1. Waffle Earrings by PetitPlat 2. Lumberjack Special Lip Balm by atomicrose
3. Tea Towel by MrPS 4. ‘Madris Gras Cat’ by jamieshelman 5. Lemon Squares Soap by sunbasilgarden 6. Make Your Own Brown Sugar Scrub (from Craft)
7. Frying Pan Charm Necklace by charms4you

All photo/picture credits – the sellers / websites

As Pancake Day is probably one of the best days of the year (well.. in the opinion of this Pica Pica girl), I thought I’d give you a few Shrove Tuesday themed picks (none of which are edible.. so if you’re still sticking to that new year diet…) as well as a simple batter recipe you can use every year.

Easy-Peasy Pancakes
110g plain flour
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
200 ml milk mixed with 75 ml water
50g butter

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl to help air the flour and get rid of any lumps. Make a well in the centre with a wooden spoon and break both eggs into it. Grab your whisk (although a fork works well too) and get busy – the mix will feel tough but worry not, just make sure you incorporate all of the flour.

Gradually add small quantities of the milk/water and whisk whisk whisk – any lumps will soon disappear. Use a rubber spatula to scrape any remaining bits of flour from the sides of the bowl once you have added all of the liquid. Aim for a smooth batter, with a thin cream-like consistency. I like thin pancakes, more like crepes – so I always add more milk/water if I feel the batter is too thick for my liking.

Melt the butter in a heavy based frying pan and spoon 2 tablespoons into the batter and whisk in. Pour the rest into a bowl and use a little each time you feel the pan needs ‘lubricating’ (thanks Delia).

Photo by ildarabbit

Get the pan really hot but be careful not to burn the butter. Turn the heat down to a medium and start with a test pancake. As they say, the first pancake is always the worst pancake.. but it still tastes good. Use a ladle or a jug to spoon your batter (how much is totally up to you, and comes with practice) into the pan and tip it around from side to side to get an even coating. It only takes about 30 seconds to cook on one side, lift the edges around with a pan slice or palette knife to test. Flip it over – it will only need a few seconds on this side, then slide it out onto a plate.

At this point, do what you like. Personally, I tend to enjoy taking turns making and eating my pancakes standing in the kitchen as it’s usually a group activity – and lets be honest, they do taste better straight out of the pan. You can also stack them up so they keep warm for later. Toppings? Go crazy. A family favourite is to add currants to the batter as soon as it hits the pan so they sink in and then, once cooked, drench with fresh lemon juice and caster sugar, roll up and devour. It’s up to you though – savoury (spinach and ricotta is amazing) or sweet (maple syrup, nutella, ice cream…).

Whatever you do though, happy baking!

Adapted from an original Delia <3

Fastelavn is a Scandinavian Holiday which occurs seven weeks before Easter Sunday, and it is sometimes described as the Nordic version of Halloween. At Fastelavn children dress up, though not in scary costumes, and play Slå katten af tønden, a game where the children take turns hitting a barrel full of sweets.

A popular baked good for Fastelavn is the Fastelavnsbolle:

Image Courtesy of dk-kogebogen

Recipe for Fastelavnsboller:

Ingredients

3 (0.6 ounce) cakes compressed fresh yeast
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

1 cup milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 eggs
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 beaten egg

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon hot water
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Directions

Dissolve yeast in the warm milk in a small bowl; allow to stand for a few minutes until it becomes foamy. Whisk together the butter, 2 eggs, salt, 2 teaspoons sugar, and yeast mixture until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in flour to form a smooth dough. Cover with a cloth and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1 cup of milk with the cornstarch in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until very hot and steaming, but not quite simmering. Whisk 2 eggs together with 2 tablespoons sugar in a bowl until well beaten. Slowly whisk in half of the hot milk mixture, adding it about 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated. Stir the egg mixture into the saucepan of milk, and cook gently until thickens and begins to bubble. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set the filling aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C), and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Punch down the dough, and divide it into two pieces. Roll each piece into a 12×12 inch square, and cut each square into 9 equal pieces about 4 inches on a side. Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling into the center of each piece, and fold a corner across over the filling. Fold the opposite corner across and seal the corners over the filling. Fold the two remaining corners across the filling and seal to make a tidy packet enclosing the filling.

Place the filled buns, folded sides down, on the prepared baking sheets, and brush each bun with beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until the buns are golden brown, and let cool.

Stir together the confectioners’ sugar, hot water, and cocoa powder in a bowl, and spread the icing onto each bun. Refrigerate leftover buns.

Recipe Courtesy of allrecipes

Have fun baking!

Love the Pica Pica team

Here are some pics from our Make and Bake table at LCC today!

Definitely, not our last one! All our delicious cakes were sold and only a few were eaten by the sugar craving Pica Pica staff, one can only fight an urge for so long! Several Valentine cards were also made, spreading the love at LCC.

Visit Pica Pica on Facebook for more photos from today….

Lots of Love,
Pica Pica