Caramel cake

This week I've been a little homesick...... Its been my sisters birthday and everyone is at home celebrating except for me. Its awful not to be there making the birthday feast and drinking wine with my dad. I miss these things so much. I miss these people so much. Its funny the things you miss when you move away from home. Its always the little things. Cooking in my parents kitchen, going to my favourite cafe near the beach, long runs to the ocean. Going to coffee with my mum. Its all the little things that make up your day to day life, the things you can take for granted and then miss the most.

My eyes have been a little misty lately every time I think of home, because here in Melbourne all my energy is going into assignments, working, saving money and trying not to get sick. All the dreary things in life. Gosh I miss luxury!

I miss wine that cost more than $5, I miss buying large coffees, I miss stockings without runs in them, I miss buying new clothes.........

but really I just miss home.

Alas for being homesick...... but all little pastry chefs must soldier on right? RIGHT!
So this week I entered a cake in a little bake sale comp at a community market. I wasn't 100% happy with the cake, and only got third prize.........All the big greek nona's beat me with there years of experience. What can you do?

The cake was pretty though. I'll post up the recipe for you this week. I hope your having a lovely day and not home sick wherever you are. I'm off to work to eat some chocolate brownie cakes....and maybe do some work too. 

Coconut Cup Cakes with Cream Cheese Icing

So today I decided to take the day off.......I haven't had one since monday (not the one we just had, but the one before that) so I was a little worn down. I had planned to do an assignment. I had planned to do my laundry......... but instead I decided to just do some baking.
I've noticed lately that something has changed about the way I cook. I'm so much more organised these days. Also I used to always always listen to music or have a tv show playing in the background. These days however I'm more than happy to bake for hours in silence. So bizarre, and kind of lovely. I can just loose track of time for hours and not think much at all........lovely. Its like meditating. Its like doing yoga (without the sweat). Its like painting (but without the mess.) I think its so extremely good for you.

Here's what I made on my day off today. They are a present for a friends birthday. They are super delicious.

Coconut cup cakes with cream cheese frosting
Ingredients:

• 170g butter
• 1 cup and 1/4 of sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of canned coconut milk
• 1tsp of vanilla essence
• 2 and 1/4 cups of plain flour
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 cup of shredded coconut

Frosting:

• 115g butter
• 225g cream cheese
• 1 and 1/4 cups of cream cheese
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 1tsp of coconut essence

What to do:

1. Cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy
2. Add vanilla essence. 
3. Add the eggs one at a time beating between each egg.
4. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
5. With electric mixer (or kitchen aid with paddle attachment) on a low speed add one third of the flour mix, half the coconut milk, one third of the flour mix, the remaining coconut and then the remaining flour mix. 
6. Fold through the shredded coconut.
7. Scoop the cupcake mix into cup cake papers filling them 2/3 full. 
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 for 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked.
9. Once baked take out of the oven and place on a cooling rack until room temperature. 

1. To make the icing cream together the butter and cream cheese.
2. Slowly add the icing sugar (sift the icing sugar first) and the essences.
3. Ice your little cakes!!! 

Sourdough blues

Life has been so very busy over the past week. Today was the first time that I had a chance to stop and have a rest (and that was after a test at school, 3 hours on an assignment and a 40 minute run.) Things just somehow piled up and needed doing. Tomorrow I think I might do what my mum calls "playing hooky" and skip school to do some more work on my assignments (I have know idea why she calls it that) and to bake some bread.

I haven't been having too much luck on the bread baking front of late, as I somehow managed to kill my sourdough culture. Despite the fact that I did some research on the different methods I still couldn't keep it alive. I think I'll put the whole sour dough thing on the back burner for a little while until I can buy a book on how to do it properly, and give myself an education on it! I'm not going to lie though, killing my sourdough culture really upset me. I really really wanted it to work.

I had all these ideas of all the wonderful breads I would make, and how amazing I would be with my own sourdough loaves. I woke up the day after I had my head shaved (still not too late to get the last sponsors in for it!!!) feeling incredibly sad. I couldn't work out what was wrong with me. I had had a lovely night with my friends, and I didn't think I was too upset about being bald. I searched my heart to see what was upsetting me so much. Maybe looking my hair was a bigger deal than I thought it would be. I looked in the mirror, and saw my short hair and realised it wasn't that. I'm not afraid of short hair. I kept sifting through my emotions. What was wrong?? Then it hit me............ it was my sourdough! I was upset that it hadn't worked out. Alas! What a thing though........

So I will come back to that endeavour when I have more time to put into it. Then I will concur it! I'm thinking of making something big and rustic tomorrow.......I'll have a look for a recipe and see what I can find. I'm sure a successful bread will cheer up my sourdough blues.

Hope no breads are bringing you down.......I doubt very much they are.

Also I found this picture online........and I don't care who lives here, but I'm moving in with them. A bad person could not possibly have such a lovely kitchen right?

No hair!

This week has been busy, and I mean crazy busy. I feel like everyday there are so many places I have to be and so many things I need to get done. All my pastry school assignments are scarily close to being due, and I still have so much to get done.

One lovely thing that happened this week though, was a small 'head shaving gathering' at my house on friday. I decided to shave my head to raise money for 'be brave and shave' where all money goes towards treatment and research for cancer patients. I had been so busy in the weeks leading up to it I didn't even really stop to think about the fact that I would have no hair! I hadn't really contemplated it. When the clippers turned on though, and I could hear the soft buzz of them chopping through my hair I did start to wonder about the wisdom of this idea..... would I be cold? would I look silly?

The answer to both of these question is quite simple. Yes. I probably will get a cold head, but I counteracted this by buying a beautiful new hat. And yes at times it may look a little odd, but thats probably ok too.

The thing I've been learning lately, or trying to learn, is who I am as a person. Everyday I think we go though life believing that what we do, how we dress, and how we perceive ourselves makes us who we are. These things however aren't really the essence of who we actually are. So in a way this has all happened at a good time. My hair is gone, but thats ok, because I'm not my hair (which is a good thing, because if I was, there would be nothing left of me.) Its just something I'm processing at the moment.

Anyway, I've been meaning to do a little cafe review of my favourite cafe in Melbourne at the moment. I keep forgetting, but I promise I'll do it this week (or I promise I will try to at least!)

Hope your having a beautiful sunday and enjoying the cold weather. I'm off to work, and then a french film festival.....

Wholemeal Cranberry white chocolate and coconut cookies.

Today I cooked cookies. I came home, tired and stressed and just wanted to do something beautiful. My intention was to take lovely pictures of the whole process and then show you some yummy cookies. The reality is............well I ate 3 of them, and my housemate at 2, and well.....it was a small batch. So there was no cookies by the time I went to take photo's. This is what happens after a long day....and I think its to be expected some days. So I am sorry for the lack of pictures.

On the up side, the cookies were lovely, most of my day was lovely, and now its night time and I'm tired and full of cookies.

I've been trying to work on some recipes that are both delicious and a little healthy. Don't get me wrong, these cookies are by no means 'health foods', and my mum would cringe at the amount of sugar that went into them. I did substitute the white flour for wholemeal organic flour though, and used raw caster sugar instead of white. Cranberries are also very good for you.........it stops there though. I hope you like them!

Wholemeal white chocolate cranberry and coconut cookies

You will need: (just 10 ingredients)

1. 180g butter
2. 3/4 cup of raw caster sugar
3. 1 tsp of vanilla essence 
4. 2 tsp of coconut essence
5. 2 eggs
6. 1tsp baking powder
7. 1 and 3/4 cups of wholemeal plain flour
8. 1/4 cup of almond meal
9. half a cup of cranberries
10. 100g of white chocolate chips

what to do:

1. With an electric beater whip together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
2. Beat in one egg at a time, beating between each egg.
3. Add the essences
4. Sift together flour, and baking powder
5. Stir in flour mix and almond meal
6. Stir in cranberries and choc chips
7. Roll dough into balls and place on a lined tray
8. Flatten cookies and bake at 180 for 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Eat them..... Like all of them, at once. I did. 

Just as a little side note........

Here is my Tumblr account....

Check it out.....

Its a super pretty space.....

http://www.tumblr.com/blog/cherrythechef

A lovely day

Today everything was in my favour. These days are rare, as life can be a wee bit complicated at times. Yesterday was a bitch, I had school, and work, and a headache all day. Today however was perfect. It was like everything just wanted to go my way.....so it did.

I woke up, and walked to the coffee shop with a beautiful red sunrise in the background (yep you heard me....I'm up early enough to see the sunrise everyday. Welcome to the life of a pastry chef.) Went to school, and completely aced my test. Everything I had put effort into in class was on the test.... which was amazing because, that whole 'everything' was kinda small. After school I decided to do a wee bit of shopping, and found shirt that not only was amazingly cheap, but also made me feel amazingly skinny (even after having cinnamon swirl bread for breakfast........(check out the recipe its on one of my blog posts this week.)) Next I popped into work, and found that they had my favourite flavoured cup cake on sale today. How can chocolate brownie cup cake not make you happy? Its kinda amazing. I went for tea at a tea house with a new friend, did some cooking, and got ready for having friends over for dinner. My housemate had a bottle of wine open and waiting for me to drink when I got home from tea, and I sat at my computer enjoying the rainy day, and life in general.
Today was lovely. Life was lovely. This isn't always the case, but days like this make it worth while. So I hope your enjoying your day, your life, and some wine.......because I know I am.

P.s I'm working on a new recipe tonight. Its pork and fennel sausage rolls. If they work out nicely I'll post it up for you. xxx

Sourdough bread......and life.

There is no denying that fact that today was long. I work up at six and went to pastry school, went from there to work and didn't finnish until six. By the time I was home I was exhausted and knew I had been ridiculously grumpy all day.

Today was a day of compromise. I promised myself if I got out of bed, I could go buy a coffee before school. I had the money to buy this coffee because instead of going to the laundry mat yesterday I had compromised, and hand washed my clothes (the day before pay day sucks.) I promised myself that if I got through my business class in the morning I could have a hot chocolate in my bread, and promised myself a big glass of red wine if only I could make it through the day.

I made it, although it was a struggle. When I took my first sip of wine for the night I took a huge loud sigh. Finally, I was at the end of this day.

The truth is, everything I did today I was unhappy with, because I wanted to be somewhere else. I wanted to be at yoga, while I was in class. I wanted to be shopping while I was at work.....but most of all I wanted to be baking all day.

Sometimes life isn't always how we want it to be. I want rapid change. I want to snap my fingers and be something else. I want to be the person I want to be, and its frustrating not to be that. I think snap decisions will change my life, but I'm learning slowly that its the everyday choices that make a difference. Slowly slowly, I am growing into the person I want to be.

Very similar to this is the sourdough culture I'm making. I've decided to try my hand at the old school style of making bread, and so far I'm loving it. It takes about a week to develop a culture before you can even make a dough....... I love the fact that ever day you have to feed it as it develops into something beautiful you can turn into bread. Hopefully my life is like this. Hopefully its growing, developing, right to where I want to be.

Once I've got my sourdough perfected, I'll write a blog post on it for you, because its easier than you would think, and supper rewarding!!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Today I made bread.....I'm going through a bread phase, and its excellent. I'm loving it so much (nearly as much as the pie phase, and a heap more than the scone phase.) There is just something so very wholesome about making your own bread. Its best to do when you're having a home day so you can give it as much time as possible to prove, and rise. So its perfect for a lazy sunday........I know, I know, making bread from scratch doesn't sound like a lazy Sunday, but trust me, it feels sooo good. The kneading is so good for your soul, and having fresh bread for breakfast makes getting up at 6 am so much less scary. Unlike the picture of me......which is super scary. So scary in fact, I had to hide behind the bread.

This is a treat bread, and its so very yummy. I got the recipe of another food blog and I've tweaked it to work for me. Give it a go and let me know what you think.

Cinnamon swirl bread.

What you will need:

• 1/3 cup of milk
• 1 and 1/2 tbs of butter
• 1tbs of olive oil
• 1 egg
• Half a cup of warm water
• 1 and 3/4 tsp of yeast (just the dried packet stuff)
• 1/8 cup of sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 tbs cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of currents
• 1 and 3/4 cups of plain flour
• 1 cup of wholemeal flour

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup of sugar (I used raw caster sugar......its less processed, better for you)
• 1 tbs of cinnamon
• 1 tbs of milk

What to do: 

 Place your milk, butter and oil in a pot. Warm slightly so that the butter melts. Put aside to cool.



Next place warm water (just luke warm...you don't want it to be too hot or the yeast wont like it) in a bowl with the yeast. Leave for about 10 to 15 minutes until it starts to bubble.

Once your milk mix has cooled down add, beat the egg and add it.

The next step can either be done in a kitchen aid or buy hand. Basically all you need to do is mix all the ingredients together. So place the cinnamon, sugar, currents, yeast mix and flour in a bowl. Give it all a stir, and then slowly add the egg and milk mix.

Once all the ingredients are incorporated, its time for the kneading! In a kitchen aid you the dough hook attachment, but if your doing it by hand, just use a lightly floured bench. Knead for about ten minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. If its a little big too sticky feel free to add extra flour.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave it here to rest until it doubles in size. This will probably take about an hour. 

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it in the middle to knock the air out of it. Roll into a rectangle and brush with milk.

Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the bread. 

Roll the bread up into a log shape and place in an oiled bread tin. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for about an hour until it has doubled in size. If it takes longer thank this don't worry, just give it all the time it needs.

Bake the bread in a moderate oven (180) for 45 minutes, or until its brown on top and sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom.

Giving a present.

When is a gift appropriate? This is something I've been thinking about today. I really love giving presents. Any excuse will do. Mostly I love giving baked goods, but cards and flowers are excellent too. If I could afford it I would love to always take a present with me when I visit friends. In the ideal world these gifts would be neatly packaged boxes of macaroons, and big bunches of lilies. Presents like these seem to just brighten life a little bit. They are treats we wouldn't usually buy for ourselves, so they are super special when someone gets them for us. I think little details like this make life really wonderful. 

My biggest problem is knowing when its appropriate to give a gift. Do you send something for a friends anniversary? Would your local coffee shop owner think your a weirdo if you gave him a cup cake you baked? Do "just because I love you" presents, seem......odd? 

When we are in relationships its so acceptable to do these sort of things for our partners. A boy I dated a couple of years back would never let a week pass without buying me at least one bunch of flowers, and I would constantly surprise him buy packing a home backed lunch, or buying him some new clothes. It became so normal to us, that one time he was down on cash and couldn't afford to buy me flowers that week, he bought me four bunches the next week to make up for it. I never expected this kind of treatment, but it was so lovely to be treated so well all the time.

What I've been wondering is.....why don't we treat our friends this way? There are so many times I go to take someone a gift, but stop myself, as it seems a little too out of the ordinary. This week on my way to a friends house I was tempted to buy a bunch of flowers. I really really wanted to, but stopped myself, as this boy is one of the least sentimental people I know. I was concerned he would think I was strange (girls get flowers all the time, why shouldn't boys.)

One of my dearest friends always turns up at my house with a bottle of wine when I invite her for cake. Its just such a lovely gesture, and always warms my heart. It also usually seems to happen on the week I'm feeling just a little bit poor, and cut wine out of the budget........ its such a lifesaver. 

I suppose a gift is a sign of caring, and today everything in the world around us encourages us not to care.......so very much. Feelings and heart to hearts can be a little too real, for most industries and lifestyles when your trying to succeed and maintain the appearance of composure.  Some days I feel like all of society is screaming "get a thicker skin Cherry" as I try to jump from relationship to relationship, sticky situation to next sticky situation, and come out unscathed. 

The problem is though.......I care. I care deeply and wholeheartedly about all my friends and family. So I don't care what the rest of the world says, from now on I'll be showering them with as many gifts as I feel like. I'm pretty sure they with be stoked to hear this too. 

Healthy grain bread.

What makes you feel the most like yourself? I know for me its when I'm in the kitchen, or when I'm having friends over for a dinner party. Everyone seems to have a place, or something that just makes them feel completely happy or at ease. And then there are those who seems to be comfy in there skin (lives, clothes, jobs, and relationships) all the time. Gosh I envy these people. I'm sure you know the ones I'm talking about. They just don't seem to care what anyone things, and fit in everywhere. They are unafraid of everything and are just so unbelievable cool. I've always wondered what these people have.....what their magic trick is that makes theme so at ease.

Lately I've been learning, that you can only get to this place in life when you truly stop caring. When it doesn't matter what people think, or say, you become free to do whatever you like, and well.....thats unbelievably cool. Recently I spent the decent part of my night trying to explain to a friend everything I was doing. They wanted to know why I was shaving my head (EEEkkkk its only one week before I shave my head for 'Be brave and Shave')? Why I spent time with the people I spend time with? Why I spend my free time baking bread (ok I get that shaving your head is a little out of the ordinary at times....but who the hell questions why you make bread from scratch....my question for you is: Why aren't you making bread from scratch)? Why I felt the way I felt about life. I tried to justify every single one of these questions, and by the end of the night went away feeling sad. Everything I wanted to do had to be explained, and I really started to care what this person thought. 

The more I think about it, the more I'm sure that the only person in life you really need to impress is yourself. Everyone has different standards, and everyone has a different idea on whats important in life. You however are the one making the rules for your life. So get comfy. Settle into your skin, settle into your decisions, settle into your believes, because there is nothing quite so unbelievable awesome as doing whatever makes you happy no matter how quirky that is. 

So really the secret is kind of a contradiction. The less cool you get the more awesome you get. Well I must be getting pretty fantastic....... because some days, I'm just such a dag. 

Also, do yourself a favour........make some bread. Its so good for your soul. It makes you feel good inside (unlike how you feel when you steal your housemates beers.....again. I'll buy you new ones I swear! Or at least pay you back in heaps and heaps of baked goods!) 

Healthy Grain bread.

I've been making this recipe and eating it for my breakfasts every morning. Its such a good way to start the day. Its so very healthy that it wouldn't even matter if you layered peanut butter and honey on top of it.......every morning....not that I do.....but just say you did.......I don't think it would be a bad thing, and I wouldn't judge you. 

What you will need:

• 1/8 cup of warm water
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 packet (7g) of dried yeast
• 1/2 cup of milk
• About 1/3 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1 tbs golden syrup
• 1/8 oil (I used olive)
• Half an egg
• 1/2 tbs of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
• 2 and 3/4 cup of wholemeal flour
• Pinch of salt

What to do: 

1. Firstly, take a big breath. Making bread isn't scary....its easy.
2. Place the 1/8 cup of water with yeast and sugar in the bottom of a bowl and leave for 10 minutes until it turns bubbly.
3. Add the milk, water, honey, egg, syrup, oil lemon juice, oats, seeds, and a bit less than half the flour. Give it a good mix. Place a damp towel over the bowl and leave for 30 minutes to rest.
4. After its had its nap, add the rest of the flour, and knead. If you have a kitchen aid it will only take about 4 minutes with the dough hook attachment, if not you will be doing it by hand for about 10 minutes. Its good therapy. Knead the mix until its elastic and smooth. If you need to add more flour so it isn't too sticky go ahead.
5. Place dough back into bowl and cover with towel again. Place it in a warm spot and let it double in size.
6. Once it has doubled punch it in the middle to knock all the air out of it. Give it a 30 second knead.
7. Roll the dough into a log shape and place in an oiled bread tin.
8. Cover it again, and let it double in size (this will probably take about one hour to one and a half hours.)
9. Once it has doubled in size bake in a preheated oven at 180 for 25 to 35 minutes. It will be golden on the top when its ready and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. 
10. Eat it. 

Little light things

So if you haven't noticed from my most recent posts, I've been doing a wee bit of thinking (of the serious calibre) lately. I believe its so important to stop in life every once in a while just to reflect on what we are doing, and where we are heading. Unfortunately all this thinking has been keeping me up late at night, and I am yet to discover the meaning of life (but if I do, you'll be the first to know.)

To counteract all this seriousness, I have been making sure I do plenty of light hearted things. Sometimes its just making friends with the boy who sells me coffee, sometimes its talking to my best friend back home. All these little things make life so very beautiful. Today I rearranged my "pastry section" of my kitchen. All my flours and labeled in jars, next to all my cookie cutters and cake tins. I understand that arranging my pantry is not going to effect the world on any fundamental level. I understand that if the world ends, a neat pantry will be of no use to anyone. I understand that when I am eighty and I look back over my life, a neat pantry will not be something that makes me smile fondly with love and recollection. Right now though, having my rolling pin handy and accessible is defiantly putting a smile on my face.

Is this strange? Maybe it is. But if so.......I think I'm ok with that. I hope your doing something light and lovely today that makes you feel good. xxxx

Wholemeal barley and linseed bread

Turning 22 this year had made me feel a tiny bit more serious about life. It seems like everyone is getting on with growing up this year. Most of my friends are either married, moving in with their boyfriends, or getting into serious relationships. Also I've been watching as everyone around me is turning there uni degrees into proper careers, or going on to study something else. One of my friends is completing there masters this year, while one is starting there business as a freelance graphic designer. One of my best friends who has been studying journalism has even been lucky enough to cover Melbourne Fashion Week for one of Australians best selling fashion magazines. Its crazy. We are all turning into adults and doing grown up things..............and its kind of made me wonder what the hell I'm doing?

Somedays in this crazy city I have no idea what I'm doing. For the past week I have been fighting the urge to 'grow up' by sleeping in late and watching too much gossip girl. Don't get me wrong, its not that I don't want to....its just sometimes I don't know how.

I think we all have days (weeks, or even years) where we're just not sure what we are doing this our lives. It seems like everyone has a different idea of what 'making it' in the world means, which makes it hard to pick which standard to live up to. Some believe its all about your work life, love life, and social life, while others believe its religion. I have a friend who had disregarded all of these, in order to find inner peace and happiness.

So I've taken on a big topic here....the meaning of life and all that. Its what I have been thinking about today (in between napping and watching gossip girl) and unfortunately I didn't work it out. I also didn't work out what my next move should be, or how to go about it.

What I did work out though, is how to make an amazing new bread recipe. Although this wont fix my love life, career, or give me inner peace, it will provide breakfast for at least the next few days. So while all my friends continue on with there fantastic love lives, and blooming careers I will be happy for them, and continue to bake loaves of bread.

And you know what? For now, I think I'm ok with that.

Wholemeal Barely and and linseed bread

You will need:

1/3 cup of pearl barley
3 and 1/3 cups of wholemeal plain flour
2 x 7g packs of instant yeast
2 tsp of sugar
1 tsp salt
50ml olive oil
225 to 250 ml walm water
1tbs linseed meal
2 tbs sunflower seeds

What to do:

1. Place pearl barley in a pot and cover with water. Simmer with lid on for 20 minutes, then drain. 
2. Mix together flour, yeast, barley sugar, and salt. Stir
3. While mixing slowly drizzle in oil and water. The dough should be firm and a little sticky. Use all the water if needed.
4. Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes, until soft.
5. Place in an oiled bowl, in a warm place and cover with a damp tea towel. 
6. Let the dough rest until it has doubled in size
7. Punch the dough down, and knead for 2 minutes.
8. On a clean bench sprinkle linseed meal, and sunflower seeds.
9. Place dough onto bench with seeds, and shape into a loaf size.
10. Place in an oiled loaf tin, and cover with a damp tea towel until it has again doubled in size.
11. Place bread in a preheated oven at 210 for ten minutes, then turn down the heat to 180 for 15 to 20 minutes. The loaf should be golden brown on top and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. 

Blue berry and dark chocolate Scones

Do you ever have those moments where you look at a movie, a photo, or film clip and think "gosh that look like so much fun, I wish that was me!" Lately I feel like everyone is pasting pictures all over face book of there new husbands, new babies, and chic jobs........and Im not going to lie, IM ENVIOUS!!! It all looks so wonderful and charming.


Today one of my friends came over for afternoon tea (because I'm fancy like that) and brought with her some photo's of my 22nd birthday party. I had this surreal moment while looking at the pictures where I felt completely detached from them. "Look at that little pixie girl opening a present from her friends," I thought. "She looks so happy! And look at that cute boy she is sitting next too. He is a total babe. I bed she has a crush on him. They look cute together don't they? Such a pretty setting. So many nice looking friends." It all looked so good. Then I realised.......they were pictures of my life. That wee pixie was me, and the boy was someone in my life, and the friends were my friends. The whole beautiful setting belonged to me. It was lovely. I just wanted to go back and relive that night over and over.....because it was mine, and it was beautiful.


On a more serious note however, here is something you really can relive over and over....... Blueberry and dark chocolate wholemeal scones. Yep you heard me! and Yes they are as amazing as they sound. Full of delicious berry goodness, wholemeal flour and just a touch of chocolate (ok a heap of chocolate) you will want to eat these bad boys for afternoon tea....or breakfast every day. 


I know I have been going on and on about scones a little bit lately, but there is a reason............Its because they are excellent! So bake them. It will make your day.


Blueberry and dark chocolate Scones


You will need:

• 3 cups of self raising wholemeal flour (this makes them healthy right?)
• 1 cup of cream
• 1 cup of mineral water
•  2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tbs melted butter
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1/2 cup of blueberries
• 1/2 cup of chopped up dark chocolate (you can use choc chips but I prefer to buy a block and cut it up....the quality is usually better and its more rustic, which we like.)

What to do:

1. This is super easy.... Just combine flour, blueberries, and chocolate
2. Make a well in the middle of the mix, and add vanilla, cream, and mineral water. 
3. With a knife mix everything together, you don't want to work the dough too much or it will make it tough.
4. Turn mixture onto a floured surface.
5. Shape into 9 small balls
6. Place on a lined baking tray.
7. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
8. Bake at 200 for 15 to 20 minutes. 
9. Eat them. Be happy.  

P.s...... How super cute is my life!