Weekly News!

Unfortunately, there was no Weekly News last week, because of half term, but now Ted and Ellie are back again! In this week’s issue of Weekly News, we have: some short creepy stories written by Ellie, some of Jack’s favourite cake recipes, and Ted’s new favourite animal fact.
First, Ellie’s creepy stories: These might disturb younger viewers, so we have a slightly less scary one at the end. Remember, these are only stories for entertainment and they are not real.
In a small cottage near a village with about 4oo people living there was a young, quite wealthy woman who had 3 children and an adoring husband. One day she received a call from the number 411. She didn’t recognise the caller, and they spoke in an eerie distorted voice ‘411’
Then it hung up. It must have been a prank, she decided. Those ungracious human beings who took pleasure in giving others a fright. She put on a dress and took her favourite bag, before getting in car and driving to the shops.
Cheery music was playing and she smiled at the cashier lady( which was a first, seeing as she believed poor people should be shamed upon by more sophisticated civilians). Suddenly though, a hideous sound pierced the air and she grimaced( the faulty speakers ought to have been fixed by now). Until suddenly an eerie voice spoke through the speakers ‘411’ She realised what aisle she was in: 411
Thoughroughly frightened she left all her items in a trolley and quickly drove home.
As she opened the door, she realised the door sign had been painted a grotesque black and the number read 411.
The time was 4:11 on her watch as well. As she stepped inside, a scene of destruction awaited her. Her cottage was destroyed, glass shattered on the floor. She cut herself and winced- scraped on her wrist was the number 411. Now horrified, she stepped into the next room. Her three children and husband lay dead on the floor, lifeless eyes glazed over. It was only when the police came that she remembered
Remembered shattering the ornaments
Upturning the furniture
Killing her children
Throwing her dear husband off the top stair.
As the officers came to take her away, she noticed engraved into her family’s wrists were numbers
412…413…414…415
All victims of a cruel game. All were dead. She would soon be too.
And as she drove past her neighbours house she saw him pick up the phone and the shock register on his face as a voice said ‘416’

A young girl sat on the carpet, eagerly opening the package of her new electronic doll. She quickly pressed the button on it’s lacy lilac dress. It spoke immediately and the girl jumped back. Hello,
Do you want to know my name?
The girl, giggling excitedly now she had gotten over her fright, said
Yes! My name is Emily! What’s yours?
But the doll only repeated
Hello
Do you want to know my name?
The girl tried again
Yes, so what is it? My name is Emily by the way
But still the doll only said
Hello, do you want to know my name?
Impatient, the girl finally said
I’m Emily!!!
This time the doll spoke again, but slightly different
Hello Emily,
Do you want to know my name?
Suddenly her mother entered, and the girl reassured her she was just playing with her doll
But her mother, after hearing her daughter cry I’m Emily, was slightly suspicious
she checked the package
No Batteries Included
Darling, did daddy have to help you with the batteries, or…
Her mother stopped short
What her daughter had in her hands needed no batteries
It was a rag doll
The girl suddenly shuddered, and went limp. Desperate and anxious, her mother screamed for help, but by the time the girls father had rushed upstairs, there was no need. The girl was twisting, shrinking and turning slowly into a hideous rag doll
With a lilac lace dress
Hello,
Do you want to know my name?

For younger readers: Here’s a link to a fun and slightly spooky story about some partying ghosts: https://www.themoonlitroad.com/haunted/ (paste the link into a search engine)

Moving on, here are two of Jack’s favourite recipes!

Chocolate Cake (BBC good food)

For the cake

• 200g golden caster sugar
• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• Extra butter for the tins
• 4 large eggs
• 200g self-raising flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp milk
• For the buttercream
• 100g milk chocolate, chopped
• 200g butter, softened
• 400g icing sugar
• 5 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp milk
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
• In a large bowl, beat together 200g golden caster sugar, 200g softened unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp milk and a pinch of salt until pale.
• Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream, put 100g chopped milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 mins.
• Mash 200g softened butter and 400g icing sugar together with a fork, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters, if you have them.
• Sift in 5 tbsp cocoa powder with a pinch of salt and pour in the melted chocolate and 2 tbsp milk. Mix again until smooth.
• On a cake stand or large plate, sandwich the cakes together with half of the buttercream, then spread the rest on top. Decorate with chocolate shards, if you like

Almond and coconut macaroons: (the happy foodie)

125g	ground almonds
175g	caster sugar
1 tbsp	cornflour
2	medium free-range egg whites
½ tsp	vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas 3.

Mix the ground almonds with the sugar and cornflour in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the vanilla extract, using a fork, until just frothy. Add the whites to the almond mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined, to make a stiff dough.

Spoon the mixture on to the lined baking trays in 10 mounds, spacing them very well apart. Gently spread out each mound to make a disc about 5cm across and 1.5cm high – they will spread in the oven. If you like, you can also pipe the mixture, using a piping bag fitted with a plain 1.5cm tube. Set a split almond in the centre of each round or scatter over the flaked almonds.

Bake the macaroons in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden.

Leave to cool on the trays, then carefully remove and store in an airtight container.

Finally, here is Ted’s favourite animal fact:

Squirrels plant thousands of new trees each year by merely forgetting where they put their acorns.