Ta-dah! Tuesday - Taking the Biscuit

It was nine years of wedded bliss for Mr FHCS and I earlier in the week, so we celebrated with a school time game of hooky and hit the South Bank again - luckily on the warmest day we've had in a while. I dug out a 50s sun-dress, and boy2 raised his game compliments wise, and declared me to be "as beautiful as a jammy dodger"! Something of an improvement on previous remarks, I think you'll agree.

I mention this not to boast about my obvious innate biscuity beauty, but because the day seemed to have a theme from the start. [I'll leave out the parts where we watched a trapeze artist, listened to poetry in Mandarin and ate a fish-finger sandwich. I am ruthless in my journalistic ways.] Anyway, we went to the Southbank Centre shop - kind of pricey, but sooo good for modern design and stuff to decorate the home you imagine you have when you read Living Etc. I have several imaginary homes, obviously, but whether they're sleek and modern or more ramshackle and involving poultry; they all have a playroom which needs furnishing. [It's imaginary! I know a real playroom would be filled to capacity with lidless felt-tips and lego]. But look! Wouldn't these cushions be lovely for it? And the children would treat their screen-printed loveliness with complete respect and never use them as weapons or stepping stones across shark infested carpet.

They're made by genius designer Nikki McWilliams, and you can find her shop here.

She - and the Southbank centre - also sells her wooden biscuit brooches. I was kind of tempted by the jammy dodger given boy2's earlier comment, but am realistic enough about my look to know that 'demented children's TV presenter gone to seed' is not a good one for me. They're cute though, eh?

Biscuit brooches £6.00 each

When the boys had friends to play I'd have to serve their biscuits on Yoyo Ceramic's modern homage to Homemaker china -  Yoyomaker.

I have a small collection of Homemaker, but I do think one large plate with the new interior icons (what, no laptop?) would make a good counterpoint to it. Or it would make a great wedding present for ultra stylish types, don't you think?

We had a wander around the shops of the OXO tower too, and came across the Suck UK shop, which is always great for quirkily designed bits and pieces [check online for lower prices first though]. Having seen Zoe's awesome word making biscuit stamper she bought in Japan, my eye was ready to be caught by these slightly less labour intensive versions. You can get 'Home Made', 'I Love You', or perfect for fans of none too subtle come ons Alice in Wonderland - 'Eat Me'.

Cookie Stampers

The silicon part is removable for easy cleaning.

They come with a recipe for vanilla cookies, but as I had baking to do for the school Summer Fair, I tried it out with my fail-safe gingerbread recipe and it worked a treat.

Ta-dah!

Here's the recipe if you want to give it a go yourself.

Proper Gingerbread
6oz self raising flour
1 heaped tsp ginger
1/2 tsp mixed spice
2oz sugar
2oz butter or baking margarine
3 heaped tablespoons golden syrup
(this is enough for a family, I doubled for the school fair)

1. Mix the flour sugar and spices together and make breadcrumbs with the butter. It's quicker with a mixer but you can do it all by hand.
2. Add the syrup and mix to a stiff dough. This is really a lot easier and less sticky with a mixer. If you pour some olive oil into your tablespoon first, and then tip it out again, you'll find the syrup slides straight off the spoon.
3. Roll out onto a floured surface to about 1/2 centimetre thick. Cut out your desired shapes, or stick to circles and stamp with your stamper.
4. Transfer to a trays lined with greaseproof paper and cook at 160c for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Don't overcook, they'll harden once they're cool.

So, what have you all been up to? Add your thumbnail to the linky below, and don't forget to link back to Ta-dah! Tuesday in your post. If you can visit some other participants too that would be great. I feel like death at the moment so might retreat back to bed, but I promise I will get around to checking out all the links as usual.

Lakota x

PS. Don't forget my giveaway closes today - you could win a pair of tickets to Vintage Fashion Fair London in Primrose Hill. If I've shaken off this hideous sore throat I'll be there!