October 26, 2022
12:04 pm
Prime Ministers Questions
Catch-up
Red Velvet Cheesecake recipe – easy bake
Creamy Ferrero Rocher dessert (no bake) recipe – perfect for parties!
‘Delicious’ Chicken pesto sandwiches recipe
Dutch Stroopwafel cupcakes – easy recipe packed full of flavour!
Things to do in the strange period between Christmas and New Year
A Three Layer Vanilla Cake Recipe
Recipe: Herbed potato salad, grilled prawns from Nigel Slater
3 Plant-Based Recipes for Ramadan
Things to do in the strange period between Christmas and New Year
The big day is finally over – after weeks of anticipation, preparing and excitement, the festive spirit of Christmas has passed along with the day itself. Here we all are, stuck in that strange festive limbo waiting for New Year so life can return to normal. This is the week commonly referred to as Twixmas.
This week is a strange period and you’ll be forgiven for feeling a bit on edge throughout – but with some preparation, it can be a fairly relaxing time.
Here are some ideas of what you can do during the Christmas limbo.
What to do with Christmas leftovers
Assuming you’ve got plenty of leftover food and considering we’re against food waste we suggest using the leftovers for sandwiches and other easy dishes.
Gordon Ramsey has shared via his website a recipe on how to use your turkey leftovers for a curry. The curry can be made in less than 20 minutes and any meat or vegetable can be used as a substitute.
Forbes offers up 12 Creative Ways To Use Up Christmas Leftovers providing fun ideas so you can move away from those turkey sandwiches. It’s also a fun way to get the kids cooking, with easy and simple recipes.
Festive family fun
It’s time to continue the family festive fun. A trip to the pub, a family walk in the crisp winter air or catching up with a pal – it’s time to be with family and friends and with the chaos of Christmas over, during the lull is the perfect time to catch up.
Shop, shop, shop
With the Boxing Day madness over, the lull is a perfect time to hit the sales. If you’re looking for a new winter wardrobe, a cheap TV or just want to meander around the high street, do it now before the new year rolls in.
Jigsaw puzzle or board game
Puzzles and board games are always worth attempting during the strange week of nothingness. It’s likely you’ll get bored and head back to Netflix, but give it a go and Instagram the attempt.
Pub, pub, and more pub trips
Head to the pub, play cards and drink beer – family and/or friends may attend. Have fun with some festive songs on the jukebox and rest up near the pub fire. If you’re in North London – The Spaniards Inn is a historic pub on Spaniards Road between Hampstead and Highgate in London and serves one of the best pub roasts in the city.
Chill out in front of the TV
Christmas TV is a fan favourite, whether it’s a rerun of classic festive films or new releases on Netflix, sitting on the couch and watching TV is a perfect way to start the week-long lull. The new Leo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawerence flick Don’t Look UP has hit Netflix and most streaming services have a wide selection of festive movies and blockbusters for the whole family.
On TV, there’ll be new bangers and classic reruns throughout the week with a collection of festive specials from throughout the years for you to keep an eye on.
Pay a visit to Winter Wonderland
If you’ve got a Christmas activities itch that still just can’t be scratched, we recommend heading to this classic winter fairground-style pop-up before it vanishes back into thin air on January 3 for another year or so.
Explore a museum or an art gallery
London is famous for its museums and art galleries, so why not get your culture vulture hat on and see some of them during the week. The most obvious choice is the Natural History Museum – which has the ever-popular Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition and a display inspired by the magical Fantastic Beasts films entitled ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature’ on until January 2 2022.
Go for a thrilling spin on an ice rink
Ice rinks tend to pop up all over the country for the Christmas period, so go get your skates on. One of the best is the ice rink outside the Natural History Museum. Others include Somerset House, the Hampton Court ice rink and one outside the Queen’s House.
Enjoy the lull. It won’t be long until the new year arrives and it’s back to work and school. See you in 2022.
Why is it called Twixmas?
That’s Twixmas. The word itself stems from the old fashioned word ‘betwixt’, meaning between. It can be a peculiar few days, between the 27th and 30th December, when families are often thrown together and the dangerous combination of too much food, drink and boredom can have unpleasant consequences!
Is winter wonderland free to get in?
Winter Wonderland must be pre-booked and during off-peak times is free to enter, but entry at peak times and access to some activities requires a paid-for ticket.
Twixmas breaks 2021 UK
Keep an eye out for Twixmas breaks in 2021 – but be sure to keep updated on the latest government Covid travel advice before you book.
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A Three Layer Vanilla Cake Recipe
Treat yourself
Three Layer vanilla Cake recipe
A show-stopping triple-tiered cake is easier to accomplish than you think in this straight-forward vanilla buttercream rendition.
VICE magazine shows you how to make a Three Layer Vanilla Cake as part of a special series, Indulgence, which explores extravagant living in a time of restraint.
View the original recipe on VICE
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The recipe
Making the cakes:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two (8-inch-by-2-inch) cake pans, two (6-inch-by-2-inch) cake pans, and two (4-inch-by-2-inch) cake pans with butter and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter together until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, whole eggs, and egg whites and continue beating until combined, about 2 minutes more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and whisk in the dry ingredients until just combined. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the buttermilk, taking care to get rid of any lumps at the bottom of the bowl.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the cakes are baked through and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Check on them at the 20-minute mark, as they will bake at different rates. Cool completely.
Make the frosting:
In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and salt, then slowly add the confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time. (You may want to cover your bowl to prevent sugar clouds!) After you have added 4 cups, mix in 3 tablespoons of the heavy cream. Continue to add sugar until 7 cups are combined, then repeat with the remaining sugar and cream. If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream one tablespoon at a time. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar. Mix until the desired consistency is reached. Add food colouring to the frosting, if desired.
Assemble and decorate the cake: Using a large knife or cake leveller, cut any overflow off the cakes so that their tops and bottoms are completely flat and ready for stacking. Place a cake board or cake stand on a turntable or a flat, level surface. Carefully position the first bottom layer (8-inch-by-2-inch cake) on the centre of the board. Cover this layer with a nice, even layer of frosting. Carefully place the second 8-inch-by-2-inch cake on it. Cover that layer with another layer of frosting, and your base tier is complete!
Next, add the cake dowels to support the weight of the incoming tier to prevent caving. Ensure that the dowels are the same height as the top of the second cake. If they are not, cut them with a pair of scissors. Place 5 dowels in total in the bottom tier: one in the middle, 4 in the corners, like the number 5 on a die.
Place the first 6-inch-by-4-inch cake on the base tier and add a layer of frosting. Cover this with the second 6-inch-by-4-inch layer, then cover with frosting. Add 3 to 5 cake dowels to support the middle tier. Ensure they are the same height as the top of the middle tier (approximately 8 inches tall).
Finally, add the two 4-inch-by-4-inch layers with a layer of frosting in between. At this point, the cake should be perfectly stacked and centred.
Decorating the cake:
Add the largest, flattest icing tip such as Wilton Cake Icer
Fill the bag with frosting and, starting with the bottom tier, cover the sides with a thick, even layer of frosting. (Because the frosting is a crusting buttercream, you should give this layer a couple of minutes to thicken. You can move on to icing the sides of the middle and top tiers before returning to the bottom tier.)
Once all of the sides have been frosted, use an offset spatula to smooth them out and spread the rest of the frosting evenly to cover the outside of the cake. Decorate with the tips and colours of your choice.
Vegan Tip
To make this recipe vegan, substitute the same amount of unsalted butter for vegan butter and soy milk for the heavy cream.
