Tea & Embroidery: Chocolate Cardamom Cake with Spiced Whipped Cream!

I love Cardamom!  I still remember my first introduction to this citrusy spice. I was in high school, working at a restaurant as a dishwasher. http://www.209main.com And Wave, the chef, made a Orange Spice Pound Cake with a Cardamom Crème Anglaise.  I loved it so much that I asked him for the recipe.

Since then, I have used Cardamom in several different ways.  So, today, I wanted to try this particular recipe that I came across on the blog: http://www.ciderandrye.com

 

You can find this particular recipe at: http://ciderandrye.com/blog/2014/2/12/chocolate-cardamom-cake?rq=cardamom%20chocolate

 

 

I love chocolate, and I love cardamom.  Sounds like a win, win situation!

And it used wonderfully decadent 70% dark chocolate! The only thing that I changed from the original recipe (besides using Namaste's Perfect Flour Blend instead of All Purpose Flour) is I added one more egg.  With the particular gluten free flour, I have found that it requires added moisture.

 

I rigged a double boiler out of a small pot of water and a stainless steel bowl.

I used my new mini-bundt cake pan, rather than an 8" round.

Unfortunately, I forgot to tap out some of the bubbles!

To top these little guys, I followed her suggestion for a dusting of powdered sugar and then a spiced whipped cream.  Below are the ingredients that I added to the whipped cream: Cardamom, Maple Syrup & the zest of a Blood Orange.



 Maple syrup to taste, when the cream was almost to the stiffness you want, then add the zest and a few pinches of cardamom.

 Delicious! I garnished with a few Blood Orange sections.

Enjoy with a cup of black tea sweetened with honey and milk. 

 So beautiful!

And they turned out beautifully inside, too!

Tea & Embroidery: Welsh Cakes & Devonshire Cream

The other week, I had the desire to bake fun things.  So, I fell back onto my trusty pinterest page for tea room inspired treats.

And I came across this recipe for Welsh Cakes.  Well, I couldn't just make the recipe as it was, since I am Gluten Free, so I tweaked it.  And translated it from metric measurements to U.S. measurements.  I made them, initially, on Sunday.

The recipe couldn't have been easier.  And after frying them up, they were spectacularly received!  Both of my (also Gluten Free) roommates loved them as well.  So, I made them again today!

This time, I upped the ammount of currants a little (because I love currants!) and used a regular skillet instead of a cast iron (we have a glass top stove that is not conducive to cast iron).

Recipe:

1 Cup Gluten Free Flour (I used Namaste brand's perfect flour blend)

1 tsp of baking soda

pinch of salt

7 Tbsp of cold butter

3.5 Tbsp sugar

1/3 Cup Currants

1 egg beaten with 4 Tbsp of milk

A little butter for cooking.

Dough Directions:

Mix together the flour, baking soda & salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives used in a scissor fashion.

Add the sugar and currants and mix with flour.

Beat egg with milk, mix into flour & currant mixture until you have a stiff dough.

Roll dough out onto a floured surface until 1/4" thick.  Cut out with biscuit cutter.

Cooking directions:

Heat skillet to medium heat, and cook the cakes 3-4 minutes on each side.  Serve warm, either dusted with caster sugar or plain (I didn't think they needed extra sugar). It was recommended to eat them the same day you make them, that they are best that way.

I did add some Devonshire Cream to the mix, the second time that I made them.  Delicious!

Easy Devonshire Cream:

1 3oz package cream cheese

1 Cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp Sugar

1/4 tsp lemon extract

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together until a thick whipped consistency.  Serve on warm Welsh Cakes, or scones.  Leftovers can be stored for several days in the refridgerator.

I hope that you enjoy them as much as I have been!

Dragonfly Dreams Crafts: Vintage Inspired Turban Project...

Yesterday I picked up a new book from the library, called "Chic On a Shoe String: Simple to sew Vintage -Style Accessories" by Mary Jane Baxter.  And there were so many projects that I could not wait to try within it's pages! (you can find this book for sale on Amazon).
This morning, I whipped up my first project!  A Vintage Styled Turban made out of a t-shirt.

This is the completed version.  It was quite simple to make, and I thought very cute.  I put it on and one of the thoughts that ran through my mind was: "if I was going through Chemo and lost my hair I would want something stylish like this to wear."  And a good friend of mine thought the same thing, and commented thusly on my photo.

All of that to say, that later today, I stopped at our local catholic charity store and picked up a bunch of fun patterned t-shirts.  And I am hoping, to be able to make quite a few of these cunning little turbans, and to decorate them with buttons, embroidery, etc. and be able to donate them to a Oncology department or to a place that works alongside women who have lost their hair due to Chemo.

I promise that I shall keep you all posted, and post pictures as I work.  What I want to come up with, though, is a name that I can call this.  So, please, if you come up with any cute, clever or even just whimsical names, please comment and let me know what they are!  I would love all of your input!

Here's to creative re-purposing and re-affirming!

Dragonfly Dreams Crafts: Flower Fascinators

I have been playing, this evening.  Inspired by the beautiful flowers I have been seeing in the Rockabilly and Vintage photographs I have been looking at recently.
With the help of some hot glue, craft felt and artificial flowers, I proceeded to go to town!
Here are the results of my craftiness this evening.

 The first one I put together, I plan to wear with a dress that I will be making sometime soon.  A red, white and khaki linen print, this will go great!

There is just a hint of white, within these.

 Another, with roses in peachy pinks and with a touch of ferns.

The ferns are replacements for feathers in this situation.

This one has a Ranuculus as the center point, and has some small yellow flowers and green lilly of the valley.

 A little bit of patriotic spirit! I'll wear this one this summer!

A more simple patriotic hair flower. 

 This one has roses and cherry blossoms in it's make-up.

This one is quite large, as well.  More of your over-the-top type of hair accessory that a rockabilly chick would wear.

#teaandembroidery #countrydiaryofalady #dragonflydreamscrafts #vintagesoul