Blueberry Scones

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: I wonder if asking Ms. Chase to dance would...
Giles: For God's sake, man, she's 18, and you have the emotional maturity of a blueberry scone. Just have at it, would you, and stop fluttering about. 
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer - season 3 episode 20

I started watching Buffy when I was in high school and I was obsessed with it! My friend and I would call each other during the commercials for any "OMG" moments. We related to all the teenage angst and felt we were a part of the Scooby Gang.

Re-watching it now I am still taken into all the angst, but with less "OMG" moments not just because I have seen it before, but because I have more life experience. Now it's more like "Yup that's how it happens, that's life." Which is why it's such a great show.

Watching Buffy has been a trip down memory lane and when I decide to watch it again in like 20 years I am sure I will see it differently once again. Sometimes long for the days of having the emotional maturity of a blueberry scone, but mostly I'm glad those days are over.

Blueberry Scones

150g dried blueberries
orange juice, for soaking
150g cold unsalted butter
500g self-raising flour , plus a little extra for dusting
2 level teaspoons baking powder
2 heaped teaspoons caster sugar
pinch of salt
2 large free-range eggs
4 tablespoons milk , plus a little extra for brushing

A couple of hours or so before you start place the dried fruit into a bowl and pour over just enough orange juice to cover. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Put the butter, flour, baking powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt into a big bowl and using your (clean) fingers to gently rub the butter into the flour until just combined. The less it's touched the more crumbly it will be.
Make a well in the middle of the dough, add the eggs and milk, and gently mix with a spatula or spoon. Drain the soaked blueberries and fold into the dough. If needed add a little bit of milk, until it forms a soft, dry dough. It should be bit scruffy, the opposite of bread dough which is usually smooth and neat.
Sprinkle a little flour over the top of the scruffy dough and leave in a bowl (covered with with cling film) in the fridge for 15 minutes.
When the time is up roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it's about 2-3cm thick. Then with a 6cm round cutter or something with about that diameter cut out circles from the dough. Place them upside down on a baking sheet. Re-roll the rest of the dough and cut out as many as you can. Brush the top with either melted butter or milk.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. They will be risen and golden on top! Leave them to cool before serving with clotted cream and jam!

Scones are one of the most controversial afternoon treats here in England; from how they are pronounced and what gets put on first the cream or the jam? I myself pronounce scone like cone with an 's' and I like my cream first then the jam. 

*recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver's Crumbliest Scone recipe - found in Jamie's Great Britain

Five on Friday - 5 Shows I'm Currently Watching on Netflix

I am a bit late to the Netflix bandwagon! So, I have a load of series and movies I need to catch up on! Here are the five shows I've either just finished watching or in the middle of!

Shadowhunters - The Mortal Instruments 

I read all the books except the last one so I was curious about the show. I haven't seen the movie, it apparently flopped and if it's anything like this show I understand why! The show is actually not that good, but because I love the Shadowhunter world I'm stuck watching it!!

Fuller House

I watched most of the series in one sitting! I grew up watching Full House and I can't help, but love this. Yes it's a bit cheesy and all goody goody, but I can't help but think we need a bit more of that in the world.

The Ranch

As a huge fan of That 70's Show (see previous post) when I saw that Danny Masterson and Ashton Kutcher were to be reunited in this made for Netflix series I just had to watch. It's about a prodigal son returned to help out on the family ranch. A different kind of show and I hope there is a second season!

Mako Mermaids

My girls really wanted to watch this show and I was all "Ugh, it looks terrible." However, I spent one Saturday night watching the last four episodes of season 1 with the girls because we, me included, just had to know does Zac takeover Mako Island? Does the pod return? I have refrained from watching season 2 as I was sucked in once and didn't want to get sucked in again!

Him & Her

A series that really focuses on the characters and they are loveable and completely outrageous. I started watching this on TV, but never caught all of them and now they are all in one place! Steve and Becky live in a bedsit and most of the show takes place in that bedsit with their friends and family coming in and out bring drama and comedy with them! I can't wait to get through the seasons!!

Classic shows that I love:

• That 70's Show
• TMNT
• Buffy
• Arrested Development 

On my too watch list:

• Once Upon a Time 
• Firefly
• Daredevil
• Jessica Jones
• Orange is the New Black
• Making a Murderer 
• Between
• Scream (the series)

Series I wish were on Netflix

• Ugly Betty 
• Angel
• Felicity 
• Coupling 

And one show I don't have to wish for: Gilmore Girls! I am so looking forward to the reunion!

Are there any other shows I should be watching? 

Please leave a comment below if you have any suggestions!

note: images are not my own, they come from Netflix or Wikipedia - this post is also in no way associated with Netflix, all opinions are my own please see my contact/policy page for more information. 

Chocolate Chip Brownies - Inspired by That 70's Show

One of my favorite shows of all time is That 70’s Show and now it’s on Netflix. I binged and finished all 8 seasons in a few weeks. See when it was on I only made it to about season 5 before I stopped watching due to real life commitments - like university, part -time job, participating in my sorority and hanging out … down the street.

I think the reason I love the show so much is that I relate to it. It reminds me of my life between the ages of 15-18. My parents had moved us to a small remote town in northern Minnesota. Where it was cold and not much to do.

We did what Eric, Donna, Hyde, Kelso, Fez, and Jackie did we literally hung out down the street! We had to make our own fun running around town or hanging out at each others houses hosting movie nights.

We all had crappy part time jobs and drove cars from the 70’s and 80’s and in winter would pull donuts on the frozen river and in the summer “cruised the dubs.” The Dubs was short for double as in double lanes - there was one road that had double lanes. All part of spending your teenage years in a small town.

I can’t go back to being in high school and I’m not so sure I’d really want too, but I don’t mind having flashbacks through a well written TV show! Kitty was always baking from scratch and one of the things we saw her bake over and over was brownies!

In the last season she baked them for Jackie to win over her boss (Mary Tyler Moore) and was very upset when Jackie took the credit. It was after watching that episode I had a craving for brownies and made them the next day!

I’d like to think these brownies would have passed Kitty’s approval! It’s the only brownie recipe I use these days and this time time I added chocolate chips to it! If I were Hyde I would have added a different “special” ingredient!

Chocolate Chip Brownies

300g dark chocolate, broken up
250g unsalted butter
400g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs
140g plain flour
pinch of salt
50g cocoa powder
100g chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180C/gas4 and line a brownie tin (8x11) or an 8in square pan with parchment paper.
Very gently melt the chocolates with the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan. Just before the chocolate is completely melted, take off the heat and gently stir until it’s completely melted.
Then add the eggs one at a time to the melted chocolate mixture. Sift the flour, salt, and cocoa powder into the pan and stir until just combined.
Then pour the mixture into the prepared tin/pan. Scatter all the chocolate chips over the top of the brownies before baking in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. If you want them a little gooier only bake them for 30 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting into squares. They are good for 3 days in an airtight container not that they will last that long!

notes: recipe is adapted from a recipe in Bakes & Cakes Magazine Summer 2013 (BBC Good Food Mag) - If you haven’t seen That 70’s Show I highly recommend watching it! The image I used of the cast comes from this website, I doubt they own it, but I thought I'd link anyway! I used milk chocolate chips to help cut through the dark chocolate, but use whatever suits you!

Red Devil Cupcakes {inspired by Scream Queens}

Tomorrow is the finale of Scream Queens! It’s already aired in the USA so I have avoided reading anything online to see whodunnit. It’s been hard so no spoilers please!

It’s one of the slightly annoying things about living in the UK is when a US TV show is brought over here it’s always behind schedule. It means you have to avoid any fan websites and stuff so nothing is ruined, especially in the case of a show like Scream Queens where there is a killer on the loose!

Scream Queens, if you haven’t heard of it, is a TV series about a sorority and serial killer. A serial killer who dresses as a Red Devil (the school’s mascot) and wants revenge on the sorority. It’s like any typical horror film, but better as every week we were left with clues and hints and speculation to who, what, when, and where.

Did I mention it’s full of utterly ridiculous shenanigans and cringe worthy characters, but it is funny and entertaining. I just can’t turn away from a good whodunnit story. What’s exciting is that the show has been given the go ahead for another season!

Feeling anxious to know how it ends I thought I’d try to cure the anticipation with these Red Devil Cupcakes. These devil food cupcakes with bright red vanilla frosting and devil horns are killer!

Red Devil Cupcakes 

1 cupcake box mix (makes 9 cupcakes)
40g unsalted butter, room temperature
114g icing sugar
1 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon of vanilla extract
red gel food color
black fondant, pre bought

Bake cupcakes according to box instructions.
For the frosting beat all the ingredients together in a bowl until combined. Add the food coloring until you achieve your desired shade of red.
With the black fondant/sugar paste make 18 devil horns. Place on top. Enjoy while watching the Red Devil take out sorority girls and fraternity guys one by one!

notes: This post has no association with the show, Scream Queens, in any way shape or form. Please see my contact/policy page above for more information. If you’d rather make your own cupcakes and not box mix ones why not try this recipe for chocolate cupcakes or this recipe for red velvet cupcakes! These would also work great for Halloween or dare I say Valentine's Day? Love does bring out the devil in us or something like that?

Five on Friday: Five Reasons to Love Hawaii Five-O

It’s all my friend’s fault! Sometimes when the girls are in bed I sneak out to my friend and neighbour’s house for a chat and a cup of tea. Sometimes when things get bad it’s a bottle of wine or vodka with apple juice. Don’t judge it’s tough being a mom. 

The said friend watches Hawaii Five-O and when I stop over it’s usually always on. Then without knowing I found myself watching it in the afternoons when I have that random hour with nothing to do before the school run. With just an hour it’s pointless to start anything and by the then I have a load of laundry out on the line another in the wash, dinner prepped etc… I could read one of my many books still waiting to be read or write a blog post, but I have found myself watching Hawaii Five-O instead. 

Here are the main five reasons I keep going back to it. 

1. It’s set in Hawaii. 

    Hawaii is beautiful. Some of the landscape shots are breathtaking. I would love to live here one day! 

source

2. Alex O'Loughlin as Det Steve McGarrett 

    He's a super smart ex-Navy Seal who is basically a cop ninja. Which makes him sort of cool.

3. Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho Kelly

    I loved loved loved him in Lost and I love him all over again in Hawaii Five-O

4. Entertainment

    It’s a bit corny at times and even a little far fetched, but it’s entertaining. When I watch TV, which isn’t often, it’s to be entertained. I am always up for a bit of crime drama! The characters are loveable too, you start to care about what happens to them.

5. Did I mention Alex O’Loughlin??? 

notes: images are not my own, but links to sources are included in the caption. 

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I haven’t followed a TV series closely since Lost ended. I sometimes feel a bit left out because I really don’t watch a lot of TV.

My new co-workers are always talking about their favorite shows so, I've started to watch some more TV. You know so I don't feel so left out! 

One I have recently tried to get into is Made in Chelsea. Mainly because I have met Jamie Laing and I thought you know it’s a mix of reality TV and a sitcom.

I’m not so sure how much longer I will continue to watch; they are just so talky talk. The American guy makes me uncomfortable. Not sure why? Anyone else who watches think the same thing? Or have I just missed something in a previous season? 

Besides talking about TV shows I sometimes steer the conversation to cakes. It was one of these times that my co-worker exclaimed her love of pineapple upside down cake.

On Monday night (while watching Made in Chelsea) I made my first every Pineapple Upside Down Cake and took it to work with me Tuesday morning. 

I was a little worried about how it had turned out. I always worry about that when I make a cake for the first time and every time it's unnecessary.

Everyone enjoyed it, even the guy who doesn't like cake or pineapple said it was pretty good! Most importantly the lady who requested it absolutely loved it! So, I would say it was a success! 

I had found a few different recipes to try, but in the end I decided to adapt Nigella’s recipe from Nigella Express.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Square of butter

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

6-7 canned pineapple slices

3 tablespoons of pineapple juice

cocktail cherries

100g flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g unsalted butter, softened

100g golden caster sugar

2 medium eggs, room temperature

3 tablespoons of pineapple juice

Heat the oven to 200C. With the square of butter thickly layer the bottom of a cake tin, it can’t be a loose bottom or springform tin, the juices would run every where. Then sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the bottom. Then layer the pineapple slice on the bottom shaking as much juice from them as possible. Then place the cherries in the circles and in the open areas between the pineapple circles.

Then place the remaining ingredients minus the pineapple juice into a bowl of a stand mixer or food processor or just a big bowl. Mix together until smooth and then add the pineapple juice.
Gently spoon the batter over the pineapple slices and cherries, it will just cover them, so spread carefully.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Once out of the oven run a butter knife around the cake, then place a plate or serving platter over the tin and flip! And just like that Pineapple Upside Down Cake!

notes: Nigella’s recipe is also found on her official site. 

Pizza Night {prize draw promotion}

Nights in are the new black.

A night out can be a lot of fun, but so can a night in especially when you have your friends and family with you!

One of my favorite nights in is Pizza Night with my little family! 

What cartoon characters love pizza? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

It is my all time favorite childhood cartoon and I am proud to say my girls love it too! It's a common pizza/movie night combo for us!

We make individual pizzas with all our favorite pizza toppings. Anything goes! 

Well, with in reason I mean we don't go as far as the turtles themselves, see suggestions by them below! 

Then after we're done with dinner we cuddle up with some dessert pizza and enjoy the movie! It's a great way to get the whole family involved and spend time together!

Pizza Dough

makes 4 individual pizzas, half the recipe for 2

400g Sainsbury’s Strong Canadian Bread flour

16g/2 pouches of Sainsbury’s Fast-Action dried yeast

pinch of salt

280ml luke warm water

extra virgin olive oil

In a mixing bowl mix the flour and yeast together, once combined put in the pinch of salt and mix again. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the warm water, plus a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until it comes together as a wet-dough. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes on a floured surface, I always start out with a light dusting then add about another two light dustings while kneading. Once it’s smooth and elastic, lightly oil a separate bowl for the dough ball to rest cover with clingfilm and rest for 25 minutes.

While it’s resting lightly oil two baking sheets/trays and heat the oven to 200C.

Once it’s rested gently break it into four separate pieces. Use a sharp floured knife if you want a more even division of the dough. Roughly spread out into a circle or an oval as we did to fit on our trays.

Top with sauce and a choice of your favorite toppings, suggestions listed below, before baking in the oven for 18 minutes or until the edges just start to turn brown. After 10 minutes I switched the pizzas from the top shelf to the bottom shelf to insure even coloring for all the pizzas, but you don’t have to do this. Serve immediately with salad or any sides that you like!

Suggested Pizza Toppings

passata flavored or with added oregano and garlic salt to taste

tomato paste, just a squeeze

cheese, mozzarella is always a favorite

ham/sausage/pepperoni/pineapple/mushrooms/peppers/onion/olives/etc… 

Ninja Turtle Suggested Pizza Toppings:

Pepperoni & Ice Cream
Jelly Bean & Sausage
Anchovie & Peanut Butter
Whipped Cream
Sashimi
Bananas & Sausage
Cereal (Raisin Bran, Cornflakes, Coco Puffs)

Then for dessert we had pizza again! This is inspired by an American treat sometimes called cactus bread. I used mixes for this one to save on time and cost! Start this about 10 minutes before the pizzas are done or just after you've rotate the pizzas if you have done that.

Dessert Pizza

1 pkg (145g) Sainsbury’s pizza base mix

1 pkg (225g) Sainsbury’s crumble mix,

1-2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar (Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference or make your own)

100g icing sugar

1-2 tbsp of milk

Follow the instructions on the back of the pizza base mix package, leave to rise in front of the already heated oven. Once you've eaten your amazing pizzas from above your pizza dough should be risen, poke a few holes in it with a fork before spreading over the cinnamon sugar, then spread over the crumble mix. There will be leftover crumble mix because you don’t need very much to cover the top of this pizza. Bake in the oven according to the packaging. Both the pizza base and crumble mix bake for about the same amount of time.

Before it’s out of the oven make the glaze by mixing the icing sugar with the milk. Once it’s out of the oven while it’s still warm drizzle over the glaze. You might have a little leftover, but that’s okay you can use it as dip for the dessert pizza. Enjoy! 

That is one of my favorite nights in, but I have had many date nights in with my husband and occasionally I'll have a wine night in with my girl friends. So.... 

Prize Draw Closed

notes: In association with Sainsbury’s, all opinions are my own please see my contact/policy page for more information. Ninja Turtle topping suggestions are taken from the first season of the original show. Pizza dough recipe adapted from Gino D'acampo's Italian Home Baking

Five on Friday: My five favorite Childhood Cartoons

You are only as old as you feel.

My literal self says that is stupid. You are as old as you are and that’s that.

However the very small part of me that isn’t literal says well, sometimes I feel pretty damn old and there are times when I feel young.

Those times are when I am making my girls watch cartoons that I want to watch over ones they want to watch. I can be a real hard ass.

Just kidding I’m mostly a push over. I record the ones I want to watch and watch them when no one is around so people can’t judge me.

But for this weeks Five on Friday I wanted to revisit the cartoons my sister and I watched every day after school with our afternoon snack.

Tiny Toon Adventures

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Animaniacs

Beetlejuice

Eek the Cat

notes: Pictures are from Wikipedia

Five on Friday: Five Fun Foodie Shows

Five on Friday is here again! I am sticking with my American theme for just one more Friday because I am missing some of the fun food shows I watched when I was there.

Here they are (in no particular order):

Chopped

Food Network

Some nights Food Network would play this show back to back and I literally sat for a couple of hours glued to this show. I had seen it once or twice here in the UK, but I haven't seen it on recently. I think I like this show so much because it's a game I play at least once a week in my own kitchen! Instead of a basket of random ingredients that I have to make meals out of I have my partially stocked cupboards. I do love seeing what the contestants come up with! I would love to be on this show! Hint to Food Network if you'd like to fly me over! 

The Chew

ABC

The foodies of the world have been asking for a show like this! Or at  least I know I have been. It's like a great food magazine in video form. The hosts are a great panel of foodies who share with the viewers great recipes, tips, and facts about food! I would also love to be a guest on this show. One episode I watched was all about chocolate... need I say more! 

Snack-Off

MTV

I want to play this game. In fact I might just have to have my friends over and say alright bring all your favorite snack foods and then we'll thrown them in a pile and see who can come up with the best snack! It's just a fun game show where the winner wins a golden spork. Along with hilarious judges what more could you want? 

Top Chef Duels

Bravo

I love love love Top Chef, so what could be better then bringing on old contestants and having them face off? The answer is nothing. Nothing is better then that. Bravo Bravo!

Rachel vs Guy Kids Cook-Off

Food Network

It was like watching fireworks when I was watching this super cute show. It was all "ahhh's" and "oooh's" the whole way through. The children on this show are talented, funny, and most can probably cook better then me! 

That concludes my second Five on Friday! If there is a topic you'd like me to cover on my Five on Friday's please leave a comment below or tweet me @unitedcakedom ! Also if you think you'd like to join in I'll add a linky if there is enough feed back asking for it!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

notes: Other shows to watch out for (all on Food Network): Cut Throat Kitchen – amusing to watch, The Great Food Truck Race – I’m always up for a race, Cone Wars – if you liked Cupcake Wars then you’ll like the ice cream version of it! Images are from the websites that I have linked for each show. 

Hi my name is Lisa and I'm a Twitter-holic.

When I started my blog I used to blog about anything and everything I did that revolved around baking! I even have a blog post on crème brulee lip gloss… However since I started my twitter account I just tweet most of those things now. I mean why bother going to all the trouble and work a blog post takes when I can just tweet it?!?!

So as I was going through the pictures on my phone I thought I’d do a big round up of products and sweet stuff I've done over the 8 months or so. As a warning this is probably one of the longest posts I have ever done. Also a lot of these things will have been seen on Twitter already. I am a bit of a Twitter junkie! Find me @unitedcakedom! So let's get started with the more recent: 

Join the Realm! I'm a huge Game of Thrones fan! I have read the book and have yet to start the series I will wait and get a box set and watch it all at once. I made this on a facebook app Join the Realm

Browns Restaurant in Reading! Girls night out for a friends birthday! I had to try the Browns Brownie and a couple of the other ladies had Sticky Toffee Pudding. It was a good night out, service was good until they switched shifts and we had a new server, but overall a fun time! I do apologize for the pictures not being of the best quality!

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan: I love her series of "sweet" books. Starting with Meet Me in the Cupcake Cafe up to this one!! Looking forward to Christmas as the sequel to Rosie's Sweet Shop of Dreams is out! 

Warings Bakery: As most of the locations are local to me it's amazing I haven't been in before! I tried this apple fritter and a Viennese finger sandwich thing. They were both very lovely! Didn't take a picture of the latter. Will definitely be visiting again! 

Pancake Day at Giraffe! Giraffe offered a half off pancakes on pancake day, so a friend and I took full advantage! I think it was only advertised to those who are signed up for the news letter as that's how I was informed. So sign up for some great offers! 

White Chocolate Millionaire Shortbread! This was made by a very nice lady at the toddler group I take baby baker to every week. She is always bringing in treats for all of us. These were cut so big, I could hardly eat it as the white chocolate took it to another level of sweetness! But so good! 

My first attempt at crepes... Not sure why I didn't post this as a regular blog post? So, here they are using the left over raspberries and raspberry cream from the peach melba cupcakes I had made. I think I just used a Nigella recipe? Don't quote me on that as I am slowly losing my memory! 

Haribo Rhubarb & Custard Splats! We found these at our local newsagents and they were good. I love pic n' mix candy/sweets so these didn't last long in a house full of sugar junkies! 

Bake! from Dunelm Mill : What can I say? I am a sucker for cute knick knacks! Hey it was only 1.99! 

Care Packages!! There is nothing in the world like getting a care package from friends who miss you!! 

Thank you Dena!! (October)

Thank you Scott & Katie!! (January)

Lotus Biscuit Spread! I finally got around to hunting this stuff down after seeing it appear on tons of other food blogs. I never got around to baking with it as originally planned. I had thought I would substitute it in some of my favorite peanut butter recipes, but the girls and I just ate it. Sometimes just with a spoon. Shhhhh don't tell Daddy!

The Oracle Christmas Spectacular! I was sent VIP wrist bands because I have done a few reviews for The Oracle in the past. I would link to them, but they are not currently up on the Oracle website. Here were my blog posts for those visits: Jamie's Italian & Patisserie Valerie. It was a fun night out and a great way to get into the Christmas spirit! Afterwards we went for a drink in Giraffe! 

Amarettini: amaretto disaronno, strawberry&pomegranate w/layer of cream  & biscuits on top

Christmas Lumpy Bumpy Cake! from Pausa Cafe in Dunelm Mill. I first discovered Lumpy Bumpy Cake from Boswell's Cafe in Newbury when I meet my friend there for lunch one day. Then a while back I discovered a strawberry version in Pausa and so when I was visiting close to Christmas this version was staring at me. It's more of a coffee like flavor, so good! I love coffee flavored stuff! 

Mochi from Yo! Sushi! My friend and I try to have sushi dates every other month or so as we love the stuff! I hadn't really looked at the desserts because the little Victoria sandwich cake things they serve aren't anything to shout about! Mochi is interesting. I think it's the texture that had me second guessing it. I probably won't order it again and spend my money on the delicious rolls and curries instead! 

And that is the end of that if you like this sort of general information about my baking life, please follow me on twitter. As the title suggests I am a Twitter-holic!