Vintage Glory!

It is easily overlooked that what is now called vintage was once brand new.

Tony Visconti

I think I've mentioned a few times my great love affair with vintage doodads (don't you just love that word?) and this doesn't cease when it comes to my kitchen.

One day, I dream of having a 1950's inspired kitchen, with raised counter tops just like Julia Child had because I happen to be a bit taller than the standard counter accommodates. I want a lovely old Libra cast iron scales. My mam has these and I adore them so much, sure they aren't as accurate as the modern digital ones but isn't that some of the charm?

I also dream of a gorgeous 6 burner stove, oh how I'd bake the hell out of one of those babies!

If this were a 6 burner I would be in heaven!

Even the aprons I adore, I personally think they looked better and covered better, after all - isn't that their purpose anyway?

Obviously this kitchen of mine is still a dream, for now at least, but I do have some cute little knick knacks already stashed away waiting for the day when we have our very own place and I can go nuts in the kitchen! For an example (and one I'm very proud of) of my knick knacks, here's my salt and pepper shakers...well not my actual ones, but I have the exact same set :)

Aren't they adorable?

I know, I know, I'm making you all jealous so I won't put any more examples up or tell you how devilishly difficult it was to source them or the good deal I got on them when I did find them...Ok! You bent my arm! It was £15! How good was that?!

Anyway, I digress, my main point of this article is to ask if I should post more vintage recipes on here? What do you guys think? And also to tell you I have started another blog Vintage Daub to get some of my addiction out of my system. I hope that you go check it out and look out for the vintage kitchen paraphernalia reviews and tips!

Happy Baking!

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Red velvet cupcakes

 

Friendship is Sharing a Sweet Cupcake.

Marie Williams Johnstone

An American friend of mine gave me this recipe about 9 years ago and only last year did I manage to get round to baking it. It's quite popular that side of the pond and once you've baked this, had the aroma fill your kitchen and dipped your finger in the wonderful cream cheese frosting you'll realise why!

Ingredients:

310g plain flour
45g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
225g butter (or margarine), softened
400g caster sugar
4 eggs
230g sour cream
120ml milk
28g red food colouring
2 tsps Vanilla Extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
224g cream cheese, softened
55g butter, softened
30g sour cream
2 tsps Vanilla Extract
450g icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.

2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Beat the butter/margarine and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in your eggs, one at a time.

5. Now mix in the sour cream, vanilla, milk, and the food colouring.

6. Gradually add to the flour mixture, beating until just mixed together, make sure not to over do it!

7. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined cupcake cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.

8. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until springy and a toothpick comes out clean.

9. Leave to cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then remove (leaving them in their paper cases) to a wire rack for about 5 minutes.

10. Now remove from their cases to cool completely.

11. For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese, butter, sour cream and the vanilla extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly and gradually beat in the icing sugar until smooth.

12. Top with the cream cheese frosting.

Enjoy and I hope to see your versions of these soon

Happy baking!

 

Basic biscuit dough recipe

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

This is a great little recipe to keep handy as you can adapt it completely to whatever type or flavor of biscuit you'd like.

Ingredients

250g butter, softened
140g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
300g plain flour

Method

1. Mix the softened butter and caster sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.

2. Add the egg yolk and the vanilla extract and briefly beat to combine.

3. Sift your plain flour and stir until the mixture is well combined, if it's not coming together, this is your chance to get all sticky and dirty just like when you were a kid! Put your hands in there and give it all a good mix and press the dough together firmly.

Note: Now, you'll notice I didn't give an oven temperature or time, this is because it all depends on what you add onto this basic recipe...for that your imagination is the limit! I usually say about 150c-170c is a good basis for about 10-15 minutes.

Let me see and know about your concoctions :)

Happy baking!

Related articles

• Yesterday's invention - Vanilla & Chocolate Piscuits (no that's not a typo) (carucakes.wordpress.com)


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