six barrel soda co

So, Six Barrel Soda Co can literally be described by *insert on point emoji*. (When someone lets me post emojis on my blog, my life will be complete!)

Six Barrel Soda Co hand makes soda syrups in New Zealand to sell to cafes and households. I was lucky enough to be sent a few bottles to try out!! I received a classic raspberry and lemon (my favourite!) and ginger ale as well as their new cherry and pomegranate flavour!

Here's what I did with my syrups

- Harri xoxo

raspberry + lemon

taste: sweet lemonade with a tang of raspberry. I really like this because it actually tastes like raspberries and is natural

add in: freeze dried raspberries, lemon and a touch of mint for the cold tingly flavour mixed with cirtus

perfect for: a summer's day by the pool with friends

buy and read more here

ginger ale

taste: spicy and gingery flavour with a light peppery taste

add in: a wedge of lime for a perfect combination of spice and citrus tastes

perfect for: an evening winter warmer but cool drink when you need a good mocktail

buy and read more here

cherry + pomegranate

taste: refreshing and sweet with a tang

add in: pomegranate and mint of course. If you possibly have some freeze dried cherries they could be a lovely add in too

perfect for: coming home to after a long day at work in autumn as it gets cooler. The fresh pomegranate brings out summer again.

buy and read more here

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, and all opinions expressed are my own. I was sent the soda syrups free of charge in return for a review and feature on harri wren blog. Many thanks to Oliver @ Six Barrel Soda Co for sending me the soda syrups to try out and share with you

banana and coconut loaf

This was a recipe that my mum found and baked while we were at Waiheke. To be honest, it's one of the best things I've ever tasted, especially on the beach in the morning when it was still warm out of the oven (doesn't it sound like paradise!).

So my mum shared this on her blog and since I actually took the photo for her, I'm stealing it to share it with you guys because you are missing out otherwise. Seriously, go make this right now, it's too good not to!!!

Full credit to this recipe goes to the surfer Kelly Slater

Ingredients
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup coconut flour.
2 tbsp coconut oil
3 eggs
2 mashed bananas
1/4 cup honey

Mix together all the dry ingredients. In another bowl mix together the wet ingredients. Combine both
Pour into a greased loaf tin.  Bake at 175C for 25 mins or until golden and just cooked through.

Enjoy

- Harri xx

The Chocolate Fudge

Why the chocolate fudge you may ask, well it's a special thing to many of my friends and I. It even has a bit of a story. Just over a year ago, you may remember me going to a camp for a month. It was here where we lived in a house together and cooked, cleaned and adventures in the outdoors with instructors (I really could go on for hours about this!).

Anyway back to the slice, many times, we made this slice and it quickly became our favourite midnight snack and something to look forward to in the evenings. It was most definitely our sugar hit (WARNING: read no further if you are cutting down on sugar!!!)

So yes, it's a sugary, buttery and mouth watering recipe that's just so wonderful I had to share our recipe for it! I know the girls I shared the camp experience with will be excited seeing this come out from the depths of the camp cookbook.

Ingredients

2 eggs, lightly beaten

250g butter

3/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 packets (500g) of plain super wine biscuits, crushed into chunks

*To crush biscuits, place into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin. Even though it sounds easy - don't use a food processor because it becomes too fine!

Line a baking tin with baking paper. Around 30cm x 24cm in size. Place eggs, butter, sugar, cocoa and vanilla in a pot over low heat. Stir constantly and remove it from the heat just before it comes to a simmer. Mix in crushed biscuits*. Put mixture into the tin and ice with chocolate icing (recipe below) and then set in fridge.

Chocolate Icing

Mix together 3 1/4 cups icing sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa, 50g melted butter, 3 tbsp boiling water and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and spreadable.

Enjoy your sweet treat

- Harri x

gift ideas from the kitchen

hello everyone!
Today I'm partnering with Avery Products new Celebrate with Avery campaign to bring you another video (see the first one here). This time I'm showing you three gift ideas straight from the kitchen.

The new collection from Avery is made especially for celebrations and events and can be personalised exactly how you like them with just your home printer. These labels all come on A4 sheets and Avery's free software makes it a hassle free project.

So watch the video below and see how to make cupcake in a jar, wrapped cookies and hot chocolate on a spoon - all with personalised, hand made labels.



Hope you enjoyed the video.
Tag me on Instagram if you make anything and all recipes are linked in the video but they are also below.

1 / Chocolate Cake Recipe
2 / Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
3 / Make a Hot Chocolate

Thanks
- Harri xx

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, and all opinions expressed are my own. I was sent Avery Products free of charge in return for this video collaboration on vanilla craft blog. Many thanks to Erin @ The Defectors for sending me the labels.

chocolate chip cookies

hello everyone!
Today I'm sharing my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe. This isn't my recipe, but our family love it so much I thought I should share it!

Full credits go to Annabel Langbein for this recipe, from her book Anyone Can Bake.

250g butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
few drops vanilla essence
2 1/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 160˙C and line baking trays.
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in the vanilla and condensed milk, then stir in dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Chill for 15 minutes in the fridge so it's firm enough to shape and roll.

Roll into walnut size balls and place on baking trays, allowing some room to flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake 20 minutes until lightly golden and set.

Store in airtight container for 1 - 2 weeks.

- harri x

Sally's Chocolate Cake

Remember my birthday post. Well lots of you wanted the cake recipe, so I thought I should share it with you. This chocolate cake is egg free and dairy free because our family friend's son is dairy and egg free. But I still love this cake so much - I can't really tell the difference. It is very moist and chocolately, beware: chocoholics, you might become addicted. This cake also has the easiest method ever.

1 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 tbsp malt vinegar
1/2 cup Canola oil
1 cup Water

Method

Sift dry into a bowl and add wet. Bake at 190˚C for 1 hour and 15 mins. I suggest keeping an eye on it after an hour. It depends on the oven. Serve with your favourite chocolate icing and whipped cream.

I hope you enjoy it. xx Harri

Russian Fudge

I love russian fudge so much. It's very easy to make, but you may not want to read this recipe if you don't like eating too much sugar. This recipe from the Chelsea Sugar website, is very sugary and sweet. But don't stop your sweet tooth if you love fudge!!

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups Chelsea White Sugar
125g butter
3 Tbsp Chelsea Golden Syrup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
200g sweetened condensed milk (half a standard tin)
2 tsp vanilla essence
Method
Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Beat (I use an electric mixer) until the fudge is creamy and thick and has lost its gloss. Pour into a greased 20cm cake pan. Score the top and break into pieces when cold.
Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Beat (I use an electric mixer) until the fudge is creamy and thick and has lost its gloss. Pour into a greased 20cm cake pan. Score the top and break into pieces when cold.

I served mine with a iced chocolate on some pretty doilies. xx Harri 

Bambina Hot Chocolates

Everyone loves a hot chocolate on a winters day (or any day), but this recipe is different as it's made with real chocolate melts. You will need a steam wand on a coffee machine but heated over a stovetop would work (you wouldn't get the foam though).

Recipe from Bambina Cafe 

Ingredients Needed Chocolate Melts, boiling water and milk. 1. Add 8 chocolate melts to a glass. 2. Add a splash of boiling water to the glass (this helps the chocolate melt) 3. Heat or steam milk and pour over chocolate melts and water. 4. Get a spoon and stir it all up so the chocolate spreads throughout the glass. Enjoy.

Marble Cake

There is something about the colours in marble cake that makes me instantly happy. A few years ago, my friend and I made this cake. I was looking through my iPhoto Library and found the photos. I went into my recipe box and there the recipe was, sitting there waiting to be used. So I thought it would be nice to share the recipe with you. The photos aren't the best (lots of mess around), as we went good photographers at that point.

Marble Cake. Makes 1. Recipe from Edmond's cookbook.

Cake

115 g butter

1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence 

2 eggs

2 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup milk

2 tbsp cocoa

2 tbsp boiling water

1/4 tsp red food colouring 

Butter Icing

115g butter

2 cup icing sugar

1 tbsp milk

2 tbsp lemon juice

1.2 tsp Vanilla essence

Method

Soften the butter and bring eggs to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350˙F and line a 8 in / 20 cm round tin with baking paper.

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla till light and fluffy. Beat the eggs with a fork and add them a little at a time. Sift flour and baking powder. Add sifted ingredients to the mixture in there lots alternately with the milk. 

Divide mixture into three portions. Sift cocas powder and pour on the boiling water, stirring till you have a lump-free paste. Add this to one portion of mixture and colour the third part red/pink.

Now drop spoonfuls of the three mixtures into the prepared tin. Lastly draw a knife or fork firmly through the mixture to create marbled streaks.

Bake the cake for about 60 minutes, rotating the tin after 30 minutes. The cake is cooked when the top is golden or a skewer comes out clean. Decorate with butter icing (see below) and shaved chocolate.

Butter Icing Recipe

Make the butter icing by creaming the butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a food processor. In a bowl mix milk and lemon juice then add desired amount to icing. Spread onto cake.

I hope you try this recipe out sometime, it's always very fun to make. xx Harri

Salmon Crudo

Salmon crudo is one of our families favourite lunch time meals. We enjoy it with pomegranates and herbs. And its so easy.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Pomegranate seeds
1 fillet of raw Salmon
2 limes
1/2 cup micro herbs

Slice the salmon thinly and place on plate. Add pomegranate seeds, micro herbs and lime juice. Season with pepper and eat with a side of bread.

It is actually that simple, I probably didn't even need to write it up for you xx Harri

Little Lemon Cakes

Yesterday my two friends came over and we make cupcakes. We actually had about 12 cupcakes, but we aren't the best meringue pipers. I was the worse. But Gemma actually managed to do one perfectly (right at the end, I might add). But I won't show you my rocky, dangerous mountains of meringue!! Nestled inside these little cupcakes, are little cavities of lemon curd!! Hidden, a little secret suprise for the lucky eater. At the end, we took photos of Gemma's amazingly piped mountain, for each others blogs. My other friend Hayley doesn't have one yet. I'll let you know when she does. The photo above is actually on her t shirt, not fabric. But I wouldn't mind if it was!!

So now you have heard about my day, do you want to move on to the recipe.....

Little Lemon Cakes. Makes 12 (regular size). Recipe from Julie Le Clerc, Little Cafe Cakes

Ingredients

1 and a ½ cups self raising flour

¾ cup caster sugar

150g salted butter, softened

3 eggs, lightly beaten

4 tblsp milk

juice and zest of 2 lemons

lemon curd (below)

meringue (below)

1 Preheat oven to 175C. Prepare 12 paper cases.

2 Place first six ingredients into a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Spoon mixture to ¾ fill cases. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 120C.

3 Once cold enough to handle, cut out a large cavity from the top of each cupcake and discard. Fill cavity with lemon curd. Pipe small mounds of meringue on top of lemon curd. Bake for 10 minutes further to set meringue.

Lemon Curd (we cheated, and brought our lemon curd. But this recipe is good as well)

75g salted butter

½ cup sugar

Juice and zest of two lemons

2 eggs, beaten

1 Place butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest into a double boiler. Stir over heat until sugar has dissolved. Whisk warm mixture into beaten eggs and return to double boiler. Cook over a low heat until mixture thickens to coat the back of a spoon.

Meringue

2 egg whites

½ cup caster sugar

1. Whisk egg whites until stiff. Add 1 tablespoonful of the sugar and whisk until
incorporated. Whisk in remaining sugar until mixture is glossy.

Makes 12

We also sometimes just make the lemon cakes and add creme frache (hope that is the spelling) icing on top. Just as delicious but for a more fun process do the meringue.