Halloween Baking: Witches Fingers

I love Halloween. It’s hands down my favourite time of the year. Chilly weather that’s great for snuggling, costumes and an excuse for good foods and parties!

Despite this, I don’t usually bake much for Halloween, even though I’d love to have a big party and try out loads of different things. Last year though I made these for my brothers and sisters and they worked out great! I’m definitely going to make them again this year.

Witches Fingers

Adapted from BBC Good Food

Ingredients

100g caster sugar

100g butter

1 egg yolk

200g plain flour

½ tsp Vanilla essence

Salt

20 blanched almonds

red food colouring

Method

1. Mix the caster sugar, butter, egg yolk, flour, vanilla essence and a pinch of salt together until a bag of dough is formed (best done in a mixer but it can be done by hand, which is what I did).

2. Break off golf-ball sized pieces of dough and roll into finger shapes.

3. Line a baking sheet with grease proof paper and place fingers on, making sure to leave some gaps between them. With a knife, make cuts in the dough to form knuckles.

4. Place almonds at the end of each finger. Place the tray in a fridge for 30 minutes and then bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 10-12 minutes, until just firm.

5. Leave to cool to little and then if desired, paint the almond ‘fingernails’ with food colouring. You can be neat about it or else a bit sloppy like me to make it look like blood!

Happy Halloween everyone!

The Good and The Bad

It seems that recently, most my posts have been apologies about not posting that often. Sorry about that. I don’t know what it is, I’ve lost my mojo or something! I’ll try and try again to get back in the swing though.

This time of the year is probably my favourite and also least favourite months. I have the bad things:

-It was around this time that my Nana died. I was very close to her and it still upsets me.

-It’s also coming up to the anniversary of my friend Mags.

-The weather getting worse and the days shorter don’t help with my mood really, it really brings me down.

-All this is made worse by not having a job.

Though on the flip side, there’s generally lots of good too! Like:

-It’s my birthday soon!

-The weather is great snuggling and cosy weather.

-Halloween! (my favourite holiday but I’m not sure what my plans are this year *sadface*)

-Christmas is just around the corner.

-I love autumn and winter foods!

So I’ll try and buck up a bit more. I still have a backlog of stuff to right about. And please, if you have ANY Halloween costume ideas, let me know in a comment below!

Two Birthday Cakes!

So I’ve been a busy bee recently when it comes to baking! I made a cake for my brother’s late 21st party (due to him gallivanting around the U S of A for the summer) and one for my other brother’s 18th birthday. And I have another one to make this week for yet another brother! (I have many brothers!).

Only had time to get a quick shot of this in the fridge and no time at all to get a picture of it sliced as it was devoured immediately!

I used the big cupcake mould as I did for the Pig Cake. For both cakes I used a chocolate Madeira recipe (similar to this one here, but double to amounts).

For the 21st cake, I made a dark chocolate ganache, similar to the one made for my Chocolate cook-along, used some silver sparkly gel icing pen for the writing and some silver balls.

For the 18th giant cupcake, I made a white chocolate butercream icing (like this one here), added a tiny bit of butterscotch sauce in between the layers as well and decorated with Toffee Crunch chocolate fingers, Smarties, Malteasers and Magic Stars. It was fun to decide what went on the cake!

August Using It All Up!

I posted on of these in June and didn’t bother with one in July as I didn’t actually use much up at all. Though I managed to finish loads in August! And glad of it too!

What an amount to get through!

Boots Lavender Shower gel, Boots Strawberry Body Creme, L’Oreal Curl Power spray, Yes to Carrots shampoo, Suave Aloe Vera shampoo, Neutrogena Multi Defence scrub, Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Moisturiser, Lush Oatifix, Pearl Drops Toothpaste, Body Shop Vanilla Perfume, Wella Sample Sized Shampoo, Yes to Carrots Face Mask, Lush Grass and Tramp Shower Gels, Body Shop Mini Olive Shampoo, Neutrogena Multi Defence Day Moisturiser, St.Ives Scrub, Boots Eye Make Up Remover, Lip Balm and Pantene Aqua Light sample conditioner.

Phew! Still getting through stuff for September but won’t do half as good as this.

September Photography Challenge- Day 14

Day Fourteen- Eyes

Creepy bright eyes thanks to flash!

As seeing as it’s eyes not eye, photo of eye without flash.

September Photography Challenge- Day 13

Day Thirteen- Yourself with thirteen things

13 bracelets! From left to right

Shell bracelet (a present), ladybird from Prague, turquoise heart 21st birthday present, random thin silver bangle, blue sparkly jelly from Claire’s Accessories, thin blue metallic bangle from Penneys, brown and white elastic band from Kenya, black beads from Penneys, large red bangle from Claire’s Accessories (was used in a Queen of Hearts costume), black beads from Penneys, silver bangle from Newbridge Silverwear, red Masai bracelet from Kenya and charm bracelet from Claire’s Accessories.

September Photography Challenge- Day 12

Day Twelve- Sunset

This is also late as it was stormy yesterday and no sun out so I couldn’t get a sunset. Luckily, I managed to get a snap of one today, I thought it would be nicer but the clouds on the horizon hide the sun early.