Meringue success recipe

I wasn't too sure about how to make meringue, especially the great ginger & chocolate meringue but I just got a few ingredients from morrisons for the ginger & chocolate and stole a meringue nest recipe from the BBC site and adapted it.

As requested:

• 4 egg whites
• 250g caster sugar
• 100g plain Morrisons chocolate
• half a pot of glacier ginger also from Morrisons - although next time I would like to use crystalized ginger and I would just use accordingly to your taste for ginger (i like lots!)

• Whip all egg whites together until fluffy.
• Slowly added the sugar, spoon by spoon and keep whipping.
• When glossy stiff & peaky add the ginger and chopped chocolate.(I gently folded these in with a metal spoon to make sure it is all mixed up and to keep the air in).
• Dollop onto a grease proof papered baking tray.
• Put in the over at Gas mark 2 for 15 mins and then turn down to Gas mark 1/2 and leave to cook for 1 hour 15 mins (apparently this makes it nice and chewing inside and crispy on the outside).

I hope to see you all having a go now, because if i can make these then anyone can! I look forward to seeing the pictures of your creations!

Meringue success

I haven't baked in ages and I have never baked meringue before. I love love love meringue and always wanted to make it, I have been building up the courage to have a go, but my mum always put me off because of her mishaps "I must have used a dozen eggs and it still didn't work" she said. And from that day on I always thought it was really difficult to make meringue.

A local bakers in town has had a makeover and now offer the most delicious looking dollops of snowy meringue. They have plain, coffee and ginger with chocolate at 80p each. My boyfriend kindly bought me one once whilst he munched on a iced bun (as they no longer do doughnuts) and again he bought me one recently. This had bought my thoughts on making meringue much closer as the ginger and chocolate combo is just a winner, really, to die for! So today, I bought some eggs, some plain chocolate and glacier ginger as they didn't have crystalized and thoughtlessly had a bash as making this light and airy dream in the mouth.

And I would like to congratulate myself on being a success! I even got a bit of yoke in it, but I did not panic and tried to remove all. I whisked and added my ginger, and sugar, yum yum and suddenly it was glossy, stiff and peaky! I was amazed and piled in them onto my baking tray and put in the oven. Admittedly they turned a little brown, which i'm not sure why as I couldn't get the heat any lower, but never the less they taste great! Now I have saved myself 80p I am much more generous with the sizes!

The sun has got his hat on....

And today was a great day to take some photos of my new milk bottle vases. They are currently listed on Folksy so go and treat yourself to a nice vase for a small space!

Let me know if there are any of my other designs you'd like to see on a milk bottle vase!

Glass milk bottle vases

Some pictures from a new project. I have (since taking these pictures) made yet more etched vases with my umbrella print and canary bird print on them. I hope to be making many more from my designs and also get them etched onto some really nice vintage coloured bottles. I hope you all like them and they will be for sale shortly. It would be great to any get feedback and suggestions of my designs you would like to see.

Show me your shoes - Cathryn Dean

Cathryn Dean couldn't show us just one pair so she sent us three!

She says:

"You see the brown boots are my favorite flat shoes, they are made by RocketDog and are super comfy and not at all like the slouchy horrid boots that have no heel support, these have heel support and a good thick sole!

And the black ones are favorites for general smart wear and hanging out with friends, they look great with skinny jeans but probably don't get polished as much as they should.

But the pink ones, now they have a special use. They don't get worn out terribly often partly because they are quite high heeled and I can't totter far in them and partly because, well they are Very pink and I don't have many clothes to compliment them.

But they have a great use, they are my feel good shoes, Oh yes when I'm feeling down i throw on these and my tutu and put on some good old fashioned Motown and I'm instantly happy again!

So there you have it my favorite shoes. Sorry it wasn't one pair, heehe.

Please get in touch with your shoes! We don't have anyone for next week and I don't want to let you down. It's so fun seeing everyone shoes, so please email pics and descriptions to Laura @glueandglitter.co.uk. Thanks!

Some of the things

That are on sale at glueandglitter.co.uk.

All that glitters - MacCulloch & Wallis

I came across this site, thanks for crafteroo and I thought it is definitely something to share. MacCulloch & Wallis is like a sweet shop for the crafter, full of fabulous buttons and ribbons. You don't get many haberdasheries like this anymore, usually just a few dusty cotton reels, but this shop is real luxury! The price is reflected in this, but it'll only be for an occassional treat? Yes?

Please go and take a look at my big sale over on my website. Huge discounts and many items £1. Some items have gone already so you better have a quick look just incase. My items are getting a makeover and unfortunately these don't fit in with the rest so they need a good home. If not, you won't be seeing them again!

I can offer you buy one get one free if you'd like to blog about my sale to all your fair people!

Thanks in advance!