10 Easter Eggs

0. Normal Easter Eggs in True DIY Style

http://pinterest.com/cookinglight/fun-foods/

But who is happy settling for normal nowadays?

1. The Leaping Hare Egg by Rococo 

Rococo Hand-Painted Egg No.3 with Leaping Hare Design, £25.00.

2. The Aristocratic Egg by Ladurée

Les Marquis de Laduree, £11.75 small, £37.50 large,71-72; Burlington Arcade, London.

3. The Art Deco Egg by Claridges

Quick! There are only 100 available for sale: http://www.claridges.co.uk/easter-egg/

4. You Crack Me Up by Hotel Chocolat

Filled with 10 pieces of piped smiley faces, chocolate brownie, pralines with cookies, fried eggs with melt away hazelnut paste, solid bunnies and chicks cast in milk, and caramel chocolate for £27.

5. Milk Chocolate Hen in a Bamboo Bowl by Haigh's Chocolates

Milk chocolate hen nested in bamboo bowl & 2 x 35g milk chocolate hand foiled eggs at AUD $28.50.

6. The Golden Mayan Egg by Louis Barnett 

For the Mayans 3,000 years ago, the seeds of the cacao trees in the Yucatán forests were considered gifts from the gods. "Wars were fought over chocolate, and the beans were used as currency," Louis Barnett. Here is the £89.99 golden egg made by the talented 21 year old chocolatier exclusive to Selfridges. Read his story here.   

7. Large Dark Swirled Egg by The Chocolate Society

750g of luxury dark 70% French Valrhona chocolate, swirled with seven pretty cocoa butter colours.

8. Egg in a Cup by Astier de Villatte

Classic example of when you cannot judge an egg by its cover because the Astier de Villatte website is very creepy, in my opinion... Nevertheless, the brand has an impeccable reputation for producing some of the finest Parisian home decor, cutlery, and furniture.

     
9. Oeuf Galets by Pierre Hermé

Buy it here for 89 euros: http://www.pierreherme.com/oeuf-galet.html

10. The Bunny Egg by Pierre Marcolini

 The little ones come in Selfridges for £13.99 each (call 0800123400). Though I'm not even sure whether the large ones are for sale... 

Happy Easter Weekend Everyone!  

Chocolate Brownie Recovery Week

It's been a very intense few months with many sleepless revision nights and past exam papers. Dessert is what got me through this and now its helping me recover. In the last few weeks, my friends and I have discovered that chocolate brownie doubles up as a sweet treat and a chocolate panacea. Having received three of my module marks back, it has proven to be my secret weapon to success! 

The Hoxton Grill 

81 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3HU

Now these warm chocolate brownies came as part of our three course meal, and all I can say is that the Hoxton Grill is a must go zone for more than just dessert. 

Sainsbury's Local Patisserie

Address: Click here to find your nearest store

Considering there are 1,023 Sainsbury's stores in the UK, chances are one might be around the corner. For 83p a slice or 3.56 pounds for 6, every student can afford one. 

And the best thing about buying brownies at Sainsbury's is that Ben & Jerry's might be on offer too.

Konditor & Cook

London's local bakery has three stores:

10 Stoney St, London SE1 9AD

22 Cornwall Rd, City of London, London, Greater London SE1 8TW

99 Shaftesbury Ave, Chinatown, London W1D 5DY

I came home to a lovely surprise that my housemate Laura brought back for me one evening. Turns out that Konditor & Cook really do make one of the best brownies in the world. Soft, velvety and packed with a tonne of chocolate chips, every tourist should be holding a camera in one hand, and a Konditor & Cook in the other.

On a final note, I didn't intend for the number three to have play such a big role in this entry...just seemed to be the magic number tonight. 

CUPCAKE APPEAL

This post is in relation to raising money for Childreach International. I hope you read Laura's message below and give generously. 

<3

Hello lovely readers,

By way of introduction, my name is Laura and I am a cupcake addict. However, I must stay away from the little balls of deliciousness as, come July 2013, I will be heading off to Tanzania to climb the highest freestanding mountain in the world for charity.

Cake has already helped raise over £140 at my team's first bake sale. I was lucky enough to get hold of my friend's recipe for chocolate and banana cake (a highly sought after secret) which went down a treat. I will be doing many more bake sales and would welcome ideas and recipes of top sellers at any sales you may have held?

If you want to find out more information about my climb of a lifetime, the charity which will benefit and make a donation then please visit:https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/rowleyclimbskili

Thank you very much.

Laura x

Snowflake Cupcakes

Snowflakes are seriously one of the most beautiful things nature has to offer. And when we talk about snowflakes on a cupcake, oh my god, I am in cupcake heaven. A decadent yet simple decor piece to any cupcake, these gorgeous snowflakes look great as a statement setting or scattered all around the layers of icing.

Photo 1: http://www.theswellelife.com/swelle_life/2009/11/cupcake-monday-the-tasty-snowflake-edition.html
Photo 2: http://pinterest.com/altdawn/tis-the-season-to-be-baking/
Photo 3: http://pinterest.com/pin/500321839822929517/
Photo 4: http://www.godairyfree.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/hannahvanillacupcakes.jpg

Savoury Sides: Cream Cheese Onion and Chive Cupcakes

Who says cupcakes have to be sweet? Savoury ones are the new lunchtime treat :) These are my first batch of savoury cupcakes and they won't be the last!

(Original images used, please source!)

Cupcake Sort Of Day

Sometimes an average cupcake can instantly turn an average day into a better one. I picked one up for two pounds at Morrisons (pictured below), and while it was no Hummingbird Cupcake and I didn't have to queue to pay for the delicacy, it was good enough to remind to look forward to the better things in life. Even at this truly awkward period, I hold on to the belief that great things are just around the corner...

[original image used - please source] 

Tip Above The Rest

The icing that gets swirled on top as the cupcake's crowning glory is what makes the cupcake so special. Here are some of the different tips commonly used and some of the unique effects that can be created. I personally like the pastry tip (the one which looks like a closed in star tube - e.g. 3rd image down/last image) because you can make ice cream like swirls and roses. As for the hollow, open circular tip (first image, bottom left corner) - well...I won't be making a purchase for that tip anytime soon.

Photo credits: www.dulcessweets.com