Rocky Road Muffin Recipe | Cookie Bow

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

I've really been enjoying baking at the moment so I did some more and this time I made rocky road muffins which are delicious! They are just like rocky roads but in a muffin form and they are really nice with ice cream or by themselves. Tomorrow I am baking pumpkin or jack o' lantern Halloween cupcakes so look out for a recipe soon:)

Before I get into the recipe I'd just like to let you know that my oven was a bit high so the marshmallows completely melted instead of going gooey. I baked mine at 190°C so if you don't have a fan oven that's fine but otherwise I'd probably go a bit lower at 180°. They may need to cook a bit longer but I'm not completely sure because I haven't done the recipe again. Anyway, here is the recipe...

IMPORTANT: Preheat oven to 180°C if you have a fan oven and 190° if you have a normal oven.

This recipe makes 12 muffins.


Ingredients:

- 225g plain flour
- 55g cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 115g caster sugar
- 100g white chocolate chips
- 50g mini marshmallows
- 2 eggs
- 250ml milk
- 85g melted and cooled butter


1. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Gather your marshmallows and cut each one in half. Then stir in the sugar, chocolate chips and marshmallows.

2. Lightly beat the eggs in a large jug or bowl then beat in the milk and butter. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not over-mix.

3. Spoon the mixture into muffin cases in the prepared muffin tin. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch.

4. Leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

If you make these muffins and enjoy them then please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear how they turned out!

See you in my next post,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

The Autumn Tag | Cookie Bow

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

Yes I know another tag. It's not that I don't have any good blog post ideas but there are so many tags out there and if you are also a blogger or youtuber you will know how fun it is to write them! This is the Autumn Tag which I found on MakeUpSavvy, she has done two that I know of so I decided to do the 2013 one as it had more questions. Let's get started...

 

 

1. Favourite thing about Autumn?

Ahh there are so many good things about Autumn! One of my favourites though is the build up to Christmas. Scrolling through cute Christmas things on Pinterest (especially recipes) has been getting me so excited for Christmas this year:)

 

 

2. Favourite drink?

I don't drink tea or coffee or anything like that so it's got to be a white hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows. This is sooo yummy but I rarely ever have it because we don't have any white hot chocolate at home:(

 

 

3. Favourite scent/candle?

Well, my favourite Autumn scent is cinnamon but I don't own any cinnamon candles but I would like to try the cinnamon yankee candle. And my favourite Autumn candle is probably the Sampaquita candle by ROOT because it is a nice spicy scent.

 

 

4. Best lipstick?

I don't own any berry or dark red lipsticks because I'm not sure they would suit me. However, my favourite lipstick for autumn is probably a red lipstick by Technic (I'm not sure what shade). It is the perfect red colour and has such a smooth application.

 

 

5. Go to moisturiser?

I'm not sure if this means face, body or hands so I'll just do all three! For face I'd say the Nivea Regenerating Night Cream because it treats dry areas while you're asleep. For body I'd say Vaseline Spray & Go in Cocoa Radiant because it smells like hot chocolate! Finally, for hands I'd say the Body Shop hand cream in Glazed Apple because it smells soooo good just like Christmas.

 

 

6. Go to colours for the eyes?

  

Sadly, I haven't been able to wear any eye shadow so far this Autumn because I've had really dry eyes. However, I would usually wear my Maybelline colour tattoo in On and on Bronze with a dark brown in the crease and gold in the inner corner.

 

 

7. Favourite music or band/singer to listen to? 

I wouldn't say my music preferences really change during the autumn. I'll just listen to the most recent music or my old Spotify playlists. Besides that though I do like Autumn by Paolo Nutini as it really sums up autumn in one song. I also like Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood and Panic Cord by Gabrielle Aplin.

 

 

8. Favourite outfit to wear (i.e. boots & a scarf combo)? 

My favourite outfit is black jeans with a denim shirt and brown boots. It just goes so well together and is my favourite thing to wear at the moment.

 

 

9. Autumn treat?

I love Halloween cupcakes! This year I really want to try and make some cute cupcakes decorated as pumpkins and ghosts. Another of my favourite autumn treats are the cookies I made in my Best Cookie Recipe blog post. They are especially nice warmed up with a hot chocolate:)

 

 

10. Favourite place to be?

Either in the woods, at home in my bed with my laptop or in the bath with some delicious scented candles. Whatever mood I'm in really.

 

 

I hope you liked this tag. Comment any other tags you'd like me to do and I will definitely consider them. What's your favourite thing about Autumn?

See you in my next post,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x 

How To Deal With Braces | Cookie Bow

 

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

 

As I have had braces for over a year I thought I would share with you some helpful tips that might benefit you if you already have braces or are getting them soon. Obviously there are different kinds of braces but the ones I will be focusing on are traditional 'train track' braces. So, here are my top tips for a successful braces experience...

 

1. When you first get your braces take medicine to ease the aching feeling in your mouth.

 

Around an hour or two after the braces have been glued on, your mouth will probably start to ache quite badly. To stop this I recommend taking a paracetamol tablet or some Calpol alternatively if you don't like taking tablets. After about 30 minutes to an hour your mouth will feel a lot less sore.

 

2. Don't eat or drink for 2 hours after they glue your braces on.

 

It is fine to eat and drink if they are just tightening your braces but when they attach them the glue isn't fully dry so you need to wait for it to set. Most orthodontists tell you this but if they don't then don't eat or drink for 2 hours because you will probably dislodge the brace brackets.

 

3. When you get braces eat soft foods and cold foods for a couple of days.

 

My teeth felt very pressurized and achy after they put my braces on so it is hard to eat and bite into things. For breakfast have porridge or yoghurt for lunch have something like a pasta salad or soup and for dinner have either pasta or jacket potato (just don't eat the skin). If you want something cold to numb the pain in your mouth have ice and water, a smoothie, ice cream or an ice lolly.

 

4. Don't eat certain foods.

 

Foods I don't recommend eating are:

 

- Sticky foods: gum (especially one that contains sugar) or caramel/toffee

- Hard foods: hard sweets like boiled sweets and Gobstoppers
- Really crunchy foods: ESPECIALLY CRUNCHIE BARS! I ate one of these and it broke my back brace bracket off.

5. Bring a lip balm to your orthodontist appointment.

This might sound like a strange tip but when they are putting braces on or tightening them it really dries your lips out so always have a lip balm in case you get that horrid chapped feeling.

6. Brush your teeth properly.

Brush twice a day for at least 2 minutes, if not longer. I personally think an electric toothbrush works better because it does most of the work for you and reaches all the nooks and crannies in your mouth. Make sure you clean between the gum and the base of the tooth to remove plaque. Once you've finished use some mouthwash and then use a little dental flossing stick (sold at orthodontists and supermarkets) if there is any food still stuck in your teeth.

7. Use non whitening toothpaste and alcohol free mouthwash.

Whitening products stain braces so I only recommend using them if you don't have braces. Mouthwash containing alcohol can damage your teeth, gums and braces so always buy alcohol free which most brands offer.

8. Wax helps with ulcers.

Obviously don't use any old wax ask your orthodontist if you can buy some. Carry it around with you because you never know when you'll get that annoying ulcer that's bugging you all day. Put a small amount of wax on the bracket that is rubbing your gum. Remember to take it off when you are eating!

9. Don't be discouraged!

Braces take time to work and the pain is definitely worth it. In the end you will have beautiful straight teeth so don't get discouraged:)

I hope this blog post helped you out. If you have any other questions please leave them below.

See you in my next blog post,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

Lush Tag | Cookie Bow

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

As you can tell from the title of this post today I am doing another tag as they are very popular. The tag I will be doing is the Lush tag because who doesn't love Lush! I got this tag from Addicted to Lush so make sure to check out her tumblr as she does loads of  Lush related posts:) Let's get on with it shall we?

1. How did you get into Lush?

I'm not really sure because I have been going to Lush for a long time, since year 4 I think? I probably just saw the shop in town and wanted to go in because the smell is very inviting and it's hard to miss it. After I used a couple of their products I fell in love with Lush instantly!

2. How often do you shop at Lush?

Whenever I am in town I usually have a snoop around Lush with my friends so I'd have to say at least once a month. However, I don't always buy things I just like to have a look around and see if there are any new collections. Comment if you are excited for the Halloween and Christmas collection, I am!

3. What's your all time favourite product?

There are soo many Lush products I have really enjoyed but my all time favourite would have to be the Intergalactic bath bomb because it is so colourful and made my bath water look incredible!

4. What's your favourite soap?

Before writing this I hadn't tried any Lush soaps but then I remembered my Rock Star soap sitting in a box in my Lush bag! So for the purpose of this post I went and tried it out and it smells so delicious on your hands after you've washed them:)

5. What are your favourite bath bombs?

I love how this question asks what are you favourite bath bombs rather than just one because I love so many of them! My top 3 would have to be Intergalactic, Dragon's Egg and Twilight. Intergalactic for its amazing colours, Dragon's Egg for the constant surprises inside the bath bomb and Twilight for its lovely bright pink colour and amazing smell.

6. What's your favourite bubble bar?

My favourite bubble bar has to be the Comforter. You can get so many uses out of this bubble bar as it is huuuge and it has a super sweet blackcurrant scent. It makes lots of bubbles and really makes you feel relaxed in the bath. I also used the Sparkly Pumpkin bubble bar once and that was amazing as well because it was so glittery and made the water really orange and autumnal.

7. What's your favourite shower gel/jelly?

Believe it or not I've never actually tried a shower gel or jelly from Lush however I have smelt
the Sweetie Pie shower jelly and that smelt amazing but I'm pretty sure they've discontinued it. I would love to try the Snow Fairy shower gel as I have heard great things about that!

8. What's your favourite skincare and hair care products?

I really would like to try some of their skincare products because I never have before! I've had my eye on the cupcake face mask, massage bars and the greased lightning spot treatment. Comment below if you have tried any and write a mini review as I would really enjoy reading them x

9. What product were you devastated Lush discontinued?

Granny Takes a Dip in the bath bomb formula! It was such a good bath bomb and although I wasn't too keen on the smell the colours were amazing. Also I can't believe they discontinued Space Girl as I loved that bath bomb because it was so bright and glittery, and a long time ago Lush sold a chocolate bubble bar (similar design to the Comforter but brown) which smelt divine.

10. Your go to product in the morning?

I've never really used Lush products in the morning, but if I was going to have a morning bath I would want something bright and fresh to wake me up - so Avobath is perfect for this.

11. A product you regret buying?

I haven't really disliked any Lush products but I don't think the Ickle Baby Bot was very exciting so probably that I guess?

12. Invent your own Lush product.

The Never Ending Gobstopper. Just like from Charlie and the Chocolate factory this bath bomb lasts a really long time and releases so many different colours and surprises!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post, I really enjoyed answering the questions. I tag anyone who wants to do the Lush Tag:) Also, just to mention, I can't wait to go and purchase some products from the new Christmas collection!

See you in my next blog post,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

Autumn Pamper Night | Cookie Bow

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

Last night I really felt like having a pamper evening because I wanted to relax and have a nice bath. My friend has just started a blog and this is a collab with her! She is also going to upload an Autumn Pamper night so please go and follow her: Millie Nevin . This what I did for my pamper night...

First I set the mood with some relaxing music from my Bathtime playlist on Spotify. I also lit my candle from ROOT and it was in the Sampaquita scent which is one of my favourites. Then I started to run a hot bath and added the remains of my Lush comforter bubble bar and some Soap and Glory Calm one Calm all bubble bath which smells amazing! I also took my eye make up off with the Nivea Extra Gentle Eye Make Up Remover.

Once I'd finished running the bath I got in and relaxed and texted my friend for a bit. I stayed in the bath for about 15 - 20 minutes and when I got out I moisturised my eczema with Zerobase cream and sprayed my legs with Vaseline Spray & Go in Cocoa Radiant. I didn't want to use my regular body butter this time because I wanted something quick and easy which Spray and go is perfect for!

When the moisturisers had sunk in I popped my pyjamas on and got all my skincare products ready. First I washed my face then applied my face mask. There will be a morning and evening skincare routine up soon so stay tuned for that! I left the face mask on for 5 minutes then washed it off with some damp cotton pads. I really recommend the Good Things 5 minute facial mask because it has avocado and goji berry which is really good for your skin. Then I moisturised my face and treated my spots. I also applied an Intense Care Baby Lips because my lips were dry from the steam in the bath.

Then I got my L'Oreal hair oil and run that through the ends of my hair to nourish it, kill frizziness and protect it from split ends. My toenails were in a horrible state so I wiped off the old nail polish and cut them short then filed them.

After that I got all cosy in bed with a hot chocolate, some toffee crunch chocolate orange bites, galaxy cookie crumble and a warm blanket. On my laptop I watched Pretty Little Liars as that is my favourite TV show ever! I'm really enjoying it at the moment and I am about half way through season 3. Comment who your favourite character is down below:) I also quickly flicked through my social media.



Finally, before I went to bed I decided to read for a bit to make me feel more sleepy. The book I am currently reading is Allegiant by Veronica Roth because I love Divergent as much as the next person! In case you didn't know there are three books in The Divergent Series and Allegiant is the 3rd one.

That's it for my Autumn Pamper Night! It was very relaxing as I hadn't had one in a while. If you liked this post then join this site or follow for more beauty, fashion, baking and lifestyle related posts. Also please make sure you look at Millie's post as I mentioned before:)

See you in my next blog post,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

The Best Cookie Recipe | Cookie Bow

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

So I have had this post idea for a very long time and I finally had a chance to share it with you all because last weekend I made these cookies so I could take some pictures! I discovered this recipe on Zoella's vlog channel (MoreZoella)  if you were wondering and I would have to say these are my favourite cookies. Here is the recipe, hope you enjoy:)

IMPORTANT: Preheat your oven to 200° if you have a fan oven and 210° if you have a normal oven.

This recipe makes 10 cookies

Ingredients:

- 200g unsalted butter (room temp.)
- 1 large egg
- Big white chocolate bar and big Dairy Milk bar
- 75g cocoa powder
- 300g caster sugar
- 275g self-raising flour

1. First prepare two fairly big baking trays (enough space for 5 cookies on each) with greaseproof paper.

2. Mix the butter and sugar in a bowl. You can do this with a wooden spoon or electric mix but a wooden spoon works better. If the butter is not mixing and is too hard put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

3. Crack the egg into the bowl and mix in.

4. Put the self-raising flour into a separate bowl or container and gradually add it in the bowl and mix with each addition of flour. You don't need to sift the flour before adding it.

6. Add all the cocoa powder in and mix everything together thoroughly.

5. Break up the chocolate into singular squares and add it into the bowl. You can use however much chocolate you'd like but I'd recommend using all of it for best results:) Mix the chocolate in and make sure it is evenly distributed.

6. Roll the cookie dough into equal sized balls and place 5 on each baking tray.

7. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and when they are finished let them cool.

8. Enjoy your yummy cookies!!

If you make the cookies then please leave a comment if you liked them and if you interpret the recipe please let me know.

See you in my next blog post:)

Cookie Bow (Jess) x

Frozen bath! | Cookie Bow

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

Happy October!! Comment what your Halloween plans are and I will definitely have a look at them. I am probably going to watch the Woman in Black on Halloween this year as I haven't seen it before.

You probably saw my blog post on the Intergalactic bath bomb a while ago so today I thought I would tell you and show you how amazing the Frozen bath bomb from Lush is!

This is another bath bomb from the exclusive Oxford street range added to normal lush stores. It is inspired by the Disney film Frozen which is quite obvious as you can see in the pictures that it looks very blue and sparkly. It also smells really nice:)

When I dropped it in the bath it began fizzing straight away with a really vibrant sky blue colour coming out and then some white foam which is a bonus because it moisturises your skin. There was also a lot of glitter so I can definitely see why they named it 'Frozen'.

At the end I wasn't expecting it but in the centre there was some silver glitter which was a nice surprise (you can see this part in the first picture). I really recommend this bath bomb but don't get your hopes up because there is no Olaf that comes out of the middle!

Well done Lush yet another great bath bomb:)

See you in my next blog post,

Cookie Bow (Jess) x