Sparkle and Scandal

There's a few new products I've been using recently that are becoming beauty favourites of mine.

First up, this Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser is great as a primer for make up.

I was a bit doubtful when buying this, but as The Body Shop had loads of 50% off offers on their site I thought I'd give it a go as my skin has been pretty challenging to say the least recently. It's always been a combination of oily and dry, but is becoming increasingly sensitive as well. This actually does a good job of smoothing and mattifying my skin, and sinks in nicely so my foundation goes on easily afterwards. Plus I love the tea tree in it; the smell is really refreshing.

These hand creams are also from The Body Shop, but were presents from my fiancé. My hands get really dry from both the weather and work so hand cream is a necessity for me. These are non greasy and the special edition Christmas scents of Ginger and Vanilla are gorgeous, I just wish they did them all year!

Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners have been my favourite make up product since college, when I first bought the set of 5 travel size eyeliners. They're expensive but in my opinion worth the money; the colours are exactly what I prefer for my eyes, the pencils are soft and they seriously last all day without smudging or wearing off.
The ones from my sets are almost running out, so I thought I'd start replacing my favourite shades with the full size versions. I picked these up off eBay, for about half the retail price. Rockstar is a gorgeous deep purple that I adore, while Mainline, a dark-ish blue, is a new one for me that was being sold by the same seller that caught my attention.

Ok, now on to mascara. The one on the left, L'Oreal's false lash mascara, is brilliant - my lashes look long and dark without clumps. There's not as much volume as other mascaras, but I like that about it; it gives a more natural, everyday look.

The L'Oreal mascara is almost on the way out, so I thought I'd try a new one. I used to use Rimmel mascaras and always thought they were pretty decent. I'm not getting on with this Scandal Eyes one that well however. Rimmel state that it's the biggest brush ever or something like that - that just makes it really fiddly to apply without getting it everywhere. It doesn't give as much as volume as I expected either, though it doesn't clump, which is the main thing I always look for. It's not the worst mascara ever, but I think going for the more basic Rimmel mascaras seems to be the best bet with this brand, based on my previous experience with them.

So there's just a quick overview of some of my faves (and not so faves) at the minute. Have you used any of these products, or have any similar ones you're enjoying?

Italian Treats

Being a total foodie and lover of all things Italian due to my Italian Grandma, her and my mum put together an amazing hamper full of delicious treats for my Christmas present. I've been steadily experimenting with them throughout the month and can't wait to get around to trying out the rest. I thought I'd share a selection of some of my favourites with you.

I have yet to try out the olives, but I think they would go perfectly in a big sauce or stew type dish, or cooked with beef and cherry tomatoes in a Nigella-inspired Beef Pizzaiola, after a nibble or two of course. 

The Wild Rocket pesto has been used in a lot of things recently - stirred into veg as a flavourful side dish, drizzled over home-made pizzas, and spread onto baguettes with cheese to serve with pasta. I adore pesto anyway, and the rocket gives it an extra, subtle tang. I have a feeling that the sun-dried tomato paste used in place of normal tomato purée will bring out even more rich flavour in sauces.

The 'Lievito Pane Degli Angeli' (literally translating to Yeast Bread of Angels) is a raising agent that can replace baking powder in recipes, but is made that extra bit better by also including vanilla flavouring, and therefore smelling absolutely amazing! I could quite happily just sit and smell the packet all day... but when I do bake with it, it adds a wonderful lightness to my usual cupcakes. 

The pasta is tiny star shapes that would be perfect in soups. I've been meaning to start making soups for the past couple of years now and still haven't got round to it, so hopefully having these in the cupboard will push me to finally get on with it before Winter is over.

This nougat is by far the best I have ever had. Tom and I couldn't believe just how delicious this is - soft, squidgy nougat with huge crunchy chunks of almond, with strips of rice paper on the top and bottom - amazing!

A friend of my Grandma's brought this to England from where she's from in Italy, making this an extra special treat. 

And for a place to get started, I received the Quick Cook Italian book, which includes 3 ways to cook different dishes using similar ingredients, such as tomato risotto, tomato and rice soup, or tomato and rice salad, offering even more flexibility depending on the exact ingredients and time you have available. Basically, even more recipes! So far I've tried out lemon and rosemary pork with a cannellini bean salad, and chilli and lemon cod; both were straight forward to cook and tasted incredible.

The latest Nigella Lawson cook book is also brilliant. It's actually the first one of hers I've got hold of and I'm already in love with it. Whereas I tend to avoid 'celebrity' cook books, due to the recipes seeming too complicated with fancy ingredients, this book is perfect for everyday meals. The Italian Tray bake with Tuscan fries is already a favourite with my fiancé. 

A huge thank you to my family for getting me these, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect gift! :)

Afternoon Cuppa at Number 29

Tom and I decided to take a break from uni work this afternoon to check out the recently opened coffee shop in the Barbican, Number 29. I've always thought the only thing the Barbican was in need of was a place to spend an hour or so enjoying a coffee and some cake, and this place fills that gap perfectly.

We ordered mugs of tea and coffee to warm us up - despite the fact that Plymouth seems to be the only place in the UK that hasn't seen snow, I can assure you it's still freezing here!

The drinks came with yummy buttery biscuits on the side, a lovely little extra.

A range of cakes are also on offer, including a coffee cake of which we couldn't resist ordering a huge slice.

Number 29 also sell a variety of deli goodies, including jars of chutney, olives and chilli sauces, as well as bags of chilli hot chocolate which I'm very tempted to go back and try. The owners were happy to point out the different products on sale, and their friendliness combined with the cosiness of the café made the time away from our desks the relaxing break we needed.

Now it's back to work I suppose!

Cherry, Almond and Chocolate Trifle

You can never have too many indulgent treats this time of year. Last year I made a chocolate and orange trifle for Christmas Day dessert. For a family party this week I decided to give it a new twist, taking advantage of the Amaretto that is hanging round in my parent's kitchen. I adore this chocolate custard - some can be quite thin which means the trifle ends up a bit all over the place. This is rich and creamy and makes the dish something special.

This recipe is a mix of favourite dessert flavours all in one: the cherry, cream and chocolate combination of a Black Forest Gateau; the almond flavour topped off with cherry inspired by Bakewell tarts; all layered in the traditional trifle style. Perfect for an indulgent but reassuringly old fashioned dessert to be served at a family gathering.

I hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas!

Cherry, Almond and Chocolate Trifle

Layers of vanilla and almond sponge, topped with raspberries and cherries, a rich chocolate custard, and whipped cream, topped with cherries, almonds and grated chocolate.


Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 large raspberry and vanilla Swiss roll
• 4 tbsp Amaretto 
• 200g raspberries
• 200g cherries
• 3-4 tbsp raspberry or cherry jam
• For the custard:
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 200ml milk
• 200g dark chocolate, melted
• 250g tub ricotta
• 225ml double cream (or other cream suitable for whipping)
• Flaked almonds, to decorate
• Grated chocolate, to decorate

Method

1. Cut the Swiss roll into chunky slices. Lay these in a large serving dish, filling in any gaps with small pieces of sponge.
2. Sprinkle the Amaretto over the sponge to soak in.
3. Wash and pat dry the raspberries. Layer these on top of the sponge slices. Wash and chop the cherries, reserving 10 whole ones for decoration. Add these to the raspberries.
4. Spoon enough jam over the fruit so there is a thin coating over the sponge to keep it moist. 
5. Mix the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a large bowl to make a paste.
6. Heat the milk in a pan until it reaches just below boiling point. Pour it over the egg mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Return to the pan and heat through, stirring continuously, until the mixture is thickened and smooth.
7. Return the custard to the large bowl. Add the melted chocolate and the ricotta and stir until combined. Pour over the fruit, smooth with the back of a spoon and leave in the fridge for an hour, or until set. 
8. Whisk the cream until slightly thickened. Spread over the custard layer, or pipe if wished. 
9. Arrange the remaining cherries over the cream. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds and grated chocolate. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. 

Mince Pie Slices with Lemon Icing

While I may begin making Christmas plans and buying presents before December hits, the one thing I manage to save until the 1st is indulging in Christmassy treats. Then I can't help but dig into chocolates, fruit cake, and my favourite, mince pies. Living next door to a bakery this year has been both brilliant and dangerous for my taste for thick buttery pastry encasing rich fruity mincemeat and sprinkled with sugar. I have had some of the best mince pies, but probably a tad too often than I should. Though isn't that the definition of this time of year?

I first made these mince pie slices last year and they went down very well. I do admit to cheating with the pastry; while most of the time I try to ensure everything I make is from scratch I feel there are some things that are acceptable to include a short cut. There is enough busyness in the kitchen at Christmas that sometimes it's more important to have these ready with as little stress as possible, and focus that extra time on spending it with loved ones.

This recipe is easily adapted to suit different tastes - include whichever dried fruit and nuts you fancy. Flaked almonds, pistachios or a few chopped glacé cherries would look particularly attractive in my opinion.

Mince Pie Slices with Lemon Icing

Adapted from Good Food

This twist on a Christmas favourite combines an extra fruity mincemeat filling with flaky puff pastry, drizzled with a zesty icing


Cuts into 12 slices

Ingredients

• 400g jar mincemeat
• 1/2 apple, cored, peeled and finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tsp juice
• 40g dried cranberries
• 25g chopped nuts
• 1 heaped tbsp ground almonds
• 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry
• 50g icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas Mark 7. 
2. Combine the mincemeat, chopped apple, lemon zest, cranberries and nuts in a bowl.
3. Roll out the pastry and trim the end to make a 23cm square. Lay on a baking tray.
4. Scatter the ground almonds evenly over the pastry. Spread the mincemeat mixture over the whole of the pastry, right to the edges. 
5. Use the spare pastry to decorate the top of the slices. I cut strips and lay them over the mincemeat in a lattice pattern, making sure they are secure to the pastry base. Or cut shapes from the pastry (stars, hearts) and lay them equal distances apart. 
6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until the pastry is risen and golden. Leave to cool.
7. Once cool, mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice. A little water may be needed to reach the right consistency. Drizzle the lemon icing over the mince pie and cut into 12 slices. 

Christmas Food Post Round Up

That this is a hectic time of year is an understatement. Despite recently beginning my break from uni for Christmas, I have been trying to get on top of my workload so I can relax a bit when I head home. Hopefully then I can fully appreciate all the things I love about Christmas, my favourite of course, being the seemingly non-stop preparation and consumption of delicious food.

I haven't done much of my own Christmassy cooking/baking yet (apart from these snowy-effect chocolate crackles), so I thought I'd do a quick post of some of the best ideas and recipes I've come across on the internet so far. 

First up, I think these cookie gift ideas from Spoon Fork Bacon are brilliant! The packaging is cute, modern and seasonal, and the cookies themselves look absolutely delicious. Check out the post here.

I adore truffles; in my opinion there's nothing more indulgent than tucking into a box of rich chocolate truffles with a light dusting of cocoa powder. These chocolate truffles from Pastry Affair flavoured with red wine add an extra sophistication and would be very welcomed as a gift or served after dinner, I'm sure. Recipe here.

And of course, not forgetting the main attraction, Christmas Day dinner itself. This twist on turkey and potatoes from Mama's Pantry looks incredible: perfectly cooked meat with a golden finish, served with crispy potatoes - what more could you wish for? The recipe here has started off my roast dinner cravings!

I'll share any Christmas cooking I get up to over the next couple of weeks and let me know of any yummy looking recipes you come across too! I've also been wanting to check out some new blogs, so feel free to leave me your link below :)

Chocolate Crackles and a Fox in a Jumper

Bundled up in burgundy gloves and a big woolly scarf whilst running around shops crammed with people, products and Christmas decorations, hoping to find the perfect gift for a family member. I'm not having much luck finding stuff for people this year so I end up popping into shops constantly, spinning around for ages but not actually finding anything. Too fussy for my own good.

As always I'm really looking forward to Christmas; a chance to go home after a few months of being at uni and get cosied up with my family and friends, laughing lots and eating too much. Because of all the moving around, my usual Christmas tree and decorations have been forgotten about, left in the loft back home, so instead I've picked up this cute little real tree, sprinkled with glitter and with a fox wearing a jumper to finish it off (just what every tree needs!). A few bits of tinsel and some lights and we'll still be able to get the flat all Christmassy feeling.

I spent the afternoon baking these chocolatey cookies from the Great British Bake Off book (How to bake the perfect Victoria sponge).

They turned out better than I hoped, soft and squidgy in the middle, almost brownie-like, with a crispy sugary outside.

The pavement-covered-in-snow type effect is made by rolling balls of the biscuit mixture into icing sugar just before baking, so it cracks as they spread out in the oven.

Perfect with a big mug of tea on a Winter evening!