in the flour.

Roughly chop the pecans and fold them into the mix.

Bake for about 35 minutes at a medium heat.

Enjoy and have a brilliant lead up to Christmas!

Stay Unchained ❤