Danish Almond Layer Cake

 This layer cake is made of all my favorite things and it tastes like heaven. I made it the other day when visiting my grandmother and thought I would share one of her wonderful recipes.


Nutty Buns

4 eggs
175 g sugar
1 t vanilla sugar
100 g almond flour
60 g flour
100 g butter
1 t baking powder
1 T lemon zest
50 g of chopped almonds
50 g marzipan

Whip eggs and sugar fluffy. Add almond flour, grated marzipan and lemon zest. Melt the butter and add it to the eggs. Add flour and baking powder. Divide between 2 cake forms. bake at 200C for 7-10 min. Or until light golden.
Filling

Chocolate cream filling
20 g of chocolate
1 cup of cream

Melt the chocolate and the cream in a pot. Let it cool down completely before you whip it.

Raspberry cream filling
1/2 cup of Raspberries
1 cup of cream

Whip the cream. Mash the raspberries with a fork and add to the whipped cream.

One layer of each filling between the almond buns is my favorite!

Puffy Darts

Yes! I finally made my own skirt (with clear instructions from my mother) and some additions here and there. Nothing much yet, but it's a start to my new sewing career - JK;-). It was a very basic skirt with an invisible zipper. I added some puffy darts front and back and a waist band, which was not originally a part of the pattern. The fabric, I got from the Cloth House on Berwick Street in London. Berwick street has lots of great fabric boutiques, but they are semi pricey. Goldhawk Road is another great street in London that is loaded with fabric shops and generally more price friendly than Berwick Street. If it wasn't for my upcoming travels to China, I probably would have bought a whole suitcase full of silks and chiffons!

Big Perfect Donut Bun

Some say that you can use a cut off sock to wrap your hair around for a perfect voluminous bun, but I think this spongy scrunchie thingy is much better. I got it on my trip to London for just £1. Wrap the hair around the scrunchie and pin it. I left out a section of hair and fish bone braided it to hide all the pins.

Chicago

Sorry about poor updating the entire month of July. I haven't been very creative, but been busy traveling and preparing for my Beijing internship. Here are a few pics from Chicago in July. We stayed in the Wicker Park area, which is a great area to stay in - lots of great restaurants and shops and just a few stops from downtown. And then of course a must when your are in Chicago, ended the trip with a true Chicago style deep dish pizza.

Visitor

Picked my brother up in the airport yesterday and went to Fogo de Chao for dinner. Probably the best meat buffet I have ever had..

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I saw these yummy cinnamon roll inspired pancakes on pinterest and just had to make them! Plus it's Sunday, so very suitable :-)


Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Recipe adapted from: life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com  (which has a ton of great recipes btw)

For Pancakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten


Cinnamon Filling:

1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon


Prepare Cinnamon Filling first: In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip baggie and set aside. (You want this to rest and 'set up' while your preparing the other ingredients. Its best if it gets a little thicker, you dont want it liquidy)

Prepare Pancake batter:  In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg just until batter is moistened. 

Twister Updo

 

 

It has been a while since I've posted a hairstyle and think it's time for another one. I did this messy twister up-do for a little date night with my hubby.

4th Of July

Silver Gemstone Necklace

I saw these origami gemstones on http://www.minieco.co.uk/paper-gems/ which inspired me to make this necklace

Hollow constructed Sterling silver and sterling silver plated with custom paperclip hinge.

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I constructed these silver gemstones out of sheet metal, hollow and light to wear. Then scored them, folded them and soldered the seems together pretty much using the same idea as when you work with paper - just a little harder.

My class just finished and I already sold one of my pieces (not pictured) It was a smaller and single silver gemstone in a necklace. Pretty exciting :-)  Happy 4th of July \!!/

My First Casting

Final finish of the earrings - Sand blasted Sterling Silver cast and freshwater pearls

Wax model

Plaster mold with liquid metal

Raw Casting with stem and spruces.