All posts tagged: recipe

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. …

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 …

Stuck on the roof of your mouth!

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You’re  in control!!. Stuck on the roof of your mouth. Chocolate chip flavour. Cocoa boosted.A crunchy baked outside coating but wait…. …an irresistible melting soft fudgy centre.It’s a tongue twisting, deliciously breathtaking experience, of pure indulgence, all combined to make this mouthwatering chocolate chip cookie one of the best I have ever tried. I’m having some quality time with my sister and her family. I’m experiencing a world  I have never ventured into. The world of motherhood. Can it really be this exhausting! I’m loving every minute of it. Every day is a new adventure into the world of 6 and 8 year olds.Can there be this much competition at a young age! A wonderland of play, a kaleidoscope of colours… Making and baking things have strung a new string in my creative mind.  What to make for the first day of school, lunch box treats? The shiny new lunch box is filled with fruit,crackers,cheese,sandwiches(healthy) and of course that energy boosting sugar plus delight. Here’s the favourite of my niece and nephews taste buds…. Chocolate …

Castagnaccio…Chestnut Pie

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We’re well into the season of Autumn showers and new snowflakes falling…an image of everything in the garden sprinkled with a light dusting of icing sugar. Chestnuts are also in season, and although they’re not (of what I can remember in the past) the in thing over in my homeland, chestnuts are the “in” thing here at the moment. I introduced you to our roasting methods here and have had many more Sunday family get together’s  since then, another family favourite is Castagnaccio it’s made from chestnut flour and originates from Tuscany. There are many variations of this recipe, but I found this one and I’m sticking to it! If you haven’t used or tried chestnut flour here’s your change to make a traditional Italian chestnut pie..read on for the recipe…

Grilled Ratatouille

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What a whirlwind of a week. I haven’t had much time on here and with my last post well over a week ago, I have some serious catching up to do. I haven’t had extra time to make the finer things, like planned desserts, but this grilled ratatouille was superb with grilled steak.   Fennel,zucchini,red and yellow peppers,and eggplant make up this delicious combination. Cut vegetables into large pieces and place on grill. Nothing hard about that, this dish is all in the presentation…after you’ve grilled the vegetables slice into thin strips, leaving the fennel in slices … Arrange in orderly fashion, first the fennel then zucchini and eggplant and finally the colourful red and yellow peppers.   And here’s my homemade delicious dressing: 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons olive oil zest and juice of 1 lemon freshly ground pepper 6 capers 2 anchovies sliced black olives sprinkle of pine nuts Finely chop the anchovies and capers and place in mixing jar. Add balsamic vinegar,olive oil, zest and lemon juice,black pepper and mix well.Pour …

Crunchy Cranberry Cookies

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What better way to get everyone together for that morning coffee with a freshly made oatmeal crunchy cookie,with succulent bits of cranberries. There’s something about the atmosphere of that warming fire in the family room, the cooler mornings and the sweet smell of baking in the kitchen. Having the day to myself I had a few household things to do…and do just that some baking…

After Dinner Choco -Mint Cupcake

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Cupcakes have been around for age’s, I think everyone has tried one recipe or another. I have to admit this is my first. I wanted to make something a little different for a dessert,not too sweet, chocolate, fresh and satisfying. And so that’s how I arrived at this special treat. Chocolate and mint has always been a great combination. Table Eights- After Dinner Mint has always been a decadent finish to a dinner party, so enjoy my after dinner mint cupcake. Finding a recipe for a quick chocolate cupcake wasn’t too difficult…I decided on this one bowl recipe, I can see why cupcakes are a quick choice for many home making cooks, preparation time was a whizz, cooking time was quick, no cleaning of tins, and definitely a buzz whipping these things up. I however, didn’t want the normal look of a cupcake,(cake and frostinf) it wasn’t for afternoon tea,but an after dinner dessert. So knowing how delicious our gelato (ice-cream) is I put together this combo. Read on for the recipe…