When the sun shines in February it feels like Spring is finally upon us, full of grace. But it’s still rather chilly outside. So bring some warmth and sweetness to your beauty regime in the form of these gorgeous honey and vanilla scented products. You’ll feel nice and cosy and you’ll smell positively delectable! Delectable, in a positive way.
Last year I posted this recipe for Pancake Day: a traditional crêpe fashioned with toffee apple sauce. But this year, I fancied a change. I craved a slightly thicker, fluffier pancake that would soak up sticky maple syrup and complement streaky bacon, should I desire it. So I started to do some research (food research: the best kind!) and I found quite a few recipes that called for buttermilk or natural yoghurt or sour cream, annoyingly things you don’t necessarily have in the fridge all the time.
Nothing says ‘Je t’aime’ like a melt-in-the-middle chocolate truffle. But a homemade chocolate truffle? Well, you’ve lovingly gone the extra mile! And there’s absolutely no need to disclose that these impressive chocolate truffles are incredibly simple to make…
Buying someone perfume can be tricky as fragrance is such a personal choice (or ‘fun’ if your nose and nostrils enjoy acrobatics!).
It’s the little pretty things that I have the most difficulty resisting. I like to surround myself with eye-catching ornaments. Flippant fripperies.
When it comes to skincare, I like to keep things simple. For cleansing my dry, dehydrated and very sensitive skin that’s full of personality, I’ve long been an advocate of, what I call, the ‘Balm then Buff’ regime: a creamy balm cleanser massaged into dry skin which is then slowly buffed off with a hot wet cloth. It’s the best way to thoroughly cleanse your skin as the cloth also gently exfoliates and removes makeup perfectly.
I firmly believe cold and dark January evenings are best spent baking indoors. You need something sweet and understanding to lift you. That’s where these cookies come in: virtuously light and fluffy, like a cake in the middle, but with a crunchy exterior that gently crumbles.
Here’s something to work up a lot of enthusiasm for (although I’m almost embarrassed to call this a recipe, as it’s simply a ‘meeting and heating’ of basic ingredients already in your cupboard and fridge that, when cooked together, creates a very quick and ridiculously easy meal in 10 minutes): no call for weighing scales and you make it in one saucepan. Perfect for a fast lunch that doesn’t compromise on taste!
I visited Denbies Wine Estate near Dorking as I was keen to see the place where almost half a million bottles of wine were created during the last harvest in 2014.
Last year I posted this recipe for Cinnamon Buns (and it went down like a cinnamon bun should: a lip-smacking treat!). Since then I have modified the recipe slightly. Theme and variations of the cinnamon variety. I still love the original, but this new version is a lighter dough, less bready and more like a pastry in appearance. The outer edge is a little crispy and the middle remains a perfectly moist, plump dough.
Continue reading Cinnamon Rolls Recipe