Ben & Jerry's Flavour Launch

Right: New Ben & Jerry's Flavour Left: I just don't know

That feeling of having so much work to do, and only a week to complete it, is dire. But a horrific feeling perhaps, is when you are told you have an extra deadline which you had not the blindest idea about AND its due in next week. Has that ever happened to anyone? This happened on the same day of the Ben & Jerry’s Flavour Launch by the way, if I didn’t have an unhealthy obsession with B&J I most certainly would have ran home after lecture and buckled down to a bit of nonsense uni work instead of walk half a mile from Great Portland Street Tube Station to a massive glass building filled with office cubes and sore bums. 

I don’t usually attend these PR thingy’s out of fear of not knowing anyone and having to engage in forced awkward conversation about my blog. When I went to this PR event last night - low and behold - it was EXACTLY like that! Perfect. I was the first to leave, making the situation even more painfully awkward.

I really enjoyed speaking to the PR girls themselves. Especially Woody Cow! Yes, she was a PR girl in disguise. Cor, and I thought I was gonna meet the man who invented Phish Food! My favourite part of the night was <s>the goody bag</s> tasting the all new awesome flavours that are about to hit UK giants such as tesco etc. Ladies and Gentleman, hold onto your consumer seats and get ready for the the tastiest ride of your life - it includes Peanut Butter and Vanilla Ice Cream with a Raspberry Jelly Core AND Blondie and Brownie and Blondie Ice Cream with a Salted Caramel Core! 

HFSKHFSUFASHFKHSIHJAFSIFSDJ. Seriously though, I was expecting the Red Velvet Cake variation. 

Nails getting did

MOOOOVELOUS Ben & Jerry Nails

Some disgusting sarnies 

On another note I wanted to share with you a few pictures I took of a cake class at Fair Cake, hope you enjoy!

Present Wrapped with Peony Cake

Last weekend Pamela McCaffrey

Present Wrapped with Peony 

OH, and.... Happy Belated Valentines!

Love Em xx

Traditional Turkish Cypriot Lokma

Lokma

Now that we're in February it's no shock to anyone that the days are finally getting just a tad bit longer. Food bloggers will jump for joy at the extra hour or so that has landed on their doorstep and/or window ledge because its arrival means sharing more tarts, muffins, cakes or even a lobster. So why is it that come pre spring, my cameras contents is as dry as Ghandis flip flop?! But it's not the end of the world and the clock still moves forward regardless of one or seven less posts a month (I hate university).

A few weeks back me and mum transformed our kitchen into a Turkish bakery. She's a good few years out of practice so it was nice to bring those skills up a notch. Generally, Turkish sweets are soaked in sugar syrup, it's this component that gives these sweets their own unique and worldly flavour, right next to its Asian counterparts. Absolutely everything including fried pastries, gets plopped or covered in a huge saucepan of sugar, water and cinnamon stick then left to soak for ten minutes until the finished product is wet, slightly sticky and nothing short of bloody glorious.

Our minefield of goods were all lovely, but I thought I'd turn to this particular recipe for the blog because its bite size.  Just one wouldn't hurt.

PS. Please forgive the awful quality of these trendy insta pics, I've only had time to bake in the evenings and then off out again the morning so the Canon had no place here.

The recipe

Makes about 30 bite sized Lokmas 

Dough
14g active dried yeast
2 cups warm water
2 cups plain flour
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp salt
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Sugar syrup
3 cups white sugar
5 cups water
1 stick cinnamon

Note: Make the process a touch too traditional and use a standard drinking glass to measure the ingredients instead of measuring cups, works wonders I promise!

The Method:

Start with the sugar syrup - add the sugar, water and cinnamon stick to a large saucepan and leave on a medium high heat whilst you make the dough batter.

Add the warm water and yeast to a large bowl and stir until the yeast dissolves.

Add the flour, corn flour and salt to the mix and whisk until incorporated - about 3 minutes.

Cover the batter with a clean tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes to an hour until the batter had doubled in size. You can put it in the fridge if you want.

In the mean time add vegetable oil to a medium sized saucepan and heat until boiling point.

Now for the messy part. Using your hand grab some of the proved dough and squeeze until a small amount appears between your thumb and forefinger. Grab that slightly rounded bit of dough with a teaspoon and plop it into the hot oil.

The balls needs about half a minute each side, or until golden brown.

Once cooked, immediately immerse the balls in the sugar syrup and leave in their for as long as you want. Obviously, the more you leave the balls in there the more sweet and delicious they become!

Transfer the balls into a large bowl that has been lined with paper towels.

EAT when warm for the best Lokma experience.

Here are some other late night Turkish bits I've been instagramming:

Ricotta Borek

Aubergine Karni Yarik

Love Em xx

A Recipe For Un/healthy Pancakes

Pancakes

Above and below are the sort of pancakes you will either love or hate. You have two options. Choose to envisage above and below as a downright ruddy delicious full fat soft, airy and fluffy item of love, or a more gruesome 1 egg 1 banana combination. Whichever you choose, I have provided the recipe for both. Happy Pre Pancake Day!

Happy Pancake:

240ml milk
30 grams butter, melted
30 grams sugar
1 large egg

125 grams plain flour

2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Method:

Sift dry ingredients together.

Mix wet ingredients in a jug and whisk into the flour until combined.

Heat oil in a pan and cook pancakes for 30 seconds either side until golden brown. 

Pancakes

Sad Pancake:

2 medium eggs

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 large mashed banana

1 tsp baking powder

Light cooking oil for frying

The Method:

Peel and mash the banana in a large bowl using a potato masher.

In a separate, smaller bowl whisk the eggs with a fork and then slowly add them to the mashed banana.

Lastly add in the baking powder and cinnamon (optional) and mix until just incorporated.

Pour the mixture into a measuring jug and set aside.

Add a very small amount of oil to a frying pan and heat on high for 1 minute.

Pour a small circle of batter into the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides - about half a minute.

Serve warm with syrup, fruit or cream.

Pancakes

Love Em xx