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Down the snowy Path

December 9, 2012, 4:08 am
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Come on, Kiki shouts,
What is taking so long?
Don´t forget your mittens
And a woollen scarf!
 
I run the snowy path
Down to Smultron Cottage
Where Kiki is waiting for me
With frost rosy cheeks

I already feel like a snowman myself
She says, shivering from the cold
And then we start to roll 
Huge balls in the snow

Remember last year, I say, 
When Old Larsson stepped 
On your snowman by mistake?
It was way too small
Or the year before, I say
When we gave your snowman
Hot chocolate to drink
And he didn´t like it at all?

Hot chocolate! Right on cue!
Kiki says, and first then I see
The basket she pulled
On her sledge from Smultron Cottage

This year I know better, 
Kiki says with a grin. 
No hot chocolate for Mister Snowman
A carrot will do!


 Three minutes late we sit in the snow
And have each a cup of hot chocolate
And nibble almonds and raisins
And apple slices and biscuits

***

Wishing you a Happy Second Sunday of Advent! I hope you too enjoy hot chocolate and gingerbread! 

We are expecting more snow to come in the afternoon, it is quite stormy already, but perfect for a cozy sunday. As for my part, I will skip the snowman making today. Instead I will be snuggling under a woollen blanket together with Moses, the cat, having a read, cookies and some tea ;-)

Warmly,

Juliane
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Idleness

December 11, 2012, 2:22 am
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Dear reader, 

I have to abandon myself to idleness these days, my right wrist needs to rest, I cannot even hold a crochet hook, I can´t fold any paper stars from the pretty new paper I bought, and the saffron buns are from the bakery, I can´t knead the dough.

Luckily, my fantasy is far away from being idle. 
I watch the snowflakes and think of all the new exciting ideas for 2013.
♥
Hope you all are enjoying wintry days!
Put on woollen wrist warmers, give your hands and mind some rest.
Christmas is not about the perfect gingerbread, a spick and span house, umpteen gifts and perfectly decorated trees, it is about calm moments, winter sun and a warm smile. And about a little portion of idleness, too.

(I know that you know all that, dear reader - just a little note to self ;-)


Warmly,

Juliane

 

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Where is my Bunny?

December 12, 2012, 11:34 pm
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Dear reader,

this is a custom doll I made back in September (I still have lots of photos of dolls to share with you). I hope you don´t mind to see autumn colours - might be a nice little change to all the white snow outside ;-)

For Evie Rose
Last night I had a terrible dream:

My little white bunny had run away
Down the long, long path
Into the deep, deep forest
Only the sound of the woodpecker
Else it was quiet, so quiet
In the deep, deep forest
 I looked behind every bush
And behind every mossy tree stub
And in every dark, dark mousehole
I climbed the high, high stone wall
And sat there and looked out
But everything was quiet, so quiet
Where the raspberry bushes grow
I stood in the warm, warm sun
And I felt sad, very sad
Where are you, little bunny?
I could hear myself say
Then the first tear dropped

But no bunny in sight far and wide
(...)
What a relief this was only a dream!

But when I woke up that morning
I couldn´t find my little white bunny
Not under the bed, not behind the pillows

But I knew where it was!
I opened the front door, took a deep breath
And ran the long, long path
Down to the old greenhouse
Where we had been playing yesterday
There, between periwinkle and ivy
My little bunny sat, a bit tired
After his night time adventure
First I wanted to look strict, very strict
Then I gave it a long and warm hug
And then mother called for breakfast
***
About this doll: 

I made this doll for Evie Rose, a little girl who lives with her family in the U.S., but their roots go back to Sweden and Germany. I was delighted when Evie Rose´s father sent me a custom order request some months ago. He wanted to give his little daughter a special doll that would add something Swedish and something German to her childhood. 

Evie Rose loves bunnies (you might have noticed it already ;-) and I made sure that each piece of the garment had a little bunny detail, a button, a ribbon or a fabric with bunnies.

Linnéa is 50cm tall and travelled with two leggings and two dresses, undies, shoes, a coat and pyjama to her new home. 

***

Oh, how time is flying, it is Saint Lucy´s Day today in Sweden and it doesn´t seem long ago that I took the photos above, it was late summer back then. Yet as much as I love winter, I miss those brighter days.

Warmly,

Juliane


Additional note: Doll prices and info on custom orders can be found here.


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Worst Student Ever

December 19, 2012, 9:13 am
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Dear reader,

there is not only a large Christmas tree to be prettied up this year. 
Smultron Cottage needs some christmassy decoration, too. Kiki has been baking a lot lately, she has been making umpteen paper stars and dipped candles. 
But the other day she asked me "what about fairy lights for my Christmas tree?" 
"Sure", I said, in quite high spirits, "Count on me"

Oh, I would rue my rash promise...
Thus on my to-do list for today was making fairy lights for Kiki´s Christmas tree (which stands amazingly 40cm highand fills half of her cottage).

Take ten mini light bulbs, tin solder, wire and soldering iron. 
Then add a pretty stressed doll maker with zero (read: zero) experience in switching circuits and electric cables. Don´t forget to ask someone with skilled hands to act as a back-up in case the doll maker can´t follow simple instructions. Because she can´t. And it isn´t her fault.

Because she simply is the worst student ever.

Whenever I teach a class in doll-making, I tell the participant that I so understand if they get angry or get out of patience, if eyes get filled with tears because they think they can´t accomplish the next step. Because the reason why I rarely ever take classes as a student myself is that I am terribly impatient, especially if someone (the teacher) knows better. I find it hard to listen and to pay attention and most of all to not criticise myself constantly. I am a perfectionist and I prefer to do things I am already quite good at. Which as an argument in itself already is flawed - because you can only become good at something if you practise, and if you practise, you have to accept mistakes...
After a lot of ranting and raving and quite a few tears, I eventually managed to solder all those tiny light bulbs together. With some assistance, of course. And while I was doing it, I was wondering, why - at least when I was a child - our physics teachers never came up with fun projects for alternating current, for light bulbs and wires. Because if I am honest - making fairy lights for doll houses is a lot of fun. If you finally have understood how to handle a hot soldering iron.
Kiki is satisfied and so am I.

I am sure that I would have learned so much more as a child if I have had a Smultron Cottage to make bed side lamps and doorbells for. I am glad I can learn such things now and that I get used to how it feels like to be a student when you have absolutely no clue what is going on ;-)

Warmly,

Juliane
 
Just for the records, despite the ranting and raving, my grandfather would have been proud of me. He was an electrician, and even though I did not inherit his talent for switching circuits and electric cables, I did inherit his sense of humour, especially when I burn myself with a fiddly soldering iron.
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The North Wind

December 20, 2012, 2:53 am
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For a long, long time 
I held the belief
That the cold North Wind
Was in fact

A grumpy old man
With a hoar frosted beard
A cold grim face
And a coat full of holes
How wrong I was!
It was mid of December
The days were icy cold
When I saw her in the garden
She was wearing a dress
Made of frosty rime
And a jacket made
Of glittering snowflakes
Her eyes were blue
Like the December sky
And her hair looked 
Like the soft winter sun
And all of the sudden 
I knew
She must be the North Wind!
Of that there was no doubt!
Behind the blackthorn
I stood still and watched 
The little North Wind
Dancing through our garden
How she made 
Angels in the snow
How she climbed 
The apple tree

To jump down
Happy and light
Like a feather
Like a gentle breeze

Not like a grumpy old man
The North Wind
The day after I had seen the little North Wind dancing in our garden, the wheather changed. The snow was melting and the little girl in her feathery dress of rime had disappeared. Someone has seen her on her way down to the South. 

But I know she will come back very soon.



*****
 A 50cm custom doll for Alba, little girl who lives in Spain. She wished for a doll in a pink and pale-blue ballet dress, with blue eyes and light hair, inspired by "The Nutcracker". I always find a bit difficult to make a doll based on someone else´s story and have to find my own way. But whenever I think of the Nutcracker, I think of all the dancing snowflakes, of a cold northwind and a wintry scenery.

Alba means also white - and on cue it started to snow in the south of Sweden, before I sent this little girl to her new home in Spain. The sunny winter weather was perfect for a little photo shooting in the snow.

Warmly,

Juliane

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On to New Shores

January 8, 2013, 8:05 am
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A new year has started and it seems as calm
As a silent lake on a late summer evening
Before the mists settle in and the moon rises
In 2013 I wish you, dear reader
a fresh breeze (no storm)
sparkling stars
inspiring moments 
and the discovery of new shores


(this photo has been taken a late August evening last year. Oh, how I long for summer!)
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Little Mi hot-water bottle sets

January 20, 2013, 7:48 am
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For winter evenings and chilly spring days
For hurting tummies and for cold feet...
I have put a few Little Mi hot-water bottles on my virtual shop shelves, 
with some help this time (because I am battling with a flu here and taking and editing photos is not exactly what I am up to at the moment. But better to start the new year with a flu than to get bitten a bug in Spring ;-)

I haven´t managed to write the English description either,but the constant reader of this blog is familiar with these sets anyway, I think.
Best remedy for a heavy cold: 
a hot-water bottle, lots of tea with lemon and ginger, wintersun and a purring cat...

And you? Can you sense the first signs of Spring already? Still a few weeks to go, but -

Warmly,

Juliane

Update: All Little Mi sets got sold in the blink of an eye. Thank you. 
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Joy

January 24, 2013, 9:12 am
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I sometimes imagine
All those tiny spring flowers
Snuggling up
In a woollen blanket of snow

 I can hear their whispers
Under the birch tree
Where the winter grass grows
And the bluetit sings

Wait, wait, it sings. Soon, Spring is here.
This is a 50cm custom baby doll I made back in December for a girl in the U.S.
Honour, her new mommy, named her Joy. She couldn´t have found a better name for her.

Joy´s hair is made from Dolly Mo mohair, colour light brown.
You can see a few more images in a previous post.

Warmly,

Juliane
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For Sunday Dresses (not only)

January 27, 2013, 4:44 am
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These two treasures were a gift from my dear friend Anja. 
Not only does she have a great eye as an artist (she used to take all my portrait photos for the actors agency), she does also have an unerring sense for thrifty finds. 
She was lucky enough to come across these lace collars in Switzerland, they were my New Year´s gift.

I have a faible for lace collars, not only together with sunday dresses.
I bought my first at the age of sixteen and I always keep my eyes open at flea markets and charity shops...
Those of you who have been in my doll making weekend classes, have certainly seen me in one or another of my favourite lace collars. They are my favourite piece of clothing. 

I love the fact that I can wear them together with a simple shirt or a plain dress. They fit in any suitcase and in any handbag (if I am out and have to pretty up during the day). In the blink of an eye, they turn a casual garment into something very feminine.

I have quite a few vintage garments which I cherish - and I enjoy those rather old-fashioned details of clothes. Collars and embroidered cuffs, fabric covered buttons and handsewn hems. I wear these pieces with much more care and I love the fact that they show so much craftmanship.
The image below has been taken at The Hive 2012 in Berlin by Deepa Paul/ Currystrumpet.

I have a little DIY tutorial for a wintry lace collar for your dolls in the making - so stay tuned!

Warmly,

Juliane
IMG_0222
 © courtesy of Deepa Paul / Currystrumpet
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A Woman´s Pleasure

January 28, 2013, 5:06 am
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So you are a doll maker? How cute.
And what is your profession?
...

I have stopped counting such snippets of conversation. I know it is not meant to be rude, but every time it happens, it makes me a little bit upset.

I know many talented craftisans who work six days a week, who have excellent skills and expertise. Who have been working in their field for years, as freelancers, ups and downs included. Who provide for the livelihood of their families. Who are self-taught, well organised and have a great passion for what they do.

Yet I don´t know any of my colleagues who never got to hear
You sew cloth toys/ do screenprints/ design embroidery patterns/ knit sweaters/ cut paper silhouettes?
How cute. And what is your profession?
I have been working on a few new Get well soon sets (my doctor sets for dolls) today, and while sewing, a small card with snaps caught my eye. Frauenfreude, it says, Women´s pleasure.

One reason why many of us craftisans aren´t taken serious is that sewing, knitting or lace making sound like the most natural pastimes for a woman. With a long tradition. Remember when we sat in our drafty bowers and chambers, doing tapestry and tablet weaving, had a chat and some tea? 
Oh, wait, wasn´t that a few centuries ago?

Sure, it might seem natural that women are drawn to sewing or knitting. I know quite a few women who do that as a hobby. I know quite a few women who spend their time rather on developing websites or on dog breeding than on needlework. And I know quite a few women who are craftisans by trade.

Yet just because you use dotted fabrics, do embroidery or cut floral paper silhouettes, you don´t sit all day prettily dressed in your bower, nibble on a ginger cookie and have some tea. You need to have guts if you choose to do this for a living. You do not only need skills as a crafter, you have to run a business and deal with everything that goes with it.

It is not cute. It is tough. It can also be fun. That is why we have chosen it to be our profession. We call it our job (not a hobby or a just a pleasure) - and yes, quite a few of us do provide for the livelihood of their families.
Before I am off sewing, making dolls (which will give me a little more time to ponder over the above), I ask you, dear reader. Have you ever heard someone asking a man the following:

So, you are a carpenter/ boatbuilder/ guitar maker?
How cute.
And what is your profession?

I don´t. And now I am better off to get some more of today´s work done ;-)

Warmly,

Juliane

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Little Mo (and those embarrassing moments doll makers have to cope with)

January 29, 2013, 6:16 am
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Dear reader,

I am sitting here, doing the last stitches on a Little Mo, who - together with a few of his sisters and cozy hot-water bottle covers - will be available soon in my webshop. Short hair, tiny ears and a scarf.

People often ask me about the hair for my boy dolls. It is actually really simple: I crochet a cap from doll mohair (such as Dolly Mo yarn) and treat it exactly the same way I would do with a wig for the girls - long mohair fibers on the outside and neat stitches with the binder thread on the inside of the cap.
To shorten the hair, I use a small lady trimmer (that I bought for doll making purposes), scissors and a comb. I cut the hair quite low in the neck with the scissors, then shorten the fringe and the area around the ears. The trimmer does the rest, it makes those sharp cuts much smoother and gives the hair a natural look. Usually I leave the top hair a little longer and trim the sides a bit more. That´s it. I really like that sort of hair style (especially with my custom dolls, 50cm in size), it looks boyish and classic and with the right tool it is easy to make.

A doll for a boy and a ladies trimmer play a major role in a story which I use to share with my students when I feel that they have very little energy (at weekend classes that usually happens early sunday afternoon when everyone is tired ;-)
 But let´s take it from the very beginning:

It happened two or three years ago. It was summer, really hot, and I had been working on a boy doll all day, had sewn all the garments, done the last stitches and finally cut the boy´s hair, only blusher was missing and he would be finished. Swedish summers are rarely scorching hot, but that day was. The blazing afternoon sun, 35°C in the shadow and hot iron for sewing was an unbearable combination and I could only make it by walking around in beach shorts and a light vest, working in the kitchen, the coolest area of the house during summer.

I was in the middle of sewing and ironing, when one of my partner´s colleagues dropped in to pick up a synthesizer. I let him into the house, showed him where the music studio was and then continued with my work. The guy came back through the kitchen and was on his way out with the synthesizer when he all of the sudden made a cringe and blushed all over. Then he rushed out the door. His behaviour seemed a bit odd to me (usually he isn´t that offhand), and I didn´t understand it until I came back into the kitchen. First then I saw it.

A lady trimmer.
A massive pile of brown mohair on the floor.
Me in beach shorts.
Crikeys!

No explanation needed. At least not for this guy. 

At that instant, I wished I was a tax accountant, a florist, a forklift driver. Not a doll maker. Not a person who calls it a day job to shorten doll hair with a lady trimmer.

To be honest, I wanted to give that colleague a call. Explain. 
"Hello, listen. I am a doll maker. It was not what it looked like. You got it all wrong.
I was working on a doll. No, it is true. A boy doll. It was a pile of brown mohair, but..."

I didn´t give it a try, it would have sounded like a lame excuse even if it was the truth. And yes, in a way I hope he is one of my regular blog readers and I could clear up that gross misunderstanding. But I am afraid he is more into synthesizers than into dolls ;-)

Warmly,

Juliane

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When I'm not here, I'm somewhere else...

January 30, 2013, 4:30 am
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When I am not here
I am somewhere else...
 Kiki in the Meadow,
(at Smultron Cottage)
Today on her menu
Rosehip Soup

***

When I am not here, I am usually busy somewhere else. My mailbox is brimful and I am well aware of that. I run a one-woman´s business as a doll maker - when I am not typing emails, I usually sew. Make furniture. Stuff limbs. Get packages to the PO. Draw patterns. Crochet wigs. 

In order to be able to share photos or stories here on my blog, I have to limit the time I spend online. That is why the comment function on my blog is disabled and the reason why a lot of emails have to be put on hold for a while. It is also the reason why I take very little virtual walks to visit other blogs. I must say, that with all the work, I truly enjoy a real walk and fresh air ;-)

I am sure you understand.
Enjoy your day!
❤


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Four smiles, one thought

February 1, 2013, 9:04 am
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Four smiles
One thought
♥
Spread warmth
(and joy)
I have listed four hot-water bottle sets in my webshop. 
Three Little Mi sets, one Little Mo set.
I know they usually go quickly and I promise to make a few more this month if I have the time.
Additional note - all sets have been sold. Thank you.

Thank you for your sweet words on wednesday´s post. Quite a few people thought I´d started to share photos of our home on this blog (something I won´t do ;-) To briefly answer your questions: Yes, this is a larger dollhouse, a one-room cottage with a kitchen and an outhouse that I have designed myself. It is pretty big, the floor area measures 1.10m x 0.70m. The kitchen sink is the top of a butter dish, more photos will follow soon...

Warmly,

Juliane
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First I have to...

February 3, 2013, 4:47 am
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Fancy a snowball fight? I say
No chance, says Kiki
First I have to
Get in firewood
Fill the basket 
With pine cones
Then I have to 
Clean the house
Air the bedding
And the kitchen rugs
When I´m done with that
I have to bring the birds
Their sunday food
Raisins, seeds and rosehips
And then? I ask, eagerly
Then I have to do
Fifteen snow angels, Kiki says
With a grin

***
Busy sundays. Not only at Smultron Cottage ;-)
I hope you find the time for a wintry walk, sunday cake and for taking things a bit slow today.

Warmly, 

Juliane


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Oh! Said the Little Girl

February 4, 2013, 9:59 am
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Oh! said the little girl
How I miss summer
The green, green grass 
And the cricket´s song
The lilac´s smell
And the humming bees
Hundreds of delicate dandelions
In the meadow behind the barn
To count freckles, mosquito bites
And strawberry flowers
To climb the highest trees
And to hide in the green
 ♡

Last summer I made this custom doll for a little Alexa.
It never happened that I shared any photos of this doll, except from one. While sorting images the other day, I thought I´d post a few. Alexa´s doll is 50cm tall and travelled with two outfits, dungarees and blouse and a jersey dress with comfy leggings (all my dolls come with undies and shoes).
 
February, with its snow slush and grey skies, does not only make little girls long for summer, lilac bushes, strawberry fields and even mosquito bites (I gladly take a good share of the latter in exchange for driving sleet ;-)
 
Warmly,
 
Juliane

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I wish my name was...

February 6, 2013, 5:53 am
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I wish my name was Aurelie.
Or Flora. Or Elisabeth. 

But alas! my name is Juliane.
And because of that, it is difficult to find treasures like these:
I love old woven monograms and was more than just happy when I found the ones above meant as a gift for someone specific who certainly will cherish them. Another little set went to Saskia, a befriended doll maker, as I was lucky enough to snatch monograms with her initials.

My own combination of initials (JS) is nearly impossible to find as vintage woven monogram or copper monogram stencil. Probably due to the fact that names like Johanna Schulz were very common in Germany back then when people used monograms.

I love such small details because they can turn a simple garment, like a nightgown, into something really precious. It makes me glad to find such treasures for others who have an eye for it. 
And don´t worry, I won´t change my name just to find monograms that match ;-)

Warmly,

Juliane
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Quick DIY Bird Seed Cakes

February 7, 2013, 3:18 am
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Dear reader,

thank you for your sweet notes after sunday´s post.

Some of you were asking about Kiki´s seed cakes that she put on her (improvised) bird feed table. We usually made them ourselves. If you live in colder places with wintry temperatures, you don´t need stabilisers such as gelatine or corn starch. A seed mix, coconut fat and paper liners for muffins will do.
I use black sunflower, hemp seeds, linseed, a few beechnuts and millet. Bird seed mixes from supermarkets are often thinned out with oatmeal flakes - which only the yellowhammer eats as a preference. 

If you aren´t certain what to feed winter birds in your area, ask at your local ornithological station, I am sure they can help you.
Melt the coconut fat in a saucepan, place paper liners on muffin tray and fill each of them to 2/3rd with a seed mix. Add the melted coconut fat. Put in a cold place (outside or in the fridge) and let solidify. Remove the paper liners. Serve ;-)

I am not too fond of self-made bird food with long strings, hanging in bushes and trees as those strings could easily wrap around both adult and juvenile birds and result in strangulation. Instead, I place these bird seed cakes in a bird feeder. No matter what I say, Kiki prefers to lay a bird table though, including doilies, doll china and vintage baking forms. I am sure that you, dear reader, will find a more appropriate place to feed the winter birds ;-)

Warmly,

Juliane

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Winter flu? We´ll fix that!

February 9, 2013, 5:10 am
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 Dear reader,

Those of you who are waiting for Get Well Soon! doctor sets for dolls on my blog, here comes a little update. Two years ago, these sets were especially designed for my loyal adult customers. Many of them own a Little Mi doll and would have liked to complete their collection with a miniature hot-water bottle and doll set for decoration purpose. I will be offering a very few Get Well Soon! custom spots to adult Fröken Skicklig doll collectors upon request only.  If you are interested, please send an email to orders [at] frokenskicklig.com

If you would like to purchase a doll for your child, please visit my webshop tomorrow, two Little Mi sets will be waiting on the virtual shelves.

I wish you a sunny weekend - without running nose and a feverish forehead. Take care!

Juliane
Size comparison: a miniature hot-water bottle and doll set to the left, a Little Mi set to the right ;-)
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Window Snowflakes and Newsletter

February 10, 2013, 9:44 am
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Snip, snap, says Kiki
And in a twinkling
Another snowflake
Is finished
 
Don't you ever get tired
Of all those snowflakes?
I ask, gently (of course)
And, I admit, quite eagerly
 
Pish posh, says Kiki
While the pile of paper scraps 
Is growing on the floor
Like snowdrifts in the fields
Well then... I say
Time for dinner. Must go. 
But no answer, all I hear is 
Snip, snap

;-)
Smultron Cottage, Kiki´s cozy home, with the snowy fields behind - and lots of tissue paper stars in the windows
While Kiki has been cutting lots of tissue paper snowflakes for the windows of Smultron Cottage, I have been typing the newsletter (you can read it here, including a little DIY). 

If you haven´t signed up yet for those wee notes that I send from time to time with my virtual messenger pigeons across snowy fields or flowery meadows, add your email address to the mailing list (→ subscribe field in the sidebar of this blog).

Warmly,

Juliane
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In her Sunday Best

February 17, 2013, 9:57 am
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 Today, I say, 
We get rid of the muddle
Which muddle, says Kiki
And heaves a sigh
Unlike you, Kiki says,
I am in my Sunday best
My hands are scrubbed
And I brushed my hair

Unlike you, I say
I still have a few
Clean tea cups at home
And the floor is tidy
Oh dear! It can never be
Higgledy piggledy enough, says Kiki
Especially on sundays
Especially when you have cake

In all the muddle you won´t see
The chocolate cake crumbs
On the carpet, so why make
Things so complicated?
 
That makes sense, of course
Without doubt!
Dear reader,
 
time is flying. My workspace looks far more chaotic than Kiki´s cottage, and I wonder if it makes any sense at all to tidy up - a new work week starts tomorrow and it seems as if it continues to be as busy as the last one.

I haven´t had the time for blog posts but hope to find a few moments the coming days - my head is spinning from working myself through the thickets of CPSIA (toy safety) regulations, making new patterns, business meetings and lots of paperwork. And to make the chaos complete, I had to get a new MacBook and glasses last week as both broke the same day the Pope abdicated (those three incidences are not connected in any way, I hope)
But I follow Kiki´s advice - I put on a pretty dress, ignore the chaos and have a piece of cake and a good laugh. Hope your week was more relaxed than mine, if not - see advice above ;-)
Warmly,
Juliane

♥
Kiki´s chocolate cake
Kiki uses
5 fresh organic eggs
300g dark chocolate
300g butter
270g sugar
40g flour
1 level teaspoon baking powder
4 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder

Pre-heat your oven at 160°C. Melt chocolate and butter in a bain-marie. Whisk the eggs until they are fluffy. Add sugar while beating to get a creamy mixture. Mix cocoa powder, baking powder and flour. Add the melted chocolate and butter to the egg-sugar mixture. Gently add cocoa, flour and baking powder to the batter and fold in gently.  Lay out a baking tray with baking paper (fold up edges). Bake for 20 minutes. The surface should firm up, but the cake should be soft and creamy inside, not dry. Let cool and dust icing sugar on top.
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