Beabarella bakes Paul Hollywood's Iced Fingers Recipe- losing my virginity; the bread making one...

It's a strange thing how a man can tempt you into doing things that you would have never contemplated before. I'd like to think that Im not a typically girly girl; Im northern and stubborn and like mature Cheddar but one look from a Mr Paul Hollywood and i'd be giggling like a geisha from behind my handfan; whilst, simultaneously doing a wee down my leg. So far though, luckily for me and probably him, all he has got me doing is baking bread.

I don't know why, but in all the time i've been cooking, apart from a few shameful 'add water' style packet mixes; I've never baked my own bread. I don't know why really 'cos the smell to me is more addictive then crack (i'd imagine...i'm strictly an Ovaltine girl myself). 

It made sense to my little mind that I should make something I'm very very familiar with putting in my mouthhole so that when I tried them I would know if i'd got them right or not. Now, not blowing my own trumpet or anything but, I am a time served, kick ass Iced Finger eater...If there was a Brownie badge for it- POW! That bad boy would be right on my sash.... So I tried them first and maybe because I'm very dedicated in  my iced finger eating, they turned out pretty good! 

I followed this recipe : Paul Hollywood Iced Fingers from BBC FOOD and it was really simple to understand and not at all overwhelming for a first time baker. 

This was my baby after its first prove. It felt sooo nice, like a bald mouse i'd imagine...or a hairless cat.. oddly soothing to touch.

I think I messed up a little 'cos I split my batch across two trays thinking they were going to end up as one big bread loaf, but in actual fact, they are meant to touch and meld together a little and then you split them later, so I did a bad! 

See what I mean, they're meant to be joined, so if i'd stuck them all on one tray i'd have been laughing! 

In my opinion, the more jam and cream the better.... 

I think they look pretty good. Your meant to dip the top of the buns into the icing but i'm such a cack-handed knack that i would have just ended up drowning them or dropping all the cream and jam out, so it seemed a better idea to pipe it on the top. 

I can't believe that I haven't done bread before and I really don't know why I thought it was going to be so tricky. I think its the time it takes to make them that can be slightly off putting but it's not like you have to sit over them watching; you can go away, play hopscotch, do some knitting, some kiln work- whatever you want! They're really worth it and taste in a different league to the shop bought ones. 

Is it just me then, or do you guys have a bit of a phobia in the kitchen? Also have you tried any of the delectable Mr Hollywood's recipes out and what did you think of them??? 

xxxxx

RANDOMNESS: I want this!!!

If only i could make it!! 

Back to Beabarella!!

So.... i did it again!! What kind of useless toad am I?? Ive been away for 5 months!!! 5!! But, I'm back and thankyou to everyone who has stuck with me and sent me little messages asking where I am and that you missed my posts.....

Well, whats been going on with you guys then??? Major changes have happened Chez Beabarella! First of all, we got a new puppy!! 

This is Otis! He's 7 weeks old and a Cavalier Spaniel..... He's sooo ridiculously tiny and he's scared of everything and he just wants to love you and lick your face..... Dolly is still being as beautiful and farty as ever:

SEE!!! B-E-A-UTIFUL!!!! 

Secondly, remember my old tattoo that I was getting lasered off?? It's gone!! It has now been replaced by a yummy tribute to my grandma.... 

aaaaaand I got an amazing thigh tattoo from one of the raddest tattooers around, Mrs Rachel Baldwin! He's a cool ass fox who I have named Jerome... He likes Ovaltine and The Sopranos...probably....

Tattoo's have pretty much taken over my life at the minute.....  not only am I steadily getting covered in them but I'm also selling my own paintings from my local tattoo shop!!! How exciting!! They're tattoo style and to be honest i'd love to get into tattooing but I know how much time and commitment it takes to become a tattoo artist and I have something I want to start dedicating my time to just a little bit more.......

It's always been something I've wanted to do but I've always thought "am I good enough" or "am I this or that" and I just figure life is faffing short and if you don't try things now mrs, you never will... (me turning 26 may have had something to do with this...) So, i've started writing a cook book! Even if  no one ever reads it and I just pass it onto Dolly to cook for her puppies one day, its still an exciting thing.... 

See; I have been busy while i've been away! These are some of my favourite things i've been playing with. Who would have thought that one day i'd be spending my nights perfecting pork pies? All the coolest kids do it, it's the new smoking- everyone looks cool with a pork pie in their hand! 

Doing all this thinking about cook books has made me think about this blog too. I haven't bothered with make up in months, all my money is going on new cake moulds or cook books or zesters- Told you! I'M A COOL ASS MOTHER FLIPPER!!!

I just don't know what to do with this blog now? Do I set up a separate blog and close this one down or do I just use this one? Gah! Decisions decisions.... What do you guys think? 

Bea xxxx

PS: I'm on instagram and tumblr now!!!! You can find me at @littlefoxheart on Instagram and HERE on Tumblr xxx

COOKING: Whats been keeping me busy...

So yes, I've been away for 96 hundred years but i'm back now and to justify my far-away-ness I thought i would show you some pics of whats been keeping me busy...The uni bit is not very interesting and would just be pictures of me reading Wuthering Heights and imagining I was Kathy and I was humping Heathcliff in a barn....too much? anywhoo...

So I figured i would show you some cakey pics- far more exciting.....

See! I've been a busy little pickle! Theres a few more but you get the gist. Cooking has literally taken over my life at the moment and i've always just thought of it as my hobby but the more and more I do it i'm starting to think of it as a career!! How exciting and grown up...'sept i'd be titting about with buns for a living- excellent! I went out the other day and spent nearly £100 on cookbooks...it's what Jesus would want I reckon?!? When most people are reading novels, Im reading cookbooks- very cool of me I know! Oh except I have been drawn into the whole 50 Shades of Grey business... I know its a little old news now but I haven't been here so do we like it??!! Have to say, or should say as a Lit student that the writing is pretty bad BUT it's just so un-put-downable! It's like Cheese Squares or Simply Red...you know its not right but sometimes you just have to!!

Cooking: Baked Eggs with Spring Greens and me Marinated in Gin...

Well, I'm sat here trying to type up this post in a state that can only be described as "Gin Marinated"....Horrific! 

Me at the start of the night:  

Pretty reasonable I think you'll agree. Plus I was wearing my Black Milk Leggings so was feeling pretty dandy!

And this is after: 

Nessa has turned into the tiniest elf and I just.......christ....sleepy gin eyes! 

So to say I am all delicate and hungover is an understatement and when I am delicate and hungover there is only one thing I must do: nest on the sofa and eat. At the minute all I want is a McDonald's Fillet O Fish and a vat of Ribena so I thought it would be appropriate to do a food post. I cooked this the other night and it was absolutely delish. So while for the rest of the day, I will be eating things like this: 

you should definitely try this little baby. It serves 2 as a lunch or just one as a greedy dinner. Needless to say, I had it to myself.

Baked Eggs with Spring Greens.

Preheat the oven to 180C, regular oven or 160C fan

Butter for Greasing

1 Bay Leaf

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Tbsp of Fresh Tarragon

1 Red Onion

100g of Spring Greens, shredded.

(you can also use Swiss Chard but my supermarket never sells it and I hadn't been to the Farm Shop, even some savoy cabbage or kale would be good)

2 eggs

110g of crumbled goats cheese

Butter your ramekins or baking dish if your having this to yourself and stick them aside. Chop your onions. I diced them but you could just as easily have half moons; it may even look a little prettier. Then heat your oil, I'm using that liquid Flora at the minute and I think it's pretty good and a bit healthier then regular olive oil. When your oils hot enough add your onions and bay leaf. You want to caramelise the onions, not colour them so don't have the heat too high. Also if you add a pinch of salt to your onions, it stops them frazzling- Handy tip! 

I've given you a weigh for your spring greens but the best thing you can do is fill up your dish, heap it us a little as the greens will wilt some. Your onions should take about 15 minutes to gently caramelise and when they're done, take them off the heat, fish out the bay leaf and add in your greens. You don't want to fry them at all, just wilt them and they should have enough liquid on the leaves if you've washed them that they just steam and wilt slighlty. Give them a good stirring round the pan for a minute and then transfer them to the ramekins or dish.

Evenly distribute your onions and greens in the dish and then make a little well for your eggs. Crack your eggs into their little wells and give them a good seasoning. Then pop them into the bottom shelf of your oven for 10 minutes. In the meantime you want to roughly chop your tarragon; you don't want it too fine, nice strands.

When it's had it's 10 minutes, take the dish out of the oven and wack on the grill. While your grills heating up, sprinkle your goats cheese over the top. I had a little piece of stilton that needed using so I threw that on there too but normally I would just stick to the goats cheese. Add your tarragon on top and then pop it back under the grill until the cheese bubbles and melts.

  

Et Voila! C'est magnifique n'est-ce pas ? It's all delicious and melting underneath and the top gets crisp and crunchy. I served it with some crispy bread for dipping up all the eggy cheesy bits and it was just heavenly. Also I think it's a really nice way to serve eggs instead of just frying or poaching them...Also I think you could play about with it quite alot. I was thinking that a few roasted baby beetroots, sliced into wedges and thrown in would be yum too; it's one of those where you can adapt it to what you like best. What would you do with it?

Cooking: One Fat Lady and some Lavender Slices

Having this IBS can be pretty shitty sometimes. I can't really eat bread or pasta or potatoes. Basically all the starchy amazing carbs that taste like heaven make me poorly Oh! and Bananas! What the crap is going on with that?...bloody love a banana too. One of my favourite things in the world though is cake- man, I looove the cake and I refuse to not have any and usually end up bent over double after eating it- sooo worth it. Ha...what a nobhead...So when I want to not feel like I've been hit in the stomach with a mallet, I make my own cakes. Since I've been blogging, I've seen quite a few of you have similar problems to mine, wether it's IBS or an intolerance to maybe Wheat or Gluten, so I thought that from now on I'm going to include a recipe day once a week to share some of my favourite things that don't make me want to vomit into my own shoe! If were making all this effort to look shit hot on the outside, need to keep the inside just as fine!

These are my Lemon, Lavender and Honey Mini Slices and they are DIIIIIIIVINE! 

Right your ingredients list is as follows....Don't judge or question; just buy and trust. 

170g Peeled and Cubed Courgette or Parsnip cut into 2cm cubes- 

It's great as you can interchange your veggies; these are the best two for this though in my opinion.

150g Caster Sugar (+ a little for dusting)

2 Medium Free Range Eggs

1 tbsp of Grated Lemon Zest

1 tbsp of Edible Lavender (+ a little for dusting).....

Crushed up in a Pestle and Mortar with....

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tbsp of Runny Honey

1 tsp of Vanilla

80g White Rice Flour

100g Ground Almonds

2 tsp of Baking Powder ( I use a wheat and gluten free one, you don't have to though!) 

Pre- heat your oven to 175c

1) Take your peeled and cubed veg, whichever one you've picked (my fave is the Courgette but I had Parsnips in.....) and pop it in a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon of water, cling film it and microwave it for about 7 minutes till it's soft.

2) While your veg is cooking away, whisk up your eggs and sugar for maybe 5 minutes until they look frothy. 

3) Now take you cooked Courgette/Parsnip whatever, and mush it together with a fork till it's pureed and smooth. It takes a few minutes but bare with it. If you have a blender; whack it in that but I can't be bothered with the washing up. When it's pureed, add it to the sugar and eggs and give it a quick whisk together. 

4) Now you want to add in all your "wet" ingredients- the lemon, the honey and the vanilla. 

5) And now the dry ingredients- the lavender and salt, the rice flour, the grounds almonds and the baking powder. Now give all this a mix togeher. I'm a jammy cowbag and have a kitchenaid mixer so it takes maybe 20 seconds, if your hand mixing, maybe a minute. You don't want to over mix your ingredients or you'll get a tough as old donkey arse bun at the end. Just do it till everything is combined.

6) I have these little individual loaf tins (from Lakeland) which take 1 ice cream scoop's worth of batter each- perfect portion sized, but you could just cook this in a regular loaf tin. If you do that, increase the oven temperature to 180c and your cooking time will go up to 25-30 minutes. 

7) So portion up your batter and bake off these little puppies for 15-20 minutes until cooked. You know its done if you can stick a skewer inside them and it comes out clean. Leave them in the tin for a few minutes to relax and them move them to a wire rack to cool properly.

8) You can do 2 toppings, simple is just a scattering of extra caster sugar and lavender over the top when they're cooled. My favourite is if you take a few tablespoons of cream cheese in a bowl, a quick zesting of lemon and add some icing sugar in to taste- I like it quite cheesy, the beau likes it more sweet, its a preference thing! Then slab a blob of this on top- gow-jus! I didn't think to get some in, I so wish I had as it just takes it to the next level- like Unicorn status!! 

It was so nice today so we camped out on the decking with these bad boys and some tea. They are best served with fancy-shmansey tea cups and a soundtrack of She and Him songs- just perfection.