tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52250016533378530312024-02-18T20:01:18.753-08:00The Cookie Jarthe cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-13962176730298962292010-11-15T18:02:00.000-08:002010-11-15T18:02:30.029-08:00Biscotti Bonanza.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2G7zkWac9PB2VAxFTReS8YvQzvynS7C4hetc79TYSYMLfOBn6_nxOezeNuZ0cOVcAHBfcqTuMd5MdyUiSBWTRNsfrnsVN6wUZdkD3zj1qbL21rq-oUp_QZBxEoBAPcvuowamR7JvP8JZ/s1600/DSCN0706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2G7zkWac9PB2VAxFTReS8YvQzvynS7C4hetc79TYSYMLfOBn6_nxOezeNuZ0cOVcAHBfcqTuMd5MdyUiSBWTRNsfrnsVN6wUZdkD3zj1qbL21rq-oUp_QZBxEoBAPcvuowamR7JvP8JZ/s400/DSCN0706.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyone who has actually read through the pages of my blog before will know that my mother and I have a somewhat sketchy relationship with the concept of "sharing" the kitchen. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Don't get me wrong, my mother is a fabulous cook. I'm lucky that I have been exposed to many an exotic dish (be them all mushroom free - my mum's allergic...</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-emQAsGMeQ"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">think this kind of allergic</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">...) and palatable delights that extend beyond "bangers and mash" and "toad in the hole". </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">However, she being the dominant female in the house, she has developed a somewhat...God complex over the kitchen, actually all the rooms in our house to think of it. Anything that goes wrong in her kitchen is not her fault. Anything that goes wrong in any other room is not her fault. Everything that goes wrong in her kitchen and other rooms is your fault....lol jks it's specifically Ella's fault albeit Ella has never gone into the laundry downstairs but the fact that the washing machine is spewing froth like a rabid turtle MUST mean that I willed it that way. Seriously, I must've been sitting at work in front of the computer willing it to happen. Soz mum won't use my epic jedi mind tricks to fuck up the washing machine ever ever ever again. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k1rlThKe1qo?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k1rlThKe1qo?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Datz juzz me being Obi lolza! Got paid SoOoOoOo mcuh 4 dat gig! Lyk Georgie Lucas luffed my style nd sence ov flow"</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">No I'm not just being a teenager...Exhibit A.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Picture a cool, calm collected Tuesday night, Mum's putting dinner on the table...we're rushing to table...sitting at table...beginning to eat food that is on said table...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Yum this is delicious!" - Dad</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Om nom nom" - Me</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Mnmnmnmhghg" - Primitive brothers</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Where's the salt?" - Mum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"I don't know, didn't you use it when you were cooking?" - Ella</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Yeah, why'd you move it?"- Mum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Um, I just walked in the door...how could I have moved it?"- Ella</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Obviously you've put it somewhere; where is it?"- Mum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Clearly you've used it whilst creating this dish of obvious delectability and have misplaced it in the pantry; would you like me to get up and find it for you?" - Ella</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"No just tell me where you put it"- Mum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"I didn't touch it."- Ella</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Yes you did"- Mum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"No I didn't"- Ella</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Stop friggen around Ella WHERE'S THE SALT?"- Mum<br />
"MY JEDI MIND TRICKS MUST BE GETTING SO POWERFUL I CAN NOW MAKE SALT DISAPPEAR! NEXT IS PEPPER! NEXT IS THE MOON!"- Ella</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Go to your room." - Mum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Walks to room carrying delicious meal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Calls out from room</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Hey mum why'd you put this salt shaker under my pillow?"- Ella</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Quiet...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Don't come out of there until Saturday" - Mum</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It was pretty funny because I found the salt shaker in the fridge next to the cordial jug. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, nuff with the stories. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mum had a dinner party the other night and decided to give up the God complex for an hour or so and let me make dessert for a bunch of her friends. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This was totally my time to shine. Well, it would've been had I not asked her what she wanted for dessert.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Oh ma gaaaaaaawwwwd mum I'm going to make the most delicious things ever! How do you feel about chocolate?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"No"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Fruit?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"No"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Ice-cream?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Machine's broken"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Why?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Lost a part"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Tart?"<br />
"Too big"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"It's a dinner party?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"I've got half a cow sitting on the barbecue Ella"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"FINE I'LL MAKE DO THEN"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So I sat at work contemplating life and dinner parties and mum's fetish for cookies and the sims 3 and then why i was inside and it was so sunny and then cheese boards and then BOOM the ultimate "Oh I ate too much dinner at this party I have no room to appreciate dessert but oh this is little and delicious I'll have a try of this" idea came to mind...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>BISCOTTI!</strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQo4H5MytWJwkcIPgCZnbKgvm0XoBWqhlKgZgybBPVMQONhalaxkDolB2iAU5j0Musd-W9uHZHqhMFG4eK-24ZTI2LQuYO9-S50wODK2U5kAhRhCn4NR3MbRTcnuvhwMyPNDFbNSZy0lR/s1600/DSCN0700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQo4H5MytWJwkcIPgCZnbKgvm0XoBWqhlKgZgybBPVMQONhalaxkDolB2iAU5j0Musd-W9uHZHqhMFG4eK-24ZTI2LQuYO9-S50wODK2U5kAhRhCn4NR3MbRTcnuvhwMyPNDFbNSZy0lR/s400/DSCN0700.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>White Chocolate Coated Hazelnut and Cinnamon Biscotti...</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If you haven't heard of biscotti before it's a lovely little biscuit that means "twice baked" in Italian. You can pretty much substitute any of the "flavouring" ingredients to suit your taste and you can do savoury and sweet! Try pistachios...cranberries...<a href="http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/1555/candy-cane-biscotti">candy canes (truly</a>)...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I thought, booyah my Mother's cookie fetish cannot possibly resist the deliciousness that is the biscotti.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So I made these four different types of biscotti to be served post dinner party main meal - two types of savoury and two types of sweet - satisfy both cravings.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">My idea was to serve the savoury with gourmet cheese (oh ma gaaawd totez buy yourself some Clarins cheese they featured on </span><a href="http://www.cheeseslices.com/index.php/news/66/65/Baked-Fromager-des-Clarines-as-seen-on-MasterChef/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Masterchef from the dude from Cheese Slices</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">...all due respect man but you must do some chronic bowel workouts from all the cheese you get around...)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">and the sweet with little pots of chocolate dipping sauce; we used pots of melted lindt white chocolate and 80% lindt dark chocolate. Om nom nom nom I just wanted to rub it all over my face and my body and then eat myself. What a tasty little biscotti I would be. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I sourced the recipes from four different websites</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://coffeetea.about.com/od/biscotti/r/redwinebisc.htm">Red Wine and Sesame Biscotti</a></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Parmesan-Black-Pepper-Biscotti-236698">Pecorino and Black Peppercorn Biscotti</a></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/cinnamon-hazelnut-biscotti/Detail.aspx">Hazelnut and Cinnamon Biscotti </a></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://cafelynnylurecipes.blogspot.com/2009/08/blue-cornmeal-dried-blueberry-and-pinon.html">Dried Blueberry and Pinenut Biscotti </a></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But I'll just list the most delicious and prettiest and the most photogenic one - Dried Blueberry and Pinenut Biscotti - here so you don't have to keep scrolling...and scrolling...and scrolling...and scrolling....</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Dried Blueberry and Pinenut Biscotti <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">adapted from </span></strong></span><a href="http://cafelynnylurecipes.blogspot.com/2009/08/blue-cornmeal-dried-blueberry-and-pinon.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Cafe Lynnylu</strong></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1jwXk-qMtVP0RRL-zmYrkC2e4HM8FBpNFJU3bF2aZ5-5qFOtrYK8iVbFSzgIsLjq8k4ESLVDqxjK1XnAxF6ph3n9D79daza9uLmdMtAF4A4NrWbOPmghdVTHlsFtKdpddpZbryfq_bNl/s1600/DSCN0695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1jwXk-qMtVP0RRL-zmYrkC2e4HM8FBpNFJU3bF2aZ5-5qFOtrYK8iVbFSzgIsLjq8k4ESLVDqxjK1XnAxF6ph3n9D79daza9uLmdMtAF4A4NrWbOPmghdVTHlsFtKdpddpZbryfq_bNl/s400/DSCN0695.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Should probs buy a new baking tray...ayyyyyeeeeeee...</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Greedy-ents</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 large eggs</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2/3 cup sugar </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 tsp baking powder</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 tsp salt</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 tsp vanilla</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 cups all-purpose flour (+ any extra for good biscotti consistency)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup pine nuts </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup dried blueberries (You can get these from the nutshack at James Street Markets; kinda exy but delicious nonetheless)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dash of cinnamon</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dash of lemon juice</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Methodation</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Preheat oven to 175°C. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, baking powder, and vanilla until creamy looking. When properly beaten, the egg/sugar mixture will be thick and lemon coloured and drop in a ribbon from the beater.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Lower the mixer speed and add the flour, beating gently until incorporated. Stir in dried blueberries and pine nuts. Dough will be sticky, so coat your hands in flour or lightly dust the "log" to make transferring and shaping a bit easier.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and shape into a rough log. Kind of like a giant elephant poo :)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bake the dough for 25 minutes. With dried fruit and nuts, it may be necessary to bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on pan from 5-25 minutes. I let mine cool about 15 minutes. Lightly brush the dough with water (use a pastry brush or your finger...whatever is accesible/clean) Let stand 5 minutes. Cafe Lynnlu says that this will soften the crust to make slicing easier.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Reduce oven temperature to 150 degrees. Then cut the biscotti on the diagonal into slices of however thick you want your biscotti to be (i like mine thick so they soak up lots of coffee/milk/tea/honey/icecream/delicious fluids) using a serrated knife and straight up and down motions. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bung the biscotti on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container to preserve their texture. If the biscotti aren't as hard as you like, store uncovered overnight to continue drying. Biscotti can be stored at room temperature for two weeks; for longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze. Yields like...a billion if you slice thinly...not a billion if you slice thickly :)</span></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-18928940285464110002010-11-07T15:59:00.000-08:002010-11-13T00:55:11.129-08:00Peanut Butter and Boysenberry Jam Bars<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_s-93TNtbjaDCghHH1_55jJGqCpeJerYQ7-XGK8nDOi5Mk5LMhq0hhBWAyfJwmto0g546eESWkD9PNe_OrBFIitohPTDxn2CvTF-p1JCkjaR-49270sOCD0cHyyNYqdTqjwWIkoTxRHmO/s1600/DSCN0692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_s-93TNtbjaDCghHH1_55jJGqCpeJerYQ7-XGK8nDOi5Mk5LMhq0hhBWAyfJwmto0g546eESWkD9PNe_OrBFIitohPTDxn2CvTF-p1JCkjaR-49270sOCD0cHyyNYqdTqjwWIkoTxRHmO/s320/DSCN0692.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Bro!"</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Yeah bro?"</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"What's the time bro?"</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Uh, dunno bro."</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Why bro?"</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"No watch bro"</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Fuck, bro, how the hell am I supposed to know what to do with this peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Uh, dunno bro"</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AQJ1bI8PswM?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AQJ1bI8PswM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Well, this whole situation could have been deftly avoided if only "Bro No. 2" was wearing a watch. Then he would've been aware of the time. Then he would've known that at that exact moment...it was actually...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z3ZAGBL6UBA?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z3ZAGBL6UBA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And instead of wasting a perfectly edible, nay perfectly frothtactular sandwich on "Bro No. 2's" worthless features, he could have delighted his tastebuds with the timelessly tasty condiment fusion of peanut butter and jelly (jam, work with me Australia...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, the point of today's blog is that the other day I felt a stirring digestive tract. The stirring was prompted by the viewing of the previous video...and revisiting prior posts on this blog (<a href="http://thecookiejaronline.blogspot.com/2010/04/ode-to-peanut-butter.html">here</a> and <a href="http://thecookiejaronline.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-may-as-well-rename-blog-peanut-butter.html">here</a>) I was reminded of my affection for the nutty fantasticness that is peanut butter. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9dbdBsFqAFi69-K9WVGBKxS2I1NPjQaBQ3L_gUKswPGcUPyWzLXzfFgEmaz7bQFhnfcaUN3VBeIvIs8ucpl6cJAbhe2G4RUwH3LrQK42EYqQ_8B4pGaTOePvoY0vXYIC-8jB65cxfIXL/s1600/DSCN0689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9dbdBsFqAFi69-K9WVGBKxS2I1NPjQaBQ3L_gUKswPGcUPyWzLXzfFgEmaz7bQFhnfcaUN3VBeIvIs8ucpl6cJAbhe2G4RUwH3LrQK42EYqQ_8B4pGaTOePvoY0vXYIC-8jB65cxfIXL/s320/DSCN0689.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now usually I would eat peanut butter on its own. Or with more butter. Actually, adding it with butter has always confused many of my friends.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Bro, what are you doing?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Buttering my sandwich bro, what does it look like I'm doing?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Bro, it looks like you're adding an unnecessary condiment to that peanut butter sandwich"<br />
"Well bro I'd say visit your fucking optometrist because that isn't what I'm doing"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Bro, it certainly looks like that's what you're doing. Do you want to have a coronary or something?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Listen, if I'm going to have a coronary I want it to be the result of deliciousness not of something stupid like those dagwood dogs you eat"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Shut up and make me a vegemite one while you're at it"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*proceeds to make vegemite sandwich for "Bro No. 2" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*reaches for butter to put on vegemite sandwich</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Bro, don't put that shit on my sandwich"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> <object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AQJ1bI8PswM?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AQJ1bI8PswM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But although butter to me is a perfectly logical accompaniment to a pb sambo...jam has never quite tickled my pickle...wobbled my wibbler...beached my whale...etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But, as I browsed the interweb in search of a recipe that would satisfy my cravings for peanut buter I reflected on the video that had inspired my metabolism.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If a banana's excitement could generate over eight million youtube views, then I'm sure he knew what he was dancing about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So I found these bad boys on </span><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/peanut-butter-and-jelly-bars"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Martha Stewarts webpage</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">...and I was not disappointed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">They don't have the chewability that is brownie texture...so don't expect them to be anything like that. They're crumbly, like cheesecake bottom....and melt in your mouth. Use really good quality jam and they'll shatter your taste zones like a seven on the richter scale. I used boysenberry. Purely because it is fun to say boysenberry. Seriously say it now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Once I ordered boysenberry icecream at an icecream store (reading that I'm thinking where the fuck else would I order a boysenberry icecream...) and couldn't help but burst into laughter because the word is so hilarious to me. Later, while I was enjoying my icecream, someone asked me what flavour and I was forced to dribble the boysenberry icecream out of my mouth because the mere mention of the word sends me into a giggle frenzy. </span><br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boysenberry"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Boysenberry. </span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The recipe calls for them to be cooked for forty minutes...but mine took a wee bit longer than that. It all depends on how deep your pan is really. So make sure you're checking on them on the reg if you've altered the recipe in any way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I also changed my recipe - I could only find stale cashews and no delicious peanuts so I made a brown sugar butter crumble on top. NOT A FAIL NO REGRETS FUCKING TASTY!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Although one warning I must add...when taking them out of the oven...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">DO NOT SHOVE IT IMMEDIATELY IN YOUR MOUTH LIKE I DID THE JAM SORT OF TURNS INTO SUGARY LAVA AND TAKES OFF THE ROOF OF YOUR MOUTH SKIN WHICH, UNLIKE THE BAR ITSELF, IS NOT DELICIOUS AT ALL. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If this happens I suggest this thread...</span><a href="http://www.healthexpertadvice.org/forum/Pain-Pain-Management/Ow-I-burnt-my-tounge-How-can-I-get-it-to-stop-hurting-101426.htm"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ow I Burnt My Tongue</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars</span></strong> - courtesy of </span><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/peanut-butter-and-jelly-bars"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Martha Stewart</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">...yet tweaked and twerked by yours truly...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMEm1iMXJdQj4Hwx8e5UX9w5lzETP4BH5iOVPQpWCwepqKaYeVmtCo1J7IWshPd9WWqX5gPdDjqdCbFHULbP2cWFhmPvprfyCpZ-HxSzu7q9oSJYU2M_GMYICMzegriUIbIdH6gIxRgj6/s1600/DSCN0693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMEm1iMXJdQj4Hwx8e5UX9w5lzETP4BH5iOVPQpWCwepqKaYeVmtCo1J7IWshPd9WWqX5gPdDjqdCbFHULbP2cWFhmPvprfyCpZ-HxSzu7q9oSJYU2M_GMYICMzegriUIbIdH6gIxRgj6/s320/DSCN0693.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Greedy-ents</span></strong></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Makes about 3 dozen ( I cut this recipe so it was one third of the mix and it worked just fine ) </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Bars Themselves</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 1/2 cups sugar</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 large eggs</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 1/2 teaspoons salt</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 1/2 cups boysenberry jam, or other flavours...go against my word...whatever...I don't care...DO IT I DARE YOU BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL I'LL FIND YA BUT!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Sugary Deliciousness on Top</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup packed light brown sugar </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup all purpose flour </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Methodation</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1.Heat oven to 175 degrees. Grease a pan with butter, and line the bottom with baking paper. Grease the paper, and coat inside of pan with flour; set aside. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer (oh the prettiness that is a mixmaster...) fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs and peanut butter; beat until combined, about 2 minutes. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2.Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Add to bowl of mixer on low speed; combine. Add vanilla. Transfer two-thirds of mixture to prepared pan; spread evenly with offset spatula. Using offset spatula, spread jam on top of peanut-butter mixture. Dollop remaining third of peanut-butter mixture on top of jam. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3. In a separate bowl put the chilled butter, the sugar and the flour together. Using your hands (wear gloves if you are a pussy) and smush it all together till it is nice and crumbly. Sprinkle on top of your battery concotion residing in your greasy pan. Mmmmmhmmhmhmhmhmhmhh...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">4. Bung him in the oven, bake until golden, about 40-47 and a half minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlyPFnyNaz0VvRVju5QEimgXxU6B8cwXsSeg8FO75esMQRYo75CBqoc7PiTZ9qki28fzuA-xcX-OaIJWGayvBbaZ6QnoSyfEwEeWeIQIveAzI6fFeDle2oswCfiCDYu1nxQQs3JwJthCA/s1600/DSCN0690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJlyPFnyNaz0VvRVju5QEimgXxU6B8cwXsSeg8FO75esMQRYo75CBqoc7PiTZ9qki28fzuA-xcX-OaIJWGayvBbaZ6QnoSyfEwEeWeIQIveAzI6fFeDle2oswCfiCDYu1nxQQs3JwJthCA/s320/DSCN0690.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-2635846952063471922010-11-01T19:06:00.000-07:002010-11-04T20:39:27.829-07:00Oh the deliciousness.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HbsELgDgvLpZcWkJbbD17mjZ3V1sp2nk_feuQFwrf88L7PXaRF_QtsTT7tcyhq8Os6PMjQ8Q5y_0d_uQv3EtfSYTMZBlKMy4WCSNXyj5ifsTuUjyjgHinv5Df38AGFJCjQXSNw7lBPXC/s1600/DSCN0551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HbsELgDgvLpZcWkJbbD17mjZ3V1sp2nk_feuQFwrf88L7PXaRF_QtsTT7tcyhq8Os6PMjQ8Q5y_0d_uQv3EtfSYTMZBlKMy4WCSNXyj5ifsTuUjyjgHinv5Df38AGFJCjQXSNw7lBPXC/s400/DSCN0551.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">When I see that the date of my last post is the 9th of August, I feel rather unwell. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Not only have I baked a plethora of goodies in between now (the 2nd of November) and the 9th, I have almost certainly had the time to park my arse and write a sentence or two about them. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But I really haven't. The whole stuck in a rut thing? Yeah yeah, excuses, excuses, excuses. Really I'm just a lazy bitch and can't be bothered to plug my camera into my USB port and press a few buttons. I blame it on my diminished dexterity due to my lack of gaming recently. My full time job restricts me from vital time spent Sim-ming or Mario Karting. Need to do some finger push ups. Maybe some finger sit-ups. Or would these be finger bend ups? Maybe I should just give the finger constantly...see where I am in a week. Write in a story to Marie Claire saying "Oh my god I've never felt so good about myself I am just so awesome!"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Or maybe I should harden the eff up cookie nerd and post something (as quoted by someone quite close to me...vicinity wise not emotionally...he's a prick.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So allow me to restart me blog with a special post. One with a special person in mind. One with a special taste. For a special something. The special something making you feel somewhat special in your tastebuds. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8o88eIJVfohgCjOI74eZvW9NjSjh74EILXsCf7NAlw3N4Wzzc28mNYaxJZ1rHFA0kZ_2UcpBWGbwN5-kqveFIpuLhvMh6l51XqZrWDecwMXZg1qt4Zi7bu1eoWunXvXxek4qFTMFJ-fEd/s1600/DSCN0552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8o88eIJVfohgCjOI74eZvW9NjSjh74EILXsCf7NAlw3N4Wzzc28mNYaxJZ1rHFA0kZ_2UcpBWGbwN5-kqveFIpuLhvMh6l51XqZrWDecwMXZg1qt4Zi7bu1eoWunXvXxek4qFTMFJ-fEd/s400/DSCN0552.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This poem I am about to offer you that will acquaint you with this special something I am referring to was sourced from the neverending cess pool of "talent" that the internet offers. Bless. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ode to Rum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Rum, rum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You make me say yum.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I love how you feel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">when you hit my tum.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You make me so happy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I just want to drum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">and dance and sing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">and tell everyone, Come!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Come, come!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Come and drink rum.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sometimes dear rum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">you make me feel dumb</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">and sometimes I even</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">fall on my bum,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And I sing out loud</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">la la la la lum?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Hmmm-I think I've had too much rum.<br />
But don't tell anyone</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">just keep mum,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">because if they took it away</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I'd just feel numb.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Oh rum, oh rum,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You make me say yum.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(We can thank one </span><a href="http://www.examiner.com/bars-in-wilmington/ode-to-rum"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Renee Leverette</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> for that little gem. Golf claps ladies and gents all round for the literary talent and prowess she has shown. I wonder if I should recommend her for the Nobel? I'm she doesn't have a Chinese wife who'd let the cat out of the bag if I did...)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway lemons I suppose by now you can see where this is heading...the special something is rum! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It was my friend's eighteenth birthday not long ago and she has a somewhat minor obsession with rum. When I say minor I mean "so major should be classified as a disorder" and by obsession I mean "Would sell her first-born and her spleen". </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Being the accomodating friend I am, I decided to make her a cake that featured rum. Not only was this idea thoughtful, it was considerate, generous, sexy, alluring, tasteful, goddesslike...etc. much like myself, it had an alterior motive.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">STORY TIME!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Once upon a time there were three sisters. Two of these sisters were going to Canada for a bit. So the two sisters threw a party. The other sister got excited. This sister drank half a bottle of rum in one go. This sister then proceeded to pick up the other two sisters' celebratory going away cake, steady it in her two hands, then push the entire thing into her face. The other two sisters laughed and the friend who witnessed the event vowed that whereever there was rum and the cake faced sister...there would be a cake. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Because who the hell doesn't want to see someone put a cake in their face? You'd have to be a fucking serial arsonist not to enjoy that shit. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So I decided upon </span><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Buttered-Rum-Cheesecakes-with-Rum-Caramel-Sauce-233421"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">this cake</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">. It is a cheesecake. I chose cheesecake because it would be the funniest to imagine in her face. All squished and full of cheese. Massive lol potential.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It was delicious. Hot, buttery rum scented deliciousness. My tastebuds frothed endlessly. And my liver didn't even protest! Well he did later that night. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bear in mind that I added a lot more rum to this recipe...if you don't like the taste then omit it entirely or just bring down the quantities. Or...just add the rum to the cake and not to the caramel sauce. Oh the possibilities are endless queers!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I also used Bundaberg Rum purely for sentimental reasons but I feel that if a higher quality rum was used it would be much more delicious. :)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Oh and if you were wondering what happened when I presented this cake to the friend...she exclaimed "IT SMELLS LIKE A DRINK!" and the darling tried to take a bite out of it and in doing so, smushed it in her face. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Mission fucking complete. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The recipe on </span><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Buttered-Rum-Cheesecakes-with-Rum-Caramel-Sauce-233421"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">epicurious</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> is for multiple cheesecakes but just bung the bastard into one pan and wah-lah you got it! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Recipe in tow...</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hot Buttered Rum Cheesecake with Rum Caramel Sauce (altered slightly)</span></strong></div><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Greedy-ents</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Crust </strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">5 1/2 cups finely ground honey flavoured tiny teddies (you could use any flavour I guess but I like these ones :))</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Filling </strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup dark rum (BUNDY BRO!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">3 8</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">8 ounces of ricotta cheese </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 1 /2 cups sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">4 large eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/3 cup whipping cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Topping</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 1/2 cups sour cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">7 tablespoons sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Methodation </span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Preparation for the crust:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Blend ground cookies and both sugars in processor. Add butter and process to blend. Bung ya mix into your pan and press the mix against the bottom and the sides until nicely compacted. You don't want it to be too thick. You need a ratio that = deliciousness :)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For filling:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Position racks in top middle </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">of oven; preheat to 175 degrees celsius.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Boil rum in small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 1 minute. Cool. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and ricotta together</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> in large bowl on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low speed just to blend after each addition, occasionally scraping sides of bowl. Beat in spices, then cream, vanilla, and cooled rum just to blend. Bung ya filling on top of your delcious cookie ness.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Place cheesecakes on a</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> rimmed baking sheet. Bake until top appears</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> set, puffed, and golden at edges but still move slightly in center when shaken, reversing sheets after 20 minutes, about 40 minutes total. Cool 5 minutes. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Meanwhile, prepare topping:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Whisk sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl. Divide topping among hot cheesecakes, about 1/4 cup each, spreading to meet edges of crusts. Bake 10 minutes. Run knife around each cake to loosen crust from pan. Chuck him in the refridgerator straight away so it doesn't go all strange and soggy from the heat. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Chill uncovered overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled.) Serve with Rum-Caramel Sauce. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rum Caramel Sauce</span></strong></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Greedy-ents</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup white sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/3 cup water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 tablespoons light corn syrup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 1/4 cups whipping cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3 tablespoons dark rum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Methodation</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">heat; boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber color, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 10 minutes (time will vary depending on size of pan). Don't burn the bastard it will go deep amber really really quickly and it can burn in between this time. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Remove from heat. Pour in cream (mixture will bubble vigorously); stir to blend. Mix in butter, then rum, cinnamon, and vanilla. Cool sauce completely. </span>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-24568158528941178342010-08-09T02:46:00.000-07:002010-08-16T23:26:52.744-07:00Cazamel Tart + Model Shots<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I fucking love caramel. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It's one of those ingredients (like butter) that you can just lump on anything and it tastes good.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Icecream...Pancakes...Cereal...Steak.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Seriously even with steak.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Actually, steak could be one of those ingredients as well. Mung on some caramel with ya green beans and chippies and you're set for a good wholesome dinner. Slash toilet. Double slash G.P.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">My friend and her fabulous beautiful gorgeous lovely sister lived at Mooloolaba with some other room mates who refused to go shopping so when times got tough, these two would have to make do with what they had. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One hopeless case of this was when she woke up craving an egg on toast. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And when this girl craves an egg on toast...there is no fucking stopping her getting her egg on her toast. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This girl would put her hand up a chicken to get an egg to cook to put on that toast.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You catch my drift. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, she went into the fridge, got her egg, her toast and plonked it on the counter. Cooked the egg, cooked the toast and went into the fridge to get the butter.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Need I say more?</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Yeah I probs should aye.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">THERE WAS NO FUCKING BUTTER!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Holy guacamole, what do you do when there's no butter! Margarine? Are you crazy? Do you have a condition? Because you talkin' smack gurl. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So, in her fury and rage, she picked up the closest thing to butter in the fridge she could find...spread it on her toast...plonked her egg on top...and munched that bad boy right up. And she was happy.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Just so you know...that condiment...was passionfruit yoghurt.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Back to the point of my story...you can put caramel on anything if you can eat passionfruit yoghurt + egg + toast. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Personally, it tastes a hell of a lot better when you bake it into a tart. Like I did. Which leads me to the recipe that is the point of this blogpost. A caramel tart. A custardy almond caramel tart. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">However before I divulge in this recipe...I promised I'd feature some of my mates on the blog because I told them I wrote Cookie Jar and they didn't believe me. Just wanted to explain the model shots that were popping up between my preamble paragraphs. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Enjoy! (Double enjoy da babez presenting you da TaArRt!)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Caramel Tart (adapted from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Caramel-Pudding-Tart-with-Almond-Shortbread-Crust-236889">epicurious.com</a>)</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoLzFM-tYLhQjTd72snyyZVUAiDRN9P328hSCWypAwMp1XS-Xc-uwMa6saaHqnDUSZGw3PbLhw_63wO1Uuxh4jfO89SkRjQNX8V_hjrhpp501-gzwA6WI9XyGqMy-_-Ild3pJG02-SwWR/s1600/IMG_6790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoLzFM-tYLhQjTd72snyyZVUAiDRN9P328hSCWypAwMp1XS-Xc-uwMa6saaHqnDUSZGw3PbLhw_63wO1Uuxh4jfO89SkRjQNX8V_hjrhpp501-gzwA6WI9XyGqMy-_-Ild3pJG02-SwWR/s320/IMG_6790.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Now this tart is pretty average...The components by themselves are FREAKING BRILLIANT but the whole thing all together just doesn't seem to mesh. I think I'd suggest serving the custard by itself or just using the recipe for the tart base for a lemon tart or something along those lines...)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aGcJmUzoZsE3S-XWDB_rxJqkoDWbMGLW1HhYATtHC_p2_0-sA2oUJbWSmb-z2S3O5FNY4VKtezRcHmqlH2nhyHhKiYYGdwBFYdmfEQr9236S9beO-wFykvsBVf9cKp-IgFoL8YpCrlvu/s1600/IMG_6792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aGcJmUzoZsE3S-XWDB_rxJqkoDWbMGLW1HhYATtHC_p2_0-sA2oUJbWSmb-z2S3O5FNY4VKtezRcHmqlH2nhyHhKiYYGdwBFYdmfEQr9236S9beO-wFykvsBVf9cKp-IgFoL8YpCrlvu/s400/IMG_6792.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Crust </strong></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup dry roasted almonds</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup all purpose flour</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup icing sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 large egg yolk</span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Pudding </strong></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 1/4 cups of milk (preferably whole milk for the consistency)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3 large egg yolks<br />
1 cup sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/3 cup water</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3 tablespoons unsalted butter</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Topping </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2/3 cup sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/3 cup water</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup flaked almonds (I used whole but use flaked)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">three tablespoons of coconut cream</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 tablespoon butter</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRImIoBvyP8zDznbX1c3YnNlmm-APpG6W2ICoRl18ouDU8SF-tZjul3AlLal8rPa6Px6pCRJxANPN5P_jZaB22mwChbX2VkPMIzOWSg1d66t9lXdZF4f3B2K9rB-WymfHYZ3sCbBYersb4/s1600/IMG_6791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRImIoBvyP8zDznbX1c3YnNlmm-APpG6W2ICoRl18ouDU8SF-tZjul3AlLal8rPa6Px6pCRJxANPN5P_jZaB22mwChbX2VkPMIzOWSg1d66t9lXdZF4f3B2K9rB-WymfHYZ3sCbBYersb4/s320/IMG_6791.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>For crust.</strong></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Butter 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Combine almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in processor to make an almond meal. Add flour, powdered sugar, and salt and blend the bad boy. Add butter and blend again (SO MUCH BLENDING) until coarse meal forms. Add egg yolk and blend until moist clumps form, about 30 seconds. Knead dough into ball. Press remaining dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Pierce bottom all over with fork. Cover pan with foil and freeze crust at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Preheat oven to 175 degrees celcius. Bake crust uncovered until deep golden brown, checking often and pressing sides and bottom with back of fork during first 15 minutes when crust puffs or bubbles, about 20 minutes total. Cool completely. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>For pudding.</strong></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4la1alZn0qol4EPOUPaz0nGw114rIzL1Rb9NOFfOGAbNNdu1QUIBjRg6tv6tPgA7mkYfuvZ_EkQNZFGj-PPDMFpNo_FyOJmJJ1NIaevVGsg7gTWadGckxzO0jGEEfyisWe6_yOhs3QFBC/s1600/IMG_6796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4la1alZn0qol4EPOUPaz0nGw114rIzL1Rb9NOFfOGAbNNdu1QUIBjRg6tv6tPgA7mkYfuvZ_EkQNZFGj-PPDMFpNo_FyOJmJJ1NIaevVGsg7gTWadGckxzO0jGEEfyisWe6_yOhs3QFBC/s400/IMG_6796.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Place cornstarch and salt in medium bowl. Gradually add 1/4 cup milk, whisking until cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in egg yolks. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Stir sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil, brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups milk (mixture will bubble). DO NOT FREAK OUT LIKE I DID AND WHEN IT GOES ALL HARD THE CARAMEL WILL EVENTUALLY MELT. Whisk until caramel bits dissolve. Slowly whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture; return to same pan. Whisk until pudding thickens and boils, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer to crust. Chill uncovered until cold and just firm, at least 3 hours. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>For topping.</strong></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Stir 2/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium skillet (do not use nonstick) over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil, brushing down pan sides with wet pastry brush. Boil without stirring until syrup is medium amber color, about 7 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Add butter and coconut cream and vanilla. Yum. Add almonds and stir to coat evenly with caramel. Immediately scrape coated almonds onto sheet of foil. Working quickly with 2 forks, separate almonds and spread out in single layer. Cool completely. Do ahead Let almonds stand at room temperature up to 6 hours or cover and chill up to 1 day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Break almonds into small clusters before using. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-50221926471411256832010-08-01T04:44:00.000-07:002010-08-01T04:44:14.333-07:00Jam Doughnuts.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6wYxp-yFP_TU0-MriKcOswPrAaLmszxNR1JnEhf870_d7UOpzwol9GUtoX8iTyIkTtUfYpZTreKKY8vC1LdmZOFk6vDeUWg0feIcOteEjsWB4bdklQ1qY0uSJKuy_fBUH2TpqxUaw9l5/s1600/IMG_6776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6wYxp-yFP_TU0-MriKcOswPrAaLmszxNR1JnEhf870_d7UOpzwol9GUtoX8iTyIkTtUfYpZTreKKY8vC1LdmZOFk6vDeUWg0feIcOteEjsWB4bdklQ1qY0uSJKuy_fBUH2TpqxUaw9l5/s400/IMG_6776.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I just don't know how I'm going to do any better than this. These bad boys are the reason I was brought into the world. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">God was like, fuck I'm sick of going to Donut King and getting a soggy jam donut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Jesus replies, yo Dad I know all I want is a donut that stays soft and moisty on the inside and crispy and cinnamon like on the outside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">God goes, yeah son I know, the worst is that horrible processed jam they pump them full of.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Jesus empathises saying, I know dad, loaded with empty calories...and I don't need that when I'm trying to convince Mary Magdalene to bring on a Jesus Junior. I mean, come on, the people are getting impatient, I need someone to send down there.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5mD6w5wMJVCfmBV2FfgFM-YY61o6ZkxN4FBtTVAneE3I1aHDhwRjv52-Da_PKFReZEM8VoLG3xMr9oikJpP6GOiWsNo-wtW-ouoIN8OmYsigkzMZnJXqlKQlASJZA0zWqHG7haTHjjZbs/s1600/IMG_6775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5mD6w5wMJVCfmBV2FfgFM-YY61o6ZkxN4FBtTVAneE3I1aHDhwRjv52-Da_PKFReZEM8VoLG3xMr9oikJpP6GOiWsNo-wtW-ouoIN8OmYsigkzMZnJXqlKQlASJZA0zWqHG7haTHjjZbs/s400/IMG_6775.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">God replies, dude-son I just thought of something rad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Jesus says, What?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">God goes, imagine if you could pick your own jam.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Jesus, fucking blueberry that's what.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">True story guys. I heard them sitting at the back of the bus, no lie, they said it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Jam doughnuts are religion. Idols. A tower of jam donuts should be created and we should call it the "Obelisk of Delicious" and we should pray to it's sugary goodness daily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">When you make these, there's nothing better than eating it straight away, warm, cinnamony and crispy on the outside and soft and moisty on the inside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Just the way Jesus likes it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">They are bloody messy to make though; the one down side. Make sure you have an effective piping tool and that you stab a little hole in your donut to make sure there's room to fill it with jam. Or you could do what I did; get a trashload of jam all over my hands and shirt and run into your lounge room screaming "THEY FUCKING GOT ME"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Didn't go down so well. I recommend wearing gloves and an apron and avoiding the consequences of faking a murder...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway here's the recipe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Enjoy!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbYDaP53o3raUab_I4RHZbySqnHgCdWuCyANVZfEppPY4wOinbfgBJWLbLbK8ic2QiP3kqAOBnHGmX3NPbGnjqozaYpPO9xfITx-6MACBYBPH6JtKzflBiSei915FhbCneUKoYwa_cX0_/s1600/IMG_6777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbYDaP53o3raUab_I4RHZbySqnHgCdWuCyANVZfEppPY4wOinbfgBJWLbLbK8ic2QiP3kqAOBnHGmX3NPbGnjqozaYpPO9xfITx-6MACBYBPH6JtKzflBiSei915FhbCneUKoYwa_cX0_/s400/IMG_6777.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Jam Doughnuts</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">taken from <a href="http://www.donnahay.com.au/books/27-modern-classics-2/">Modern Classics 2 by Donna Hay</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">4 teaspoons active dry yeast</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup warm water</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1 cup warm milk (zap it in your microwave)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">3 tablespoons caster sugar (I used normal and the world kept turning surprisingly)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">100g butter, melted</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">4 1/2 cups plain flour</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">3 eggs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1 cup caster sugar + cinnamon for rolling and dusting</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">one jar of your choice of jam*</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><strong>*holy negro an idea just occurred to me...USE NUTELLA SOMEONE DO THIS AND TELL ME HOW IT GOES</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Method</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Put the yeast, water, milk and one tablespoon of sugar in a bowl and leave aside for 10 minutes or until the yeast causes the mixture to foam. When it's foamy it means the yeast has activated and your doughnuts will be plump and cheery rather than deflated and unhappy. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Add the butter, flour, eggs and remaining sugar and mix with a butter knife until a sticky dough forms. Bring dough together by kneading it gently.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Place the dough in an oiled bowl and leave to rise for 45 minutes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">When it's risen, knead the dough until it's nice and lovely and elastic.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut whatever sized lumps you want off. Roll them into little sealed balls. You can put these on a baking tray with a bit of oil, cover with a tea-towel ad wait for them to rise again for thirty minutes but i was way too keen. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Heat your vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat until really really freaking hot. Cook the doughnuts however many fit at a time for one minute on each side or until the whole bad boy is golden brown. Drain briefly on paper towel, toss in cinnamon and sugar.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Score a little hole with a poking device and using a piping bag (or piping syringe) pump the bad boy full of jam. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">EAT IT.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Nom nom nom nom nom nom.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nhUosUUfmM2p_ALjGkQIkbxwnY0DSbfysY5_1_rceUNlM5ZmtMZ3EaF5uOF_yQ5Mw6guIhJlZjqJzhm6A5QczJJxwfN-4Ouq3GKA1_zouYzRwAaoAiVldbv9Pb4TrZYlCqtvSTS2KcIp/s1600/IMG_6774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nhUosUUfmM2p_ALjGkQIkbxwnY0DSbfysY5_1_rceUNlM5ZmtMZ3EaF5uOF_yQ5Mw6guIhJlZjqJzhm6A5QczJJxwfN-4Ouq3GKA1_zouYzRwAaoAiVldbv9Pb4TrZYlCqtvSTS2KcIp/s400/IMG_6774.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-83632401756086869242010-07-26T03:34:00.000-07:002010-07-26T03:34:45.397-07:00Choc-Chip Butter Shortbread.<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Okay I have two problems with shortbread.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9xt9kTLfBkvqT2r_ZXvlxs86xcEOivvrb9MhJbyAtSjNvbuBKI7FLxqIwZFX3mmr3sihicj84P9NL2tO9pFxft1YsBtA5ogui87bnUSs4-tcFnuEEQ1HabKY0uW_02ycgt5q5RIFpXYQ/s1600/IMG_6708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9xt9kTLfBkvqT2r_ZXvlxs86xcEOivvrb9MhJbyAtSjNvbuBKI7FLxqIwZFX3mmr3sihicj84P9NL2tO9pFxft1YsBtA5ogui87bnUSs4-tcFnuEEQ1HabKY0uW_02ycgt5q5RIFpXYQ/s400/IMG_6708.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1. They are so freaking delicious I need to eat at least 42 cookies before I am satisfied.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2. I am always left parched for hours no matter how much liquid i consume after; shortbread leave a trail of absorbent deliciousness that teaches you a lesson for eating 42 of them. They're saying, fuck you for eating all my chocolate chip brothers and sisters. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Wait I have three problems with shortbread.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3. I always seem to end up with more shortbread on my face/lap/floor/general proximity due to the fact they are always too crumbly. And after 42 of these little episodes, it looks like I've picked up the cookie jar and smashed it all over the floor in an episode of teenage angst. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5u2rTVyw1yW-njAymwM5Pea7m33WBIyJxSjCo3BCxXoo-EKNXjQ5Zgv8svPcsLD-9tBonoSGmB6vIfeL13JWfKRhJHru9ni2r2s5p3xDhyphenhyphenyNY9fsXI_MY5DpU3poacTXAO_LfM8-Vsf7x/s1600/IMG_6712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5u2rTVyw1yW-njAymwM5Pea7m33WBIyJxSjCo3BCxXoo-EKNXjQ5Zgv8svPcsLD-9tBonoSGmB6vIfeL13JWfKRhJHru9ni2r2s5p3xDhyphenhyphenyNY9fsXI_MY5DpU3poacTXAO_LfM8-Vsf7x/s400/IMG_6712.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For these reasons three I've always been hesitant to make shortbread. I'd prefer to eat a choc chip cookie that didn't cause me any problems and left me not-thirsty, not dirty and completely satisfied.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Then...I was proved wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was digging through my mums recipe book from when she actually gave a flying foccacia about the kitchen and didn't resort to cooking me chicken schnitzel and stir fry four out of the seven nights a week. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyryIUcHh6Wgm6t-4QLsKiS51SbUSEa_OpEW_0aK-ZK0_0k8gwt9ElwFQETa6y4gEK6OnVOXyQ8UxqL1jmxhIZJWI0J-TeVc5WVQyZxMhXme829Xu2IWETHoso9KH9_jxYgPwbgw87gb8W/s1600/IMG_6709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyryIUcHh6Wgm6t-4QLsKiS51SbUSEa_OpEW_0aK-ZK0_0k8gwt9ElwFQETa6y4gEK6OnVOXyQ8UxqL1jmxhIZJWI0J-TeVc5WVQyZxMhXme829Xu2IWETHoso9KH9_jxYgPwbgw87gb8W/s400/IMG_6709.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">There, nestled between a yellow coconut curry and a boullabaise was a quaint, faded little square of a recipe that for some reason, called me from it's diamond-in-the-rough-ing-ness and begged me, nay pleaded me, to show it some attention and bake the shit out of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I unfolded it and lo and behold, the simplest recipe I have ever seen stared back at me, choc-chip butter shortbread.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I needed to take a breather from my usual ambitions of fifty two ingredients (p.s I'm cooking the V8 cake from masterchef for my dads birthday so stay posted.) and baked these little gems.</span><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I didn't need to eat 42.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I didn't need to drink 42 litres of water.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It was crumbly...but not excessively.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">These shortbread...are the ducks nuts of shortbread. They WILL wobble your wibbler like there is no tomorrow.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Enjoy!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gSfccJJhUkmriWU0mSW7rAnRi90d-c8vxvsMYUaPHjqEZBAe3k-GHtW_8l5kDLK5HCF6HLwgYEEzgFDp0WcvhuEl1irZ8Uv8XukLnesqRIqRKOnPHqjvWHaoyrl0ndGusD6ml4zNx_Yp/s1600/IMG_6711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gSfccJJhUkmriWU0mSW7rAnRi90d-c8vxvsMYUaPHjqEZBAe3k-GHtW_8l5kDLK5HCF6HLwgYEEzgFDp0WcvhuEl1irZ8Uv8XukLnesqRIqRKOnPHqjvWHaoyrl0ndGusD6ml4zNx_Yp/s400/IMG_6711.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Choc - Chip Butter Shortbread (an old family recipe)</strong></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">ingredients</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">250 grams of butter</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/3 cup caster sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 teaspoon of vanilla</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 cups of plain flour</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/3 cup cornflour</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2/3 cup self raising flour</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup of chocolate chips</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">method</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Beat the sugar, butter and vanilla together. Mix in the flours. Mix in the chocolate chips. Scoop tablespoons of the mixture onto a tray lined with baking paper and bung them in your pre-heated oven (180 degrees celsius) for 10 to 12 minutes.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">AND THAT'S IT!</span>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-15917733871140991782010-07-22T20:40:00.000-07:002010-07-23T01:05:09.697-07:00Truffle Pigs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSLTZW45dw3uy_iBWpcxbi8qehkMieL4M9NAuHaVyER6JlIYFZeRqlNKdXmvgNDlCVE7xe0csdip-nvxNVIA-jWLecYrJetUPMOJFY4AFq7OpOszaBmIeiO9vjpHKnQcEods-6eD4aoOE/s1600/IMG_6702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSLTZW45dw3uy_iBWpcxbi8qehkMieL4M9NAuHaVyER6JlIYFZeRqlNKdXmvgNDlCVE7xe0csdip-nvxNVIA-jWLecYrJetUPMOJFY4AFq7OpOszaBmIeiO9vjpHKnQcEods-6eD4aoOE/s400/IMG_6702.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Okay so this post is almost certainly dedicated to a friend of mine since I have known since Pokemon first came out and footsies was still cool. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I bumped into him the other week when I was "hitting da clubs" and, in a somewhat intoxicated manner, preceded to talk about life, the fact I was drinking red wine at a pub and most importantly, The Cookie Jar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">At the mere mention of my blog my friend exclaimed "TRUFFLES! MAKE TRUFFLES!" and I exclaimed back "YES FUCKING TRUFFLES!" </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkCGZB9zZIheCRN36u_eyMrimWsy7VIY64Wgz9yLwNof1xJDNTUfCT6CRl9vSkgfnjlOtJYMLXKXg-nsYdEcQMEp3DtHVhQRWm2ynjkH9N1i4Sru89hIM-RBY9k0pGz1s_N7_4RmSBBvu/s1600/IMG_6704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTkCGZB9zZIheCRN36u_eyMrimWsy7VIY64Wgz9yLwNof1xJDNTUfCT6CRl9vSkgfnjlOtJYMLXKXg-nsYdEcQMEp3DtHVhQRWm2ynjkH9N1i4Sru89hIM-RBY9k0pGz1s_N7_4RmSBBvu/s400/IMG_6704.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And in a drunken back-and-forth stupor we proceeded to name every single flavour of truffle we could think of that we would create the next morning together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Needless to say, no truffles were made the next day, but I vowed to one day make them with him. I personally have never been a truffle person; I was always highly confused when people said they were worth more than gold (uhhhh can't you use Coles chocolate?) and that during one month of the year the French used pigs to dig them from the ground (can pigs eat chocolate?). It was a horribly embarassing experience when someone pointed out the difference between the two and I have never quite recovered from it. THEIR LAUGHS BURN LIKE THE FIRE OF A THOUSAND WARMED TRUFFLES. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9gwtac7lfFbpD3TLvRVSvO7Mh6uL-JukKgXwUtUzaSIif-muEc9sUUH3HmV0PBlA99R7psFWokpZoIiBM-5VCY9xG0bFVeoGgMnEUmXBhccKrse2Pje8VmUJ-209TlPBOXe_ChFcuscP/s1600/IMG_6701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9gwtac7lfFbpD3TLvRVSvO7Mh6uL-JukKgXwUtUzaSIif-muEc9sUUH3HmV0PBlA99R7psFWokpZoIiBM-5VCY9xG0bFVeoGgMnEUmXBhccKrse2Pje8VmUJ-209TlPBOXe_ChFcuscP/s400/IMG_6701.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Though when my truffle friend mentioned white chocolate truffle I was completely and utterly sold. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Since then, my truffle friend and I have bumped into each other several times, all whilst being slightly "under-the-weather". Every single time I have promised to make truffles for Cookie Jar, which I have not. Either I haven't had the time...or I'd been offered to bake something more exciting...or I just haven't really remembered to be entirely honest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, yesterday as I was home sick contemplating phlegm and it's origins, I finally thought, I KNOW WHAT WILL BREAK THIS SOUL SCORCHING BOREDOM! I WILL MAKE TRUFFLES FOR MY TRUFFLE FRIEND!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So I hustled up my ingredients, I started to make the truffles and bunged them in the freezer (they have to set overnight) and was pretty damn happy that I had finally come through with my promise. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimB54y7r4NeHnjnp2_dygNzHsk9OO_08ocsqhlnLlXqWFDpE_5fNTEjrEufS06ZPa-WosbBgfMwJt8rbb5GmEdWMkbPkezn82wjDIusmp3sl0sHsvbKb-7afSrnCLR6GtpmKEsmW5q55eG/s1600/IMG_6705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimB54y7r4NeHnjnp2_dygNzHsk9OO_08ocsqhlnLlXqWFDpE_5fNTEjrEufS06ZPa-WosbBgfMwJt8rbb5GmEdWMkbPkezn82wjDIusmp3sl0sHsvbKb-7afSrnCLR6GtpmKEsmW5q55eG/s400/IMG_6705.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, today I visited the doctor as I am still unwell and, lo and behold, apparently I have a disease which is horribly infectious and unappealing to all life forms and I should be kept in solitary confinement with a bag over my head as to avoid "germing" people. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Doctor: "So, Ella, are you, ummm, back at uni yet?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Me: "Noo I deferred this semester to work full-time, but taking some time off now due to the infection you've diagnosed me with."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Doctor: "Oh that's good, you would'nt want to be seen in public at the moment."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Yes friends, my dearest general practitioner, the family's go-to health advisor for all of my natural life, the oen of whom we have trusted, in sickness and in health (mostly sickness) to hold dear to her soul our ailments and failings...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">...had just told me I was too ugly to appear at university.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzumACQl6mqarYYGPFTpsbeRNFCQQLy-d1CzPNIBIu7mM3lZcB1fFxBwhnL2qKH3vdZAAwja1lLBHDcJ1hPij9FYK9JZClHNmAx6B4I7S2Bii6oHQBJNgfbNhn2WxqyIGmJmI1wgWiM9Y/s1600/IMG_6706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzumACQl6mqarYYGPFTpsbeRNFCQQLy-d1CzPNIBIu7mM3lZcB1fFxBwhnL2qKH3vdZAAwja1lLBHDcJ1hPij9FYK9JZClHNmAx6B4I7S2Bii6oHQBJNgfbNhn2WxqyIGmJmI1wgWiM9Y/s400/IMG_6706.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Needless to say, I was not being seen by my truffle friend to give him his much awaited truffles...so I'm dedicating this post (and saving him a few!) to my truffle-loving friend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Enjoy!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Chocolate Truffles (nom nom nom nom)</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">took the recipe from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Trio-of-Chocolate-Truffles-102705">epicurious</a> and adapted the jesus out of it</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouAfcO6D3LzkMjJyxg-K8RA40FomqG3W0UUThHuiiUm4G0sZEstlulKsZ0EQv76FvPiLV90pM0v3iILUtdxyywc30uxupJPaEG3UPXuO65_eEcdP15FfPodxHGLhTbMJZNmpQSCn_yRxP/s1600/IMG_6707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouAfcO6D3LzkMjJyxg-K8RA40FomqG3W0UUThHuiiUm4G0sZEstlulKsZ0EQv76FvPiLV90pM0v3iILUtdxyywc30uxupJPaEG3UPXuO65_eEcdP15FfPodxHGLhTbMJZNmpQSCn_yRxP/s400/IMG_6707.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">two cups of anyyy chocolate you like (I used a combination of milk and dark, ultimately the higher quality of chocolate...the better tasting the truffle.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">3/4 of a cup of thickened cream</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">a dash of vanilla essence</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><strong>to coat your truffles</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">extra chocolate of your choice (i used milk)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">crushed nuts (i used pistachios), shredded coconut, cocoa powder, crushed oreos (which i used)...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">etc.etc.etc.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><strong>method</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">In a medium heavy saucepan, bring your cream to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Remove from heat. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">While the cream is still hot, pour in your chocolate and use a wooden spoon to fold the cream over the chocolate until it is all melted and lovely and great and smooth and yum AND GANACHE-Y.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Whisk in vanilla. Pour into medium bowl. Cover; chill until firm. This will probably take a minimum of three hours but I did mine overnight which works much much better. </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Take them out the next morning and line baking sheet with waxed paper. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bung on some gloves and roll them into the desired shape. Or you can get all nice and messy without gloves. I'm not against licking ma phalanges. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Freeze them until firm, about 45 minutes. Potentially longer...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Take the truffles out of the freezer. Have little bowls of the ingredients you want to coat your truffles in nearby. Melt some chocolate over a double boiler and roll one of the frozen truffles in the melted chocolate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">While it's still wet from chocolate, roll the truffle in one of your ingredients eg. nuts and coat it until it's all lovely and covered. Wear gloves again as this stuff gets freaking EVERYWHERE.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Cover with plastic; chill until ready to serve. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Keep chilled.) </span>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-34672497176810945342010-07-20T03:47:00.000-07:002010-07-20T03:47:19.416-07:00The Cake That Descended From The Pearly Gates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8RrkaenIbGhv0rptV7KkDzLD8WFnBF958B-zWdZEXgPztWwUWONg6taY71RweKAc6rK40NeHV8e-58J0Fn7vQy7Sl6Th1lPHo_d-CKz0q19CMjfGso-enpx4ipoBH__7fMB1R1YFjxQK/s1600/IMG_6696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8RrkaenIbGhv0rptV7KkDzLD8WFnBF958B-zWdZEXgPztWwUWONg6taY71RweKAc6rK40NeHV8e-58J0Fn7vQy7Sl6Th1lPHo_d-CKz0q19CMjfGso-enpx4ipoBH__7fMB1R1YFjxQK/s400/IMG_6696.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Okay generally my mother is a complete and utter control <strong>nazi</strong> when it comes to the kitchen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I think I live in one of the few households on the entire planet where when someone offers to bake, they are greeted with a look of pure, seething, cold, unnatural and somewhat bowel clenching distaste. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You see, my mother hates mess. Yeah you're thinking, everyone hates mess you choof Ella, didn't take a genius. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But my mother, oh, she has a pure, seething, cold, unnatural and somewhat bowel clenching hate for mess.</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzxF7ZauGoJiXkkmbLOZLUVv2KJcrH3_Ftx1zjpaKeBwJzL6aqEh3B3vpyTBq9r5PYLxYvkHZCSunpL_GY3L7gmnoSYD-heRlsUpRIz6nECGEqlrspcLjytuo7oy6qM4xKKH_BjMmYJ3M/s1600/IMG_6695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzxF7ZauGoJiXkkmbLOZLUVv2KJcrH3_Ftx1zjpaKeBwJzL6aqEh3B3vpyTBq9r5PYLxYvkHZCSunpL_GY3L7gmnoSYD-heRlsUpRIz6nECGEqlrspcLjytuo7oy6qM4xKKH_BjMmYJ3M/s400/IMG_6695.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I will admit, her opinion is fair in a sense. I am a disgustingly messy cook. I like to be artistic when I bake, throwing flour, caressing myself with brown sugar and rubbing butter into the crevasses of the drawers. So when I offer to bake, my mother </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(who stupidly decided to tile the kitchen floor with black and white tiles that are quite possibly the easiest things to stain in the world. It's like she went into the tile place and said "<strong>GIVE ME TILES I CAN STAIN BITCH</strong>!") </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">pre-empts the eggshells and raspberry buttercream (yum) lining the walls (i'd probs like raspberry buttercream off the walls to be honest...) and proceeds to give me the deathstare that makes me shit my pants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I've even resorted to baking in the time she goes to the grocery store. She says "Ella I'm just going out for an hour to do some chores." I hear the key in the ignition and like a gazelle I assemble and make mess and bake and clean and I fucking have an epic choc chip cookie for her to munch on when she walks back in the door. She's none the wiser.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Anyway, I did have a point to this ramble.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And that is, when I walked in the door the other morning my mother accosted me and said "<strong>BAKE SOMETHING WITH EGG IN IT</strong>" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Yes friends, my father had spent the weekend at a conference and had come home with 32 cartons of eggs that they did not ingest while at the conference. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The first thing that sprung to mind was angel food cake, which I had never been brave enough to bake before without permission as it requires ten to twelve egg whites. This number would even make my retail therapy addicted mother shit her pants. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, I made an angel food cake and here is the recipe. It's pretty difficult to get right the first time, but if you're really careful and follow the instructions to the very last full stop, you will get the lightest fluffiest most beautiful cake you can possibly imagine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It also has an extremely low fat content as it is egg white based, so for all you loser dieters out there you can have seconds and not wake up feeling like you should put on a makeshift nappy, tie your hair in a bun and tackle some other asian fatties. I took the recipe from The </span><a href="http://www.cook-book.com/recipes/archive/poppyseed_angelfood_cake.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">CookBook Store's</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Poppyseed Angel Food Cake with Grapefruit Curd and omitted the grapefruit curd and poppyseeds and made a vanilla based one with a yummmmmyyy warm raspberry sauce on the side.</span><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Enjoy!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Vanilla Angel Food Cake with Ella's Warm Raspberry Sauce</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">angel food cake...</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup cake flour (or plain is just dandy)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 1/2 cups caster sugar (it WILL work better with caster but feel free to use white)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 1/2 cups egg whites (keep the yolks for another recipe..otherwise it's such a sad waste. make hollandaise sauce and have eggs benedict in the morning! fucking yum!)</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 tablespoons water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A generous squirt of lemon juice</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVc5kDMFybawex18tfPsQDMK5iGPlmweRnkzQ1OKydn_wRGXOIqxuIZ81OPQOxxhlXyQu8ESqyFeAkzLC9Eb3a6lyJAfVGI0_iRLm9EERdBdnGEzZ6yNcH7FOj5f01sNIMkbFfys8GWiV/s1600/IMG_6694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVc5kDMFybawex18tfPsQDMK5iGPlmweRnkzQ1OKydn_wRGXOIqxuIZ81OPQOxxhlXyQu8ESqyFeAkzLC9Eb3a6lyJAfVGI0_iRLm9EERdBdnGEzZ6yNcH7FOj5f01sNIMkbFfys8GWiV/s320/IMG_6694.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">raspberry sauce...</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">cup of berries (frozen or finely chopped fresh)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">two tablespoons thickened cream</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">squirt of lemon juice</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">as much icing sugar as you want (until you get your preferred consistency) </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have ready a spotlessly clean 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom, ungreased and unlined. Sift the all of the flour and 1/2 cups of the sugar together 3 times, then set it nearby.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In the very clean, grease-free bowl of an electric or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl if whipping by hand, beat the egg whites with warm water until frothy. If you have a mixmaster, USE IT. Try really hard to make sure you get little to no yolk in the cake as it completely changes the texture. Add the cream of tartar and the salt and whip the whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar, a little at a time, whipping constantly. When all the sugar has been added, the whites should be firm, glossy and hold stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The flour-sugar mixture must be incorporated very gently, but as quickly as possible so as not to deflate the whites. This is best done using your hand, as to avoid lumpage. You can use a spatula but you will almost certainly have some lumps if you don't just get into it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sprinkle about 1/4 of the flour mixture over the whites, then use your (clean!) hand to fold the batter over onto itself, making sure you reach down to the very bottom of the bowl and scoop all the way around the sides and through the centre. When you don't see or feel lumps of flour, add another 1/4 of the flour. Repeat until the final 1/4 of the flour is meshed through.The batter should still look lovely and white and fluffy and like a cloud. :)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVnnt5O_5huQYxBiH1ADDyn_Ye02bT0HjHiIZ4mvKzx4oENwbleS0MpFmcP1CraTIdHlVdH3uwlFV43XdRk4yHrpznxIJhk6DHiz-OyiHQYfnv3s5qL9tcmPvJhD_n8nzrHnyV_i1cFr1/s1600/IMG_6697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVnnt5O_5huQYxBiH1ADDyn_Ye02bT0HjHiIZ4mvKzx4oENwbleS0MpFmcP1CraTIdHlVdH3uwlFV43XdRk4yHrpznxIJhk6DHiz-OyiHQYfnv3s5qL9tcmPvJhD_n8nzrHnyV_i1cFr1/s400/IMG_6697.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Scrape the batter into the pan, do it carefully, you need as much air in the cake as possible. Smooth the top of the batter, then run a clean knife through the batter in the pan to rupture any of the larger air bubbles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean, and the top is cracked and golden. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">While the cake is a baking, whip out a food processer or mixer chuck some icing sugar, frozen chopped berries (I used rasperries but if you chop up some strawberries, blueberries...it all works) squirt of lemon juice and two tablespoons of thickened cream and PROCESS until all blended and lovely. Bung this in the microwave for two minutes on high to warm it up and serve it drizzled over your cake. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">FUCKING YUM.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLlElUiI1wOtip0r05UTYs4G3jhZzpQn3EzUr4TF6rdTgSGuDvZUOcenf7k3TwQ0GOEIULL9N1aXQ2DvZBC4W2VtVPqPVoGuCxv99YNE4uxdXQGe7BOtxVaKV6iPGj79y2TqIoUQFsnjF/s1600/IMG_6700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLlElUiI1wOtip0r05UTYs4G3jhZzpQn3EzUr4TF6rdTgSGuDvZUOcenf7k3TwQ0GOEIULL9N1aXQ2DvZBC4W2VtVPqPVoGuCxv99YNE4uxdXQGe7BOtxVaKV6iPGj79y2TqIoUQFsnjF/s400/IMG_6700.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-9590983722545065192010-07-18T00:23:00.000-07:002010-07-18T00:23:35.117-07:00Pancakes for breakfast lunch and dinner!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Okay so two things sucked the other morning.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I don't really know which one sucked more, but I'll tell you the more irrelevant one first. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1. I got attacked by a bat.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Yes friends, that's correct. That is not a typo of "bat" instead of "cat". I got attacked by a "b". "a". "t". </span><br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fiZWrEEunOWSjMjamGUMQI4ZzOkkdSujZqs7uQ8rzGbJJKSPiMzPb4HdTT-XLzH-S99ZSPc9s7h-yHA70e5sF9bhI8Iednx0WTFdDKa5L1fT5nhKb0dgh7cULt1lGPXEBtvvxHovjxkc/s1600/vampire-bat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fiZWrEEunOWSjMjamGUMQI4ZzOkkdSujZqs7uQ8rzGbJJKSPiMzPb4HdTT-XLzH-S99ZSPc9s7h-yHA70e5sF9bhI8Iednx0WTFdDKa5L1fT5nhKb0dgh7cULt1lGPXEBtvvxHovjxkc/s320/vampire-bat.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As you can undoubtedly imagine, the experience was mortifying. As I went on my morning run, oblivious to the world with my tunes in my ears the wind in my sails and the sweat collecting on my upper lip, I was the picture of not only optimum health, but optimum happiness.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Not for much longer. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As I approached a rather large fruit tree and began to turn the footpath corner, a demon descended, sent from the fiery furnace that is hell and flew limbs a-flailing into my face. It's screech was like that of a newborn baby crossed with a demented goat; both terrifying and horribley confusing at the same time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Needless to say I swore so loudly that the people in the surrounding suburbs would have been woken only to think that the apocalypse was coming and the scream was the sound of someone seeing the first alien hit the coast. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Nuff of that. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2. When I got home from that run, there was no weetbix.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">What the fuck. Honestly. Having just contracted hepatitis, cancer, tuberculosis, the plague and all forms of deathly illness from Satan's little helper, I was entirely pissed off I could not have my routine breakfast. You see, I've perfected the breakfast meal and I tend to blatantly refuse any other breakfast item in the morning.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Two weetbix + half a chopped up banana + tablespoon of greek yoghurt + handful of DRY ROASTED almonds + few squirts of honey + mash it all into a porridge type mess = ella's happiness. </span><br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignai35LOPkN10HEVWOITPpDSHWWUAcF8FQcbZ-0gV2Rlpu33oH4AAFDzjeOQWRZhy-yQNJGMsNIX7HuyaChHR3uHBJDBfO_l3jn0jPyocYdDUZ2nzTBtd9IiKmAuviSLaFOK7JxbdtomM/s1600/36b680d8f3a23f1e3b7194c432745d3c206a1a82_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEignai35LOPkN10HEVWOITPpDSHWWUAcF8FQcbZ-0gV2Rlpu33oH4AAFDzjeOQWRZhy-yQNJGMsNIX7HuyaChHR3uHBJDBfO_l3jn0jPyocYdDUZ2nzTBtd9IiKmAuviSLaFOK7JxbdtomM/s320/36b680d8f3a23f1e3b7194c432745d3c206a1a82_m.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was sufficiently depressed and resorted to creating myself an epic breakfast that would make up for my epic failure of a morning. And if I was going to start running at impossible speeds, glittering in the sunlight and craving a certain girl's blood...cough Bella...cough.... I wanted to go out with a bang.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So I made fucking oatmeal pancakes. They're a twist on a regular pancake; though they're essentially the same recipe as a regular pancake, they're made with oat flour (blended rolled oats) which makes them "seem" healthier. They're deliciously warm, gooey and mine were cooked to perfection. Don;t you love it when you make pancakes and the butter makes the edges of the pancake curl up into brown buttery crispy little crusts of goodness and leave you craving that fluffy cloudlike centre which you drench in a waterfall of maple syrup. Good with strawberries and cream too. Lemon and sugar. Brown sugar and cinnamon and honey. Bananas and nutella. The list goes on and on and on...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMX82qTJ0pdColKPvovW6O1VH_WR29D-16s71aaXHGhqTpJu7XXkBfvgI6tGJIP9ps67mPJu2XAhZY4yaB5Lxg3zGGmCcSkeBWmeMNE8muJ6q-a05rXSX9qAH4xg9q_tOuyniDfJCePFX/s1600/IMG_6688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMX82qTJ0pdColKPvovW6O1VH_WR29D-16s71aaXHGhqTpJu7XXkBfvgI6tGJIP9ps67mPJu2XAhZY4yaB5Lxg3zGGmCcSkeBWmeMNE8muJ6q-a05rXSX9qAH4xg9q_tOuyniDfJCePFX/s400/IMG_6688.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Pancakes are such an easy breakfast item to make and if you do have the ingredients, take the time to make your own batter and not just resort to packet mix. They taste so much better! Slash you won't get a fucking arm cramp from shaking the premix bottle...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Here's the recipe!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Oatmeal Pancakes</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">adopted and then adapted from smittenkitchen.com </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCl7i_riyedVU6RPfKoOQ-FyLvJV6Lgmlhb-LnrnqVQvmwufARQPDwmoGH8UG0uvJiXtHBLNntdG5dUv25HlvTIAX5ano0yrja0Ynm7T83stiXBbNMN4LFm4wzORAXLAnT0EAUIh4H8zEO/s1600/IMG_6689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCl7i_riyedVU6RPfKoOQ-FyLvJV6Lgmlhb-LnrnqVQvmwufARQPDwmoGH8UG0uvJiXtHBLNntdG5dUv25HlvTIAX5ano0yrja0Ynm7T83stiXBbNMN4LFm4wzORAXLAnT0EAUIh4H8zEO/s320/IMG_6689.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>makes a fair few pancakes...enough for three or four. <br />
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3/4 cup oat flour (you can make this by blending the bejesus out of some regular rolled oats in a food processor)<br />
1 cup plain flour<br />
1/4 cup brown sugar<br />
2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1/2 cup butter (plus extra for the pan)<br />
1 cup of buttermilk<br />
1/2 regular milk<br />
1 cup cooked oatmeal* (cook up some regular ol' porridge using water or milk and use this.) <br />
1 tablespoon honey<br />
2 large eggs<br />
<br />
method.<br />
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Put all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl.<br />
In a smaller bowl whisk all of your wet ingredients together.<br />
Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. <br />
Do this using a wooden spoon, rotating and folding so that the batter isn't overmixed. Overmixed means chewy pancake aka vomit. <br />
Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat until water sizzles when splashed onto the pan. Lower to medium-low. Rub the pan generously with butter. Using a ladle, bung your pancake mix into the pan, I'm not the one whose going to tell you how big to make them. Once bubbles have begun to form on the top side of the pancake, flip the pancake and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown, about 5 minutes total. <br />
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Eat it with the stuff I said to eat it with, or anything else! Tomato sauce, hoi sin, ice cream, asparagus...whatever. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieweOkfLnTzqm9p_U9zElbMrk4aiQaiEZZ3bcY8anr4cL8BwEm0_FwvQf2pkK1aFs-PNRGkupmxWfro41Q5QtGIvpbwEyWi4feMjkOpxEgE1-2N-ahUwswtHNkLpv_UpIscgPKh6NoLgfO/s1600/IMG_6693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieweOkfLnTzqm9p_U9zElbMrk4aiQaiEZZ3bcY8anr4cL8BwEm0_FwvQf2pkK1aFs-PNRGkupmxWfro41Q5QtGIvpbwEyWi4feMjkOpxEgE1-2N-ahUwswtHNkLpv_UpIscgPKh6NoLgfO/s400/IMG_6693.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-73784941065039001512010-06-14T23:43:00.000-07:002010-06-14T23:43:41.879-07:00What's Up Doc?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Before I start may I just say I would offer all my phalanges and most of my limbs to be able to do the Looney Tunes voice overs. I was just reminded when I gave the post a title how much I've always envied people like Robin Williams who can control the retardation in their voices. I just listen to Porky Pig and feel like I'm going insane with jealousy everytime that voice artist does that stutter...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Nevertheless, I will move on to what I know you're here for. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Carrot Cake.</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0igVjIQAbnq9IzbuzVlbgTdCnobW8zxjh0nYut_0DceG-JnBYd7KX7GA7YtKesibjMLjlLGrOT7IX-QPrMIF2q7tXRSt3Cz-fwUefrtK17vqifKGwueqLfKIKXjfJFXgdGBrapBUWhvPr/s1600/IMG_6406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0igVjIQAbnq9IzbuzVlbgTdCnobW8zxjh0nYut_0DceG-JnBYd7KX7GA7YtKesibjMLjlLGrOT7IX-QPrMIF2q7tXRSt3Cz-fwUefrtK17vqifKGwueqLfKIKXjfJFXgdGBrapBUWhvPr/s400/IMG_6406.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I know I know, usually I'm one for decadence, but my family said they'd ship me to the Amazon as a "gift" for the pygmies to use and abuse me as a sacrifice if I made something similar to last weeks cake. </span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I also felt it necessary to tone it down a touch on the saturated fat side of things as my waistline has been protruding over my Bettina Liano's due to the fact I was the only one brave enough to slowly munch my way through the butterscotch buttercream sitting in my fridge...</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So that brings us to now. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXi-LNhEsQRqkqj2w3eK7nVaCp5TKlfavy9XiSXtWVYPZy2tKVxYZA_jMLzUY_d9TS8h3Jzv_EloQdE8jGCGdrETos9oXw7x1aSdYnJrGq6rOZGFV516-zyse0znFTiOuIwcnq-G3vjRU/s1600/guh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXi-LNhEsQRqkqj2w3eK7nVaCp5TKlfavy9XiSXtWVYPZy2tKVxYZA_jMLzUY_d9TS8h3Jzv_EloQdE8jGCGdrETos9oXw7x1aSdYnJrGq6rOZGFV516-zyse0znFTiOuIwcnq-G3vjRU/s320/guh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I'm pretty happy with this cake, I stole and tinkered with a recipe from a vego's bible; "Delia's Vegetarian Cookbook" which offers some farken fab recipes if you don't like to chew the beef, ahem, as I and the rest of the sane population do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It's fairly nutty as I used almond meal instead of the wholemeal flour the original suggests but whatever, each to their own. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Also, I may come back to this recipe on another day as my addiction to butter and brown sugar tells me that caramelizing the carrots before putting them in the cake may lead to extra frothtastic tastebud sensations. Then again, I do love butter so much I would put it on just about anything, why just the other day I buttered my steak. I can just sense the butter in my fridge calling out my name, wishing it was brimming slowly towards my drooling jaws. Butter is the food of the Gods. Screw all of you and your margarines and cream cheese spreads, I want my golden yellow lifeforce on everything. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">God I get so distracted.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Keep you posted. </span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Enjoy!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Carrot Cake w/ Mascarpone, Fromage Frais and Cinnamon Icing</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZm18r6oHym6GEA6VgIkOAvO28U4K8vMqVfFCWU9hIBAuXXa7KQOpR5BlibT32qmQPr8eR8jva2hPdefxTjeOEMk2_V8XcjWYcbntA0MXcV7RmMUwbo0JpJ5oHuLqzZCauHdBmevKBokuw/s1600/IMG_6407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZm18r6oHym6GEA6VgIkOAvO28U4K8vMqVfFCWU9hIBAuXXa7KQOpR5BlibT32qmQPr8eR8jva2hPdefxTjeOEMk2_V8XcjWYcbntA0MXcV7RmMUwbo0JpJ5oHuLqzZCauHdBmevKBokuw/s400/IMG_6407.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Ingredients</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Cake.</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">200g grated carrots</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">200g brown sugar (dark is better but it really doesn't matter.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">2 large eggs brought to room temperature</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">150mL rice bran oil (or sunflower oil)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">100g plain or wholemeal flour</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">100g almond meal*</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">some mixed spice</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">some nutmeg</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">some cinnamon</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1 teaspoon of bicarb soda</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">grated zest of an orange</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">handful of dessicated coconut (feel free to omit or use shredded.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">*I always make my own almond meal by buying whole dry roasted almonds and blending them in a food processor until they form a fine powder. Tastes so much better and gives your finished cake a more natural look and taste. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Method</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Preheat your oven to 175 degrees celsius. Ooooh toasty. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Whisk your brown sugar, eggs and oil together in a bowl until all your sugar is dissolved. Now sift the flour, spices and bicarb into the bowl and stir gently. Incorporate all of your other ingredients.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Chuck your batter in your heavily greased or lined tin. If you have any brown sugar left, get some and whisk in a little butter in a separate bowl then sprinkle this buttery sugary mess strategically on the top of your cake. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when you put him in. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Icing</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">250g mascarpone</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">200g fromage frais 8 per cent (you can sub in cream cheese or a low fat cottage cheese if you can't find this but there is no real substitute for the real deal.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">teaspoon of cinnamon</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">tablespoon of lemon juice</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Method</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Whip all these ingredients together until they form what looks like an icing...duh.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Bung on the icing when your bad boy is cooled down and wah-lah. Serve warm. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJAuMuhpk85UkVQeGf-mlEkqtcdMxxFkWkm1rvdlPkvlJX9w-1h-NwZ1De6BeH36ZVrCumrNiyl9pF8I9OzS0_NiHj86tZCHM38Fmh1AnxwqGhjYUw8BdXpHxRYEYPUXUNSWYIew8Khel/s1600/IMG_6405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJAuMuhpk85UkVQeGf-mlEkqtcdMxxFkWkm1rvdlPkvlJX9w-1h-NwZ1De6BeH36ZVrCumrNiyl9pF8I9OzS0_NiHj86tZCHM38Fmh1AnxwqGhjYUw8BdXpHxRYEYPUXUNSWYIew8Khel/s400/IMG_6405.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-90745030672906994522010-06-03T17:07:00.000-07:002010-06-03T17:09:17.472-07:00Scroll Down for Coronary Failure...<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So it's been a week...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0t1kVGIE2e42BQR1oFfffoJFQ_Zk9-jtJXYvMgc6cXqLVjpH11zfaVLWWyBjKn5W4LNCl_-3SULKaeK40abfFVHFBFoCJUiwOCxOlyoJhU_Dhx1iHI3e5-K7e5GTU-R79NSY-aXYarKW3/s1600/my_bad_500px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0t1kVGIE2e42BQR1oFfffoJFQ_Zk9-jtJXYvMgc6cXqLVjpH11zfaVLWWyBjKn5W4LNCl_-3SULKaeK40abfFVHFBFoCJUiwOCxOlyoJhU_Dhx1iHI3e5-K7e5GTU-R79NSY-aXYarKW3/s200/my_bad_500px.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You've probably been wondering where I've been...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Well...see...uhh...here's the thing...</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">About a week ago I found I was...umm..............</span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">...............pregnant.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">WITH AN IDEA!</span></strong><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You see on the third of June 2010 it was my brother's eleventh birthday. Now, me living in a house full of people who have "my-body-is-a-temple" mantras it's often hard to find an occasion to bake some of the super duper orgasm inducing froth town recipes that I find all over the internet and in my various baking bibles.</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But here was my chance. It was time to <strong>LIVE</strong>.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now I approached my brother with the idea that I was to make the birthday cake and he seemed all for it. We sat down at the computer and googled layer cakes for what seemed seconds to me and hours for him and decided on this cake right here...</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Cakes-Considered-Melissa-Gray/dp/0811867811"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">CAKE</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">!</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">He went away with his palate buzzing in anticipation, but something in my loins told me that that just wasn't the cake...it just wasn't going to be the show I wanted to put on. </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So I went to the bookstore and looked through some </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Cakes-Considered-Melissa-Gray/dp/0811867811"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">cake books</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> and found this one...</span><a href="http://foododelmundo.com/2009/06/14/heaven-hell-cake/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">CAKE!</span></a></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It spoke to me like an angel descending from the culinary heavens; she said, with a slight drool dripping from the corner of her mouth "<em>Ella, this cake would make Matt Preston shit his pants in delight</em>..."</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So I went home with a song in my heart and proposed the idea to mum...who was unduly and quite obviously dissatisfied with my choosing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Peanut butter mousse? Get stuffed." she said with a huff, and proceeded out the door to play tennis for three hours as if the thought of those peanutty calories was fattening enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So I had a dilemma...and it was the day before! I looked through </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Dessert-My-Best-Recipes/dp/158008138X/ref=pd_sim_b_4"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">book</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> after </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/DamGoodSweet-Desserts-Satisfy-Sweet-Orleans/dp/1600851185/ref=pd_sim_b_3"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">book</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">, <span id="goog_955054756"></span></span><a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Smith-Island-Cake"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">webpage </span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">after </span><a href="http://www.cakespy.com/blog/2010/2/27/an-educaketion-an-oscar-inspired-battenberg-cake-for-serious.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">webpage </span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">but just was not satisfied. So...in true Ella fashion...I made up my own recipe...and here it is. For you. Specially.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Make this and no one will ever. ever. ever. forget it. Their thighs and ass simply will not let them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Enjoy...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8i_Zreg0zzmTgtwVU6YAhiP4OKJHhif_WaqFXcXJGX1DoGJlSghyojJHjEX1ji5Pa3luDoM467FmgKMAXcFEf8GQgMChjlgg8fkFG42vnCs3fg-scSBt7ymS4ZVVKXAztmvbEMr7WAva/s1600/IMG_6342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8i_Zreg0zzmTgtwVU6YAhiP4OKJHhif_WaqFXcXJGX1DoGJlSghyojJHjEX1ji5Pa3luDoM467FmgKMAXcFEf8GQgMChjlgg8fkFG42vnCs3fg-scSBt7ymS4ZVVKXAztmvbEMr7WAva/s400/IMG_6342.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Triple Chocolate Decker Cake with Chantilly Cream, Butterscotch Buttercream and Milky White Chocolate Glaze.</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ingredients for the Cakes</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>There are three cake layers all together; one is a milk chocolate, one is dark chocolate and one is white chocolate and they all follow a basic devils food cake recipe, altered slightly for the type of chocolate.</em> (adapted from </span><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/-Top-Tier-Devils-Food-Cake-with-Sour-Cream-Fudge-Frosting-357276"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">epicurious.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">)</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLahNmsUiY6OqWxTEmlJrDPVrwDcdhvZH8VXQK1LJ6TcOYlBhvW2qWg5o61ZNvt7ARP43g_mJKwf-nmgSB6BJx_NzZevuIGcbK-J3iz52bN1pzxVxCu9o99gHfXvDs2flT-v-tUFOU9TF/s1600/IMG_6376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLahNmsUiY6OqWxTEmlJrDPVrwDcdhvZH8VXQK1LJ6TcOYlBhvW2qWg5o61ZNvt7ARP43g_mJKwf-nmgSB6BJx_NzZevuIGcbK-J3iz52bN1pzxVxCu9o99gHfXvDs2flT-v-tUFOU9TF/s400/IMG_6376.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder<strong>****</strong></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 ounce high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt, Perugina, or Valrhona), chopped <strong>*****</strong></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup boiling water<strong>******</strong></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup buttermilk</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2/3 cup cake flour (plain is fine. not self raising)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup canola oil</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 large egg</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>****</strong>omit when making the white chocolate layer.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>*****</strong>with this ingredient, substitute dark chocolate when making the dark chocolate layer, and substitute for white chocolate when making the white chocolate layer.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>******</strong>omit when making white chocolate layer.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3uBKA8PsAnoWzRN5m8EO83pZc8KNX2xrmW-yzAe0ege5zD4vySnAiB9L26ioRX7tcfMzmIcctBgcQnkFFS-oe3MDKxAjg-6_4zPHAab77G0s7emks-JE1L6LqE8Yfzp5Jd8e90jh0N9s/s1600/IMG_6349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3uBKA8PsAnoWzRN5m8EO83pZc8KNX2xrmW-yzAe0ege5zD4vySnAiB9L26ioRX7tcfMzmIcctBgcQnkFFS-oe3MDKxAjg-6_4zPHAab77G0s7emks-JE1L6LqE8Yfzp5Jd8e90jh0N9s/s400/IMG_6349.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Method</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 180 degrees celsius. Combine cocoa powder and milk chocolate in medium bowl. Pour 1/4 cup boiling water over; whisk until mixture is smooth.<strong>******</strong> Whisk in buttermilk. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in another medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars, oil, egg, and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add flour and cocoa mixtures; beat until blended (batter will be thin).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached, 28 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Then empty out onto a rack and cool. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmD654Tv2ATXUy8vR89ysQeFPfGxF851phm7QYX23yAHlpEx4otrBvZ49hb1CBczTSV_Tu6Do0yB11XDRnBArHwbhcCYxNmXps2sBsoJRQbM40pi_F7WSolrqb0jkgnkpBm-0yBANbyvvO/s1600/IMG_6374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmD654Tv2ATXUy8vR89ysQeFPfGxF851phm7QYX23yAHlpEx4otrBvZ49hb1CBczTSV_Tu6Do0yB11XDRnBArHwbhcCYxNmXps2sBsoJRQbM40pi_F7WSolrqb0jkgnkpBm-0yBANbyvvO/s400/IMG_6374.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><em>Refridgerate the cakes until two hours before serving and applying frosting, glaze and cream.</em></strong> </span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>****** </strong>for this step when making the other layers, keep the same when making the dark chocolate but for the white chocolate, place the white chocolate in a saucepan over mid to low heat and melt down until liquid. Then whisk in the buttermilk.</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ingredients for the Fillings</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPO39A-I1nHEBwAd2BuMmt3bPqlemp-avh5URMFUKSbhMYkP2Q5yZYhuUKioncGn5EUSkJL2nyFLXa8CUCmj2kMe9mphqW5Q_OXOaNt0Jj0F5Zylh4AqKeF_RtOm9cJi7abZAbZFT6Ms-/s1600/IMG_6346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPO39A-I1nHEBwAd2BuMmt3bPqlemp-avh5URMFUKSbhMYkP2Q5yZYhuUKioncGn5EUSkJL2nyFLXa8CUCmj2kMe9mphqW5Q_OXOaNt0Jj0F5Zylh4AqKeF_RtOm9cJi7abZAbZFT6Ms-/s400/IMG_6346.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now this takes some time, so keep your cakes in the fridge while you're doing this. Don't apply the fillings or glaze until two hours before serving and keep refridgerated until you serve, otherwise your cream will go funky.</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Butterscotch Buttercream </strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(adapted from "</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/At-Home-Magnolia-Classic-American/dp/0471751375"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">at home with Magnoila</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">")</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup butter</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2/3 cup brown sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup heavy cream</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3 cups icing sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 teaspoon vanilla essence</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Method for Buttercream</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over med-low heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk constantly for 5 minutes until syrupy. Gradually add the cream and continue whisking for 2 more minutes.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Remove from the heat aand transfer to large bowl and allow to cool for fifteen minutes. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You need to wait otherwise your icing won't set properly and you will get broken buttercream which is a tragedy, a tasty tasty tragedy.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Once cooled, gradually add the icing sugar while mixing with an electric mixer. Add vanilla and keep beating. You'll notice it goes a lovely caramel colour, really light and pastel but delectable at the same time. This is what you want. Now refridgerate the bad boy.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Chantilly Cream (my way...)</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup of thickened cream (DO NOT USE LIGHT IT DOES NOT WHIP)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup brown sugar </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2/3 cup icing sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 teaspoons vanilla essence</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bung all the ingredients in a bowl and whip your cream until it is whipped good. Make Devo fucking proud.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Milky White Chocolate Glaze</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(adapted from the "</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Soul-Baking-Sur-Table/dp/0740773348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275608412&sr=1-1"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Art and Soul of Baking</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">")</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> 12 ounces of whatever type of chocolate you desire. (I chose milk and white)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup heavy cream</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Put your choccy in a bowl. Boil your cream in a seperate saucepan on high heat. Just as it starts to boil, remove from heat and pour cream on chocolate. Then get your whisk on that shit until smooth and glaze like.</span> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">ASSEMBLE THE CAKES</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuJt7Te3J413xlKJco90-jnt-Y5G8C8gAfg9TeJQzYQ_-YdYfI6zPIvqdWc_lueXrjhBdICm3kyDVgk3D_1zpcxZdeNfSH3S3hguTj3mSJ6ia5DP2cYoQF_9dyI3IaTmptGho1sNlPSb8/s1600/IMG_6361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuJt7Te3J413xlKJco90-jnt-Y5G8C8gAfg9TeJQzYQ_-YdYfI6zPIvqdWc_lueXrjhBdICm3kyDVgk3D_1zpcxZdeNfSH3S3hguTj3mSJ6ia5DP2cYoQF_9dyI3IaTmptGho1sNlPSb8/s400/IMG_6361.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dark chocolate base. Cut the top off the cake if it has raised during baking as to create a flat surface. Put as much butterscotch buttercream as your heart desires on top. Put the white chocolate layer on top of this. On top of the white chocolate layer put as much of your chantilly cream on top. Sandwich the top with your milk chocolate cake layer and pour the milky white chocolate glaze all over as to get your dripped effect.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Refridgerate until serving. Then eat.</span></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-77669636026938186882010-05-27T00:50:00.000-07:002010-05-27T00:50:59.069-07:00Choco-Choco Chip<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now if you read my last post, you'd see that I was currently enjoying reading a little book that goes by the title the "<strong>Chocolate Conoisseur</strong>".</span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">God it's fabulous, but I feel it may be a double-edged sword; all I want to eat is chocolate chocolate and more chocolate. I want to breathe chocolate. I want to date a man made of chocolate. I want to go to the chocolate factory, push Willy Wonka down a well and make like Gustave and drink the chocolate fountain. </span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: right;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjEU4JzOJz9LpXZmUN5cba2y7VGxKwPW2h7wVREH3Kkpa7PVOjR3sDiZ-JQ4WMqO5pntatXfbuIbZce4DPiSx1B4c0EyXMlD5RvekA9UZog599bZzO2xSj5Gz_XCWk-OYQJz7sJTk2Zo3/s320/willies-chocolate-revolution_400.jpg" /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>He's got the right idea...</strong></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">]It also caused me to travel all around Brisbane today in search of <a href="http://www.amedei.com/jspamedei/degustazione.jsp">various gourmet brands</a> because if you're anything like me, you like to think you're an expert in little things like "gourmet chocolate" or anything that could fall into that particular category.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">What I found was Brisbane's chocolate selection is pretty dismal; but I couldn't end my search without purchasing something to taste so I settled on some Lindt Noir 70% cocoa. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDr6knYtSIYV3Tf6e3z5nHO5yDY3NCdytkDQy08s0D0PO_iSV6HUVK9EvZS-pg7PX-EMm7FPs-5U7Hs6xY-_c-CX2Cgv2awKqA20m0tHM_w-jsT3EDRNAXWaydquxYSnccOyk8NpYtcFP6/s1600/lindtthumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDr6knYtSIYV3Tf6e3z5nHO5yDY3NCdytkDQy08s0D0PO_iSV6HUVK9EvZS-pg7PX-EMm7FPs-5U7Hs6xY-_c-CX2Cgv2awKqA20m0tHM_w-jsT3EDRNAXWaydquxYSnccOyk8NpYtcFP6/s320/lindtthumb.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Lindt chocolate has that beautiful melt upon your tongue instant effect, and this bar was no exception. The 70% exhibits a well rounded, full bodied taste that starts as bitter, but as it dissolves upon your tastebuds a flux of flavours fill your senses. My new-found palette discerned forest berries soaked in liquor, subtle hints of coffee and an aftertaste of...I know it sounds strange...but burnt toast and wood ash.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It actually really makes a difference when you take the time to taste chocolate. It really helps you appreciate it, and you'll feel like an awesome food snob/Matt Preston wannabe, which in my opinion is pretty sweet. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, after I'd tasted the Lindt, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bake with it, so here's a lovely little recipe for double chocolate chip cookies. It's adapted from an old recipe I found at the back of my cupboard for plain ol' run of the mill chocolate chip cookies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Enjoy!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEaSS9-EwKSTwNvCijEgiRbJtvU-jx3iSuiqn5YoX4asUNRqbz29JrAkHDHhcraz7D0niia_uzj6xEro-MROn_RlWlu5lYlqB3gGTona8CiozZzeceHsOtzyiCBhawGRLly7CIm94yPZz/s1600/3+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEaSS9-EwKSTwNvCijEgiRbJtvU-jx3iSuiqn5YoX4asUNRqbz29JrAkHDHhcraz7D0niia_uzj6xEro-MROn_RlWlu5lYlqB3gGTona8CiozZzeceHsOtzyiCBhawGRLly7CIm94yPZz/s400/3+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Ingredients</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup packed brown sugar (dark or light, it's a matter of taste.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1/2 granulated sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1 1/4 cups plain flour</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Eight tablespoons of butter (1 stick)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1 teaspoon of vanilla essence</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup Lindt 70% chocolate pieces (melted down)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">3/4 cup stock standard milk chocolate chips (not melted down)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1 egg (bring to room temperature)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Pinch of salt (use sea salt...)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Method</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMKBB0r9GXuf8DHFtGZtyI0vDYGwui6jLclNNC4oRvWVYa-EoQasUPuIBLnbFtZjgxwgSr-MECaV6oeIkGGiZSN4ZGOtGNWQGYgB7LNvSC0OIcNmQXOvp0Ozbq4pzbduzip_8OOlE3mtp/s1600/3+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMKBB0r9GXuf8DHFtGZtyI0vDYGwui6jLclNNC4oRvWVYa-EoQasUPuIBLnbFtZjgxwgSr-MECaV6oeIkGGiZSN4ZGOtGNWQGYgB7LNvSC0OIcNmQXOvp0Ozbq4pzbduzip_8OOlE3mtp/s400/3+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Melt down the Lindt 70% using a saucepan. Put the chips in, and heat them up, waiting for them to melt while stirring all the while so they don't burn and stick to the sides of the pan.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Then...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Chuck every single ingredient in the bowl and set to work with your fingers or your spoon or whatever mixing appliance you have and bash the shit out of it. Bring it all together till there are no clumps of any ingredients then roll into a long tube, wrap in glad wrap and bung in the freezer until you're ready to use it.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Preheat your oven to 175 degrees celsius. Bring your cookie dough out of the freezer and either scoop it into little cookie sized mounds on a flat baking tray lined with baking paper, or, if your cookie dough is in a reasonable enough shape, slice straight from it and do the same thing.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Put in the oven for 12-14 minutes and WAHHH LAAAAAHHH!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><strong>ROFLMAYOCOPTER @ MY HEXAGON COOKIEZZZ YO</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBbUufPA2tfVwJNqImo0spXnwi4HhvNCXIuXa-tvADJZIjglaiazdNx4Fm82fmJx-meGs3ORbXNEn8C6wxVbjsWVoPnVmIeL10j37lEB7P_bgHxJgLBlCWES-nvgK9yjJ3N1hsp96VxQz/s1600/3+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBbUufPA2tfVwJNqImo0spXnwi4HhvNCXIuXa-tvADJZIjglaiazdNx4Fm82fmJx-meGs3ORbXNEn8C6wxVbjsWVoPnVmIeL10j37lEB7P_bgHxJgLBlCWES-nvgK9yjJ3N1hsp96VxQz/s400/3+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-86278640721258978062010-05-25T02:49:00.000-07:002010-05-25T02:49:37.188-07:00Chocolate<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Today I decided to buy myself a present.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV20Nku3QNbrK3OfTR3zT5xyZ7cZdFbmPLSUpkr9P6reV83TE-QrpUlNkiJCaSaLe6fjTd7hop3LcClNe16mc9NXPGqJVPwQU6rDo8VfxBocpFlK5BHZTPjOGs9ijiHOxA7Dw7ChQYH2y/s1600/present.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV20Nku3QNbrK3OfTR3zT5xyZ7cZdFbmPLSUpkr9P6reV83TE-QrpUlNkiJCaSaLe6fjTd7hop3LcClNe16mc9NXPGqJVPwQU6rDo8VfxBocpFlK5BHZTPjOGs9ijiHOxA7Dw7ChQYH2y/s200/present.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You know those days where you feel a little slow, you've got assessment coming out of orifices you didn't know you had, and you're just generally up for some retail therapy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now, I don't know if many people are like me but my retail therapy doesn't consist of shoes, jewellery or items of clothing. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">My form of retail therapy is to buy weird shit.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjd_qkDND0E_B191pkWaNA2M6GS2_t4jzySpgoYG8yxdCG8uZUHvg8Y6dCTBArK_43xc6o4OZIvLWseTUCa_T2VTEHYBFQp9_I8k2JZwROYEiTcmpsMgHQQ3Mos01PT5YGHwPCl21miQz/s1600/contortionist_maggi_2_big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjd_qkDND0E_B191pkWaNA2M6GS2_t4jzySpgoYG8yxdCG8uZUHvg8Y6dCTBArK_43xc6o4OZIvLWseTUCa_T2VTEHYBFQp9_I8k2JZwROYEiTcmpsMgHQQ3Mos01PT5YGHwPCl21miQz/s200/contortionist_maggi_2_big.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">No I did not buy a contortionist but I wish I did.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Why, just last week I bought baby Iranian dried figs because I got a terrible terrible (projectile vomit worthy) mark on one of my journalism assessment pieces. My logic was that if I bought these strange little items all my troubles would melt away. And when I added these dried Iranian figs to my morning muesli, well by George, they did. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-a0xRPqIx-125IV81qkxxaaI9r-cD0JPKx4m5e4FdZg3y10JhDWCp_LHrofXbufkOJeOJ3ca-b-D-3DdLbFxRev8_HkyMwrcNGkY0i-DkoEEY9_FtvYY7540szb9I-cmmf4typVmq_KM/s1600/SF13-7497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-a0xRPqIx-125IV81qkxxaaI9r-cD0JPKx4m5e4FdZg3y10JhDWCp_LHrofXbufkOJeOJ3ca-b-D-3DdLbFxRev8_HkyMwrcNGkY0i-DkoEEY9_FtvYY7540szb9I-cmmf4typVmq_KM/s200/SF13-7497.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Hahah they look like little dried ovaries. Yum yum!</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sometimes my impulsive buying of strange items goes astray; when I bought purple carrots from the James Street Markets the other day because I was feeling obese, my mother thought they looked like an old lady's fingers that had caught the plague. Needless to say, we didn't eat those bad boys.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdj4ZGA18F5omvFxFnnpd8bPZSYcw4s_lmBg6iEF4O2FbO_ld1osvcpiI9t8fp558wp_xhO9U2bN6O27pZiDBuk_npOX_t1Mtlcql86gPv7wFKzb0Z1BW7xrBLppNpK_oo7o8PvyN_vTw/s1600/purple%2520haze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdj4ZGA18F5omvFxFnnpd8bPZSYcw4s_lmBg6iEF4O2FbO_ld1osvcpiI9t8fp558wp_xhO9U2bN6O27pZiDBuk_npOX_t1Mtlcql86gPv7wFKzb0Z1BW7xrBLppNpK_oo7o8PvyN_vTw/s200/purple%2520haze.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I think buying strange items such as new ingredients, books, notepads and other trinkets are a much more rewarding form of retail therapy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Maybe this is just because my mother is an extremely fashionable artist and I've never felt the urge to buy clothes as I just literally throw myself into her wardrobe and come out looking like I fell into a Sass&Bide bin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, what brings me to the point of this post is to do a little persuading on the general public to buy this book I bought in my last little depressed retail expenditure day.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_cvKG7R6f9qrkbOUxbd4vi-uyGovVajTo9gbh4tICDQ3JsAHhNVDfpAsCi2-fgJTPiuZuDROnrdG4dnjRzWbJCgNCFZl1ucXOCvsB4Uw-Hkj-ITYJWo-fH4TN-TvH-lZypAN3oxtHW4g/s1600/book-gr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_cvKG7R6f9qrkbOUxbd4vi-uyGovVajTo9gbh4tICDQ3JsAHhNVDfpAsCi2-fgJTPiuZuDROnrdG4dnjRzWbJCgNCFZl1ucXOCvsB4Uw-Hkj-ITYJWo-fH4TN-TvH-lZypAN3oxtHW4g/s320/book-gr.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It's called the "Chocolate Conisseur", and if you're into chocolate as much as I am, you will NOT regret it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">She's into chocolate like Hitler wasn't into jews...she has like a seriously strange fetish/obsession that comes across a little strong, but nevertheless she's entertaining. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So far I've learnt all of these fabulous things about chocolate; how to taste, where the cocoa beans come from, and that when your chocolate gets that white pattern on it from being left in the fridge too long, that's called bloom.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-4XfqJdDzbsrtMn4-lrWUZNEN-fQm0p0H-2R7yIrEzmGWzPdJLYhucR9OVMWnM6JSiDasLgKRdOFjXD_eGA2dS8dmutrcv1PXoWan7LMrdFvZPp6SNgPyMYymJdmhkmDqiK3ogHRvUjc/s1600/326874_f520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-4XfqJdDzbsrtMn4-lrWUZNEN-fQm0p0H-2R7yIrEzmGWzPdJLYhucR9OVMWnM6JSiDasLgKRdOFjXD_eGA2dS8dmutrcv1PXoWan7LMrdFvZPp6SNgPyMYymJdmhkmDqiK3ogHRvUjc/s200/326874_f520.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bloom is the fat coming to the surface of the chocolate and it happens to chocolate that hasn't been tempered properly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I also found out the top ten chocolate bars in the world. Mars Bar is number one.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyS9hgo0-qa9cRFm-qaQ_J75rpiP1_RN8wnMFeSTeLn1L_sLgQMdEHwDbP5b1_wlXqFGk2HuTEifpjt1FU-M31INDJfpXYGHgaJKL1QQB_kv9BfYM7Dtr23BL1OcIkOhD6h1JvA-G5pFv3/s1600/F_200709_September1_366368a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyS9hgo0-qa9cRFm-qaQ_J75rpiP1_RN8wnMFeSTeLn1L_sLgQMdEHwDbP5b1_wlXqFGk2HuTEifpjt1FU-M31INDJfpXYGHgaJKL1QQB_kv9BfYM7Dtr23BL1OcIkOhD6h1JvA-G5pFv3/s320/F_200709_September1_366368a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ooooh who's a happy chappy now!</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now tell me you're shocked thatTWIX is number two!!! Can you believe that? And Bounty is ten! CHERRY RIPE DOESN'T EVEN MAKE AN APPEARANCE?!?!?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">It's fucked let's leave it at that. I feel personally obligated to go and eat four hundred million Bueno bars to se their little chocolatey selves in that stupid top ten.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Twix...honestly...</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, it's a great read and it convinced me to believe that eating chocolate would actually make me a healthier happier human being. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So go buy it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">No recipe for now, but there's a pretty darn tempting Nutella tart in that chocolate book that I will probably bake tomorrow so stay tuned. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Tah tah.</span></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-80239365528831346812010-05-20T02:50:00.000-07:002010-05-20T02:50:45.327-07:00Rhu-Barbara Ann<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4A59OJ_7iRJnK3CkaEjZ-YwPE2YaVYCz5mu8BakMT7LzXJocqgBj5EutKDUSP-1XyLlsV4EMp2hdrtoHLL5Q5O7wr9746HJR3aHKwJP6ovV8VIVureEOyj-hx1zoAJFSSuebK671Fkln/s1600/wish_sum06_rhubarb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4A59OJ_7iRJnK3CkaEjZ-YwPE2YaVYCz5mu8BakMT7LzXJocqgBj5EutKDUSP-1XyLlsV4EMp2hdrtoHLL5Q5O7wr9746HJR3aHKwJP6ovV8VIVureEOyj-hx1zoAJFSSuebK671Fkln/s200/wish_sum06_rhubarb.jpg" width="156" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Rhubarb is such a what the fuck vegetable.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Wait, is it even a vegetable? Excuse me while I check this fact...Oooh! </span><a href="http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/rhubarb-background.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Here we go.</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now that we have established that rhubarb is in fact a vegetable, let me go back to why it often connotates a "what the fuck" expression when I announce that I am using it as a main ingredient.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Why, just before I was tutoring a 13 year old in English and said that I couldn't wait to post my rhubarb creation on my blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">He looked at me with such an expression of confusion I could've have acquired a similar response had I announced I used a dog turd instead of toothpaste this morning. Half plausible, I have bad breath in the morning and the two seem to be of the same consistency...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Enough of that. I explained that rhubarb was "uhhhh, the red version of celery?" and then we proceeded to Google all types of weird fruit like </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Mangosteen"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">mangosteen</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">, </span><a href="http://www.passion4fruit.com/uploads/pics/dragon-fruit.jpg"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">dragonfruit</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> and those disgusting </span><a href="http://www.custardapple.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=53"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">custard apple</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Though rhubarb is pretty uncommonly used in Australian recipes, the <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">American's</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <strong>dig it.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">So, following the trend of one of my <a href="https://www.plancookeat.com/store/products/Kitchen-Classics-%252d-Pastries-%26-Bread.html">various baking bibles</a> and decided to incoporate rhubarb into a lovely little creation that I have decided to call...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbT3RnEVG1u2UPcVT-v6qieopC1eSPwiCHkAzdgVsTHHiNYZ7-4NheSXU9lgHZRVi1u-jTv8daQusyWoe_XsGO4gRsWCm6DKlmNsO5hRBWzfIW7hoXUtbg30RZUvkbKhspKjN2weYDPkun/s1600/IMG_6253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbT3RnEVG1u2UPcVT-v6qieopC1eSPwiCHkAzdgVsTHHiNYZ7-4NheSXU9lgHZRVi1u-jTv8daQusyWoe_XsGO4gRsWCm6DKlmNsO5hRBWzfIW7hoXUtbg30RZUvkbKhspKjN2weYDPkun/s320/IMG_6253.jpg" width="214" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Rhubarb and Ginger Pie with Lime Zest Shortbread Crust</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkgBUVeec8wCETOPBHDSkW5HcMI21TEN3PUOGMZPRfxfWKfwwAR8hY_5iblzr_Iyy9JqK0mTSHnr8oxIcvIOygC2ZuTOoZ3irYRYN-JU4LSeLranXOeMLSMQmUdNVmMN5qB6A3wPNwo8C/s1600/IMG_6245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkgBUVeec8wCETOPBHDSkW5HcMI21TEN3PUOGMZPRfxfWKfwwAR8hY_5iblzr_Iyy9JqK0mTSHnr8oxIcvIOygC2ZuTOoZ3irYRYN-JU4LSeLranXOeMLSMQmUdNVmMN5qB6A3wPNwo8C/s320/IMG_6245.jpg" width="213" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">This recipe is a little more sophisticated than my previous ones, it would be better to bake this baby for a special occasion, or a break up. Sitting in front of a chick flick one hand holding pie tin the other a spoon and an icecream container between your legs. Timessss.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Shortbread Crust Pastry</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">250g plain all purpose flour</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">100g butter</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">100g icing sugar (I used caster sugar accidentally and it was saaaweeet though)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">small pinch of salt </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1 large egg + 1 extra yolk</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">zest of one lime</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Method</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs are formed. Take your dough out and on a lightly floured surface give it a quick knead around. Wrap the bugger in plastic wrap and refridgerate while you get your other components ready.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZx9-VtZQe9Vn7cZklUS_ZnHSaFfcv5uvu3SJf6-lFokN7YU3_D8gq1zTPkJ4ww-FDP7AwpJEXxNrdT2V6dzxdNMIwvytw667ZOPWtStiwxaVD4Jjz2Bt28mAuhjntVJ5QX9jRZEznLvP/s1600/IMG_6252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZx9-VtZQe9Vn7cZklUS_ZnHSaFfcv5uvu3SJf6-lFokN7YU3_D8gq1zTPkJ4ww-FDP7AwpJEXxNrdT2V6dzxdNMIwvytw667ZOPWtStiwxaVD4Jjz2Bt28mAuhjntVJ5QX9jRZEznLvP/s320/IMG_6252.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Rhubarb and Ginger Filling</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">2 teaspoons of ginger paste (you can buy this at coles in the spice section in a little tube dude.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">750g of rhubarb (without the leaves) chopped into edible portion sizes</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">2 tart apples (granny smith or red delicious) peeled, cored and diced</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">2 teaspoons of lime zest</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">a generous squirt of lime juice from the lime you have just zested</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">1 cup of brown sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">pinch of cinnamon</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">pinch of nutmeg</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Method</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">In a saucepan, heat the brown sugar and 125mL of water for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture goes syrupy. Add the rhubarb, apple, ginger, lime, lime juice, cinnamon and nutmeg and bung the lid on. Let it stew for about five minutes to let all of the spices and fruits infuse one another. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">While this is happening, get your pastry out of the fridge and grease a tart pan with a generous handful of butter(get your fingers messy :) ) </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Line the tart pan, but leave some dough you can flatten out and put on the top.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Drain off the liquid and then put the rhubarb and apple mix into the tart casing.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Once the mix is in roll out the remainder of your dough and place on top. Whisk up a little concotion using some egg and a splash of milk, and brush the top of your pie with this. It'll make your pie go golden brown and lovely jubbly.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Sprinkle the top with any brown sugar you have lying around and bung it in the oven for 40. Or until golden and crunchy and yum.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Serve drizzled in honey and vanilla icecream.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hixFFmmN3MurY3085k5RVjEmVdSXCxQ79yg-zKB_tl5DxiPVL-OZyAVTlaBOrmdIqmDJWu4FZeKHCA_K1lmKU1LoDGyA27eEJbf5Pk0NxjE9LWDSZohvZnw_JitzHwh2Q7mErGMj0D-b/s1600/IMG_6249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hixFFmmN3MurY3085k5RVjEmVdSXCxQ79yg-zKB_tl5DxiPVL-OZyAVTlaBOrmdIqmDJWu4FZeKHCA_K1lmKU1LoDGyA27eEJbf5Pk0NxjE9LWDSZohvZnw_JitzHwh2Q7mErGMj0D-b/s400/IMG_6249.jpg" width="267" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">(I didn't have vanilla icecream so I got some ricotta, vanilla essence, cinnamon and honey, whizzed it in the food processor and ate it with that. BEST. DECISION. EVER.)</span></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-12997830783518922692010-05-19T02:39:00.000-07:002010-05-19T02:39:44.374-07:00Going Banana's.<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wrM7PLCODf_lisUHZf20nob6drz8rHgIENjiQqCGIBM5fv6cUvpn45eAGVCG7M9Er7pKE3dOQgukbCRFcUUvjWyqQ3xT_3PTluUGco3oEfWc4zNvvvSiELTszVi43PyJho7IDSfB78RA/s1600/IMG_0827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wrM7PLCODf_lisUHZf20nob6drz8rHgIENjiQqCGIBM5fv6cUvpn45eAGVCG7M9Er7pKE3dOQgukbCRFcUUvjWyqQ3xT_3PTluUGco3oEfWc4zNvvvSiELTszVi43PyJho7IDSfB78RA/s320/IMG_0827.JPG" wt="true" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You know that it's going to be a good day when you're woken up to the image of your mother's face looking as though she's just escaped from the sanitorium; eyes wide, eyebrows raised and hands full of...what...is...that...</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wrM7PLCODf_lisUHZf20nob6drz8rHgIENjiQqCGIBM5fv6cUvpn45eAGVCG7M9Er7pKE3dOQgukbCRFcUUvjWyqQ3xT_3PTluUGco3oEfWc4zNvvvSiELTszVi43PyJho7IDSfB78RA/s1600/IMG_0827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>"I've got black bananas!" </strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Well there you have it folks. The woman who brought me into this world had now discovered the reason why she had done so. She had black bananas.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Is this really worth waking me up for?" I replied somewhat groggily. (When I say somewhat, I mean that the aforementioned speech was what I intended to say but merely came out as mmmmmghhgffffhrrrrrmmmmm, I've saved you the trouble of hiring a translator.)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"You are going to make a banana cake." she replied. She then proceeded to stomp out of my room, black bananas swinging from her hands. Probably the closest I will ever see a person get to the beginning of man's evolutionary progress.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8VViRx5VojIDM5gOYOOQPykJmlGCyoAYhMfVYQcMArGBqXNlwKMz3ZfSh6ik7O3X768LtZpC-8dcgIyHtSd07o8haJIeNgwBWzN8T3txXwLcgHZVdQ-mEOhVU7xY_yMnEbh_x6cRK-9Q/s1600/evolution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8VViRx5VojIDM5gOYOOQPykJmlGCyoAYhMfVYQcMArGBqXNlwKMz3ZfSh6ik7O3X768LtZpC-8dcgIyHtSd07o8haJIeNgwBWzN8T3txXwLcgHZVdQ-mEOhVU7xY_yMnEbh_x6cRK-9Q/s200/evolution.jpg" width="200" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Three hours later I had risen. Three hours later I trawled for a recipe to incorporate bananas within. I got distracted for about three days after that, found a good recipe and made something epic. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Needless to say, my monkey...ahem...mother was suitably impressed. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So here's the recipe!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Banana and Brown Sugar Walnut Cake</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><em>this recipe is an adaptation from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Banana-Chocolate-Walnut-Cake-241517">Gourmet's Banana Chocolate Walnut Cake</a>, I changed a considerable amount of the recipe because when I made the first one it was a bit too floury and needed the caramel of the brown sugar. I also omitted the choccy for this recipe but have added the measurements if you feel your recipe needs a bit of a fudgy kick. :)</em> </span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8h2FTZsIYkUidhOhDeTeKFRkDvWeAgTqjLn4qQwNxdaCHgX-IfEeNaNCbOEu5tESAqzVPoza6uVvMECw5cw_wCzWa3LEb_m21zFSighKsSJGaTrd8e48ulAhAdWHtoN_1R5zeoOebGp2C/s1600/IMG_0824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8h2FTZsIYkUidhOhDeTeKFRkDvWeAgTqjLn4qQwNxdaCHgX-IfEeNaNCbOEu5tESAqzVPoza6uVvMECw5cw_wCzWa3LEb_m21zFSighKsSJGaTrd8e48ulAhAdWHtoN_1R5zeoOebGp2C/s320/IMG_0824.JPG" width="320" wt="true" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">8 tablespoons butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons, melted and cooled</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 cup white sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup brown sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2 large eggs</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 1/4 cups mashed very ripe bananas</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2/3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (if you don't have this, you can use buttermilk or sour cream, they don't work as well though...)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">3/4 cup 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (you really can use whatever chocolate you have lying about, even those cooking chocolate chips...save those for </span><a href="http://thecookiejaronline.blogspot.com/2010/04/ode-to-peanut-butter.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">cookies</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> though.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 cup walnuts toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 teaspoon cinnamon</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 teaspoon nutmeg</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbXLL7IYVCpBktzbeyqZeNWOKXycAswW1n0tYatMdbbchmsgw8rBz6Z00n3Yjz5_ujl8N4soea3TTTxw_i_HLwRH2t5GAckGKhJHGRdX2sXc7IU_zWCs_5Vb7tJ28-TCCn0A4nxan7iD3/s1600/IMG_0825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbXLL7IYVCpBktzbeyqZeNWOKXycAswW1n0tYatMdbbchmsgw8rBz6Z00n3Yjz5_ujl8N4soea3TTTxw_i_HLwRH2t5GAckGKhJHGRdX2sXc7IU_zWCs_5Vb7tJ28-TCCn0A4nxan7iD3/s320/IMG_0825.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Method</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Preheat your oven to 175 degrees celcius.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">To toast your walnuts, bung them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, spray them with olive oil and then put them in the over for 10-15 minutes or until they're golden brown.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The rest if pretty much stock standard cake baking. In a separate bowl, combine your flour, salt and baking soda.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Then, in another bowl, cream your butter and<strong><span style="font-size: small;"> WHITE</span></strong> sugar together. (The brown is for later)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Then gradually beat in the eggs one by one. Then beat in the vanilla.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Stir in the yoghurt and mashed bananas. The mixture SHOULD look curdled so don't be concerned.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mix your wet with your dry until just combined. The mixture should be pretty thick as there is a lot of flour.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In another bowl, combine your melted butter, brown sugar, walnuts and chocolate. Stir this mixture into your main banana cake batter. It should look swirly and fabulous.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Stick him in a loaf tin lined with baking paper (or if your brave, grease it up with butter) and put it in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until your skewer comes out clean when you plunge it into your little cake.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Serve warm with a bit of honey, ricotta and butter! Enjoy!</span></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD02pbCgCMYhfH56-fOyUn9c0udhdND7wnb7h5XaugtjQwMXxFALfL5kJV8w-M8aJH-gLMx5M_vCa5Qq93c1Ugd1TZb8CglJInEv4xz3SLqrtL7LZX5To6ytAQu58GVXJ-HlkcYM0aRq9d/s1600/IMG_0826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD02pbCgCMYhfH56-fOyUn9c0udhdND7wnb7h5XaugtjQwMXxFALfL5kJV8w-M8aJH-gLMx5M_vCa5Qq93c1Ugd1TZb8CglJInEv4xz3SLqrtL7LZX5To6ytAQu58GVXJ-HlkcYM0aRq9d/s400/IMG_0826.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"></span>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-12678116744729759422010-05-18T03:50:00.000-07:002010-05-18T03:50:21.419-07:00Hey hey it's savoury day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D2YN2bD5m-TUYxiIbOjb1R2SECCyz1Xn9KLrsPqFUVipYXM-Ftj_HKqV8Xy_w0K9Msz_WOdwBo3cCCQmD7nmitLK_hlcr-GZsjcLNccZpZEvQBHc8hyNgyU2Jeas10vYjuQSfqLvTL0J/s1600/TomatoSauce2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D2YN2bD5m-TUYxiIbOjb1R2SECCyz1Xn9KLrsPqFUVipYXM-Ftj_HKqV8Xy_w0K9Msz_WOdwBo3cCCQmD7nmitLK_hlcr-GZsjcLNccZpZEvQBHc8hyNgyU2Jeas10vYjuQSfqLvTL0J/s400/TomatoSauce2.jpg" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Since when do I do savoury? </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div align="right"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Since I am forced to cook dinner for the family; that's when. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now, the problem with me is that when I think I'm good at one thing, I tend to fall under the disillusion that I am capable of succeeding at all things thereafter related to the one thing I am good at.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>In this case, I am talking about baking, which is the one thing of which I think I am good at. </strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUvAEouATvf6zD6V8rvITvk-SUKpz6qw-EELR_XoteiqJ0KQGV2nSGasR5t3gSOjKHN2QT9K_Mvl5zgiE12aqMDRt6ZOZp_YAgFq9e352FsqnMyPk4kV1yzAHcxnR4evDTZXSiu66ea1A/s1600/GirlwithCupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUvAEouATvf6zD6V8rvITvk-SUKpz6qw-EELR_XoteiqJ0KQGV2nSGasR5t3gSOjKHN2QT9K_Mvl5zgiE12aqMDRt6ZOZp_YAgFq9e352FsqnMyPk4kV1yzAHcxnR4evDTZXSiu66ea1A/s200/GirlwithCupcakes.jpg" width="150" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Thus, I must be pretty good at eating.</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2jNc7jCOeu0dJhlDyDl7OtTgAepvFMjH1y4rCF9mj4fl64a2rQHzWfVkZWpdSQSOp0N4MnEU4EkvHIHMM2MWp1qUXFH3UBU2tqX8J1kF7KmLlDCLcl0BVfub-CDqj0ftPm8hu2Hitnpy/s1600/eating-disorder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2jNc7jCOeu0dJhlDyDl7OtTgAepvFMjH1y4rCF9mj4fl64a2rQHzWfVkZWpdSQSOp0N4MnEU4EkvHIHMM2MWp1qUXFH3UBU2tqX8J1kF7KmLlDCLcl0BVfub-CDqj0ftPm8hu2Hitnpy/s200/eating-disorder.jpg" width="150" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Henceforth, I must be pretty good at describing food, and consequently, I could be a food critic.</strong></span></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqtvCTeBiRKAzdjwsRbTyMWxQek0aDH59rikgGdhqSmnL8sw-F8hjoGrVmvkfkxhXLamtto_k6TFhuVJIw82nZFtjHiTMjDb8JmY643Z-09HN8RxyxvGLNaVoCn0SZCDHKyGRU-qFGOer/s1600/166514-matt-preston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqtvCTeBiRKAzdjwsRbTyMWxQek0aDH59rikgGdhqSmnL8sw-F8hjoGrVmvkfkxhXLamtto_k6TFhuVJIw82nZFtjHiTMjDb8JmY643Z-09HN8RxyxvGLNaVoCn0SZCDHKyGRU-qFGOer/s200/166514-matt-preston.jpg" width="138" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>By extension, I think I am good at cooking dinner for a family of pubescent boys who are capable of eating seventeen packets of Mi Goreng, four packets of chips, seven chocolate chip</strong> <strong>cookies and one entire litre of milk.</strong> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2TgeS40jClUvmvNT3bGExpZwJJolseRWxdsMw1zwm90R6P_f0hm3G3qYW0vFoZ7ssUQk0tEiL8cO2Zh8dhIgLc24LLFAqYTTnzfBxJ1Sxmzx6xd3mEQzGaVMiOUj8rpSiwblocu1eFHO/s1600/hotdogchamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2TgeS40jClUvmvNT3bGExpZwJJolseRWxdsMw1zwm90R6P_f0hm3G3qYW0vFoZ7ssUQk0tEiL8cO2Zh8dhIgLc24LLFAqYTTnzfBxJ1Sxmzx6xd3mEQzGaVMiOUj8rpSiwblocu1eFHO/s200/hotdogchamp.jpg" width="200" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">(I watched him.)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Which, in this case, is...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Correct! </strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Boooooyah you thought this recipe was going to be a fail but it was a downright winnnnnnnnneeeeerrrrrrrrr.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I would also get points on the invention test in Masterchef as I completely made this recipe up and you will definitely be able to tell when you get to the ingredients list. I <em>promise </em>that it works! </span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">P.S</span></strong> If you are following Masterchef at all, how god damn hilarious was it when that chick (I cannot for the life of me remember her name only that she has very curvy eyebrows and a psycho mouth...) said that she was not at all responsible for the creme brulee! </span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvpfGQ7b3cjEUa5JblhrVIk6qnRmC4DgFnKPTvB26CfGwIEch5S6pDbKnpwLEgsDoHyn5u51NVaxMarPhQML2AeAyLVJJKMrO_ZbIf1Ud8C-B1ANqp_-imxioF-lzFhenNju4iuFdz-rL/s1600/Joanne_QA_288x162(1)_rdax_277x156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvpfGQ7b3cjEUa5JblhrVIk6qnRmC4DgFnKPTvB26CfGwIEch5S6pDbKnpwLEgsDoHyn5u51NVaxMarPhQML2AeAyLVJJKMrO_ZbIf1Ud8C-B1ANqp_-imxioF-lzFhenNju4iuFdz-rL/s200/Joanne_QA_288x162(1)_rdax_277x156.jpg" width="200" wt="true" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>THIS BITCH!</strong></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If I was on her team I would've picked up that creme brulee, poured it into a nappy and brutally forced her to wear it for six weeks.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Needless to say I don't think they would tolerate my sadistic attitude on the Masterchef series...their loss entirely...</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Back to the recipe, the tomato sauce base is adapted from Smitten Kitchen's <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/01/tomato-sauce-with-butter-and-onions/">Tomato Sauce w/ Onion and Butter</a>, which, is entirely edible on it's own. So delicious.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Here's the recipe!</strong></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ella's Secret Tomato/Salsa Verde Pasta Sauce</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JCjq64uuTKX4FHubGEa76JtU_YwFdwIW8xiQHve2yITcz9tG8-Al9H62cxdxv_Jm5KH7j5OwuCRkIvnnbIhv9KqXn3-4eGeunek66smvLfOeM_stmjB9tEfolCORk9AJaa_citOaKtP_/s1600/TomatoSauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JCjq64uuTKX4FHubGEa76JtU_YwFdwIW8xiQHve2yITcz9tG8-Al9H62cxdxv_Jm5KH7j5OwuCRkIvnnbIhv9KqXn3-4eGeunek66smvLfOeM_stmjB9tEfolCORk9AJaa_citOaKtP_/s400/TomatoSauce.jpg" width="267" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Ingredients</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tomato Sauce</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">800 grams tomatoes from a can *</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*(or, to make it even more exciting, chop up a whole heap of cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes or stock standard tomatoes and let them ferment in just one can of the tomato sauce)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">5 tablespoons butter </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved. (I used a Red Spanish Onion, which gives the sauce a sweet little tang.)</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Salt and pepper to taste</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Method</strong></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. As the sauce sits, check it occasionally to break up your tomatoes, it's very satisfying feeling them pop when you poke them with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste and keep warm while you prepare your pasta and salsa verde. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The longer you let this baby sit the better the flavours will be so if you have time in the morning do it then then come home to your fermented goodness. :)</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></strong> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Salsa Verde</span></strong> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span></strong> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Generous handful of mint</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Generous handful of basil</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Generous handful of parsley</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Handful of almonds (you can use walnut or cashews...)</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Handful of pepitas</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Handful of pinenuts</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Squirt of lemon juice</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Three cloves of garlic (finely finely finely chopped!)</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">4 tablespoons of heavy cream</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Method</strong></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Grab your food processor. Put EVERYTHING in. Blend until everything is choppity choppity uppity uppity.</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Stir this into your tomato sauce when the pasta is cooked and serve straight away.</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-11192940969325237782010-05-12T02:45:00.000-07:002010-05-12T02:45:50.445-07:00Man These Lemon Bars Are Good...<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>"WELL THEY'RE NOT LEMON BARS MUNCHKIN THEY'RE LIME AND YOUR ILL-REFINED TASTEBUDS MAKE ME WANT FILL A PILLOWCASE WITH BARS OF SOAP AND BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU."</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">That was the reply I issued to my 6 foot 5 brother as he chowed into one of these little babies I whipped up the other night. Me being a measly 5 foot 6, let's just say it was not particularly well received. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Though I'm pretty happy he didn't decide to defame my drumset.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">But seriously, I bake for a reason and that reason is because I require attention and life satisfaction. These lime bars give me both in immense proportions and I will not have them fall victim to mistaken identity, not now, not ever. Especially for those "<em>lemons</em>".</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpx1eNGEbVjp6e9WeItO2rRpXnYnlHy2esdUrs3NTgjayP-k06RdDiFdaTZt54KtI0dyetQEXwc0ef2hYpbW-alQqlk4WfZ3UTHh0DVUcGJ2BjH6Trrn60naAIno-Nne3wpthJa1gvKXj/s1600/EvilLemon%5B4%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpx1eNGEbVjp6e9WeItO2rRpXnYnlHy2esdUrs3NTgjayP-k06RdDiFdaTZt54KtI0dyetQEXwc0ef2hYpbW-alQqlk4WfZ3UTHh0DVUcGJ2BjH6Trrn60naAIno-Nne3wpthJa1gvKXj/s320/EvilLemon%5B4%5D.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And may I just say that using lime instead of lemon for this recipe is the best life choice most of you will probably ever make. Screw having children and buying that dream house; do yourself a favour and grow a lime tree and make these bad boys.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjPWK2opEeScDirJfQcqj0OiBIWZ1tQxA-v_FYQ2z2CVhec38rHxDGxUBWHMIcwLzDZpSMacFgj6OvdLzYxSoSAaJfRz6Aom9AGWpOLj-Op0Ms8VdSsBweCfq3_hMG4OEe32nmBtWWqxI/s1600/42654455-1lime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjPWK2opEeScDirJfQcqj0OiBIWZ1tQxA-v_FYQ2z2CVhec38rHxDGxUBWHMIcwLzDZpSMacFgj6OvdLzYxSoSAaJfRz6Aom9AGWpOLj-Op0Ms8VdSsBweCfq3_hMG4OEe32nmBtWWqxI/s200/42654455-1lime.jpg" width="200" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Literally I froth every time at the mouth when I make these, and my family likes to hang around the corner waiting for the entrails too. The funny thing is, unlike cookie dough and melted chocolate, the raw baking components that you're left with before you bake the bastards are so incredibly non-appetizing, but so incredibly delicious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Seriously, don't make the mistake I did and eat most of the lime custard mix that you're supposed to put on top of your shortbread before you put it in the over. You WILL run out of limes. I repeat, you WILL run out of limes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Oh another note before I finally indulge you in the recipe is that in no way shape OR form must you replace the limes with lemon. Nor must you use that shitty little bottled lime juice in replace of a fresh zingy tangy juicy lime. The difference is so so noticeable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Nuff said, enjoy!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7KxgmCdjUZvRoDcLJYojrdkM66RMeFIMTyVWJEevdUU_M6WGhO55pSIn6uQwqmtvCoNfAWMQdKafQ-vTuOzcHlJppTsHcG7ffeH8DOAtk3A5VHnPZ5QEFvmEox_rqTdk6sYvIkrYve5u/s1600/IMG_0808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7KxgmCdjUZvRoDcLJYojrdkM66RMeFIMTyVWJEevdUU_M6WGhO55pSIn6uQwqmtvCoNfAWMQdKafQ-vTuOzcHlJppTsHcG7ffeH8DOAtk3A5VHnPZ5QEFvmEox_rqTdk6sYvIkrYve5u/s400/IMG_0808.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">LIME BARS</span></strong> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">p.s this recipe is adapted from the baking bible "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Soul-Baking-Sur-Table/dp/0740773348">The Art and Soul of Baking</a>". </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Best Christmas present. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ever.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>To Make your...</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shortcrust Pastry </span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you're in short supply of ingredients or don't have the time to chill your dough just go out and buy some store bought vanilla short crust pastry. Or chocolate. Or anything that wobbles that wibbler of yours really....)</span></em></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 and 1/4 cup all purpose plain flour</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup sugar (white and granulated please)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">4 ounces of COLD butter, cut up into pieces</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 large egg yolks (discard the whites)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 teaspoons of water</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">the zest of one lime</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1. Place all of the ingredients in the food processor. Pulse until all the ingredients are JUST combined so they have formed little clumps.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2. Take your dough out and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead it a couple of times to make sure there are no lumps of ingredients and the whole thing has come together nicely. Wrap it in plastic wrap and bung it in the fridge to chill for ten minutes. NOTE: When you remove your dough from the fridge to roll in your tin, make sure the dough is reasonably shapeable and floppy as if it is hard it will crack when baked. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>For The Bars Themselves...</em></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuAdNkhMXMLoU1aCoGRQ6SVxHfn80g7xqp6NiOGyryRZiTAtM9xvrtKTj_a3fSuGYD3LGqbEPenK5-0QTBeIEQtx3Up5ONIHkdJTH3_GVxdqooGmzgdxmRwGM1zfSEqpW9BJ4p9QqEh1f/s1600/IMG_0809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuAdNkhMXMLoU1aCoGRQ6SVxHfn80g7xqp6NiOGyryRZiTAtM9xvrtKTj_a3fSuGYD3LGqbEPenK5-0QTBeIEQtx3Up5ONIHkdJTH3_GVxdqooGmzgdxmRwGM1zfSEqpW9BJ4p9QqEh1f/s320/IMG_0809.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">4 large eggs</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 cups granulated white sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">5 tablespoons white flour</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (takes about four or five limes)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1. Preheat your over to 175 degrees.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2. Line the pan you have chosen with foil across the bottom and up all four sides then lightly coat in some melted butter. Scrape your shortcrust into the pan and press it into an even layer in the pan. Chill for half an hour.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">3. Bake the chilled crust in your preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Wait until cooled.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">4. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in flour (make sure there are no lumps) then your lime juice. Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 50 minutes or until the filling is set. NOTE: You can tell your filling is set if you tap the side of the pan and the filling doesn't jiggle.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">6. Refridgerate until you'd like to serve. Dust with icing sugar to make it perdeh for your fellow consumers.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-292186344521747972010-05-11T01:04:00.000-07:002010-05-11T01:04:10.494-07:00I May As Well Rename The Blog "Peanut Butter Jar"<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So what?</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I like peanut butter, you like peanut butter; it works for us really.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Before I give you a new recipe I just have to vent my disgust in the Kraft Peanut Butter company. I didn't think they'd be able to disappoint me, but they have. And it is just simply simply simply awful. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Light Peanut Butter.</em> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhid1Laq18Ws9wZVLD9TRODt-XUuRXz_bQT6Te-cdghKMxDSeJB4JUdE7XrVGIxhJShC9alA5VW2wSwr-wauaHX6fRYfw1urwXc9G0-mxbpX2c2au120UztJ5jelO0fDouDf29IoiNUOsJh/s1600/PNBLight240x170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhid1Laq18Ws9wZVLD9TRODt-XUuRXz_bQT6Te-cdghKMxDSeJB4JUdE7XrVGIxhJShC9alA5VW2wSwr-wauaHX6fRYfw1urwXc9G0-mxbpX2c2au120UztJ5jelO0fDouDf29IoiNUOsJh/s200/PNBLight240x170.jpg" tt="true" width="141" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It. Is. A. <strong><span style="font-size: large;">FARCE</span></strong>.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It's texture is that of sand and hardened toothpaste. It tastes as though they have sucked out all of the butter and all of the oil, and pumped the bad boy full of sugar and salt. Not only that, it leaves a slight aniseed taste at the back of your throat once you manage to choke it down (if you get that far) and if you're anything like me and you hate licorice, you don't appreciate your peanut butter tasting like allsorts. It ain't creamy. It ain't worth the 200 less kilojoules. It. Is. FOUL.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Moving on, I used real quality smooth yummy irresistable peanut butter for this recipe for Peanut Butter Blondies and you will just die! I adapted the recipe from </span><a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/foodwise/article-view.php?id=2111"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Jamie Oliver</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">, adding some cinnamon and more chocolate chips really gave them that zing you need. I also changed the amounts of sugar; I prefer more brown sugar than white, it makes them caramelly. Watch they don't burn though...Enjoy!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: small;">PEANUT BUTTER BLONDIES</span></em></strong> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SPXpZu_YlIjxSaVoUSYTFiGMxe-qfLV3D48ScH6aGqDrwy5pdMf5pEyYoI2jiIlaoecd2jrM5dXR8LePGHZ9VWkzZU3embGgPXhjiPLx23mjVnXca53mVgdJkVoOwmUwBPG-LKqt1G3t/s1600/PeanutButterBrownie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SPXpZu_YlIjxSaVoUSYTFiGMxe-qfLV3D48ScH6aGqDrwy5pdMf5pEyYoI2jiIlaoecd2jrM5dXR8LePGHZ9VWkzZU3embGgPXhjiPLx23mjVnXca53mVgdJkVoOwmUwBPG-LKqt1G3t/s400/PeanutButterBrownie2.jpg" tt="true" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons of smooth or crunchy peanut butter. (I'm partial to smooth...)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/3 cup butter, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup white sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3/4 cup packed brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Pinch of salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Couple of pinches of cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As many chocolate chips or chunks in it as you want!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">How Do I Do It Maaaan?</span></strong></em></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan with a whole heap of butter then dust with flour. If you're not familar to this method of non-stickage, just line the tin with baking paper. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In a medium bowl, cream together peanut butter and butter. To this mix, blend in your sugars, eggs (one at a time) and the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir your wet into your dry until you have a just formed gooey mass of goodness. Add your chocolate chips. I advise eating some as you do this. Waste not want not. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bung it in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top springs back when touched. Cool and then chow down babeh. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-c5CAIag3HE6ioK1NeLdLUAd__wTrxPTMCwrxRsThYQDCSijpkh02fPiZ0S7T8HwDgETWw2AP-AjyqXCwyfxoqE9deEu-KRmdXVp308AQ-e3SCrhOVnAF4nRFQFOM5vlAogXHSKCqEBAc/s1600/PeanutButterBrownie3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-c5CAIag3HE6ioK1NeLdLUAd__wTrxPTMCwrxRsThYQDCSijpkh02fPiZ0S7T8HwDgETWw2AP-AjyqXCwyfxoqE9deEu-KRmdXVp308AQ-e3SCrhOVnAF4nRFQFOM5vlAogXHSKCqEBAc/s400/PeanutButterBrownie3.jpg" tt="true" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span> the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-31799346697536831372010-04-19T18:30:00.000-07:002010-04-19T18:30:46.838-07:00An ode to Peanut Butter.<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7uSeAxLzghWSvfhtoueaZzqSHbc-0uRY0gxMvUB6H1nz3wpXhUJrNlp4ooDjEe4Dm-yWxrDuiDQqWktPP405DUDvjlU7TVG1dARRCyIKYUSzXlYdUQ_llA82xjXsDw8StSDz1f6iwkFq/s1600/kraft-peanut-butter-smooth-500g-329-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7uSeAxLzghWSvfhtoueaZzqSHbc-0uRY0gxMvUB6H1nz3wpXhUJrNlp4ooDjEe4Dm-yWxrDuiDQqWktPP405DUDvjlU7TVG1dARRCyIKYUSzXlYdUQ_llA82xjXsDw8StSDz1f6iwkFq/s320/kraft-peanut-butter-smooth-500g-329-p.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Oh gosh it's a glorious thing is it not? </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Yesterday I sat, by the computer, avoiding university work by clicking endless links to food blogs, </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(oh you simply must go here by the way <span id="goog_1041382874"></span><a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/">David Lebovitz</a> <span id="goog_1041382875"></span>is mesmerising...) </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">dreaming of what I was going to bake next and frothing somewhat obscenely over cakes and recipes perfected by the famous boys of "<a href="http://bakednyc.com/">Baked</a>" bakery in New York.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Suddenly I came by an urge. An insatiable urge.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;"><strong><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Peanut Butter.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I had to have it!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now, I'm one of those people, and I'm often told it's rather strange, but I love to go into the pantry, get the peanut butter (I'm partial to smooth but crunchy is just fiiine.) whipe out a mumma of a tablespoon and scoop the salty gooey caramel coloured goodness out and eat it straight from the tub. No frills, just peanut butter.</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Seriously though how good is the stuff? </span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If I were to be a baby again, this should be the photo my parents look back on most fondly.</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjp5IUgCO1meAKpM6sb5C8uDVNrjYid7SzzK847shcIVecAqv6_L45YQnzDc2OPFEhf9AVWY5zjbr6wFhJrm7cNm49NEukwbFN7X-jeq8rkNyfJEFLA3y2RxCfePmYeqaToAr6YydoJlW/s1600/peanut-butter-baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjp5IUgCO1meAKpM6sb5C8uDVNrjYid7SzzK847shcIVecAqv6_L45YQnzDc2OPFEhf9AVWY5zjbr6wFhJrm7cNm49NEukwbFN7X-jeq8rkNyfJEFLA3y2RxCfePmYeqaToAr6YydoJlW/s320/peanut-butter-baby.jpg" wt="true" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And if I were somehow to become a canine, (more specifically a corgie) I would spend my days doing just this...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXicCPusaHTGRFVV3417pklKEq8YKjhBfEG4gitUX2MXm-ULBXVYqws8XRMSnQ2zNt9jqv78h2CsKWRHxW0O1OkSX_vQYU7Fc1V_R8ZVhsyglF0RSyWyNtj1ed4H_GofzHvKk-8b9rKrZ/s1600/43%2520Mmm%2520Peanut%2520Butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXicCPusaHTGRFVV3417pklKEq8YKjhBfEG4gitUX2MXm-ULBXVYqws8XRMSnQ2zNt9jqv78h2CsKWRHxW0O1OkSX_vQYU7Fc1V_R8ZVhsyglF0RSyWyNtj1ed4H_GofzHvKk-8b9rKrZ/s320/43%2520Mmm%2520Peanut%2520Butter.jpg" wt="true" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyway, enough of the endless ranting. My peanut butter obsession yesterday was just not satisfied by a mere peanut-butter+spoon = happiness adventure. I wanted cookies filled with peanut butter. And choc chips.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>So I made them.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And here is the recipe. (If you'd like me to bake them for you, send me an email! Slash send me any peanut butter related recipes...I'm dying to try everything peanut + butter + saturated fat related)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Happy Baking!</em></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">From </span><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/peanut-butter-cookies/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">smittenkitchen</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">'s recipe for peanut butter cookies....</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*I omitted the salt because there's so much salt in the peanut butter (and if you're like me you use salted butter) you just don't need it. I'd prefer to clog my arteries with chocolate instead. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Peanut Butter Cookies</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoMTyc5SSvr2a55fw72myMayPrfKGCPwz6-jzo8g96UFgYqKljMlFovNNjrN6O-0RHcKHgI29gqunhInkS8fW9AnYRi41DL7YWUZmR-xxisPWcEddehRbDU8DhciaPrGN4q3jYoJVKT7o/s1600/IMG_0805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoMTyc5SSvr2a55fw72myMayPrfKGCPwz6-jzo8g96UFgYqKljMlFovNNjrN6O-0RHcKHgI29gqunhInkS8fW9AnYRi41DL7YWUZmR-xxisPWcEddehRbDU8DhciaPrGN4q3jYoJVKT7o/s400/IMG_0805.JPG" width="265" wt="true" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook</span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One and One Quarter cups of unbleached all-purpose flour</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Three Quarters of a teaspoon baking soda</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One half a teaspoon baking powder</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Half a cup unsalted butter, softened</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One cup peanut butter at room temperature (any type of peanut butter is a-okay) </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Three Quarters of a cup white/raw sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Half a cup firmly packed light brown sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One large egg, at room temperature</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One tablespoon milk</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One teaspoon vanilla extract</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Three Quarters of a cup chocolate chips</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>For sprinkling:</em> Put some brown sugar/white sugar/raw sugar/icing sugar in a little dish. All of these together or just one is fine. :)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Preheat oven to 175 degrees.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In another large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Add the sugars and beat until smooth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Add the egg and mix well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Add the milk and the vanilla extract. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Stir in chocolate chips. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Place sprinkling sugar on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern or, like I did, if you have any peanuts lying around break them to form two little pretty halves and press them into the top. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Don't flatten them too much because these bad boys SPREAD.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Eat with a glass of milk! MILK IS NECESSARY!</span>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-44248919201308743972010-04-19T01:26:00.000-07:002010-04-19T01:26:54.034-07:00New Project!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Good evening Cookie Monsters. :)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This is a little newsflash to a little business adventure that I'm in the process of. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But, the most important part of getting it off the ground is...well...to be blunt...you! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Yes you I need all of you lovely baking enthusiasts to jump on my bake-wagon and come along for a ride that will not only tickle your tastebuds, but save you time!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If you don't consider yourself fully competent in the kitchen, but find yourself drooling over an upside down pineapple cake in Gourmet Traveller, or that decadent triple chocolate mousse tart you so happened to stumble across on taste.com.au, then look no further!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I have a suggestion; you send me the recipe, I look at the recipe, I price the recipe if there are any far out ingredients (I'm looking scathingly at intolerants here, out to "soy"-il my perfectly dairy-licious recipes...) and then I bake it, and then, I send it to you! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I know this is horribly exclusive to Brisbane people, but hey, support me and I may grow!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So here's hoping you email me! send all recipes to </span><a href="mailto:the_cookiejar@live.com.au"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">the_cookiejar@live.com.au</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> please.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I love you all baking enthusiasts!</span></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-78757097741298123022010-04-14T23:58:00.000-07:002010-04-14T23:58:38.032-07:00Apologies...But this will make up for it.<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I've been absent from the realm that is "<strong>blog</strong>".</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Sorry...... :(</span></strong></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The only reason I haven't been posting is not because I have put away by butter, flour, eggs and sugar, but merely because I have just been busy doing various things in various places and employing a various state of mind in this world that is full of...well...variety.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">But, all is not lost! I have decided to make-up for my absence with an incredible recipe. Yes, it really is just purely incredible. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">My thighs are enlarging merely contemplating the ingredients but you know what, for the sake of this cake, </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-large;"><strong>I JUST DON'T CARE.</strong></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">and neither should you...ever.</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The provider of this incredible recipe was in fact "the baking obsession" blog, an incredible blog by a truly talented baker. That's for darn tootin' certain!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Yay! Baking!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">It's a cake for all those people whose mum used to make them an afternoon snack of apples and cheese together when they came home from school. The combination of the sweetness and acidity of fruit with the nuttiness and savoury of the cheddar in this recipe makes this cake simply melt in your mouth yum. yum get in my tum!</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Enough rambling. On with the show!</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuMqzdkkNwLgHFJ7zGh_lQM8emPV3L9BBTbJO9Sx-2QZGkolzGh8RMB_Sb4yDacFCQtN_CijDCyt1lSkkCkXutXcn9-ILn16-LecyGGax8h4_IjYBOb0MgXVgwarfRRAYzyWmX04nLpyd/s1600/IMG_0801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuMqzdkkNwLgHFJ7zGh_lQM8emPV3L9BBTbJO9Sx-2QZGkolzGh8RMB_Sb4yDacFCQtN_CijDCyt1lSkkCkXutXcn9-ILn16-LecyGGax8h4_IjYBOb0MgXVgwarfRRAYzyWmX04nLpyd/s400/IMG_0801.JPG" width="267" wt="true" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>APPLE AND CHEDDAR CAKE WITH STREUSEL TOPPING</strong></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthIYIEWkhYBiGcB7bQX7UQUxyLhS2kN_SR7LyMyd9JC_jI3_DGkdqXzcW_C3qpL5gyfxkpQ-S7znObi1cc8AUWz2_8eQjtVr6A_Kj_-0Lpm2tKiCtro5IXK9JrPdubsxzycpuadUVb0EY/s1600/IMG_0790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthIYIEWkhYBiGcB7bQX7UQUxyLhS2kN_SR7LyMyd9JC_jI3_DGkdqXzcW_C3qpL5gyfxkpQ-S7znObi1cc8AUWz2_8eQjtVr6A_Kj_-0Lpm2tKiCtro5IXK9JrPdubsxzycpuadUVb0EY/s400/IMG_0790.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong>For the streusel topping:</strong></em></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• ½ cup all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 2 tbsp granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 1/8 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick; 55g) unsalted butter, cold</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 1 oz extra-sharp cheddar, finely grated</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>For the filling:</em></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 2 tbsp unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 20 oz (about 4 medium) cooking apples, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced thinly crosswise</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• Zest of ½ lemon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 2 oz extra-sharp cheddar, coarsely grated or finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>For the cake batter:</em></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 2 cups all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 1 ½ tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• ½ tsp baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• ¾ tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• ½ cup buttermilk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• ½ cup granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• ½ cup packed light brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• 2 large eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• Zest of ½ lemon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">• ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ99HBULKtRpV3_w7Q9kPv0cmfyhc6Rp67k1GdYBxWdNF4A2w6qLWkjvXEliCa7SC_ibBc4ipBxbDDF0twDYSzICGDFX4dOrh79qxATZNtG12dux2D1g7Ftl4Nkml8CQZns9QekyG77qN5/s1600/IMG_0793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ99HBULKtRpV3_w7Q9kPv0cmfyhc6Rp67k1GdYBxWdNF4A2w6qLWkjvXEliCa7SC_ibBc4ipBxbDDF0twDYSzICGDFX4dOrh79qxATZNtG12dux2D1g7Ftl4Nkml8CQZns9QekyG77qN5/s400/IMG_0793.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Make the streusel topping:</em></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a medium bowl, combine the flour, both sugars, and salt. Add the cubes of cold butter and work them into the flour using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Mix in the cheese. Cover and refrigerate until needed, up to a couple of days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Make the filling:</em></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over the medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar. Cook until a grainy sauce forms, about 1 minute. Mix in the apples. Cook until the apples are tender, translucent and the sauce is reduced to glaze, about 7-10 minutes, stirring often. Add the lemon zest and remove from the heat. Stir in the raisins. Cool completely, and then stir in the cheddar.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><em>Make the cake batter, bake the cake:</em></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 375F. Generously butter an 8-inch 3-inch deep springform pan (you can use a 9-inch pan as well (there’re enough batter and filling), but reduce the baking time). Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper. Dust with flour, knocking out the excess. Set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In the bowl of the stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar beating on medium-high speed until well combined, pale in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lemon zest. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with the flour, until just combined. Stir in the walnuts if using. Transfer about a half of the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the apple filling on top of the batter leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Top with the remaining batter (place the batter in dollops over the filling, starting near the edge to prevent the filling from the contact with the pan sides), then gently smooth the top. Crumble the refrigerated topping over the top of the cake. Place the pan onto a baking sheet and slide into the oven.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bake the cake until nicely brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1hr-1hr 15 min (about 45 minutes if baking in 9-inch pan). If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil (it is usually required after 40 minutes or so of baking). Cool the cake on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then unmold. Cool until slightly warm on a cooling rack before serving. The cake is also good at room temperature.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7frNrcIQVfyykq-7yRz21OyhVfplTlmQ90TrZ-Cg8_UwGOt0NSsa1io79drvyRVk9M9-scULU6lECGAPTEVpLNRygkdBIJbMmnQustg1foIE16GnTwRO4k5rK4dM8FvGECsWJ6kE9gTBO/s1600/IMG_0791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7frNrcIQVfyykq-7yRz21OyhVfplTlmQ90TrZ-Cg8_UwGOt0NSsa1io79drvyRVk9M9-scULU6lECGAPTEVpLNRygkdBIJbMmnQustg1foIE16GnTwRO4k5rK4dM8FvGECsWJ6kE9gTBO/s400/IMG_0791.JPG" width="400" wt="true" /></a></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-20935608739690998422010-03-25T00:33:00.000-07:002010-03-25T00:33:51.047-07:00Well Lookey Here...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1o90YJf9rl7RliotBzl0XSTG8elzfDfPVIGSGgyPDWPecWlUp1XZa8hfn9Ys2e9wE9CmTeQzFPjmDikRbEe5SRmH7ezxlo-h9hj9EiNdDe8eB9Xlx1C1YqgKFtuB1RnLc7pJQqV_yfWh/s1600/apricotlog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="267" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1o90YJf9rl7RliotBzl0XSTG8elzfDfPVIGSGgyPDWPecWlUp1XZa8hfn9Ys2e9wE9CmTeQzFPjmDikRbEe5SRmH7ezxlo-h9hj9EiNdDe8eB9Xlx1C1YqgKFtuB1RnLc7pJQqV_yfWh/s400/apricotlog.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, I bet you see this picture and you think...Good God, she's taken a photo of an elephant turd.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">WRONG!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What this is is the marvellous result of your mother being an obsessive compulsive grocery shopper! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You see, my mother, like a lot of other mother's it seems, has a disorder. It seems, even when we are in abundance of food and all things that can be ingested, she goes to the grocery store in a huff claiming that "Oh there's nothing for me to cook! Oh there's nothing for the boys to eat! Oh I've run out of dried chickpeas I have to go buy more strawberry jam!" </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You catch my drift? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hence why we have nearly double of everything. Two peanut butter containers. Two packets of chicken crimpy shapes. Two packets of pizza shapes. Two bottles of honey. Two bottles of soy sauce. Two bottles of sweet chilli sauce. Four packets of dried chickpeas...(?)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Back to the elephant turd. Look! Nuts! --></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC68tMFLqz4Ut3wpA1ohX_PYwAiiUpDs7i7xdh4uVBazfpfuBGw7rH-EpWxRdgyyQZyxKnEIV_S8M3mq5-qR76CmOmc3V1-AWF5gKFMOFf-mICa_2BOv5sT7_NSptEA0I-YbiH8XJoMu-o/s1600/almonds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC68tMFLqz4Ut3wpA1ohX_PYwAiiUpDs7i7xdh4uVBazfpfuBGw7rH-EpWxRdgyyQZyxKnEIV_S8M3mq5-qR76CmOmc3V1-AWF5gKFMOFf-mICa_2BOv5sT7_NSptEA0I-YbiH8XJoMu-o/s320/almonds.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was rummaging through my pantry as I had the day off uni and found a sudden urgency to let my tastebuds be encapsulated by a dried fruit flavour. Needless to say, my mother's mental illness proved surprisingly helpful when I discovered a 1kg bag of almonds and around six packets of dried apricots. (Sweet Jesus.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I thought about it a bit and came up with a little recipe for Apricot Loaf. Kinda like Date Loaf...with APRICOTS!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's the recipe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ella's Apricot Loaf</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpH5r4fRY3QIUPSE0UUm2_6-KyxMcIbuG6FgC8D9A86P2wW1AYgr7KBC_q5yp1hyDIqOPYjBbPqxDWUCU6xReW31cTekX11S-pWs_-Fep3H3lc3PrAkmow2JocfzADfgEPOasnoIpkXol/s1600/tadah.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpH5r4fRY3QIUPSE0UUm2_6-KyxMcIbuG6FgC8D9A86P2wW1AYgr7KBC_q5yp1hyDIqOPYjBbPqxDWUCU6xReW31cTekX11S-pWs_-Fep3H3lc3PrAkmow2JocfzADfgEPOasnoIpkXol/s1600/tadah.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="267" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYpH5r4fRY3QIUPSE0UUm2_6-KyxMcIbuG6FgC8D9A86P2wW1AYgr7KBC_q5yp1hyDIqOPYjBbPqxDWUCU6xReW31cTekX11S-pWs_-Fep3H3lc3PrAkmow2JocfzADfgEPOasnoIpkXol/s400/tadah.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">125g butter</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 cup full cream milk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 cups of plain flour</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3/4 cup sugar (NOT BROWN)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Couple of tablespoons of honey</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Half a cup of almonds (Cut up into itty bitty nutty bitties)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cup of dried apricots (roughly chopped into pieces)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dash of cinnamon</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dash of Chinese Five Spice</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dash of Nutmeg</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 eggs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Alright now the recipe could NOT be more simple. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Melt your butter and milk over a low heat in a saucepan.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEvZqENfnysEfZRMQ4z0istUFmavYAB_ibCWpEQDHLbhacKdAINyLse6DBu1OVsabgV7iiR4xHP_H6nSYK0xc00qiRiRGHhH59HOi10DQ3O9LA7-aAkot8UmmW9HYUxyNOSAlrBV2l6bO/s1600/buttermilk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="267" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEvZqENfnysEfZRMQ4z0istUFmavYAB_ibCWpEQDHLbhacKdAINyLse6DBu1OVsabgV7iiR4xHP_H6nSYK0xc00qiRiRGHhH59HOi10DQ3O9LA7-aAkot8UmmW9HYUxyNOSAlrBV2l6bO/s400/buttermilk.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Add the eggs to this mixture and give it a whisk.</span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Add all of your ingredients, both wet and dry into a big mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTa1CAdT8PFgVbCQY6wAyYN6FGPaOwKT3HjQCHdRL42Tm3idlfleIwPvumm24hSS2XKLtIXtMbIMH5XLHhJ5orZyA8JLW8LTpKS8lwe8ArrNAGS2cFQE0Hcn49LmYrVrEb9RQDSh3aN03/s1600/gooey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="267" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTa1CAdT8PFgVbCQY6wAyYN6FGPaOwKT3HjQCHdRL42Tm3idlfleIwPvumm24hSS2XKLtIXtMbIMH5XLHhJ5orZyA8JLW8LTpKS8lwe8ArrNAGS2cFQE0Hcn49LmYrVrEb9RQDSh3aN03/s400/gooey.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Chuck it in any pan you want, it's better to have a loaf shaped pan as this sort of thing you slice up and have with a bit of butter and jam. Cook for an hour and fifteen or until your skewer test gives you a nice clean skewer. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Then eat warm with butter, honey or jam. (Or all three)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-79287444646653135542010-03-18T17:45:00.000-07:002010-03-18T17:45:22.612-07:00Probably the Best Two Moments of Cookie Jar Career to Date...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiql92-JrTHDmWzh1qdoFJQW5D1_ZJ95hKjKDe_hrWi0apHIJs9asgrwFWFsmJOoqdNB9ZTlDmzPDD_MiA58eKc5__ZhFCcqIRw2g8boFc_5-1Am2jod58Gk2yNw39QrPMMVxrl6Kh9JF89/s1600-h/cupcakes+1%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiql92-JrTHDmWzh1qdoFJQW5D1_ZJ95hKjKDe_hrWi0apHIJs9asgrwFWFsmJOoqdNB9ZTlDmzPDD_MiA58eKc5__ZhFCcqIRw2g8boFc_5-1Am2jod58Gk2yNw39QrPMMVxrl6Kh9JF89/s400/cupcakes+1%5B1%5D.jpg" vt="true" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I thought I'd show you the result before I gave the recipe, just to show you how well this little baking adventure turned out. :) I've never been one for attempting to veil my vanity. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Sue me.</strong></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As anyone who bakes should know, it is probably one of the better human emotions that is suddenly awakened when what we bake/cook is met with huge amounts of praise and enthusiasm from the consumer. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In my case, the consumer was my boyfriends sister, one of the people I am forever trying to impress with my culinary skills.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">She approached me to make some cupcakes for a party she was going to. She had loved a batch of <strong>passionfruit cupcakes</strong> that I had made forever and a day ago and wanted these to be little replicas to impress her friends. In other words they had to be lick-my-lips-alicious. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Needless to say, I accepted. I was too keen to impress and though there was an insurmountable amount of pressure, I felt that this, this was my time to shine. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We decided on vanilla cupcakes; simple and a classic. They were to be topped with a vanilla buttercream and a chocolate buttercream. Seriously, she couldn't of asked for a more simple batch. If I screwed it up then I could be classed as retarded.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The baking process went well, the cupcakes went in the oven and came out perfectly, evenly brown. They smelt just like the cookies from Subway actually. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My boyfriend ate <strong>all</strong> of the leftover mixture in the bowl as well, another good sign. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">However, <strong>disaster</strong> was to <strike>strike</strike>. Due to Brisbane's <em>ridiculously</em> humid climate the buttercream we made would not hold its shape and proceeded to melt and ooze and pus all over the place. I felt the need to cry. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But I was too eager to fix this dilemma and thus the creative cooking demon within me was spawned and an idea of sheer genius dawned upon me. <em>(I love how spawned and dawned rhyme...)</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So with a quick few little niggles and adjustments, the result was <strong>BUTTERFLY CUPCAKES</strong>. :)</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And here...is the recipe.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">These went down an absolute treat at the party and I'm told everyone thought they were from Shingle Inn. Jackpot!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Strawberries and Cream Butterfly Cupcakes</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>ingredients...</em></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>for the cupcakes...</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">225 grams unsalted butter</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">225 grams caster sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">225 grams self raising flour</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 eggs</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon of vanilla essence</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><strong> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">for the filling...</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">as much thickened cream as you so desire</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 teaspoons of vanilla essence</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">3 tablespoons of caster sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">strawberries, cut into slices.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">icing sugar for dusting</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><em>method...</em></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat your oven to 175 degrees celsius.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Place 18 baking paper cases in muffin tins. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Combine all dry cupcake ingredients in a bowl, stir so everything is evenly distributed.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Cream the butter and the sugar together then gradually add in beaten eggs and vanilla one at a time.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">When this wet mix is nice and creamy stir together both the wet and dry with a wooden spoon. Don't overmix.</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Spoon the batter into your little case dudes.</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Bake for 20 minutes or until they're lovely and golden brown. They'll smell fantastic.</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Let them cool for five minutes when they're done, then remove the cupcakes from the tin and cool them further on a wire rack.</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Now for the filling.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Prepare by putting all filling ingredients in a large stainless steel bowl.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Grab a whisk (or electric beater, I prefer man power though, yields better consistency.)</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">and whisk until the cream has been whipped into thickened submission.</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">When the cupcakes are cooled, cut a small oval little hole into the top of your cupcake. KEEP THE LITTLE THING YOU CUT OUT!!!!!</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Spoon the cream into the little holes then cut the oval shaped thing you cut out of the cupcake in half. Place this in the cream to make it look like little butterfly wings. (See the picture if you don't understand...)</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Do the same with your slices of strawberries, next to the cupcake wings and dust the bunch with icing sugar.</span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Perfect. </span></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-87651990802833111422010-03-15T04:08:00.000-07:002010-03-15T04:09:27.429-07:00Yum Yum in Ma Tum<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sooooooo I was suffering from a case of insomnia and decided that deliriously baking would entertain me and hopefully soothe my savage non-sleeping beast.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>I needed something satisfying; what was I to bake?</em> </span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was all too tempting to cook something that smelt and tasted warm, homey and simply fufilling so I decided on banana muffins. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>But! I had a dilemma!</strong> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">No recipes I had found previously had proved effective in delivering an epic banana muffin. Nothing is more disappointing than a failed muffin.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">They so easily let you down when they're dodgy; isn't that feeling of dry muffin sticking to the roof of your mouth enough to make you gag? I believe there is a phobia of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. "<span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Arachibutyrophobia</span>". </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I hereby rename it to "Arachimuffinophobia" (Arachi - sounds like an important prefix...)</span></em></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I sourced a recipe for apple and cinnamon muffins that had proved me well in the past and adapted it to make my own brand spanking new recipe for banana and coconut muffins. Thar she blows.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #ffd966; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">B<span style="color: black;">a</span>n<span style="color: black;">a</span>n<span style="color: black;">a</span> a<span style="color: black;">n</span>d <span style="color: black;">C</span>o<span style="color: black;">c</span>o<span style="color: black;">n</span>u<span style="color: black;">t</span> M<span style="color: black;">u</span>f<span style="color: black;">f</span>i<span style="color: black;">n</span>s</span></strong></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_r01psl-5mnWUaMHuiWxi3nIHlrMqn1c7QeeyuD6voVfz4Uw3Bvy7V33q1Bz2w-W2RIqSyBML0bS3wjvyAhMrTQRRpFaHhxY0i9tDPjtCG0Ney7khUZ7uy97WrXYDXV7E1T0BJfOmsxD/s1600-h/IMG_0684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_r01psl-5mnWUaMHuiWxi3nIHlrMqn1c7QeeyuD6voVfz4Uw3Bvy7V33q1Bz2w-W2RIqSyBML0bS3wjvyAhMrTQRRpFaHhxY0i9tDPjtCG0Ney7khUZ7uy97WrXYDXV7E1T0BJfOmsxD/s400/IMG_0684.JPG" vt="true" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></em></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3 cups self raising flour</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup plain flour</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cinnamon</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 and a half mushy, ripe-ripe-ripe bananas (If you want to plan for the perfect banana muffin, put your bananas in the fridge for a couple of days to make them go all mushy and awesome.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 cups milk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 cup dessicated coconut</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 eggs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup vegetable oil</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 half cup apple and guava juice (or the juice of your choice)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Vanilla Essence</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Flaked Almonds (for topping)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-rnSBe1FYlmDT4G8ynLluPk577PTZjAAqMY0matTYbU75C7eoCSCzpaMAuZ4UgwGluXtm_wu8cKdkWDSjb8q6fnKjoznZLpga8MmjfDEje7y1zfux0eVTzQwahi-DoHkVfE-RsNBVx0l/s1600-h/IMG_0683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-rnSBe1FYlmDT4G8ynLluPk577PTZjAAqMY0matTYbU75C7eoCSCzpaMAuZ4UgwGluXtm_wu8cKdkWDSjb8q6fnKjoznZLpga8MmjfDEje7y1zfux0eVTzQwahi-DoHkVfE-RsNBVx0l/s400/IMG_0683.JPG" vt="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Method</span></em></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Combine your dry ingredients together then gradually add all of your wet ingredients to the massive dry mix. Don't overmix so you get this mixture that's so smooth it looks like a massive banana diarrohea; lumps are okay in this muffin recipe. :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Grease your muffin tins with lots of butter or non-stick cooking spray and divide the mix evenly. Sprinkle your flaked almonds on top of each one. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bake them for 30 minutes or until the skewer test shows they're cooked the whole way through!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Eat them warm with a bit of butter melted into them. Nothing is better.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BllG2K4p4o_P9S4ziLSmMm0KBP38LLQsu7lL4fCxIaQYiJfbaUhf2p2Ix5zB_cd3SYXQES153HfHp-amoDNFXzvWCFpDtQ6UcgwlqGRTwIHJztrohdZNxV-LURDqeSD49s8VO99nNS4I/s1600-h/IMG_0685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BllG2K4p4o_P9S4ziLSmMm0KBP38LLQsu7lL4fCxIaQYiJfbaUhf2p2Ix5zB_cd3SYXQES153HfHp-amoDNFXzvWCFpDtQ6UcgwlqGRTwIHJztrohdZNxV-LURDqeSD49s8VO99nNS4I/s400/IMG_0685.JPG" vt="true" width="400" /></a></div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5225001653337853031.post-48611757733682800172010-03-13T23:35:00.000-08:002010-03-13T23:35:35.835-08:00Scallops and Calamari<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, Saturday night started off pretty shabby. Forced to remain at home and babysit my sibling the night looked to be a fair downer until I was assigned the role of cooking dinner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">No one in the house to criticize the amount of oil I use, the amount of mess I make or the amount of time I take, I proceeded to create two awesome little mouthwatering entrees myself, my brother and my boyfriend proceeded to devour. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>S&P Calamari :)</strong></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Crisp and tender deep fried calamari are a sure fire hit in any joint. When we were in Bali, our personal chef taught us that rice flour allows for much crunchier calamari, so take heed. Also, it's gf which is good news for the startling amount of coeliacs (most are faking I'm sure of it).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">450g squid (cleaned) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Juice of two limes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">70g rice flour (or however much you need)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunflower Oil (for deep frying)</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lime wedges, sweet chilli sauce, tartare, soy sauce for serving. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIIFQD4k9vI98_GqkKZmnyonQcZnpK8yJ0NuDUZA3ZjgmsgQNzcmJKrJVTgWN3YivhTbPb-HxUfnI6IoDNWcJIkt43CtnlBQxoWyi1Xzjn9qYu3e_zGbSq4VYGBOanweSzF-MiiPC-azz/s1600-h/squidy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIIFQD4k9vI98_GqkKZmnyonQcZnpK8yJ0NuDUZA3ZjgmsgQNzcmJKrJVTgWN3YivhTbPb-HxUfnI6IoDNWcJIkt43CtnlBQxoWyi1Xzjn9qYu3e_zGbSq4VYGBOanweSzF-MiiPC-azz/s400/squidy.JPG" vt="true" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pull the head and tentacles from the squidy bodies. Discard the plastic like quills running down inside the body sacs and slice into rings. Squeeze the lime juice over, toss to combine, then marinate in the lime juice in the fridge for 15 minutes. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Meanwhile, combine as much salt and as much pepper and the rice flour on a plate. Drain your marinated squid dry then toss the rings in the flour mixture till they're all nice and coated.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pour oil into a pan and fill it by two third and heat unitl the oil is near bubbling. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Working in batches, deep fry the squid until they're crunchy and brown (takes about a minute or so)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiNcAr8CD_IUQ5TdO6cEeO0q-9Jnt2G-zRpuBDIaR2nQbtte0ZnCAT0nGZbQmsuQx7OUx205EFR57TnboGlDBx2pFXTsHsclUnsE4xme6khwJj0qG-Fgsjikw19yUuz1wjUZBuPKT_Y93/s1600-h/squidy2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiNcAr8CD_IUQ5TdO6cEeO0q-9Jnt2G-zRpuBDIaR2nQbtte0ZnCAT0nGZbQmsuQx7OUx205EFR57TnboGlDBx2pFXTsHsclUnsE4xme6khwJj0qG-Fgsjikw19yUuz1wjUZBuPKT_Y93/s400/squidy2.JPG" vt="true" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately!!!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxuOVpl_-FOP2iPfhloizKBarofHF8mPcEcHWqkk8kAFYqoRFVRQeip9HMRamKXIEkXvjPctm2zznAUok0FmaJjHGPxxUnrlpGoMBhWKvEHRvB5lg78y-TqrnQ8iW3PTZXkY1OulJ0jb8/s1600-h/squidy3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxuOVpl_-FOP2iPfhloizKBarofHF8mPcEcHWqkk8kAFYqoRFVRQeip9HMRamKXIEkXvjPctm2zznAUok0FmaJjHGPxxUnrlpGoMBhWKvEHRvB5lg78y-TqrnQ8iW3PTZXkY1OulJ0jb8/s400/squidy3.JPG" vt="true" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><strong>Marinated Seared Scallops</strong></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Scallops are awesome!</span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">12 large scallops</span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 fresh red chilli</span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Soy sauce (I always say as much as you want)</span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Juice of 1 lime</span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 tsp chopped mint</span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 tsp chopped coriander</span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Olive Oil</span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Salt</span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tsp finely chopped ginger (Ginger puree is way better though if you have it :) )</span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Put the scallops in a bowl. Whisk together all your ingredients and pour over the scallops, making sure they all get a bit of everything on them.</span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWqsaUGKEUmNftQBD2UJ96xa_GBlWaoKwlvmzBZDYNKdDs9p-HBwkmRmvCy3jqaOI66nfkc82SzbjUqACyXUUt6QiO6Z-oE9tYTN0-5TQYrQxVJ5Ybqk4z-ieFuTncawHqnrk-ZxlovQg/s1600-h/scallop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWqsaUGKEUmNftQBD2UJ96xa_GBlWaoKwlvmzBZDYNKdDs9p-HBwkmRmvCy3jqaOI66nfkc82SzbjUqACyXUUt6QiO6Z-oE9tYTN0-5TQYrQxVJ5Ybqk4z-ieFuTncawHqnrk-ZxlovQg/s400/scallop.JPG" vt="true" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Heat some oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the scalops and their dressing and cook each scallop, turning them occasionally, until when you poke them with your tongs or whatever the flesh feels slightly firm and springs back into shape. </span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbgdhiGoTy4EnE-9n77LBGYWbpTjWLYybq3uq9I0hC7FkxLvK2Bq01u9g5n9XwJrNRUpSNLkKkfBQYLr_9qc9MVGNOiUbhfCeGvSSPNgm-y1GgLV1_bg_1vcafjyvrcQLkRaKOj-TgAj8/s1600-h/IMG_0667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbgdhiGoTy4EnE-9n77LBGYWbpTjWLYybq3uq9I0hC7FkxLvK2Bq01u9g5n9XwJrNRUpSNLkKkfBQYLr_9qc9MVGNOiUbhfCeGvSSPNgm-y1GgLV1_bg_1vcafjyvrcQLkRaKOj-TgAj8/s400/IMG_0667.JPG" vt="true" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Serve! So damn easy. </span></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhdeJPNBpcluoR8no3mT-zDvVSKwivC8TEYsUkgX0x0NcOdfenlau7hbbjfu9NnoaNq7uPsxhu8aRC0OrunX065cVo-WRWvevzRQdw-rWvwtzcrAC-qjjfh_9iRGLu9Z9M-H1xe7y-wMe/s1600-h/scallop3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhdeJPNBpcluoR8no3mT-zDvVSKwivC8TEYsUkgX0x0NcOdfenlau7hbbjfu9NnoaNq7uPsxhu8aRC0OrunX065cVo-WRWvevzRQdw-rWvwtzcrAC-qjjfh_9iRGLu9Z9M-H1xe7y-wMe/s400/scallop3.JPG" vt="true" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>the cookie jarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05265465520501310152noreply@blogger.com0