Wordless Weekend - Chest of Drawers Makeover

This needs no words

 it is old and sad before....

Old Dresser Makeover

Beautiful and happy AFTER.....

New paint and antiquing makes for a pretty and bright Dresser

Dresser Chest of Drawers Makeover

Pretty new paint on pulls

roar




Check out my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JennysVintageModernRevivals

Angela

linking to akiltandacamera

Scottish recipes - Flower Jammy Dodgers

Jammy Dodger

Jammy Dodgers are a biscuit (cookie) from my Scottish childhood

Traditionally they are round with a heart cut in the middle but today I made them into flowers with a center, aren't these cute?

A Jammy Dodger is basically two shortbread biscuits (cookies) sandwiched together with Jam (Jelly)


To make these cute flower Jammy Dodgers

you will need

230g/8oz Butter
340g/12oz Plain All Purpose Flour
320g/11oz Icing (Powdered) Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
pinch of salt

• sift flour into a large bowl, add the powdered sugar and the butter

Sift flour

butter, flour, sugar

• rub all together with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs, add the vanilla and salt

Breadcrumbs

• Now kneed and mold into a dough with your hands

dough

• Cover with cling film (saran wrap) and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes

• Roll out dough onto a floured surface and cut out the shapes (I used a flower cutter)

cut out dough

• now take half of the cut outs and cut a smaller hole in them (these will be the tops)

cut out dough

cut out dough

• Place on a baking sheet and bake at 320F/160C for 10-15 minutes

• Once ready, place on a wire rack until cooled completely

cooling

• Sandwich together (solid biscuit on bottom, cut out hole on top) with a spoonful of Jam (jelly) of your choice, I used raspberry preserves

add the jam

Jammy Dodgers

• sprinkle with powdered sugar

Jammy Dodgers

Enjoy

These are a hit in my household, so cute and pretty and delicious

Go on try some

Angela

Linking to blackberryvine ; greenwillowpond ; savvysouthernstyle ; flusterbuster

Wordless Weekend - Large Dresser gets a Makeover

This beauty is in my Master Bedroom, I love her so much :)

Before

Old Dresser

After, a bit of paint and antiquing, and ta da !!

getting some paint work

pulls now in pretty warm gold

Pretty Dresser makeover

Pretty dresser makeover

check out my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JennysVintageModernRevivals

Angela

Linking to funkyjunkinteriors ; craftytexasgirls ; blackberryvine

Scottish recipes - Scottish Macaroon Bars with Cherry

Scottish Macaroon Bars with Cherries

Today I am making Scottish Macaroon Bars with Cherry Centers

I made original Scottish Macaroon Bars last year, but this time they are made with a twist (FYI, Scottish Macaroons are no where near the same as American/French macaroons as you can see)

So, for those of you who don't know me well, I am a Scottish lassie now living in Texas and I make all the yummy Scottish treats that I cant live without

I also want to take a minute to thanks Lady behind the Curtain for inviting us all to her Dessert Challenge, I am linking up and I am excited to be taking part and I cant wait to see what other recipes have been linked up




Go check out all those fabulous recipes below

The special ingredients for this challenge are Cherry and Chocolate and so I knew what I had to make

Macaroons have another very special and surprising ingredient.... Potato

I know right? It's strange to include potato in a sweet treat but don't be afraid this is genius

The potato helps to solidify the center of the macaroon making it firm and creamy at the same time, very scientific indeed


So back to the Cherry Macaroon Bars

You will need

One small potato (boiled, mashed and cooled)
500g/1lb Powdered Sugar/icing sugar (and possibly more to get the perfect texture)
8 Maraschino Cherries
170g/6oz Shredded Sweetened Coconut
280g/10oz chocolate

Ingredients

• sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl

Powdered sugar

• add to the powedered sugar the cold mashed potato a little at a time, mixing with an electric hand held mixer until it is ready, you will know when it is ready it will thicken and become stiff

Making Scottish Macaroons

Scottish Macaroon center

• wash and cut the cherries into small pieces and add to the mixture you may need to add more powdered sugar here if it starts to weep and melt 

Cherries

add cherries

more powdered sugar

• with cold hands, mold the mixture into rectangles on a baking sheet, put the macaroons in the freezer to dry and set (about 10 minutes)

set in freezer

• using a bain marie (bowl over a pot with hot water) melt the chocolate, set aside to cool slightly

Bain marie

• Place the coconut on a baking sheet and toast for a couple of minutes until slightly golden

toasted coconut

• once the bars are set and the chocolate cooled, using one hand for the chocolate and one hand for the coconut, dip the macaroon bar into the chocolate using one hand and then pass to the other hand to roll in the coconut I have no pictures of this part as my fingers were super messy (you will see for yourself)

• place on a plate and back into the freezer just for 5 minutes

I hope you enjoy these delicious treats

Macaroon bars are a great sweet treat from my childhood and to this day children in Scotland still love Scottish Macaroon Bars

If you must try something Scottish, try these

you wont be disappointed and neither will your kids or grand kids

Scottish Macaroon Bars with Cherries

You can break them into small bite sized pieces or just enjoy the whole bar , and store them in an air tight container for a week (if they last that long *wink*)

Angela

linking to serenitynow

Scottish recipes - Vols-au-Vents or Pastry Cases

Vols-au-Vents or Puff Pastry Cases

Vols-au-Vents or Puff Pastry Cases

Vols-au-Vents (pronounced vol-o-von)

Yeah, not really Scottish sounding right?

These cute puff pastry cases are actually French, and Vols-au-vents are a fancy way of saying Pastry Cases

In Scotland Vol-au-Vents are very popular, you will see these served cold at a buffet or party and filled with many savory fillings but sweet fillings would be great too, anything goes

Usually they are cut out as circles but today for Valentines Day week I am cutting them into hearts


You will need

1 pk of 2 x Puff Pastry Sheets
Beaten egg for brushing

• Pre-heat oven to 400F/200C

• Stamp out as many circles (or hearts) as the pastry sheets will allow

Puff pastry sheets

• Place half the cut out shapes onto a greased baking sheet and prick with a fork and brush with the beaten egg

Egg brushing

• Take the other half and cut another smaller shape in the center

Puff pastry heart

• Place this on top of the brushed pastry

Puff Pastry

• Brush the top with egg

• Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes until golden and risen

Vols-au-Vents or Puff Pastry Cases

• Leave to cool then push down the center puffed shape, or pick it out and use as a lid

• Now you have pastry cases

• You can fill them with any filling you like

Today I made Chicken Curry mayonnaise and Prawn Marie Rose

•  To make the Chicken Curry Mayonnaise, put Cooked Chicken pieces, Mayonnaise and Sour Cream, a Curry Powder to taste,  into a bowl, mix well. Scoop a spoonful or 2 into the pastry hole and heap on top too

Chicken Mayonnaise

Chicken Curry Mayonnaise

Other great filling ideas are

Egg Mayonnaise

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom

Prawn and Pineapple Mayonnaise

Cheese Sauce and Ham

Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon

Coronation Chicken

Tuna Mayonnaise

Fresh Fruit and Cream

Custard and Fruit

the list is endless guys, use your imagination and the contents of your pantry

Enjoy 

Vols-au-Vents or Puff Pastry Cases

Vols-au-Vents or Puff Pastry Cases

Angela

Linking to ishouldbemoppingthefloor ; craftytexasgirls ; homestoriesatoz ; savvysouthernstyle