Halloween treats!

From those fine folk at Firebox, may I present...

...Yummy Dough! Like Play-Doh, but edible! Just shape it, bake it and eat it - hurrah! Priced at £7.99 and guaranteeing hours of fun for kids of all ages... 

Zombie brain jelly mould...£8.99

'A Zombie Ate my Cupcake' recipe book containing 25 utterly bizarre ideas inspired by dismembered body parts, roadkill, blood and guts! Priced at £9.99

Sweet and slightly sinister pumpkin flying lanterns...£14.99 for a pack of four

And finally, my personal favourite...I am dying (ho ho...) to get my hands on these! Creepy, moving haunted portraits, priced at £6.99 each.

All in all, thoroughly spooktacular! *groan*

Love and hate...

If you've ever wondered what it feels like to be a big, beefy biker or perhaps a salty seadog of a sailor, now you can indulge your innermost fantasies with these rather nifty oven gloves from Berry Red...the chains are even printed in metallic gold. Blingalicious!

And yet *more* novelty bakeware...

After being alerted to these by I Heart Cupcakes' blog, I can now reveal that the much-coveted (by me, anyway!) Nomskulls will be stocked by Totally Funky for the bargainous sum of £11.99! Roll on Halloween... :o)

I am in love...

...with this hat. How awesome?! Very.

Alas, it appears to be out of stock everywhere. Damn you, fickle finger of fate! If anyone knows of a place that has some squirreled away, I would be ETERNALLY grateful. Also, thank you to Diablo Rose for alerting me to this millinery miracle!

My latest infatuation...

I used to have these all the time when I was little (which probably explains why I was such a porker...ahem!) but I'd forgotten all about them until they popped into my head quite randomly the other day! I just *love* their little faces, the delicate colours and the way they ever-so-slightly shimmer, and of course, they taste DELISH! Anyhoo, all this got me thinking about trying to make some of my own...has anyone ever tried it? The recipe seems virtually idiot-proof (famous last words...) and nothing would make me happier than a big glass jar full of beautiful little sugar mice! *sigh*

I think I may have a bash at making some later in the year for Christmas presents as not only are they are somewhat on the pricey side to buy from the shops, I think there's something very satisfying about giving homemade gifts, made with love, rather than some bog-standard, mass-produced tat. However, if you fancy having a go in the meantime then here's the standard recipe courtesy of Google! Let me know how you get on!

You will need: 1 egg

450g of icing sugar

Food colouring (optional)

Flavouring (optional)

String for the tail

• Separate the white of the egg from the yolk - you don't need the yolk for this recipe so put it away and use it later in a cake!
• Beat the white until frothy - don't let it get stiff
• Sieve the icing sugar into the egg white - you might not need all of the 450grams as egg sizes vary, so be careful not to add too much!
• You are looking for a stiff mixture when the egg white and icing sugar mix up together - but not dry and powdery
• If you wish add a few drops of food colouring as you mix. Do be careful - food colouring is quite strong and you will only need a little. Then knead the mixture into a firm paste and divide and you should get around 12 mouse size pieces
• Make a mouse, either by hand or by using a mould. Remember to add a tail and to push it in and squeeze the icing around it so it won't fall off !!!
• Place your beautiful mouse on to parchment paper or silicon paper on a tray and leave to dry in a safe cool place
• Decorate your mouse to your heart's desire!
• To keep them safe once they have dried, store them in an airtight container

More novelty bakeware...

...because you can never have enough! Ahem. For your delectation today, I give you the sandwich cake mould, possibly the best thing since sliced bread...ho ho!

Made by the same people who brought you the quite-amazing Teacupcakes (they're called Fred, by the way), this baking beauty costs no more than £20 and is available from the usual suspects: ShinyShack, Prezzybox, Iwantoneofthose, thedesignerbox and other establishments of that ilk.

They've also come up with these...ABC (Already Been Chewed...clever!) cookie cutters - cute ickle gingerbread, but with a sneaky missing bite! Om nom nom...

If you find people keep nicking your bikkits, whip up a batch using these and watch people give them a wide berth! Possibly. Priced around £6.99 for a set of three, ka-ching!

Crazy for cupcakes...

As seems to be de rigeur at the moment, I am *obsessed* with cupcakes. For absolutely ruddy ages now, I have lusted after this cupcake-shaped baking tin and joy upon joys, it has been reduced by those lovely folk at Prezzybox to the bargainous sum of £24.60. Huzzah! Offer ends 19th July, so if you want one, be quick!

However, before you part with your hard-earned pennies, it's worth mentioning that ShinyShack are now stocking a silicone giant cupcake mould which is not only cheaper at £16.99, but it features a very nifty central insert that allows you to add all manner of tasty fillings...genius!

Also available at both aforementioned retailers (and other stockists too!) are TEACUPCAKES! Combining my two very favourite things in life, this is sheer cuteness overload! Perfect for an Alice-in-Wonderland style party or just to add a touch of whimsy to afternoon tea, these silicone cupcake moulds (with matching saucers!) are less than £15 for four. Splendid.