Darth Vader Jägermeister Brownie

May 4th is my boyfriend’s birthday. It’s also International Star Wars Day, which he loves, which makes this the perfect birthday treat for him! I’ve always used classic  Jägermeister in this mix , but you could also try new  Jägermeister Spice (Cinnamon and Vanilla), or even Fernet Branca which is excellent with desserts! I highly recommend a side of vanilla ice cream too.

Yummy  Jägermeister Star Wars Brownie

Want to make your own boozy May 4th treat? Then read on…

Ingredients 

128 grams of flour

1/8 teaspoon (a pinch basically) of  salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

55 grams of unsweetened chocolate

115 grams of dark chocolate

150 grams unsalted butter

3 large eggs

160 grams of sugar

2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

1/4 liter of Jägermeister

Step by Step

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 160ºC so its ready when you are done with the batter.

Step 2: Pick a fun pan! I’ve used Darth Vader, but you could also go with a Stormtrooper or even the logo! Just remember the smaller / deeper the pan the more moist the brownie. When using one of these fun pans you’ll want to maintain all the nooks and crannies so its important to prep your pan. I always have great results with Dr. Oetker’s Cake Release Spray, but you can grease your pan with whatever you like, just don’t skip this step!

Step 3: Lets get mixing! Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together then set it aside. Melt unsweetened and dark chocolate with butter in a double boiler, stirring it until smooth. Double boiling sounds fancy but its actually and easy way to melt chocolate without burning it. Fill pot about 1/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and put a bowl into the pot. The bottom of the bowl should not reach the water. I like to use a glass bowl so I can keep an eye on the water too. The stir your chocolate regularly with a wooden spoon till its all smooth. This will take a few minutes. Keep the water from boiling and don’t rush it. No one likes burned chocolate! Once your chocolate is super smooth remove it from the heat.

Step 4: Take that lovely warm chocolate and whisk in your eggs one at a time. Fully incorporate each egg before adding the next. Next whisk in sugar, vanilla, and Jägermeister. Continue whisking until mixture is completely smooth. Add dry ingredients to chocolate mixture and don’t over mix it.

Step 5: Pour the batter into pan and bake in middle of oven until top is firm, about 40 minutes. Always check your brownies 10 minutes before the suggested baking time. If a toothpick inserted in the middle comes up with really fudgy crumbs, it’s time to take the brownies out and put them on a wire rack for cooling. Fresh baked brownies will appear slightly undercooked.

Step 6: Once your master piece has fully cooled (give it an hour at least) you can carefully remove it from the pan. Try and bake this one a day or two before you want to enjoy it. The cake gets even more herb tasting goodness when it has time to settle.

That’s it! Now just try not to eat it all at once! (and let me know about your results with this recipe in the comments)

 

Spring Sunday

It must be spring: the rain is non stop! Despite this I ventured out to see the season start to change and to catch up with lovely friends.

The Pink Tulips in my room are finally blooming, such a perfect pink I think.

Having had a rare Saturday night off I was able to get up nice and early this morning. I started the day out with some girly pursuits. Inspired by my pink tulips blooming I pained my nails peach and added some Daisy stickers I picked up a while back from Clare’s. I also added a little pale pink and purple wash to the top half of my blond. I just can’t leave the hair dye alone! I’m quite pleased with the results.

Spring time nails painted with Barry M’s Peach Melba with Clare’s Daisy nail stickers on top. 

My pale fade was done with a custom mix of Crazy Color Marshmallow and Candy Floss.

Having had a relaxing morning I headed off into Hackney for a little walk. The rain is of course a great excuse to break out my favorite red rain mac. Also my current double necklace obsession, the claw and the coin.

My super bright and shinny Red rain mac and detail of my Gold coin necklace by Powder Hill and Bronze claw necklace by Talonalia.

I found the Daffodils pushing their way out of the cold ground in the Hackney churchyard on my way to my neighbourhood charity shop, where in I found another sign of spring: a tiny ceramic deer. At £2 I could hardly leave him there! He’s now home nestled tight with my other deers.

After I nipped down to my new favorite Sunday hangout Eggs Milk Butter to meet Sarah. We had a coffee and a catch up complete with toast (Sarah) and tuna melt (me). Plus a little mosey through the comic books.

Inside Eggs Milk Butter: My new deer visiting with the local dinos, home made cakes and specials, a cute drawing left in one of the many note books hanging around just begging to be drawn in, and Sarah munching on her toast with jam and Nutella. 

Then home just before dark for some quality time with my magazines before heading off to the pub. Rather a perfect little Sunday don’t you think? I hope yours was just as lovely!

Ella x

An Elk in the Woods

This came as much of a surprise to me as it will come to anyone who knows me but I think I’m becoming a bit of a foodie.

This is rather shocking as I’m generally not the best at feeding myself useless others are doing the cooking. My mum is convinced I’ll one day take up the family hobbie of baking (and my mum, in general, is right about well, everything) but so far me and the kitchen just aren’t mates. and we are still not. When I mean I’m becoming a bit of a foodie I mean I’ve recently taken to quite enjoying a very nice meal out with a good friend for conversation. This of course does not necessary mean expensive. Their are in fact in turns out quite a few little spots with nice atmosphere and good inexpensive food in east London. Today I outdid myself, today I did it twice. Lovely late lunch at our favorite local Barden’s Boudoir for Holly and I then a wonderful chatty dinner with my dear friend Elodie. Elodie is both an incredible contemporary dancer and a talented stylist (plus now a fellow blogger to boot!) and is as such a very busy girl! luckily tonight we were both free and she suggested we try a place in Angel I had never heard of called The Elk in the Woods.

Turns out I’ve walked past it many times on my vintage hunting trips through the Camden passage but had never really noticed as I am generally distracted by all the shiny costume jewelery the venders have on show. But I’m certainly glad I’ve found it now!

Its decorated somewhere between a hunting lodge and someones extremely comfortable rec room. Lots of mismatched old china plates of different shapes and sizes, something I am a huge fan of. Its separated into three rooms of a coherent style but each with a slightly different feel. The front room all mirrors and lounge chairs, the main room a long dinning hall, and the smaller room at the back  is cosy and dark with one large oval table. It was here Elodie and I were seated much to our delight as we both enjoy sharing a table with others while dinning (mind you tonight we mostly had the large table to ourselves).  First we had perfectly cooked salty Halloumi cheese and calamari which came with a delicious sauce that was somewhere between chilli and honey in taste. Devine.

A raspberry Moscow mule for me and a whisky sour for Elodie, done properly, with egg. Very nice.

We kind of went straight from appetizers to desert but then Holly and I did order far too much good food over lunch and I just did not have room for a main! My apple and rum crumble with hot custard was brilliant and Elodie’s chocolate tart with mint ice cream was gone in a blink. Think she might have licked the plate…

The whole place felt very welcoming and the staff were attentive and nice without being over bearing. They also did not seem to mind in the least that we hung about gossiping and catching up for nearly four hours! It was a lovely place and we had a ball. Then I am never surprised at Elodie’s unending good taste. I’ll defiantly be back for another wander in these woods another night.