Such a splendidly colourful film, can't wait to see it!
Love, x
Friday, 23 March 2012
I'm sitting here eating mango and coconut ice-cream (wonderful on a sore throat) and thinking of travelling. Just found a brilliant musician on youtube - Ben Howard. I keep listening to his song "Further away" and it gets me dreaming ... about just grabbing a backpack and my old walking boots and taking off somewhere - India, Brazil, New Zealand, somewhere far away. Maybe it also has to do with the fact that I'm re-reading "Eat, Pray, Love" ... or this trailer:
Such a splendidly colourful film, can't wait to see it!
Love, x
Such a splendidly colourful film, can't wait to see it!
Love, x
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Childhood Love: Marble Cake
This is such a strange kind of season. Spring is on the verge of take-off, with flowers budding and birds darting through the air. The first freckles start to appear on people's faces from the sun and everyone's smile seems so much time. However, there's still the flu that keeps me tied to my bed and also helps me reflect on the past 12 years. Why the last twelve years, you may ask? Well, the last day of school, only a week from writing final exams, feels like a kind of closure. Like being dropped from an airplane and free-falling for those first scary minutes until the parachute pops out. Like a starting point.
Growing up is such a quiet process, it sneaks up on you and pounces when you least expect it to. And then, suddenly, there's the moment when you're sitting in the classroom with the high school people you've known for two years and it hits you: this is the last time. I'm never going back to school again. It feels so strange, having dreamed and fretted about this moment for years. Now it's here and it's almost too much to cope with.
Of course, there's nostalgia. Especially when I see those little first-graders with their huge backpacks and their excited faces and know: they've still got those twelve years ahead of them. And where am I going now? This is the first time in life that there's no paved road ahead to keep walking on. There are some paths to choose from, some steep and some smooth, and some that don't look like paths at all. And some that are still to be made.
So this week, I decided to make a childhood cake as a reminder of all the good times, of all the birthday parties, of playing in the street until nightfall and of the smile this cake always brought to my face. Here comes my favourite cake growing up: Marble Cake.
I made this for my higher level course on the last day of school. This is the most succesful cake I've ever made for a crowd - some people had four slices! Maybe it's because of the simple deliciousness of the cake - but I'm guessing it was the memories associated with the combination of vanilla and chocolate and that delicious crust.
Here's the recipe:
250 g Butter
200g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
500g plain flour
1 packet baking powder (about 3 tsps.)
125 ml milk
For the dark chocolate third:
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. milk
Step 1: Combine the sugar, softened butter, eggs and vanilla in a bowl.
Step 2: In a second bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Step 3: Mix the flour and baking powder into the creamed wet ingredients. Combine.
Step 4:
Now here's where you get to decide how much dark you want in your marble cake. I poured two thirds of the white dough into the cake tin, so there was 1/3 dark chocolate dough. Feel free to switch them around of do it half/half.
This is how you make the dark chocolate dough:
Add the ingredients for the dark chocolate dough (above) to your 1/3 or 2/3 of dough.
Now add this as a top layer in your cake tin.
Step 5:
Using a fork, swirl the dark and the white chocolate dough (be careful not to overmix, or the beautiful pattern will be lost) you can also make a "striped" cake by layering the black and white dough - be creative! You could also add chocolate chips or nuts to the dough!
Step 6: Flatten the dough's surface with a spoon and put it into the oven so the height's even.
The cake needs to bake for about an hour, but check it regularly (mine was done a little earlier, at about 50 minutes). It has the most beautiful crust and looked gorgeous on the inside, too. Let it cook completely before eating. If you let it rest for a night, it's even better in the morning.
Give this cake a slight dusting of icing sugar or some molten chocolate before serving - perfect for parties or last days of school ;) Happy spring everybody!
Love, x
Growing up is such a quiet process, it sneaks up on you and pounces when you least expect it to. And then, suddenly, there's the moment when you're sitting in the classroom with the high school people you've known for two years and it hits you: this is the last time. I'm never going back to school again. It feels so strange, having dreamed and fretted about this moment for years. Now it's here and it's almost too much to cope with.
Of course, there's nostalgia. Especially when I see those little first-graders with their huge backpacks and their excited faces and know: they've still got those twelve years ahead of them. And where am I going now? This is the first time in life that there's no paved road ahead to keep walking on. There are some paths to choose from, some steep and some smooth, and some that don't look like paths at all. And some that are still to be made.
So this week, I decided to make a childhood cake as a reminder of all the good times, of all the birthday parties, of playing in the street until nightfall and of the smile this cake always brought to my face. Here comes my favourite cake growing up: Marble Cake.
I made this for my higher level course on the last day of school. This is the most succesful cake I've ever made for a crowd - some people had four slices! Maybe it's because of the simple deliciousness of the cake - but I'm guessing it was the memories associated with the combination of vanilla and chocolate and that delicious crust.
Here's the recipe:
250 g Butter
200g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
500g plain flour
1 packet baking powder (about 3 tsps.)
125 ml milk
For the dark chocolate third:
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. milk
Step 3: Mix the flour and baking powder into the creamed wet ingredients. Combine.
Step 4:
Now here's where you get to decide how much dark you want in your marble cake. I poured two thirds of the white dough into the cake tin, so there was 1/3 dark chocolate dough. Feel free to switch them around of do it half/half.
This is how you make the dark chocolate dough:
Add the ingredients for the dark chocolate dough (above) to your 1/3 or 2/3 of dough.
Now add this as a top layer in your cake tin.
Step 5:
Using a fork, swirl the dark and the white chocolate dough (be careful not to overmix, or the beautiful pattern will be lost) you can also make a "striped" cake by layering the black and white dough - be creative! You could also add chocolate chips or nuts to the dough!
Step 6: Flatten the dough's surface with a spoon and put it into the oven so the height's even.
The cake needs to bake for about an hour, but check it regularly (mine was done a little earlier, at about 50 minutes). It has the most beautiful crust and looked gorgeous on the inside, too. Let it cook completely before eating. If you let it rest for a night, it's even better in the morning.
Give this cake a slight dusting of icing sugar or some molten chocolate before serving - perfect for parties or last days of school ;) Happy spring everybody!
Love, x
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Cherry chocolate cake
Three Cs for today's post: Cherry Chocolate Cake. I made this cake today straight after school in the sun-bathed kitchen. You won't believe how unbelievably lovely molten chocolate and cherries look together. And taste. Don't get me started on how they taste together!
To be honest, the original plan was to make chocolate brownies today, but somebody asked me to please include some cherries in the cake, so I thought I'd give it a try. Boy, that was one of the best tips I ever got! The cherries give the cake just the right amount of tanginess to balance the milk chocolate flavour. It gives the whole cake a the spongy taste of spring - very sweet and warming with bits of chocolate and a sprig of cinnamon to match the chilly wind and clear skies outside. But that hint of fruity flavour to give you that feeling of flowers pushing their buds through the earth.
By the way, if you really want to get into spring mood, you should read Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Secret Garden". It's a beautiful story about the young orphan Mary who is sent to live with her uncle in the English countryside after a childhood spent in India. There, she meets her spoiled and frail cousin Colin and finally comes alive by working in her mother's secret garden. This is really a wonderful book about discovering your inner strength and beauty. That, and it describes the unique beauty of the English countryside in spring. Don't be put off by the fact that it's a classic story because it's such a quick and delightful read!
Ingredients for 24 slices:
3/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sea salt
1. tsp. baking soda
225 g chocolate (I used a mixture of milk and dark chocolate)
75 chocolate chips
110g flour
6 tbsp. cocoa powder
500g cherries (from a jar)
3 tbsp. "cherry liquid" (from the jar)
optional: 100g choppe walnuts or almonds
1. Combine the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a bowl and mix well.
2. In a second bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cocoa powder.
3. Melt the milk or dark chocolate.
4. Sift the flour-and-cocoa-mixture into the wet ingredients.
5. Add the cherries and then the molten chocolate (mix very gently with a spoon until they are just combined - DON'T OVERMIX!)
6. Add the cinnamon and chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.
Pour the mixture into the cake tin and pop it in the oven at 160°C for about 30 minutes. I took mine out at 25 NOTE: It needs to be a bit soft on top, not firm. Then you get a really special texture. The bottom was lovely and really soft, almost like a brownie. Above that, the cake was really spongy, with the chunks of chopped chocolate giving the cake a bit of crunch. Next time I'll be sure to make them with walnuts to add even more texture to this cake.
To be honest, the original plan was to make chocolate brownies today, but somebody asked me to please include some cherries in the cake, so I thought I'd give it a try. Boy, that was one of the best tips I ever got! The cherries give the cake just the right amount of tanginess to balance the milk chocolate flavour. It gives the whole cake a the spongy taste of spring - very sweet and warming with bits of chocolate and a sprig of cinnamon to match the chilly wind and clear skies outside. But that hint of fruity flavour to give you that feeling of flowers pushing their buds through the earth.
By the way, if you really want to get into spring mood, you should read Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Secret Garden". It's a beautiful story about the young orphan Mary who is sent to live with her uncle in the English countryside after a childhood spent in India. There, she meets her spoiled and frail cousin Colin and finally comes alive by working in her mother's secret garden. This is really a wonderful book about discovering your inner strength and beauty. That, and it describes the unique beauty of the English countryside in spring. Don't be put off by the fact that it's a classic story because it's such a quick and delightful read!
Ingredients for 24 slices:
3/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sea salt
1. tsp. baking soda
225 g chocolate (I used a mixture of milk and dark chocolate)
75 chocolate chips
110g flour
6 tbsp. cocoa powder
500g cherries (from a jar)
3 tbsp. "cherry liquid" (from the jar)
optional: 100g choppe walnuts or almonds
1. Combine the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a bowl and mix well.
2. In a second bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cocoa powder.
3. Melt the milk or dark chocolate.
4. Sift the flour-and-cocoa-mixture into the wet ingredients.
5. Add the cherries and then the molten chocolate (mix very gently with a spoon until they are just combined - DON'T OVERMIX!)
6. Add the cinnamon and chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.
Pour the mixture into the cake tin and pop it in the oven at 160°C for about 30 minutes. I took mine out at 25 NOTE: It needs to be a bit soft on top, not firm. Then you get a really special texture. The bottom was lovely and really soft, almost like a brownie. Above that, the cake was really spongy, with the chunks of chopped chocolate giving the cake a bit of crunch. Next time I'll be sure to make them with walnuts to add even more texture to this cake.
This cake is a real crowd pleaser and easy to make. Give it a try!
I really enjoyed the beautiful weather today - spring is definitely on it's way. I cannot wait for summer to come around so everyone can enjoy lazy afternoons by the river and barbecue's in the garden again.
Finally, a new addition to the box of inspiration:
And my heart's right here. :)
Love, x
Sunday, 26 February 2012
The beauty of hand-written letters
I found this beautiful picture today and couldn't resist sharing it ... even though baby pink isn't by far my favourite colour, this photograph has a dreamy, inspiring quality to it. It makes me think of long summer walks in the countryside - perfect for a box of inspiration!
Also, it got me to thinking about one of my favourite things in the world: writing letters. I used to be a quick e-mail writer, but when my best friend went abroad for a year, we decided to stay in contact the old-fashioned way (of course, the occasional e-mail or skype session happened, I won't lie).
There is something beautifully satisfying about writing letters by hand. Taking the time to think out what you're going to write, choosing some beautiful paper, seeing the glistening blue ink on the page. Feeling your hand fly across the page so much more easily than two hands sometimes do over a keyboard. There is such a clarity to letter-writing, to seeing your own handwriting and feeling the thoughts pour through your hand onto the page. It's intensely gratifying.
That last flourish, decorating the page with flowers and doodles and putting in some pictures or little trinkets. It's one of the best things there is.
And the there's another thing the picture made me think of: waiting for a letter to arrive. Sometimes, when you know it's coming, there is an air of anticipation to the wait. But most times, letters and postcards come as a wonderful surprise. Can you remember the last time somebody sent you a long, hand-written letter? Can you remember the shivers of pleasure running down your spine and the smile that seemed plastered to your face? Because letters have become something so special. And precious.
The most beautiful letters I keep in my letterbox. I wrapped it in nice rose-print paper so it reminds me of warm summer days and flowery perfume.
I love writing letters even more than receiving them. Once, I wrote a letter to one of my best friends, who is a huge harry Potter fan (like me, hehe!). So one sunny afternoon, I decided to drop her a few lines in a somewhat unconventional way - I wrote her a Hogwarts letter! It was the best day I had in a long while. Colouring paper, putting together snippets of Harry Potter detail to make the letter seem as realistic as possible. I found wax for a seal, an "H" stamp and I even made a Hogwarts Express ticket, copied from the one in the movies.
I was terrified the letter might be stolen by some hard-core Potter lover, but a few days later my friend called to tell me she had receiced it. It was the best letter she had ever received, she told me, and everyone had been so envious of her. If you have never dreamed of receiving a personal Hogwarts letter, then you are lying! ;) It's every kid's dream.
I'll be honest with you: I almost didn't send it because I wanted it to be my own letter ...
I remember staining the paper brown with tea and coffee and then adding some darker stains with a candle. The worst moment was definitely when I almost burned off half the letter after it caught fire - that's why one corner is missing.
So I advise you: write more letters. It's such a wonderful thing to do and people are always so grateful. As with all things in the creative universe, putting in some hard work often results in the most wonderful craftsmanship!
Enjoy the sunshine, I'm off to write a letter.
Love, x
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