Weekend Baking - The Perfect Scone Recipe

The 'Vintage Movement' (ie. raiding Nana's china collection for miss matched tea cups and cake stands or scouring our local Charity store for vintage clothing and mid century furniture) has resurrected our love of food from the past. Scones, Sponges, Finger Sandwiches, Cup Cakes, its no secret, they are all back.

I have committed myself to baking the perfect sponge this year which means a large, fluffy sponge with the perfect crumb and NO EGG TASTE - all of which have been challenges in the past... Anyone out there with a secret recipe, I am all ears. I've tried it all from whisking the egg whites to a meringue, incorporating the egg and four mix gently by hand, made sure eggs were at room temp and still had very little success.

That said the scone recipe I swear by is so simple and easy... for anyone that has struggled in the past, give this recipe a go pick up some delicious fair trade tea, good quality jam and cream and enjoy your afternoon! 

Lemonade Scones

1 x 375mls can lemonade
1 x 300mls cream 
4 cups SR flour
1.5 tsp Salt

Preheat Oven to 200 degrees Celcius

In a large bowl sieve the flour and salt. Add Cream and Lemonade  and gently mix by hand to form a nice dough in the bowl (please be gentle). Flour your surface and turn the dough out of the bowl then very gently knead until the dough is formed, do no flatten the dough out just fashion it onto one big round with a height of at least 1 inch, the higher the dough the higher your scones.

Prepare your baking tray with lining

At this stage you can cut the scones with a large knife creating square scones or grab a round cookie cutter and cut out rounds of dough placing them on the baking tray so that they are just touching - this helps the scones to grip together and rise. Brush with milk and bake for 15 mins or until golden risen.

ENJOY with whipped or clotted cream and jam.

Jenny's Bake Shop - etsy

Antique Shopping Portobello Road London

Vintage Porcelain Advertising Signs 

Too many cool things too little space in my suitcase!

Had my suitcase permitted I would have snapped up the top row of Globes, the B-O-A-C Bag and the wooden shield (against the far wall in the image above)... so cool, love it!

I'd dreamt of antique shopping on Portobello Road for so long and when I finally made it there it did not disappoint... except for the lady who tried to sell me a "100 year old" locket with the River Island tag attached!!! 

There is something there for everyone be it Mid Century, Hollywood Regency, Industrial or Traditional, making the joy of decorating so easy, budget permitting!. 

I recommend Alice's Antiques - great visuals, great merchandising... FYI you can't take pictures inside.

oh, and a cupcake break at The Hummingbird Bakery is also very nice!

The Hummingbird Bakery, Notting Hill

Laundry Tweets - Bird Decals

I don't love doing laundry, I don't know many people who do.... Today I thought I'd add a bit of something to the laundry taps using some spare decals I had lying around. 

This has inspired me to add some other features to the space, maybe a vintage pale for the washing powder and a vintage teacup scoop or a floating shelf with some decorative storage boxes. If I make the space visual perhaps I'll start to enjoy my laundry time? wishful thinking, but worth a try!

as perfectly curated by Design Build Love

Bringing the inside out - Junk Yard Style Garden Art

Creating a vintage outdoor Art display

Fenceline Art

The outdoor room has been a hot trend for many years now with many people continuing their interior themes into the backyard.
With that in mind I started collecting tins signs to decorate the ugly fence line of my modest 4 x 10m decked courtyard. It's an ever-changing Industrial Style mish mash that can be achieved on any budget and will add a point of difference to your outdoor space.
Tips -
- Look for metal trays or signs at Opp Shops and markets. Note these may fade over time.
- Vintage Porcelain plates would also work well collaged and drilled into a brick wall.
- Paint mirror frames with outdoor paint for durability.

Outdoor Art is best placed in a covered or shaded area.

The search continues... I'm on the lookout for weather resistant bunting, a group of vintage enamel letters and an old neon sign for this space....  




Vintage Las Vegas neon sign Star Dust.com



Old railway sign circa 1800's letter 'C' - The Vintage Wall

Hansi French Limonade / Lemonade Repurposed Bottle & Candy Buffet

This boutique range of delicious carbonated drinks retail for about $10 Australian and best of all the bottles can be re-used as an industrial/ vintage bud vase or to store bath salts in the bathroom.

The Hansi Lemonade range dates back to 1838 and is produced in Alsace, France ... the labels & bottles are just beautiful. There are six flavours available from Pink Lemonade (as above) to Pomegranate Blueberry and Blood Orange.

Fellow Melbournians can purchase this range at Leo's Fine Foods.  

They would make a great addition to a Candy Bar or Buffet at a wedding or special event.

We used this Candy Buffet as a bon bonniere alternative at my Brother's wedding in 2011. 

The Hansi range would look gorgeous served in little Milk Bottles with Striped Straws.

paperdollstudio.ca

Vintage Lamp Revamp!

Today I fired up the hot glue gun and re covered this lamp shade. The lamp was an opp shop find $8 and the fabric was $8 from Spotlight = $16 DIY FUN!! 

The antique vase was a birthday present received some years ago, it has the most beautiful embossed design throughout, the ceramic itself feels much like shell. I look forward to handing this down to someone special one day.

Hot Cross Bun Recipe and Vintage Recipe Tin

This Vintage Recipe Tin puts a new spin on Kitsch!

Take a look at some of the retro dishes printed around the exterior.. devilled egg anyone???

This item was a gift from Mum, she picked it up at a local Opp Shop / Thrift Store for about $5. 

This is such a handy little item, great for storing recipe cards etc.

Hot Cross Bun Recipe

Who doesn't love a hot cross bun at this time of year??? If you don't celebrate Easter, just omit the cross and enjoy these tasty treats warm or toasted with lashings of butter! 

Buns

4 Cups Plain Flour

3 tsp Instant Yeast

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp All Spice

2 tsp Cinnamon

Zest of One Orange

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 cups warm water (enough to get a nice dough going)

1/4 cup Raw Caster Sugar (you can use white caster sugar)

1.5 cups Raisins

100g-130g Mixed Peel (depending on your taste)

Crosses

50g Flour

Small amount of water to form a smooth paste (about the thickness of Yoghurt)

Piping bag fitted with round narrow nozzle 

Glaze

1/4 Cup Caster Sugar

1/4 Cup Water

1/2 tsp Corn Flour

1/2 Tsp Gelatine

1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat Oven at 220 Degrees Celsius.

Place Flour, Yeast, Sugar, Spices & Zest in a bowl mix together. Then add the salt and mix again. Now add the Raisins and Mixed Peel and mix, then add the Olive Oil and Warm Water till the mixture comes together and forms a nice dough.

Knead for 10 mins

Allow mixture to rise for 40 mins in a warm place. 

Preheat oven 220 degrees c

Knock the mixture back, roll into even rounds and place on a lined baking tray close together as seen in the image above. 

At this point you can proof the buns for another five minutes then pipe the crosses and place in the oven.

To pipe the crosses mix the flour and water together to form a paste almost like thickish yoghurt... then place in your piping bag fitted with the small round nozzle and pipe in long continuous lines up, down and across the grouped buns (see image above). 

Now bake on 220 Degrees Celsius for 10 mins then reduce heat to 200 for about 15 mins (depending on your oven) or until the buns are browned, risen and feel firmer when presses down. 

For the glaze mix sugar, water, gelatin, lemon and corn flour in a saucepan and stir to dissolve all the crystals. Bring to a light boil stirring continuously then reduce the heat and allow to thicken to the consistency of runny honey. Brush oven the buns while they are still warm.  

Vintage Tea Party DIY Garland & Langham Hotel High Tea London

 Tea Party Fun!

Antique China purchased at Auction

To complete the theme I created a Garland over head using beading, lanterns and heart shaped doilies

Langham Hotel 

High Tea, Palm Court London 2010

When looking for a traditional Afternoon or High Tea experience look no further than the Langham Hotel, London - said to be the birthplace of afternoon tea 140 years ago, this elegant establishment is the way to finish a days shopping!.

This is the signature Queen of Hearts Royal Doulton China used at the Langham... 

We had held our 2006 Wedding Reception at Melbourne's Langham Hotel so visiting the Langham in London for afternoon tea was a must... the teas, food and service were second to none!. 

The scones were a very different texture to the large fluffy clouds served in Australia which was interesting. 


Bijoux Afternoon Tea 
Sweet Treats

Palm Court Langham Hotel, London

The Langham Hotel London was the first purpose built luxury hotel in Europe, opened in 1865. 

Palm Court Langham Hotel London

Deborah Halpern Landscape Painting

I adore this Deborah Halpern landscape painting. It's one of those go-to items in my home that makes me feel happy every time I look at it.... This is a great example of how art can light up a dull corner.

The cushion is screen printed in Melbourne by make me iconic and the Barcelona chair is sadly a reproduction but I love it just the same!.



Skipping Girl Cushion - Make Me Iconic

Puppy Love...The Animal craze hits home!

Boutique in Marais, Paris

Footpath near the Arc de Triomphe

Taken on Portobello road ... gorgeous tapestry cushion covers

My lovely husband is allergic to all things pet related, we also live in a small space so our options are very limited. 

Thankfully for us, animal motifs are everywhere at the moment. I'm yet to find the perfect faux animal trophy and I didn't want to cart one home from Paris as seen above. 

I hope to be the proud owner of the ibride table below at some stage.... this shot was taken in a friends apartment on Boulevard Sebastopol Paris.

The Iconic Cafe Angelina, Paris, France

Cafe Angelina established in 1903 

226 Rue de Rivoli, Paris

Sugared Lilacs!

African Hot Chocolate, Mont Blanc and Raspberry Macaron 

It's no secret, Paris is, well, amazing.... On a trip in December 2010 I stopped in at Cafe Angelina, once frequented by Coco Chanel, located on Rue De Rivoli opposite the Tuileries Garden.

Their signature Hot Chocolate is simply delicious, more like silky Chocolate syrup or sauce, this rich and decadent drink is different to any hot chocolate I've experienced. Their equally famous Mont Blanc (as seen above) was enjoyable and the raspberry macron was, without doubt, the first time I'd ever REALLY eaten a Macron, a true Macron, everything else has just been a coloured almond meal biscuit!. 

We also visited Laduree in Madeline, a Flea Market (Marche aux Puces) just off Rue de Temple, Marais and the stylish apartment of an Actor and Writer couple near Notre Dame. Will post this and other Paris adventures soon. Paris is a vintage shoppers paradise!.

Antique French ? Wooden Candlestick & Vintage Bedroom Chair

Antique wooden Candlestick, imported from Europe, possibly French in origin. This stunning piece is carved from a single tree trunk and has some lovely cracks and age to the wood. Placed in the back room of a local Antique Auction house this item was mine for $100!.  

Striped Bedroom chair = $35 bought at Auction. Lucky for me it had a few rust like spots here and there that just needed a good clean and a bit of sunlight to remove.

Mirror also $30 bought at an Opp Shop/ Charity Store... I instantly loved its nautical feel. The frame is cast from plaster.

French Chandelier & other DIY bits and pieces

Tea for two and two for tea... there will be more tea party fun a  bit later... Love these Robert Gordon Heart shaped Doilies. China purchased from the local opp shop.

French Wooden Chandelier re-purposed as an outdoor light feature using egg cups as tea light holders on each branch and two cans of high gloss black spray paint.

The Chandelier was an Auction find @ $45... it was in awful condition at the time with two branches dangling down and the paintwork chipped and faded.

 Paper bunting for my nieces bedroom 

Old fashion DIY fun!

mirror: $5 at Vinnies Kew East!

 Stamp letter set was a Spotlight purchase 

Flying Ducks... a vintage favourite!

While we'd all love to have a set of Beswick Ducks, I'm more than happy to settle for the cardboard variety atm!. A great project for a rainy afternoon, takes ten minutes and it's free!.

Circa 20's Original Painting

This was an Auction purchase I couldn't let go... a circa 20's original painting by a female illustrator of the time Doris Palthorpe. I haven't been able to find a lot of information about her but I'm so glad I found this small example of her work. You can find postcards and prints of scenes much like this but to have an original is a really lovely thing.

The lanterns above and the chaise lounge, in the backgound, are so beautiful. It is a gorgeous account of fancy dress parties of the 20's and 30's or perhaps it's a post circus after party scene???. How sweet are the two central love birds!.

This is what I love about buying antiques and vintage items, you just don't know what you will find and when. This painting was displayed on the bottom corner wall at a weekly sale in Melbourne if you blinked you would've missed it... it pays to scour on viewing day.