Peppermint Bark or Candy Cane Chocolate

This is a fantastic recipe for a minty chocolate treat perfect as an alternative to After Dinner Mints and a brilliant nibble to enjoy with a Hot Chocolate on a snuggly winter afternoon.

(sorry for the awful picture)

300g of white chocolate (this must contain cocoa butter, check the ingredients)
100g of Dark Chocolate 60% cocoa
3tbsp of double cream
4 Peppermint Candy Canes
Greasproof paper

Place a sheet of greaseproof paper on a baking tray. Crush up the candy canes into fine pieces and cover (the air will make them sticky if left uncovered). Break up 150g of the white chocolate and place in a bowl over a saucepan with a couple of inches of water in it (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Heat gently until the chocolate starts to melt then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir through until all the chocolate has melted.
Spoon the chocolate out onto the greaseproof paper and aim to make an approx 20cm x 15cm rectangle by smoothing the chocolate out, spoon half the candy cane pieces across the top of the chocolate. Once done place in the fridge for 15mins (or until firm).
Next break your dark chocolate up into a bowl and add the cream, heat again whilst stirring until all chocolate has melted. The mixture should be smooth and shiny, but careful it doesn't go over and start to look grainy and oily or you will have to discard and start again. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before pouring over the white chocolate rectangle and leaving to cool in the fridge for a further 15mins.
Repeat the method above for the remaining 150g white chocolate and leave to cool for a final 15minutes before slicing.
Trim of the edges so the edges are even and either slice into chunks or into bars I made two bars and wrapped them in cellophane. If placing them in an airtight container you might want to layer them with greasproof paper to stop them from sticking together.
Stored in a cool place this will last for up to two weeks.

Christmas is coming!

I haven't posted in ages and thought best to make an effort at this time of the year especially now my sticks are resting until after the big day.

A cosy family Christmas is something I am eager to create for my little ones, as a child my mum was (and still is) a Christmas fanatic with every inch of the house decorated in tinsel, foil and artificial swags and trees. Christmas Eve was spent listening to Christmas records and watching Home Alone or National Lampoons Christmas Vacation followed by an evening watching Xmas specials and the long awaited opening of the Quality Street chocolate tin plus a nutcracker and a big bowl of Brazil nuts. Chaos always ensued the next day with a 5am wake up call for my parents from my brother and I followed by presents and photos, whilst my Mum started her slaving in the kitchen (from which were banned) followed by a visit from or to the Grandparents.  Decorations everywhere, cooked ham, turkey, veg and all the the trimmings we were certainly well fed and spoilt rotten with all the gifts we received.

In previous years I have made jams, sweets and biscuits as gifts and love researching recipes to use.
This year is no exception and I have started the Christmas gift cook-off with Chilli Jam!

If you would like to give this a try here is the recipe x

• 2/3  fresh red chilli peppers (deseeded and cut into pieces)

• 2/3 long sweet red peppers (cored, deseeded and cut pieces)

• 1 kilo jam sugar

• 600ml cider vinegar

Place the chopped peppers and the chillies into a blender and blitz until finely chopped (if you haven't got a blender attempt to chop them by hand as small as possible) place to one side and put the cider vinegar and jam sugar into a large saucepan on a low heat to dissolve the sugar (stir as little as you possibly can). Once dissolved turn up the heat and put the chilli and pepper mix into the pan. Heat to a rolling boil and time for 10minutes, do not be tempted to turn down the heat, stir the mix if it starts to boil over. Whilst this is bubbling place a ceramic plate into the fridge and leave. Once the 10mins is up remove the pan from the heat and collect the plate from the fridge. Using a spoon place some of the jam onto the plate and after 20 secs push it with a spoon. If the Jam stays put and doesn't ooze back across the plate then it is perfect if not then pop the pan back on the heat and attempt another 10minute boil, repeating the plate test after the mixture has finished boiling. 

This will make approx 250ml of jam so make sure you have 3/4 small jam jars handy (washed and sterilised in boiling water) after cooling for approx 45 mins spoon into jars and seal. 

Et Voila!

x 

Teddy Bears Picnic

My little Munchkin turned 3 recently and last Saturday we had a little get together for all her little friends and family. We had party bags, party food, a bouncy castle and 20 ice cream cupcakes plus  my new favourite bake, A Teddy Cake!

Here is the tutorial for the bake :-)

You will need
A ready mix sponge cake
or
Use the equal measure cake batter mix:
Weigh two eggs and then match the weight of the eggs with flour, sugar and butter. Add 1 tsp of vanilla essence and 1tsp of baking powder.
For the buttercream icing:
150g of butter and 300g icing sugar plus 1tsp of vanilla essence and 3/4 tsps of cocoa powder, I use a few tsps of milk to thin my icing to a nicer piping consistency.

Preheat the oven to 160.
Then make your cake batter pour into a circular tin about 20cm in diameter and leave just enough mix to also make two cupcakes.
Bake for approx 20-22mins for the cake and 16-18mins for the cupcakes

Make your buttercream and once the cake has baked and cooled cut away a quarter of the cupcakes to make chubby crescents and line up like ears on the top edge of the cake in the 10 to 2 position, use a little buttercream to stick them in place.

Pipe individual gems around the side edges of the cake and attached ears continue in a circular pattern leaving a circle in the centre of the face for the nose and mouth I used a ramekin left in the centre as I piped to help with the shape. Pipe in a continuous spirals for the ears and the circle in the centre. Make a heavier icing mix with icing sugar and a few drops of water then roll the icing into balls and squish gently with your thumb for the eyes add a little cocoa powder to this mix to make the nose and the centre of the eyes. I piped a little icing as a mouth also, and VOILA! So easy a child could do it too.

• 
  

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

I am a big fan of crafts made from recycled objects/materials.
This week at work we had an order delivered that was packed with a continuous length of clear plastic wrap approw 20cm wide. I balled it all up and took it home much to the curious looks from my work colleagues.

I used my 20mm needles and created a very basic pattern across 20 sts.
Knit 2, Purl 2 for 3rows
Pattern row 1: Knit 2 sts, *knit, wrap yarn twice and drop wrapped yarn* knit to last 2sts, Knit 2 sts.
Pattern row 2: Knit 2 sts, *Purl, wrap yarn twice and drop wrapped yarn* Purl to last 2sts, Knit 2 sts.
before the wrap ran out I repeated the first three rows.
I plaited three strands of wrap and created two handles then folded the bag in half lengthways and wove wrap up both sides to seam then added the handles.
I could have possibly made this with bigger needles but happy with how this recycled shopper turned out.

The bag is really strong and thick and spongey and would make a great seat cushion too, in a recent magazine I read about a group of knitters who created bed rolls for the homeless by recycling plastic bags, such a great cause:
http://www.theprintedbagshop.co.uk/article/Nanas-Help-The-Homeless-With-Plastic-Bag-Knitting_271

Ice cream cone cupcakes

I have downed the sticks in favour of a whisk and spatula today to practise making my daughters birthday cakes. Our Munchkins birthday is in August and this year we are having a Teddy Bears picnic at home in the back garden with summery party food and lots of outdoor (weather permitting) toys and fun.

I have seen this recipe on lots of american websites so thought I ought to give it ago.

You will need:

A box of edible Ice Cream wafer cones (the ones that stand up on their own)
A ready mix cupcake mix
or 
use the equal measure cupcake batter mix:
Weigh 3 eggs and then match the weight of the eggs in Flour, Sugar and butter, add 1 tsp of vanilla essence and 1tsp of baking powder. 
A baking tray 
Tinfoil

Lay the tinfoil across the tray and tuck under the edges.

Make holes for your wafer cones and place them in.
Mix up your batter and add to the cones making sure not to overfill them (I left approx 1/2 an inch gap from the batter to the top of the cone)
Bake in the over at approx 160c for 20mins or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

For your icing:
I used a lighter icing instead of the standard Buttercream recipe. 
approx 50-75g of butter 
approx 300g of icing 
2 tablespoons of single cream 
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

Cream all the ingredients into a light mixture adding more sugar if it is too runny or more cream if too dry.
Spoon into a piping bag/tube and then spiral onto the top of your cupcake cones in the style of a Mr Whippy, adding hundreds and thousands, flakes or squeezy sauce to get the desired look.

Tips:
If your cupcakes ooze over the top of the cones use a knife to gently trip off the tops and then ice.

VOILA!

DESIGN A HAT COMPETITION DEC 2013

I love to see my creations on the noggins of the little ones I have created designs for but also love how little ones like to design and ask for their own hats so...

I want parents to encourage their kiddies to get involved. This competition is open to all children under 12. I have put a printable template in a photo album called Design your own hat December 2013 on our Elf & Munchkin Facebook page ELF & MUNCHKIN and from there you need to save it, print it, let your little one go wild with paint, crayon, pencils or anything they want to get creative with and then either scan or photograph and upload the picture via message to our page (please do not post directly to our facebook wall) for inclusion in the competition, parents and older siblings can help with the designs.

The prize...

The winning hat which will be judged by myself and my 3 yr old Munchkin the final individual winners design will be made to fit the size of the designer and sent to them as a prize. 

T&C's 

All entries need to be on the template photo provided. You will need to include your childs name and their age.
(Older siblings can design hats for their younger siblings particularly the under 5's)
Entries need to be received by midnight on Friday January 10th . The winner will be announced on Saturday January 11th 2014. The order will be dispatched within 14 days of the close of the competition. We cannot guarantee an EXACT replica of the image and some artistic/creative license will be used to make the hat wearable/functional.

Elf and Munchkin also ask that an image of the child wearing their hat be submitted to use for the promotion of further similar competitions.

Here are some images from our winning designer from the first Design your own hat competition earlier this year.

Hello again!

As you have probably noticed the blog is lacking on regular posts at the moment so I have decided that I need to get my rear in gear and attempt to post a little more often. 

Currently I am squirrelling away at several fox orders and a custom crab hat. I am desperate to start making items for a September market night and so will be closed for orders throughout August in an attempt to do this. I also want to work on some new designs of which I have many but just no time to make them.

I will also be starting a new Design Your Own Hat Competition in the next week or so with two age catagories this time. A 0-5yr category and 5-10yr category all entries will be received judged through this blog as Facebook have strict competition rules but images will be shared on the page so everyone can see them. So watch this space for further details.

And now for something completely different ...

I wanted to share a couple of makes with you that I saw this weekend that I am absolutely besotted with :-)

First up is Betsy Boo Creations a unique and very talented Mummy who has created a boutique style range of childrenswear and personalised gifts for the home. Her items are lovingly created at home in between chats with her darling daughter who likes to perch on her mummys sewing machine to have a natter amid the creative flow of this clever ladys genius. The fabrics are elegant yet fun and each design sings of simpler times when mothers dressed children as children and not mini celeb wannabes. 

Here is a sneaky peek at the dress I couldnt resist drooling over this evening...shhh dont tell the hubby ;-)

Another page that I am in love with is Elvira Jane Crochet a very talented crochet artist, whos creations are magical and quirky. Her ability to sculpt with a crochet hook and wool is immense and I recently ordered a giant mushroom for using in my photography displays (which have yet to be started) for this falls catalogue. 

I am still rather embarresed to admit that I was a bit put off by the cost for this item before it arrived thinking it was only 'crochet'... and I was proven wrong, soooo wrong (it really wasnt that costly). This item wasn't light in its construction with a tight layer of crochet work that must leave this womans hand near crippled to obtain and a quality which is unlike any crochet I have seen produced/sold before. It is so far the most impressive handmade item I have bought from a Facebook seller. Please take a peek at her work, you will not be disappointed.