With so much time at home and with our beloved hospitality industry at a standstill, our kitchens are seeing more action than ever. Whether you’re cooking for one or a family of five, it’s important to keep things interesting.

We’ve come up with a fun way to mix things up. Food or fabric? We love both so we thought why not combine the two? Here are a few examples of how we’ve transformed some of our favourite fabric designs into edible treats whilst at home during isolation.

We’d love to see what you come up with using your favourite fabrics as inspiration! Please share your creations with us on Instagram using #designthreads

RICK RACK CHEESECAKE – Inspired by Kit Kemp’s ‘Rick Rack’ fabric for Christopher Farr Cloth

RECIPE (Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s ‘London Cheesecake’)
Serves: 8

FOR THE BASE

150 g Digestive biscuits
75 g unsalted butter (melted or very soft)
600 g cream cheese
150 g caster sugar
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1½ tbsp vanilla extract
1½ tbsp lemon juice

FOR THE TOPPING

145 ml sour cream
1 tbsp caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Process the biscuits until they are like crumbs, then add the butter and pulse again. Line the bottom of a 20cm / 8 inch springform tin, pressing the biscuits in with your hands or the back of a spoon. Put the tin in the fridge to set, and preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC Fan/gas mark 4/350ºF.

2. Beat the cream cheese gently until it’s smooth, then add the sugar. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks, then finally add the vanilla and lemon juice. Put the kettle on.

3. Line the outside of the chilled tin with strong foil so that it covers the bottom and sides in one large piece, and then do the same again and put it into a roasting dish. This will protect the cheesecake from the water as it is cooked in its water bath.

4. Pour the cream-cheese filling onto the chilled biscuit base, and then pour hot water from the recently boiled kettle into the roasting tin around the cheesecake. It should come about halfway up; don’t overfill as it will be difficult to lift up the tin. Put it into the oven and cook for 50 minutes. It should feel set, but not rigidly so: you just need to feel confident that when you pour the sour cream over, it will sit on the surface and not sink in. Whisk together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla for the topping and pour over the cheesecake. Put it back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.

5. Take the roasting tin out of the oven, then carefully remove the springform tin and stand it on a rack to cool. When it’s cooled down completely, put it in the fridge.

7. Leave in the fridge for 1-2 hours and then remove for decoration. Choose a design and make a template using card or paper. Use a blunt knife to draw your design, scooping away the sour cream mix to make grooves (keep the excess sour cream as you will need this).

8. Mix the excess sour cream with your preferred food colouring. CLICK HERE to purchase the food colouring we used.

9. Re-apply the coloured sour cream mix to create your design.

10. Leave it in the fridge once complete, removing it 20 minutes before eating to take the chill off.

TRAVELLING LIGHT LEEK, POTATO & TARRAGON PIE – Inspired by Kit Kemp’s ‘Travelling Light’ fabric for Christopher Farr Cloth

RECIPE
Serves: 6

FOR THE PASTRY
225g plain flour
100g butter
Pinch of salt
Water
1 egg (for egg wash)

FOR THE PUFF PASTRY (optional)
We recommend using shop bought puff pastry but you are welcome to make your own if you wish!

FOR THE FILLING
2 large leeks
20-25 baby new potatoes
100 ml sour cream
Fresh thyme
Dried tarragon
Smoked paprika
Chicken/veg stock cube (see stock cube for water quantity needed)
Splash of white wine
Salt
Pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 220ºC/gas mark 7/425ºF

2. Sift the plain flour into a large bowl and add the butter. Rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in a pinch of salt, then add 2-3 tbsp water and mix to a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface and then wrap it in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.

3. Cut the leeks into rounds. Half the baby new potatoes depending on size and par boil in a saucepan. Strain the potatoes, then combine with the leeks, stock, white wine, fresh thyme, dried tarragon, salt and pepper. Boil gently to reduce for about 5 mins. Then pour the filling into your pie dish, mixing in the sour cream to help it cool before adding the pastry top. Do not add the pastry until the filling has stopped steaming.

4. Roll out your pastry until it is big enough to cover your pie dish, plus extra to go over the sides. Keep the excess for your decoration. Using a rolling pin, position the large piece of pastry over your filling, wrapping the edges over the sides of the dish. Once in place, egg wash all over. Cut out your design and apply on top of the main pie pastry using the egg wash to bind them. Egg wash all over once everything is in place. 

5. Cook at 220ºC for 20-25mins, checking every 10 minutes to make sure the pastry isn’t burning.

6. Optional: cut out your puff pastry shapes and cook separately (follow cooking instructions on the packet). Add when the pie is ready to serve. This is not essential but it is a nice addition if you want a more 3D effect.

OZONE BISCUITS – Inspired by Kit Kemp’s ‘Ozone’ fabric for Christopher Farr

RECIPE

140g butter
85g caster sugar
225g plain flour

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC

2. Rub the butter together with the flour.

3. Add the sugar and knead together until you have a firm dough.

4. Roll out with a rolling pin and cut into your preferred shapes by hand or with a cookie cutter.

5. Cook for 10-15 mins at 180ºC

ONE WAY APPLE AND PLUM PIE – Inspired by Kit Kemp’s ‘One Way’ fabric for Christopher Farr Cloth

RECIPE
Serves: 4-6

FOR THE PASTRY

225g plain flour
100g butter
Pinch of salt
Water
1 egg (for egg wash)

FOR THE FILLING

4 medium apples
6 plums
50 g light brown soft or caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 220ºC/gas mark 7/425ºF

2. Sift the plain flour into a large bowl and add the butter. Rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in a pinch of salt, then add 2-3 tbsp water and mix to a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface and then wrap it in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.

2. Halve and stone the plums, then roughly chop and put into a large pan. Peel and core the apples, roughly chop, and add to the pan with the sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and 5 tbsp of water. Cover and heat gently until apples are soft, approximately 5min, then set aside.

3. Line your deep baking tray with butter and roll out your pastry. Once rolled, line your tray with the pastry to cover all sides. Egg wash the visible edges. Blind bake for 10-15mins until the pastry is golden brown.

4. Then add the filling. Once filled, carefully add the additional pastry in a design of your choice. Egg wash all over once everything is in place.

5. Cook at 220ºC for 20-25mins checking every 10 minutes to make sure the pastry isn’t burning.