Gift Guide for creatives
The perfect gifts for bakers, makers and dog mums too This gift guide is broken down into the three things we love most. Baking, crafting and doggies! These gifts are my suggestions for the perfect presents for any occasion, whether it’s a Birthday, Christmas or even just a little treat! The links are mainly aimed at a UK shopping audience but obviously, some links will work internationally as will the ideas. Happy shopping! Baker Gift Guide Perfect gift ideas for your baker, cook or chef loved one… Crafter Gift Guide For handcrafted gifts check out our crafted gifts post or for gifts for a crafter read on Dog Pawrent…
Cake Ideas and Top Tips
A host of ideas from flavours to decorations Cake is perfect for a celebration. And every day can be a celebration especially if this list of food based high days and holidays is anything to go by. Cake flavours When baking a cake a world of flavour opportunities is available to you. From classic vanilla to crowd pleasing Biscoff to something a little different like bubblegum. There are lots of delicious options, and ways, to flavour both sponge and buttercream. Classic and Caramel flavours Chocolate Flavours Fruity Flavours If you are truly stuck for ideas Sugar and Crumbs make an amazing range of icing sugars such as pineapple perfect for flavouring icings and…
Aquafaba Ideas
How to use the water from chickpeas Aquafaba, or the water left behind from either a can of or the cooking of chickpeas, can be used in cooking in multiple ways! Here are some of our favourites! 3 Aquafaba ideas A clotted cream replacer Perfect for a vegan cream Aquafaba can be whipped with a small amount of icing sugar (you don’t want a sweet taste just enough to cancel out the beany taste) to a thick consistency which is perfect for topping scones and jam instead of classic clotted cream. This light alternative takes around 10 mins whisking and increases in volume a lot…it’s also delicious! Perfect for…
Is a Velvetiser worth it?
Velvetiser Hot Chocolate promises the best in velvety hot chocolate, but is it worth the hype? One minute it’s summer and the next hot chocolate season creeps in. You may of seen the adverts for a Velvetiser and thought about purchasing one. Instant cafe style hot chocolate on tap sounds perfect to cheer up cold days. Before you stir the pot here are our thoughts. First, What is a Velvetiser? A Velvetiser is a hot chocolate making device created by Hotel Chocolat. Similar to a milk heater but it contains a magnetised stirring system to whisk and heat milk (of your choice) with chocolate. Any chocolate can be used…
How to make redcurrant syrup
What to do with redcurrants if you don’t want to make jelly Redcurrant syrup is the perfect Autumn/Winter treat. A glut of fruit Redcurrants-those oddly delicious sour little berries that look so pretty and inviting yet you can’t think of anything to do with them. Perhaps you have been lured into buying some or perhaps you grow them in the garden. Those of you who have redcurrant plants in your garden will know just how many berries you can get off one plant! Redcurrant ideas What to make with redcurrants After searching and searching for recipes with things to do with redcurrants, little actually came to fruit! (terrible pun!)…
Carving a Pumpkin Inspiration
A Halloween DIY Craft Carving a pumpkin is a classic activity to do on Halloween night. Previously we shared some painted pumpkin inspiration which is perfect for longer lasting Halloween decorations. However a carved pumpkin has a much more limited life. Below are some pictures of some the fun designs we have created over the years to give you inspiration for your own spooky designs! We recently attended Bells Pumpkin Patch which has an amazing range of pumpkins to pick from. Pumpkin Patches are a relatively new concept in the UK but one that is really taking off. Be sure to check if there is an independent patch or…
Spooky Snacks -parition
Inspiration for your Halloween Movie marathon snacks! I just have time for a short post this week but wanted to share some spooky snacks inspiration incase your are settling down to any Halloween films this weekend! Be sure to check back soon as I will update it with more snack ideas! Sweet little monster spooky snacks Chocolate goodness comes in the form of Oreos topped with thick chocolate ganache (up the chocolate ratio, lower the milk/cream) topped with sugar eyes The Popcorn has eyes Another great use for those sugar eye toppers is popcorn! Colour white chocolate to a pale green and roll your popcorn in it (I like…
Painted Pumpkin Inspiration
A Halloween DIY Craft We recently spent an afternoon creating some mini painted pumpkins. These little pumpkins are a fun craft that leads to decorations you can use again and again! What you need to create painted pumpkins If you want to make your own but are stuck for ideas be sure to check out our prompt ideas here! Now just let your imagination run wild. Perhaps you want a range of coordinating decorations or perhaps homages to your favourite spooky (or non spooky) films. Now is your chance to create exactly what you want! Our designs included Cinderella’s Carriage, Tim Burton films, pixies and abstract art. We chose…
Halloween Design Ideas
Images and icons to inspire your Halloween creations Halloween Design Ideas are the perfect inspiration for Autumnal creations. Updated August 2024 If you’ve checked out our previous post on how to create a Halloween calendar or perhaps you want to create some other Halloween bakes and crafts and need inspiration then check out our ideas below! These also provide an excellent source of inspiration when it comes to pumpkin carving or painting time. Classic Characters What would Halloween be with its central characters? Classic Halloween Icons These classic icons form the basis of many Halloween crafts. The imagery they provide takes people straight to spooky season! Social Media Life…
Celebrating Halloween at home
Top tips for the spookiest of celebrations Celebrating Halloween at home is a fun way to break up the dark days of Autumn without rushing to the Christmas season. Halloween is becoming a bigger celebration in this country year upon year. From stock filling the shops to decorations in peoples homes. Whilst trick or treating is generally a reserve of busy towns, a good movie night is always a fun way to celebrate! Originally posted Sept 2021, Updated August 2024 How do you Halloween at home? People celebrate Halloween differently, across the world and across the UK. Some still see it as an ‘imported American holiday’ whilst others think…
