Mrs H Vintage Fair

Just a quick post to let you folks know that, this Saturday (21st Saturday 2015), I'm going to be in a vintage style dress selling you beautiful folks, fudge, toffee, meringues and chocolate for you to consume and enjoy. Yups, you'll have the opportunity to met the gal behind Cupcakes, Cake and Passion BUT not only that you'll be supporting a really amazing cake business run by a lovely friend of mine. The business is called Cake by Chloe. I'll be with the mastermind behind the business, Chloe herself (ekk!) and our friend Evan.

Oh I forgot to mention by the way that we made everything. All of the sweets will be homemade, fresh and so mouth-wateringly good. We snagged some of the maple pecan fudge and erg... so good!! Definitely grab that because, wow, it is so creamy and sweet. Ok enough about fudge! Even though it might be the best fudge ever (just saying...). Also, if she will allow me, I'll try to update on social media as much as I can including twitter and instagram on the day.

You will be supporting a great business run by very talented cake baker and decorator, so why not pop over and say hello? Entry is £1.50 and you get a tea or coffee. We all hope to see you there. Here is the link to the event and don't forget to give Chloe's business page visit as well as the Mrs H Vintage event page too.
Hope to see you there!

Event Information Page
Cake by Chloe
Mrs H Vintage Event

University. To go? Not to Go? That Debate.

This post has been a long time coming and was inspired by the chat I had with a friend at college. People are often surprised when I inform them I've graduated university with a BA in Hospitality, and how I decided to go back to college. Yes, I've done my years and I am richer for the experience.

But I'll let you in on a secret, I did not go to university for the right reasons. My decision was prompted not because I was unsure what to do with myself, or because I'm super passionate about business and cooking.

It was to prove a point. I can admit that now.

I felt that I had to prove to the world, that I could do the university thing. That I could make it through the studying and come out with a great achievement. I did it to prove to myself that I could get through to the other side.
That sounds very shallow and yeah, it is. But that was my thinking at the time. Even though I did perhaps go for the wrong reasons, I came out learning the right life lessons:

• I came out learning more about business, including how much fodder human resources can be at times.
• I have learnt that when working as a group there will always be one member, at least one, who does nothing and will still get the same credit for you and your groups hard work. They know who they are and the fact is, they don't give a crap. Try to deal with it maturely. People like this will confront you in all aspects of life and will always get found out in the end. Trust me, they get hated for it and people will purposely avoid them because of this trait.
• I've met lots of people, but only a select few you stay with you in your heart.
• I've drunk some ridiculous concoctions at uni. End of.
• I learnt that my goal is to open my own business, doing what I love (which is baking and cooking...duh...).
• Balancing a job and university work is bloody hard. But really shows to future employers that you can manage your time well. Oh and the extra money isn't that bad either.  
• I learnt to open up my heart again, starting dating and so, fell in love. (3 and 1/2 years later, we're still in love. Awww.... ok Chick flick moment over).  

I have learnt more than I can list. It was all thanks to that shallow decision that turned my life into something positive. That's my rhyme and reason for going to university. I'm so grateful that I went to uni and that the whole experience was worth it, hard, but worth it.

So to go? Not to go? Its a big decision for everyone. With tuition fees higher then ever and employers not hiring graduates because their 'too over qualified', its made the decision even harder. The fees were at a high set price when I applied and so ,it was a natural move. Now students have to pay crazy fees that will be with them for a long portion of their lives. Its not a light decision to make, so I've rounded up some of my friends and family thoughts and feelings on going/not going to uni. These are REAL responses from REAL people, that I REALLY know... REALLY!:

Leanne's advice: "Join a club and meet people!"

Dan (didn't want to go to uni): "Cause I is thick as f**k" 
I dig your honesty Dan.

"Mad" Max's advice (went to uni): "Go on a place and meet people"

Chloe B (Didn't want to go to uni): "I'm too stupid. Being deado serious here."

Ann (Never had the chance to go to uni): "I never had the chance to go to university. I was never good enough. My family was more important to me. I still stand by that decision."

Rob (Uni goer and still studying): "I went for a fresh start and to enhance my career." and his advice: "If something is offered to you. Give it a go. I'll never play OctoPush again, but I gave it a go."

Claudiu's (went to uni) advice: "Experience life abroad and meet people."

Chloe C (Studying at the moment): "University is the best experience of my life! Eyeryone should go! (And at college I never wanted to) so I'm a complete convert."

Emma (Studying at uni too): "I would say don't go just because you feel you have to...if you can find an apprenticeship/internship in the field you want to go into that would ideally be better and cost less. [University]...has been stressful at the start... but starting to settle in now and enjoy it more...but still wish I was more active in looking at other options." Her advice: "Be prepared for people who bullshit...A LOT. Not everyone is sane."

I want to thank all of you who contributed and helped me write this article. I hope this post has raised a point with some readers and has made you think.
Did you go to uni? What advice have you got? Why didn't you go to uni? Let me know what you think

Happy Day Challenge Day 2-Abbie's Note

This is the second day of the 100 happy days challenge and it was this note that caused me to smile.
The note in question was left by a work college called Abbie left this note saying that anyone who was in the shop don't forget to reprice the stock and take down all the Christmas decorations but she wrote:

Please carry on repriceing!
Done loads today!
I'm frazzled hunnays
Keep it real like Ian beil and take down more Xmas decs if there are any lol!

love Bunny (Abbie) xxx loves ya!
If you knew how sweet and funny Abbie is, then you'd see how funny it is. Thanks for the day-brightening note Abbie! 

Gluten-Free Birthday Chocolate Cake with a Vanilla Heart

Gluten free cakes. No matter how you want to try gluten free products, in my opinion, aren't as good as the real thing. I was asked to bake a gluten free chocolate cake for a good friend. I like a challenge! It was also a good excuse to use the Tasty-Fill Cake tin from Wilton, that I shoved in the back of the baking cupboard, which I recommend for a special occassion. So this is a nice excuse to back an epic birthday cake which had a heart of buttercream.

I've tried doing this with cake carving last year,which I think was my first baking post (aww memories). It was the hidden heart cake which needed some practice but otherwise tasty! 

While I have you I completely recommend using Doves Farm Gluten Free flour as the end cake result was really good for a gluten free cake. 

Recipe: Make a giant cake (Recipe adapted from Cupcakes from Primrose Bakery)

·       230g dark chocolate at least 70% cocoa solids

·       120g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       350g golden caster sugar

·       3 large eggs, separated

·       370g Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain flour, sifted

·       2 teaspoons gluten free baking power

·       1 ½ teaspoons gluten free bicarbonate of soda

·       ½ teaspoons salt

·       4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

·       500ml semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature

·       2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Buttercreams

Follow the method for the Vanilla Buttercream here!

·       220g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       120ml semi-skimmed milk at room temperature

·       2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·       8 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

·       1kg icing sugar, sifted

Follow the method for the Chocolate Buttercream here!

·       175g dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids

·       225g unsalted butter

·       1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk, room temperature

·       1teaspoon vanilla extract

·       250g icing sugar, sifted

Equipment:

·       Bowl x3

·       Mixer/wooden spoon

·       Measuring Jug

·       Sieve

·       Teaspoon

·       Tablespoon

·       HeartTasty-Fill Pan from Wilton

·       Palette knife

·       Light oil spray for greasing the tin

·       Heatproof bowl

·       Saucepan filled with water

·       Metal spoon

·       Disposal piping bag

·       Scissors

·        

1.    Pre-heat the oven to 170c fan/190c/375f/Gas Mark 5 and grease the tin with the light oil spray.

Step 2. melt the chocolate in a bain marie

2.    Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until completely melted. Set aside to cool.

Step 3. Cream the butter and sugar

3.    In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until pale and smooth, which should 3-5 minutes using an electric mixer. Put the egg yolks into the creamed mixture and beat well.

Step 4. Add the melted chocolate to the creamed mix

4.    Add the melted chocolate to the creamed mixture and beat well.

Step 5&6. Combine the dry bits and milk and vanilla

5.    Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in separate bowl all sieved together.  

6.    Combine the milk, and vanilla extract in a jug.

7.    Add one-third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat well. Pour in one-third of the milk mixture and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk has been added.

8. Clean your whisk!

The Unwhisked Egg Whites

Soft peak egg whites

9. In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites with a clean whisk, until soft peaks form.

Step 10 the finished batter

10. Carefully fold the egg whites with a metal spoon into the cake batter.

11. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and bake for 30 minutes. Insert a skewer in the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean its done.

12. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about an 1 hour  before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool. Once completely cool, you can ice the cake.

13.  To assemble use a palette knife to spread the icing in the grooves and spread until level.

14.  Put the cakes on top of one another. Then ice the outside of the cake with chocolate icing, making sure that it’s covered, even and nicely iced.

15.Put some of the vanilla buttercream in piping  bag and cut a tiny hole. Start writing your message on top of the cake and top with popping candy and chocolate hearts or other decorations.

  I was so scared it wasn't going to work and then my friend cut it and....

Wow! Heart of Vanilla! My friend did have a wonderful birthday. I was invited on her night out and it was a wonderful night out. I hope you had a great birthday Zoe and I hope you loved the cake! (I'm in the star dress with the fading purple hair. Yes I've done it again. Thats 4 times my hair has been purple in my little lifetime).  

Also I hope your planning your Christmas baking! Check out the siggie below featuring my Christmas dress! 
Merry Christmas Bakers!

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)