Sunday 6 December 2009

Crochet panda hat















The wool I used was quite thick, so I used a 6mm hook.

The hat is worked in continuous rounds of double crochets. To finish I brushed the wool with a steel brush to achieve fuzziness.

The ears are eight continuous rounds of single crochets using a 4mm hook. Then fold and sew them on in a half circle.

Old Vienna apple strudel


Dough:
300g flour
125ml warm water
1 egg
1 Tsp oil
1 Tsp vinegar
salt

Throw in a bowl and mix till the dough is smooth. Cover with a cloth and leave for 1-2 hours in a warm spot.

Filling:
4-6 apples (depending on size) I like Bramley or Boscop.
lemon juice
150 g sugar
1 Tsp cinnamon
100 g raisins
50 g chopped almonds

4 Tsp bread crumbs

Also needed: powdered sugar and butter

Peel and cut apples into thin slices and immediately put lemon juice in the bowl. Mix sugar, cinnamon, raisins and almonds in a bowl, then add to apples and mix.

Take a dish cloth (clean, ironed and without seams in the fabric) and sprinkle some flour on it. Roll the dough so it's equal thickness, then pull it on the back of your hands. Lay it on the cloth and pull until it's so thin you can read love letters through the dough. Cut off the thick edges, then brush with warm butter.

First chuck on the breadcrumbs, then the apple/sugar/raisin mix. Fold over the edges of the dough, then lift the cloth from one side and use it to roll the strudel. Lift it on a prepared baking tray, brush with butter and bake at around 200° for 20-30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the strudel and on how thinly you chopped the apples.)

Tuesday 2 June 2009

vegan gingerbread cupcakes

dry ingredients:
230gr flour
1tsp ground cinnamon
2tsp ground ginger
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp baking soda

wet ingredients: 
200ml vegetable oil
150ml soy milk
80ml maple syrup
80ml molasses


whisk dry ingredients into wet ones
add 80gr chopped crystalized ginger and 1tsp chopped lemon zest
pour into paper cases
bake 15-20 mins at 150° overheat until tops are golden brown


Kitchen like a murder scene. 

Frosting:
100 gr veg. margarine
100 gr. veg shortening
800 gr icing sugar
1tsp vanilla essence

whisk margarine and shortening together until smooth
slowly add sugar and vanilla and whist 10 mins until the frosting is fluffy like a sweet cloud. 

Orange food colouring adds that extra touch of... in-joke. 















Addapted from this recipe over at PostPunkKitchen. 

Monday 1 June 2009

O double click my heart

Sunday breakfast with vegan pancakes.

For two:

200gr flour
250ml soy milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
salt
fry in a pan till golden brown
add veg. margarine and maple syrup

Make coffee and go back to bed.








Sunday 31 May 2009

Summer's here.

Fresh mint and ginger tea with agave nectar.

Extra lovely when iced. 

difficult difficult lemon difficult



First project in nerd crafts: A stitched tree of life. Darwin's handwriting doesn't lend itself to backstitch, but I soldiered on regardless.

It's not exceptionally accurate, but in my defense: I didn't have a pattern, just did it freehand off a picture I've got on my wall.