Tag: party

28Oct

Bone shaped macaroons with blood red buttercream

I think it’s amazing that egg whites and almonds can create such a delightful treat. Macaroons is one of the treats I absolutely love and don’t get to have it very often, because although small treats, their price tag is often not so small. I am going to a grown up Halloween party and thought little patisserie bones with a blood red buttercream would be perfect.  This is an easy recipe, however you must follow all the steps carefully to get the perfect chewy macaroon. Bone shaped macaroons with blood red buttercream 125g icing sugar 125g ground almonds 90g egg whites 2 tbsp water 110g caster sugar 75g softened butter 40g icing sugar Red food colouring Method: 1. Print or draw on a piece of paper bone shapes to fit your baking tray. Mine were around 4cm long. Place the sheet with the bone pattern under a piece of greaseproof paper 2. Put the icing sugar and ground almonds in a food processor and blitz. Sieve the mixture discarding any large lumps 3. Add 40g of egg whites to the almond mixture and mix to a paste 4. Put the water and caster sugar in a small pan and heat
3 mins read
3218 Views
28Jul

Cajuzinho (almond fudge)

My grandma left Italy in her early twenties to move to Brazil with her fiancé, my grandad. My grandad never stepped foot in Italy again, my grandma only went back a few times.  Although my grandma’s accent still has strong italian vowels, she has immersed herself  into the culture of her adopted country. She loves having papaya for breakfast, tends to her own jabuticaba trees and watches telenovelas. Her cooking has retained strong Italian roots, but most of her original recipes now often take typical Brazilian ingredients. I am now going through that same process, like her I moved to England still young, and I rejected the culture when I first arrived, but after a while I hated being and outsider. I made a big effort to refine the British accent, watch local shows, read the news, ask questions (beans for breakfast?!?!?). I now get the dry sense of humour and how to add just the right amount of milk to breakfast tea. A lot of natives now tell me they wouldn’t even be able to tell I wasn’t English, if it wasn’t for my looks. You would think that after 16 years of effort I would consider this a compliment, but it actually makes
3 mins read
985 Views
03Feb

Top picks: Carnival themed party

Clockwise from above: Caipiroska//tropical garland//paper ball chain//fringe drink stirrers//fruit wedges//headdress//pineapple decor For those of you who don’t know, the biggest party in the world will be starting in Rio on Friday. The Carnival celebrations are a big deal in Brazil, people will have an extended time off from work and have gatherings where samba and good food are at the centrepieces. I know that you are probably reading this whilst wearing a thick wooly jumper and socks, so turn the heating up and get inspired by these seven DIYs to turn your house into a tropical festivity. 1. Caipiroska is a good alternative to the famous Caipirinha, it is made with vodka rather than the traditional cachaça. Try our mango version here. 2. If you are going to do anything carnival related, you gotta add a touch of gold. This gold leaves garland made by Wild Birds Collective is perfect. I love the contrast of the gold leaves and green foliage backdrop. Check out their tutorial here. 3. Garlands are a must for carnival, or any party in my opinion, and Dana created this great paper ball chain which is super colourful. She tells you how to make them step-by-step
2 mins read
597 Views
11Jan

Metallic silver garland + giveaway

It’s a new year and it’s also the week of our second birthday! And in the party spirit we wanted to share with you a DIY garland that is made from simple polystyrene balls covered with items that you most certainly can find around your house.  The idea behind it is that simple items such as string and even dried leaves can add wonderful texture to a garland, so you can make a really unusual but beautiful backdrop to any party! Materials: Polystyrene balls (I used 6cm, 4cm and 2cm) Mod Podge Small brush Materials that can add texture (I used leaves, string, scrap paper squares and sequins) Silver metallic spray paint Fishing line Blue tack (adhesive putty) Bamboo skewers Cardboard box 1. Pop the polystyrene balls through the skewers and brush them with mod podge. Carefully stick your chosen materials on the balls 2. Pierce the cardboard box with the skewers and let the balls dry for 4-5 hours 3. Leaving the skewers fixed on the cardboard box, use the metallic spray to coat them, rotating as necessary. You’ll need at least two coatings depending on the material. The string took the paint really well but the sequins needed 3
3 mins read
669 Views
23Oct

Jack-o’-lantern papier mache candy bags

I have had many accidents in the kitchen, mostly cuts, very few burns. Some of my most traumatic cuts have involved butternut squashes and pumpkins, so every Halloween I stay well away from them. Which is a shame as I love the artistry involved in carving a pumpkin, so I have decided to carve the papier-mache kind. It’s been a while since I have worked with papier mache, but it was like riding a bike. Hopefully many of you craft-loving readers will be inclined to making your own trick or treat bags, and even if you are not heading out covered in fake blood, knocking on strangers’ doors hoping to get free sweets, you can use these as serving bowls for sweets at your house party. It may look like a lot of steps bit it’s really easy – if a bit messy- but because they are supposed to be scary pumpkins the “carving” doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth, a few bumps and jagged teeth will give your pumpkins character. Don’t forget to get the kids involved too! What you’ll need: Balloons Ribbon or string Any type of white scrap paper, cut into strips – I used tissue paper Modge
3 mins read
2016 Views
15Oct

Party snacks

Who here, on the lead up to a party they were hosting, has never panicked about finger food? I know I have. More than once, but I have learned my lesson and now have a few party snacks that always feature on my repertoire.  At this point I feel I need to apologise to my friends who always end up eating the same nibbles when they come over to mine. However recently I was invited to a friend’s house and she served one of the snacks I often serve at home. They can’t be so tiresome then, I call that a recipe success! In this post I am sharing with you two snack ideas that are super handy for a party or for a nice Friday night in with a glass of wine. Bacon wrapped dates Dates Bacon, cut into thin strips Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Depending on the length of the bacon, cut the strips in half and wrap it around the dates. Place them on baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. 2. Bake until the bacon is crisp. Let it cool before serving. Romeo and Juliet sticks Emmental cheese (block) Guava sweet (goiabada) Method: 1.
2 mins read
633 Views