May Weekend Shenanigans

After two back-to-back weekends of travelling I was so excited to stay in my Kirkwall and chill. So I invited some of the girls over for high tea and a catch-up.

This was a nice way to spend my Saturday, I may post a recipe for the vol-au-vents

in the future but I have plans to make them even tastier

I started my plan with vol-au-vents and mini eclairs but the more I thought about the eclairs the more I wanted to put my own spin on them. I love peanut butter and had a very tasty peanut butter moose at the Kirkwall Hotel the other week and I thought maybe I could use that idea but lighten it up with some fruit, well then I happened to catch the end of a Hairy Bikers programme where they made creme patisserie so I thought that would be the base to add my peanut butter to. Then when I was buying my ingredients I noticed some very nice strawberries and voila...

Peanut-Butter & Jelly Eclairs

Ingredients

Choux Pastry:
60g butter
130ml water
80g plain flour
3 large eggs

Creme Patisserie:
180 ml whole milk
35 g granulated sugar
35 g self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 large egg yolks
2.5 tbsp peanut butter
40 ml double cream

Chocolate Topping:
80 g milk chocolate
80 g dark chocolate (70%)

Method

 

For the pastry melt the butter in the water until all of the butter has melted and the water is simmering. Add the flour to the wet mix and stir over the heat for approximately 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and beat in the eggs one at a time, this will go a little runny at first but keep stirring, it will come together.

Pipe onto a non-stick tray and place in the oven, turning it down to 195 degrees celsius for 25 minutes. Place on a cooling rack.

To make the creme patisserie mix the flour, sugar and salt then add the egg yolks and whisk till it is combined and pale in colour.

Then heat the milk until it starts to simmer, carefully/gradually pour the milk into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time. Return the mixture to the sauce pan and stir continuously.

Once it starts to thicken add the peanut butter and whisk until its the required thickness. Pour into a heat proof bowl and cover with cling film (make sure it touches the top) and allow to cool.

Once cool, whip the cream until soft peaks then fold in the creme patisserie.

Simple to make just strawberries & jam sugar but super tasty

When you are ready to make the eclairs melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of boiling water. Cut the eclairs and spread a layer of strawberry jam (I used homemade but you could use shop bought). Then a layer of the creme patisserie, closing the eclair and drizzling with the chocolate, place on a cooling rack. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge until required.

After words I went a walk with my friend heather and her loopy labradoodle Lucy,

yes she is clean off the ground

 

I didn't get much time between finishing the eclairs and the lasses coming over so only got one photo... I will bulk this up with more photos next time I make them.

Let me know if you try them xxx

Another Successful Morning at the Blue Door

Broken 'Medicine' Bottle that I managed to fix

 

Lynn and I went down Victoria Street again to see if we could find anything exciting. I had watched Lauren Conrads Crafty creations Video the other night and was really tempted to see if I could find anything that I could make a cake stand with, sadly I didn't but I did find more crystal jars.

 The medicine bottle was broken but with a peerie bit of super glue it is as good as new. I bought this with two crystal jars and a peach rayon table cloth which I thought might be a cute way to protect my wooden dresser.

Crystal Ring Dish 50p                                         Crystal Jar 60p

I recently read 'Cupcakes & Cashmere: A Design Guide For Defining Your Style, Reinventing Your Space, And Entertaining With Ease' by Emily Schuman I recommend this book and her blog!

Print that I bought from the Moulin Rouge is Paris this Summer

 

She talks about organising your belongings and using your collections to add character to your room. Which inspired me to change certain things in my bedroom. I have lived in my current flat for almost 3 years but have only started to put a mark on it.

Poster that I bought from The MET in New York last October

 

I have bought a clothes rail as I do not have a wardrobe and got some beautiful crystal glass decorations to help me store jewellery (see above).

Origami Flowers dipped in glitter I got the instructions from Pinterest

 

It's a working progress but I've showed you a couple of things that I'm started to do.

White Rose Hooks from one of my favourite shops in Shetland Ninian

Please share your decoration ideas in the comment box below.

Waste Not Want Not

 

After a trip to Paris I was mesmerised by the Boulangeries and there colourful window displays. So I tried to make macaroons, although I am a perfectionist and won't blog properly until I'm happy with them ... Here is a peek though (above).

 

Long story short I then had 4 egg yolks left over, so I racked my brain as to something yummy that uses yolks and I came up with curd. I've made lemon and lime curd several times and thought hmmmm what to do. Blackberries wir on special offer so problem solved.

The recipe came from pinterest (linked to Good Food website) but it is a Raspberry recipe, I just swapped it for blackberries and it turned out no too bad.

I did have to put a desert spoon of cornflour in at the end though as it was struggling to set, I think this might be the very juicy blackberries.

 

Happy with the outcome though ...Very good on toast, if I do say so myself!!!