Phone selfies

Chocolate & Salted Caramel Swiss Roll

Fancy some pre-Halloween treat?? 
Check this out !

Serves 6-8:

For the Sponge
-90g golden caster sugar
-3 large eggs
-1 tsp vanilla-bean paste
-75g plain flour
-15g cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
-1/2 tsp baking powder

For the filling:
-125g light muscovado sugar
-75ml double cream
-75g margarine, softened but not melted
-1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 200. C/gas mark 6.
Grease & line a 30/20cm Swiss-roll tin.
Place the caster sugar, eggs & vanilla paste in a bowl, then whisk until the mixture has tripled, when you lift out the whisk it should fall in a steady stream & sit on the surface of the mixture for at least 3 seconds.
Sift the flour, cocoa & baking powder over the mixture, then gently fold in until well combined.

Pour into the tin, then bake for 8-10mn or until evenly risen.
Dust a piece of baking paper with cocoa.
Turn the sponge on to this, then leave to cool.

For the filling heat the sugar & cream until the sugar dissolves & forms a caramel.
Bubble for 2 mn, then pour into a bowl to cool.
When ready beat the margarine in another bowl then whisk in the caramel sauce & salt.

Smooth the filling over the cooled sponge, leaving 1cm at one of the shorter ends, then roll up the sponge along the length to make the roll.

                                         Bon appetit!!

Natalia Vodianova: An inspiring story

Inspiring...Natalia Vodianova was raised in a poor district in Russia, selling fruits on a stand to help her family to survive when her life changed for the best, seeing her coming to Paris at 17 to work as a model.
She became a worldwide model & actress with her first leading role in the "Belle du seigneur" movie released earlier this year. She founded the "Naked Heart Foundation" helping Russian children from poor backgrounds, families with a disabled child & foster parents.

Fifty Shades of Grey

One of my favorite pictures that I took in New York