Smells A lot Like Christmas

After 11 months and 25 days of waiting and life in between, Christmas has finally arrived!
I don't know about you, but I love Christmas, more than any other season in the year. Not so much for anything else but the simple comfort of spending undisturbed time with my family and experiencing the joy of the season in their company.
Brendy and I both enjoy sprucing up our homes to usher in the festive season, so we decided to share with you two ways that you can make this Christmas special, in the comforts of your home, with the people you love.  You'd probably be surprised at how these simple activities can make this festive season feel more like it, and more importantly, how fun they can be when done together with your loved ones!

Christmas is always more fun with Christmas decorations
And as Brendy and I found, Christmas decorations don't necessarily need to be fancy, store-purchased stuff(that lose their usefulness once Christmas and the season is over) You can simply make them on your own with craft materials that you already own. Think: construction papers, scotch tape, thread, markers. Yes, that's about it!

Brendy and I put together our very own Christmas chain, hand-made without any printouts from the Internet(something that Brendy is especially proud of, if I may add) Handmade things always look pretty, no matter how you look at them. I was skeptical at first but after this experience of making our Christmas decorations by hand, I concede that I have been pleasantly surprised.

Our Christmas chain was pretty simple, consisting of an angel, some stars, a Christmas tree, candycane and gingerbread man that we drew by hand(more of Brendy really. She is the more artistic one between the two of us when it comes to drawing at least) 

If you were wondering how to make the cone shapes of the angel and the Christmas tree, simply half your construction paper, and form a cone shape with it. Try to ensure that the cone is entirely enclosed at the top. After that is done, tape the two sides of the construction paper and proceed to cut away the excess paper to form a perfectly shaped cone.
Christmas wouldn't be the same without comforting breakfast/food.
And easy, homemade comfort food almost always means some good pancakes!
Brendy and I made some a Carrot Cake Pancake Stack and can we just say that you should probably note down the recipe below because it was the absolute bomb. 

Our stack was absolutely scrumptious-warm,fluffy pancakes slathered with layers of whipping cream, with crunchy carrot and pecan bits and vanilla accenting each bite; every bit worthy of being Christmas day food.

My mum, a huge carrot cake fan, said that it tasted so much like the cake itself, without half as much of the sinful stuff that goes into the actual carrot cake. She too loved the fluffy texture of the pancakes and how the pancake stack felt light with each bite despite the full flavors of the ingredients. Have we whet your appetite yet? Here is the recipe we used for our special Christmas pancake stack!

YIELD: 8 pancakes

PREP TIME: about 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon(this really is based on your own preference. Brend and I love cinnamon so we added a lot of it in when we made it!)
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cups buttermilk
• *TIP: Instead of getting buttermilk from stores, Brendy shared with me that a good substitute would be to add vinegar to milk. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes before using it. 
• 1/6 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 
• 1/8 cup butter, melted 
• *TIP: A good substitute for this would be to use oil. We used Olive oil for ours. 
• 1 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract(based on your preference)
• 2/3 cups finely grated carrots (about 1 lb.) 
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1/4 cup chopped golden raisins
• 
  
• For the cream, you could simply use cool whip like we did(we purchased a non-fat version) or you could make your own cream cheese filling by simply creaming mascarpone cheese, sugar, and whipping cream. 

• DIRECTIONS
• Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together buttermilk and next 4 ingredients in another bowl. Gradually stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in carrots and next 2 ingredients. Pour about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake onto a hot buttered griddle or large nonstick skillet. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look dry and cooked. Turn and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until done. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet, and keep warm in a 200° oven up to 30 minutes. Serve with Mascarpone Cream.

*TIP: you could definitely add more cream to make the layers between your stack more defined. But Brend and I didn't do that this time around because we aren't huge fans of cream despite the light non-fat version we used for this recipe. 

• Recipe Adapted from Carrot Cake Pancakes by Southern Living  

We really hope you enjoyed this post, and you try out the fun ideas we shared with you today. 

(Please tell us what you think of them if you do try them out!) More importantly, Bren and I hope that you have the most blessed Christmas with your family and loved ones! 

Before we go, we just want to say thank you again for stopping by to read the blog and for all the kind words of encouragement and support you have been giving us since we started a little over 2 weeks ago! We truly are thankful for every one of you and we can't wait for you to see what we have coming next in the next few days and with the new year around the corner. Till then, have an amazing day of good fun and good company (and good food to boot!) 

Photo credits to Brendy, myself and my Mum

Love,

Mandy

Recipe: Peanut Butter and Nutella Cups

Mandy and I were infected with the baking itch a while back, and we eventually succumbed to it by making these babies. We knew that this quick recipe would come in handy with Christmas and the New Year right up on us(Cue: countless parties, potlucks, gift exchanges and the mood for festive indulgence)and so we wanted to share it with you today! 

For all of you who are looking for affordable gift ideas, something to bring to a party or just something quick to treat yourself with(that would leave you feeling warm and fuzzy nonetheless), this one's for you. You would also be glad to know that these Peanut Butter and Nutella Cups are a speedy fix that are fairly easy to make, saving you the unnecessary baking stress and inconvenience that often follows with the baking of elaborate and intricate desserts .

Mandy and I managed to nail these in an hour and a half, inclusive of all preparation and washing up. Pretty fast right?

However do note that if you're quite new to washing butter off your equipment it may take you a little longer. 
TIP: Try adding bicarbonate of soda to warm water and soap - it does help to take off the grease a little faster! 
For those science geeks out there who may be wondering why, the soda probably acts as an enzyme of sorts if I'm not mistaken.

Taste-wise, this recipe is probably as sinful as it gets given its rich, full flavors. If you(or the recipients of these cups) are a huge fan of Nutella and Peanut Butter, this would be pure gold. When done right, you will eventually get golden-brown cups with a crumbly peanut butter exterior that packs a punch of flavour and saltiness, nicely counterbalanced with the sweetness of the creamy Nutella centre.
Yes, my house smelt equally heavenly whilst they sat in the oven.

They have also stole the hearts of many of our loved ones- Mandy's mother loved them, and I had a friend who even considered marrying these precious things. She kids of course, but you do get the idea.

On a side note, it was pretty amusing to see Instagram go wild upon seeing the molten centre. One of our friends even got turned off his food in the army as a result. Sorry mate, we will make it up to you real soon.

Without further ado, here is the recipe!

YIELD: 10 large cookie cups
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
COOLING TIME: 15-20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 large egg
3/4 cup Skippy Roasted Honey Nut Creamy Peanut Butter 
(We used 1 whole bottle of skippy peanut butter, the small one. 
I'm unsure of the exact grammage, but on hindsight, we could have used less so it would be a little less oily)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
10  teaspoons of Nutella, frozen 
(We highly recommend freezing the jar for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight, so it's easier and less messy)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place jar of Nutella in the freezer to chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a Non-Stick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan extremely well with cooking spray; set aside.
3. Cream together the first 6 ingredients on medium-high speed until light and fluffy with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes.
4. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute; don't overmix.
5. Using a 1/4-cup measure, portion out the dough, into 10 equal-sized mounds. 
6. Roll each mound between your palms to create round, smooth globes, and set them on a plate or flat work surface.
7. Remove Nutella from freezer and using a 1-teaspoon measure, scoop out rounded teaspoons, and place one teaspoon of chocolate on top of each mound of dough.
8. Gently push the chocolate peanut butter down into the dough mound, and use your fingers to carefully stretch up the sides of the dough to fully encase the Nutella. Make sure it's fully encased so it doesn't leak while baking. Repeat for all 10 mounds.
9. Place one mound in each of the cavities of the prepared pan.Bake for about 14 to 16 minutes (I baked for 14 1/2), or until tops are just set; making sure not to overbake because cookies will continue to cook in pan (carryover cooking) while they cool. Allow cookies to cool in pan for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm enough to remove.
10. To dislodge cookies if you're having any trouble, gently run the tip of  rubber spatula or plastic knife around the rim of the cavity; a sharp knife will scratch your pan. Or, invert the pan and tap the bottom and they'll pop out. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Unbaked cookie dough mounds can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Adapted from Reese's Pieces Soft Peanut Butter Cookies, Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies in Peanut Butter Comfort, and Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups by  Averie Cooks 
*Note:the molten filling may be drier than shown depending on your oven conditions!
edit: so to fix that problem, add water to the nutella filling, freeze before baking and it should help. 
Credit to CL for the tip! 
If you guys still struggle to get the filling right just drop us a comment and we will get right back to you.
We hope you will enjoy making the Peanut Butter and Nutella Cups as much as we did, and we would love to hear about how it turned out for you! Thank you guys all for your great support for the blog-
I am working on yet another recipe with some sort of runny action going on too, so stay tuned and Mandy also has some other things up her sleeve to satisfy your party needs and hers should be up some time this week or the next as well. So stay tuned and look out for them!

Love,

Brendy