In The Royal Manner (13 page)

SPIDER'S WEB COOKIES

Makes: 12

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus cooling and setting

Cooking time: approx. 20 minutes

300g/10oz plain flour

175g/6oz butter or margarine

50g/2oz ground almonds

75g/3oz caster sugar

1 medium egg, beaten

Assorted tubes of coloured writing icing

12 brown Smarties or chocolate buttons

24 chocolate polka dots

Preheat the oven to 1 80° C/350° F/Gas 4

1. Sieve the flour into a bowl then rub in the butter or margarine until the mixture resembles fresh breadcrumbs. Stir in the ground almonds, sugar, beaten egg and enough water to form a firm dough.

2. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, then roll out to a thickness of 6mm/l in. Using a 7.5 cm/3l in round cutter, stamp out 12 circles, rerolling as necessary. Place on lightly greased baking sheets and chill for 30 minutes, then bake for 15–20 minutes until firm and lightly golden. Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. To decorate, pipe a web design on to each biscuit. Place a chocolate button in the centre of each web–this will be the spider's body–and secure 2 polka dots on top with icing. Pipe detail on to each polka dot to resemble an eye. Pipe 8 legs on to each spider and stand for 10 minutes to set before serving.

CREEPYCRAWLIES IN JELLIES

Makes: 12

Preparation time: 20 minutes plus cooling and setting

No cooking

2 packets green jelly/gelatin

2 packets yellow jelly/gelatin

350g/12oz assorted jelly (gummy) bug sweets –not sugar–coated

2 packets orange jelly/gelatin

1. Make up the green jelly according to the packet instructions. Cool and then pour into 12 small plastic cups or dishes. Chill until set.

2. Make up the yellow jelly according to the packet instructions and allow to cool. Sprinkle a few jelly bugs on to each of the green jellies and then pour the liquid yellow jelly on top. Chill until set.

3. Make up the orange jelly according to the packet instructions and allow to cool. Pour over each jelly and chill until set.

4. Decorate the jellies with more jelly bugs, snakes and lollipops as required.

LADYBIRD BIRTHDAY CAKE

Cuts into approx. 32 slices

Preparation time: 2 hours plus cooling and drying

cooking time: approx. 40 minutes

450g/1 lb caster sugar

450g/l lb butter or margarine, softened

8 medium eggs, beaten

450g/l lb self–raising flour

1 tsp vanilla essence

500g/l lb 4oz ready–made buttercream

4 tbsp strawberry jam, softened

300g/10oz black–coloured fondant icing

225g/8oz red–coloured fondant icing

50g/2oz white fondant icing

2 black pipe cleaners

250g/9oz desiccated coconut

Green food colouring

Silk flowers and sweets to decorate

Preheat the oven to 190° C/375° F/Gas 5. Grease and flour 2 x 23 x 28cm/9 x 11 in oblong cake tins or clean roasting tins.

1. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and butter or margarine until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs with a little of the flour.

2. Sieve the rest of the flour into the bowl and add the vanilla essence. Fold in using a large metal spoon. Transfer to prepared tins, smooth the surface and bake for 35–40 minutes until golden, risen and firm to the touch. Loosen from the tins, but do not remove. Stand on wire racks to cool, then turn on to a board, one on top of the other.

3. Cut round the cakes to form into an egg shape–this will be the main body of the ladybird [keep the trimmings and use them for trifles or coke crumbs for truffles). Separate the cakes and spread one half with 225g/8oz buttercream and then the jam. Sandwich the halves back together and press down gently.

4. Using a large sharp knife, carefully ‘shave’ the top cake to round off the body and slightly narrow off the head end. Soften the remaining buttercream and spread all over the cake to cover it evenly.

5. Roll out the black fondant on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar and use to cover one third of the narrowest part of the cake. Trim, neaten and reserve the trimmings.

6. Roll out the red fondant as above and cover the rest of the cake, overlapping the red on top of the black. Trim, neaten and reserve the trimmings.

7. Score down the middle of the red fondant to resemble wings. Score the black fondant to separate the head from the body.

8. Roll out the black fondant trimmings and stamp out 8 small circles. Secure 6 to the red body with a little water to resemble the ladybird's spots. Roll out the white fondant and stamp out 2 small circles. Secure to the head with water, and secure the remaining 2 black circles on top to look like eyes. Cut out small crescent–moon shapes from the white fondant and secure to the eyes to resemble highlights. Cut a small red mouth from the red fondant trimmings and secure to the cake.

9. Press pipe cleaners into the ladybird's head for antennae and mould 2 small black balls of fondant on to the ends. Allow the cake to stand for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, lightly covered with clear wrap or greaseproof paper, so that the fondant will dry out,

10. To serve, place the coconut in a bowl and toss in a few drops green food colouring. Mix well. Sprinkle over a cake board and place the ladybird cake on top. Decorate with silk flowers and sweets before serving.

STRAWBERRY SLUSH

A delicious and nutritious drink, full of vitamin C.

Serves 4

No cooking

12 water ice cubes

12 lemonade ice cubes

30 strawberries

cup of water

1. Blend ice cubes until crushed.

2. Add strawberries and blend until thick and smooth, adding a cup of water if necessary.

3. Serve in tall glasses with bendy straws.

CHILDREN'S PARTIES

Everyone remembers attending a party when they were young. It is usually the first social event we encounter and they can form some of our earliest memories. With a little imagination, a child's party can be a magical event and may provide a talking point for other children and their parents.

Children's parties must be well planned so you should make a timetable for the day and try to stick to it, and be prepared for any eventuality! Young children tire quickly, so a two–hour party is probably about the right length. They also need constant supervision and attention, so you should recruit some willing helpers to assist you.

A themed party is a good idea. Choose something based on a personal hobby or interest–outer space, dinosaurs, monsters, modes of transport, animals, fairies and pixies, teddy bears are all successful themes and, above all, the party must be fun, colourful and exciting.

Choose the venue carefully. Outdoor parties are much easier to control, as you don't have to worry so much about spillages and mess, but you do need a contingency plan in case of bad weather. Decide how many children to invite. Ask yourself how many parties your child has been invited to during the past year. Those children should be invited back as a matter of principle, regardless of how many times you have seen them since. Ask the birthday child who they would like to be invited as well.

Now you are ready to send out the invitations. These could be designed to match the party theme. Don't forget to include the date, venue, party theme and the start and finish time. Try to send them out about two weeks in advance and indicate that a reply would be helpful, giving your name and telephone number.

On the day of the party, make the table look as bright and inviting as possible. Coloured disposable tablecloths and tableware are the order of the day. and balloons, paper napkins, streamers, paper hats and bendy straws will provide a splash of colour.

You could tie a helium–filled balloon to the back of each child's chair, and afterwards they can take them home. You will also need a portable music player on hand for the games, and a camera to capture all those wonderful moments.

Having witnessed many children's parties, I can tell you that the following running order is the best and has been tried and tested many times! For children arriving at the parry, it is customary for them to bring a card and small gift for the birthday child. You need to keep them occupied from the very start, so a drawing or painting table is a good idea. The best picture could win a prize. This gives you time to allow all the children to arrive before the party officially begins.

Let the children jump up and down as much as they like at the beginning of the party. Work them into near exhaustion with energetic games whilst their tummies are empty! Once the tea is over it is the time to play quieter games like the traditional English game Pass the Parcel. Place a small present or sweet in between each layer of paper, so that every child will win a prize. You might want to introduce an entertainer like a magician or clown at this stage, or play a short video to quieten them down before going home.

When the children leave the party, it is customary for them to receive a ‘goody bag’ which again could have the same theme as the party. It usually contains some sweets, a small toy and a piece of birthday cake. Put a little note inside to thank them for coming to the party. Prepare these bags in advance and label them with each child's name.

Although you'll be thoroughly exhausted, the party will have been a magical day for your child, and the photographs you took will be a happy souvenir for you and your children in the years to come.

GAMES

Games are an essential part of any party. A mixture of noisy, quiet and energetic games is the best approach. Make a list of the games you intend to play. It is always advisable to have a larger selection of games than you may require. There are many timeless classics like Pass the Parcel and Musical Chairs which can be adapted to suit your party. But here are some ideas which fit into the theme we have chosen.

LADYBIRD, LADYBIRD–each child is given a sheet of paper with a picture of the main body of a ladybird on it. They will also need a pencil or crayon and a dice. In turn, each child rolls the dice, the number on the dice corresponding with the body parts of the ladybird: