Recipe-- Chocolate Cookie Brownies

One thing I could never say no to-- CHOCOLATE BROWNIES. Not the cake type. The biscuit type.
I am addicted to this specific cookie fudge (whose name I can't remember now). It's my ideal brownie fudge biscuit.

I tried making my own, didn't come out exactly the same, but close. Close enough to satisfy the cravings.

Ingredients:
1 packet Marie biscuits
250g butter
500g icing sugar
20g cocoa
1 egg beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

100g milk chocolate

Method:
1. Break the marie biscuits up roughly. A rolling pin works wonders.
2. Melt the butter on low on the stove.
3. Add the icing sugar and cocoa. Stir continuously until smooth.
4. Remove from heat. Add the marie biscuit pieces, vanilla essence and egg..
5. Mix thoroughly.
6. Empty into a greased tin and allow to stand for 15mins.
7. Cut into squares. Melt the chocolate and spread over brownies.
8. Allow chocolate to harden.
9. Cute again

Indulge yourself!!

1 Addition, Many Ways- A Strip Of Fabric

If you are anything like me, you must be having pieces of fabric laying around everywhere.

Here's a little project to make use of all the scrap pieces.

Tidy up the edges and you have:
1. A wide tie to adorn shirts or boring necklines.
2. A fabric belt
3. A hair band
4. Fabric corsage

Ps. Make sure your strip is a double layer.

The Ice Cream Swirl

The Basket Weave

Sorry about the crooked lines

BIRTHDAYS CALL FOR CUPCAKES

Today Farm Towns And Ball Gowns turns ONE!!

To celebrate the first birthday (or should I call it anniversary?) I'd like to share a tutorial on cupcake frosting with all you amazing readers.
Check the posts to follow shortly..

And oh. Don't have cupcake holders? Make your own using this tutorial http://goo.gl/KVhR

Carnival in the Kitchen --Funnel Cakes Recipe

With the gloomy weather that we experienced this past weekend, comfort food was a must! I came across this funnel cake recipe http://goo.gl/RVmNol a while back and I knew that this was exactly what was called for during these bleak days. Winter weather during mid-october?? Where is spring??
But the funnel cakes, fun fair treat, sure did brighten up the day!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn starch(maizena)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Oil for frying

Method:
Whisk together the first five ingredients. Now stir in the water, eggs and vanilla extract. Pour into a squeeze bottle.
In a heavy duty pot heat a few inches of oil to around 375°F. Oil never stays at the perfect temperature, so feel free to let it hover a little on the cool side of 375°F.  When the oil is too hot, the funnel cakes fall apart while cooking more easily. Once your oil is hot enough use your squeeze bottle to pour the batter. A few tips: Keep your squeeze bottle close to the oil (but watch out you don't get spattered with hot oil!). If you hold the bottle farther away from the oil as you pour, the batter is less likely to stick together. Also try to squeeze the batter in circles quickly. You don't want too much to start cooking before you have pour all the batter for one funnel cake. Wait 20-30 seconds then use tongs or a slotted spoon to flip the funnel cake. Let it cook another 20 seconds and then remove to plate lined with paper towels (to remove excess oil). Repeat until you have cooked all your batter into cakes! Now you are ready to sprinkle on the powdered sugar and serve immediately while they are still warm. If you're making a big batch, you can pop them in the oven (at a super low temp) to keep them warm while you cook.

3 ways to enjoy your funnel cake:
1. Dusted with icing sugar
2. Soaked in golden syrup
3. As a waffle, with a dollop ice cream and maple syrup

This was my first attempt and it was so fun and easy to do.
You've gotta try it out.

RUNWAY RIPPLES- A Dressy Affair

TRIPPLE LAYER TRI COLOUR

When eid comes around the baking begins. A must every eid is our family tradition Triple Layer Tri-colour Coconut Cream Cake.

Cake:
Ingredients:
250g Margarine
2 cups Sugar
6 Eggs
8 level tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Vanilla essence
3 cup Flour
1 cup Milk (warm)

Pink and green food colouring.

Cream:
1 x 290g Nestlé Dessert cream
1/2 - 1/4 cup sugar
1-2 cup dessicated coconut

Method:
1. Beat butter and sugar on high for +/- 2mins on high, or until light and smooth.
2. Add eggs, baking powder, vanilla essence,flour & milk and beat on high for 8 mins.
3. Divide batter in 3 equal parts. Leave one part plain. Colour one part pink and the other green.
4. Empty batter in 3 heart/round greased pans.
5. Bake at 180 for 25-30 mins or until done and golden.
6. For the cream. Mix sugar and coconut into the cream. Set aside.
7. Once cakes are done and cooled completely layer cakes with the cream filling in between. Cover sides of the cake with cream filling as well.
8. Sprinkle fresh grated coconut on top. Add cherries or fresh fruit.

RECIPE-Cream Cookies

These little wonders make a perfect combo with tea.
They might not look all that tempting, but dip one in your tea and I promise you, you'll want another.

Ingredients:
225g butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1x 290g Nestlé dessert cream
5 heaped tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
3-5 cups flour

1 egg beaten

Method:
1. Beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the eggs and beat.
3. Add the nestle cream, baking powder and vanilla and beat.
4. Add enough flour to form a soft dough.
5. Roll out to about 1cm thick. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
6. Brush with the beaten egg.
7. Bake in a pre-heated oven of 180 for 15-25 mins or until golden.

Make yourself a cup of tea and dunk the cookies!!!

Enjoy.

DIY Bangle/Cuff

I love me self some wrist candy!

This DIY is so simple and cheap to make.

Things you need:
•Empty toilet roll
•Piece of fabric
•Needle & thread
•Elastic
•Embellishments

Steps:
1. Slit and cut the toilet roll in 4.
2. Stack them up and stick together.
3. Cover in material.
4. Attach a piece of elastic at the back.
5. Finally, embellish.

Introducing: MIROSLAVA DUMA

The russian fashionista is an internet StyleStar! And you can see why.

For those of you that haven't met her as yet, here is Mira Duma.

This little lady's fierce fashion forward style has got me going crazy!!!!


Images:
http://goo.gl/AZrygN
http://goo.gl/4vOg5c
http://goo.gl/zi0vum