A designer apron was just what I needed to give me a renewed vigour to cook something-worth-blogging-about.
Buycuteaprons.com is an online store from the UK that sells a range of designer aprons. Kirsteen, owner of buycuteaprons.com had been kind enough to send me this elegant vintage inspired Ulster Weaver's apron which I had chosen. Although the red was less vibrant than I expected it did look very pretty once I had put it on. Very Audrey Hepburn-ish. Very vintage. Very hostess with the mostest-ish.
Buycuteaprons.com is stocked with all the top UK and American apron designs. With new styles being added regularly. Mostly feminine, some of them being vintage inspired, some retro, some sexy and some just plain cute-adorable. Designer brands include Cupcake Provocateur, Jessie Steele, Sugar Baby Aprons, Ulster Weavers and many more. They also have cute aprons for children and manly ones for men.
But what took me by surprise was that Jessie Steele aprons have been featured in Desperate Housewives and Oprah. And in the a scene from the recent Sex and the City 2 movie a Cherry Cupcakes apron was used by Charlotte. Talk about celebrity status!
If that has piqued your interest in Jessie Steele's apron creations you'll be sure to find them at buycuteaprons.com.
However, to go with the vintage inspired Ulster Weavers apron which was totally responsible for this renewed burst of energy I made some jam drops from a recipe by Ellice Handy. Her recipe book was first published in the 1950's in the then Malaya. That makes this recipe a vintage cookie recipe. And yes, I actually used the apron while fiddling with the dough. It's cotton, very comfortable, very, very light and of course it made me feel very pretty. The apron I mean.
Here's the recipe that I made while donning this apron which had a pretty flower brooch on one side and 2 cute pockets to boot ~ I think pockets on aprons are so important.
The Recipe ~
This recipe was so tiny I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Measuring butter by tablespoons is just not my thing.
I have made these before when i was a dreamy newly wed but I've never made them again since because filling a small ball of dough with gloppy jam and sealing it up into a ball was not that much fun. It's no wonder that Ms. Ellice Handy made such a small recipe.
As I had expected the jam seeped through which wasn't a bad thing because I thought it added character. I decided to crown them all with a quarter of a glace cherry so they would look a little more photogenic. All in all they do look quite vintage. Just like the apron that came all the way from buycuteaprons.com
I have to say that this cookie isn't fantastic. Mediocre at best. It would have been better if the dough had more butter in it. Apart from that the overall taste would depend on the quality of jam you used. But it does satisfy your sweet tooth if you have a craving but don't want to ruin your diet.
Jam Drops ~
1 1/2 T butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup SR Flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
some jam
Grease or line a baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside. Sift flour into a bowl. Set aside. In a seperate bowl cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and beat until well combined and smooth.
Fold in flour and mix well until you get a soft dough. You may refrigerate the dough for a 1/2 hour to firm it up if necessary.
Divide the dough into 16 balls. Make a hole in each ball and fill with some jam of your choice. Seal and roll up into a ball again. Arrange them on the baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minute until lightly golden at the edges. Enjoy.
