tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158281813659234982024-03-13T22:08:08.446+00:00simple things to make and doElisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-28393599352127132932013-03-21T10:25:00.002+00:002013-03-21T10:25:45.357+00:00Goodbye for Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/580110_10152680008605137_1804306949_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/580110_10152680008605137_1804306949_n.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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After a good few years of doing this blog, and posting sometimes sporadically and on many different things, I have decided to retire Simple Things To Make And Do. This will probably be my last post.<br /><br />The original idea behind this blog was to document a number of simple activities, and demystify a lot of crafts which people assume are difficult to learn and to master. I hope I've done that.<br />
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Sadly, due to my inbuilt ambitiousness and impatience, I have tended to make things which are as far up against the limit of my abilities as possible - and I haven't always thought to pause while making them and document their development. For example, I'm sure any of you could make the above Easter bunny, which is based on one I saw being made on YouTube back when I first discovered needle felting. But I haven't got the photos to show you the order of the pieces, because I made him on a whim in one evening and only later thought 'damn, I should have blogged him.'<br />
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I'm glad to see that some of my posts are presumably being useful to people - my most popular posts are on the Grandmother's Flower Garden patchwork pattern and the Gingerbread House template. I've also got a good few hits now on the League of Legends cake, which I hope is being imitated by baking gamers across the English-speaking world. <br />
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On the other hand, the latter item is a perfect example of this blog going astray from its original purpose - although I felt that the construction of the LoL cake was simple, it took a long time, needed careful meringue piping (which again, I forgot to document), and was generally intended as something to show off to my boyfriend's mates. I have felt myself straining not to show off in some of these posts, to maintain the 'you can too if you go on YouTube and get tips from these websites and have a little patience and only don't do this one thing...'<br />
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There is nothing wrong with 'look what I made' tumblrs. They can be very inspirational. But I don't think my ego needs to do any more of that. And I can't, now, find the time I once had as a student and then unemployed person to post very regularly about the little, genuinely Simple things - mostly cooking things - which I actually do every day and might be useful.<br />
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So, goodbye, loyal Simple followers - I doubt I'll stop blogging entirely myself, but I think I'll be finding a new topic next year. If you've just joined us, please check out the archive for cool things you can Make and Do yourself, the sidebar for useful (mostly UK-based) craft supply shops and resources, and keep being ambitious in your crafting and cooking! <br />
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Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-36367497687927032582013-03-03T00:45:00.000+00:002013-03-03T00:45:46.619+00:00Needle Felted Dinosaur - Hadrosaur<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Make your own duck-billed dinosaur! like this cheeky chappie based on the Parasaurolophus which my brother and I loved to make in our Jurassic Park PC game.</div>
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<b>You Will Need:</b></div>
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felting needles and mat;</div>
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cuddly toy stuffing, thread;</div>
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Wool:</div>
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base colour</div>
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tummy and legs colour</div>
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two detail colours</div>
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black darning wool and wool needle, beads for eyes</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FhQ1XYbXSDc/USo0m9ClRqI/AAAAAAAAAsA/YV8I_Cramck/s1600/hadrosaur+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FhQ1XYbXSDc/USo0m9ClRqI/AAAAAAAAAsA/YV8I_Cramck/s320/hadrosaur+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Using a large puff of cuddly-toy stuffing, make a base. Wrap white cotton thread around the fluff until it holds its shape.</div>
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Cover the base in a fine layer of base colour; add a long fat piece on one end for a tail</div>
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Make a wiggly neck and head and attach to the body</div>
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Tidy up underneath the neck so that there is no join visible between body and head, by over-felting a thin layer of base colour </div>
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Roll leg colour into four cylinders - two big ones for back legs, two small ones for front legs. Felt them onto the body.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3liizJWnnrU/USo0z_himpI/AAAAAAAAAss/Ea2u8hOeeNY/s1600/hadrosaur+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3liizJWnnrU/USo0z_himpI/AAAAAAAAAss/Ea2u8hOeeNY/s320/hadrosaur+6.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Add a big waft of leg-colour to his tummy.</div>
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Make a head-crest out of a very thin cylinder of detail colour; felt the other, fluffy end down over the top of his face.</div>
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Add more detail colour across the joins of his legs, to hide the join and strengthen it. Make narrow stripes of accent colour to disguise this purpose.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xaJS1nIskWA/USo04dLRv-I/AAAAAAAAAtE/0rlmIqVjAO4/s1600/hadrosaur+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xaJS1nIskWA/USo04dLRv-I/AAAAAAAAAtE/0rlmIqVjAO4/s320/hadrosaur+9.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Passing the thread through his head three times to secure the end, add a bead on each side of the head, slitted nostrils, and the mouth. To make the mouth, pass the needle through to where you want to start, loop the mouth around the front of his head, and finish the stitch at the end of his mouth. Now make two more stitches from the left and right ends to the centre of this large stitch to fix it in place.</div>
Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-90584352251318105492013-02-24T15:38:00.000+00:002013-02-24T15:38:14.036+00:00Needle-Felting Disaster Rescue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GJgNq0HideI/USozQ4r1TDI/AAAAAAAAAro/C-yvmJ5HUO4/s1600/stegosaurus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GJgNq0HideI/USozQ4r1TDI/AAAAAAAAAro/C-yvmJ5HUO4/s400/stegosaurus.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Even the craftiest amongst us - perhaps especially the craftiest amongst us - make mistakes, have disasters. I am no exception. This little guy was a perfect, fat, fluffy, cuddly-looking polar bear until I washed him with soap and water - something which I have been told to do to my creations by the Internet.<br /><br />Polar bear collapsed. His legs no longer held his own weight properly; the joins at his hips and shoulders looked narrow and frail; he was a mess. I had no idea what to do with him.<br />
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Then more wool arrived from the fluff emporium I order from in Yorkshire, and it was many colours! I was inspired to make my feeble flat polar bear into a base for a happy Stegosaurus.<br />
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Happy Steggy even inspired my Man, who is usually unimpressed by my crafting, to remark 'it's like he [polar bear] is wearing a costume,' and giggle a bit. I did leave his little legs sticking out the bottom, as it seemed too much faff to coat them in a dinosaury colour, and why shouldn't stegosauruses have white legs anyway?<br />
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Speaking of legs, as he was a dinosaur and I wanted to decorate him a bit to make him scaly, I made the effort to add some beads to his hip and shoulder-joints.<br />
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<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-72120762499804212162013-02-21T12:21:00.001+00:002013-02-21T12:21:28.832+00:00Stitch and Bitch - Starting a Craft Club<br />
It has come to my attention that some of my recent craft projects aren't... well, really that Simple. The initial technique of say, a simple cable knit, or needle-felting a rounded shape, is very easy. But there is a big jump between making this jumper, which spells everything out for you:<br />
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...and this jumper, which I haven't bothered blogging about because I am myself finding the shaping and following the (translated from French) pattern very tricky and annoying. This is probably my fault because I still can't be bothered to swatch properly. O well. Similarly, there is a difference between being able to felt an oval body and realising what you need to add to it to make it into a chubby fox as opposed to an owl.<br />
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So I have let this blog fall by the wayside a bit. Sorry about that. But! I do have a Simple thing to Do which I can tell you about: setting up a craft club.<br />
My mother attends knitting and crochet/other sessions with other ladies in her Colorado hometown known as 'Stitch and Bitch' - the idea being that you all get together in a very feminine, empowered setting and bloody well knit and gossip to your heart's content. It's a great idea, and one I am experimenting with doing needle felting.<br />
We're calling it <b>Gin and Fluff,</b> after our lubricant of choice and the large amount of merino which gets everywhere. <b>All you need</b> is a felting needle each, a few large bathroom-cleaning sponges for mats (available very cheaply in supermarkets), and a bag of fluff or two. So far I'm being paid in alcohol which gets brought to the session and providing the fluff myself - although an anonymous benefactor did send me some more needles the other day which means the next session can be expanded. Thank you, lovely person!<br />
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<u><b>Set Up A Craft Club</b></u><br />
1) Choose your craft - knitting works well for people to bring their own projects from home, especially to get help where they're stuck. Ditto embroidery projects. Fluff seems to work best in-house as then one person can keep an eye on the needles.<br />
2) Decide on a groovy name!<br />
3) Set up a mailing list on Facebook or email, letting people know when the next session will be (and who's hosting).<br />
4) Acquire the necessary materials - sponge, fluff, needles, embroidery wool and needle, beads, gin, tonic, limes, crisps in our case. Set up.<br />
5) Decide whether you need to take a small amount of money off people. I decided I didn't, as I would rather buy in fluff so that my mates would like to come over and fluff with me than spend money seeing them in a pub. If your club includes wider acquaintances or initial strangers, you might want something to cover the materials at first.<br />
6) Get crafting! I provided a model and taught three mates to make a grumpy baby penguin or a wistful owl. While we stabbed and bitched about our work days, I made some things which an absent friend had commissioned earlier - ring-tailed lemur, more complex owl, and a badger. <br />
7) Make sure to take feedback after the event - do people want to make more complex things, are they looking for inspiration, did people miss out and want to come to the next one? <br />
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This is why I hope I can keep the meetings going - I get to spend time on my hobby at home, and spend time with my mates, and they get to make stuff to take home and show off to their work mates, and all get together in an intimate bitching session to stab things - which is very therapeutic.<br />
Look what we made!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="spotlight" height="300" src="http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/555929_10151311057622304_1937131414_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: E badger, A owl, E owl, S 'turtle,' C penguin, E penguin, E lemur, K penguin</td></tr>
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Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-32380784172553598002013-01-21T18:57:00.000+00:002013-01-21T18:57:47.012+00:00Needle-felted Koala<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Having made the needle felted wombat, I got stuck on Australian fauna for a while and created this cuddly character. An easy two-colour model, he's lovely as a stress ball or just a furry friend.</div>
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<b>You Will Need</b>: grey felting wool, large hunk; white felting wool, smaller hunk. <i>Sorry I can't be more specific on gram weights, but my hand in the photo should give a good sense of scale. </i> One felting mat and felting needle; black embroidery or darning thread, large-eyed needle.</div>
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If like me you're working on your lap, a bit of rough fabric is a useful way to keep your clothes clean of fluff.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aHNYd6R2BpU/UP2ApaR9_eI/AAAAAAAAAps/sZLYAhPU118/s1600/koala+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aHNYd6R2BpU/UP2ApaR9_eI/AAAAAAAAAps/sZLYAhPU118/s320/koala+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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First make an ovoid body, not too highly felted just yet.</div>
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Second, create the head - roll half as much wool into another ovoid, and pinch the ends into the realistic koala shape seen here - with two lobed ears. Heavily felt in between the ears to define their shape. </div>
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Felt a fine wisp over the body and head, joining them together firmly at the neck join.</div>
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Add his white tummy :)</div>
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Roll a long wisp together to make a leg. After an initial felting, rub legs and arms between your hands to round them out, before felting some more.</div>
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Heavily felt at one end to make feet.</div>
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Attach the legs pointing straight up...</div>
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...adding the knees when they're attached to the body. Just fold the leg over and stick the pin straight through his kneecap.</div>
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Front legs are very similar...</div>
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...but for the added white wool on the inside. Join them on sticking straight out ready for a hug :)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4U7cc1n6VC8/UP2A_3gItAI/AAAAAAAAAqM/ipMtYJ7Ht1c/s1600/koala+13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4U7cc1n6VC8/UP2A_3gItAI/AAAAAAAAAqM/ipMtYJ7Ht1c/s320/koala+13.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Add two tiny tufts of white wool, folded in half and felted on the fold, to his ears.</div>
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Embroider the nose in long stitches from top to bottom, pulled very lightly taut. Add two French Knot stitches on top of each other for each eye (for this stitch, see <a href="http://www.sublimestitching.com/pages/how-to-french-knot" target="_blank">these instructions</a>.) Pass the thread through the back of his head and snip off to finish. Voila!</div>
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If you like you can now give him a little bath, warm water and lots of soap rinsed and squeezed out of him with a towel, and then a little final felting of any rough edges.</div>
Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-44979332594472097372013-01-12T11:21:00.002+00:002013-01-12T11:21:46.973+00:00Needle-felted Wombat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIyFTmmnXG0/UPFA6kcSQVI/AAAAAAAAAoE/q5bAtHJNfvo/s1600/wombat+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIyFTmmnXG0/UPFA6kcSQVI/AAAAAAAAAoE/q5bAtHJNfvo/s320/wombat+10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For my first more ambitious project making a 'real' animal, which was supposed to look like it did in real life, I chose a wombat. They're called 'furry bricks' in their native Oz, because they are both solid and rectangular - a perfect Simple shape for an animal to be. They're also endearing to my stepmother, so I knew the finished article would have a good home when he was done.<br />
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I purchased the wool from a company in Yorkshire called Wingham Wool (http://www.winghamwoolwork.co.uk/). It smells of sheep - lanolin. Mmmmm. Wombat still smells of sheep.<br />
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<b>You Will Need: </b>Large wisps dark brown wool, two black beads for eyes, sewing needle and black cotton thread, felting needle and block. <br />
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Step 1: select your wool.<br />
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Step 2: roll and felt it into an oval shape.<br />
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Step 3: add a ball at one end for the head. To get the stripes on the body going the right way, add a wisp from head-end to tail-end.<br />
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Step 4: Heavily felt the join between the body and the head on one side, to make a neck sloping down.<br />
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Step 5: make the feet/legs (wombats are so stumpy!) Felt the middle of a large wisp to the body, and roll the ends up into feet.<br />
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Step 6: Felt the feet until sturdy rather than wispy. Use the edge of the block to get purchase.<br />
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Step 7: Turning to the head, add two tiny wisps for ears - make a rough folded-over triangle on the block, then shape further as you add them to the head.<br />
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Step 8: Make 'eye sockets' by heavily felting and pinching the sides of the head to give the illusion of bone structure under the fluff.<br />
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Step 9: Wet your wombat in warm water and smoosh soap all over him to a) alleviate the sheepy smell and b) set the felting. Rinse out the soap and squeeze out most of the water, being careful not to get him misshapen when you're done.<br />
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Step 10: Sew on little black beads for eyes and make a little down-arrow of nostrils in an oval of backstitch for his nose.<br />
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<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-81482955136222864692013-01-07T21:24:00.000+00:002013-01-07T21:24:24.979+00:00Lighter Christmas CakeMany people dislike traditional Christmas cake. It can be stodgy, contains sultanas (which I know at least one boy who hates) and involves marzipan and royal icing, each of which can be problematic in mixed company. However, Christmas in my father's house would not be Christmas without a cake, and if it is a winter-stodge-cup-of-tea-type cake (which it should be), that means dried fruit.<br />
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The following makes a nice tasty round for the main holiday season, and won't burden you until February. It's light enough to be a 'normal' cake, with enough fruit to satisfy the ardent traditionalists. <br />
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<b>Lighter Christmas Cake with Apricot Frangipane</b><br />
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You Will Need: One 24cm cake tin, greaseproof paper and scissors; chopping board and knife; large bowl, wooden spoon; small bowl, cup, teaspoon; saucepan; medium bowl, measuring jug, sieve; food processor or blender, zester/grater, cooling rack, serving plate.<br />
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3oz dried apricots (and apricots to decorate)<br />
2oz ground almonds<br />
6oz light brown soft sugar<br />
9oz butter<br />
3oz honey<br />
2oz sultanas<br />
2oz dates (and dates to decorate)<br />
100ml Stones Ginger Wine<br />
4 large eggs<br />
7 1/2 oz self raising flour<br />
1tsp cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp nutmeg<br />
1 or 2 oranges<br />
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1) Preheat the oven to 180degrees C. Grease and line the tin with a circle of well-buttered baking parchment.<br />
2) Chop the dates into little pieces. Soak the sultanas and date pieces in the Stones Ginger Wine. At this stage, if your apricots are very dry, soak them in water separately.<br />
3) Chop the apricots finely, and mash them in the food processor. Add 2oz of ground almonds, 2oz of brown sugar, and 2oz of butter. Mush until combined. Scoop into a small bowl, and add the yolk of one egg (save the white in a cup for another project). Mix well and put by.<br />
4) Melt the remaining 4oz sugar and 7oz of butter with the honey in the saucepan.<br />
5) Beat the eggs in the large bowl; add the melted sugary mix in a slow stream, stirring constantly.<br />
6) Strain the ginger wine back into the measuring jug, and put the fruit in the cakemix. Save the wine, mix the fruit. Gradually add the flour to the cakemix, along with the spices, and the zest of one of your oranges.<br />
7) Now the fiddly bit. Slice your orange into 1cm rounds, and turn these 'inside out', peeling off the rind, separating the segments along their sides and joining the ends of the chain to make a 'cog'. Set these cogs inside each other on the bottom of the tin. Fill the gaps between the teeth with slivers of date and apricot.<br />
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<b>ProTip: </b>Navel oranges will not be as good for this. Remember that the finished cake will show the underside of the 'cogs' as you see them, so lay dates skin-side down and segments big-side down. Peel off any excess pith or teeny segments from the middle. Baby cogs can be made with a few segments; more than one orange is listed in the ingredients so that you can use the best slices from two.<br />
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8) Gently spoon over half of the cakemix, followed by the frangipane, then finish with the last of the cakemix.<br />
9) Bake for approximately 1 hour, until a skewer comes clean. If it starts to brown too much halfway through, give him a tinfoil hat. Leave to cool in the tin for a good while before turning out.<br />
10) Finish the cake by drizzling with the reserved ginger wine.Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-64012192512995557382012-12-20T23:38:00.000+00:002012-12-20T23:38:47.550+00:00Chocolate truffles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QtzNpne1atk/UNOe5CvhRhI/AAAAAAAAAm0/d7vXk4Ui_6Y/s1600/truffles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QtzNpne1atk/UNOe5CvhRhI/AAAAAAAAAm0/d7vXk4Ui_6Y/s400/truffles.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Don't they look deliciously precious?<br />
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This Christmas, as I had a few people who I owed a present and like but don't know intimately well, I decided to make my own chocolate truffles. They're just personal enough, being home-made, not to offend if people get the same thing as each other in public; and just impersonal enough to work for almost anybody. <br />
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Having said that, I chose the flavours carefully so that there would be a variety in every little package, and people wouldn't feel unable to eat any of their packet.<br />
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The wrappings were made from some cellophane I stole from work, and tied with the ribbons on some ordinary gift tags. The truffles were shaped by pouring the liquid ganaches into silicone ice-cube trays. These are becoming more common, and do make the job infinitely easier, but if you don't have one, no worries. Allow the ganache to set in the fridge until firm, then scoop out teaspoonfuls and roll them into balls in your hands. This is messy but fun.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zcbNZFsYxU/UNOfLuVpE6I/AAAAAAAAAm8/yKgjxDZ5PIE/s1600/choc+moulding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_zcbNZFsYxU/UNOfLuVpE6I/AAAAAAAAAm8/yKgjxDZ5PIE/s320/choc+moulding.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truffles in the mould</td></tr>
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<b>ProTip:</b> Keep two saucepans out, one for heating cream, the other with hot water. If your hot cream isn't enough to melt the chocolate by iteslf, place the mixing bowl over the pan of hot water and stir the ganache rapidly until it begins to loosen and melt at the bottom. Take the pan off the heat and continue stirring vigorously until the ganache is smooth. DO NOT overheat, or the choc will split and become a bitter, oily mess.<br />
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<u><b>Chocolate Truffles (makes 10-20)</b></u><br />
You Will Need for every flavour:<b> </b>Moulding trays (ideally), chopping board and knife, several small bowls, many teaspoons, small saucepans, measuring jug (minimum mark 50ml), spatula or wooden spoon. To wrap: nice paper, ribbon or tags, scissors.<br />
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<b>Cherry Brandy Truffles</b><br />
100g dark chocolate<br />
50ml double cream<br />
25ml cherry brandy<br />
glacé cherries, dark, halved<br />
cocoa powder <br />
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1) Chop the chocolate as finely as you can - this will make mixing it easier. Place in a small bowl.<br />
2) Heat the cream until not quite boiling; add the liqueur. Pour the hot liquid over the chocolate.<br />
3) Stir the cream and chocolate together until completely melted and blended.<br />
4) Chop the cherries until you have as many halves as you want truffles.<br />
5) Half-fill your moulds*, add a cherry-half flat-side up, and top off with more chocolate.<br />
6) Chill for at least half an hour in the freezer, 2 hours in the fridge. Scatter a little cocoa in another bowl. Turn the chocs out of the moulds into the bowl of cocoa, and shuffle about until lightly coated.<br />
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*this recipe is difficult without moulds, but you could give it a go - forming balls in your hands around half-cherries. They will end up bigger and rougher. <br />
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<b>Twinkly White Vanilla Truffles</b><br />
100g <b>white </b>chocolate<br />
<b>30</b>ml double cream<br />
1tsp vanilla essence<br />
decorative sugar balls/sprinkles<br />
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1) Repeat steps 1-3 from the first recipe, substituting the tsp of vanilla for liqueur.<br />
2) Freeze the ganache for half an hour, until just firm. Scoop into balls with teaspoons and mould in your hands. You washed your hands, right?<br />
3) Scatter sugar balls into a bowl. Turn out truffles into the bowl and roll in the decoration. <br />
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N.B. White chocolate gets its distinctive colour from containing almost no cocoa solids. This means that it melts more easily and needs less cream to make a satisfying ganache.<br />
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<b>Trebor Extra Strong Snowballs</b><br />
You Will Need: Pestle and mortar <br />
100g dark chocolate<br />
50ml double cream<br />
3-4 Trebor Extra Strong Mints<br />
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1) Make the ganache as for Cherry Truffles, witholding the liqueur.<br />
2) Pour into moulds and freeze for half an hour to set.<br />
3) Crush 3-4 mints to fine dust in a pestle and mortar; roll the truffles in the dust until coated.<br />
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<b>Coffee Truffles</b><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NhgdvtcvC4I/UNOg77PMotI/AAAAAAAAAnc/TR7ihFlmwvg/s1600/cherry+chocolates.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NhgdvtcvC4I/UNOg77PMotI/AAAAAAAAAnc/TR7ihFlmwvg/s320/cherry+chocolates.JPG" width="320" /></a>You Will Need: sieve <br />
100g dark chocolate<br />
<b>70</b>ml double cream<br />
1 tablespoon fine ground coffee<br />
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1) Chop 100g of the chocolate finely. Put in a small bowl to mix.<br />
2) Heat the cream with the coffee granules gently, stirring, for a while to allow the coffee to infuse.<br />
3) When the cream is hot and coloured, pour it onto the chocolate through the sieve. You don't want grit in your chocs. Stir until the choc and cream are well blended. Not all of the cream will come through the sieve.<br />
4) Pour the ganache into moulds and chill until firm, or chill and roll into balls.<br />
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<b>To Present</b><br />
A square of cellophane or paper 8ins on each side will just envelop eight truffles comfortably. <b> </b>Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-12313817240992073272012-12-19T16:20:00.003+00:002012-12-19T16:20:58.867+00:00Aran Cardigan finished article<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's finished! Here I am modelling my big fluffy item on my Dad's incredibly expensive Italian sofa, posing pretentiously. I'm particularly pleased with the sleeves, as I'd got my cable-eights really sorted by then. </div>
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Sadly the acrylic yarn I used is not bobble-resistant at all, but it doesn't seem to shed; its moth-resistance will have to be tested later in the year when it gets put away for the summer.</div>
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My next knitting commission will take me a good long time; a friend of mine wants a 'sexy cable-knit' which is 'yuppie-y, but not too much' and the pattern I have gives the required gague in cable-stitches, so I will have to swatch like mad. If I have any crafting-budget left over after the holiday season, I can feel more needle-felting coming on. It's high time I combined it with beads to make easy, Simple birthday presents to last the rest of 2013.</div>
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<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-39383826955396873772012-12-12T17:15:00.000+00:002012-12-12T17:15:51.318+00:00A Simple Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's really getting festive round here. At the house where I live, (where Christmas is very savoury-food-centric), the fridge is beginning to fill with ham, sausagemeat, red cabbage and turkey liver for paté. I'm sure that at my father's flat the big red wooden reindeer full of drawers is doing his Advent duty. Only yesterday I spent a very happy morning decorating the window of the shop where I work. The air is nippy; the frost is on the ground; Oxford Street is heaving.<br />
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It's really high time we all started getting sorted, so to help out, I'm posting a list of all the festive advice and recipes I've given on this blog in one place. You'll notice that there are some conspicuous absences from this list - nativity scenes, Christmas pudding, turkey or goose recipes, mince pies, and so on. At some point I will post my recipe mincemeat mince pies made with real minced meat - not mincemeat, minced meat - or meatmince, if you will. But I have to get them perfectly squidgy and flavoursome first. As for the rest - I can only blog so much a year!<br />
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<b>Decorations:</b><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/needle-felting-christmas-decorations.html" target="_blank">Needle felted</a><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/christmas-decorations.html" target="_blank">Leather</a><br />
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<b>Christmas (fruit) cakes:</b><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/fig-upside-down-cake.html" target="_blank">Figgy Upside-Down</a><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/cartacake-or-mappe-monde-on-gateaux.html" target="_blank">Marzipan Painted Fruitcake</a><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/orange-festive-layer-cake.html" target="_blank">Orange Upside-Down Layer Cake</a><br />
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<b>European Christmas Biscuits:</b><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/pepparkakor.html" target="_blank">Pepparkakor recipe</a><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/gingerbread-house.html" target="_blank">Gingerbread house template</a><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/gingerbread-stave-church.html" target="_blank">Gingerbread stave church </a><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/basler-brunsli-with-thanks-to-fleur.html" target="_blank">Basler Brunsli </a><br />
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<b>Traditions:</b><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/sharing-christmas-traditions.html" target="_blank">Die Hard and Biscuits</a><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/advent.html" target="_blank">Advent </a><br />
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<b>Flower arranging:</b><br />
<a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/holly-and-ivy.html" target="_blank">Christmas Greenery</a><br />
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<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-3364491643102427692012-12-08T22:36:00.000+00:002012-12-08T22:36:00.771+00:00Joining Ends Of Yarn With A Felting Needle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A very Simple quickie today - ever had this annoying situation? You get to the end of a ball of wool, but you're still in the middle of working a piece? There are lots of ways of joining the ends of a new ball into your work; my favoured method used to be the 'leave the dud end on the wrongside and pick up the new thread like nothing happened' method. Then you knot the loose ends together and skim them in at the end.<br />
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This is inferior! Now that I have my felting needle and mat, I can do this - all without getting up from my armchair:<br />
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Just stab until melded. You'll have one or two fatso stitches on your rightside, but who likes skimming in ends? Nobody. Who likes stabbing fluffy things? Ok, rhetorical....Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-80683634851819904682012-12-04T20:34:00.000+00:002012-12-07T15:27:39.713+00:00Needle Felted Bunnies (Twee and Rock)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since I discovered needle felting, the most Simple and adorably fluffy craft ever, I've been compulsively making stuff until I ran out of wool. This included a pair of bunnies, one of whom has a little guinea-pig friend, as presents for the adorable twee- and rock- bunny-loving people in my life this festive season. Follow the pics for a simple-as step-by step!<br />
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<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-23933533524824774152012-11-29T22:00:00.000+00:002012-11-29T22:00:52.716+00:00Needle felting Christmas decorations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fluffy little creations! Including Gay Pride Santa, who is fabulous.</td></tr>
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Hooray! It is the first Christmas post of this year, and I have discovered a new craft! And it's the Simplest yet!</div>
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NEEDLE FELTING.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S4S6mhU1_LI/UK6khnvkcqI/AAAAAAAAAh4/FcAFQzvpBDY/s1600/pomander+base.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S4S6mhU1_LI/UK6khnvkcqI/AAAAAAAAAh4/FcAFQzvpBDY/s320/pomander+base.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning the pomander, on sponge, with official needle</td></tr>
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All you need is some sponge, one or four of the official felting needles, and the right fluffy wool (available relatively expensively, compared to knitting wool) on the internet in various places and many many colours. (P.S. you can even use cat hair. Seriously, google it.)<br />
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THEN YOU STAB IT UNTIL IT LOOKS AWESOME.<br />
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Behold!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding more layers of colour is easy</td></tr>
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GAY PRIDE SANTA! PENGUIN! BIRDIE! MARY MOTHER OF JESUS! A STAR! A POMANDER!<br />
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All of these lovely things are so easy to make it's not true - just wrap the wool into shape and stab it until it sticks. The more you stab, the denser the material becomes and the less pliable. You would not believe how small a tuft you need for making eyes or dots with - just a few hairs, seriously. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Base for Mary - body cylinder, white head and cloak</td></tr>
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I am going to put threads on these beauties and give them to people as Christmas decorations, but you could make toys, a Nativity scene, beads, decorations for clothes and accessories, anything you want. I love this craft. It is the best thing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7fwn-P1STCE/UK6kVbWwpwI/AAAAAAAAAhs/mb-7CvTRJeI/s1600/mary+complete.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7fwn-P1STCE/UK6kVbWwpwI/AAAAAAAAAhs/mb-7CvTRJeI/s320/mary+complete.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Mary, with arms, white 'hands' and yellow halo</td></tr>
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I'm off to do some more...Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-9569392987600042782012-11-22T21:55:00.000+00:002012-11-22T21:55:01.200+00:00Aran Cardigan Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been raring through this pattern, after a few rookie errors with the left front the right front was easy. <br />
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Someone (who shall remain anonymous) slurred this blog recently by claiming that it is no longer quite devoted to 'simple' things. I think they think that cable jumpers are complicated. Allow me to disagree. When I have finished this, I will show you these stitches, and you will see how amazingly simple knitting a jumper like this is compared to how it looks. Admittedly, it does look pretty complicated and awesome.<br />
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<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-34521118223396654402012-11-11T22:37:00.000+00:002012-11-11T22:37:08.747+00:00Aran Style Cardigan PatternRavelry is a lovely thing - a knitting and crochet online community, where you can find thousands of free patterns. I managed to find this one after I went looking for an aran jumper. My favourite pair of cable jumpers which my mother made me are both fraying at the cuffs and being mothed at the seams. I needed a replacement, and fast - faster than Mum could make me one and post it from 6000 miles away.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aidez">http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aidez</a></div>
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To (hopefully) avoid moth damage, this jumper is made using acrylic super-bulky wool, purchased as usual at Kemps Wool Shop (link in the sidebar).<br />
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As long as you have the dexterity to stop yourself dropping the stitches, cable knitting is an insanely easy way of making your knitting projects look super-professional and difficult looking, and creating chunky, funky patterns. I'm very happy with the way the back of this turned out, and have started on the left front now.<br />
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I learned a number of new stitches from this pattern, and from the comments on it from the lady who designed it. When I've finished the jumper I'll swatch up again and show you my favourites in detail. For now - onward!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NtHNU6DapKk/UKAm-H6jJ7I/AAAAAAAAAgI/399rHOe7rvo/s1600/aran+column+twist+closeup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NtHNU6DapKk/UKAm-H6jJ7I/AAAAAAAAAgI/399rHOe7rvo/s200/aran+column+twist+closeup.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UHzfkNdDUYg/UKAnNUWrCLI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/B28zA6HH0gU/s1600/aran+interlace+repeat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UHzfkNdDUYg/UKAnNUWrCLI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/B28zA6HH0gU/s200/aran+interlace+repeat.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3OXWr0zxxds/UKAnZj3T_9I/AAAAAAAAAgY/uxcZCQeO9X8/s1600/column+double+twist+aran.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3OXWr0zxxds/UKAnZj3T_9I/AAAAAAAAAgY/uxcZCQeO9X8/s200/column+double+twist+aran.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-90115612289766033562012-10-28T15:16:00.000+00:002012-10-28T15:16:15.765+00:00League Of Legends Nexus Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1QEd8kHd_C0/UI1LfM6D8JI/AAAAAAAAAfg/C7-GDey_6h8/s1600/nexus+cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1QEd8kHd_C0/UI1LfM6D8JI/AAAAAAAAAfg/C7-GDey_6h8/s400/nexus+cake.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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'What flavour of birthday cake do you want, darling?' I ask The Man.<br />
'Big.'<br />
'Big what?'<br />
'Muh, dunno. Chocolate.'<br />
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'Chocolate' wasn't good enough for me, so I made a 28cm-diameter chocolate-and cherry cake,<br />
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and a 28cm white chocolate-and-ginger cake, cut them into regular hexagons,<br />
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iced them with ginger syrup buttercream and chocolate ganache,<br />
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and covered them in ready-roll fondant,<br />
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and scored the fondant into 'stone walls,' and added more vanilla cake covered in more chocolate and fondant,<br />
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hexagons of blue fondant, and made marzipan 'statues' of wizards with blue birthday candles for staffs and cocktail sticks holding their heads on, with fondant cloaks, and six piped triangles and one piped hexagon of macaroon/meringue <br />
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assembled into a regular 6-sided pyramid filled with small round macaroon and whipped cream, covered in more blue fondant. <br />
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And added green coconut buttercream 'moss' and candided angelica 'weeds'. <br />
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Until it looked something like this: <br />
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This was not a Simple Thing to do. Do not try this at home, kids.<br />
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Or do, but be aware that the Faff Index occasionally goes up to 11.<br />
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The final thing needed a total of 16 eggs, a kilogram of butter and half a kilo of chocolate. I think that counts as 'Big.'Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-70701855773778160382012-10-23T22:15:00.000+01:002012-10-23T22:15:40.898+01:00Cross-stitch update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As you can see, with little else to do I have been getting on with my cross-stitch. The brown border does look a little overpowering, but hopefully I can fill out the tree itself a few more bits and pieces and make the main pattern more eye-catching later.<br />
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The little animals in the branches have been coming off well; I am particularly pleased with the squirrel.<br />
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I also wanted to share with the Internet the following amusing photo of some fried eggs, which I thought rather resembled Edvard Munch's The Scream.<br />
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That's all; it has been quiet on the crafty front the last month while I've been filling in forms and so on in my spare time, but I'm looking forward to the Man's birthday cake this week which should be gracing these pages soon. Not to mention I have just ordered some more wool from Kemps with which to make my first proper jumper - an aran cardigan to replace the well-worn and over-mothed ones which my mother made me years ago, whose sleeves are suffering.<br />
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<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-8654215028217813812012-10-05T16:01:00.002+01:002012-10-05T16:01:34.274+01:00Fig Upside-Down CakeI made this cake on the fly as a thank-you present for lots of people. It needed to be rich and square so that everyone could take a small piece which would satisfy them and not spoil the shape of the cake. I think it would make a lovely low-key Christmas cake for those who are not big on the traditional version.<br />
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<b>Fig Upside-Down Cake</b><br />
You Will Need: 20cm square cake tin, scissors and greaseproof paper, scales, large bowl, small bowl, teaspoon, kettle, chopping board and knife, sieve, wooden spoon, dinner knife, lemon zester or grater, rolling pin, cooling rack, serving dish.<br />
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4 ripe figs<br />
40g hazelnuts<br />
8oz soft butter<br />
6 1/2 oz caster sugar<br />
3tsp honey<br />
12 fresh dates<br />
2 large handfuls of sultanas<br />
2 Lady Grey teabags<br />
4 eggs<br />
zest one orange<br />
8oz self-raising flour<br />
100g golden marzipan<br />
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1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease the bottom of your tin. Cut two long slices of greaseproof paper, and cross them in the bottom of the tin. <br />
2) Cut the stalks off your figs. Slice them into 3mm slices. Use to line the bottom of your tin in a symmetrical pattern. Scatter hazelnuts into the gaps between the fig slices.<br />
3) Chop the dates, removing the stones. Put them in a bowl with the sultanas and teabags; add just enough boiling water to cover them. Allow to steep.<br />
4) Cream the butter, honey and sugar in the large bowl. Add one egg at a time, beating in well, followed by some of the flour, then the next egg. Beat to a smooth mixture. Zest the orange and stir in the zest.<br />
5) Drain the fruits in the sieve and add the dry fruits to the mixture. Mix gently. Spoon half of this mixture into the tin, being careful not to spoil the fig pattern.<br />
6) Roll out the block of marzipan into a square, about 2mm thick and smaller than your tin. Place on top of the mix in the tin, then pour the rest of the mix on top. Level the mixture.<br />
7) Bake for about 40+ minutes, if necessary with a tinfoil hat on to prevent browning. <br />
8) Cool for a long time in the tin before turning out, first to the cooling rack and then sliding onto the final plate.Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-18509664035079900552012-09-17T17:49:00.002+01:002012-10-13T10:34:16.607+01:00Decadent Pear and Chocolate Birthday Cake<br />
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A little while ago I mentioned <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/sex-candy-cake-and-sweet-sweet.html" target="_blank">this cake</a>, and <a href="http://simplethingstomakeanddo.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/white-chocolate-nectarine-cake.html" target="_blank">this one</a> which I made in response. My good friend made a beautiful-looking pear and dark chocolate version, although much like me she struggled with unripe fruit and getting the curd to set. I was sorry I didn't get to taste it, as it has really inspired my second try.<br />
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I really wanted to get this right. It is high time I had a proper show-stopping torte on my resumé which I can whip out for other people's birthdays as well as my own. This time I made sure to buy my pears a week in advance, so that they would be juicy and flavoursome by the time it came to making the cake. Thankfully, it is by far the best cake I have ever made!<br />
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This is an expensive confection as it involves buying hazelnuts (peeled nuts are a luxury in this country for shame) and a bottle of decent sweet wine. Thankfully fruit and chocolate are both cheap! It is also a multi-stage bastard. As I have said, usually I avoid multi-stage anything like the plague, being of the 'screw it we'll have stew' school of culinary excellence, but for one's birthday as a known baker one has to go the extra mile. <br />
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One benefit of these sorts of cakes is that almost any of the stages stands alone. The praline is a great peanut brittle substitute, the cake is obviously pleasant, the poached pears are a great pudding in and of themselves and the ganache could be used to make truffles. If you've been paying attention, you'll realise that I made all of these things one at a time over the past few days, to avoid a nine-hour baking binge on the night of the party.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v37AfvTx6Q8/UGC3QC8eNZI/AAAAAAAAAb8/0-WQsqrogas/s1600/pear+hazelnut+ingredients.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v37AfvTx6Q8/UGC3QC8eNZI/AAAAAAAAAb8/0-WQsqrogas/s200/pear+hazelnut+ingredients.JPG" width="150" /></a>For shopping lists: Total chocolate used overall 500g, total cream used overall 300ml, total hazelnuts 400g<br />
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<b><u>Spiced Pear and Chocolate Cake with Indulgent Pears and Hazelnut Praline</u></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<b>You Will Need:</b><br />
Hazelnut Praline, one batch - three decorative pieces, the rest powdered<br />
Chocolate Ganache, one batch <br />
Pears Poached in Sweet Wine, - 4 pears' worth including three pear fans to decorate<br />
100g hazelnuts, to decorate <br />
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<b>Spiced Pear And Chocolate Cakes</b><br />
You Will Need: scales, 2 tins, greaseproof paper, wooden spoon, large bowl, chopping board and knife, (small grater),potato peeler, teaspoon, whisk, 2 medium bowls, cup, small saucepan, cooling rack<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5TexAQw_kjo/UGC1lKoQlNI/AAAAAAAAAbI/9gkTCDitsak/s1600/melting+choc+butter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5TexAQw_kjo/UGC1lKoQlNI/AAAAAAAAAbI/9gkTCDitsak/s200/melting+choc+butter.JPG" width="150" /></a>100g chocolate<br />
200g butter<br />
200g sugar<br />
5 eggs<br />
2 small pears<br />
1/2tsp nutmeg, or 1/2 a nutmeg grated<br />
1/2tsp cinnamon<br />
100g hazelnuts<br />
200g self-raising flour<br />
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1) Preheat the oven to 180degC. Line and grease your tins.<br />
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2) Peel, core and chop the pears into small pieces.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6N_AzLT5gA/UGC3q8qqnKI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/O4oWA90-GwE/s1600/slice+choc+pear+cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6N_AzLT5gA/UGC3q8qqnKI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/O4oWA90-GwE/s200/slice+choc+pear+cake.JPG" width="200" /></a>3) Separate your eggs, with the whites going into one medium bowl and the yolks a cup. Cut the butter into small pieces, and break up the chocolate. Set the second medium bowl over a pan of boiling water, and melt the chocolate, sugar and butter together. When the mixture is all mixed with no lumps, transfer to the large bowl and whisk in the egg yolks gradually.<br />
4) Grind the hazelnuts, and mix with the flour and spices on the scales. Wash the whisk; whisk the egg whites to soft-peak stage; fold spoonfuls into the mixture alternately with flour, whisking the whites back up to peaks again between spoonfuls.<br />
5) Pour equally into the tins and bake 30-35 minutes, until risen and clean-skewer.<br />
6) Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes. Remove from the tins and allow to cool on a rack.<br />
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<b>Assembly</b><br />
You Will Need: Serving dish, breadboard, breadknife, spoon, medium bowl, small bowl, small saucepan, teaspoons, dinner knife<br />
<br />
200ml thick cream<br />
200g dark chocolate<br />
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1) Allow your ganache to come back to room temperature so that you can work with it.<br />
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2) Cut your cakes. Very gently turn out the first cake onto the serving dish. Now cut it in two carefully, and shuffle the top half onto the breadboard. <br />
3) Spread a thick ring of ganache all the way around the edge of the cake on the serving dish, using your teaspoons and dinnerknife to manipulate it.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WfoUgZlCUfM/UGC2M22weAI/AAAAAAAAAbY/JOf01GalvNQ/s1600/pear+cake+cut+layers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-chIjSNPlwEk/UGC33c0dtnI/AAAAAAAAAcY/1ii0kv1x5RA/s1600/top+layer+choc+pear.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-chIjSNPlwEk/UGC33c0dtnI/AAAAAAAAAcY/1ii0kv1x5RA/s200/top+layer+choc+pear.JPG" width="200" /></a>4) Mix the hazelnut praline powder powder gently with the thick cream only until mixed. Spoon a round of this mixture inside the ganache ring. Top with the next round of cake.<br />
5) Turn out the second cake onto the breadboard and cut it in two. <br />
5) For the central filling layer, arrange the poached pear slices in an overlapping layer. Top with a third round of cake.<br />
6) Use the remaining ganache and hazelnut cream to fill the third round, as before. Top with the final cake.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4jcdSF8kmXk/UGC2eb-zDjI/AAAAAAAAAbg/_AtN7cpVBh4/s1600/pear+fan+close.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4jcdSF8kmXk/UGC2eb-zDjI/AAAAAAAAAbg/_AtN7cpVBh4/s200/pear+fan+close.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WfoUgZlCUfM/UGC2M22weAI/AAAAAAAAAbY/JOf01GalvNQ/s1600/pear+cake+cut+layers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WfoUgZlCUfM/UGC2M22weAI/AAAAAAAAAbY/JOf01GalvNQ/s200/pear+cake+cut+layers.JPG" width="200" /></a>7) Melt the last chocolate in the small bowl over the small pan. Pour this melted chocolate all over the cake, first spreading a layer to catch all the crumbs, then allowing it to dribble over the sides organically. Allow to cool slightly. Fan out the poached pear halves in a trio; wedge the chunks of praline in between the pears. Place hazelnuts evenly around the edge to mark portion sizes.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Fin! Serve to no fewer than a dozen people at once!</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6KqVs9-qOsI/UGC11tggu5I/AAAAAAAAAbQ/hLzWNKYEVFU/s1600/paer+cake+cutting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6KqVs9-qOsI/UGC11tggu5I/AAAAAAAAAbQ/hLzWNKYEVFU/s320/paer+cake+cutting.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-84166707926899714822012-09-17T17:43:00.000+01:002012-09-19T21:33:29.295+01:00Pears Poached In Sweet Wine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c3-IysUaCzY/UFoq_ZKeFCI/AAAAAAAAAaU/aKME189V76s/s1600/pear+fan+close.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c3-IysUaCzY/UFoq_ZKeFCI/AAAAAAAAAaU/aKME189V76s/s400/pear+fan+close.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYbprlB03dc/UForLxi1_sI/AAAAAAAAAac/pvHTzdE6MLg/s1600/pear+ingredients.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYbprlB03dc/UForLxi1_sI/AAAAAAAAAac/pvHTzdE6MLg/s200/pear+ingredients.JPG" width="200" /></a>This pudding is one of my father's favourites, from the worst-laid-out cookbook either of us has ever seen, authored by Nigel Slater, one of my favourite food people. This isn't Nigel's recipe<b>, </b>because it uses sweet wine instead of red, but red is traditional.<br />
It is a law of cooking that if (as generally recommended) you save the sh*te wine for cooking, your cooking will taste of sh*te wine. Splash out on the £6.99 stuff on offer from £10 - you can always drink the rest of the bottle.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mGj7VT01BNo/UFoqnE40sOI/AAAAAAAAAaE/-o2HiRtOdEI/s1600/cored+pears.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mGj7VT01BNo/UFoqnE40sOI/AAAAAAAAAaE/-o2HiRtOdEI/s200/cored+pears.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Pears Poached In Sweet Wine</b><br />
You Will Need: Medium saucepan, measuring jug, wooden spoon, teaspoon, chopping board and knife, potato peeler, plate<br />
<br />
4 small pears<br />
350ml good sweet wine such as Muscat<br />
30g sugar<br />
100ml water<br />
1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped<br />
6 cloves<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CKmBK_itfQQ/UForYJBtOyI/AAAAAAAAAak/sa3hvKyuS7U/s1600/poaching+pears.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CKmBK_itfQQ/UForYJBtOyI/AAAAAAAAAak/sa3hvKyuS7U/s320/poaching+pears.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
1)
Peel and cut the pears into halves lengthways, scooping out the cores with the end of the teaspoon.<br />
1a) If making my pear and chocolate birthday cake, make sure that you keep three half-pears with stalks on to make into decorative fans for the top. Peel and core these too.<br />
2)
Melt the sugar in the water in the saucepan. Split the vanilla pod. Scrape the vanilla seeds with the end of your knife into the pan; add the other spices including the pod, and swirl
until golden and fragrant. Add the wine carefully. (Method from Jamie
Oliver). Bring the mixture to a simmer, and add the pears. Cook for
approximately half an hour, until tender.<br />
3) Retrieve the pears with the spoon.<br />
3a) If you are making the pear and chocolate birthday cake, cut all but three half-pears into long slices for a filling layer. Carefully cut the stalked three into fans, and keep these aside.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LmLVEG5d7Q/UFoqzfpIi6I/AAAAAAAAAaM/DfWmVgKv228/s1600/finished+pears.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LmLVEG5d7Q/UFoqzfpIi6I/AAAAAAAAAaM/DfWmVgKv228/s400/finished+pears.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Protip: Save the cooking liquid as a hot toddy - it tastes AWESOME. Cook's perks! Or reduce slightly and serve as a sauce for the pears, if doing as a pudding. Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-43733866688554385282012-09-17T17:42:00.001+01:002012-10-13T10:34:39.137+01:00Chocolate Ganache<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JtumVR0pCB8/UFop21lMd1I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/cZElu9h1YjQ/s1600/ganache.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JtumVR0pCB8/UFop21lMd1I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/cZElu9h1YjQ/s320/ganache.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Chocolate Ganache</b><br />
You Will Need: Small saucepan, wooden spoon, medium bowl, scales, measuing jug, chopping board and sharp knife, clingfilm<br />
<br />
100ml extra thick cream<br />
200g dark chocolate<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wI15NU-sB88/UFoqDeR9_SI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/u0ZXIZdyqsI/s1600/chopped+choc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wI15NU-sB88/UFoqDeR9_SI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/u0ZXIZdyqsI/s320/chopped+choc.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
1) Break the chocolate into small pieces and chop as small as you can. Pour these chips into the bowl.<br />
2) Heat the cream until hot but not boiling. Pour swiftly over the chocolate, and stir rapidly until all of the chocolate is melted. If the cream becomes too cool, heat the ganache very gently again over a pan of hot water.<br />
3) When mixed, cover the ganache with clingfilm, and allow to cool back to room temperature. Chill in the fridge.<br />
4) To make truffles, cover your hands in cocoa powder, take teaspoonfuls of room-temperature ganache, roll into balls and then roll in cocoa, chopped nuts or other flavourings. Ganache can also be piped as a decoration or filling. Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-27622989705698539862012-09-08T17:33:00.000+01:002012-09-08T17:33:02.287+01:00Hazelnut Praline<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-unt_QtNxtVc/UEtxNMilGNI/AAAAAAAAAY0/UiCe3Q09ITs/s1600/brittle+close.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-unt_QtNxtVc/UEtxNMilGNI/AAAAAAAAAY0/UiCe3Q09ITs/s400/brittle+close.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VJDW93-hjyA/UEtxwvLCEvI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/1IJU8Tla3MA/s1600/hazelnuts+sugar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VJDW93-hjyA/UEtxwvLCEvI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/1IJU8Tla3MA/s200/hazelnuts+sugar.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
This. Stuff. Smells. AMAZEBALLS. If you like hazelnuts (and who doesn't?) this is the best way I have ever experienced of getting a proper fragrant waft of them right in your face, covered in sugar. <br />
Use a decent-sized saucepan, to make the change in the colour of the sugar easier to detect. I burnt one batch because I turned my back on it to grease my baking tray, in the erroneous belief that it would take ages. This is reflected in the instructions. Watch your sugar very carefully.<br />
<br />
<b>Hazelnut Praline</b><br />
You Will Need: Baking tray, greaseproof paper, scales, saucepan, wooden spoon, spoon (food processor)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6qBAiNz5kf8/UEtw0poEG_I/AAAAAAAAAYk/dF47Lqb6j_M/s1600/blond+caramel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6qBAiNz5kf8/UEtw0poEG_I/AAAAAAAAAYk/dF47Lqb6j_M/s320/blond+caramel.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dissolved sugar, just beginning to colour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
butter smudge<br />
200g hazelnuts<br />
200g sugar<br />
100ml water<br />
<br />
1) Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, and grease the paper with butter.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_IGuwgqY74/UEtx9AaqIaI/AAAAAAAAAZY/icMaPfk9In0/s1600/turning+caramel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_IGuwgqY74/UEtx9AaqIaI/AAAAAAAAAZY/icMaPfk9In0/s320/turning+caramel.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting towards to that golden colour that you want</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
2)
Heat 100g of the sugar and 50ml water in the saucepan. Let the sugar dissolve, and
then let it cook on a medium-high heat without stirring it at all for a while until a
golden colour. DO NOT SUCCUMB to the stirring monster. If the sugar
gets too dark it is burnt; throw it away and start again (use boiling
water from a kettle to clean sugary pans). <br />
3)
When the sugar is golden, pour in the hazelnuts, and coat them in the sugar as well as possible. Pour the mixture out onto the baking
tray, and spread it out into a single layer using the back of a metal spoon. Leave to cool.<br />
4) Meanwhile, clean the pan; make another batch of caramel with the remaining sugar and water, and pour over the hazelnuts to fill in the gaps. Leave to cool.<br />
5) When cool, peel the brittle off the greaseproof paper. You now have different things you can do with it:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Coat or drizzle with chocolate and break into pieces for a decadent sweetie/candy present.</li>
<li>Break into pieces to use as cake decoration. If making my pear-and-chocolate birthday cake, break off three large pieces for this purpose.</li>
<li>Smash into small pieces and blend in the food processor until the texture of sand. This can then be added to other ingredients to make homemade Nutella OR, if making my birthday cake, saved to mix with cream to make a pipe-able hazelnut filling.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wMGJq0mhiO4/UEtxAe2XASI/AAAAAAAAAYs/k541RMEwwCM/s1600/brittle+broken.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wMGJq0mhiO4/UEtxAe2XASI/AAAAAAAAAYs/k541RMEwwCM/s320/brittle+broken.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SO TASTY</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qxYDFidgDb0/UEtxZXLX-oI/AAAAAAAAAZA/dgfxTH5BzjM/s1600/brittle+praline.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qxYDFidgDb0/UEtxZXLX-oI/AAAAAAAAAZA/dgfxTH5BzjM/s320/brittle+praline.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday ingredients: left, decorative chunks; right, praline powder</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-88207134055514088382012-09-01T12:17:00.000+01:002012-09-01T12:17:00.243+01:00Toffee Banana Crackle Trifles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SExnYKyH8Es/UDoFjMDqujI/AAAAAAAAAYI/YxzpU8r7iIk/s1600/banana+crackle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SExnYKyH8Es/UDoFjMDqujI/AAAAAAAAAYI/YxzpU8r7iIk/s400/banana+crackle.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Crap! Dinner party in half an hour, haven't bought ingredients yet! Smooth organising there E!<br />
-Buy bananas, pasta stuff, peas (for soup).<br />
-Make soup. Cook half the pasta things, get pan of hot water going. Toast porridge oats (bear with me).<br />
-eat soup. Finish my soup first, leave others chatting, finish pasta things.<br />
-Eat pasta. Finish my pasta first, start making pudding. <br />
<br />
This is a super-easy, foolproof (if you time it right) good-looking pudding with minimum Faff Index (I would say a Faff of 4/10, because other than watching a grill (bear with me) it has absolutely no difficult steps) - which is perfect for small or large dinner gatherings. They went down a storm, with only one complaint/suggestion from the Man which I have incorporated here. This was lucky as I spent some of the evening going OMG why did I agree to make nice food at 5 minutes notice per course I am an idiot, and having a successful, bloggable pudding makes me feel worthy and nice again :)<br />
<br />
<b>Toffee Banana Crackle Triflets (Serves 4 +)</b><br />
You Will Need: serving bowls; chopping board and sharp knife; baking tray; two teaspoons; small saucepan.<br />
<br />
Number of bananas equal to number of people who deserve them<br />
Extra thick double cream OR vanilla / nutty icecream<br />
porridge oats<br />
walnuts<br />
caster sugar<br />
butter<br />
<br />
1) Scatter the porridge oats on the baking tray, and toast them under the grill until branflake coloured and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Allow the tray to cool.<br />
2) Cut the bananas into narrow diagonal pieces and arrange the pieces in the bowls, one nana per person.<br />
3) Dollop cream or icecream on the nanas.<br />
4) Scatter porridge oats on the cream to give a good scatty coating. Chop the walnuts not too finely and scatter these too.<br />
5) In the small pan, heat about a heaped dessertspoonful of caster sugar per person and a *tiny* slither of butter over a high heat, until the sugar has completely melted and is a rich dark brown.<br />
6) Using your clean teaspoon, drizzle the toffee crackling over the puddings. Listen to the crackly noise! Try to avoid getting the crackle on the sides of the bowls as it will dry on and be harder to get off. <br />
<br />
ProTip: When washing up toffee apparatus, boil a kettle and use to rinse / soften baked on sugar, and scrape at it with wooden implements. Don't try to pick at it with your fingernails or other apparatus it will just break things and you.<br />
<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-19555494661571891642012-08-26T11:46:00.000+01:002012-10-13T10:35:00.437+01:00No-Scales Easy Chocolate And Banana Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D2QTQhCv4eE/UDoDisecIwI/AAAAAAAAAXs/GkeJ3h9gzZw/s1600/banana+cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D2QTQhCv4eE/UDoDisecIwI/AAAAAAAAAXs/GkeJ3h9gzZw/s320/banana+cake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Leftover bananas. There are always some, at least one little black bastard sitting there getting smelly and ripening all your other fruit. What to do with them? My mother used to make milkshakes with vanilla icecream; the mother-out-law makes smoothies (which I can't stand); I make cake. I do have a 'banana bread' recipe somewhere, but this stodgy wonder is a good'un for pudding. It's also mostly banana, which is kind of the point.<br />
<br />
I usually despise Americans for measuring things by volume, but in this case it's just too easy.<br />
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<br /></div>
<b>Easy Banana and Chocolate Cake</b><br />
<br />
You Will Need: Chopping board and knife; dessertspoon; large bowl; wooden spoon; small bowl; fork; 8 inch circular tin<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjEt06UxTGU/UDoD09p4j6I/AAAAAAAAAX0/t5cK1OkH4hg/s1600/banana+cake+ingredients.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjEt06UxTGU/UDoD09p4j6I/AAAAAAAAAX0/t5cK1OkH4hg/s320/banana+cake+ingredients.JPG" width="320" /></a>3 bananas<br />
1/2 bar dark chocolate<br />
large handful walnuts<br />
1 egg<br />
4 dessertspoonfuls walnut/groundnut/vegetable oil<br />
3 rounded dessertspoonfuls brown sugar<br />
3 heaped dessertspoonfuls self-raising flour<br />
<br />
1) Preheat the oven and grease the tin. Chop the bananas, chocolate and walnuts into small chunks, and mix in the large bowl.<br />
2) Add the sugar. Beat the egg and add to the bowl; add the oil. Mix well until gloopy.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1IGNVlBWtnw/UDoEHhOzulI/AAAAAAAAAX8/dQCJNuPOFmY/s1600/banana+cake+chopping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1IGNVlBWtnw/UDoEHhOzulI/AAAAAAAAAX8/dQCJNuPOFmY/s320/banana+cake+chopping.JPG" width="320" /></a>3) Heap out desserspoonfuls of flour one at a time, mixing as you go. Add a little more if the mix looks too runny; you should be able to pull a clean track through the mix with your spoon and it should look pretty sticky.<br />
4) Pour into the tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Look out for skewering choccy chunks as they will give a false negative. Cool, turn out and cool some more.<br />
<br />
5) Om nom nom!<br />
<br />
<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2815828181365923498.post-34185241619599387762012-08-13T12:12:00.001+01:002012-10-13T10:35:26.206+01:00White Chocolate Nectarine Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XU-x9Op-zwc/UCjdNSEOphI/AAAAAAAAAWE/hmRM1tQhHJc/s1600/finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XU-x9Op-zwc/UCjdNSEOphI/AAAAAAAAAWE/hmRM1tQhHJc/s400/finished.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5cFuq4yJ9Ls/UHWgBvuWNgI/AAAAAAAAAc4/UpZw7SK5MEM/s1600/small+hex+cakes.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I don't usually make cakes like this. I usually despair of the faff of multiple-stage, gooey, sugar-heating concoctions with complicated fillings. They go against all my principles. They are (I believe) really no tastier than simple ones. And yet, when a friend approached me with <a href="http://brielegrandfromage.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/sex-candy-cake-and-sweet-sweet.html" target="_blank">this recipe</a>, and I said 'i'm not making this, see above also I hate mango,' she was able to persuade me to do an Elisabeth-friendly version. It uses proper British measures by weight (not those blasted 'cups'), nectarines (one of my favourite fruits) and white chocolate. It went down a storm at the girly baking day yesterday, and I'm already thinking up ways to improve it and riff on it to use as a birthday cake in a few weeks' time. You will notice that much of the equipment for this cake overlaps in the different stages, so don't be afraid to wash up as you go along.</div>
<br />
<u><b>Stupidly Complex Squidgy Ginger, White Chocolate And Nectarine Toffee Cake</b></u><br />
<br />
<b>Nectarine Curd</b><br />
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You Will Need: sharp knife, chopping board, small saucepan, blender, sieve, cup, two small bowls, wooden spoon<br />
11oz ripe nectarines, stoned (about three; also you will need one or so for decorating later)<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
6 oz sugar<br />
2 oz butter<br />
1) De-stone the nectarines by cutting all the way around them and twisting gently on each half. Chop them into small pieces. Put them in the saucepan with a splash of water, and simmer until disintegrating. Blend the mixture to a smooth puree, and keep aside in a small bowl or the blender compartment.<br />
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2) In a clean saucepan, heat a little water and set another small bowl above it. Melt the butter in the bowl. Separate each egg with the whites going into a cup and the yolks into the butter. Add the sugar to the butter and eggs, and mix well over a gentle heat. Add the puree.<br />
3) Cook for about half an hour or until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. If too runny, add another egg yolk. Strain the mixture through the sieve, forcing it through with the spoon, into a bowl. Discard any fruity bits which can't go through the sieve, and set the curd in the fridge to cool fully.<br />
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<b>Cake</b><br />
You Will Need: Tin 23cm across, baking paper, scissors, scales, large bowl, wooden spoon, small bowl, strong whisk, spatula, skewer, cooling rack, two plates, breadknife<br />
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3 eggs<br />
8oz butter (Kerry Gold)<br />
6oz sugar<br />
8oz self raising flour<br />
4tsp ground ginger<br />
1) Preheat the oven to 180degrees C. Line and grease the tin.<br />
2) In the large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Separate the eggs, with the yolks going into the big bowl and the whites a small one. Mix in the egg yolks; add the flour and ginger a little at a time.<br />
3) Whisk the eggwhites to soft peaks in the small bowl, and carefully fold them into the cake mix until it is runny enough to use the whisk. Whisk the mixture together, and pour into the tin. Smooth down the surface of the mixture, leaving a dent in the middle to encourage a flat cake.<br />
4) Bake approximately 45 minutes, or to clean-skewer. Remove when done to a cooling rack, and turn out.<br />
5) Leave to cool for a good while. Turn right-side up and trim off the domed top of the cake. Eat this later. Put the remaining cake on a plate; carefully saw through it to make two layers with the breadknife and shuffle the top half onto the second plate. Leave to cool completely (I had to set a 15-minute timer and use peer pressure to stop me fiddling with it.)<br />
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<b>Candied nectarines</b><br />
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You Will Need: sharp knife, chopping board, small pan, tray, greaseproof paper, small plate, wooden skewers, wooden spoon, kettle<br />
1 1/2 nectarines <br />
4 tablespoons caster sugar<br />
2 tablespoons chunky brown sugar<br />
1) Slice the nectarines. Line the tray with greaseproof paper.<br />
2) Heat the caster sugar in a clean, dry, small saucepan until melted and golden-brown. Meanwhile put the chunky-grained brown sugar on the small plate.<br />
3) Coat each slice in toffee, then turn it out first into the chunky sugar, and then onto the tray. Leave to cool.<br />
4) Boil the kettle and pour into the toffee pan to get the crusted sugar off easily. Then wash up as normal. <br />
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<b>Ganache</b><br />
You Will Need: chopping board; sharp knife; bowl; small pan; measuring jug, spoon<br />
400g white chocolate<br />
200ml cream<br />
1) Measure out 200ml of cream, and heat it very gently in the pan without boiling it.<br />
2) Chop the white chocolate into very small pieces, and put in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir gently until the ganache is smooth. If the cream cools too quickly to get rid of all the lumps, heat the ganache over a pan of hot water on the hob, stirring all the time until smooth.<br />
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<b>Assembly</b><br />
You Will Need: Small plastic sandwich bag, scissors, spoon, knife, cake components<br />
1) Gather everything you need. Spread the sandwich bag securely open, and spoon some of the white chocolate ganache into it. Squeeze all of the mixture into one corner of the bag, and cut a little corner off with the scissors. Pipe a wide spiral of ganache all around the lower half of the cake.<br />
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2) Fill the gaps around the spiral with the nectarine curd. Any left over will keep in a jar in the fridge for 3 weeks.<br />
3) Lift the top cake onto the bottom cake. Spread the remaining ganache over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Decorate with the candy slices. (n.b. version pictured used half as much ganache, but I doubled it in the blog recipe so that your crusts would be covered.)<br />
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4) Eat, eat, enjoy!<br />
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<br />Elisabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03676509699418684868noreply@blogger.com2