Magical Lantern Festival 2017

After reading mixed reviews about the festival in Chiswick gardens, I was somewhat dubious about visiting yesterday and what to expect. Well I loved it. It was absolutely amazing, the displays were beautiful and of brilliant quality. To be honest I didn't know that such huge and intricate displays could be made out of lantern.

I liked the link to the theme: the Silk Road. This means I travelled the globe in an hour and a half- I particularly loved the displays of flowers, cacti and Aladdin's palace.

The Silk Road is an ancient trade route linking the East and the West. Coined because of the transportation of silks made in China to the Roman Empire. Silk production was so valuable in these times that the Chinese emperor tried (and failed) to keep the secrets of manufacturing the material, with the knowledge then spreading westward. These routes were now discovered and used to transport all sorts of goods for example precious stones, spices, other textiles and later the Black Death.

I hope to go again next year and would recommend going to anyone on the fence. (Ignore the bad reviews about the displays at least) Although, I have to admit, the ice rink didn't look that great and food, drink and rides were definitely on the pricey side.

Comments

Peanut Butter Choux Buns

Choux pastry is famous for being hard to get right but don't let this put you off trying. The key to success is weighing out all your ingredients in advance and make sure they are all ready before you start, because timing is crucial (this includes sifting the flour before you start). Once you've made your pastry you're not restricted to buns you can use a piping bag to make éclairs or profiteroles. Although I personally think that buns are the easiest to make. If peanuts aren't your thing or you want a more traditional choux bun, you can whip double cream until it forms peaks or is at a thick consistency and fill your buns with it. Makes 10-12 buns. Ingredients: For the choux pastry: 25g butter or margarine 125ml milk or water 1/4 tsp sugar 1/8 tsp salt 75g strong plain white flour (sifted before you start) A few drops of vanilla essence 2 eggs (beaten) For the peanut butter cream: 140ml double cream 2 tbsp peanut butter 2 tbsp brown sug...

Raspberry and Passion Fruit Cake

A sweet crowd-pleaser, this cake goes down well - and doesn't even need fresh raspberries. I've adapted a recipe by Lorraine Elliot which looks amazing - I've converted it into a metric recipe. Ingredients For the cakes 215g caster sugar 100g brown sugar 340g butter, at room temp 5 eggs, at room temp 250 ml single cream (I used 1/2 lemon, juiced 400g self raising flour Pinch of salt 2 passion fruits 2 tbsp raspberry jam pink food colouring For the buttercream 250g unsalted butter (soft) 500g icing sugar 2 tbsp milk (or substitute) 2 passion fruits 3 tbsp raspberry jam Extra decor Fresh raspberries Method 1. Preheat the oven to 130 ° C (not a typo). Grease two 20cm/8" round baking tins and line the bases. 2. Cream together the butter and sugars until very pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined each time. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the cream and lemon juice until slightly thicker. 3. Fold ha...

Sunset at Totland Bay

Next to Totland, a village on the Isle of Wight, is the beautiful beach: Totland Bay. I visited in August and stayed in the youth hostel in Totland. I witnessed a couple of breathtaking sunsets and those coupled with a crumbling pier lead to some excellent views:

A Travelling Lens

Search This Blog