Jess Cantoni

Tuesday, 5 December 2017

Christmas Wish-List | BLOGMAS DAY 4

This year I decided to make an actual Dear Santa-style Christmas wish-list. I opened up the Pages app on the iPad and typed down all the things I've been loving and wanting this year. So, without needing much more of an introduction, here's exactly that.. exactly what I'm asking for this Christmas!

PS - Sorry about the massive gaps between the photos. I'm not sure how to rectify this.

Nintendo Switch

Image credit - Nintendo.co.uk

I've always been a Nintendo fan. In the past I've owned the very first Nintendo grey brick-like Gameboy, a Nintendo Advance and a DS XL. Oh and also the Wii. What I really like about this console is the flexibility and portablility of the device. Of course, the Gameboy is portable, however it's cool that you can play this one at home on your TV and then carry on the same game whilst in the car!

I probably won't get this gift as it's a bit pricy, but it's on the list anyway!

£279.99 | Available from http://bit.ly/2AsJjY7

Boden Knitted Slipper Mules

Image credit - boden.co.uk

I have a couple of pairs of slippers but they're both getting really tatty and I never wear them anymore. One of them are slip-ons and bought from M&S, and I didn't really like them in the first place. The second are big rabbit ones that were gifted to me in a secret santa last year. I do like those ones but they are a tad big! I saw these ones and thought they were super cute. The faux-fur lining looks very cosy!

£24.50 | Available from http://bit.ly/2AqoP21

Burberry Festive Beauty Box

Image credit - net-a-porter.com

I saw this cute little set on Fleur de Force's Christmas Gift Guide and instantly loved it! I'm not usually someone who buys Burberry products but I thought this was great for the price. It's the perfect gift because everything inside are mini versions; great if you travel a lot. Inside you'll find: Cat Lashes Mascara in jet black; Lip Velvet in Oxblood No.437; Wet and Dry Silk Eyeshadow in Gold Pearl No. 001 and Fresh Glow Fluid in Nude Radiance 01 (a highlighter or primer).

£30 | Available from http://bit.ly/2By2OM3

GHD Platinum Styler

Image credit - ghdhair.com

I've had my current pair of GHDs since 2007. They're my first and only pair actually! I probably should invest in some new ones as I'm not sure if mine will be damaging my hair? Let me know if you think they are! As I'm brand loyal to GHD, I'd probably get these. They're a bit expensive but as you can see, they last for ages!

£165 | Available from http://bit.ly/2As7gyp

Liz Earle Supercharge your Glow

Image credit - Boots.co.uk

I already use Liz Earle's Hot Cloth Cleanser,which I highly recommend. It's exfoliating from using the cloth and really good for getting make-up off. I'm due for a top-up, and I saw this gift set and thought I'd never tried the tonic or serum before, and so it went on my list!

£25 | Available from http://bit.ly/2A7muKx

The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser

Image credit - amazon.co.uk

You might know that I'm already a fan of Amanda Hesser, ever since I was gifted her book, Cooking for Mr Latte, on Christmas 2015. Amanda has been a columnist for The New York Times for years, and in this book she compiles years of loved recipes from the paper, as well as recipes from well-known American chefs, in order to capture American cooking throughout the years.

£25.59 | Available from http://amzn.to/2AUbaRg

So there we have it! All the things I'm wanting this Christmas. Let me know in the comments what's on your list this year, and if there's anything on there the same as me!

And if you're interested...

Vlogmas day 4

Fried Panettone | BLOGMAS DAY 3

Most people are left with an abundance of leftover panettone over the Christmas period (unless my Dad is in the house!) This recipe which I found in Nigel Slater's Real Fast Puddings book, is perfect for those times you're left pondering what to do with that last slice of dry panettone. This buttery, moisture-inducing sandwich will liven things up again!
When I tested the recipe, I wasn't particularly hungry, and since it's quite a heavy pudding, please ensure everyone has empty stomachs before making it! You won't want to eat for hours after!

Ingredients
1 slice of panettone (see my recipe if you want to make your own)
2 tbsp of mincemeat
30g salted butter

Method

1. Slice your panettone like you would a slice of bread. Cut in half.

2. Spread one half with the mincemeat and top with the other half of panettone.

3. Melt the butter in a griddle pan (or a normal frying pan will do).

4. Once bubbling, add the sandwich and fry on both sides until golden brown. Cut in half and serve. Enjoy with a nice cuppa or a pot of coffee.

Happy frying!!

And if you're interested....

Vlogmas day 3

Fruity Panettone | BLOGMAS DAY 2

I've always wanted to make a panettone. I've always been intrigued as to how the fluffy texture is created. I do love to also eat panettone. Since my Husband's side of the family are Italian, I've eaten a fair few, and some really good ones too! We always buy ours at Lidls because, being a supermarket that specialise in goods from Europe, they usually do a really good one, and at a good price. However this year, as I've decided to do Blogmas, I thought i'd try and make some of my bakes Italian themed. So i'm starting off with the bake most people think of when they think of Christmas in Italy, and that's this rum-soaked fruit, topped with almonds, Panettone. The recipe is from the BBC website however I've adapted it very slightly.

Ingredients

The Cake
4 tbsp warm, semi-skimmed milk
2 x 7g satchets of fast-action dried yeast
100g caster sugar
250g salted butter, softened
5 medium eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
500g strong white bread flour + extra for dusting
80g raisins
80g sultanas
3 tbsp dark rum
100g candied peel

The Topping
30g almonds, roughly chopped
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp egg white
1 tbsp icing sugar

You will also need a 16cm panettone tin.

The Method

1. Grease your panettone tin with butter. I chose to use this Ibili one from Amazon. You can also use a deep cake tin.

2. Heat t he milk until warm and pour into a bowl. Add the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar. Give it a little stir and leave for 5 minutes. Mine began to foam quite a lot, so I knew that it was definitely an active yeast! Make sure yours does too.

3. In a mixing bowl, add the remaining sugar, softened butter and vanilla extract. Beat together until light and fluffy.

Of course I chose Cornish butter!

4. Stir in the grated lemon and orange zest. Lightly beat the eggs and slowly incorporate into the butter mix. Don't worry if it begins to curdle. A LOT of people say to add flour but this just thicken the mixture and masks the curdle. The curdle doesn't matter. It will sort itself out during the baking, so don't worry about it. It's only due to the butter and eggs being at different temperatures.

This is pre-eggs

5. Pour the flour into a bowl and make a well. Add the yeast and then the butter mix. Stir in slowly with a wooden spoon to create a dough. Knead for 5 minutes in the bowl until it becomes a dough.

6. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a further 10 minutes. Your dough should be soft and stretchy. Lightly grease a bowl to put your dough in. Wrap lightly with cling film and place in a warm place for 2 hours until doubled in size.

7. Meanwhile, weigh the raisins and sultanas into a small pan and add the rum. Heat on a slow heat until the rum has been absorbed by the fruit. Set aside to cool.

8. Once the dough has risen, tip onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes more. Gradually knead in the fruit, as well as the candied peel.

9. Shape the dough into a ball and pop into your tin. As my tin was slightly smaller than the BBC recipe tin, I wrapped some baking paper around the tin with string, to ensure the dough can rise safely without toppling over. You can do the same if you're using a deep cake tin. Or you can use a 20cm one like in the BBC recipe.
Cover with cling film and rise in a warm place for another hour, until risen to the top of the tin or paper.

9. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees or 160 degrees for fan. Mix together the almonds, caster sugar, icing sugar and egg white (the topping ingredients). Brush gently over the panettone, ensuring you get some of the almonds on there too.

10. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown on top and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Mine actually took about an 1 hour and 5 minutes, so don't worry if yours does too. Just keep checking if it's cooked and bake until it is.

11. Once golden and cooked, cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack. Once cool, lightly dust with icing sugar and serve by cutting into wedges!

Look out for tomorrow's post to see what else you could do with your panettone!

Happy baking!

And if you're interested...

Vlogmas day 2

The Christmas Tag | BLOGMAS DAY 1

So it's that time of year again, blogmas has caught up with us and it's another 24 days of posts to come! I thought i'd ease myself in with a Christmas tag. I found this one on Make Up Savvy blog, so thank you! I've got lots of interesting bakes planned for this blogmas, so keep checking back each day! I know last year I wasn't able to complete it due to a family member passing away, however this year I will not be defeated - I love a challenge! I'm also partaking in Vlogmas.. I know, am I crazy?! I'll be leaving links to each days video in these posts, so feel free to check them out too if watching me is more your thing (I can't see why?! Hah).

Also before I kick day one off with a bang (?!), do let me know in the comments if you're also doing blogmas/vlogmas this year. I'd love to read/watch all the links that you leave!

Happy Blogmas/Vlogmas! Let's do this!

1. What's your favourite Christmas movie?

My all-time favourite Christmas movie will always be The Muppet Christmas Carol. I used to watch it every year with my parents, and I've tried to keep the tradition up since moving out and getting married. It just gives me all the feels, and I always shed a tear or 3 at the bit about Tiny Tim... anyone with me?!

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Definitely Christmas morning without a doubt! Who opens their presents on Christmas Eve?!

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

I have a few faves, however the first that sticks in my mind is the one when I was 5 years old. I remember gazing out of the big bay window we had at the time, and I swear I saw Father Christmas in the sky. It probably was a shooting star, but for years I've always wondered... I dunno, it was just one of those magical moments that stick with you for years. I don't think

I dreamt it. I know I sound crazy but you've got to keep some of the magic with you when you 'grow up', am I right? The second memory is being in New York for Christmas for our honeymoon. It was such a magical, perfect holiday. New York will always have a piece of my heart, especially at Christmas time. I recommend you all to visit around this time of year.

I actually have a blog post about our time there. If you're interested,

here's the link http://www.jesscantoni.com/2016/03/guide-to-new-yorkour-honeymoon.html

4. Favourite festive food?

Hmmmm, being a foodie, that's a difficult one! I really, really like mince pies, but I also just love Christmas dinner. I especially love it if goose is served with crispy roast potatoes that have been cooked in goose fat...so hungry right now!

5. Favourite Christmas gift?

To myself? If so, I think one of the fave gifts I've received over the years has to be the book Fabio bought for me when we had Christmas in New York. We decided since we'd be spending a lot whilst there, that we'd only gift each other one gift, and that we'd buy there. Fabio chose a book that was perfect for me, and it really made me see how well he knows me! The book was Cooking for Mr Latte by Amanda Hesser. Amanda Hesser is an American food writer and has written for The New York Times for years. The book came perfectly gift wrapped in deep-blue wrapping paper with a cute blue ribbon bow... he obviously got it gift-wrapped in the shop, but I didn't mind because it was perfect. I actually wish more shops in the UK offered that service!

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

My favourite scent at Christmas has to be the smell a real Christmas tree gives off. I love the smell of the pine needles, which is why I always get a real tree. I need that smell in my life at Christmas, especially when you can smell it every time you walk in the room where the tree is.. I can't get enough of it!

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

I actually don't have a Christmas Eve tradition. I guess we mostly stay in and just relax, which you could say is a tradition. When I was younger my parents would always make sure I leave Father Christmas a mince pie and some Sherry, as well as carrot for Rudolph.

8. What tops your tree?

Last year we had an angel topping the tree. It was quite funny actually because we had to cut part of the tree off to fit it on. This year we'll make sure the top part is not too long so we don't have to go through that again!

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?

I always wanted a Baby Born but never got one! My next door neighbour and best friend had one though, so I'd sort of share hers. It wasn't that bad in the end!

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

It has to be the food! But of course also having family around and doing more Christmassy things together. In the year you don't always make the effort to do things, so at Christmas it's a great excuse to get out and do things like see some Christmas lights in nearby villages, or stay in a get cosy and watch a Christmas film. It doesn't have to extravagant, as long as you have your family by your side.

AND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED...

VLOGMAS DAY 1

Iced Tea Masterclass @ T2

Recently I was invited to the T2 store in Cheltenham to partake in an iced tea masterclass. Of course I took up the offer, being a fan of iced tea, and of T2. I always gaze into the store when i'm walking by; admiring the endless stacks of tea, just waiting to be explored.

The iced-tea masterclass setup

We started off the masterclass with a touch of history; the very first documented iced tea: The Old Virginia. It was discovered in a book published in 1878, called 'Housekeeping in Old Virginia', and is made from green tea. Jak, the girl running the class at T2, made it by mixing a combination of the following teas:

- Chinese Sencha (I could only find Japanese Sencha available on the website)

- Southern Sunrise

- Turkish Apple fruit sugar (this gives it some sweetness)

She also added some lemon to the mix too.

Old Virginia - lovely and lemony. Refreshing on a hot day!

Next, we moved onto brewing using a pretty cool gadget - the T2 Teamaker, one of their most popular brewing tools. We brewed Twinkle Berry which consists of Apple, Raspberry, Beetroot and petals. It was fruity but not over-powering. After it had brewed, we strained it onto one of their glass tea pots. I just love the colour! We left it to cool and then added some ice. This one is perfect for those who love fruity teas.

We decided to move onto something a lot more fruity: Fruitalicious!

This tea is full of pieces of blueberries, dragon fruit and goji berries. We used my favourite tea maker, the Jug-a-Lot. It just makes me think of that artist Sir Mix-a-Lot - i'm sure that's a thing, right?? Correct me if I just made that up, ha!

My favourite is the pink one! These are great for picnics or if you're having a garden party.

Me attempting to mix the tea with this super-long spoon

The lovely Jak successfully getting the fruit to sink to the bottom (trust me, this is difficult to achieve!)

We decorated our tea with strawberries and blueberries. We served it in these glasses which feel like plastic but are a type of glass. They're great because if you want to serve hot tea in them, they stop you from burning your hands because they're double-walled. Clever eh!

Jak asked me if there was a tea I would like to try. As there are so many available, I had trouble choosing! I then remembered that the strawberries and cream tea had caught my eye, and so I chose that one. I really love Eton Mess, so that in tea-form sounded good to me! We used a quicker way to make the iced tea: pouring some ice into the hot tea; straining it through into another jug and doing the process again until it became cool. We added some more ice in after, just in case.