Do any of you have a cool aunt? I have 10 aunts in total and they're all great but Lynne is my very cool aunt who is favoured above all other aunts!
The first time I got to meet her I was 11, she was 28. She lives in South Africa and so that is why it took us so long to finally meet! The first time I knew she was super cool was when she had just taken us to get some lime milkshakes and we were driving around in her car with the music blasting and she started slurping the last bit of her milkshake, that is something my mom would never allow me to do so I told this to Lynne and she told me I was definitely allowed when I was with her! So we slurped up our milkshakes as loud as we could, and as an 11 year old I thought that was pretty fantastic!
The fun didn't end there! Every trip I have ever made to South Africa, I have always been crazy spoilt by Lynne! She would always take me on shopping trips, all expenses paid! and she always knew the best spots for cake and frulattas (a South African drink - a cross between a milkshake and a smoothie with chunks of real fruit on top). We would talk about guys non stop and I would tell her all about my little crushes and who was the current boy of the moment!
After the first trip I made out there we became permanent 'pen pals' and I still have boxes of the letters she sent to me. These days it's easier to keep in touch through Facebook and email...although I do miss our letter writing days, since getting post is always that little bit more fun!
Lynne also has a very sweeth tooth, just like me! In fact she was the one who helped inspire me to start this blog because she took me to lots of South African cupcakeries back on my visit in 2009 before the trend had really begun in the U.K. When I came home I was crazy for cupcakes and I started to bake them whenever I could! There is nothing we like better than going to grab a cake and a shake, oh and occasionally we like to get our nails done too!
She also knows all the best restaurants! She took us to one of the Top 10 restaurants in South Africa while we were in Durban, and also to Kream in Pretoria where we had amazing biltong soup!
Harrie's Pancakes was also another great find, a My Old Dutch Style pancake house but with delicious fillings like mango!
and of course all the best little cafe's with cakes and tasty treats...
So it makes me sad that because of a huge ocean and a few dozen countries that separate us I'm not able to bake treats for Lynne on her birthday! but I decided I could bake some treats and share them with her virtually (that's the next best thing right?) So I sneakily looked on her pinterest to see what sweet treats she had been pinning recently and when I stumbled upon these s'mores bars I knew that's what I would bake for her!
Happy Birthday Lynne! I hope you have a really amazing day filled with lots of cake and delicious treats (even if you are only able to look at pictures of it, and not try it!)
Come back to England soon and I will bake you round two of these!
These are definitely the best thing I've baked in a while, the dough actually tastes like a graham cracker so it does taste like you're eating an enormous s'more. I love the sticky marshmallow and the gooey warm chocolate in between the layers of dough, all the flavours compliment each other perfectly!
S'mores Bars:
Makes 9
From The Apron Gal
113g unsalted butter, at room temperature
50g dark brown soft sugar
112g caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
162g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
60g graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
3 x 120g Dairy Milk chocolate bars
180g marshmallow fluff (available at Asda or TK Maxx)
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease an 8x inch sqaure dish. I also lined mine with parchment paper.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt.
Add to butter mixture and mix at low speed until combined.
Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.
Place chocolate bars over dough. They should fit side by side, but break the chocolate if necessary to get it to fit into a single layer.
Spread marshmallow fluff evenly over the chocolate layer.
Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Bake these for a loved one today - you will not regret it!
Lynne also has a very sweeth tooth, just like me! In fact she was the one who helped inspire me to start this blog because she took me to lots of South African cupcakeries back on my visit in 2009 before the trend had really begun in the U.K. When I came home I was crazy for cupcakes and I started to bake them whenever I could! There is nothing we like better than going to grab a cake and a shake, oh and occasionally we like to get our nails done too!
She also knows all the best restaurants! She took us to one of the Top 10 restaurants in South Africa while we were in Durban, and also to Kream in Pretoria where we had amazing biltong soup!
Harrie's Pancakes was also another great find, a My Old Dutch Style pancake house but with delicious fillings like mango!
and of course all the best little cafe's with cakes and tasty treats...
So it makes me sad that because of a huge ocean and a few dozen countries that separate us I'm not able to bake treats for Lynne on her birthday! but I decided I could bake some treats and share them with her virtually (that's the next best thing right?) So I sneakily looked on her pinterest to see what sweet treats she had been pinning recently and when I stumbled upon these s'mores bars I knew that's what I would bake for her!
Happy Birthday Lynne! I hope you have a really amazing day filled with lots of cake and delicious treats (even if you are only able to look at pictures of it, and not try it!)
Come back to England soon and I will bake you round two of these!
These are definitely the best thing I've baked in a while, the dough actually tastes like a graham cracker so it does taste like you're eating an enormous s'more. I love the sticky marshmallow and the gooey warm chocolate in between the layers of dough, all the flavours compliment each other perfectly!
S'mores Bars:
Makes 9
From The Apron Gal
113g unsalted butter, at room temperature
50g dark brown soft sugar
112g caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
162g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
60g graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
3 x 120g Dairy Milk chocolate bars
180g marshmallow fluff (available at Asda or TK Maxx)
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease an 8x inch sqaure dish. I also lined mine with parchment paper.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt.
Add to butter mixture and mix at low speed until combined.
Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.
Place chocolate bars over dough. They should fit side by side, but break the chocolate if necessary to get it to fit into a single layer.
Spread marshmallow fluff evenly over the chocolate layer.
Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Bake these for a loved one today - you will not regret it!
These look sooo delicious! You will definitely have to bake a round 2! I'm very impressed with the writing Gem :) xx
ReplyDeleteYummy; wish I could have these for lunch ;-)!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely thing to do for your aunt - I'm sure she was very pleased and enjoyed the virtual s'mores bars. She definitely sounds like a fun aunt and your trips to South Africa sound amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post! And needless to say, those smores bars look unbelievably tasty. I've got hunger pangs for marshmallows now!
ReplyDeleteGreat tribute post for Lynne. I bet she wished technology was advanced enough that she could eat right from the screen! xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun day you had! It looks so good too - what a lucky girl!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a cool aunt but i do have a wonderful sister who is 14 years older than me so i know what you mean :) we're so close and because she lives in Hk and i'm in Melbourne...it's hard for me to bake her sweet goodies so I will alway bake her things virtually hehe :) Hope you get to go to South Africa again soon :D
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday to your Aunt Lynne ~