All posts tagged: cook

Food of the Gods

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Easter is not far away, and it’s the sweetest time to indulge in some chocolate.Without the guilt factor – right! It’s also a time when I need to get cracking and hatch a few whimsically dressed eggs for festive Easter. We’ve only just said goodbye to Santa and his sleigh and it’s hello, Easter bunny. So it’s time to cook with chocolate. There are so many wonderful recipes that I’ve tried over the years and over the next couple of weeks will try and put together some of my favourites. This weeks recipe doesn’t call for chocolate, but cocoa powder, it’s a new recipe given to me from a friend, a chocolate taste with cocoa powder and maltesers. Maltesers consist of a roughly spherical malt honeycomb centre, surrounded by milk chocolate, and they give this slice a delicate ‘crunch’. Recipe: Malteser Fudge Slice 1 cup Self-Raising Flour 3/4 cup cocoa powder 120g Maltesers 2 eggs, lightly beaten 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons  vegetable oil 2 x 200g tubs light vanilla Fruche *Frùche is a soft, …

Springtime’s Laughter

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  Dear Friends, With the changing seasons, some of us are ready to snuggle in front of fires and candles, Autumn leaves, warm hearty soups and woolen jumpers. Others are ready to bounce into the joyous season of Spring, blossoms and new sunny days after a very long Winter.I’m joining in the Celebration of Spring- A Return to Loveliness. The Victoria magazine has been part of my life since 1997, and looking back on many volumes the Spring April issue read like a pleasant opened rose with it’s petals softly falling and every petal a new inspiration and influence to how I could recall the new Spring days.Back issues and more information can be found here. If we listen carefully, we can hear the music of Springtime’s laughter. The tittering of tiny blossom buds, fresh green leaves that seem to giggle in the breeze, the chatter of tiny flowers, the twittering of newborn birds, rose buds that smile in the suns rays. A rebirth of growth within our garden, and enchanting Spring, a newborn season. …

Pumpkin and Ginger Soup

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We’ve just started Autumn here in Australia, although our days are still sunny and warm, our days now are getting shorter and cool towards the evening. Last week we even experienced a few cloudy and rainy days, so for our dinner party we opted for a warming pumpkin and ginger soup. It’s not the first time I’ve written about pumpkin soup , however this version is made with added starchy vegetables and wholesome flavours. We garnished our pumpkin soup with a dollop of cream cheese and chives served with warm fresh bread rolls and homemade cheese crackers. This pumpkin and ginger soup is creamy, dense and tasty. What better than to start dinner, with friends,warm conversations and a warm hearty soup. This soup can also be made the day before, giving an enriched ginger flavour. Recipe: Pumpkin and Ginger Soup 500 g butternut pumpkin, chopped 500 g Jaradale pumpkin ( Australian ‘blue’ pumpkin) 2 sweet potatoes –orange, chopped 1 potato, chopped 1 leek, chopped 1/2 onion, white, chopped 1 cup chicken stock 2 cups water …

Tarts with Zing

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We’re all short of time! The rush of our everyday routines! These little tart’s tick all the boxes, time, flavour, charming and rewarding. Serving them as a little mignon dessert is a great way to end your dinner. Easy Entertaining! So yes, these mignon Lemon Meringue Tarts have zing. Just for your taste buds to tingle with the luscious lemon butter, finished off with creamy meringue, topped with a dollop of double cream and garnished with candied lemon. Zing your taste buds, read on for the recipe…

Princess Cookies

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I’m not a cookie maker. So, let’s take the challenge! I guess I’ve never been a cookie maker, due to the fact it’s somehow just easier to mix everything in a bowl, place the mixture in a cake tin and it’s done! Also, apart from that, one piece of cake will keep you satisfied..one cookie always, but always leads to another and another. I don’t make cookies! However the charm of making cookies for my niece and nephew, (taking the cooking pressure off my sister) led me to discover this basic cookie dough. Not too hard, right! For three days I’ve been making these cookies! The joys of the cookie process. Dough made: best left overnight wrapped tight in fridge… Cut cookies, bake, leave to cool, another day gone… make Royal Icing, whip, colour, design pattern. Leave to dry…Yes, my friends, three days.Cookie monster would be screaming!!   Searching for a basic cookie dough I opted for this one…(all faith in Martha and then tweaked) Basic Cookie Dough: Ingredients: 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour  (I …

Spiced Peach Muffins

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From Laura’s Tea Menu, a lady from Sandy’s Tea Society. I made Spiced Peach Muffins. These muffins have dainty bit’s of fresh peach which melt in your mouth, giving your taste buds a subtle sweet sensation, combining with the delicate spices of allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Recipe: Spiced Peach Muffins 4 1/2 cups plain flour 1 teaspoon salt 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 2 cups brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 eggs 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 1/4 cups milk 4 peaches, diced and unpeeled or 3 cups small whole berries or other fruit 1 peach for garnish (optional) Combine flour, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, all spice, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Stir in eggs, vegetable oil, and milk, then gently stir in fruit. Grease 24 muffin cups or use cupcake covers as I did. Heap ( ice-cream scoop measurement) batter into cups. As another option at these stage you can sprinkle a bit 0f granulated sugar on top. …

Sandy’s Tea Society

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Sandy’s Tea Society ***** by Sandy Lynam Clough   An Edible Book Review inspired by Jain at Food for Thought, and co-hosted by Mary at Home is Where the Boat is. “ As each Lady shares her original ideas for decorating and setting her tea table, graciously entertaining, developing friendships, and preparing special recipes you will be treated to a touch of heartfelt hospitality and the exciting opportunity to deepen your own friendships.” Delighting in Friendships Steeped in Love “Welcome To My Tearoom! Won’t you come in and join us? Please don’t hesitate just because you don’t know anyone else here. I have invited these special ladies to tea because they have one thing in common: They are very rich.Oh, they’re not wealthy financially. But they are truly rich because in their hearts is a wealth of warmth and caring individual style and creativity, all just waiting to be shared.” After reading this book, which I might say is a Sunday relaxing read, this book is a little treasure of images, recipes and ideas for …

A twinkle of a star

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So I grab a cup of coffee and spend a couple of hours looking around blog world capturing wonderful interpretations of different lifestyles and kitchens. I for one enjoy this time catching up with many friends old and new, seeing what they’ve enjoyed throughout the week or day, and seeing what great ideas they have shared with us all. One of these new blogs I’ve met through a link up is “The Mixing bowl Diary”. Becky challenged herself in baking gluten free and dairy free. Experimenting with her passion of cooking: “…I take out the mixing bowls,the spoons and measuring cups and somehow the hours pass without me knowing it. Creating,recreating and taste testing my way through this new Gluten-Free world…” One of those recipes she’s shared with us for Valentines Day was Hi Hat Cupcakes Don’t they look divine! Wait and see the finishing touches Hi Hat Cupcakes . I just had to share these with all of you. “…Reminds me of a soft serve ice-cream with a hard chocolate shell…” Thanks Becky for …

Take a coffee break …

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What better way to take a break with these crunchy, no fuss biscuits. This recipe is one of those hand me down recipes, that has been passed down from our grandmother, hence “ add a bit of that, a pinch of that, feel the mixture sort of recipe”. I’ll do my best to give you the amounts of these ingredients, but you’ll know what I mean if you try this recipe, you will feel when the mixture is right. Recipe: Pre heat oven moderate 180°F 4 eggs 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons sultana’s (not included in mine) 125g butter, melted 2 cups self raising flour ( 2 extra cups ) 1/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla essence Icing sugar for decoration Beat eggs until frothy, add sugar, beat well. Add melted butter,and sifted flour. If making with sultanas add as this point. Stir in milk and vanilla. At this point continually add sifted flour until the mixture forms a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead for 30 seconds until smooth and …

Chocolate Apricot Delights

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I’ve never really been a biscuit/cookie baker. Except maybe for the traditional Italian biscotti. However since spending time with my niece and nephew, the week begins with a bake off between biscuits and slices, thin enough and bite size enough to fit into the school lunch boxes. So I started the challenge of finding some new, fruity cookie recipes to bake. Interesting enough the list is infinite and the stack of cookbooks even higher. With a large variety of ingredients to choose from, I settled for apricots. As they’re on the hit list of my niece and nephews taste buds. These delicious ( if I don’t say so myself ) cookies are easy, easy as child’s play. No fancy formats, all in a bowl, easily made and cooked within 20 minutes. I found this recipe in Biscuits and Slices ( Murdoch Books)…In this book you’ll find a collection of Biscuits and Slices, you’ll find tempting treats to suit all tastes. There are savory biscuits, perfect for morning tea. Tempting home made melting moments, chocolate chip …