Valentine's Day baking: Jam tarts with hearts ♥

We don't go overboard with Valentine's Day by any means, but give me any excuse to bake and I'll jump at the chance... so, with Valentine's Day impending upon us this weekend I thought I'd bake some cute Valentine's Day inspired treats...

Jam tarts with hearts <3

I adore jam tarts! They're so simplistic {made from just pastry and jam} yet they're quintessentially English and so delicious. Do they remind you of your childhood? We always used to have them at tea parties and picnics, filled with various different flavoured jams and I'm sure they're probably one of the first things I ever baked with my Mum. They also remind me of that brilliant scene in Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland'...

"The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts, all on a Summer's day...
The Knave of Hearts, he stole those hearts and took them quite away"!

Blackheath & my favourite deli, Hand Made Food

I've been meaning to write a post for some time now on one of my favourite little haunts in one of my most favourite parts of London. It really felt like Spring had sprung yesterday with beautiful blue skies, and it made me want to share with you the beauty of Blackheath - one of my favourite places to be when the sun is out. If you've never visited Blackheath then you really must. It has a real village feel to it with charming, steep Victorian streets winding through it's centre, boasting far too many estate agents(!), some decent charity shops, a fine collection of upmarket furniture and kitchen shops and a few great little independent shops too. Blackheath has more than just shops though - it offers an impressive array of good eateries, chain restaurants and some commendable, traditionally English pubs. It makes for the perfect place for a weekend stroll, dinner with friends or a relaxed, evening drink with your other half. The village feel is accentuated further on Sundays, when Blackheath Farmer's Market opens in the rail station car park, selling farm produce from London's surrounding counties and further afield. We've been a few times now and picked up some great organic vegetables. It's a treat in London to be able to find a reliable, local food market.

This week's happiness

Things that have made me happy this week...

A celebratory lunch!

I love Wahaca, so after I was given a surprise university result yesterday, Rob took me out for a celebratory Wahaca lunch. I wasn't expecting a 2:1 in my recent assignment... it was a difficult module but my hard work obviously paid off. Such a relief and one step closer to earning my degree! Blood orange margaritas, tacos and enchiladas were the best way to celebrate...

Deliciously Ella Brownies

Happy February, y'all! As you've probably gathered by now from my previous posts I'm always on the lookout for healthy, alternative recipes to satisfy my super sweet tooth. It would seem that my entire instagram feed has recently become obsessed with @deliciouslyella and her wonderfully nutritious recipies {no but seriously, her book is brilliant} so I decided to jump on the band wagon and attempt to bake some of Deliciously Ella's sweet potato brownies.

Ok so first things first, let's get one thing straight. You can't be expecting these to taste exactly like a chocolate brownie, because that's not what they are. If you want a brownie, make some god damn brownies! But if you're looking to curb your sweet tooth with something much more healthy & filling, with the look and the incredibly gooey texture of a brownie, then these will do the trick. They're full of goodness too: dates, almonds, sweet potatoes... and a few drops of pure maple syrup. Full of fibre! So you can feel satisfied without the guilt. Hallelujah!