Friday's Fancies

Happy friday folks! And just like that February is almost over and what a crazy month it's been! New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, monster storm on the East coast, the launch of Vine App by Twitter, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day and how can we forget Taco Bell's viva young commercial during the Superbowl. All of this in the shortest month of the year. I'm still reveling from my birthday celebrations and quite certain that I've already met my cake quota for the year.

So tell me readers, how did you spend your February?

Absolutely ecstatic when I received this little ray of sunshine in the mail from my mum and sister. Doesn't this butter yellow colour just conjur up images of cupcakes and lemon meringue? I can't help but envision trays and trays of pretty pastel cupcakes scattered across my kitchen floor while I'm standing by my new mixer with a spatula in one hand and the tail of my Marchesa in the other. Is it obvious how much of a Tim Walker fan I am? 

As if splurging on a little birthday treat wasn't enough. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened my mail to find the sweetest little thank you note from the wonderful staff at Nordies. That just goes to show, true style stems from the heart.

Throwing my first brunch of the year with ample sweet treats and sushi. None of which are very brunchy but together makes up the perfect feast, a healthy main followed by decadent dessert. Oh and let's not forget the most important component of brunch- champagne! 

I don't know why people frown upon child labour. Little hands are wonderful for peeling garlic! These little pungent balls of fun have been wonderful at keeping my kids entertained for no end. All of a sudden my little energizer bunnies are transformed into focused little workers.

By now every blogger I know has now some form of Prabal Gurung for Target in their closet. When you look at it you understand why it was such a popular collection. Punchy graphics in wearable styles at an affordable price, this may just be the best designer collab Target has put together. For me, the best part was the shoes. Every style was a nod to it's designer doppleganger making it affordable to achieve runway looks for the every girl.  I only wish they didn't sell out so fast. 

Happy 100

Goodness me, 100 posts already? This definitely calls for some bubblies. When I first started blogging a short 6 months ago, never had I thought I'd make it to 100 blog entries. But here I am now still blogging away (and loving it too might I add). Thank you to all my wonderful readers, I am ever grateful for your continued support. Here's a recap of some golden oldies for anyone new to {camo meets couture}. Now about that glass of bubbly...

{from top left to bottom right: introducing me . wintry mix . gingham diaries . australian pavlova . first birthday party . salted caramel banana jar cake} 

Friday's Fancies

Happy Friday! Hope everyone's been having a wonderful week. Mine has been eventful to say the least. This week I discovered that if your iPhone accidentally ends up in the washing machine it may not necessarily be the end of your world. Mine went through an hour of soak, wash and spin and amazingly came out alive. That's right, you heard me! After a day of charging, my iPhone miraculously came back to life, even my sim card was still operational. Talk about value for money! Here's a look at some of the other less eventful things that went on this week. 

Forget Pinterest, there's so much beauty in the mundane, one just has to open their eyes to see it. I cannot begin to describe how happy I get whenever I come across beautiful little details hidden amongst the everyday. It's little surprises like that, that lifts the human spirit. 

I bought my very first pair of Karen Walker sunnies back in 2004 and ever since then I've had a soft spot for her line. Enter 2012, the latest addition to my KW collection these quirky black, white and fluro yellow cat eye sunnies. When my mum first saw these she thought I was wearing a pair of movie theatre 3D glasses. I guess they're not for everyone. What do you think? 

Isn't everything so much better when it comes in little wooden crates? I came across this adorable vegetable stand at a local farmers market. And even though I wasn't in need of any root vegetables, the allure of the wooden crate was enough to draw me in and empty my pockets.  

This was how we spent last sunday. I think the girls were on that hammock for a good hour. Talk about low maintenance. 

Imagine biting into a delicious fresh baked pain au chocolat, except instead of chocolate you bite into a melted slab of toblerone! My sister introduced me to these delicious little pastries this week and I am hooked! Best part is, they are readily available for purchase at any supermarket. Well, that is unless they're sold out which happens more times than none. 

Vanilla Scones with Strawberry Cream

Forget the steam engine, the industrial revolution, or heck even the English language. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest Great Britain's greatest contribution to the world will always be their afternoon tea ritual and subsequently all the delicious nibbles associated with it. Okay, so I probably exaggerated a teensy tiny bit but the fact of the matter is, I really really like afternoon tea (and morning tea). There's nothing better than taking some time out in the middle of a busy day to just sit and enjoy a quiet spot of tea with homemade scones.  It's one of my greatest indulgences and a daily ritual I uphold with the utmost importance. It's right up there alongside wearing underwear and brushing my teeth (yes I have a problem).

Now when it comes to the world of scones, they exist in every form imaginable. Savory, sweet, citrus, cheese, raisins, pumpkin, potato, bacon, onion, the list goes on. But my favourite way to have them is the traditional way- plain with clotted cream and jam (strawberry jam that is). This recipe is a slight variation on the basic scone. The use of cream rather than butter results in a scone that still remains soft even when cold (fellow scone aficionados will understand the importance of this statement). I also find by adding fresh strawberries to the usual cream and jam mixture to give the scones a little tartness and a better bite. Try it out next time, you'll see what I mean.

 

Vanilla Scones

1 cup cream

1 cup milk

4 cups plain flour

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp caster sugar

1. Preheat oven to 200C degrees and line tray with baking paper. 

2. Sift flour, sugar and a pinch of salt into large bowl.

3. Combine cream, milk and vanilla extract and add to dry ingredients.

4. Using a flat-bladded knife, slowly 'cut' the mixture together. The key is to combine but not over mix.

5. Roll out the dough onto a clean surface, knead until smooth and flatten to approximately 25mm thickness. Note, kneading too much will result in a tough texture. 

6. Use cookie cutters to cut each scone out and transfer to prepared baking tray. Lightly sprinkle flour over each scone.  

7. Bake for 10 minutes or until scones have risen and are slightly coloured. Cover with a tea towel and leave the scones on the tray for 10 minutes.

* Recipe yields roughly 20 scones 5cm in size. 

Strawberry Cream 

1 handful of fresh strawberries sliced

2 tbsp strawberry jam

2/3 cup of double cream 

1. Spoon strawberry jam into bowl and stir till softened.

2. Add cream to jam mixture and lightly swirl to combine. Do not over mix. 

3. Add sliced strawberries to mixture.

4. Pile onto warm scones, prepare to scoff down the lot. 

* You can substitute fresh whipped cream for double cream. 

A Very Glittery First Birthday

It's monday and I have the post-party blues. This past weekend my baby girl had her very first birthday party. There was an abundance of pink, glitter, and red balloons. It was everything that a first birthday should be.

When it comes to throwing parties for the girls, I try to play super-mum and make everything myself. After all, hand-made is always better than store-bought, no? Everything that you see in the following pictures were either made by myself or my sister. I must also mention my mum who cooked two tables full of main dishes that I forgot to photograph (oops).

Seeing my two girls eyes light up that morning when they were greeted with hundreds of balloons and all the pretty food and decorations just made my day. It may have been my daughter's birthday but their giant grins were the best present I could ever receive. For anyone keen on planning their own party, full details at the bottom of the page.

 

 

DECORATIONS

- The gold fish scale feature wall was made from circles cut out of tissue paper then layered onto foam board. It may look impressive but it really took no more than three hours to make. 

- Tissue paper pom poms are my go-to party decor. They're inexpensive, easy to make and looks great. Here's a great tutorial.

- The glitter bunting was made with scrapbook paper and ribbons. I lined each flag with doubled sided tape and then applied glitter. The tape ensures a neat and uniform edge.

- For the Happy Birthday garland, I first printed the words on the computer then traced and cut them out of thick stock paper. The rest is pretty straight forward, glue, glitter and string up.

FOOD

- My wonderful sister (baker extraordinaire) kindly offered to bake the birthday cake. The bottom tier is a classic chiffon and cream cake. The chiffon was baked in three layers of different shades creating an ombre effect. The top tier was intended to be a smash cake for the birthday girl. The ruffles along with the cake toppers were all made from fondant. 

- My sister also made the gorgeous macaron cupcakes. Funny story, we actually started off with 150 macarons but after consuming almost the entire batch we had to use the remaining 15 as cupcake toppers. 

- One of my favourite ways to serve strawberries is with a little drizzle of balsamic reduction. You can find the recipe here in a previous blog post. 

- These donut brownies were inspired by a similar milk and cookies display I saw on Pinterest. I used mini donut pans to bake my brownies in but you could easily use a bit of foil for the same effect. 

- Luckily for me, pavlovas are readily available at the supermarket in all shapes and sizes here in Australia. All I needed to do was add a spoonful of double cream and a drizzle of passionfruit syrup. But if you're interested in making your own pav, I have a great recipe here. 

- No-bake cheesecakes are a fast and easy alternative to your regular baked cheesecake. Plus with this method you can go crazy with presentation. The white chocolate shards on the cheesecake have edible glitter and crushed macarons set in them. 

- Store bought shortbread is a lot less fragile than homemade which makes them much better as party food. Here I paired it with David Lebovitz chocolate fudge sauce. See here for a homemade version.

- The quintessential party food, fairy bread. No further explanation necessary.

Fortnum's Shortbread with Lebovitz Chocolate Sauce

Okay it's confession time, I utterly love Period films and tv shows. So naturally, I (along with a million other viewers) cannot get enough of Downton Abbey. It has been 7 grueling months since the last episode and I am getting antsy waiting for season three to commence. In the meantime I have been spending all my waking hours over at Downton Abbey Cooks. A website dedicated to Period cooking? Fantastic!

I was quite excited when I came across this shortbread recipe on Downton Abbey Cooks. I mean, who doesn't love shortbread? And a recipe courtesy of shortbread extraordinare, Fortnum & Mason tea house in London. Well that was just begging for me to try out.

Of course no shortbread is complete without some chocolate sauce on the side. And who better to consult for a dessert recipe than David Lebovitz? I searched "David Lebovitz chocolate sauce" and sure enough a recipe popped up. If you like your chocolate rich, dark and complex then this is the for you. If not, you're better off grabbing a bottle of weak sauce chocolate syrup from your local supermarket.

 

 

 

Fortnum's Classic Shortbread

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup caster sugar plus extra to sprinkle
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1/2 cup rice flour

1. Prehead oven to 300F, lightly butter or line a 9 inch square pan
2. Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted flour and rice flour, use wooden spoon to work all ingredients together. Do not over knead.
3. Press mixture into pan. Use the back of a knife to score the batter into 18 fingers. Prick each one with a fork.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and score again. Return to oven and continue to bake for another 30 minutes till mixture is set.
5. Score again and sprinkle with light dusting of sugar. Shortbread should break along scored lines.
6. Cool shortbread on wire rack and store in airtight container. (Recipe slightly adjusted from original)

 

 

 

Lebovitz's Chocolate Sauce

1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup agave nectar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz semisweet chocolate

1. In medium saucepan mix together water, sugar, agave nectar and cocoa powder.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate till melted.
3. Let chocolate sauce stand for a few hours to thicken before serving. Store in refrigerator for up to 10 days. (Recipe slightly adjusted from original)

The Iconic Australian Pavlova

Nothing says summer in Australia like a thick decadent slice of pavlova topped with lashings of cream, fresh fruit and passionfruit pulp. There's no other dessert that's quite like it. For those who have never tried it, imagine a thick slice of meringue with a crunchy crust and marshmallowy center that's topped with thick whipped cream and fruit. Now that I've set the stage, let me just say this has been one of the most stressful, exhausting and rewarding baking efforts I have attempted thus far. The ingredients may seem few and the methods may sound simple but don't let that fool you. After failing miserably with my first attempt, I was determined to make it work and whisked away into the week hours of the night. The result was a huge success which leads me to believe that this dessert is made for late night baking.

Here are some tips for the perfect pav:
1. Ensure eggs are at room temperature. I like to sit mine in warm water for 5 minutes.
2. Your mixing bowl needs to be spotless, rubbing lemon will help clean the bowl while residue juice will help set the egg whites.
3. Start mixing the egg whites on slow speed gradually increasing to medium. You want to create an airy texture so do not immerse the entire beater into eggs.
4. One of the main differences between a meringue and pavlova base is that cream of tartar is used to help set a meringue while corn flour is used for pavlova.
5. When moulding the mixture, make a well in the center so the cream and fruit have a place to sit.
6. Start with the oven preheated at 300 degrees, once you've placed the pavlova in, reduce to 250. The temperature change will ensure a nice crunchy crust.
7. Once the pavlova is done baking, allow to cool completely in oven. Baking late at night is a good idea as the pavlova can sit in the oven to cool overnight.
8. Chill beaters and bowl before you begin whipping cream for topping. Adding a touch of cream of tartar will help the cream set.

Ingredients

Whisk egg whites till firm and glossy

Pavlova shell ready for decorating.

Kiwi and strawberries are a classic combo

Spoon some passionfruit pulp over the top and serve!

Ingredients
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup of castor sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tbsp corn starch

Topping
1 cup heavy whipping cream chilled
1 tbsp powder sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Fresh fruit and passionfruit pulp (if available)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Line baking tray with aluminum foil, draw 7 inch circle. Grease the tray and lightly dust with corn starch.
3. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a clean dry bowl till soft peaks form.
4. Gradually add sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating constantly till sugar dissolves and mixture is thick and glossy.
5. Lightly fold in the vanilla, corn starch and vinegar.
6. Spoon mixture onto the circle and mould into a cake form with concave top.
7. Place in oven and reduce heat to 250 degrees.
8. Bake for 1 hour or until dry and crisp. Turn off oven and leave pavlova to cool completely with oven door closed or slightly ajar. The pavlova shell will harden once cooled.
9. Once cooled, store in a cool dry place till ready to serve.
10. Whisk whipping cream with sugar and cream of tartar till firm peaks form. Spread onto pavlova and decorate with fruit. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from taste.com.au