How to Win Work Colleagues (with Blondie recipe)

In my last post I was ranting and raving about motivation and inspiration and jobs and bits.

Well another good announcement about the job which I didn't really want. After a ridiculously busy shift I thought: 
My heart isn't in this job. I'm done with it.
So, I quit. Thats right. Done. Finished. You only live once so why be unhappy about it? 

After a week later, after CV-ing all over the place, I found another job and here I am. 

But with a new job comes new work colleagues. Brand new scary people that you have to work with who already know each others names, and have their own in jokes. It can be pretty daunting. 
So, I could do two things that would make me feel much better about a situation: Stuff my face with Nandos/chocolate/endless episodes of Supernatural or I BAKE!

I decided to make an impression with my baking skills. Nothing wins a group of females co-workers like chocolate cake. Especially if its a Chocolate Cola Cake. Now I've opened the door to getting to know my colleagues better. All done with cake, of course.

However, before I rejoice in my new job, there is a something I would like to say to my former office work colleagues:

•  Chris- You taught me to be firm with really annoying customers and to be experimental with the most strangest food. More importantly, Chris, I wish you all the best with your new husband! Your going to make a fab wife and an awesome mummy one day!
• Hannah- You are just adorable and I loved our little chats and you were seriously missed when you left!
• Lucy H- Lu-lu you are a wonderful cousin and you don't know it because I'm kinda shy about saying it (I don't do chick flick crap) but I have always looked up to you and you constantly inspire me. 
• Ben- What can say? Our 'witty' (used loosely) banter back and forth about 'Bakery Story' or general zombie related stuff. We are officially the most prepared people for a zombie apocalypse. 
• Lucy Madz- Our sneaky shopping trips and 'Fat Fridays' and the general chats about life in general. Its hard to find another kindred (crazy) spirit. Luc, your the sister I wish I had because you are just generally awesome and beautiful. For goodness sake don't change! 

I didn't really get to say a proper good-bye and thank-you for all the good times we shared. Thank-you Ladies! (and Ben)

So as promised I did some baking before I left my previous workplace I made some farewell Blondies and dished them out to my lovely work colleagues. 

Blondies are basicaly the 'anti Brownie' meaning that they are made with white chocolate rather milk or dark chocolate. 

 

Here's that recipe:

Recipe: Makes 18 squares (recipe adapted from Cookies Galore by Jacqueline Bellafontaine)

·       500g white chocolate

·       75g butter, at room temperature

·       3 eggs

·       180g caster sugar

·       180g self-raising flour

·       1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·       (180g macadamia nuts roughly chopped, optional)

Equipment:

·       Baking pan lined with silicone paper

·       Chopping board

·       Sharp knife

·       Heat proof bowl

·       Saucepan

·       Mixing bowl

1.    Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5/ 190c/375f. Grease and base line a baking pan.

2.    Roughly chop 400g of the chocolate and put aside.
I ran out of chocolate and had to use an easter egg that I received but never got around to eating. It was of a pretty 'Hello Kitty' which got smashed to pieces! 

Before

After-Oh the chocolate humanity! 

3.    Melt the remaining chocolate and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cool slightly.

4.    Beat the eggs and sugar together in a bowl and gradually beat in the melted chocolate.

5.    Sift the flour over the mixture and fold together with the reserved chocolate, vanilla extract and nuts if using.

6.    Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until the centre is only just only just firm to touch. Cool in the tin. Cut into squares when cold.

Happy Saturday and Have a Good Weekend

Life lesson, Job hunting, Motivation and Inspiration.

Its funny how inspiration hits you just at the right time.

I know its been awhile since I've posted but I've been in between moving from London, back to the Isle of Wight. Its been hard because I'm leaving my friends and family behind along with my crazy work colleagues which are always a pleasure to work with.
You guys made the day go so much faster with laughter and jokes. I really looked forward to work because you were there to make the day brighter.

So about the inspiration thing. I believe in signs all around us (not the film or aliens or those crop circle things). We're often so absorbed in our mobile phones or getting from one place to the other, that we don't take the time to notice the signs that the universe has to give us. 

I'm blah blah blahing about this because I've had 2 weeks of learning about how life's little signs can inspire and motivate.

To start with 2 weeks ago, I had an interview for a bakery/coffee shop/cool vintage shop and I was successful! So that interview turned into a trail shift and for 6 and 1/2 hours I worked to the best of my abilities. The job was making coffees, teas, serving customers and a little baking. Baking was the magic word for me! 

I really enjoyed the trail shift and the owners were pleasant to work with. When asking for feedback they said: "We'll email you with the details by the end of next week."

One week and 3 days went by and still nothing. That week was the longest week in the world. I was waiting for what seemed like an eternity. Anyone who has been through the job waiting process, it's not a nice one is it?  

So I thought that I would email to say that I was going to drop by if she wasn't too busy, I thought that it would should that I'm really keen and enthusiastic. No Reply 

The very next day I went for it, I went into the bakery/coffee shop/cool vintage shop so that I could stop being in limbo. 

I go in, and before I can even finish my "Hello, How are you?"

The owner said: "I'll email you next week, Penny. We've been busy." 

Thrown off and deflated, I muttered "Oh ok. I'll hear from you when you get the chance. Thanks and see you soon."

I walked away flat and very unwanted. 

Now I'm not going to be so unprofessional that I'm going to name the place. But I do feel that it was unprofessional, that I didn't get an honest direct answer. It's bad business sense to mess people around about like that. If I wasn't good enough for the job: Tell me in an email, on the phone or even when I finished my trail shift. But I suppose that's the way life goes sometimes, they got a free day's work out of me and I got a life lesson: If it's too good to be true, often it is.

Moving back to now, I've been CV-ing it to many places on the IOW trying to lick my wounds and determined to find a summer job. I have had another 2 interviews, 1 trail shift and another trail shift to come. I got a job- Hold your yay's and congratulations. I started out doing the trail shift and I'm not sure what happened because all of a sudden, I got drafted. Officially I got the job, but I don't want to sound ungrateful but it was a huge step down for me. I so desperately wanted to learn new skills in baking or learn something completely different. 

So now I'm at the next hurdle. I'm stuck in a job that I've done before, using none of my epic baking skills and is making me- unhappy and very flat. (That btw is a great title for a TV show. EPIC BAKING SKILLS!) 

Ok, after that long story, I'm coming back to the motivation and inspiration thing. See I told you it was linked in there didn't I? I went out in the blazing sunshine for a drive, on my day off my drafted work and was contemplating what to do. I was having a mental argument with myself!

Should I jack this job in? 

That means no money coming in for 6 weeks. 

That's true. Better stick with it. 

But it's doing nothing for your career, it's the same job but with different people. What about your amazing pastry dream?

Also true, Ok I'm done with it! It's not making me happy so that's the end of it!

But that means you've failed in sticking down a proper job. What's wrong with you? You're an absolute failure. 

Now this is where I nearly chocked, failure is not a word I get along with. In fact the meaning and word makes my toes curl with rage. I don't flop, I fail. I don't mess up, I fail. I don't make mistakes, I fail. 

That's one of my biggest downfalls, being too hard on myself. Of course, I make mistakes and yes I do mess it up, everyone does. That's what makes us human. 

My first sign came in the form of an already read email from Cheryl who writes Make Me Joyful, which I accidentally got up on my mobile. The line that struck me was this:

"Persistently dwelling on the disappointments or the frustrations or the things we lack won't give us the happiness that we seek."

I chose to ignore this as I was still fretting what to do, or what people will think of me and about a thought away from complete and utter panic. 

The second sign, I had to stop off in a couple of touristy shops with the guests I have staying over and one lady in a flower shop was happily busying herself when I commented on how lovely the shop was. She replied:

"It's hard work and the hours can be bothersome at times. But it's my pride and brings me so much joy that I can't think of any better job."

The shop was her's and she  worked on her own and is trying to build her flower shop from the ground up and I tell you what, it was like lightening struck me. This little voice in my head perked up finally and went:

Is what your doing at this job, this second, right now, making you happy?

Well, no.

Then fix it.

See it's funny how inspiration can hit you at the most funniest of times. I think my next little life lesson is: Try taking a step back to observe the big picture to catch those signs. 

For now folks, I'm going to have to posted on my next move.

Bake On!

The Last Pastry Class

I've always been a little slow with technology. Most people nowadays have facebook and twitter very young (I know an 8 year old on facebook. It's just weird ok? Why? Don't even get me started on this), I was 18 when I first got facebook. The last of my friends to get it. 

I got twitter about 6 months ago. I was the last of my friends to become a twit. I mean erm, twitter-er. Is there even a word for it?

Anyways, yet again I am the last of my friends to do this. I now have Instagram! Now I'm not going to lie, I haven't got a clue what I'm doing but hey, I'm never against learning something new. If you wanna follow me check out the camera icon on the right here.

Another really cool announcement is that I've officially finished my pastry course. Thats right little old me has a ABC Level 2 in Pastry and Confectionery. Which means wooo! Please don't all clap at once :D
Essentially, it was 36 weeks of  the theory behind pastries and bread, learning about different pastry products and then there was the practical classes, which was my favourite part. I'm so happy that I've passed which is great, it's just a case of when I officially get qualified. So come on examiners get those red pens moving. 

But I'm also kind of sad because I'm leaving behind such a good part of my little life. You see, the people just friendly and just as enthusiastic as I am. They were wonderful people to work with and it's such a shame that I wont be able to see them for a long while or even at all. (If any of you read this one day, please email me or drop me a line) In fact, most of the class are going back to do the level 3 pastry course. I, sadly, can't due to my studies at university. I am gutted, I mean really really gutted because I wanted to expand my learning and generally have some fun with pastry. 

I'm not really an emotional person. I'm dramatic.

Oh wait that wasn't very dramatic enough, how about this:

I am dramatic!!

I find it difficult to get across how I feel to people. I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I was conditioned to believe that it was stupid to express how you feel, crying at the fact that you just dropped the last damn cupcake, or waving your arms in excitement because you know that you're going out shopping for baking bits. What I'm saying is that I don't get all mooshy like that.    

But I will say this to my pastry tutor (if she finds this, hopefully one day she will):

Faye, thank-you for your endless patience and your belief that anyone can bake and produce something amazing. You have really influenced me and helped me become more confident in my pastry abilities. Thanks to you I may have a new job in the works, thanks to you I have an excellent interview for my dissertation and lastly, thanks to you no amount of complicated pastry scares me! (Ok maybe choux pastry but I'm working on it)

If you've only just started following the blog, where have you been? But just in case here's all the link list of all the things I've made in my pastry class:

• Dutch Apple, Fruit Tartlets
• Puff Pastry
• Fun Things with Puff Pastry
• Choux Pastry
• Cheese and Tomato Quiche
• Genoise Sponge Apricot Gateaux
• Yule Log Cake
• Homemade Bread
• Devonshire Splits, Bath Buns and Fruit Buns
• Fougasse and Bread Sticks
• Creme Caramel, Tiramisu and Lemon Posset
• Fruit Bavarois, Easy Apple Crumble, Lemon sponge pudding and Vanilla Pannacotta
• Apple Tart Tatin

Earl Grey Mickey Cookies Inspired by Disneyland

Well it's been a week since I came back from my amazing holiday to *DRUMROLL* Disneyland Paris!

I'm gutted to come back to real life. It was like walking into a dream. I'm sure that many Disney fans know about the magic rush they get from going to a Disney Park.

It's a delirium of magic and stepping back in time and being a princess. 

(Note: I was not allowed to prance around in a big Lottie style dress, pushing children out of the way, to get to a ride declaring: "It's ok I live here!")

In any case, I was heartbroken to leave and so was my friend Sofia.

Heartbroken and very sore from all the walking. I loved it, none the less. So, I'm planning the next trip! I think next time my friend and I are going to drag our boyfriends by the hair and demand to go. Yes that is how obsessed we are.

In any case, since this is a baking blog I should tell to about my Disney adventures that are kind of related to baking.
To do some baking with I bought some of these:

Aren't they so cool?! I've never seen Disney cookie cutters before. So now I just needed an excuse to use them. I don't need an excuse to bake really, but it's nice to justify it. And I like nothing better then tea and biscuits so why not combine the two? 
These Earl Grey tea biscuits (or cookies whatever, as long as they taste good) are easy to make as well as being great as a sweet something before lunch or just something to dunk in tea. If you can handle the double dose of tea. 
Also, you can freeze this dough overnight, if you haven't got time to bake it. 

Also check out this nifty Alice in Wonderland teacup! A little gift to myself from Disneyland, there was an awesome teapot which I couldn't afford but hopefully will grab it on the next visit. (Makes a good excuse to go back no?)

Recipe Name: Mickey Earl Grey Tea Biscuits

Recipe: Makes 18-20 biscuits (recipe adapted from Cookies Galore)

·       80g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       50g soft light brown sugar

·       1 tablespoon of teapigs Earl Grey tea leaves

·       1 egg white

·       150g plain flour, plus a little extra

·       Extra Demerara sugar to top each biscuit

Equipment:

·       Wire rack  

·       Electric hand whisk/ wooden spoon

·       Bowl

·       Sieve

·       Baking sheet lined with baking parchment x 2

·       Rolling pin

·       Mickey Mouse Cookie cutter

1.    Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5/ 190c/375f. Line the baking sheets with the baking parchment. (Don't preheat oven if your freezing this mixture overnight)

Step2. Cream the butter and sugar together

2.    Mix together the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or an electric hand whisk until creamy.

Step 3. Stir in the tea leaves

3.    Stir in the tea leaves.

Step 4. Beat in the egg white

Step 4. Fold in the flour to make the dough

4.    Beat in the egg white. Fold in the flour to make, a soft but not sticky dough.

5.    Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for as long as you can possibly can (I left it about an hour).

Step 6. Roll out and start cookie cutting!

6.    Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 3 mm thick and cut out mickey head and transfer to the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle each one with demerara sugar.

7.    Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.

Moonch with some tea

You can omit the demerara sugar if you like, but it will result in a pale colour. 
Have an excellent weekend fellow Disney/baking peoples!

(Yes I'm still using the princess siggie.)

Insanely quick dessert: Apple Tart Tatin

I know that I'm really behind on my recipes. 

I mean seriously, I'm on the case. I'm still on holiday mode, wishing that I was still at Disneyland Paris...Sigh. 

Anyways, there will be a whole post on Disney, I swear.

No really. Tomorrow. Ok maybe on the weekend. I will put it up (UPDATE: Totally posted) . I swear on my Queen of Hearts Crown I will! (I do have one. I'll have to post a photo of it at some point.) 

But just to keep you in the loop and keep you posted on my pastry classes here's the latest quick dessert. If you'd like to try other fun things to do with puff pastry check out this previous post. 

Tart Tatin is a french dish that has mixed background stories. But however it came about, its a dessert that can be made very quickly, that is if you have some puffy pastry in the freezer, if you'd like to make your own check out the recipe here. Also, it helps if you've got some fruit on the turn, apples or pears are great to use. 

Ingredients:

·       55g sugar, (or enough to cover the bottom of the pan)

·       2 pink lady apples, peeled and cut into chunky bits

·       10g butter

·       Puff pastry (readymade or homemade)

·       Vanilla Ice Cream to serve

Equipment

·       A frying pan with a metal handle (the pan is going in the oven

·       Chopping board

·       Fruit peeler

·       Sharp knife

·       Plate

1.    In a dry pan, place the sugar on a medium heat. Keep watching the sugar and don’t stir. Just give the pan a little shake now and then.

2.    Wait until the sugar just starts to turn brown. Once again watch this as it as it burns very quickly.

3.    Place your apples into the caramel and cook them out for about 5 minutes or until the apple juices are all cooked out. Since the juices are being extracted from the apples, this may spit at you, so be careful.

4.    Add the butter to apples and shake slightly to boil off. (Adding the butter will prevent the mixture from burning.)

5.    Take the pan off the heat and leave it to cool down. Preheat oven to 200c/400f/ Gas Mark 6.

6.    Whilst the apples are cooling down, roll out the puff pastry to about 3 mm thick, and cut a circle about the size of the pan plus an extra inch. Cut 2 slits into the pastry to let the steam escape whilst the pastry is cooking in the oven.

7.    Once the apples have completely cooled down, place the puff pastry on top of apples. Fold over an inch of your pastry towards the centre, this forms a thick pastry crust as well as provide some support for the tart.

8.    Put the tart into oven for about 15 minutes until golden and a little risen.

9.    Carefully with an oven cloth take out the pan out from the oven.

10.  With a serving plate at the ready, put your plate on top of the pan and flip. You should have the frying pan on top of the plate.

Before-My first attempt

11. Voilà! You have an apple tart tatin to eat! Serve hot with some ice cream.  

The next quick and easy dessert to try is bande aux fruit, however I've already made this dessert. I think the second one looks way more presentable. 

After-My second attempt woo!

So, there you go. Once again sorry for the quick post. It's been a weird week. I, hopefully, will be reporting with very good news. I wont tell you, as it will ruin the awesome surprise.
Bake on! (I'm clearly still in Princess Mode)

Harry Potter fans,don't get jealous

I know its got nothing to do with baking or desserts or anything. But I'm off to Disneyland right now. As I'm typing his onto my phone at the eurostar station! I'm so excited.
On our travels me and my friend found Platform 9 3/4's. Yes the official platform, which we found so funny and a good photo op.
But we do look like lunatics. 
Bake on!
Penny x

Chilli Chai Chocolate Pannacotta and 'The Student' Cocktail (Also going to Disney woooo!)

I know it's a little odd doing a drink on a baking blog but I was kindly asked by the teapigs crew to do a summer drink. I was a little hesitant and said: "I do bake and I do drink (on occasion) but rarely at the same time (very bad results), I'm not sure if I could just come up with a cocktail recipe just like that."
The lovely Becky from teapigs told me not to worry and just do what  could with the teas they sent me. 

I did come up with a spur of the moment cocktail as I was chilling

in my boyfriends kitchen when our friend nicknamed, Doocky Dan decided to get out a bottle of sparking wine. 
Not champagne, but the cheap and cheerful sparking wine. Nothing wrong with that, its just a little dry for my taste. That's when the cogs in my head began to whirl. 
"Do you think that we can put these Super Fruit teabags into our glasses of sparkling?"
"Why not?" Was his response. 
 So that's what we did:

'The Student' Summer Cocktail:

• A chilled bottle of sparkling dry wine
• teapigs superfruit teabags
• red berries of your choice

Equipment:

• Glasses
• Measuring jugs

1. Place teabags into the measuring jug and pour the wine over the tea bags. 

Step 1. Place teapigs into measuring jug. You can have a friend  trying to get into the shot. This is optional. 

2. Let the teabags infuse with the wine until it turns pink.

3. Serve with strawberries, raspberries and red berries. Or nothing if you're a lazy students. 

This next recipe came to me as a suggestion from a work mate (thanks Lucy!) . Chilli and chocolate goes down surprisingly well, who would have guessed. Going along with the lazy student theme, pannacotta is quite an easy dessert, it took 30 minutes to prepare and make. Mind you it takes forever to set but its chocolatey goodness is worth the wait. 

Chilli Chai Chocolate Panna-Cotta (Inspired by this vanilla pannacotta recipe)

Ingredients:

•  125ml milk
•  375ml double cream
•  2 Tablespoons of cocoa powder
•  2 gelatine leaves/ 2 agar agar leaves if you're a vegetarian   
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 teapigs chilli chai tea bags

Ingredients needed

teapigs chilli chai

Equipment:

•  Whisk
•  Bowlx2
•  Saucepan
•  Spatula
• 4 dario mould/ or the small Christmas pudding moulds
• Measuring jug
• Sieve
• Scissors

Step 1. Soak the gelatine in cold water

1.    Soak the gelatine in a small with cold water. Make sure that it is cold water as if the water is warm the gelatine will dissolve and become useless and no-one wants to waste ingredients. 
2. Cut open the teapigs tea bags, empty contents and set aside. 
3. Add the cream, milk, the chilli chai and cocoa powder into a saucepan and mix until combined. 

Step 3. Add all the cream, milk, tea and cocoa powder in a saucepan

3.    Once the mixture is hot enough add the sugar and gelatine. 

Step 4. Take off the the heat and stir in sugar and gelatine.

4.    Take the mixture off the heat and stir until the sugar and the gelatine has dissolved.

Step 5. Sieve the mixture

5.    Sieve the mixture into a measuring jug. This removes the tea bags contents.

Step 6. Pour into molds

6.    Let the pannacotta mixture cool for a few moments before pouring into the Dario moulds and placing into the fridge for about 1 hour or until set.

7.    The best way to get the pannacotta out of the mold onto a plate, is to have a bowl of warm water ready. Place the mold into the water for about 6 seconds, get your desired plate on top of the mold then flip the plate, so that is on a table. Wiggle the mold a little until it is evenly on the plate.

Or if all else fails just slam it on the table aggressively until the pannacotta comes out. It looks a little smashed but it tasted great! 

Another thing I'd like to mention that, is I'm going to Disneyland Paris for the 5th time. (Greedy girl!) But this time I'm taking my good friend Sofia with me, who is completely delirious with excitement, as am I! I'm so excited that I really wish I had the time to make these Disney Princess Cakes to celebrate tomorrows departure to Euro Disney! In fact I've got a cute little princess-y siggie in celebration!
Bake and Princess On !

(Look at my  little dress. It's got a little sparkles!)