Quick Bites: Dior socks it to us, Fresh Blueberry & Jam Tart, house envy, day glo nails, Gucci mini-models, honey truffle popcorn and the original rock chick

• Oh Dior! J’adore your thigh-high ribbed socks with loose devil-may-care bow. Warning: only for the slimmed pinned! browns

• Molly made this wonderful looking Fresh Blueberry and Jam Tart in her family cabin after being startled by a wild buck deer she suspects was nibbling at her wild blueberries (great story, worth a read!). Think fresh berries layered onto a jam-topped graham cracker crust. Easy peasy and crazy tasty. The ginger in the crust is optional, but terribly delicious thedinnerfiles

• Yep we’re green with envy. Check out this chic and fabulous house on Sweden’s largest Island Gotland.  Clean, white, classically modern yet totally livable. LOVE! emmasdesignblogg

• We are craving day glo nails. Particularly YSL nail lacquer in Ultra Orange. Finger licking fabulous. wmag

• Jennifer Lopez’s twins Max and Emme are the “spokes-mini-models’ for Gucci’s childrenswear range graziauk

• Model, mom, and veteran Rolling Stone wife, Patti Hansen saw her cool 50s upended by an unwelcome guest: cancer. Read this great story and drool over the fabulous photography by Annie Leibovitz vogueus

• Warning: One sniff of Red Pandora’s honey truffle popcorn and you’ll tear through the bag like a raccoon at a trash bash. dailycandy

Cake couture and dreaming of Dior

My sister-in-law Sadie is one stylish cook. Take a peep at the dreamy creation she made last weekend — chocolate and hazelnut cake iced in a chocolate gananche and crowned with a posy of pretty fushia roses.  Watching her whip it together, I couldn’t help but wistfully reflect on John Galliano’s couture collection for Dior. It too was a mix of rich, luxe, dreamy hues adorned with petals, ruffles and blossoms in the rosiest of shades. 

My only job was to slice and serve this gorgeous dessert and add a generous dollop of Frangelico cream on the side … which I prompty forgot. Luckily it was completely delicious all on it’s own …

Sadie’s Chocolate & Hazlenut Cake with Chocolate Ganache

• 250g butter
• 250g ground hazelnuts
• 250g dark chocolate
• 250g caster sugar
• 8 eggs separated

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C or 160 degrees C fan forced oven.

Melt butter and chocolate together. Beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy then fold in hazelnuts. Stir in melted chocolate mixture then beat egg whites and fold into mixture. Pour into lined tin and bake for 40-50 minutes. When out of the oven allow to cool in tin.

Chocolate Ganache

• 200g dark chocolate
• 150ml pouring cream
• 45g butter

Melt all ingredients together, stirring constantly. Pour over cake, and smooth to finish. 

FFF NOTES…  

This cake can be happily popped in the freezer and pulled out when needed.

This cake is best served with a boozy accompaniment like a thickened cream enhanced with a splash (or many) of Frangelico. Enjoy!

Quick Bites: Dior, Christy Turlington, Alexander's Issie, Feather earrings, Buttermilk Pancakes with Walnut Topping

• Couture week has bloomed in Paris with Dior’s blossom ispired concoctions. J’adore this rapberry ripple creation that looks good enough to eat. style

• While most glossies go the summer route and celebrate the season by emblazoning idyllic locations and bikinis on their covers, Vogue Italia decided to do the opposite. Steven Meisel has photographed supermodel Christy Turlington for the cover bundled up and ready for a snow storm, in one of the pieces from the much talked about Chanel Fall 2010 runway modelinia

• A delicious reason to get out of bed in the morning — Buttermilk Pancakes with Walnut Topping. Heaven on a plate courtesy of applesandbutter.

• A rose personally chosen by the late Alexander McQueen for his friend Isabella Blow before he passed away has been launched at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. The flower, named Alexander’s Issie, was presented to Blow’s sister Julia Delves Broughton earlier today. vogue.uk

• Life would be complete with these exquisite 18-karat gold dipped feather earrings by Aurelie Bidermann. net-a-porter

From runway to red carpet with a small alteration here and there....

Whilst some red carpet frocks are a cinch to spot others are not. Whilst most dresses are straight from a designer’s collections, others are super-special. Maggie Gyllenhaals’ Dries Van Noten was adapted from a dress from the A/W 2010 collection shown in Paris just days ago. Charlize Theron’s Dior concoction was derived from their Haute Couture collection shown in January.