Christmas Doodle day

Debenhams
 
This week I did another live draw along session, this time your favourite things about Christmas. 
Here are some of my drawings requested by my followers on twitter and facebook.
Follow me to join in with the next one for a chance for me to draw your request 
and also get a free signed doodle from me!

Twitter @homewithashley
Facebook ashleythomasdesign

Stilton & Thyme Bread

baking
A Christmas inspired bread that's perfect for starters at dinner parties, or just a yummy treat for yourself once you've finished all your Christmas shopping!



You'll need...
For the dough...
1 cup of water (room temperature)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon skimmed milk powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon yeast

For the flavoring...
1 small egg, beaten
100g Stilton
A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme

Make your dough by mixing the above ingredients for the dough.
Knead together for 5 minutes
Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with cling film, leave to rise in a warm place for about 30-40mins or until it has doubled in size. The dough should spring back when you poke it.

Knead the bread again for 2mins, then roll it out on a floured surface into an oblong shape.
Brush the dough with the egg and crumble your cheese over the top.
Then sprinkle the thyme leaves over one half of the dough.
Fold the dough it half enclosing the cheese and thyme, pinch the two sides together and push down gently to release any air.

Then leave it to prove, on a lined baking tray for 45mins and cover will a piece of oiled cling film.

Preheat the oven to 200oC
Brush the top of the dough with the rest of the egg.
Score the top of the dough with a knife a bake for 25mins or until golden.
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 10 mins.


Perfect Pressie - Brownie making kit

Christmas

Perfect pressie idea, a brownie making kit. Perfect for chocolate lovers and people who love to bake.

You'll need...
1 x mixing bowl
500g self raising flour
250g Cocoa powder
500g Caster sugar
250g Pistachio nuts
ribbon for decoration
1 printed recipe (see below)



Chocolate & Pistachio Brownies

You'll need...
250g butter
500g caster sugar
100g cocoa powder
4 beaten eggs
100g self raising flour
150g pistachio nuts

To make...
Place the butter, sugar and cocoa in a
saucepan over a gentle heat and stir
until the butter has melted.
Leave the mixture to cool a little.
Beat the eggs into the cocoa mixture.
Stir in the flour really well and then the
pistachios, pour into a prepared tin.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180oC for
around 25 mins, take care not to overcook them
they should be fudgy rather than cake like.
Leave to cool and cut into squares.




All I want for Christmas...

ashley thomas

I've just finished making my new Christmas hoops, which are now available online.
£14, ashleythomasdesign.co.uk

The illustration is digitally printed in england on to 100% cotton framed in a lovely vintage style embroidery hoop, perfect for adding a fun touch to an empty wall space.

This hoop is limited edition and designed in the Peak District and handmade in England it has a little metal hook for easy hanging. The hoop is lightweight so can be hung on the wall with just a small tack or pin nail.

Made from:
Digitally printed cotton and wood look hoop. Wipe clean only.

Dimensions:
The hoop measures 17cm

Easy mince pies

Ashley Thomas at home


  • You'll need...
  • 350g mincemeat
  • 225g plain flour
  • 2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 125g butter
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • milk, to glaze
  • To make...
  • Mix the flour, sugar together and rub in the butter together until it resembling breadcrumbs, then stir in the egg
  • Roll the the mixture together into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for an hour.
  • In the meantime lightly butter a 12 case  baking tray.
  • Roll out the pastry onto a floured surface. Cut out 12 circles with a pastry cutter, large enough to fill the cases in the baking tray. Press gently into each case, then fill evenly with the mincemeat.
  • Cut out another 12 slightly smaller circles and use to cover the mincemeat. Press the edges together with the end of a fork to seal. Make a small slit in the top of each, then brush lightly with milk.
  • Preheat the oven to 200 C. Bake the pies for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm.

Perfect Pressie - Tea for two

Ashley Thomas at home

I'll be posting some hand picked present ideas perfect for the special people in your life this Christmas over the next three weeks. Here's the first..

My tea for two, the perfect gift for that couple you not sure what to get, but don't want to do the same old bottle of wine and chocolates!

Debenhams, £22.50


Debenhams Oxford Street Store Opening

Debenhams
Yesterday I had the privilege of being part of the Debenhams Store Opening on London's Oxford Street. After a year of renovations and more than £25million spent, the department store is now fully open. I joined some of the biggest names in British design, including Abigail Ahern, Vicki Murdock, Henry Holland, Jenny Packham, Julien Macdonald and Jasper Conran on Oxford Street yesterday to help relaunch Debenhams’s flagship store. 
You can see my exclusive collection for Debenhams on the 4th floor.

Christmas Collection

Ashley Thomas at home
Ok so it's 6 weeks until Christmas so it's about time I posted about my Christmas collection for Debenhams this year. Inspired by the well known song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" my collection includes products such as three french hen egg cups, a partridge in a pear tree tea towel and four calling birds placemats. All coordinated with patterns inspired by knitted Christmas jumpers. Available for a limited time only and exclusively at Debenhams. Shop online

Red onion & goats cheese canapés

baking

These delicious bite size tarts are best served warm, fantastic excuse to have some friends over for a catch up and nibbles!

You'll need...
For the cheese pastry
75g butter
200g plain flour
50g mature cheddar
Dried cayenne pepper

For the filling
25g butter
600g red onions, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Dried sage
125g goats cheese

To Make...
Make your pastry, Pour the flour into a large bowl and rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs
Grate the cheese into the mixture, add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper
Make into a dough, add a splash of cold water if it is too dry
Put into clingfilm and into the fridge for 30mins
Roll out until it is quite thin into baking paper and cut out circles using a pastry cutter
(I managed to get 30 circles out of it)
Grease a cupcake tray and push the circles into the tray, shape them as you go
Bake for 20 mins at 180oC
Leave to cool on a wire rack

Make the filling, Melt the butter in a large pan and add onions
Add the balsamic vinegar and sage to the pan and stir well
Season well and leave to simmer for 30 mins
Allow to cool

Make your canapés, spoon in some of the onion mixture into the tarts and put them on a lining baking tray.
Roll up a spoonful of goats cheese into a ball and flatten into a disc shape, add to the top of the tarts
Bake them again for 15mins at 180c
Serve straight from the oven and add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for an extra kick


Three french hens

Ashley Thomas at home
I know it's far to early on in the year to be talking about Christmas, but I'm so excited about my Christmas range for Debenhams this year that I've just got to share a little bit of it now.
My collection is inspired by "The Twelve Days of Christmas" the famous English Christmas carol. Here's my three french hens egg cups. Aren't they adorable! 
I'll be posting more about the collection soon.
Exclusively available at Debenhams for a limited time only.
Click here to shop online

Carrot Cake

baking
 

8oz self raising flour
5oz muscovado sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 carrot
1 banana
2 large eggs
150ml sunflower oil
2oz walnut halves

For the topping
2oz butter
4oz icing sugar
6oz soft cheese
Walnut halves to decorate

To make...
Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl
Grate the carrot into the bowl and mix throughly
Mash the banana and beat into the mixture
Beat the eggs and add to the bowl along with sunflower oil, mix together really well until smooth
Break up the walnut halves into the bowl and stir well
Turn into a greased 20cm cake tin and level the surface
Pre-heat the oven to 180oc
Bake for 55 mins
Leave to cool, meanwhile make the topping

Warm the butter in a microwave for 30seconds until half melted
Sift in the icing sugar and add the soft cheese, mix together until smooth
Leave in the fridge to chill for 15 mins
Once cooled spread over the cake and decorate with walnut halves

Vintage rose bedding

Ashley Thomas at home



My new vintage rose bedding is now online. This floral design was inspired and painted from my collection of vintage china. With a colourful polka dot, stripy reverse you can change the design over when you fancy a change.

Exclusively available at Debenhams, click the link below to shop online.

www.debenhams.com

Coffee Eclairs

baking
You'll need…

For the Choux Pastry...
50g Butter
150ml water
100g Plain flour
3 medium eggs, beaten

For the filling and icing...
150ml Whipping cream
50g sieved icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water

To make the Choux Pastry…
Put the butter and water into a saucepan and melt over a low heat, then bring to the boil
Remove from the heat and quickly add the flour, stir really fast until mixture forms a ball in the saucepan.
Put into a large bowl to cool
Beat the egg into the cooled mixture a little at a time with a wooden spoon or electric whisk
Preheat the oven to 180oC, grease a baking tray and run under a cold tap to leave a film of water on the tray.
Pipe choux pastry onto trays about 10cm/4 inches long
Bake for 20mins
Remove from the oven and make a slit down one side of the eclair.

Whip the cream and fill the eclaires when they are cold, just before eating so they stay crisp.
Make the coffee icing by mixing the icing sugar and coffee and spoon the icing over the top to finish.

Afternoon Tea Sets

Ashley Thomas at home

My new ceramics collection for Debenhams has started to appear online.
These afternoon tea sets include a teacup and saucer and a cake plate. They come wrapped in a little gift set. Designed with vintage inspired florals and geometric patterns they will really add a quirky touch to your dining room cabinet.

Shop online

Mighty Fruit twist

baking

Warning this sweet loaf is pretty big and designed more for sharing with family and friends, but will stay fresh for a few days so you get the chance to eat it all.

You'll need...for the dough
3/4 cup water, room temperature
2 tablespoons dried skimmed milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups strong white bread flour
1 teaspoon yeast

 For the filling....
400g mix dried fruit, sultanas, raisins, cranberries, apricots or anything you fancy
75g butter
50g caster sugar
1 beaten egg
50g ground almonds

 To make...
Make your dough by mixing the above ingredients together or instead put it all in a bread maker and set to dough.

 If doing it by hand mix well and knead together for 5 minutes.
Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with cling film, leave to rise in a warm place for about 45mins or until it has doubled in size. The dough should spring back when you poke it.

 Mix the butter and sugar to prepare he filling, until nice and creamy.
Gradually mix in the egg and then beat in the ground almonds until smooth.

 Knead the dough for 3mins
Roll out into a floured surface into a rectangle, about 20 x 10 inches
Spread over the butter mixture and sprinkle the dried fruit over the top
Roll it up into a long sausage shape.
Cut down the middle and turn the two open edges to face upright.
Then twist the two strips together, this is quite hard as it can get a bit sticky.
Form into a circle and transfer to a lined baking tray.
Cover with a clean damp tea towel and leave to rise for 45 mins in a warm place

Bake at 200oC for 35mins or until golden


Stilton & Rosemary Shortbread

baking
These biscuits are dangerously delicious hot or cold, and they are really quick and easy to make too. You really can't go wrong.


You'll need...
240g Stilton
120g Butter
120g Plain flour
60g Corn flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

To make...
Get the cheese and butter out of the fridge and leave for 15mins to soften at room temperature. Crumble the Stilton up and mix with the butter until creamy.
Mix in the flour and corn flour and add the salt, pepper and rosemary.
Roll out the dough on baking paper to about the size of a glass worktop saver.
Cut the biscuits into shapes as you like, I've gone for the standard circle cutters but star shapes work really well.
Chill in the fridge for at least 30mins
Bake in a preheated oven at 180oC for around 10-15 mins or until golden brown.

Caramel & Apple Pie

baking


For the pastry
200g plain flour
100g unsalted butter
50g caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 egg yolk, beaten
4 tbsp milk

For the caramel sauce
100g sugar
60ml water
90g butter
30ml double cream

For the apple filling
1 teaspoon lemon zest
30ml lemon juice
3 large cooking apples
30g plain flour
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
50g sugar
1 egg

To make the pastry sieve the flour into a bowl, then rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, sieve in the caster sugar.
Add the lemon zest, egg yolk and 3 tablespoons of milk and mix to make a dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a couple of mins.
Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30mins.

To make the caramel sauce, heat the sugar and water over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
Turn the heat down and cook over a medium heat for 15mins until syrupy and it becomes a caramel colour.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cream.
Whisk until mixed.

Next make the apple filling, combine the lemon zest and lemon juice in a large bowl.
Peel and slice the apples and add to the lemon juice along with the spices and sugar and toss until the apples slices are covered.

Grease a 20cm pie dish and roll out two thirds of the pastry on baking paper until around 5mm thick
flip the rolled pastry upside down over the pie dish and gentle press into the corners.
Add the apples to the pastry case and pour over the caramel sauce. Brush the edge with a little bit of water to help the lid stick.
Roll out the rest of the pastry and use to cover your pie.
Trim the edges with a knife and you can then make leaves to decorate your pie with the left over pastry. Make some holes in the middle to let the steam out.
Brush the top with the rest of the milk
Bake for 40 mins at 190oC

Petits Fours: Génoise sponge with chocolate ganache

baking


You'll need...

For the génoise sponge
3 eggs
75g caster sugar
75g self-raising flour
Vanilla essence
Apricot Jam

For the chocolate ganache
100g Chocolate
100ml double cream

Whisk together the eggs and the sugar using a electric whisk for 5 mins. 
The mixture should be thick and frothy, and the whisk should leave a trial when 
you take it out of the mixture.
Add a few drops of vanilla essence and fold in the flour gently.
Pour into a large tray (lined with baking parchment) so the mixture is shallow.
Bake for 20mins at 200oC

Meanwhile break the chocolate into squares, put into a bowl with the cream.
Melt the chocolate on a bain marie until completely mixed and allow to cool.

Once baked leave the sponge to cool on a wire rack.
Cut the sponge into little 1inch squares and spread with a little apricot jam
Swirl over the chocolate ganache and sandwich two squares together.
Decorate as you wish, cherries work really well or I used these pretty wafer flowers

Autumn Doodles

Debenhams

Thanks for all the doodle requests yesterday over on the Debenhams facebook and twitter pages. 
It was quite challenging drawing your favourite things about Autumn, but great fun!
We'll be sending out each doodle to the lucky Debenhams followers next week.


Live draw along!

Debenhams
Tomorrow I will be drawing live on request all day and bringing your suggestions to life!
Follow the Debenhams twitter and Facebook pages tomorrow morning for a chance for me to sketch your tweets and posts. All you need to do is simply complete the sentence: 
My favourite thing about autumn is…


Chilli & Chorizo Bread

baking
This recipe for Chilli & Chorizo bread is very simple but really delicious.
Add another teaspoon of chill if you like it spicy!
You'll need...

100g Chorizo, finely chopped
2 teaspoons of dried, crushed chillies
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
500gm Strong flour
350ml water, room temperature
1 teaspoon yeast

To make...
Make your dough by mixing the above ingredients together, you can use a food processor with a dough hook to speed things up.

Knead together for 2 minutes.
Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with cling film, leave to rise in a warm place for about 45mins or until it has doubled in size. The dough should spring back when you poke it.

Knead the bread again for 2mins to knock the air out of it.
Then leave it to prove in a warm place, on a lined bread tin for another 45mins and cover will a piece of oiled cling film.

Preheat the oven to 200oC
Bake for 30mins or until golden.
Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 10 mins.
Best served warm with real butter!


All items featured above are available at www.debenhams.com

Debenhams Autumn/Winter catalogue out now

Ashley Thomas at home

The inspirational new Debenhams Home catalogue is available now and it’s jam-packed full of amazing ideas and products to give your home a real lift.
It’s full of this season’s trends brought to you from the unrivalled collection of Designers at Debenhams, which includes Jasper Conran, Ben de Lisi, Betty Jackson, Matthew Williamson, Julien Macdonald, John Rocha and me of course!
And not forgetting our brand new additions to / Edition, Abigail Ahern and Vicki Elizabeth.
Abigail Ahern, celebrated interior designer, stylist and author, launches her Autumn Winter collection with an array of unique accessories. From striking photo frames and mirrors to unmissable animal lamps, adding a splash of personality to your home has never been easier.
Vicki Elizabeth is a renowned designer of quirky animal prints in vivid colours. She incorporates her signature looks in her debut collection by showcasing printed cushions and bedding that are inscribed with imagery of birds, butterflies, cats and graceful swans.
To receive your free copy, enter code VN93 when you purchase any home or furniture products online at www.debenhams.com






Bake off: Lemon & Elderflower Cake

baking
I'm really excited to have The Great British Bake off back on our tellies. I love baking, even though I could never compete with the contestants on the show! I'd like to think that I'll attempt anything at least once, so this year I'm going to bake along with British Bake off. There is a different category each week so I'll make something in that category and aim to post photos of what I've made and the recipe too. This week the category was cake! I've started with quite a simple recipe so everyone can join in.

So.... here's my Lemon & Elderflower Cake
You'll need...

Cake mixture
150g softened butter
200g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
65ml Elderflower cordial
1 tsp Baking Powder
Zest of 1 ½ lemons
200g self-raising flour

Syrup
100g sugar
juice of 1 ½ lemons
75ml Elderflower cordial
50ml Water

Icing
100g butter
150g icing sugar

To make...
Pre-heat the oven to 180oC/gas mark 4.
Line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Mix together the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl.
Add the eggs, cordial, baking powder and lemon zest.
Fold in the flour until smooth.
Pour into the cake tin and bake for 40mins or until golden.

Meanwhile, make the syrup...
Put the sugar, lemon juice, elderflower cordial and water into a saucepan and mix together
Heat for 5 mins or until sugar had dissolved.
Leave to cool.

Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool completely.

Meanwhile make your icing...
Mix together the butter and icing sugar, until it is a creamy consistency.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a glug of elderflower cordial to taste.

Skewer the cake with a fork and pour over the syrup, allowing it to soak into the holes.
Spread the icing over the cake and decorate with the left over lemon 1/2 cut into thin slices.



Cake stand, tins and other goodies available from my "At Home" collection. Exclusive to debenhams 

New Fine China Mugs

ashley thomas
New mugs now online, introducing my marvelous mug collection perfect for morning coffee, afternoon tea and hot chocolate in front of the fire.

They are limited edition and made in stoke-on-trent, England from fine bone china which is known for its whiteness and translucency yet remains strong and chip resistant.


Unfortunately biscuits are not included!

Visit my website for more info....
www.ashleythomasdesign.co.uk

Featured in the Times

Debenhams
 
My new Russian doll collection is featured in today's Daily Mail! Read all about the Russian folk trend and how these little dolls will be invading our homes this autumn.