Wild Thing...

Sorry my blog has been down this week but I've been trying to change the domain name and after a few glitches, Lellys Gallery is now official!

So here in the UK we have been unable to escape the presence of London Fashion Week. Although I didn't get to any shows, I've had my fare share of free champagne, late night openings and was lucky enough to watch a mini preview at Westfield Shopping Centre.  I loved JW Anderson's prints so much that they have inspired these catwalk ready biscuits papped in the last of the English sunshine. The biscuit dough is so soft and bursting with a vanilla bean flavour, that nothing shop bought can compare. The icing on top adds a little crunch which melts on the tongue and completes the sweetest sensation partying in your mouth. If you can smuggle them away from hungry bellies the cookies will last around a week in a biscuit tin. Make your own zoo here.

Jacket: H&M, Shirt: Mango, ipad case: Topshop, Boots: Kurt Geiger, Jeans: Topshop, Nail Varnish: NARS, Earings: Chelsea Doll

J.W. Anderson is at the forefront of this seasons monochrome revamp. Using such a striking print is certainly daring but it works reassuringly well with neon yellow and anything studded. I'm loving this H&M blazer at the moment. Dress it up with sleek black tailoring, or down with these zebra print jeans and ipad cover from Topshop's JW Anderson collection.  Metal capped boots take the 'twee' look off this outfit and for the final touch just add NARS' super exuberant nail colour to put fierce at your fingertips!

 Love Lelly x 

Black and Gold Malties...

Have you seen the Hummingbird Bakery's new 'Milkshake' cupcakes? This week I used my favourite milkshake flavour 'Horlicks', created in 1873, to make some yummy malt cupcakes. I have jazzed-up my cupcakes using black lace wraps from ASDA as they add great gothic drama but also frame the gold and purple frosting with glamour.  I made golden balls by spraying Malteesers with edible gold paint then sprinkling with edible glitter. Hot drink powders work surprisingly well in any cupcake batter so why not transform your own...Chai Latte, Nesquik, Ovaltine the possibilities are endless! To get this delicious recipe click here.  

Necklace: Tatty Devine, Coin Purse: AspinalofLondon, Shoes: Chinese Laundry, Skirt: Topshop, Crop Top: Miss Selfridge, Bag: Zatchel, Lipstick: Estee Lauder 

This season, as the nights start to draw in, it's all about 'Gothic Brocade' which has been spotted on celebrities such as Karen Elson, Emmy Rossum and Blake Lively. I sometimes find that on me, black is too harsh and washes me out. However I'm loving how this season there is a variety of embellishments and textures which has a real femme fatale look about it. A welcome update. Whilst we can't all afford Stella McCartney's amazing brocade-centric collection this Topshop skirt (£48) is definitely a worthy substitute and a must have A/W staple. The Tatty Divine dinosaur necklace (£114) adds a kooky statement to your décolletage, whilst Estee Lauder's innovative lipstick in Gunmetal (£19.50) is a fab way to update your lippy wardrobe. Splash a little over your favourite colour and watch it turn into a darker shade. 

With Love From Lelly x

Let the Games Begin...

The sun has come to play ‘summer’ for a while here in Kent, and this means time to make something lemony. My choice: Lemon Meringue (real meringue) Cupcakes, with Lemon Curd filling. Now, I know this is a very popular flavour, but I wanted to test my own version because I secretly feel that Italian Meringue frosting ruins many great lemon cupcakes. My alternative is making real meringue as a topper which adds height and interesting texture. I used shop brought lemon curd for ease, as the other components take up more than enough time to make. In the cream cheese frosting I added some finely chopped thyme leaves (lemon and thyme really complement each other) which took the sweet edge of the icing.  I also added some food colouring into the meringue mixture just to add a touch more yellow to the overall cupcake. I served this as a desert for a family birthday, but I would advise using a fork as they have the potential to be messy. The combination of crackly soft meringue, fragrant icing and zesty moist cupcake was as enjoyable experience and worth the extra effort in the kitchen. Get the recipe here 

Clockwize: Earrings, Max and Chole, Shirt, Delias, Belt and Shoes, Zara, Skirt, Topshop, Perfume, Debenhams, Clutch, ModCloth

I love the elegance of this dip dye skirt and think it makes a great beach to bar evening outfit. This envelope clutch from ModCloth is a handy summer essential, just make sure you take the bare minimum out with you as its ultra flat. I spotted these chic sandals in Zara this week, sadly they are not on sale yet, but they come in royal blue (for all those team GB fans) and add such glamour to any casual outfit. 

On the last note...I hope everyone is enjoying the Olympics at the moment, best of luck to all the athletes you may be supporting! 

With Love Lelly x

Dreaming of Summer...

I've been reading a book lately about a woman, Nella Last, living in the North of England during  the nineteen fifties. The diary follows the daily life of the housewife (now aged sixty) during a time which shaped the society we live in today. Although maybe a little sombre in subject matter for this bubbly stage of my life, one part which I particularly enjoyed was her meticulous documentation of meal time. To quote Nella Last: 'I had cold meat and macaroni pudding, opened a tin of soup and added grated onion and a little Bovril, and cooked frozen peas and potatoes'. Does this sound appealing to you? I realised later on that they had luckily some sweet treats such as the Bounty Bar, indeed a fine invention we have the fifties to thank for. With this sudden relief for Nella's otherwise menial menu I couldn't resist turning a little bit of chocolatey history into a cupcake. 

I decided to leave the cookery book behind and get inventive. So I made a half brownie, half devil's food cake recipe for the sponge, which was made extra moist by using coconut cream in the mixture. I filled the cupcake with an extra rich, coconut and dark chocolate custard made with coconut cream instead of regular whipping cream. I topped the whole cupcake with a swirl of coconut infused cream cheese frosting and integrated a whole melted bounty bar into the chocolate swirl for the essence of the real macoy (as they say). I believe these were my best cupcakes to date, and everyone agreed. Click here for the recipe. 

This week I've been applying for jobs which got me thinking how inappropriate my current clothing situation would be for an interview. Whilst unpacking all my boxes from University (yes I've moved home now),  I realised my wardrobe is dominated by one too many trips to the charity shop! Here I've put together a work inspired outfit free from granny cardigans and frayed denim shorts. Maybe its a little too sassy for the office, but its a great 'work to evening' look.      

With Love Lelly x

Royal Britannia...

The Queen's 60^th Jubilee celebrations over the bank holiday weekend have been such an exciting moment of history to experience. I celebrated it with some University friends down in London, right at the heart of the action. In true British spirit (meaning regardless of the rain) we all watched the boats along the Thames and then went back to my friend’s house to watch all the action from the comfort of a deep jug of Pimms and plenty of cucumber sandwiches. It was by far a sufferable compromise! I have never been one to turn down the opportunity to bake for an occasion and this was the absolute perfect situation to use my union jack cupcake cases and have some fun with these fondant flowers. To keep with the red white and blue theme, I made red velvet cake and white cream cheese frosting. It is a simple combination but one that is always exquisitely morish and foolproof, exactly the type of cupcake recipe one desires when baking for an audience. For the recipe click here.

Jacket, Warehouse, Bralet, Topshop, Watch, Urban Outfitters, Skirt, Jaeger, Bag, ASOS, Shoes Office 

The jubilee theme was also evident in our clothing that day as we all raided our wardrobes for anything red white and blue. I couldn't resist putting together an outfit here that included ‘best of British’ brands. I particularly love the white Cambridge satchel. These bags are becoming very popular at the moment and are definitely on my wish list. I love the dainty pleats of this crimson Jaegar skirt, paired with a little bit of raunch from this Topshop bralet. It is an ensemble fit for royalty, don’t you think?

With Love Lelly x

Back for Good...

So it has been light-years since I’ve posted, and I’ve missed the rush of Blogging every week so much. But finally, the summer has arrived in England and exams are over! In fact my whole degree is over; I’m no longer a student! In honour of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations I’ve been putting a twist on  afternoon tea classics by recreating their flavours into a cupcake. The Bakewell Tart is never far away from the repertoire of English tea time treats and recipes date back as early as 1845 in Eliza Acton’s recipe book. Here I have added a psychedelic frosting to bring the cupcake into the 21^st century.

I created the filling by melting (yes, melting) marzipan (almond paste) in the microwave for around 50 seconds. Working quickly I added whipping cream to the warm marzipan which created a fantastic almond custard that I could use as the fondant centre. I think the filling for the cupcake really represents the Bakewell tarts signature frangipane filling. The maraschino cherries were incorporated into the batter, and ground almonds were also added to the  batter to increase the flavour and make the sponge slightly more dense. 

Jacket: JackWills, Dress: Sugarhill, Earrings: Hannah Hzakari, Shoes, Bank.

Who would have thought Tie- Dye would be making a comeback this year! Sadly it’s had a tough time beating the kiddies ‘summer activity’ reputation or only being dragged out the wardrobe for summer festivals. Those days are no more.  Tie dye this year is the quintessential summer staple, and we are going crazy for it. I’ve actually never realised how versatile tie dye really is, it looks great with white, black or any other block colour. I love how this outfit is centred on the vivid colours of the dress, but then the lace jacket, patent wedges and earrings are mini statements. This is a beautifully simple summer outfit, perfect for cocktails with the girls in the city! 

Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango

Yorkshire's finest produce, the Terry's Chocolate Orange was created in the 1930's. Comprising of twenty "segments", it may not be 'one of your five a day' but just five segments sends your tongue on a tantalising adventure, far more comforting that its citrus sibling. Here, I've created a Terry's chocolate orange cupcake, complete with an individual segment, using the orange oil in both the cupcake and the frosting for extra impact. This tangy delight is definitely a Michelin tasting cupcake! This week I brought some orange oil and orange food colouring made by 'Wilson'. All this orangyness was a perfect marriage for the Hummingbird Bakery's rich chocolate cupcake. 

Sunglasses: Mango, Ring: H&M, Ring: Pandora, Shoes: Zara, Bag: Urban Outfitters, Dress: Love

As if by pure coincidence or in praise of Terry's ingenious invention, this year's Pantone colour is Tangerine Tango! “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy”, said Leatirce Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. Over the last two years, orange has slowly been creeping into our wardrobes, think of the coral lipstick trend in 2010/2011. Now, Tommy Hilfigure, Nanette Lepore and Shaun Kearney have all been inspired by Tangerine Tango, which is the essential colour in their Spring/Summer 2012 collections, and is set to continue into Falls collection too. Orange is so versatile, it adds an exotic glow, without being too threatening or too out there! If you're daring to strut it out in this dress, why not try accessorising a white summer dress with some orange jewellery. 

With Love Lelly x