I'd like to introduce you to...

You may have noticed my blog has had something of an overhaul. You may have even noticed the rather jovial looking rabbit in the top corner. When I was redesigning the layout I found him on a royalty free decoupage website and couldn't resist as I have two pet rabbits.

I've had a few questions about them since they made a cheeky appearance in my earlier Youtube videos so I thought I'd let them have a little blog post of their own and answer a few questions while I'm at it.

So meet Hillary and Basil...

Hillary, at the back,  (named after Edmund Hillary as she climbs on everything) is an 18 month old Lionhead Lop and Basil, at the front, is a 2 year old Dwarf Lop.

Where do they live?
They are house rabbits, so indoors and, at present, in our living room. This was initially through necessity (I didn't have a garden) but they are very social creatures who always want to know what you're doing (and if they can eat it) so make great indoor pets.

As for where they 'live', we converted an Ikea linen box into an indoor rabbit hutch by creating a door from one panel using hinges and a latch and covering the bottom panel in cheap lino tiles to protect it from moisture. It's very easy to clean out and looks like part of the furniture.

Don't they poo everywhere?

No! Both rabbits are litter trained and rabbits are generally very clean animals. Save for the occasional accident or wayward dropping, everything goes in the litter tray.

That said, hay (the most important part of their diet) is endlessly frustrating. It goes everywhere and I feel like I'm forever hoovering and sweeping up stray stalks. 

Do they need as much care as a cat or dog?

Yes and no. While they don't need walking like a dog would, rabbits still need a fair amount of exercise but with house rabbits this is pretty easy to achieve if you let them hop around the room for at least a couple of hours per day. 

However don't underestimate their 'running costs' - think spaying/neutering, worming, vaccinating, feeding and litter expenses.

If you want to find out more about house rabbits you can find more info at The House Rabbit Society.

If you do decide you'd like a pet rabbit, please consider a rescue bunny. Rabbit Rehome is a great website with lots of rabbits desperate for new homes.

Cinnamon Buns

Last weekend my boyfriend had a day off on the same day as me (for once) so we cracked out the Nordic Bakery cookbook. I've been meaning to try out their Classic Cinnamon Bun recipe for a while now but the turning leaves and nippy weather seemed a particularly opportune moment.

Here's our attempt - the recipe is at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!

Makes 12-13

For the dough

570ml lukewarm milk

150g caster sugar 

45g fresh yeast

1tsp cardamom seeds, crushed with a pestle and mortar

180g unsalted butter, melted

1 egg

1kg plain flour

For the filling

100g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

200g dark brown soft sugar

3tbsp ground cinnamon

For the glaze

85g caster sugar

1tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

You will need

2 baking trays, lined with non-stick baking paper

To make the dough, put the milk, sugar, yeast, cardamom, melted butter and egg in a food processor or mixer with a dough hook. With the motor running, gradually add the flour until it is all incorporated and the dough has come together. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

After an hour, punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll it out until it is about 30cm x 80cm and 7mm thick.

For the filling, spread the butter evenly over the dough and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon all over the top.

Roll the dough up from a long side. Cut into roughly 6cm rolls, but cut them at an angle – so, make the first cut diagonally, then the second cut about 6cm along diagonally in the opposite direction. You should get a roll that looks like a trapezium (or a triangle with the tip chopped off). Carefully transfer the buns to the prepared baking trays, with the longest edge of the bun sitting on the tray, cover with tea towels again and leave to prove in a warm place for 30-60 minutes, until almost doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Bake the buns in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

To make the glaze, put the sugar, lemon juice and 100ml water in a small pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until slightly thickened. The glaze will be quite watery.

Remove the buns from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and brush the glaze generously over them. Leave them to cool before serving. (Good luck with that!)

Topshop Moonshine Nail Varnish

I'm not usually a fan of metallics (as I've previously said about eyeshadows) but I picked up Topshop's Moonshine nail varnish the other day when I read it was 'rose gold' and I think it's rather special. Rose gold isn't the most accurate of descriptions - I'd say it is a predominantly metallic silver with some pink and subtle gold undertones. 

The finish is almost velvety (I didn't use a topcoat here) and applies beautifully, without streaks which is often the bane of metallic nail varnishes. What's more, the brush shape is nicely wide and flat which makes it easy to apply.  Moonshine is part of the core collection and costs £6 (although I paid £4.80 with Tophsop's recent 20% off for students offer).