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| Recipe of the week... ... Santa Buns |
Ingredients: 250g self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking
powder, 50g butter, 75g caster sugar, 2 large eggs, 250 ml milk, 2 teaspoons
cinnamon, 250g icing sugar, a few drops of red food colouring, 12 festive icing
decorations
Makes: 12 big muffins
Time Taken: 20 mins to make, 20 mins to bake, and then 20
mins to decorate once cooled
Hi readers,
How are you all today?? As a write, it’s a cold Sunday
morning in December. Temperatures stand at a tropical 2 degrees, and I’m
huddled up in bed with my laptop… hoping things warm up a little before I go
out on a run. I already have a cold, readers, (which can fuck right off) and we’ve
been negotiating snow, ice and slush for the best part of two weeks now.
In other news, Christmas is a week tomorrow! Whooooo!!! Who’s
feeling festive? And ready for it?? And not at all Scrooge-ish? I think I can
raise my hand here! I’m just about finished sorting cards and Christmas
presents now, and also an engagement gift and 3 December birthdays, and various
Christmas-related projects at work.
I’m at the bit now where the three’s up and I can bum about
in a Christmas jumper with a mulled wine, listening to East 17 and looking back
on the past year. Are you there yet, readers?? Power on if you still have
things left to do! Because it’s great once you get it all done and you final chill
out.
And just think it will ALL be worth it when the magic
happens on the day, and everyone’s opening gifts and having a great time
together. Just think. And then – it will all be over! One day and this fuss
will all be behind us. I hope, readers, that you’re beginning to feel the
Christmas spirit, and you’re finding time to spend with your loved ones in the
run up to the 25th, and that you all have the most wonderful Christmastime.
So, I thought with this blog post, I might dish out some
recommendations for the best films, books and songs, that I’ve seen this year.
In case over Christmas you’re at a loose end and fancy a decent film, or a good
book, or an update to your playlists, to end the year nicely. These
recommendations might not be for everyone! Bear in mind… I’m a yoga-loving 23-year-old
female. Don’t take these as scripture.
BUT… I’m going to start with film. I’ve seen alotalot of
films this year as I splashed out on a Cineworld membership card – best
decision ever – but it is hard to remember which ones you’ve seen, over the
course of a whole year. I will update this post if I later remember a film I’m
forgetting about now, but I think my fave film of 2017 has been Manchester by
the Sea.
This film was released way back in January, and is not at
all festive or wonderful or cheerful, but it’s a very good film. Watch, if you
haven’t already. And if you feel like some dark humour. OR if you’re looking
for a film and not feeling that vibe, I also would recommend Despicable Me 3,
Baywatch, or The Hitman’s Bodyguard. All good, and slightly more uplifting,
films from the past year.
So, on to books. I’ve done quite well with reading this
year! Joining a book club has kept me turning pages and I’ve been solidly
getting through a book or two each month. Plus, I’ve discovered audiobooks,
which prove to be a good way to pass my 45-minute commute in the car. With
further ado, here are ten books of note, which I read this year and would recommend…
1.
Black Eyed Susans by Julia Haeberlin
2.
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
3.
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
4.
The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman
5.
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
6.
The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
7.
On Canaan’s Side by Sebastian Barry
8.
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
9.
The Thirst by Jo Nesbo
10. Sweetbitter
by Stephanie Danler
And that just leaves music. Here are some recommendations, readers,
which I’ve tried to break down into different moods, for top songs which I’ve
played on repeat / blasted in the car / run to / related with / rediscovered /
fallen asleep listening to / learned (almost) all the words to… during 2017.
Significant…
1.
Aquilo – Low Light
2.
ARIZONA – Oceans Away
3.
Sampha – (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano
4.
This Is The Kit – Moonshine Freeze
5.
Stereo Honey – The Bay
6.
Ghostpoet – Be Right Back, Moving House
7.
Choir of Young Believers – Hollow Talk
8.
Loyle Carner – Damselfly
9.
Tricky – The Only Way
10. Bill
Evans Trio – My Foolish Heart
Girlpower…
1.
Maggie Lindemann – Pretty Girl
2.
Martin Solveig – Places
3.
NEIKED – Call Me
4.
Zara Larsson – What They Say
5.
Fergie – You Already Know
6.
Rita Ora –Your Song
7.
Tove Lo – shedontknowbutsheknows
8.
Taya – When Ur Sober
9.
Goldfrapp – Anymore
10. Hailee
Steinfeld – Starving
11. Anton
Powers & Pixie Lott – Baby
12. HAIM
– Want You Back
13. Jem
– Just a Ride
14. Soayla
– No Good
Tuuunes…
1.
Bicep – Glue
2.
Justin Bieber – Friends
3.
Macklemore – Glorious
4.
Moon Boots – Keep the Faith
5.
Tycho – Horizon
6.
Ride – All I Want
7.
Harry Styles – Ever Since New York
8.
Blaenavon – I Will Be The World
9.
Feeder – Just a Day
10. Newton
Faulkner – Up Up and Away
11. Fleetwood
Mac – The Chain
12. John
Mayer – Love On The Weekend
13. Trevor
Hall – Indigo
14. Dutch
Uncles – Streetlight
And those, readers, are my film, book and song
recommendations for 2017. Which have greatly improved my year. I hope you might
find a treasure in there, which you go on to quite like yourself. And please –
recommend me things back! If there’s a film or a book or a song, which your
2017 would have been a much greyer place without, leave me a comment on this
post and I’ll give it a go for sure! Thank you.
And now… for our recipe of the week! I’m writing this week,
readers, to share with you a festive bake. Tis the season! Here’s a recipe for
some Santa Buns – which are really easy and straightforward to get together,
and which I’m sure your friends, family and colleagues at work will only be too
delighted to demolish.
I basically just took a Mary Berry recipe, readers, for American
muffins. Added in a LOT of cinnamon, for a festive flavour, and then decorated them
in a Christmassy way. The little iced Santas, which feature on top of my buns,
I actually found on a local market stall in Sheffield. But I’m sure they must
also be sold in Lakeland and large supermarkets, too.
Here’s the recipe, for 12 Santa Buns, in just ten simple
steps…
--
Recipe: Santa Buns
Ingredients: 250g self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking
powder, 50g butter, 75g caster sugar, 2 large eggs, 250ml milk, 2 teaspoons
cinnamon, 250g icing sugar, a few drops of red food colouring, 12 festive icing
decorations
1.
Set some crimbo songs playing and pour yourself
a refreshing drink. Open a window, stretch really tall, and stop thinking ten
steps ahead. Just be calm.
2.
Heat your oven to 200C and get all your
ingredients out, ready to go.
3.
Measure the flour, baking powder and butter into
a mixing bowl. Use your fingers to rub together until the mixture resembles
breadcrumbs. Then, stir in the sugar and shake a large amount of cinnamon into
the bowl.
ChefBeHere Top
Tip: If you like cinnamon – go all out. Tis the season! If you do not like
cinnamon – then maybe just a small shake. Or you could switch it for a teaspoon
of vanilla extract instead.
4.
Pour 250ml milk into a measuring jug, then crack
your eggs into the jug and use a fork to whisk together your milk and eggs.
Then pour this eggy mix into your main mixing bowl.
5.
Use a wooden spoon to blend everything together,
into a cake mix with a lumpy consistency. Line a muffin tray with 12 Christmassy
paper cases and spoon your mix out evenly between the cases, filling almost to
the top.
6.
Carefully transport your muffins into the oven
to bake for 20 minutes. Use this time wisely – tidy the kitchen up and clean
your dishes, while you still have the enthusiasm. Then refresh your drink and
why not see what’s on the telly?
7.
Once your muffins are well risen, firm to the
touch and a golden colour, carefully take them out of the oven and turn the
oven off. Leave your muffins on the side to cool for half an hour.
ChefBeHere Top
Tip: I wouldn’t try icing your buns until they’re properly cooled, even if
you’re in a hurry. If the buns are still warm, your icing will just run right
off them. And go everywhere.
8.
Once your buns feel cool, take them out of the
muffin tray and stand them on some kitchen roll, to absorb any grease on the
bottom of their paper cases.
9.
Shake around 250g icing sugar into your mixing
bowl, along with a few drops of red food colouring and a splash of warm water.
Mix together (and add extra of any of the 3 ingredients, as you see fit) until
you have a bowl of thick, smooth red icing.
10. Use
a knife to smear each of your buns with a good amount of the icing and then
stick a little Father Christmas icing decoration on top to finish. Tuck in!
--
And that’s all there is to it, readers! No skill needed
here, really. The buns are simple to bake and the main difficulty during
decoration, once you’ve got your icing to the right consistency, is trying not
to get it all over your fingers! Mine were red for days!
Fancy giving these buns a go, readers? You’ve an eight-day
window of opportunity for festive baking, and I say why not! Treat your loved
ones to some very cute buns and make sure you nab one before they’re all gone.
I’ll leave you to your festive plans now, but best of luck in the kitchen if
you do give this recipe a go.
Take care on the roads, readers… and go steady on the mulled
wine.
Celebrate safely,
Hayley
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