Meet Herman the German..

...the friendship cake.

So a couple of days ago my Mum passed me a portion of Herman. I remember getting Herman when I was younger and being fascinated by looking after him, so I was excited when I spotted the tea-towel-covered bowl on my Mum's kitchen side.

Herman is a sour dough 'chain cake' which 'lives' in your kitchen for 10 days, before you pass him on to three friends to keep the chain going and bake you're own cake.

Today I am entering into Day 4 as Herman's carer and need to remember to feed him. I couldn't deal with killing off a cake, plus, how could I let my friends miss out on raising their very own Herman?

Herman and his blanket!

Herman bubbling away in my kitchen - he's still alive!

Here are the instructions I received with my little pot of Herman...

Hello, my name is Herman.

I am a sourdough cake. I'm supposed to sit on your worktop for 10 days without a lid on.
You CANNOT put me in the fridge or I will die. If I stop bubbling, I am dead.

Day 1 -You get Herman and put him in a large mixing bowl and cover loosely with a tea towel.

Day 2 -Stir well
Day 3 - Stir well

Day 4 - Herman is hungry. Add 1 cup each of plain flour, sugar and milk. Stir well.
Day 5 - Stir well
Day 6 - Stir well
Day 7 - Stir well
Day 8- Stir well

Day 9 - He's Hungry again. Add the same as day 4 and stir well. Divide into 4 equal portions and give away to friends with a copy of these instructions. Keep the 4th one.

Day 10 -Herman is very hungry. Stir well and add the following:

1 cup sugar
half tsp (teaspoon) salt
2 cups plain flour
2/3 (two thirds) cup of cooking oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cooking apples cut into chunks
1 cup raisins
2 heaped tsp cinnamon
2 heaped tsp baking powder.

Mix everything together and put into a large greased baking tin. 

Sprinkle with a quarter of a cup of brown sugar and a quarter of a cup of melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes at 170-180C. When cold cut into finger pieces. Cake freezes well and is also delicious warm with cream or ice-cream.

Baking Bookshelf

I suppose I have always been a coffee-table bookworm.

There isn't much which beats opening the crisp pages of a new hardback coffee-table book. From the beautiful photography to the scrumptious recipes hidden within, everything about a new cookbook is delicious.

Sexy, stylish and super-scrumptious - in Cox Cookies and Cakes

The shelf in my bookcase dedicated to cookbooks has grown and grown in recent years with books of cupcakes, vegan delights, easy-peasy student books to my own scrapbook created from recipe cards and newspaper cuttings, displayed for all to see. 

It's not just about the ingredients and measurements, oh no. These kitchen manuals are much more than 'how to's' these days. Some people will never open their trusty copy of 'Domestic Goddess' and read it cover to cover, and nor did I. Until last Christmas....

I was kindly brought Nigella Lawson's 'Kitchen'  and on a snowy, cold and boring boxing day, I began to read it. The book captured the same flirty, witty and dearly delightful tone of her television series. It's only then I started to actually 'read' my cookbooks. 

Another worth reading is Sophie Dahl's book 'Voluptious Delights' The diaries from her kitchen adventures are just as spellbinding as her grandfather's magical tales of marvellous medicines and giant peaches.  

There are so many hidden pieces of gorgeous writing inside Dahl's books

There are so many little gems of wonderful writing hidden inside the pages of cookbooks and it's time you put down your latest chick-lit paperback and took time to read your recipe books.  I'm off to read my two newest editions - The Hummingbird Bakery's 'Cake Days' and the Official Great British Bake Off's 'How to Bake' cookbook. Yum.

Here are some of my favourites I can't help but pick of my shelf and read (even if I haven't got the time or ingredients to actually make anything!)

1. Nigella Lawson's - Nigella Express ...

...the first of Nigella's books I was brought, and still my favourite

2. The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook....

...is my all-time favourite and 'go to' cupcake cookbook.

3. Harry Eastwood's 'Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache' ....

....Because sometimes creating cakes can be guilt-free! 

4. Cox Cookies and Cake .....

....for days when I want my sweet treats served with added sex appeal!

5. Appetite for Reduction - By Isa Chandra Moskowitz....

......for simmering up some tasty vegan dishes 

Be warned though, reading them may cause cravings for cupcakes, candy, cous cous or curry! 

National Cupcake Week 2011

Cupcake-a-holics rejoice, it's National Cupcake Week!

It's time to get out those cupcake tins, whip up a batch of sugary-sweet frosting and get creative to celebrate our miniature bakery favourite.

Now in it's third year, National Cupcake Week is organised by British Baker magazine and you can follow the cupcake adventures of fellow frosting addicts from your kitchen...(if you can tear yourself away from your mixing bowl and sprinkles that is...)

The Official National Cupcake Week Twitter  or Website

The website is full of FREE downloadable resources to help you celebrate, including bunting, logos and posters. It's crammed full of recipes, news, pictures and all the cupcake information you could ever need.

Celebrate all things cupcake on Cupcake Cavern and kit yourself out with the tools you need from the Cupcake Cavern Store  

Read Time Out's guide to the most scrumptious cupcake bakeries in London HERE and make time to treat yourself to one (or two) this week - it'd be rude not to really!  My personal favourites are the Hummingbird Bakery on Portobello Road or Soho's super-cool Cox's Cookies and Cakes 

Or treat yourself to a new recipe book - it won't be here in time to bake this week, but I am excited about Lola's Kitchen's first book that's released next month landing on my doormat, so why not order yours too? 

The bakery claims to 'hand-craft the best cupcakes that you have ever tasted' and after sampling a few of their cakes from the Selfridge's bakery over the years, it's a close call...so get baking your own versions!

Whatever you do to celebrate the sweetness this week, have fun cupcake fans!

Photograph by Lindsay Garvey Photography

Let's Get Knitting (or Baking?)

I've been lusting after 'Yarn and Sewing' themed cupcakes and cookies for a while now.

I don't know why and what's brought it on, but Sugar and Meringue's Yarn Ball Cupcakes are so twee that I really am going to have to indulge in some knit-based baking that my Granny would be proud of. You can't leave the blog before 'ahhhing' over their super-cute Button Cookies either. I'm in love.

Having a 'coffee and biscuit' moment recently also meant I stumbled across cookie company, Biscuiteers recipe for knitted cookies in their gorgeous book, the 'Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits' (Buy It) It's full of iced goodness for all occasions and so the fascination continues...

Somehow they just all seem so homely and quintessentially English, and as a non-knitter, it's the closest I'd come to making my own woolly jumper any time soon.

Here's my Top 5 'Knitted' Cookies and Cupcakes...(in no particular order!)

1. Yarn Ball Cupcakes (See the recipe on Sugar and Meringue)

Sugar and Meringue's 'Yarn' Cupcakes

2. Biscuiteers 'Sewing Kit' Biscuits (Visit the gift store or buy the book online to make your own)

Biscuiteer's 'Sewing Kit' Iced Biscuits

3. An ACTUAL knitting patten for a cupcake from Spud & Chloe 

So, you can't actually bake them and yes, I've admitted I can't knit, but I'd love to try and how cute would these delightful knitted cupcakes look on a sweet table at an event? (Get a FREE pattern on the website)

4. Vegan Yum Yum's 'Knit Night' Cupcakes (Visit the Blog or Buy the Book)

These vegan (which gets bonus points from me!) are stunning - and you can see how they are made on You Tube from a demonstration on Martha Stewart HERE. The detail is fabulous and perfect Autumnal and Winter cupcakes...and I do love Marzipan! 

Vegan Knit cupcakes with marzipan 

5. Sewing Machine Cake and Cupcakes from Small Things Iced (Visit the Blog)

To say I'm impressed with the detail and skill on this cake and coordinating cupcakes is an understatement. How amazing is the Singer sewing machine cake and the fabulous pin cushion idea for the cupcakes? There are a few avid seamstresses amongst my family and friends and this cake would be perfect. It'd be a shame to eat it...

Vintage Sewing machine and Pin Cushion Cupcakes

I'm not sure whether I want to bake some knitwear or knit some baking now?

Adventures in 'Weddingland'

With this table plan and these glittered rose petals I take thee...

After a Summer of Chief Bridesmaid | Wedding Planner | Events Management duties I have learnt a fair amount about how to pull off a beautiful, enjoyable, stylist event - and have it run to time. It's all about the people you use, the people who take the photographs, style your hair and serve your food.

Lydia and Gareth's 'Midsummer Nights Dream' inspired wedding at Slaugham Place, West Sussex wouldn't have been the same without the creative and talented individuals which made the day sparkle and shine and the left the guests (and bride!) breathless...

Alex Beckett Photography 
I may not have (in the words of Beyonce) 'a ring on it' yet, but if anyone at all is going to be there to take my wedding photographs when I do it will be Alex.

From the moment he arrived at Pound Cottage he fitted in to the bridal madness and made Lydia, Jody and I feel comfortable with his lens around. His creativity and ideas are amazing and the results are breathtaking. Even seeing the teeny, tiny previews of some of his photographs on the camera preview has gave me goosebumps.

You need to take a visit to his website - Alex Beckett Photography  

Read Alex's Blog ....HERE

Follow Alex on Twitter HERE

The fairytale cake with cascading white chocolate layers,  fluttering dragonflies and beautiful floral design was the perfect addition to the magical marquee and was baked and intricately designed and crafted by La Papillon Patisserie

Layered with the Bride and Groom's favourite flavours, this wasn't your average wedding cake. Lydia and I first came across the delicious delights baked by this luxury patisserie at a wedding fayre in London. We couldn't tear ourselves away from their stand. It wasn't just their cake samples though, like with Alex, Neil's personality and approachability made him stand out and the combination of his premier baking talent made him the perfect choice for the big day. (I still have a few slices of cake in the fridge too!)

Visit La Papillon's website HERE

Follow La Papillon on Twitter HERE 

More to follow....including the impeccable events team at Super Event, the spell-binding talents of the acrobats and statues at Flaming Fun Agency,  the super-fun photobooth wedding reception idea from Disco Fever, Make-up by Zara, Hair by Daniel and stunning flowers by Distinctly Floral