Pictures (Festive Fair at Hathersage)

For those of you who missed the Hathersage Festive Fair this past weekend, here are some pics of our table of joy!

 

Thanks to the wonderful Summer weather, we almost sold out of all of our ice-creams!  We made over 40 litres of home-made ice-cream!  As this was only the second time that i was selling ice-cream at a market, i kept it simple with the flavours: chocolate, vanilla, coffee and strawberry.  I love experimenting with different flavours and would love to expand on these four, so please let me know what your favourite flavour is!

Spring Time

Even though Spring officially started a week ago already, it was only yesterday that i really felt Spring, all the way through to my bones.  We celebrated the lovely weather with our first braai in absolute ages (i will abstain from mentioning how long so as to maintain my status of Proudly South African).  Speaking of which, yay!!! RWC 2011 starting soon and we (the royal 'we', 'cos i'm not at all involved actually) will be playing our first RWC match in Wellington, NZ on Sunday morning.  To celebrate this, in true Proudly SA style, we've invited some friends over for a potjie!  Am i redeemed?  


Anyway, i digress... back to Spring.  While sitting in my almost beautiful garden, regretting that i have to be sitting with my laptop in front of me and not getting my hands dirty, i feel like inspiring you with some beautiful Spring-themed goodies.  So here you are... enjoy :)


The baking trend that has hit the US hard - Cake pops, and the lady who does them the best (my opinion) - Bakerella, made these very lovely daisy-inspired cake pops

And these delightful little bees too

Beautiful Kath Kidston-inspired flower cookies by the incredibly talented Roxanne Floquet


S'more pretty flowers, this time by SweetSugarBelle

I think that these pretty blossom trees are my favourite

These au natural edible sugar biscuits from the Martha Stewart's Wedding site are such a lovely idea and so easy to make - no skill required, just a few pansies flowering in your garden!

And, what a blog by me be without a few pretty petits fours!  

HAPPY SPRING everyone :)

Mad Hatter's Tea Party!

On Thursday last week, i catered for a Mad Hatter's Tea Party for 70 ladies.  Needless to say, i had so much fun with the theme!  I made a big "Hatter's" hat, lots of fun sugar biscuits in the theme - teapots, red painted roses, white rabbits, red hearts...  Some fabulous macaroons, delicious petits fours and a bunch of yummy savoury goodies too.  Here are the not-so-fab pics that i took.  Unfortunately the light was bad and my hands were super shaky due to lack of breakfast - BAD idea!


The creative Sylvia from Special Events by Cindy did the decor: each table was decorated according to a different Alice in Wonderland character!  And the talented Nikki from Nikki Meyer Photography took pics for the birthday lady to remember all the details of this special occasion.

The very large hat made of cake!  There was so much food that the  birthday lady didn't even get around to cutting it :(  Fortunately, it will last a goodly while and they will be able to enjoy it at a later stage!

A tower of vanilla and red velvet cupcakes inspired by the Queen of Hearts scene from the Disney Alice in Wonderland movie.

A white rabbit frolicking amidst the delicious cupcakes!

Chessboard white and dark chocolate brownies

Teapot vanilla sugar biscuits

"Painted Roses" vanilla sugar biscuits

Triple lemon and raspberry petits fours

Macarons - vanilla, raspberry and blueberry

My two wonderful assistants: Sindiswa and Alicia

Smoked salmon and cream cheese blini

In the mood for lemons...

By now, i am sure that you know that i looove making petits fours!  My favourite petit four is the Triple Lemon - the zestyness of the citrus is a lovely counter-balance for the sweetness of the fondant.  Here's my recipe....
WARNING: This is a labour of love!

Triple Lemon Petits Fours

Le Petit Four goes to Market

Last week, i baked and i baked and i baked some more.  All in preparation for the Blaauwklippen Family Food Market this past weekend.  I am completely exhausted, but it was definitely worthwhile!  I met some lovely people, made good contacts and  shared my pretty, tasty goodies with those who braved the Wint'ry Cape weather to  come and support their local producers.  Here are some pics of the treats that i made...

The farming tools hanging on the walls in the shed where we had our stand gave the market a wonderful farm atmosphere!

Granadilla Pavlova Tartlets

Lindt White Chocolate Tartlets with Fresh Berries

Raspberry Petits Fours: Layers of moist pink  sponge & tangy raspberry jam

Raspberry Petits Fours: Layers of moist pink sponge & tangy raspberry jam

Vanilla Petits Fours: Soft vanilla sponge layered with vanilla buttercream frosting

Lindt Equador Chocolate & Dark Pear Tartlets - a deliciously balanced combination!

Triple Lemon Petits Fours: Lemon sponge, lemon curd and lemon-infused fondant.  Definitely my favourite petit four!

Vanilla and Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Pink is my favourite colour!

Today, 1 October, is Breast Cancer Awareness Day here in South Africa. Two of my very special friends have lost their mothers to this awful disease. So, to celebrate these two awesome women as well as all the others around the world who have had to deal with one of life's ugliest illnesses, today's blog is all dressed in pink!  Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, i hope that you will join me in raising a glass of pink bubbly in memory of all those beautiful women!!  

Here are some pretty in pink piccies for you to peruse :)

Spring petits fours

In keeping with the Spring theme... my recipe for Spring-inspired petits fours:
A Taste of Japan
Why Japan? Well, to me, blossoms are ultimately Japanese, or rather, when i think of Japan, i immediately conjure up expansive orchards of fruit trees in full blossom!