Weekend Baking: Cream Cakes

Hello again,

Its been quite cold here in Melbourne the past couple of days, so staying indoors and baking has kept us happy, fed and kept Percys hands busy!

I had a mountain of cream in my fridge, so thought I'd make cream cakes. The original recipe comes from my hubbys nana, and they are a family favourite. I didn't have all the right ingredients at home, but managed to bake something equally delicious with what I had!

Nana Elsie's Cream Cakes were one of the recipes we featured in issue 3 of Hundreds and Thousands magazine, and there are still copies left if you would like the original recipe for yourself, as well as the other yummy recipes, easy crafts, interviews, beautiful photos and inspiration. Just click here!

So here's my adapted recipe for cream cakes, perhaps something you might want to bake this weekend?

You will need:
1 cup cream
1 1/2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
3 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup rice malt syrup
1 tsp vanilla
50 gm salted butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
natural food colouring

Beat your eggs and rice malt syrup and vanilla in a bowl. Add the cream and stir. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl then gradually add this to your cream mixture. Mix. Pour into patty pans (I made 17 cakes) and bake at 180C for 10-15 min or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool before icing.

For your icing, beat the butter, honey and vanilla until very light and fluffy. Divide between bowls and add a few drops of food colouring to each bowl. Spread onto your cooled cakes. Enjoy!

Once you've eaten a few, store in a air tight container for a couple of days. I opshopped this one, isn't it lovely!

To mums, sisters, aunties, friends, women everywhere, happy mothers day to you for sunday! Im off to the Ballarat Apron Festival which I am so excited about.

See you soon,

Taz

Home made necklaces: ideas, how to's and some for you to buy!

Hello

I've been getting crafty lately, this time, quick 5 minute makes. I thought id show you 6 necklaces I have made all from household objects. I do love wearing a necklace, and even better a handmade one! These use materials from around the home so they were pretty much free and totally one of a kind, making them literally home made necklaces.

First, a DIY necklace:

We were cutting branches off some trees a few days ago, and this little piece was asking to be used. It already had a hole running straight through the middle, so the hard work was done.

1. Find a piece of tree trunk
2. Paint it white
3. Paint or use markers to draw polka dots or anything really
4. Thread some bakers twine, wool or string through and close at the neck.
5. Wear!!


This next one is also very easy to make!

As a sewer, I end up with empty cotton reels when they are finished. Old wooden ones are too nice to throw out, so I turned this one into a necklace.

1. Take your wooden cotton reel and wrap some pretty paper or fabric around the middle.
2. Paint over with mod podge, including the parts not covered in paper.
3. Place a button on the bottom and thread your string through the reel, then through the holes of the button and back through the reel.
4. Close at the neck
5. Wear!!


This next one, I made for the latest issue of Hundreds and Thousands Magazine, (issue five) using a doily and string. Doilies are just so great for crafting with, and if ever I get over this one, the doily has not been cut, so can just undo the whole thing!

This next one I made with the beads off my sons high chair! You just thread some string through and  wear it! Obviously you can use any beads, I don't expect you to all have a high chair sitting around!

This one, similar to the other cotton reel one, is using smaller reels. Cover them the same way, or even wrap yarn around them. Then thread onto string, with some beads between each reel.

And the last necklace, I made using vintage tracing stencils. I made quite a few, and if you would like one, they are $7 from my shop. They can be worn as a necklace or brooch and have a hand covered button to close.

Hope you have a creative week! I'm so so excited about heading to Ballarat this weekend for their annual Apron Festival,! I made a apron for the competition so will share about my weekend next week! Oh and happy mothers day if I don't see you before Sunday!

taz xx