Summer Baking: Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

September 4, 2016September 3, 20163 Comments

Is it an ice cream? Is it a cupcake? It’s a celebration that The Great British Bake Off is back. That’s what it is.

Paul Hollywood’s steely stare is back and Mary Berry’s delightful way of saying ‘layers’ (watch out for it). Mel and Sue’s innuendos, union jack bunting, blue plasters and an entire batch of new contestants who will inevitably get teary over tarts. I can’t wait.

Most important of all though, you can’t watch an episode of the Bake Off without some kind of baked treat to hand. When I discovered that Martha from a few series back had teamed up with Waitrose, I was immediately lured in by the recipe cards showing off her incredible baked creations. And believe it or not, they aren’t that impossible to recreate at home. Hallelujah!

These ice cream cone cupcakes are simply an ice cream cone filled with fluffy vanilla sponge and a dollop of whipped meringue on top, complete with chocolate flake. One word against them – they aren’t that easy to actually eat. Prepare to have meringue on your nose.

YOU WILL NEED:

For the cones

12 flat bottomed ice cream cones
12 squares of dark chocolate
125g butter, softened
125g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp milk

For the icing and topping

120g caster sugar
80g golden syrup
2 large egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 Cadbury flakes, halved
Coloured sprinkles

TO MAKE:

Preheat the oven to 180C, gas mark 4.

Place each cone into a muffin tray. Place a square of chocolate in the bottom of each and put in preheated oven for 5 mins.

Beat the butter and the sugar. Add eggs one a time and the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add to mixture gradually until it is a thick batter. Pour in the milk. Distribute between cones, make sure you don’t overfill them. Bake for 20-25 mins.

For the icing, place sugar, syrup and 2 tbsp water in a pan. Cook on a medium-high heat until it reaches 118C on a sugar thermometer). Beat eggs whites until soft peaks form then, with the mixer on a slow speed, pour in the hot sugar. Increase to high speed and whip until mixture is thick and glossy. Add the vanilla extract.

Using a piping bag, pipe and swirl and decorate with half a flake and sprinkles.

The Classic White Shirt

August 13, 20162 Comments

Hello everyone – remember me?! I accidently took a bit of a blogging break. Not for any particular reason, I was just being busy (and lazy). Thank you so much to everyone who has still been viewing my blog (I know you are out there!) and to those who have commented and followed in my absence. Please do leave your links in the comments section so I can come and view your pages too!

But anyway, down to business. I took these photos a while ago, on a particuarly blustery day in Brighton, but I’m still so in love with this shirt that I had to share it with you.

I am not a ‘shirt person’ at all. I think they’re uncomfortable, a bit boring and just so frumpy. But then, according to fashion law, a white shirt is a wardrobe staple and I look on enviously to all those who pull them off. I have searched long and hard for one that I actually like and I think I have finally found it.

It’s this little baby from Topshop. Very simple, not too expensive and even if you don’t like this style, they’ve got hundreds of variations on the Chambray Shirt. It’s so soft and looks great tucked in for a slightly smarter look or just loose and casual. If you are worried about looking a little frumpy in a shirt, opt for something with big pockets and distinctive buttons in a more utility style. It just adds a little more interest and, in my opinon, doesn’t make you look like you are office-bound.

Plus this shirt will carry me straight into autumn. And on a side note, am I the only one quite excited about the prospect of pumpkin spiced lattes, cable knits and Halloween?!

The Pinafore Dress

January 26, 2016January 26, 201630 Comments

Pinafore dresses and dungarees are everywhere. They have been for a while. And I’m very happy to admit, I was not at all sure about them when the trend started. Now, I’m in love.

I’m still not convinced that they are the most flattering thing in the world, but there’s just something effortlessly cool about them. When you wear a pinafore dress, you look like you’ve really put some thought into your outfit – but actually you haven’t. You can just throw it on, be warm and comfortable but still look stylish. Win win!

It was this Topshop dress that changed my mind. Isn’t the colour just amazing? I don’t own anything this shade, and it’s so wonderful for autumn and winter. I also love it because it’s made really thick cord, so it’s actually really warm. Paired with a turtle neck (as I’ve done here), it’s perfect for these chilly January days we’re having.

I like to keep the colours pretty neutral, but stripes underneath it would also look amazing. With boots and a nice big scarf, this will be one of my wardrobe staples until spring. If you’re not a fan of the burgundy, they also have a very popular navy option here.

One word of warning for you, it is very short. So perhaps size up or opt for extra thick tights to avoid any accidental flashes!

The Perfect Jeans

December 1, 2015November 29, 20154 Comments

Today is going to be a chat all about the number one staple in my wardrobe: black skinny jeans. I’ve been having a love affair with a range of jeans for a few years now, and it’s about time I shared!

Topshop make the best jeans. Hands down. End of. Trust me, they will fix all of your jean-related woes. Their selection can seem endless, high-waisted, mid-rise, skinny, boyfriend, mom, ankle grazers, ripped… the list goes on. However, my go-to pair of jeans have been getting some bad press and I want to put that right.

I am the proud owner of ten pairs of Topshop jeans (I do need them all, and I still want more…!), but the black Leigh jeans are my favourites. They are not like normal jeans though, and this is where people start to dislike them. The material is much, much softer. If you want a pair of traditional black jeans, go for the Topshop Jamies. These are made of a stiffer material, more like traditional denim.

These are the best jeans because of the softer material. It makes them so unbelievably comfy when skinny jeans are renowned for being uncomfortable. The softer material does mean that the Leigh jeans probably wear the worse out of the Topshop range. The high-waisted Jonis are much more elastic but the Leighs will start to stretch over time. However, I had my previous pair for two years and that’s pretty good going when you wear them multiple times a week, every week.

The Leighs are also mid-rise, which I really love, particularly through winter. Trends call for high-waisted jeans, but when you’re layered up for the chill, noone can see the high waist! High-waisted jeans are great for sucking it all in, but I find they can get uncomfortable after a while, and going out for a meal in them is obviously a massive no-no.

The Topshop jeans (all of them!) are also the best because of how well they fit. I know this is personal preference, but I know so many girls of all different shapes that love the fit. They are sold with a waist size and leg length, rather than as a standard size 8, 10 etc. So if you have a tiny waist and short legs, they will fit you. If you have a larger waist and long legs, they will also fit you, and so on through every combination.

I would recommend the black ones simply because of how flattering they are, and this is true of all black skinny jeans. They elongate your legs and make them look slimmer in a way that blue jeans just don’t. Finally, what doesn’t go with black? They make such a great base for any outfit, and can look so much smarter than blue jeans if you need them to.

If you don’t have a pair of these in your wardrobe, you are missing out. Go on, add them to your Christmas wish list…

November Favourites

November 29, 2015November 29, 2015Leave a comment

November has seen the sky filled with fireworks, the return of the red cups and the first snow flurry (!!!). I have stirred the Christmas pudding and made a wish, chosen my advent calendar (Thornton’s, this year) and I’m soo ready for December and all things festive!

A switch seems to have flicked this month and the temperatures have seriously dropped. I’ve found myself pulling out all of my favourite winter warmers and I’m thoroughly enjoying getting to use them again. I’m also crazily planning Christmas presents, festive activities (ice-skating, come at me) and getting ready for my lovely boyfriend’s birthday next week – watch this space, plenty of exciting things to come!

Anyway, here are the things that I’ve been loving this month…

*Bonfire Night: As I’ve mentioned here before, I love Bonfire Night and experiencing it in London for the first time was quite something. On the 5th November I found myself curled up on my boyfriend’s window sill, at 12 floors high it was incredible to watch fireworks going off all across London. We also went to the Victoria Park firework display which was the biggest and best I’ve ever seen. The display was in time to music and it was like watching lights dance across the sky. I highly recommend it if you’re in London this time next year!

*Rude Health 5 Grain 5 Seed Porridge: There’s nothing quite like a big bowl of porridge on a cold morning is there? As a student I was always a Quakers Oats kinda gal (one sachet, bit of milk – Bob’s your uncle) but I’ve branched out this year. This Rude Health porridge is beyond delicious, really nutty and filling. As you’d expect with Rude Health, it has great ingredients with no nasty chemicals and the packet lasts forever. If this doesn’t seem your thing, they have an enormous range so there is something for everyone. With this one I highly recommend adding a drizzle of honey and sprinkling of blueberries!

*Candles: Two new candles came my way this month and I adore them both. The first is the Anthropologie Volcano candle, which is in a beautiful, iridescent jar and comes with a copper lid. The candle itself is very fruity, so it is perfect for all year round. It comes in a variety of sizes and jar colours, this is the smallest size but bigger versions are on my Christmas wish list! The second is the Yankee Candle Christmas Memories, which was brought to my sick bed as a ‘cheer up, it’s nearly Christmas!’ present. For the past few years, the Yankee Christmas Eve candle has been my favourite from the range, but this may have just replaced it. It’s a sweet blend of gingerbread and cinnamon, to remind you of Christmases from your childhood (cute!).

*Wanderlust: This month, Tiarnan and I booked a Christmassy weekend away in Paris, which is so exciting. And, after the horrible attacks in Paris this month, it seems all the more important to go and show the city of love some … well, love. I’ve been cruising the internet and guide books for city break inspiration, and it’s looking to be a weekend filled with decadent chocolat chauds, ice skating and perusing the Christmas markets. If you have any suggestions then I would love to hear them!

I hope you all had a great month, bring on December (… and Christmas!!)

Autumnal Candle Favourites

November 13, 2015November 13, 201512 Comments

Isn’t autumn and winter just the time for candles? When it’s grey and miserable outside there’s no better way to cosy up the house than lighting some. Here are my picks of the best autumn candles out there (and I’ve tried plenty!)

They all follow a foodie theme, but without being too sweet which, for me, is absolutely key to finding the perfect candle. There’s nothing worse than having a candle so sickly it gives you a headache (has anyone else ever suffered from this?!) They are also all not too pricey which is a bonus. I do love expensive candles and I have owned a few (when the spendy mood strikes!) but I find myself feeling guilty about burning them for too long. These ones I’ll happily burn all day.

With candles, I have found that when you discover a brand you love – stick to it. Candles can vary so much in quality, and most of the time price is irrelevant. I’ve bought expensive candles in the past that burnt unevenly, didn’t kick off much scent and were generally a hot, waxy mess and I’ve had super cheap ones that I loved.

Also, if you are unsure whether you’ll like a scent, see if they offer it as tealights. Most of the bigger brands do this (such at The White Company and Yankee Candle) and they have really strong scents – despite being tiny little candles! Don’t be discouraged by the size, sometimes small really is mighty, and they are a great way to experiment.

Yankee Candle Cinnamon Stick: I couldn’t do a list of affordable candles without including Yankee Candle. They are easily available, pretty cheap and come in about a million different scents. Cinnamon Stick is one of my particular favourites though. It smells of straight up cinnamon, which does give it a hint of Christmas but it still feels acceptable to burn throughout the year.

I have the small jar, but one of the great things with Yankee Candle is the huge variety in sizes they do. Don’t be put off by the small jars though, they still have an impressive burn time of 25-40 hours and they kick off as much scent as their big sisters.

WoodWick Cinnamon Chai: This was bought for me by my lovely flatmate as part of last year’s Secret Santa. I am completely obsessed with chai lattes, hence the choice of candle, and it really couldn’t be any more me. Of course, it is similar to the Yankee Candle Cinnamon Stick and has the lovely spicy, cinnamon scent, but underneath it is the hint of being in Starbucks, which makes it slightly sweeter.

The special thing about WoodWick candles is that the wick crackles as the candle burns. I find this really relaxing, and it makes the candle a bit different. Some might find it annoying though! The scent isn’t quite as strong as the Yankee Candle but it still kicks off more than enough scent and makes your room smell amazing.

Anthropologie Boulangerie Pumpkin Soufflé: Last of all is probably my favourite. Anthropologie is a gorgeous shop in general (amazing for window shopping!) but they have a huge variety of candles in stunning jars. This is one of their cheaper offerings, and it comes in a fairly large range. The Sweet Vanilla Cinnamon version has been on my wish list for a while!

This is the sweetest of all of them, as it smells like pudding but still has the spicy, pumpkin undertones. This is also probably the strongest, as you can still smell it even when it isn’t burning, but not in an overpowering way and it has a lid if you want a break from it! On top of being a great candle, the beautiful jar is a real bonus. I’m planning on washing it out and turning it into a brush holder when I’m done with the candle.

Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for reading!

The Camel Coat

November 10, 2015November 10, 20154 Comments

Every autumn I fall in love with this coat, and every winter I forget about it. It’s not made of strong enough stuff to take me through winter as the cold draws in, but for now it’s perfect. As we cling on to the remnants of autumn, I thought it deserved a special mention.

I found this coat four years ago in Australia, at the market in Melbourne. I had completely failed to pack a coat for the Melbourne winter and while it has nothing on what we suffer here in London, it was still a bit chilly. This coat found me just when I needed it! I wore it everyday for the rest of that holiday, and then I brought it home and have worn it every autumn since.

This coat was a bit of a bargain. If I remember correctly, it was around the £15 mark… Because of this, the quality isn’t the best it could be. The buttons are a bit wonky, there are some loose threads, the stitching meanders around and it isn’t lined – but I think that just adds to its charm!

Quite unusually for me, this coat is double breasted. Normally I run a mile from double breasted coats – I just think they look so strange on me when they aren’t buttoned up, they look too big and flap around awkwardly, and buttoned up they just seem a bit fussy. For some reason though, for this coat it works. There’s not too much excess material and it fits nicely done up. One of the things I really love about it is it easily smartens up an outfit, but it can still be worn casually. Win win!

The main attraction that I wanted to chat about was the colour. While not completely crazy, the colour is a fairly unique brown camel, and it tends to make my outfit’s statement whenever I wear it. Even owning this one, I am definitely guilty of looking at other similar coats and just thinking ‘that would never go with anything!’ That couldn’t be further from the truth with this coat.

Believe it or not, I find that I can chuck it over anything! It’s easy to pair with dark colours (like I’ve done here) though I tend to stick to blacks and navys.One of things that really helps with this is the buttons. Because the buttons are black, they instantly tie in the other dark elements to any outfit. I think that this is a great thing to consider when buying a coat that’s a slightly bolder colour. Think about the hardware, the buttons and any other accents rather than obsessing on the bolder-than-usual colour. Generally, the plainer the coat the better as you want the colour to be the statement, but keep an eye out for those details!

What’s your favourite coat for autumn? Do you like to play with colour in your outerwear, or have you always stuck to black?!

Autumn in Kent

November 5, 2015November 3, 20151 Comment

While the weather is still fine, my family love a good Sunday walk (with tea and cake waiting for us back home). It really is such a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon, especially as the Kentish countryside around us is so beautiful. Every Sunday afternoon we pack up the car with walking boots, coats, scarfs and our border terrier and set off to a different village.

A couple of weeks ago we chose Chiddingstone, a village entirely owned by the National Trust, which hints at how beautiful it is. We started in the village and then wandered out into the countryside beyond until we could see the church’s spire on a distant hill.

I’ve noticed that I’ve been getting views from all around the world (which is completely amazing – thank you!) and I thought it might be fun to show you what autumn looks like where I’m from. Autumn in London and autumn in the countryside surrounding it are two very separate things (you can almost miss the whole season in London), so if you’re ever visiting at this time of year be sure to venture beyond the city!

I wasn’t planning on doing anything with these photos but I had taken so many it seemed a shame not to share them! I hope you enjoyed this little slice of autumnal Kent…

Lush Picks

November 3, 2015November 3, 20153 Comments

Lush is my latest obsession. Previously I thought it was over-rated and over-priced. Now I’ve done the full 180 and just can’t get enough.

Now that autumn is here and winter is coming, baths really come into their own. What better way to relax as it’s getting chilly outside than sinking down into a warm bath filled with bubbles? Light some candles, grab a book or magazine or prop up your laptop to watch something… It just can’t get any better, right?

Lush is expensive, there is no denying. Especially when you start thinking about cost per bath. However, I have come to love (and justify) it through a few very specific reasons. First, I don’t have a bath every single day but usually more as a weekend treat. When you’re only having one or two a week, it isn’t the biggest expense. They are also just so much more fun than ordinary bubbles, and the variety always makes choosing what to have exciting (sad, I know). Lastly, if you choose correctly, they make your skin feel amazing. The best ones leave it feeling soft, smooth and smelling delicious. All of the products are also handmade, cruelty free and come with eco-friendly packaging, so you’re doing your bit to save the world!

Here I’m going to talk about the latest products I picked up to give you some inspiration the next time you walk past one of their shops. Let the glitter commence…

Yuzu and Cocoa Bubbleroon: First up is one of my absolute favourites, the Yuzu and Cocoa Bubbleroon. This is one that you crumble into the bath to create big bubbles while turning the water a yellow colour (not the most appealing but I can look past that). You could easily break it in half by taking the ‘macaroon’ top off, but I just chucked the whole thing in as I don’t think you’d get enough bubbles with just half.

The scent was what drew me to it. I love citrus scents, and it has a blend of citrus oils in it so it smells wonderfully fruity, but with cocoa absolute it has a chocolatey undertone. It has cocoa butter and shea butter in it so it leaves your skin feeling so soft I just couldn’t get over it! Paired with the citrus scent this is without doubt one of my all time favourites.

Frozen Bath Bomb: Do you want to have a bath bomb? Do you want to splash and play..? This is one that I had been eyeing up for a while before I bought it. It just looked so exciting, big, blue and glittery! Unfortunately, this turned out to not be one of my favs.

Before I start, I will just throw out there that this has a very fresh scent, and I much prefer fruity sweet offerings. So I think it’s me rather than the bath bomb… It has a mix of grapefruit, rose and neroli oil in it, creating the fresh scent. As you can see from the pictures, it does make your bath look amazing as the bath bomb fizzes away, but one of the things that I didn’t like about it was that it just didn’t last. By the time I’d faffed around, got my book, taken my make up off etc etc and finally got into the bath, the swirls of bright blue and white and its bubbly, glittery mixture had pretty much disappeared. It did leave bright blue glittery water, but I would have preferred for the effects to last longer.

The scent also isn’t very strong. My skin didn’t smell of it afterwards and I couldn’t even really smell it while I was in the bath. Again, I can see how some people may enjoy something slightly more subtle, but I feel that when you are paying the money of a Lush bath bomb it should have more impact. So I probably won’t buy this one again, but that’s not to say that you may not enjoy it…

Brightside Bubble Bar: This one is another of my favourites and I’ve repurchased it which speaks for itself. It is one of Lush’s pricier offerings at £4.95 but you get two decent baths out of it. The Bubble Bars are very similar to the Bubbleroons in that they create nice big bubbles while colouring the water, have strong scents and usually leave your skin feeling soft.

This is another citrusy one which perhaps explains why I love it so much. This one has mandarin, bergamot and tangerine essential oils in it, so it has an amazing, orange scent. As you can see, it also looks beautiful and creates amazing big bubbles. This bubble bar leaves your skin feeling so soft and the scent really lingers on your skin afterwards (but not in a way that just makes you smell like a walking orange).

Even though it does seem like quite an extravagance compared to some of the other bath bombs, I would highly highly recommend trying out this Bubble Bar or one of the others if you prefer a different scent (the Comforter is another really popular one, which smells of blackcurrant). One tip I have for the Bubble Bars.. Lush tell you to crumble them under running water. I’ve found that simply holding them under the water and letting the water break it up actually makes more bubbles. It takes longer but is definitely worth it.

Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar: Last of all is the Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar, undoubtedly one of their cutest concoctions! This is limited edition for Halloween so unfortunately you can’t get it any more, but they currently have the Holly Golightly bubble bar in for Christmas (which looks like a silver, sparkly Christmas pud) and that’s a similar idea.

This Bubble Bar is very, very glittery. I think that is the unanimous first impression that everyone has of it, and I actually haven’t tried this one yet! It smells delicious with a blend of juniperberry, grapefruit and lime oils and it has a little cinnamon stick on top. I imagine that it will be very similar to the other Bubble Bars in the amount of bubbles it creates (meaning that it can only really be used for one bath). I’m slightly nervous about the glitter situation, as I don’t want to come out looking like a glitterball. The Frozen Bath Bomb actually left lots of glitter on me, but that had disappeared by the morning – so I hope this will be the same!

I’m now starting to get excited about Lush’s Christmas collection and I’m sure some of the bubble bars and bath bombs will feature on the blog soon! What’s your favourite thing from Lush?

How to spend … November

November 1, 2015November 1, 2015Leave a comment

For the past three years, I seem to have missed autumn. Shivering as temperatures dropped in the center of Newcastle, trapped in my room reading books to complete my degree, I completely failed to notice the changing colours. Now I’m back home in Kent, I’m amazed (and sad) that I haven’t seen them for three years.

So here are my suggestions on how to spend November, based on what I’m planning to do. A month’s bucket list if you will…

Get outside: As I have just stressed above, it’s looking beautiful out there at the moment. If you have a dog then you really have no excuse to not be out enjoying the season. If you don’t then grab a friend, your family, your partner, whoever and head out into the countryside. The best walks always go past a pub, so you can rest your feet for a while and refuel. This is also a good bribe for the less enthusiastic walking buddies.

November is a great month for this because it’s not freezing yet. Soon enough it’ll be so cold we’ll all be reluctant to leave the house, so now is the time to enjoy the fine-ish (if a bit crisp) weather while we’ve still got it.

See fireworks: Remember, remember the 5th of November … Bonfire Night has always been a thing in my family. We love a good firework display. We would always have fireworks set off in our back garden and between rockets we would run around with sparklers spelling out our names. Don’t you just love the smell of smoke in the air around Bonfire Night, and the crackle and bangs from distant firework displays?

Whether you have them in your back garden, build a bonfire and throw a Guy onto it, attend a local display, get a pack of sparklers or simply watch someone else’s rockets go off from an upstairs window, see some fireworks!

Whip up some baked treats: A great way to warm up the house as the evenings get colder is by having the oven pumping out some heat, while you warm yourself up by hand stirring mixture! Check out my chocolate orange cupcakes or I always think bread is a great thing to be making around this time of year. Plus, freshly baked bread makes the entire house smell delicious. Combine going out for a walk with some tea and cake for afters – guaranteed to go down a treat!

Get reading: Whether you like to peruse a cookbook for recipe inspiration, flick through the fashion pages of the latest Vogue or get lost in a good story, now is a great time to bury your head in a book. As December creeps up on us, we will start getting busier and busier in the build up to Christmas. Now is the lovely calm before the storm, and taking some time to yourself is always a great idea. Choose a relaxed setting, settle down in a bubble filled bath or curl up with a blanket and cup of tea by the fire, light plenty of candles and turn your phone off (or at least to silent). The best way to enjoy a good book.

Go to the cinema: In the summer, I always think that going to the cinema should be saved for rainy days only. Being cooped up inside while the sun is shining seems utterly pointless. However, we’ve left summer behind now and that changes everything. If books and reading aren’t your thing, then there are so many good films on at the moment! Of course, the main attraction is the shiny new James Bond film (which my local cinema is showing hourly) but don’t forget about Suffragette and Pan.

How are you planning on spending November?

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Sarah Pratley

Tag: autumn