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The Lifestyle Lady
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    • Skin Care
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Tag:

Baking

BakingFoodRecipe

Delicious & Easy Weeknight Dessert

by thelifestylelady August 23, 2017

DessertBreakDownHowdy Y’all,

Today I wanted to share with you a LL little secret a dessert I have up my sleeve for those weeknights when guests are coming or your family demands or deserves a little treat. I love a dessert which tastes scrummy, can be adapted and is a little healthier than a slice of cake. I got inspiration from Mr. Jamie Oliver (thank you) and modified it to suit what I have in my pantry at the said time. The idea can also made healthier if necessary. I love cheesecake and find the biscuit base the best bit (never understood NY cheesecake.) I do however in the week want to eradicate the butter required to make that crumbly bottom, so I thought what would work as an alternative and granola sprang to mind. Granola is so versatile, perfect for breakie or as a snack but this provides a great base, plus depending on the granola you bake or buy you can use one with nuts, seeds, and dry fruit. Next, I add a dollop of heavenly curd, and this can be of your choosing, this time I chose lemon, but lime, raspberry, rhubarb or any other fruit curd would be delicious. Curd works well with the granola and is also scrumptious with yogurt. Then I add fruit, this again is personal preference, but I would recommend something which compliments the curd of choice. The piece de resistance is the topping which I use mascarpone, but you could use crème fraiche. I place in a bowl add a teaspoon of vanilla essence, and a teaspoon of icing sugar give it a good mix and voila a yummy topping. If you were looking to lighten things up reduce the amount of topping or use yogurt. If mascarpone is not your desire, you could use clotted cream, cream or ice cream. The versatility of this dessert is what makes this a winner. It always feels more sophisticated to present these in martini glasses, it also means you have greater portion control, and if you have dietary requirements, you can make to specific desires. I have also made this in sundae glasses or mason jars; they always look super cute! You can make these ahead, and they can last in the fridge for several days. All which make them a Lifestyle Lady Love.

 

Do you have a recipe I need to try?

Ta Ta For Now

Kx

Yummy and how cute are the floral spoons
Close up
Always scrummy from above.

 

 

August 23, 2017 17 comments
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BakingFood

Best Dessert Brownies Ever -FACT!

by thelifestylelady September 7, 2016

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Howdy Y’all,

Happy Wednesday, I hope your week is treating you well. If you have been following my blog for a while you will know that I am on a personal crusade to make sure that Little L feels culturally comfortable living in the US. For those of you who don’t know, she is a dual US and UK citizen, but born and raised here in America. With Mr L and myself both being fully fledged Brits, freckles and all, I wanted to ensure that I didn’t make Little L feel ostracized by cultural differences. Now I say this very tongue in cheek, we are different, as George Bernard Shaw said: “England and America are two countries separated by a common language.” I can do little to change this, and as her teacher has already pointed out, Little L has informed her classmates that we “play in the garden, not outside” lol. One way I am trying to become a more American mom (please note spelling for emphasis of point) is trying to learn some popular local dishes. Mr L would say that I have the pulled pork and ribs down (please let me know if these are recipes you would like me to share on the blog.)  I can’t say that I will ever be one to cook macaroni and cheese or pb and jelly (no, neither of these are popular UK dishes much to the surprise of my US mom friends.) I do however wish to become a connoisseur of the brownie. You may know that a while back I wrote this post, The best brownie ever challenge.  I stand by these brownies – they are remarkably good – but not one to become complacent in my pursuit of perfection, I have discovered another recipe which I think is outstanding.

A blogger I follow TheAnnaEdit mentioned her favorite recipe by Anna Jones called Salted Caramel Brownies (no you don’t have to be called Anna to make these.)  I love salted caramel and, with friends coming for dinner, I had the perfect excuse to give them a try. Now like The Anna Edit, I cheated and bought caramel sauce: I used Trader Joe’s Caramel Sauce and it worked a treat.

Ingredients

150g 70% dark chocolate

150g unsalted butter

250g caster sugar (If you find caster sugar hard to find in US, use regular sugar but blitz in a food processor first to get the correct consistency. This I have found to work well – LL top tip.)

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

100g plain flour.

Method

Heat oven to 180C or 365F.

Grease and line a brownie tin approximately 20x20cm.

Place a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water (make sure bowl bottom does not hit the water! That’s important!)

Add chocolate and butter to bowl and allow to melt stirring together so as not to burn.

Once they have melted and combined together, remove bowl from heat.

Stir in sugar (be careful the mix is hot.)

Then add the eggs one at a time, stirring throughout.

After well combined, add the vanilla essence and flour.

Stir until mixture is well combined.

This is where I did not follow the exact instructions and being pushed for time followed The Anna Edit method.

Place mixture in prepared tin.

Then take your bought caramel sauce and spoon several teaspoons into the prepared mixture, I used about 5 oz.

Then use a wooden skewer to feather the caramel through the mixture so it leaves a pretty pattern on the top.

If you like salted caramel, grind a little sea salt on top.

Place in oven on middle shelf for about 25mins.

It will be done when a crust appears on the top (mine took about 30 mins.)

Then take out of oven and let Brownies cool.

I made these in the morning, and reheated in the evening. Ladies and Gents these brownies were to die for. I would say they are more a dessert brownie, especially heated, because as you cut into them out oozes golden caramel. The amount I added was about right because they didn’t become too rich and the fact they are made with dark chocolate doesn’t make them too sweet. They are delicious served warm with homemade vanilla ice-cream (future post.) They are also a marvelous hangover cure but that is another story.

If you are lucky enough to get your hands on Anna Jones’ cookbook “A Modern Way to Eat” (highly recommended), you will note that she provides alternative/healthier ways to prepare the brownies which I want to try. Who is with me? She also gives you details on how to make the caramel yourself which I want to attempt next time. However, if you are stuck for time or baking is not your thing, this method was outstanding. Best dessert brownies I have ever had and my guests agreed. I am well on the way to doing Little L proud on the brownie stakes, it is muffins next! (A mummy’s work is never done!) So my previous post The best brownie ever challenge  produces the best brownies for everyday baked goods and these brownies are best for dessert!

This is so shinny and yummy I want to jump in!
This picture does not do them justice. Its got a beautiful crust.
This picture shows how goey and yummy they are

Enjoy the rest of your week folks. Have you tried this recipe before? Have I inspired you to try? If so send me a pic! I would love to see them.

Ta Ta for now

TLL x

 

September 7, 2016 4 comments
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BakingFamilyFood

Baking Wednesday – Caramel Slice

by thelifestylelady March 9, 2016

Howdy Y’all,

Happy Hump Day! So yesterday was rainy and I was trapped inside with Little L (argh!!) One thing she loves and often asks to do is bake. I read recently in a blog about an app I have been meaning to try called Hippy Lane. The app is recipe-based but only contains health-conscious recipes. They promote that the sweet treat recipes are gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and contain no refined sugar. Trying to find recipes that have these bases covered but still taste delicious is a challenge. This app is very sophisticated and styish and the photographs are beautiful.  I had a very quick gander through my pantry to see what ingredients I had and Little L and I selected the recipe for  Caramel Slices. Where I am from it is referred to as millionaire’s shortbread and  it is delicious and I thought this would be a great introduction to its yumminess for Little L. So here is how it went:-

Recipe

Summary

Creamy, delicious bars of gold. These caramel slice bars are just like the real thing with a crumbly biscuit base, smooth caramel center and silky chocolate top, you will be taken to choc caramel heaven with each bite. Free of dairy, gluten and sugar, you can enjoy them guilt-free.

Ingredients

Base

1 1/2 cups (225g) cashews

1/2 cup (40g) desiccated coconut

8-10 medjool dates, pitted

3tbsp rice malt

Caramel

1 cup (150g) medjool dates, pitted

1/4 cup (60ml) coconut oil

1/2 cup (125ml) tahini or almond butter

1/2 cup (120ml) rice malt syrup

1 tsp vanilla powder

Pinch salt

Chocolate

1/3 cup (36g) cacao powder

1/2 cup (120ml) coconut oil, liquid

1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup

1/2 tsp carob powder (optional)

Steps

  1. To make base, reduce cashews to small pieces in the food processor.
  2. Add coconut and pulse.
  3. Add dates and rice malt, and process until combined and sticky.
  4. Press base into tin lined with baking powder and freeze.
  5. Making caramel by processing all ingredients until smooth.
  6. Spread caramel over base and freeze.
  7. For the chocolate, whisk the ingredients until well incorporated.
  8. Spread chocolate evenly over slice and freeze.
  9. Remove from freezer 30 minutes before serving.

 

Lifestyle Lady Findings

  • Firstly I could not find rice malt so I substituted agave syrup.
  • I used almond oil instead of tahini.
  • I did not have vanilla powder so I substituted for vanilla essence.
  • As you know I am yet to buy a brownie tin, but that would be the ideal size to make these in.
  • Call me lazy but I loved the ease of the prep and that it needed no baking. It was an ideal recipe to do with a toddler. They can lick the spoon and not get poisoned!
Prepping the base
The base is so yum and took 15 min in freezer to cool
This is delicious. It did get very sticky and cause my processor to stop
Use a cold spoon to spread on base
Sorry about the light reflection but this was so glossy
So yummy
So suprised how good they looked and fantastic they tasted
Close up time
Little L and I really enjoyed making these, it was a great rainy day activity. It is seldom that I get excited about an app and this one has me very eager to try more. It is well worth the $2.99 price tag. When it is raining and half way through the week who wouldn’t want a slice of chocolate gold?
Enjoy,
Ta ta for now,
TLL x
PS. message from Mr L: TLL had to lock these away to stop me eating the whole lot! :@)  Will be taking them to work to dilute the waistline expansion.
March 9, 2016 5 comments
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BakingFood

Best Brownies Ever Challenge!!!

by thelifestylelady March 2, 2016

imageHowdy Y’all,

Happy hump day! Who needs a pick-me-up to see them through till Friday? I feel I do this week in particular, after Super Tuesday I think we could all do with a sugary treat. (Who is with me?) I am well aware that I am raising an American daughter and although we try to help her identify with her British culture I do try to learn more about American culture.  One thing I am trying to do is find a recipe to bake the perfect brownie. When home at Christmas a dear friend of ours had us over for lunch and she had the children help make the dessert of brownies and the recipe was called the Best-ever brownies. Could this be the recipe to end all recipe’s which would mean I could serve them to my American friends.  Here is what happened :- 

Prep Notes

  • It was in this post where I made delicious Moroccan Orange cake that I wrote about one of my top tips in making caster sugar, it does make a difference to the texture of the bake.
  • It was when making my famous carrot cake that I wrote about using a whisk instead of a sieve, it makes much less mess!!!
  •  I did not have a 20cm square tin, my tin was nearer 23cm and I rounded up the ingredients but it still worked. If I was looking into investing in a brownie tin – any recommendations?
  • I also did not quite enough dark chocolate so I substituted the difference for white chocolate.

Ingredients 

  • 185g unsalted butter
  • 185g best dark chocolate
  • 85g plain flour
  • 40g cocoa powder
  • 50g white chocolate
  • 50g milk chocolate
  • 3 large egg
  • 275g golden caster sugar Cut 185g unsalted butter into smallish cubes and tip into a medium bowl. Break 185g best dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl. Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them. Now remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.
  1. While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4 (most ovens take 10-15 minutes to heat up). Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base. Now tip 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into a sieve held over a medium bowl, and tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps.
  2. With a large sharp knife, chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board. The slabs of chocolate will be quite hard, so the safest way to do this is to hold the knife over the chocolate and press the tip down on the board, then bring the rest of the blade down across the chocolate. Keep on doing this, moving the knife across the chocolate to chop it into pieces, then turn the board round 90 degrees and again work across the chocolate so you end up with rough squares.
  3. Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is, so don’t lose heart. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you’re there.
  4. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like – you don’t want to undo all the work you did in step 4.
  5. Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly. Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don’t want to overdo this mixing. Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they’re dotted throughout. Now your mixing is done and the oven can take over.
  6. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it. Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 minutes. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.
  7. Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you’re using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you’re using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles. These brownies are so addictive you’ll want to make a second batch before the first is finished, but if you want to make some to hide away for a special occasion, it’s useful to know that they’ll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.
Ingredients

The amount of ingredients required is relatively few.

Caster Sugar

TLL quick spin of turning regular sugar into caster sugar

cjoc

The smaller the lumps of butter and chocolate the quicker it is to melt.

melting choc

Melting- smells so yummy

MeltChoc

All melted and so glossy

Sugarandeggs

This is the sugar and eggs after 7 mins on high in my Kitchen Aid mixer

ChoppedChoc

So hard to resist a little nibble! I love white chocolate

Sieve

Another LL top tip using a whisk instead of a sieve

Mix

Adding the melted choc to the aired mixture, such a marbled beauty

Folding In

I used the figure of eight method as I did not want to loose air in the mixture, it took a while to mix in but it does come together I promise

Before Oven

The finished mixture so pretty and glossy

Yummy

The finished brownie served warm with ice-cream. Is there another way??

Tastetester

My cute chief taste tester giving her verdict, what is she thinking?

I think this recipe was a real hit, the brownies are simply delicious. Gooey and fudgy on the inside and crisp and hard on the outside. I loved them and served warm with yummy ice cream. How do you like yours? I urge you to give this a try they are well worth it. I now need to test on an American audience for verdicts. Who wants to volunteer?

Ta ta for now,

TLLx

March 2, 2016 5 comments
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BakingFamilyFood

A Family Cake – Moroccan Orange Cake

by thelifestylelady February 24, 2016

 

Howdy Y’all,

Happy Hump Day, you are close to the weekend! Yay!  So I have not done a baking post for a long while (sorry) and this one is special. This is the cake that Mr L asks for each year for his birthday. (Yes I make a vague attempt to make a cake for family – who doesn’t want to blow out a candle and feel old?!) This is not only special because Mr L loves it but it is one of his family recipes. It is a cake that his mother makes (no pressure!!!!  I do not make it as good as her- end of.) It comes from his family cookbook (so you see they are good cooks!)  Many of you may not know but my husband is half Algerian and although this recipe is from Morocco and no my Geography is not that bad! I still think of it as a nod to my husbands heritage and therefore to me it is important. It is also yummy, and does not require lots of icing and decoration which is a win win for me. So I must thank my mother in law for taking the time to document all these family recipe’s it will be lovely for Little L to have a collection of recipes that generations of her family members have made before her, what a lucky little lady she is. Now onto the baking …

 

caster sugar making

Love my Kitchen Aid processor!

Lifestyle Lady Top Tip

Before I start, you will see below the recipe asks for  caster sugar. This is something I have struggled to find in the US, and it does definitely make a difference to the texture of the cake. To combat I use regular granulated sugar and measure the amount required, I then place it in my food processor for about 2 mins and Voila a consistency similar to caster sugar! This might sound like a time consuming faff but it is worth it. Makes for a lighter cake.

Other Information – US readers

  •  I cheated and used dried breadcrumbs and it worked fine. I am sure that it would taste better with fresh.
  • I could not find Star Anise, the seeds worked well.
  • Could not find Orange Flower Water so I used Orange essence.
  • Ground Almonds or Almond Flour is a little more expensive but can often be found on special, grab it then. It is usually found on the health aisles of most major grocery stores.
  • I use this microplane zester, one of the best purchases ever. Makes it so easy and I keep the skin on my knuckles. Win win.
  • This can be made ahead and actually tastes better the next day.
  • As my mother in law suggests it would make a super dessert.

 

Recipe

Moroccan Orange Cake – Courtesy of my mother-in-law

This cake is fragrant with spices and citrus aromas. The syrup makes it moist and soft. It can be served for dessert with a little whipped cream or Greek yoghurt.

Ingredients

For the cake:

5 large eggs, separated

300g caster sugar

350g ground almonds

4 tablespoons fresh white breadcrumbs

3 teaspoons baking powder

400ml sunflower oil

½ teaspoon almond essence

Finely grated zest of 2 oranges

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For the syrup:

2 star anise

2 small cinnamon sticks

4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

4 tablespoons runny honey

2 tablespoons Orange Flower Water

Juice of 2 oranges

Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4 (180˚C). Grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin. In a large mixing bowl, combine the caster sugar, ground almonds, breadcrumbs and baking powder. Add the citrus zests. In a jug, beat the eggs with the oil and add the almond essence. Now pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 50 – 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the syrup: gently heat the citrus juices, honey and spices in a small saucepan. Simmer for 3 minutes, then reserve, covered, for the flavours to infuse. Stir in the orange flower water just before using.

When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven and pierce the top with a skewer all over. Remove the spices from the syrup and pour it over the hot cake, a little at a time, waiting for the cake to absorb the liquid as you do so. Leave the cake to cool in the tin, then remove, using the baking paper to help you, and place on a serving plate. You can use the whole spices to decorate the top.

It will keep well for up to 3 days, stored in cling film or foil in the fridge.

Pictures 

Ground Almonds

Love love love these scales, I received them as a wedding gift and I think of that person every time. I love that about gifts – don’t you? All the dry ingredients.

dryingredients

I make sure I buy the biggest lemons and oranges I can find to get plenty of zest.

wetanddryingredients

Adding the wet ingredients to dry, the mix will look a little curdled/split that is totally fine.

mixedingredients

The split look but trust me it will come out yummy

cakeinoven

I forgot to take a picture before it went into the oven. Another note I usually have a baking tray underneath the tin, so its easy to get in and out of oven, this was the second one I had made in the week and I was in a hurry, I had to get to Peppa Pig theatre show – mummy problems.

syrup

While the cake is baking in the oven I make the lovely syrup. The smell is divine, another tip is place the fruit in the microwave for 20 seconds, the heat will help you squeeze more juice out.

finalcake

The finished article. Before you think its burnt it is not. It is saturated in syrup and the light makes the edges look black. It is so delicious please give it a try.

We all love this and I served it to Mr L’s office as cake of the month, it was different to anything they had before and not one slice was left, which is tribute to the taste of the cake. If you fancy something different give this a try.

Ta ta for now

TLL x

February 24, 2016 3 comments
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Baking

Baking Buns- Sticky & Yummy

by thelifestylelady October 20, 2015

Howdy Y’all,

How are you? We are enjoying the cooler weather and start thinking of cozy food. When in comes to baking nothing says yummy like sticky cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. A few weeks ago a friend of mine hosted a fall play date where we were asked to bring a fall snack. My toddler effort was blogged about here. One of my very talented friends bought these. I was in heaven. She told us they were dead easy, she is a wonderful cook so her idea of easy is not necessarily comparable. To those who follow the blog regularly you will know my monthly baking commitment and how I like to vairy the offering so when something new falls on my lap, it would be rude not to challenge myself and give the recipe a go.

I understand the recipe is one by the Barefoot Contessa, I have never tried anything by her but am led to believe she is a well-respected chef. Am I right? Do you have recipes of hers I must try? So here is my attempt at Sticky Buns. I did make 20 plus buns in several batches so the photographs reflect the second batch (when I was a pro at it – obviously.)

Ingredients 

  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
  • 1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

Filling

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup raisins

First thing I did was turn the Lifestyle oven to 400 degrees F.

I then placed parchment paper on a baking sheet and then a muffin tray on top.

Place the brown sugar and butter in a mixer to cream together. A LL top tip is to ensure the butter is room temperature as it creams with the sugar better 😉

Pre-creaming, please note this is the second batch I made

Apres creaming it is a light brown mixture, it does look a little grainy

I then placed a tablespoon of the mixture in each of the muffin tins

I did not bother with a food processor for the nuts as I wanted them fairly large

Sprinkling the nuts on top of the butter sugar mix. I measured by eye. No method to the craziness

Next you tackle the pastry. It is important to ensure the pastry is thoroughly defrosted. I then brushed the pastry with melted butter

You then add half the sugar and cinnamon. You only make six buns out of each slice of pastry so you have to remember to split the ingredients. As the recipe requires two pastry sheets. I forgot this on the first batch 😳 It is also important to give an inch border around the edge.

Then add half the raisins

Then you roll up the pastry, ensuring the close seam is underneath

I then cut the buns, I firstly cut the excess from each end. Then I marked the centre and then halved the remainder on each side, if gives you 6 fairly even buns.

You then place your cut buns into the muffin tin on top of the mixture. Then place in your hot oven for approx 30 mins. The smell is divine.

Once out of oven allow to cool in tin for 5 mins and then fish them out. They should come out easily and you just spoon any excess left in the case on top of the buns. Voila, divine x

A closer look. Wish I could explain the smell.

Oops notice a little one missing? Would be rude not to try 😍

So these get better each batch you make. I have to say these are not good for the person who should be dieting (😜moi!) I am not sure if you are like me but calories matter and the sin has to be worth it. This ladies and gents is worth it. Give them a try, they have been added to the LL repertoire. Have you got a great bun recipe?

Let me know what you think of these. Thankyou Barefoot Contessa- where is the name from?

Ta Ta for now

TLL x

October 20, 2015 0 comment
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BakingFood

Hummingbird Cake – Yes Please

by thelifestylelady October 13, 2015

Howdy Y’all,

How are you doing? Hope you had a good Columbus Day. Which was a public holiday or sorts, but not in this house. Little L and I celebrated by avoiding many public places and watching Frozen for the millionth time!  I have been meaning to write about this particular recipe for a few weeks. Those of you who follow my blog with some regularity will know that I have to produce some baking effort once a month for Mr Lifestyle and his colleagues; it is a job requirement I am informed. This was September’s effort. Since I had made cupcakes in August, I wanted to do a more traditional cake but something a little different that perhaps people had not had before, and this sprang to mind. It could appear a little intimidating with all the ingredients, but I promise as a mum of a toddler who does not take naps and whose favorite hobby is to assist me, I need something that I can concentrate on while making sure Little L does not cause too much havoc, and that also has things she can contribute to.  This recipe worked. I must be honest and say I generally enjoy the challenge of producing baked goods once a month and I do try to vary my offering. I also like it because I cannot eat any of it: not sure it would look good if a slice was missing :0( but this one was difficult not to try. It looked yum, and I did get a couple of requests for the recipe, and nobody has keeled over yet – good sign. So if you enjoy baking, give this a go and I do not think you will be disappointed. Any recipes I should try? Have you made this? What did you think? Get in touch. I love to hear from you.

Below is all you need! I hope.

Ingredients

300g caster sugar

3 eggs

300ml sunflower oil

270g peeled bananas mashed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus extra to decorate

300g plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract

100g tinned pineapple, chopped into small pieces

100g shelled pecan nuts or walnuts chopped plus extras whole to decorate

2 Quantities of Cream cheese frosting

3 20cm lined cake tins.

Method

Preheat oven to 170 oc or 325of Gas 3

Put sugar, eggs, oil, banana and cinnamon in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld whisk.) and beat until all ingredients are well incorporated (don’t worry if mixture looks split.)

Slowly add flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until everything is well mixed.

Stir in chopped pineapple and pecan nuts by hand until evenly dispersed.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and smooth over with palette knife.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched.

Leave the cakes to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire cooling rack. Once on the rack leave to cool completely.

When the cakes are cold, put one on a cake stand and spread one quarter of the cream cheese over it with a palette knife.

Place the second cake in top and spread another quarter of frosting over it.

Top with the last cake and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Finish with pecan nuts and a light sprinkling of cinnamon.

Cream Cheese Frosting

300g icing sugar sifted

50g unsalted butter at room temperature

125g cold cream cheese

Method

Beat the icing sugar and butter together in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use handheld whisk.) on med-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.

Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated

Turn the mixer up to med-high speed and continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, (at least 5 mins.)

Be careful not to over beat as it can become runny.

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Firstly I took a separate bowl and measured the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and gave it a whisk. I mentioned before that this is LL top tip to whisk instead of sieve, it does the same thing with much less mess!! I know the recipe does not require it but I think it adds to a lighter sponge.

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The LL cheated as I could not be bothered to get my mixer out I just used good old elbow grease. I think it worked just fine. I need all the workouts I can get :0)

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Once I have mixed the mixture does look a little split, but that is totally fine.

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The you gradually add the dry flour mixture slowly, to keep it as light as possible. Also remember to add the vanilla as I did not add to the dry ingredients originally.

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The mixture with the dry ingredients incorporated.

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The mixture after adding the pineapple and pecans. It is beginning to smell yummy.

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The prepped cake tins, a quick LL tip is to have cut out plenty of 9 inch cake circles already so you have enough prepped for several baking sessions. I am all about saving time.

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The mixture in the tins before the oven. I did measure the amount in each tin using an ice-cream scoop, so I could ensure an even bake.

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The cakes baked!! I always use a wooden skewer to check cooking. I am an old fashioned sort of gal.

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Now cooling on the wire rack. Looks a little like Mickey. You can see the yummy pineapple.

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I used a cake carrier as my stand. As I started icing and layering. Please note the Ipad as I was catching up on You Tube videos. Who says a women can not multi task?

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Looking more like the finished article!

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Voila and Bon appetit.

You will see that I forgot to photograph the preparation of the Cream Cheese Frosting, to be honest I was time pressured so I skipped it Daddy L was arriving at the airport (am I bad? Hell Yes.) It is so easy to make, the only tip I could offer is to place a damp drying cloth (or tea towel) over the machine while mixing the icing sugar, it has a habit of going everywhere and this really helps prevent it! Please remember to double the ingredients for the frosting.

Hope you enjoyed. Now I need to work out what I will make this month! A women’s work is never done!!!

Ta Ta for now.

TLL x

October 13, 2015 1 comment
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BakingFamilyFood

Toddler Halloween Treats

by thelifestylelady October 8, 2015

Howdy Y’all,

Happy Thursday. So Little L and I have been invited to a Fall themed play date, (yes my friends and I are so sophisticated we theme our play dates!) and the request was a Fall snack. Being British I panicked, we are not familiar with a 1000 items to make with a pumpkin. I did what most people do in my situation and surrender to Pintrest, to be honest I was not overly inspired by the offering but this gave me all I needed and I think the recipe here would work very similarly to mine. I am often looking for things which need limited concentration from me so I can supervise Little L and recipes which she can partake in the majority and this was just the ticket. It was interesting, there were things to keep her occupied while I did the only taxing part, melting the butter and marshmallows. She was engaged from start to finish and the whole recipe took 30 mins max. Win win.

Out in the day at the local pumpkin patch gaining inspiration for our snack idea! Can you see how hot it is!

Out in the day at the local pumpkin patch gaining inspiration for our snack ideas! Can you see how hot it is!?

Ingredients picture. All we needed to get the yummies ready.

Ingredients picture. All we needed to get the yummies ready.

Melting the butter, use as large saucepan as you own, you will se why!

Melting the butter, use as large saucepan as you own, you will se why!

While the adults do the technical and dangerous melting. This kept the chef busy. The important job of mixing the rice crispier. She was in heaven x

While the adults do the technical and dangerous melting. This kept the chef busy. The important job of mixing the rice crispies. She was in heaven x

Once the butter melted and began to brown I added vanilla essence. The I added the marshmallows to melt.

Once the butter melted and began to brown I added vanilla essence. Then I added the marshmallows to melt.

Be patient, the marshmallows need to be very melted. This took longer than I thought.

Be patient, the marshmallows need to be very melted. This took longer than I thought.

Once the mm are melted I added, orange food coloring gel. It needs more than you think!! Pumpkins are very orange.

Once the mm are melted I added, orange food coloring gel. It needs more than you think!! Pumpkins are very orange.

The fun part, adding the rice crispies.

The fun part, adding the rice crispies.

Stir quickly to mix it thoroughly before it starts to cool.

Stir quickly to mix it thoroughly before it starts to cool.

Preparing the Tootsie rolls,may unwrapping. And slicing In half.

Preparing the Tootsie rolls, by unwrapping and cutting in half.

Making them different sizes, bigger for adults smaller for kiddies. Push the Tootsie in while it is still warm.

Making them different sizes, bigger for adults smaller for kiddies. Push the Tootsie in while it is still warm.

Time for decoration! You need to do this while they are still warm so the candy sticks.

Time for decoration! You need to do this while they are still warm so the candy sticks.

Next time I might decorate with glitter, but I wanted decoration Little L, could do.

Next time I might decorate with glitter, but I wanted decoration Little L, could do. They don’t look to embarrassing and are perfect for a toddler playdate.

It was great fun for us to do together in the afternoon. Can you tell which one is head chef? Not me that is for sure!!! She definitely likes to taste the offering at every stage ❤️

It was great fun for us to do together in the afternoon. Can you tell which one is head chef? Not me that is for sure!!! She definitely likes to taste the offering at every stage ❤️My heart melted when she said “mummy we made pumpkies x”

Do you have fun recipes or activities to do with a toddler? Will you give this a go? I can’t tell you how invaluable the learning tower has been. Now we just have to wait to eat them, something Little L was struggling with.

Get in touch.

Ta Ta for now.

TLL xx

October 8, 2015 2 comments
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BakingFood

Memory Making and Rate that Recipe – Hazelnut and Chocolate Cupcakes.

by thelifestylelady August 18, 2015

Howdy Y’all,

Happy Tuesday, I think I mentioned in an earlier blog that one of the responsibilities of Mr L’s job is that I have to produce cakes once a month to boost team morale (poison everyone more like.) So at first I was a little daunted, I used to love to bake, that was before Little L arrived and more honestly before we moved to the US. I have found it difficult getting used to ingredient changes. It may sound peculiar but butter, milk etc seems a little different and converting recipes from UK to US conversion is not as simple as it sounds. So this has given me the incentive to get my LL butt into action. This month I decided we would give Hazelnut and Chocolate Cupcakes a stab. So here is a very amateur photographic journey of sampling the recipe.

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Recipe, so easy to follow on this lovely wooden stand, (thanks Mr L) prevents cookbooks from getting dirty.

Hazelnut and Chocolate cupcakes The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Servings: 12 (I doubled all ingredient amounts below to make 24 cupcakes.)

You will need a muffin tin and cupcake cases.

Ingredients

100g plain flour

20g cocoa powder

140g caster sugar (I used regular organic cane sugar.)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

A healthy pinch of salt

40g butter, at room temp. (I used organic unsalted butter.)

120ml whole milk (I think you need the fat content to give lightness to the flour.)

1 egg

120g Nutella (I used yummy Justin’s Hazelnut & Chocolate Butter (same thing, worked fine.)

36 whole, shelled hazelnuts, to decorate

Frosting/Icing

250g icing/powdered sugar

80g butter, at room temp (I used organic unsalted butter.)

25 ml whole milk

80g Nutella (I used yummy Justin’s Hazelnut & Chocolate Butter (same thing, worked fine.)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325F/170C

2. Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a hand whisk.) and beat on a slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

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No not slave labor but Little L loving mixing.

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When it calls for the hard work, bring out the big guns! God bless Kitchen Aid Mixers.

3. Slowly pour the milk into the flour mixture, beating well until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add the egg and beat well. (Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

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The mixture coming together.

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After placing mixture into cases. The reason I am showing this picture is because I used a small ice cream scoop to divide mixture into cases. I was hoping they would be evenly sized then. (Fail.)

4. Spoon the mixture into paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 mins, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto the wire cooling rack to cool completely.

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24 cupcakes pre-oven

Apres Oven

Apres Oven

5. When the cupcakes are cold, hollow out a small section in the centre of each one and fill with a dollop of hazelnut and chocolate spread.

Frosting/Icing

  1. Beat the icing/powdered sugar and butter together in a free standing electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use handheld whisk.) On a medium speed beat till mixture comes together.
  2. Turn mixer to slow speed and slowly add milk.
  3. When the milk is incorporated, turn mixer to high speed and continue beating until icing/frosting is light and fluffy at least 5 mins (I did 7.)

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    Mixing Fun!e longer it beats the fluffier and lighter it becomes.

  4. Stir in the hazelnut and chocolate spread by hand until evenly incorporated.
  5. When cupcakes are cool, spoon frosting on top and finish with 3 hazelnuts per cupcake.
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After adding the choc and hazelnut butter – trying so hard not to lick the bowl (am I 5- hell yeh!)

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Finished product, presentation not briil but this photo does them no credit!

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Cupcake complete and not too bad.

Lifestyle Lady Top Tips

  • Instead of sifting flour or icing/powdered sugar if you place it in a bowl and whisk it works the same way but less mess (I am all for that.)
  • If you are worried about any of the ingredients (especially powdered) escaping when you switch the mixer on place a damp drying cloth over machine and it stops the mess.

Lifestyle Lady Verdict

As I mentioned previously presentation is not my strength, especially when I have a toddler literally pulling at my leg begging me to go play. I am a little concerned that the sponge will be a dry as I put them in the oven for a little longer because my oven temperature is appalling. I also personally prefer my sponge a little drier than undercooked. I once had undercooked donuts and I can not touch them now. (Diet tip!) The recipe was also very clear and easy to follow. They always are from Hummingbird Bakery. I  wanted to share with you that this will forever be a special recipe for me because it was the first I made with Little L. I can not express in writing how wonderful it was to have my little girl standing next to me (on steps,) sharing baking, something I remember doing with my granny before she was taken too early. I actually have tears in my eyes as I write this (not LL like at all!!) She was really interested and thrilled to be helping me and it is a memory I will treasure and carry with me always and wanted to share with you all.

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I do not often share pictures of Little Lifestyle on the blog but today I felt was an exception. This picture sums up what a special memory was shared between us. Plus she is darn sweet, (even if I am a bias Mama Lifestyle.)

Happy Baking!

Ta ta for now,

TLL x

August 18, 2015 0 comment
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Food

Cupcake vs Cake

by thelifestylelady July 19, 2015

There is an unwritten rule in Mr L’s current position that you have to provide cakes one day a month. He informs me that the chosen day correlates to the busiest period for his department and whilst I am quite sure that a bought cake would be preferred, I have taken it as a personal challenge to provide something sweet and edible for said day. I have always enjoyed baking, but please don’t read this as a suggestion that I am any good at it. For me, as with any form of cooking, I am more about the flavour than the presentation. I do find baking therapeutic but am often reluctant to bake because the L household is unlikely to consume the whole offering. Now I love the Great British Bake Off – it’s addictive viewing – where home bakers make works of art out of sugar paste. A starring role on that show is not likely to be in my future but I do love a challenge. So far, my repertoire has consisted of muffins, fruit cake and red velvet cupcakes,  which is quite diverse.

Now I am all about the cake.  Whether its carrot or victoria sandwich (my fav), I love the fact that there is a filling and often more than one flavor. The cupcake – or fairy cake as I grew up with – is an idea wasted on me. I have always wondered if they are one and the same? I am not a baking connoisseur enough to know. I do know when I grew up the fairy cake had very little icing/frosting, whereas I feel now that it outshines the cake. Am I a misery? I do not dispute the cupcake is an item of beauty and has a cult following all of its own. I used to live very close to Georgetown Cupcake in DC and see the lines of people waiting to purchase. I made my first cupcakes for a long while on Wednesday and I was underwhelmed. I will also admit I’m not great at  frosting with a bag, despite watching hours of You Tube on how easy it is, and seeing little kiddies making it look pips. I gave up and got out my granny’s old method of using a little spoon and covering them with sprinkles. They certainly didn’t look anything to write home about although Mr L told me they tasted delicious, but he is not going to tell me they taste c*** is he?!

So as I consider my future monthly offering I will return to where I feel comfortable and safe – the cake. Nothing says comfort like a good piece of homemade cake and don’t even get me started on a good old cream tea ;0)

Am I being unreasonable? Do you have a to die-for cupcake recipe? What’s your favorite baked offering?

All this  baking is making me hungry!

Ta ta for now

TLL x

July 19, 2015 1 comment
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ABOUT ME

ABOUT ME

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Hi I'm Kate, Thanks for stopping by my small corner of the web, here at TLL I indulge my love of all things lifestyle, from cooking to travel and fashion to interiors, all served with a healthy dose of British sarcasm. So pour yourself a glass of something delicious, put your feet up and take a nose about. Enjoy Kx

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