Unicorn Bark

I really had a Unicorn phase going on recently...but who could blame me :) The web is full of unicorn stuff inspiring us with all these magical and cute food creations. You kind of get hooked with all the sprinkles and colours of the rainbow....and honestly I don't think I will grow out of this phase soon it's just too positive and magical and cute! As a screen saver on my phone I've even  had a picture of Katherine Sabbaths unicorn rainbow bark for some time.

Even if I'm not a big fan of chocolate and sweets I just love how beautiful these swirly pastel coloured chocolates look. They are just so hypnotizing, fun and relaxing to make!

Here's how to make your own:

White chocolate
Food colouring (powders or pastes suitable for chocolate)
White food colouring is also good to have since it will make your yellowish white chocolate even more white.
Edible sprinkles and glitters or even candy

Just melt the white chocolate in  the microwave or a bain marie and share into the amount of bowls as you have different colours. Mix in the colour of your choice a little at a time until you get the tones you are happy with. Make sure the colours are suitable with chocolate. If you have colours already at home just melt a little bit of chocolate and test the colours if you are unsure.

Using a spoon place dollops of the different colours here and there onto a baking sheet. Using a stick, or the other end of a spoon swirl the colours together making a marbled effect. When you are happy with the result, sprinkle different nonpareils, candy or even fairy dust to make the chocolate look as magical as possible :)

The thinner you make the layer the easier the chocolate bark will be to break.

Such a simple thing to make any birthday cake, ice cream portion or cupcake decorative and fun or just give away as a gift!

I used mine to decorate a rainbow cheesecake :)

Unicorn Donuts

Just looking at pics on Instagram and Pinterest has really made me fall in love with everything which has to do with unicorns, mermaids, bunnies and basically anything a bit childish, naive and kawaii. I found a pic of these beautiful and cute unicorn donuts on the web when I was looking for donut inspiration. Normally I just make the traditional Finnish styled "munkki" which is just a basic deep fried donut (without the hole) dipped in sugar.....but seeing these unicorn donuts I just couldn't resist making them. I was already feeling whimsical and festive and had planned on dressing up as a unicorn so I can't think of a better treat than these to go with my current mood. 

I didn't want to make these with the same recipes that I've tried before 'cause I wanted something a bit more like the donuts you can find in the U.S. and came across a few recipes and just went with the one that popped up first on google. I think they turned out great :)

Ingredients:2 (0.25ounce) envelopes active dry yeast1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)1 1/2 cups luke warm milk1/2 cup white sugar1 tsp salt2 eggs1/3 cup shortening5 cups all purpose flour1 quart vegetable oil for frying 

My Magical Donut Moment :D

Glaze:150g confectioners sugar1 eggsqueeze of lemon
I also made a white chocolate glaze. I just melted white chocolate and added white food coloring that goes with chocolate. 
Here's how to make them:1)Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.2)In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix for a few minutes at low speed, or stirring with a wooden spoon. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double. Dough is ready if you touch it, and the indention remains.3)Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. Let doughnuts sit out to rise again until double. Cover loosely with a cloth.4)Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery. Set aside.5)Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large heavy skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slide doughnuts into the hot oil using a wide spatula. Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil, to drain on a wire rack. Dip doughnuts into the glaze while still hot, and set onto wire racks to drain off excess. Keep a cookie sheet or tray under racks for easier clean up.For the decor:White sugar fondantedible gold dustblack food colourpink food colouringblue food colouring
For the horn:Roll the fondant into one long thin strip and fold in two and twist until you get a spiral cone.Dip into gold dust and shake off the excess dust.Insert half a toothpick so you can add it to your donut
For the ears:Roll out white fondant until thin and cut out small ears. I used a cutter shaped of a drop.
Draw the eyes with the black food colouring.
Add flowers or decorative sprinkles on the head to look like a flower headband or other decor. I made mine using rolled out coloured fondant which I cut out with a mini star shaped cutter.
I also made some donuts without a hole and filled them with vanilla cream (just the ready stuff) that I coloured in all the colours of the rainbow :)

Also to go with the theme...it was only natural that I dressed up as a unicorn myself and made even a rainbow cheesecake for my friend's birthday party :D 

I just can't help it but I just loooove this Unicorn frenzy. I've always had a colourful personality and will never let the inner child of me fade away. Rainbows, magical creatures, unicorn poop and sprinkles just make me too happy :D

Artichokes with Goats cheese and Parma ham

I couldn't resist buying these beautiful flowers of the veggie section...arthichokes. I have eaten plenty of artichokes but never have I prepared them myself. Usually the parts at the top that look like the flower are a bit woody and are just partially eaten by dipping them in clarified butter and pulling of the soft part with your teeth. The best part is the heart which is hidden inside these "petals". I haven't cooked much with fresh artichokes so I was expecting there to be some fluff and pointy bits once I removed the petals off...but I guess these ones were still so young that there was no fluff. Also they weren't that prickly. The artichoke was so beautiful inside with it's pinkish petals looking like rose petals that I kept them not to waste anything.

How to prepare:

Add water to a pot and add the juice from one lemon and plenty of salt. Remove the petals that are on the outer part of the flower and cut off the top making it easier to access. Boil in the water until the artichoke seems a bit softer. I never looked at the time, but I think I boiled mine for half an hour.
Remove the artichokes and cut in half, revealing the beautiful inside. If your inner petals are very pointy and sharp then trim them off. If they seem soft then just leave them on. The outer petals may be a bit tough to eat as whole but you can easily just pull them between your teeth.

I cut my artichokes into four. I placed a few slices of parma ham and sprinkled with some goats cheese. I also added the zest from one lemon.