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............ sixty years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth ............. and a very proud day for all of England. I'm here in London, visiting my daughter and her family and I've loved seeing all the delightful festivities. Today was the final day of celebrations; a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, a lunch at Westminster Hall, a carriage parade to Buckingham Palace and the culmination - a balcony appearance by the Royal Family. The streets were packed with well-wishers and loyal citizens, many who had queued for untold hours, just to get a glimpse!
Lilly is two and a half and is delightful, full of life, energy and........ a zillion shenanigans - she has kept me laughing, almost non-stop. We have traipsed all over this end of London, visiting parks, riding bikes, talking (Oh, how she LOVES to talk!), playing games and just hanging out together. And although we didn't venture into the heart of the Jubilee activities, we did see evidence of the loyalty and great British patriotism - there were celebratory decorations; flags, bunting and every imaginable paraphernalia in royal red, white and blue - everywhere we went! Check out a few photos from our day.
Oh, don't let me forget the cookies ............
............ After returning home from our adventures today, we took naps (much needed, after all the walking and scootter-ing!) and then decided to bake cookies. Being in London, it really wouldn't do, to bake just any kind of cookie! I decided on a recipe I've had my eye on ever since my daughter received Cake Days - the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook as a Christmas gift. The book hails from a famous cupcake shop here in London which has gained notoriety all over the world. I've always been quite smitten by Snicker-doodle Cookies and the Hummingbird Bakery version looked especially delicious. I wasn't disappointed with the results; crisp, crackly, cinnamon-y exteriors with soft tender interiors. Lilly thought they were yummy too!
Hummingbird Cupcake Shop Snicker-doodle Cookies
Ingredients:
4 ounces (120g) butter, softened
1 ½ cups (320g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 ¼ cups (480g) all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Ingredients for rolling the dough balls:
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, mix well and scrape down bowl, mix again to ensure all ingredients are combined well.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions and mix until combined.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F.
4. Mix the remaining sugar and cinnamon into a small bowl. Scoop up dough in approximately 2 tablespoon-size pieces and roll into balls. Roll these balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture making sure they are completely coated.
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