Style - “A woman is never sexier than when she is comfortable in her clothes." —Vera Wang

 

Keep your heels, head and standards high."
—Coco Chanel

"You can have anything you want. If you dress for it."
—Edith Head

"You can't be melancholy in fashion because people don't respond to it."
—Isaac Mizrahi

Vintage Couture

A Cristobal Balenciaga beaded ivory satin sleeveless sheath dress 

(Paris, early 1960s), white tulle layer embroidered in ivory silks

 and gilt metal threads.

House of Dior

House of Balenciaga

Anne Fogarty

 Yves Saint Laurent

Cristobal Balenciaga 1963

Unknown

Dress, Evening, Geoffrey Beene (American, 1927–2004) Date: ca. 1967

Apricot Cranberry and Pecan Fruit Cake

 

Ingredients

• 150 g (5oz) dried apricots chopped

• 75 g (3oz) dried cranberries
• 150 ml (¼pt) freshly squeezed orange juice
• 100 g (3½oz) golden caster sugar
• 75 g (3oz) muscovado sugar
• 175 g (6oz) softened butter 
• 3 large eggs
• 225 g (8oz) plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 50 g (2oz) chopped pecans 
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom seeds or
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

To decorate

• 6 tbsp clear honey
• 50 g (2oz) dried apricots
• 25 g (1oz) dried cranberries
• 25 g (1oz) pecan nuts

Instructions

• Place 150g (5oz) chopped dried apricots, 75g (3oz) dried cranberries and 150ml (¼ pt)freshly squeezed orange juice and heat gently until the orange juice just comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Grease and line the base of a 20cm (8in) deep round cake tin with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan)/400°F/gas mark 4.
• Place 100g (3½ oz) caster sugar, 75g (3oz) light muscovado sugar in a mixing bowl with 175g (6oz) butter and beat until pale and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well. Add 1 tbsp of the 225g (8oz) plain flour with the last egg to help prevent curdling.
• Add the cooled fruit, and pecan nuts to the bowl. Sift in the remaining flour and 1½ tsp baking powder. Then add ¼ tsp ground cardamon seeds or ½ tsp ground cinnamon. Carefully fold the ingredients together until well mixed.
• Pour into the prepared baking tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 50 minutes – 1 hour until risen golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To decorate

• Heat the honey in a small saucepan and stir in the dried apricots, cranberries and pecan nuts. Stir until well coated bring the honey to the boil, then allow to cool slightly before spooning around the edge of the cake. Allow to set before serving. Take care the honey will be extremely hot to begin with don't be tempted to taste it until fully cold.

Notes

I've used a mixture of caster sugar and light muscovado to add a little extra flavour to the cake but you can use all caster sugar if you prefer.

Ideally, allow the soaked fruit to cool completely before adding to the cake mix. If time is short and you need to add it while still warm.

Take extra care when spooning the honey glazed fruit on the cake. You need to do this before it is fully cooled but the honey will be extremely hot to begin with and could give a nasty burn if you get it on your skin.

Store

In an airtight container for up to 1 week. Freeze: undecorated for up to 3 months.
onlycrumbsremain.com

Don’t underestimate me. I know more than I say, think more than I speak, notice more than you realize.

You have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life.

Illustrated Vintage Fashion

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

 

• 1 pound loaf day old Bread (French, Italian, or Challah), torn into small pieces
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 cup Half and Half
• 1 15-ounce can Pumpkin Puree
• 1-1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
• 3 tablespoon Melted Butter
• 4 Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice *

Praline Sauce

• 1 cup Unsalted Butter
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Chopped Toasted Pecans

Pumpkin Pie Spice

• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and place torn pieces of bread in the dish.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, half and half, pumpkin, sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
• Slowly pour the batter over the bread pieces in the baking dish. Be sure to cover all the bread pieces.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for about 1 hour.
• While the bread pudding is baking, make the praline sauce. In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, and stir pecans into the cream mixture. Simmer until the sauce thickens, for about 5 minutes.
• Pour over bread pudding to serve.

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