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Fettisdagen

Fettisdagen

Today is Fettisdagen (also known in other countries as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day). In Sweden, we celebrate Fettisdagen with the delicious Semla Bun – a white bun, flavoured with cardamom and filled with cream and almond paste.

Traditionally, Semlor were eaten in the final feast before pantries were cleared to fast for Lent. Nowadays, many forgo this tradition and instead, enjoy the Semla Bun with friends during Fika (Swedish for coffee break) over a large cup of coffee. Yum!

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DIY: Cupcake Box

DIY Cupcake Box

This gorgeous DIY Cupcake Box is sure to impress guests. Send them home with a delicious baked treat gifted in style.

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED:

• White card
• Scissors and/or Stanley knife
• Ruler
• Double-sided sticky tape
• Wrapping Paper

STEP ONE

Download the template for your DIY Cupcake Box here. You’ll have a sheet for your base and one for your lid. If your printer is able to print onto card stock, print onto card. If not, simply print your template onto paper.

STEP TWO

Start with the base of your Cupcake Boxn and cut out your template. If you printed onto paper, trace around your template onto card. Use a ruler to add in the tab lines so that your traced template looks identical to your print out.

STEP THREE

Use a Stanley knife to score along the dotted lines, then fold these to make tabs.

STEP FOUR

Add double-sided sticky tape to each tab and carefully join the sides together until you’ve made the shape of your box.

Repeat steps 1 -4 with your lid.

STEP FIVE

Cut out the label from your template along with a strip of Wrapping Paper. Once you’re ready to seal your box with your cupcake inside, wrap this strip around your box meeting in the middle at the top. Secure with sticky tape, then attach your label in the centre of your lid using double-sided sticky-tape.

Now you have a gorgeous homemade ‘Thank You’ gift to send guests home with. Yum!

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Recipe: Lemon and blueberry cupcakes

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

These delicious blueberry and lemon cupcakes are topped off with a lemony cream cheese icing and finished with a simple sugared blueberry for the perfect special touch.

Perfect for birthdays, celebrations or even just because. Follow the steps below to make your own.

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcake batter:

• 1 2/3 cups plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 120g unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (plus extra for topping)

For the icing:

• 180g unsalted butter, softened
• 250g cream cheese, softened
• 2 2/3 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ tsp lemon zest

For the sugared blueberries:

• Handful blueberries (approximately 12 – one per cupcake)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup vanilla sugar

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan-forced

2. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder into a bowl and add your salt

3. Beat button and sugar in an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until pale and fluffy

4. Add eggs, beating in between until each is combined

5. Add vanilla extract to your egg and butter mixture, then add sour cream and lemon zest

6. On slow speed, add your flour bit by bit until your cupcake batter is combined

7. Fold through blueberries

8. Line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper cases and pour your cupcake batter into the paper cases

9. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden then let cool completely

10. While your cupcakes are cooling, make your icing following insturctions below

ICING

1. With your electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together for 2 minutes or until pale and fluffy

2. Slowly add your vanilla extract, lemon zest and icing sugar until combined

3. Prepare your sugared blueberries by coating blueberries lightly with egg yolk, then rolling in vanilla sugar

4. Once your cupcakes have cooled completely, top with icing and finish with a sugared blueberry

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Gift Wrapping Tips and Tricks

Gift Wrapping Tips

Gorgeous gifts deserve gorgeous gift wrapping. There are so many options to ensure your gifts are presented with style. Follow these tips and tricks to get started.

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

• Wrapping Paper
• Scissors
• Double-sided sticky-tape
• Twine
• Wooden Alphabet Stamp Set

FLAG BUNTING

To create sweet bunting to adorn your gifts, use the polka dot side of your Wrapping Paper. Cut out small flags, making sure a polka dot is in the centre of each flag.

Next, cut a length of twine, and fold the top of the flags over the twine, securing with double-sided sticky tape. Tie this around your gift on an angle and finish with a handmade gift tag.

To make the gift tag, cut out a flag shape in white paper or card and join this onto a cutting from your Here & Now Wrapping Paper. Using your Wooden Alphabet Stamp Set, stamp the recipient’s name onto the white flag. Stick to your gift with double-sided sticky-tape. Gorgeous!

PAPER FAN

A stylish paper fan is a fun and simple way to present gifts with love. To start, wrap your present in double-sided Here & Now Wrapping Paper. Then, cut a strip of Wrapping Paper and use the opposite design to wrap around the gift length ways.

To make your paper fan, simply cut a square of Wrapping Paper and fold it back and forth in a concertina fan effect. Secure the middle with twine and fan out the sides. Then position in the centre of your gift and secure with twine. Simple and stylish.