A couple of weeks ago, The Girls and I were making Mother's Day flowerpots from egg cartons. They are super easy to make and so we had a few left over, which I have 'reinvented' as Easter nests that we can give to friends' children over the Easter period. The brilliant thing is that these egg carton 'nests' or 'burrows' are just the right size for the little Lindt bunnies that are on sale this time of year. The Girls were recently sent … [Read more...]
John Lewis Snowman cake
I am quite taken with this year's John Lewis Christmas Ad. I even watched a film about how they made it, taking a snowman across New Zealand when it was summer back in the UK. So today I decoded to pay homage to the John Lewis Snowman with my very own snowman cake. About 18 months ago on a warm summer's day I parted with £1.50 and came back from a local Charity Shop with a snowman cake tin. Very much like the team who made the Christmas ad in … [Read more...]
Breastcancer Awareness Bake: Millionairess Shortbread
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So it seems serendipitous that I saw this recipe for M&M Bark only the day after I bought several tubes of pink smarties last week. The two events collided in my sleep-addled brain one night when I needed a treat to make for a bake sale and this delicious NO BAKE Millionairess Shortbread is the result. Why Millionairess? Because 'tis pink, of course. It's a take on the classic Millionaire's … [Read more...]
Quick Brownie-Sponge birthday cake to impress your brother
It's like this. I am a fan of the cake mix. I usually 'tinker' with the recipe, but it means I can have a cake baked very quickly with no weighing and measuring, which is great when you are in a hurry or you just don't fancy the mess. So now you know my secret. The other day, knowing I had to make a cake for uncle Adam's birthday, I fished around to see what I had. I made up a brownie mix according to the instructions and added a teaspoon of … [Read more...]
Dr Oetker Shimmer Spray and a very easy way to decorate a Birthday Cake
In the run up to Christmas I took part in what may have been my first twitter party (I can't remember), hosted by Maison Cupcake in conjunction with Dr Oetker, and was delighted to receive by post within days, a parcel of treats to use in my baking. Having spent my late teens in Germany, I am more familiar with the pronunciation of Oetker than most, and used the infamous Backin powder almost every day. Some of the treats I received were … [Read more...]
Quick and easy Christmas Pudding biscuits
I love it when your child announces that they absolutely must take 'something yummy into school today, Mamma' on the very day that said item is required. There's nothing like a flat-out impending parent-fail to make your creative juices flow. It also helps if you have what could be described as a 'sprinkle fetish'. Thus I found myself with a packet of Chocolate Digestives, a bar of white chocolate, some jelly diamonds, red chocolate buttons and a … [Read more...]
Home Made Mother’s Day
So, you've got about 48 hours left, Dads. I have to say that you are in luck because if there's one thing a Mother appreciates, after lie-ins and chocolates, it's stuff that has been hand-crafted by their precious offspring. So you still have time to whip up something to bring tears to the eyes of the woman who gave birth to your children. Or to you. For example, this tulip card is as simple as making a handprint and drawing a stem on it. No, … [Read more...]
