tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176172842024-03-13T23:00:05.682+11:00Kristin BuesingFoodie with an accent / Foodie mit AkzentUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-20957702581254880552013-04-25T09:31:00.003+10:002013-04-25T09:32:57.647+10:00ANZAC biscuits on ANZAC DAY<br />
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Today is Anzac Day (25 April), a public holiday, here in Australia and New Zealand and it's a day to commemorate the fallen soldiers in World War 1. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.</div>
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Traditionally baked on ANZAC DAY are the ANZAC biscuits, an oat biscuits that is easy to make and very scrumptious. In fact, it's one of my daughter's favourite biscuits also because she can almost make them by herself. You basically just need cup - and spoon measurements for this recipe and then you stir the dry with the wet ingredients together. Easy! I still melt the butter and golden syrup on the stove and let her watch as I am a bit wary about flames and heat. Other than that it's an easy recipe to whip up in a few minutes.</div>
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I have also added caramel to the mix to create this caramel ANZAC biscuit, just for a little twist but if you want the traditional way just omit them.</div>
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Recipe for ANZAC biscuits</div>
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Ingredients:</h3>
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1 cup plain flour</div>
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1 cup good-quality whole rolled oats</div>
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1 cup shredded coconut</div>
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1/2 cup of caramel bits (optional)</div>
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3/4 cup, firmly packed brown sugar or caster sugar</div>
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125g butter</div>
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2 tbsp golden syrup</div>
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2 tbsp water</div>
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1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda</div>
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Method:</h3>
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<li>Preheat oven to 160˚C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.</li>
<li>Combine flour, oats, coconut, caramel bits (if using) and sugar in a large bowl.</li>
<li>Stir butter, golden syrup and water in a small sauce pan over low heat until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth.</li>
<li>Stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Add to the oat mixture and stir with a fork until well combined.</li>
<li>Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place, about 4cm apart, on the lined trays. Bake, swapping trays to upper and lower oven shelves halfway through baking, for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly golden.</li>
<li>Set aside for 10 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for a week.</li>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-35221460103103729992013-03-28T15:30:00.000+11:002013-03-28T15:32:41.109+11:00Happy Easter!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Easter to all of you. Have a wonderful break and lots of yummy food!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-41994973645967391262013-03-24T21:20:00.000+11:002013-03-26T14:14:52.340+11:00Kale and pear quiches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today was a whooping nice day, it felt like 30˚C and it also happened to be a Sunday - yippee!<br />
That's definitely beach weather we thought and started early, or at least tried, to get to the beach. We weren't alone and by the time we got there, it was already quite busy. Never mind, with coffee and ice- cream in hand we walked<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"> through the sand and found a nice spot.</span><br />
The thing with the Australian sun is though, I can never bear her for long. So, after two hours we packed our stuff and strolled through Surry Hills, were they had a music festival of some sort. Bands played at different shops, cafes and along Crown Street to entertain the passers by.<br />
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On Crown Street is also a very nice grocery store/deli where I bought some nice ingredients for our dinner. Kale, pears, smoked bacon and sour cream shortcrust pastry from <a href="http://www.caremepastry.com/" target="_blank">Careme</a>. If you haven't come across these guys from the Barossa, you must. Of course, to make shortcrust pastry yourself is not difficult but if you short for time or can't be bothered, then try Careme. <br />
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The combination of kale and pear works really well, and the bacon and Gruyere give a lot of<br />
yummy savoury flavour. The sour cream in the pastry makes it so flaky, it's more like puff pastry.<br />
Delish!<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">Kale and pear mini quiches</span></div>
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Makes six<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">1 pack (375g) sour cream shortcrust pastry, Careme</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"> </span> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">4 smoked bacon rashers, rind removed</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">150 g kale, stems removed</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">100g<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gruyere cheese, grated</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">3 eggs</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">125 ml thickened cream</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">125 ml milk</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">1 large pear</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Preheat oven to 200˚C. Roll pastry out on a
lightly floured surface, then cut into six squares so that they are large
enough to line the tin base and sides. Cut away any excess pastry from the
edges. Prick bases with a fork a few times. Chill for 15 minutes. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Put tarts on a baking tray. Line the tarts
with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or uncooked lentils. Blind bake
in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove paper and weights and bake for a
further 5 minutes or until pastry is golden. Remove and set aside.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">For the filling chopped bacon and cook in a
frying pan over low heat until bacon is brown and crisp. Add chopped kale and ½
cup of water and cook over medium heat until kale is soft and water has
completely evaporated. Set aside to cool.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Once cooled sprinkle bacon and kale over the
six bases, followed by the grated Gruyere cheese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Whisk together eggs, cream and milk, then
carefully pour the egg mixture over the bacon. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Finely slice the pear with a mandolin and
place a few slices on top of each filling. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Return quiches to the hot oven for 20-25
minutes or until golden and set.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Serve with a green salad.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-54889931927248019962013-03-18T12:09:00.000+11:002013-03-20T08:28:57.659+11:00Sago (tapioca) pudding with ginger-caramel and coconut ice-creamAt a restaurant I once had sago pudding inspired by the Malayan sago gula melaka. Whenever my grandmother would make Rote Gruetze, a berry dessert from North Germany, she would use sago to thicken the sauce. In this dessert sago itself becomes the main ingredient which I really like. After cooking the sago you need to rinse it under cold running water to remove the starch which makes it very sticky, but let me assure you, the beaten egg white makes all light and fluffy again. The sago has no sugar in it as the sweetness completely comes from the syrup and ice-cream. The coconut milk adds a refreshing note to it and prevents it from becoming too sweet. <br />
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My mother-in-law once gave me little Buddha moulds which I think are fun to make the sago pudding in. I made this dessert for German friends visiting Sydney as it is nothing you would necessarily come across in Europe and it's also great to prepare ahead.<br />
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<span itemprop="ingredients">Sago pudding with ginger-caramel sauce</span><br />
<br />
<span itemprop="ingredients">300g sago</span><br />
<span itemprop="ingredients">1 egg white</span> <br />
<span itemprop="ingredients">200g palm sugar, chopped</span><br />
<span itemprop="ingredients">½ cup water</span><br />
<span itemprop="ingredients">4 tbsp white sugar</span><br />
2 cm piece ginger, peeled, sliced<br />
<span itemprop="ingredients">1small can coconut milk</span><br />
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<br />
Bring a large pan of water to the
boil and when boiling, add sago. Stir frequently as the water returns
to the boil, to avoid them sticking. The sago will float to the surface
and be transparent when cooked. Strain and rinse with cold water a
couple of times to remove the starch. <br />
In a clean bowl beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Add sago, stir
to combine and pour into four jelly moulds. Cover with cling film and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.<br />
Stir palm sugar and water over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.
Stir in white sugar. Stir until completely dissolved. Add ginger and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until syrup has thickened slightly. Strain
through a fine sieve into a pouring jug and refrigerate for
approximately 1 hour.<br />
Carefully turn sago puddings out onto plates and serve topped with a little of the coconut milk and syrup, accompanied by the coconut ice-cream and toasted coconut.<br />
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Quick coconut ice-ceam<br />
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For this you need an ice-cream maker.<br />
(makes approx 4 cups)<br />
<br />
1 cup coconut cream<br />
1 1/4 cups whole milk<br />
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk<br />
<br />
<br />
<span itemprop="ingredients">Place coconut cream and both milks into a large jug and refrigerate until cold (at least an hour).</span><br />
<span itemprop="ingredients">Pour mixture into an ice-cream maker and churn until finished. Put in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to two week.</span><br />
<br />
<span itemprop="ingredients">Serve with toasted shredded coconut.</span><br />
<span itemprop="ingredients"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-49333103287295167942013-03-10T22:11:00.001+11:002013-03-18T11:03:49.829+11:00Apricot chicken recipeRecently I made apricot chicken for Sunday dinner and it proved to be quite popular. <br />
It's such an easy recipe, nothing fancy but yummy. However, it has nothing to do with the old-fashioned recipe that uses French onion soup powder and canned apricots. I first used fresh apricots which work as well but dried ones are more my taste and available all year round.<br />
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I love the sweetness through the dried apricots and the crunch through roasted almonds.<br />
Ras el Hanout, a Moroccan spice blend adds a nice warmth to it, perfect for autumn weather (that inspiration I took from Janelle Bloom's cookbook). Ras el hanout translates as "head of the shop" and implies the blend uses only the best spices the seller has to offer. Depending on where its purchased the blend of spices will vary though.<br />
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Mine is from <a href="http://www.gourmetshopper.com.au/shop/product.php?productid=282" target="_blank">Herbie's</a> in Sydney and it lists Paprika, Cumin, Ginger, Coriander Seed, Cassia, Turmeric, Fennel Seed,
Allspice, Cardamom Green, Dill Seed, Galangal, Nutmeg, Orris root, Bay
Leaves, Caraway Seed, Cayenne, Cloves, Mace, Black Pepper, Brown
Cardamom, Whole Kashmiri Saffron Stigma. What an extensive list and it smells truly amazing.<br />
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Apricot chicken recipe<br />
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1 kg chicken boneless chicken thighs, trimmed<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
1 brown onion, chopped<br />
3 garlic cloves<br />
2 tablespoons Moroccan spice blend such as Ras el Hanout<br />
1 cup chicken stock <br />
1/2 cup apricot nectar<br />
40g dried apricots, halved<br />
2 tablespoons flaked almonds, toasted<br />
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped<br />
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Heat oil in a large casserole dish and fry the chicken on each side until golden. Remove from casserole and set aside. Saute onion and garlic on medium-low heat until softened. Add spice mix and fry until fragrant. Add stock, apricot nectar, apricots and chicken thighs and bring to the boil. Turn down heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes or until chicken pieces are cooked through. Remove chicken thighs and boil sauce until slightly reduced. Add chicken and season.<br />
Serve sprinkled with almonds and parsley.<br />
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Serve with brown rice or couscous.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-47794003049011585242013-02-28T21:12:00.000+11:002013-03-01T07:37:21.925+11:00Vegan Banana CakeI am not sure why I thought of making a vegan banana cake as so far I have been making a very traditional one and it always turned out nicely. But then there is so much talk about the so-<br />
called superfoods which I liked to try in a cake. There are some superfoods I would not touch, no matter how healthy they might be but chia seeds have become one of our favourite seeds in our family. They are so versatile and don't really taste like much but sprinkled on a smoothie it adds a nice crunch to it. Don't let them sit too long though or they become soggy and starting to gel. Funny seed that is.<br />
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The chia and almond spread is from the health food section at Coles which seems to be widely available. I bought the spread because it somehow attracted me without knowing what I am going to do with it in the first place.<br />
It actually works well instead of peanut butter but also adds nice flavour to the cake. <br />
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<span lang="EN-US">Vegan banana bread</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">30g linseed (finely ground, I used a coffee grinder)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">150ml canola oil</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">200g plain flour</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">50g wholemeal flour</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">2 teaspoons baking powder</span></div>
<span lang="EN-US">1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</span><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><span lang="EN-US"> a good pinch of mixed spice</span>
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<span lang="EN-US">200 g brown sugar</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">2 ripe bananas </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">2 tablespoons chia and almond spread</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Preheat oven to 180C. Stir together linseed and oil and let sit.
Combine both flours, baking powder, spices and sugar in a large bowl. In another
bowl mash bananas and mix with chia and almond spread and linseed-oil mixture.
Combine dry and wet ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.
Fill into a Gugelhupf or loaf tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the
centre comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning out
onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar.</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-455112757238628162013-02-20T07:32:00.002+11:002013-03-07T07:43:47.644+11:00French Toast a la Kate GibbsA little while ago <a href="http://kategibbs.com/" target="_blank">Kate Gibbs</a>, <a href="http://margaretfulton.com.au/" target="_blank">Margaret Fulton's</a> granddaughter, visited us at <a href="http://www.breville.com.au/" target="_blank">Breville</a> and talked about her new cook book "After Toast". She had also made a 12 hour/80°C slow-cooked pork shoulder with brown sugar crust in the Breville Sous Vide. It was devine.<br />
I am so intrigued to get my hands on one of those sous vides soon, especially after she mentioned how perfect it is for BBQ parties. She tends to sous-vide steak beforehand and just slaps it on the hot grill when the guests are there. Et Voila; always the perfect steak with a beautiful char grilled smokey finish. Sounds good to me.<br />
<br />
Her new cook book is aiming at the aspiring cook and is filled with easy-to-make recipes. It will give you inspiration for breakfast, lunch and dinner yet also has delicious ideas for snacks and desserts. <br />
The photography and styling is beautiful and they went to my favourite farmers market at <a href="http://kristinbuesing.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/eveleigh-farmers-market.html" target="_blank">Eveleigh</a> for the market shots. Very nice!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lek0DiDgI6k/USDJjTFsenI/AAAAAAAABx8/7i2hROXcXgo/s1600/photo.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lek0DiDgI6k/USDJjTFsenI/AAAAAAAABx8/7i2hROXcXgo/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy winner of the After Toast cook book. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This weekend I could no longer resist to try her recipe for spoonable French toast with maple berries. I am in love with raspberries at the moment and the combination of custard bread, maple syrup and tart berries really resonated with me.<br />
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As Kate puts it her take on the classic French dish is ideal for the sleepy-headed at breakfast time.<br />
Instead of individually frying them and tossing them the whole dish goes in the oven and is spooned out. It's ideal to share and easy to make. <br />
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There is no actual photo of the finished recipe in the book but that is how my French toast a la Kate Gibbs looked like.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1FJg_XtgYpM/USDB9q8B6-I/AAAAAAAABxE/JVpz4G0TZtM/s1600/FrenchToast1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1FJg_XtgYpM/USDB9q8B6-I/AAAAAAAABxE/JVpz4G0TZtM/s640/FrenchToast1+copy.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ayUl9fqgoFI/USDCFc7G8iI/AAAAAAAABxM/upgAYS7zR7U/s1600/FrenchToast2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ayUl9fqgoFI/USDCFc7G8iI/AAAAAAAABxM/upgAYS7zR7U/s640/FrenchToast2+copy.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Here is Kate's recipe for French toast<br />
<br />
500 ml milk<br />
3 free-range eggs<br />
zest of 1 lemon<br />
1 tablespoon caster sugar (see note) <br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
10g butter (oh yes, use butter, it's French after all)<br />
6-8 slices yesterdays bread, cut into triangles<br />
125g raspberries, fresh or frozen<br />
1 tbsp maple syrup<br />
yoghurt, to serve<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 180degrees.<br />
Whisk together milk, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla extract.<br />
Butter a 20cm baking dish and arrange half the bread slices in the dish. Scatter most of the raspberries over, then top with remaining bread slices. Pour milk mixture over the top, then decorate with remaining raspberries. Drizzle with maple syrup and let it all soak for 10 minutes.<br />
Now bake for 45-50min, or until golden brown on top but still soft inside.<br />
Serve with dollops of yoghurt.<br />
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Now, I actually added 1 tablespoon of caster sugar to the milk mixture and instead of yoghurt used double cream. I know it's so much fatter but then again, it's so French! I also used a loaf tin and layered the slices in a different way but it works just as fine.<br />
Can't resist maple syrup so would definitely serve some extra to drizzle over when scooped on the plate. Delicious!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-62240458591624404952013-02-17T17:25:00.001+11:002013-02-17T21:49:32.808+11:00Cassie's Charity Bake SaleMy dear colleague Cassandra baked all week and through the night for her charity bake sale on Valentine's Day - truly amazing! Everything looked so beautiful and she made over $700 which she gave to a local animal rescue centre. Good on ya, Cassie!<br />
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There were cakes, cupcakes, gluten free cupcakes, caramel popcorn, chocolate bark, peanut brittle, shortbread hearts, cake pops and pink meringue kisses.<br />
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I bought the chocolate bark and peanut brittle and both were delicious. For the recipes check out Cassandra's blog <a href="http://www.foodmyfriend.com/" target="_blank">Food is my friend</a>. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5scVoccR7qA/USB1UQBoVhI/AAAAAAAABwA/iL8pQ1YtyJk/s1600/BakeSale7+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5scVoccR7qA/USB1UQBoVhI/AAAAAAAABwA/iL8pQ1YtyJk/s640/BakeSale7+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-32191406564996192052013-01-28T12:03:00.001+11:002013-01-29T21:28:13.583+11:00January Daring Bakers Challenge - filled speculaas cake<style>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Francijn of <a href="http://kokenindebrouwerij.blogspot.com.au/">Koken in de Brouwerij</a> was
our January 2013 Daring Bakers’ Hostess and she challenged us to make the
traditional Dutch pastry, Gevulde Speculaas from scratch! That includes making
our own spice mix, almond. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Let us start with a little history, about the Netherlands and spices<b><span style="font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, Francijn shared with us:</span></b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">U</span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ntil 1800 cloves, mace and nutmeg are
exclusively found on the Maluku Islands, in the East Indian Archipelago. That's
why these islands are called “the spice islands”.<br />
To make one's fortune in Europe through the spice trade, one needed a monopoly
on the European trade. Since 1500 the Portuguese owned that monopoly.<br />
The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, too, wanted to get rich from the
spice trade, and established the Dutch East India Company around 1600, to join
forces. Since 1660 the monopoly on spice trade was firmly in Dutch hands. In
the Dutch Golden Age, roughly the 17th century, the republic got rich through
this trade, and flourished like never before, economically, artistically and
scientifically. In many Dutch cities the heritage of this century is still
visible. Sadly, this wealth must be considered in the light of war and
repression. The Dutch used much violence and oppressed people to establish and
defend their monopoly.<br />
Only after World War II Dutch India became independent from the Netherlands.
Until that moment the trade of spices, coffee, rubber, tobacco, opium, sugar,
indigo and tea from Dutch India contributed significantly to the Dutch economy.
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<b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Speculaas spices</span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
When spices had become commonly available in the 17th century, bakers' guilds
began to make their secret spice mixtures. A mixture that gloriously survived
the ages is “speculaaskruiden” (speculaas spices). Speculaaskruiden contain at
least cinnamon, cloves, mace and ginger, and these spices to taste: pepper,
cardamom, coriander, anise seeds and nutmeg.<br />
The smell of speculaaskruiden is overwhelming, especially when you take the
trouble to mix them yourself. The deliciously warm and woody aroma is a perfect
fit for the chilly Dutch winter months.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">From the golden age onward, this spice
mixture was used to bake a crisp, buttery biscuit: speculaas. For centuries it
remained a luxury item, baked only in the holiday season, and often given as a
present. Sometimes bakers made the dough three months in advance so that the
flavor would permeate the dough.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ever since the 15th century, the 6th of
December has been celebrated as the nameday of St. Nicholas, combined with an
exchange of gifts on the evening before. But in the age of the Dutch East India
Company St. Nicholas became associated with speculaas. And that is not so
strange, as St. Nicholas was the patron saint of sailors as well as many
bakers' guilds.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Recipe Speculaas Spices</span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Speculaas spices can be bought in a store. But it's more fun to make your own
mixture, so that you can adjust the flavor. Here is a representative recipe
from the extensive Dutch tradition.</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mandatory:</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Cinnamon 40 to 60 % of the total amount<br />
Ground cloves 1 or 2 parts<br />
Mace ½ or 1 part<br />
Ginger ½ or 1 part</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Optional:</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
White pepper ½ or 1 part<br />
Cardamom ½ or 1 part<br />
Coriander ½ or 1 part<br />
Star anise ½ or 1 part<br />
Nutmeg 1 or 2 parts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A convenient way to mix the spices is as
follows:</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Take at least</span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> 1 or 2 teaspoons of ground cloves, ½ or 1
teaspoon of mace and ½ or 1 teaspoon of ginger. <br />
<b><span style="font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Add to taste</span></b> ½ or 1 teaspoon
of white pepper, ½ or 1 teaspoon of cardamom, ½ or 1 teaspoon of coriander, ½
or 1 teaspoon of anise, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of nutmeg.<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Measure or weigh</span></b> the amount
of spices you have now, <b><span style="font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and add</span></b> an equal
amount of cinnamon. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This
method yields at least 4 and at most 18 teaspoons of spices, so if you
plan to mix just a few spices, use bigger or more spoons to get a reasonable
amount.<br />
Take your time to smell the ingredients individually before you decide how much
to add. And remember the proportions, that will make adjustments easier next
time.<br />
Store the spices airtight, dry and dark, they will not spoil for a long time.</span><b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;">Recipe Almond
Paste</span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
As we are going to make stuffed speculaas, we will need almond paste. You can
buy it in a store, but homemade almond paste tastes better. </span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ingredients:</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
125g raw almonds or ground almonds<br />
125g granulated sugar<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 teaspoon lemon zest</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;">Grind the almonds for one
or two minutes in a food processor, until you see nothing but very small
pieces. (Or skip this step if you use ground almonds.)<br />
Add the sugar, and grind for another one or two minutes. It must be very fine
after this step. Add the egg and let the food processor combine it - if it is
powerful enough. Otherwise you will have to combine it with your fingers. Store
the almond paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Although the
flavor gets better as days pass by, it is not wise to store the paste for too
long, as it contains a raw egg. For the same reason you should not eat the
paste unbaked. </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;">Recipe Speculaas
Dough</span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ingredients:</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
250g all purpose (plain) flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
150g brown sugar<br />
A pinch salt<br />
2 tablespoons speculaas spices<br />
175g unsalted butter</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Method:</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
Put flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl.<br />
Cut the butter in dices and add.<br />
Knead until smooth.<br />
Feel free to add a little milk if the dough is too dry.<br />
Wrap in clingfoil and put in the refrigerator for two hours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;">You can choose to make
the dough a few days in advance, just like the almond paste, that will benefit
the flavor. Freezing is no problem.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;">Assembling and
baking the Gevulde Speculaas</span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ingredients:</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
speculaas dough<br />
almond paste<br />
whole almonds without skins for decoration<br />
1 large egg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;">shallow baking pan, 8x10
inch (20x26 cm) or, round with of diameter 10 inch (26 cm)</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Directions:</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
1. Grease the pan.<br />
2. Preheat the oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas 4<br />
3. Divide the dough into two portions.<br />
4. Roll out both portions on a lightly floured surface, until they are exactly
as big as the baking pan.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5. Put one of the layers in the pan and press it lightly to
fill the bottom.<br />
6. Lightly beat the egg with a teaspoon cold water.<br />
7. Smear 1/3 of the egg over the dough in the pan.<br />
8. Roll out the almond paste between two sheets of clingfoil, until it is
exactly as big as the pan, and put it on the dough in the pan. (If you chose to
make the paste soft, you can smear the paste instead of rolling it.)<br />
9. Press the paste lightly down to fit in the pan, and smear the next 1/3 of
the egg over it.<br />
10. Now put the second layer of dough on top of the paste, press it lightly,
and make as smooth as possible.<br />
11. Smear the last 1/3 of the egg over the dough.<br />
12. Decorate the pastry with the almonds.<br />
13. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven.<br />
14. Let cool completely in the pan, then cut it in portions as you like.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
15. If you wrap the stuffed speculaas in clingfoil, after it has cooled
completely, you can store it a few days at room temperature. Freezing is
possible, but fresh speculaas tastes better.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3547346/?claim=9adest4dn7f">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a> </span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-56052983519864118412013-01-24T21:40:00.001+11:002013-01-28T13:20:50.667+11:00Happy Australia Day with Macca'sAustralia Day is nearing (Saturday, 26 Jan) and I am gearing up for a big picnic, as you do on this highest national day. Speaking of said day, last year I was working on a commercial for McDonald's and I think they really nailed it with this ad choc full of Australian-isms.<br />
Australians are very nice people but sometimes hard to understand. I am not just talking about the Aussie twang. They just love to shorten everything as much as possible. Sometimes they even use completely different words no one else uses.<br />
So, if you happen to be from somewhere else (like me) you might not understand a single word they saying in this ad. But don't despair, I have compiled a list of a few words and sayings that will prove to be helpful. I am sure there are heaps more and if you happen to be Australian, let me know what is missing.<br />
And of course McDonald's has a nickname in Australia - locals like to call it Macca's.<br />
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<a href="http://www.campaignbrief.com/2013/01/08/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.campaignbrief.com/2013/01/08/sign.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>Key Australian Slang – Make it short! </b><br />
The first thing you can do to get into the lingo is to abbreviate as many words as you possibly can.
Here are some examples:<br />
Arvo - Afternoon<br />
Barbie - BBQ and not a Barbie Doll!<br />
Bikkie - Biscuit<br />
Brizzie - Brisbane<br />
Breckie - Breakfast<br />
Chrissie - Christmas<br />
Cozzie - Swimming Costume<br />
Exy - Expensive<br />
Kindie - Kindergarten<br />
Maccas - Macdonalds<br />
Mozzie - Mosquito<br />
Oldies - Parents<br />
Pokies - Poker machines<br />
Trackies - Tracksuit pants<br />
Yewy - Do a U-turn<br />
Reno - Renovation<br />
Sunnies - Sun glasses<br />
Rellies - Relatives<br />
Ute - Utility van<br />
Skandi - Skandinavian<br />
<br />
<b>Australian Sayings </b><br />
Chuck a sickie - To pretend to be ill so as not to go work (you'll get away with one or two a year)<br />
Fair dinkum - That's absolutely correct<br />
No worries - No problem, will do<br />
G'day mate - Hello<br />
Good on ya! - Good for you<br />
She'll be right - Everything will be OK<br />
Strewth! - Wow! Gosh!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-46990804607231108242012-12-23T21:17:00.000+11:002013-01-28T13:21:31.932+11:00German LebkuchenMmmh, Lebkuchen!<br />
I am not sure how many variations of Lebkuchen there is but the mix of spices is key.<br />
This recipe is great as it makes a large batch and is easy as you don't have to roll or<br />
form by hand. <br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rQcLCHcp_Pc/UQEI_VyMknI/AAAAAAAABtY/GQZQhCc3_UY/s1600/Lebkuchen+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rQcLCHcp_Pc/UQEI_VyMknI/AAAAAAAABtY/GQZQhCc3_UY/s640/Lebkuchen+copy.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ingredients</span></b></div>
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g <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">dark chocolate melts</span><br />
20 g butter, softened <br />
200 g icing sugar, sifted<br />
2 eggs<br />
70 g ground hazelnuts<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder <br />
2 teaspoons rum or apple juice <br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg</span></div>
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teaspoon ground ginger</span></div>
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teaspoon mixed spice<br />
250 g plain flour </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For
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6 EL orange juice or water<br />
125 g glace or candied ginger</span></div>
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oven to 180 degrees Celsius.<br />
<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">For the dough, melt chocolate in a water
bath, set aside. In a a stand mixer beat butter and icing sugar until pale and
creamy. Add all other ingredients and mix until combined. Spread dough into a Swiss roll tin (30x 24cm), smooth top.</span></span></div>
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0cm;">Bake in pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes or until a
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<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0cm;">Cool the gingerbread cake in the tin. In the
meantime mix together icing sugar and orange juice. Spread icing evenly over
cake. Chop glace ginger and sprinkle over the icing. Let set before cutting into
squares.</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-18403999282561099042012-12-22T20:38:00.000+11:002013-01-28T13:22:00.152+11:00German coconut maceroonsSo here is one of our recipes from the magazine…. enjoy baking the light and fluffy coconut macaroons with chocolate base.<br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
3 eggwhites, at room temperature<br />
330 g caster sugar<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
170 g desiccated coconut<br />
Zest of 1 lemon<br />
150 g dark chocolate, melted<br />
<strong>Method</strong><br />
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.<br />
Place the eggwhites in a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until
soft peaks form. Add the sugar in batches, beating continually, until
the mixture becomes stiff and glossy. Add vanilla extract and fold
through with a spatula. Add the lemon zest and coconut, in batches, and
gently fold through with a spatula until evenly distributed, being
careful not to overwork the mixture.<br />
Spoon 2 teaspoonful of batter on a baking tray lined with greased baking
paper. Bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes, or until the macaroons are
lightly browned.<br />
Gently remove from the baking paper immediately and cool on wire racks.
Once cooled dip macaroons in melted chooclate and let set on a wire
rack.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ErPmkBfRXKE/UQEBz0xj28I/AAAAAAAABrs/OhjmsV9fhs8/s1600/Coconutmaceroons+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ErPmkBfRXKE/UQEBz0xj28I/AAAAAAAABrs/OhjmsV9fhs8/s640/Coconutmaceroons+copy.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-52666457350042114592012-12-21T20:46:00.000+11:002013-01-28T13:22:23.770+11:00Swiss chocolate cookies - Brunsli<b> Brunsli (Swiss chocolate cookies)</b><br />
<br />
Only a few<b> </b>sleeps left til Christmas… enough time to bake another batch of
cookies… so why not try Brunsli? One of the most popular Swiss Christmas
cookies and absolutely delicious with coffee, tea or even a glass of
wine.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sB5OV-Bh8is/UQECwjtlsQI/AAAAAAAABsE/QtyKkEX5rOs/s1600/Brunsli+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sB5OV-Bh8is/UQECwjtlsQI/AAAAAAAABsE/QtyKkEX5rOs/s640/Brunsli+copy.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
250 g sugar<br />
250 g ground almonds<br />
1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />
2 tbsp plain flour<br />
2 egg whites<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
100 g dark chocolate, chopped<br />
<br />
<b>Method</b><br />
Place the sugar, ground almonds, cinnamon and flour in a bowl and mix well.<br />
Use an electric mixer to whisk egg whites and salt until soft peaks
form. Gently fold in the sugar-almond mixture with a spatula until just
combined. Don’t overwork.<br />
Melt chocolate in a warm water bath and fold gently through the
sugar-almond mixture. Form the dough into a ball, cover and let cool at
room temparature for about 1 hour.<br />
Dust the work bench with sugar and roll the cookie dough with a
rolling pin to about 5mm thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters
and place on a lined baking tray.<br />
Let the cookies dry at room temperature for a few hours (best over
night). Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees Celsius and bake cookies for 5 min.
Remove from baking tray and place on a wire rack to cool.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-21035659942578316772012-12-15T07:23:00.000+11:002013-01-24T20:48:58.591+11:00Happy Holidays While Christmas bells are chiming, oh, may there come to you<br />
A dear little fairy, who's always good and true;<br />
The little happy fairy, who drives away dull care,<br />
And makes all things upon the earth seem ever bright and fair.<br />
She'll whisper to good Santa to bring what you most wish;<br />
So if you have been longing for a fine pudding dish,<br />
She will not, as in by-gone years, forget and bring to you<br />
Something that you do not want, though beautiful and new.<br />
By <span class="ChristmasAuthor">Winifred Sackville Stoner Jr.</span> <br />
<br />
<i>And a German poem I grew up with:</i><br />
Markt und Straßen stehn verlassen,<br />
Still erleuchtet jedes Haus,<br />
Sinnend geh' ich durch die Gassen,<br />
Alles sieht so festlich aus.<br />
<br />
An den Fenstern haben Frauen<br />
Buntes Spielzeug fromm geschmückt,<br />
Tausend Kindlein stehn und schauen,<br />
Sind so wunderstill beglückt.<br />
<br />
Und ich wandre aus den Mauern<br />
Bis hinaus in's freie Feld,<br />
Hehres Glänzen, heil'ges Schauern!<br />
<br />
Wie so weit und still die Welt!<br />
Sterne hoch die Kreise schlingen,<br />
Aus des Schneees Einsamkeit<br />
Steigt 's wie wunderbares Singen -<br />
O du gnadenreiche Zeit!<br />
By Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff
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See the our Christmas <a href="http://issuu.com/smore/docs/smore_happy_holidays_2012" target="_blank">ebook at ISSUU</a>.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-32076564974316983612012-12-13T19:47:00.003+11:002012-12-13T20:31:55.532+11:00Merry Christmas with s'more<div><object style="width: 550px; height: 389px;" width="320" height="240" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="src" value="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v2/IssuuReader.swf" /><param name="flashvars" value="mode=mini&autoFlip=true&backgroundColor=%23222222&documentId=121205023728-fdc59c34c08e4d898a7d8e7de5a47278" /><embed style="width: 550px; height: 389px;" width="320" height="240" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v2/IssuuReader.swf" allowfullscreen="true" menu="false" wmode="transparent" flashvars="mode=mini&autoFlip=true&backgroundColor=%23222222&documentId=121205023728-fdc59c34c08e4d898a7d8e7de5a47278" /></object></div>
<br />
<br />
Icy cold air, snowflakes and twinkling candles on a Christmas tree.
The smell of mandarines, peanuts and cinnamon in the air.<br />
Mum or grandma
baking Christmas cookies in the kitchen… These are all typical Swiss
and/or German Christmas childhood memories.<br />
<br />
Living in Australia, where we have a BBQ for Christmas and go to the
beach, bringing back some of those memories inspired us to our new
magazine for Christmas. So if you want to know what a Brunsli,
Mailänderli or a Lebkuchen is, then look no further and get baking.<br />
<br />
To keep you going whilst you are baking or just in case you get really hungry, there is a hearty Baked Beans recipe.<br />
And just in case you are searching for gift ideas, why not give some
beautifully wrapped home made cookies or if you would like to venture
further, have a look at <a href="http://smore.is/easter-inspiration/" title="Juliana Bartulin">Juliana’s</a> craft project.<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-59101482995905958132012-12-13T19:41:00.002+11:002012-12-13T20:23:08.778+11:00Christmas is in the airA while ago we went up to the Blue Mountains to a friends place for some "Plaetzchen backen", making cookies. The kids had so much fun and we snapped happily away as we thought we would use it for our <a href="http://issuu.com/smore/docs/smore_happy_holidays_2012" target="_blank">s'more Christmas mag</a>. Here are a few that we didn't find space for in our little<br />
cookbook. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And that was the end of the photo shoot.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-28798119212194712562012-12-02T19:24:00.000+11:002012-12-02T19:40:06.187+11:00Christmas wreath Happy 1st Advent folks!<br />
<br />
While my German friends enjoyed the first snow we are sweating at 35 degrees and the thought of<br />
a candle wreath on the table wasn't that appealing to me. <br />
<br />
Instead I made a flower power wreath inspired by the amazingly creative guys from <a href="http://www.printscharming.typepad.com/" target="_blank">prints charming</a>.<br />
I attended their <a href="http://www.koskela.com.au/workshops-prints-charming/" target="_blank">workshop</a> two weeks ago and managed to just finished my cardboard/paper flowers<br />
just in time for the 1st Advent.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I4N-lLCssY8/ULr_7iky4vI/AAAAAAAABl8/QVCnWab1BHE/s640/Paper_wreath2+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="426" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My finished paper flower wreath.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cardboard of all sorts, hot glue gun, paint and twigs is all you need.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bundle of twigs is getting recycled.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start with laying out the twigs first and hot glue together.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful creations by prints charming using recycled cardboard packaging.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-37544233095146926562012-11-27T07:09:00.003+11:002012-11-30T19:10:22.003+11:00German Lebkuchen cookies - November Daring Bakers Challenge<b><i></i></b> Holiday season is the time for sharing and Peta of <a href="http://petaeats.blogspot.com.au/">Peta Eats </a> is sharing a dozen cookies, some classics and some of her own, from all over the world with us.<br />
<br />
Oh, Peta gave us so many choices but I knew I had to make the German Lebkuchen (gingerbread) cookies. Lebkuchen is the ultimate Christmas memory to me and this recipe is beautiful soft and moist yet firm enough to cut out any shape you like. Perfect for Christmas baking with family and friends.<br />
<br />
In Germany it's a beloved tradition to have friends over for some cookie baking (Plaetzchen) to devour them on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve. Also important is the table decoration consisting of a wreath with four candles marking the four Advent Sundays. On the first Sunday you'll light only one candle and then the second on the second Advent and so fourth. <br />
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It's such a nice welcoming of Christmas that I miss very much here in Sydney. I still have candles on the table but since it's summer it doesn't quite feel the same to me.<br />
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Anyway, baking is still fun even in summer and these gingerbread cookies are very scrumptious. <br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times;">Ingredients:</span></b><br />
85ml honey<br />
115g dark brown sugar<br />
30g butter<br />
225g plain flour, sifted<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
50g ground almonds<br />
Icing<br />
25g icing sugar sifted<br />
2 tsp water<b> </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Method</b><br />
<br />
In a large pan place the honey, sugar and butter. Put on a low heat until
the butter and sugar have melted. Remove from the heat.<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Sift together the flour,
spices and bicarbonate of soda. </span>Beat the egg in a small dish. Add one
half of the flour mixture and half of the egg to the pan and mix well. <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Repeat with the remaining
flour and egg. Finally add in the ground almonds and mix till thoroughly
combined. </span>The dough now needs to be chilled, it is very sticky and will
seem along way away from being a biscuit dough but don’t worry.<br />
<br />
Place it in a
plastic bag, an easy way of doing this is to fold a bag over the inside of a
large jug and tip the dough in.<br />
Chill overnight in the fridge, in fact you can leave this dough to develop
it’s flavours in the fridge for up to three days.<br />
<br />
Roll dough out between two
sheets of greaseproof paper to approx 5mm thick. Preheat the oven to 160c
Fan/180c/Gas Mark 4. Cut out shapes and lay them on a lined baking tray.<br />
<br />
Bake in the oven for 7-9 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool for
five minutes on the tray to firm up a little before carefully transferring to a
cooling rack.<br />
<br />
Mix up a runny icing glaze combining your sifted icing sugar with the water.
Line up the lebkuchen on a wire rack. <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Using a pastry brush glaze the tops of the biscuits by
brushing on a thin layer of icing. Apply a second coat and leave to dry. The
biscuits will keep for up to three weeks in an airtight container – that’s if
you can resist eating them.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-24374682859376444232012-11-08T11:01:00.000+11:002013-02-17T21:48:46.278+11:00Pulled porkSaturday was a day for comfort food, it drizzled all day and was somewhat cold compared to the nice warm days we already had.<br />
My folks were out camping and I had a nice day of catching up with friends ahead of me. But oh, this weather, I needed something to cheer me up. <br />
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Being busy catching up I didn't have too much time fussing about in the kitchen but knew a friend would come over for dinner so I pulled out my slow cooker, bought a beautiful piece of free-range pork neck and let it simmer for six hours. It was the best pulled pork I've ever made so far. Juicy and tender, easy too shred and the sauce was divine!<br />
<br />
I can't remember when I heard first of pulled pork but it's such an easy dish and so delicious. Very versatile too, mixed it through some green leaves and vegetables and have it as a warm salad, on rye bread with beetroot relish as an open sandwich, or as I did on the third day, make it into quesadillas. Yum!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulled pork sandwich with beetroot relish</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ET2V49NeyzM/UJrzMP96QwI/AAAAAAAABkk/s61nBArwNPQ/s1600/pulledpork_sandwich2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ET2V49NeyzM/UJrzMP96QwI/AAAAAAAABkk/s61nBArwNPQ/s640/pulledpork_sandwich2+copy.jpg" width="426" /></a> </div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Recipe for pulled pork:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Ingredients:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">1.5- 2kg pork shoulder
(neck) roast</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Stubb's)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">½ cup cider white
balsamic vinegar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">½ cup chicken stock</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">¼ cup brown sugar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">1 tablespoon dijon
mustard</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">2 teaspoons cayenne
pepper</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">2 garlic cloves,
crushed</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Method: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">1. Place the pork roast
into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, vinegar and chicken broth.
Stir in the brown sugar, mustard, cayenne pepper and garlic. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">2. Cover and cook on
High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">3. Remove the roast from
the slow cooker, shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to
the slow cooker and stir the meat into the juices.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">For the beetroot relish:</span></b><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">2kg (about 5) fresh
beetroot</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">2 Granny Smith apples,
peeled, cored, finely chopped</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">2 cups balsamic
vinegar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">1/3 cup fresh orange
juice</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">21/2 cups brown sugar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">1 teaspoon ground
cloves</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">2 large fresh rosemary
sprigs</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">salt</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Method: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">1. Trim and peel beetroot.
Grate beetroot in a food processor using the grater disc (you can use a normal
grater but with this amount of beetroot, you’ll be swearing).<br />
2. Place beetroot, apple, vinegar, orange juice, sugar and cloves in a large
heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add
the rosemary. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 1 hour or until the mixture
thickens slightly. Season with salt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">3. Remove the rosemary
and discard. Spoon the hot relish into sterilised jars. Seal and invert for 2
minutes. Keeps 2 months in the fridge.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-53579264306241409002012-11-04T12:59:00.000+11:002012-11-05T10:25:11.511+11:00Blueberry friands with white chocolate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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</div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
Blueberries are in such an abundance right now and we all love them.
They are bursting with flavour and are so healthy. Beautiful in porridge
for breakfast and also good for dessert and baking. I made the friands
using white chocolate and ground almonds. Very yummy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NHVkIodd59E/UJXjpuh9S9I/AAAAAAAABi0/1SiUEc7Ao28/s1600/Blueberries2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NHVkIodd59E/UJXjpuh9S9I/AAAAAAAABi0/1SiUEc7Ao28/s640/Blueberries2+copy.jpg" width="426" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UGzMD4GKxwg/UJXICUz6eCI/AAAAAAAABh4/ZZ77lVRATXw/s1600/Blueberries1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UGzMD4GKxwg/UJXICUz6eCI/AAAAAAAABh4/ZZ77lVRATXw/s640/Blueberries1+copy.jpg" width="426" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PYBugUApsq0/UJb5Ma99S0I/AAAAAAAABjg/XPRXhP9uFEA/s1600/Blueberries5+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PYBugUApsq0/UJb5Ma99S0I/AAAAAAAABjg/XPRXhP9uFEA/s640/Blueberries5+copy.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pTFOZliePFg/UJXIMysTGAI/AAAAAAAABiA/ZM3QXCUjkJs/s1600/Blueberries3+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pTFOZliePFg/UJXIMysTGAI/AAAAAAAABiA/ZM3QXCUjkJs/s640/Blueberries3+copy.jpg" width="426" /> </a><span class="element"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="element">Ingredients:</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="element">makes 22 </span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 cup plain flour </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 1/2 cups icing sugar </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 cup ground almonds </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">100g white chocolate melts, melted</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">160g butter, melted, cooled </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5 egg whites, lightly whisked </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 teaspoon vanilla essence </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 punnet (125g) blueberries</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Icing sugar, to serve </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Method: </b> <br /> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sift flour and icing sugar into a big bowl. Add ground
almonds, melted chocolate, butter, egg whites and vanilla. Stir until just
combined. Divide mixture evenly into friand patty cases, filling the case to
2/3. Sprinkle top with blueberries and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a
skewer inserted in centre of a friand comes out clean. Dust with icing sugar.
Serve.</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-80663338651832062732012-10-31T15:47:00.002+11:002012-11-04T14:43:35.898+11:00Samsung TVC - Enjoy more<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ufUbZ2jDDGE" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
A while ago I was assisting Julie-Anne (food stylist extraordinaire) on the production of a TVC<br />
for a Samsung fridge and washing machine. We spent three days cooking and baking like<br />
maniacs as the food gets thrown through the air and it meant a lot of freshening up and re-setting.<br />
It's great to see the ad looks so cheerful and fun.<br />
<br />
Maybe one day I will have a kitchen big enough to own a fridge like that :-).<br />
<br />
Behind the scenes photos:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1TgvPAK1GoA/UJCvmy_jejI/AAAAAAAABg0/V3kzONtGnhM/s640/Sammsung_TVC1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="476" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The set.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bBUIj3Ij2XU/UJCvtoU2YNI/AAAAAAAABg8/PS_IEpPQAQM/s640/Sammsung_TVC2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="476" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The set.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zn7Fp6pe738/UJCvzVZUTaI/AAAAAAAABhE/liQxLUfAJY0/s1600/Sammsung_TVC3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zn7Fp6pe738/UJCvzVZUTaI/AAAAAAAABhE/liQxLUfAJY0/s640/Sammsung_TVC3.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our kitchen.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-11056048918198563002012-10-23T07:21:00.001+11:002012-10-23T07:29:45.985+11:00Christina Tosi from Momofuku in SydneyI was very lucky last week to get to meet Christina Tosi from Momofuku New York. She is here for the Crave food festival in Sydney and also visited us at <a href="http://www.breville.com.au/" target="_blank">Breville</a> to give us a bit of an insight into her little success story. She is a pastry chef and runs a quite unique and highly successful bakery in New York called <a href="http://milkbarstore.com/" target="_blank">milk</a>.<br />
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I found her story most inspiring and despite the success she seems to be very grounded. She told us that she always enjoyed baking, even as a kid and naturally would chose a path in the hospitality industry. She did a degree as pastry chef and worked in kitchens in the US, one of them was WD40 in NY.<br />
Even though baking was her thing she wasn't too happy in restaurants kitchens and started an office job, at Momofuku. Missing her home baking though she would bake when at home to feed her colleagues and they were all in awe of her creations. Her boss <a href="http://momofuku.com/category/events/david-chang/" target="_blank">(David Chang)</a> took notice as well and when he got offered a small property spot in NY to run a bakery he came to Christina Tosi.<br />
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She now runs several Milk bakeries across NY and has gone from strength to strength in her endeavor to challenge the pastry world with unusual adaptations of old time classics.<br />
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Take her compost cookie for instance. That's what I heard first off. A very tasty cookie , so American in shape but with a list of, at first, weird ingredients, but it so works! And so it goes on... Milk also invented the cereal milk - toasted cereal steeped in cold milk, then strained and bottled up. She uses different types of cereal milk for her cookies and cakes but reckons that cornflakes gives the broadest spectrum of yummyness.<br />
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Instead of shortcrust she uses a range of crunches to cover the base and one of her most popular pie is the crack pie, which I yet have to try myself thanks to her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Momofuku-Milk-Bar-Christina-Tosi/dp/1906650764" target="_blank">cookbook</a>. So far I have tried a few different cookie recipes and my family was most grateful. Home baking, but a little bit more fancy without the queues, that's quite something.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-68820232939043749462012-10-02T17:43:00.001+10:002012-10-03T19:08:29.127+10:00Spring has sprung in SydneyAh, spring has finally arrived! The colours, the smell the buzzing sound of all the busy bees - it's just so beautiful. The mornings and evenings are still quite chilly but as soon as the sun peeks out, it's getting very warm.<br />
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I have to thank one of my colleagues who told me about the cherry blossom festival in Auburn and that's where I went a couple of weekends ago to capture all the beautiful flowers and colours.<br />
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I wasn't alone, lots of people came, either to have family photos taken, to admire the beautiful landscape of the botanical garden and cherry blossoms or just to hang out. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-83587781454128773092012-09-17T21:11:00.002+10:002012-09-20T20:27:06.294+10:00Lovely cooking school in ItalyAshley, a fellow food blogger happens to also run a cooking school in Italy with her chefie husband and she just send me some pictures from their past cooking classes. It really triggered my wanderlust. If the photos of the food and happy people is anything to go by - it must be a great experience and so much fun. Who wouldn't want to enjoy their home cooked dinner at a table outside under the stars like you see it here? <br />
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But first comes first: the cooking takes place in an old farmhouse taught by chef Jason Bartner. His credo is to take the ego out of cooking by creating simple,
seasonal dishes at their organic farm and cooking school in central Italy. From the farm to the table at <a href="http://www.latavolamarche.blogspot.it/" target="_blank">La Tavola Marche</a>.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BtgntBqq4v0/UFb95vZ6-9I/AAAAAAAABbg/4ZmkXouyDeg/s1600/truffle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BtgntBqq4v0/UFb95vZ6-9I/AAAAAAAABbg/4ZmkXouyDeg/s640/truffle.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dogs are the real champions in the truffle sniffing game. And - they don't eat them after they found them! </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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La Tavola Marche has been featured in many food magazines and it is definitely on my to do list when I am in Europe next. Tutti a tavola! Can't wait!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17617284.post-3504535392770851592012-09-11T16:13:00.001+10:002012-09-14T06:18:21.198+10:00Barbie cake for a birthday girlMaggie, a friend's daughter turned 5 last weekend and I again made a barbie cake for her birthday bash. This time she asked me if I could dress barbie in rainbow colours. Rainbow colours can look a bit over the top but then I thought I might get away with using lots of different pastel colours to make up (or nearly) the colours of the rainbow.<br />
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I had not a great plan when I started of how I wanted the dress to look like it kind of evolved and it was so much fun! I guess I just still like playing with barbie even when I am way too old :-)<br />
My daughter insisted on all the pearls and loved pressing them into the little flowers, couldn't have done it without her help. Just had to make sure she didn't eat too many before dinner, or no wait, they must have dropped off the table (or so she said ;-). <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2