tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56492662245476011812024-02-07T12:29:34.103+00:00Home in time for tea!Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-35064646450346191922015-09-10T14:23:00.002+01:002015-09-10T15:28:18.770+01:00What do you mean you don't like peanut butter??!I've not exactly been showering myself in glory in terms of "mother of the year" lately. I mean lets take last weekend as a prime example. Instead of spending the bank holiday weekend with Madam I abandoned her (to her father obviously, I didn't leave a couple of boxes of cold Dominos in the kitchen and tell her "I wont be long") to go cover myself in glitter, don spandex and party in a field near Northampton at the glorious Shambala. To be fair it was my birthday and at 33 years old it seemed utterly necessary to pop my festival cherry. God that sounds so pathetic at 33...practically on the "Never Been Kissed" spectrum. So yes, I had some time out and came back thinking I needed to step up my game this weekend to make up for it. <br />
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Now we, like most of the country and (if Buzzfeed is taken as gospel WHICH IT SHOULD BE) the world, are completely engrossed in The Great British Bake Off. Pose provides full commentary and critique whilst I sit thinking how I'd quite like to enter GBBO but not sure the BBC would approve of the sweet looking 33yo baker swearing incessantly in the background. Inspiration peaked by Ugne's PB&J ice cream roll (GET IN MY BELLY NOW), Pose and I decided to do a little mummy-Pose-baking-bonding.<br />
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Peanut butter is food of the gods. Fact. You simply can't make me think otherwise. I'm stunned that other than peanut butter cookies I've never really tried baking with peanut butter. Or I'm just a purist. I dunno. Anyway, we thought we'd do something with peanut butter...and jam....and cake...and then wrap it all up in chocolate. Because why wouldn't you!?<br />
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<i>Recipe - PB&J Cake Pops from my own head</i><br />
<i></i><br />
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<u><i>Ingredients</i></u><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Cake pops:</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">¾</span> cups plain flour</i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">½</span> tsp. baking powder</i><br />
<i>pinch of salt</i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">¼</span> cup unsalted butter, softened</i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">⅓</span> cup granulated sugar</i><br />
<i>1 egg</i><br />
<i>1 egg yolk</i><br />
<i>1 tsp. vanilla extract</i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">¼</span> cup full fat milk</i><br />
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<i>Filling:</i><br />
<i>Peanut Butter</i><br />
<i>Jam</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Icing:</i><br />
<i>Slab of chocolate covering for cake (or chocolate, but I had cake covering in the cupboard (as you do))</i><br />
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<i>Equipment:</i><br />
<i>Cake pop maker </i><br />
<i>Cake release spray</i><br />
<i>Sticks (for the cake pops, I don't mean random sticks from the garden obvs)</i><br />
<i>Tray covered in baking parchment</i><br />
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<i>(makes about 15 cake pops)</i></div>
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<u><i>Method</i></u></div>
<i>1. Turn on the cake pop maker and spray the inside with a little cake release spray. </i><br />
<i>2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.</i><br />
<i>3. Using a food mixer (or not, your call) beat the butter until pale and fluffy, then gradually beat in the sugar until its fully incorporated. </i><br />
<i>4. Next, reduce the speed and beat in the egg, the egg yolk and the vanilla. </i><br />
<i>5. Reduce the speed again to low and gradually add the flour and milk (alternating) to the mix until its all blended.</i><br />
<i>6. Spoon a little of the batter into each cake "hole" (about </i><i>¾ of the way), then dollop a little peanut butter and a little jam into the centre. Spoon a little more of the batter onto the top (so its about to go over the brim). Close and cook for about 6mins.</i><i> </i><br />
<i>7. Once the cake pops are cooked, carefully ease them out and put on a wire rack to cool. Make more batches.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Dg_agTljYClKKG9nYwgsWuXpmKS4kYZMVypr3yKyImj7-kvNCvp7TXaa49WMX4lW7v60sVp-qWXDRee7wqm_R7y90gPiK_pWXWFKpmbXwnJB5ujr2_C0aHgrf9GEtTJ8O-pUwH_lmLQ/s1600/Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Dg_agTljYClKKG9nYwgsWuXpmKS4kYZMVypr3yKyImj7-kvNCvp7TXaa49WMX4lW7v60sVp-qWXDRee7wqm_R7y90gPiK_pWXWFKpmbXwnJB5ujr2_C0aHgrf9GEtTJ8O-pUwH_lmLQ/s320/Image.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The perfectionist in me is disappointed in the lack of roundness, but what are you going to do eh?</td></tr>
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<i>8. </i><i>Break the chocolate covering into even(ish) chunks and melt in a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water (or microwave it - I just don't have a microwave and yes I am ok with that). Once its all melted, take it off the heat.</i><br />
<i>9. Carefully put a stick in a cake pop (its a bit fiddly as the filling makes them a little unstable) and even more carefully dump into the melted chocolate and cover the whole thing in chocolate. Put the cake pop cake side down onto the baking parchment. Repeat with all the other cakes and let cool.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSQycWHqyOYrWETew7Y2Mw6j9IBaV6nsDPlCBIiNa-h0l4YNuWmb_WCLrpQFLlaZjKmfTHy2OhBfKALxxGJYgY9BikKXlwgZrscikEhzz-yld9kSuLqCK866P_AK-b4-emYs9ZjXl2cA/s1600/Image2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSQycWHqyOYrWETew7Y2Mw6j9IBaV6nsDPlCBIiNa-h0l4YNuWmb_WCLrpQFLlaZjKmfTHy2OhBfKALxxGJYgY9BikKXlwgZrscikEhzz-yld9kSuLqCK866P_AK-b4-emYs9ZjXl2cA/s320/Image2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>10. EAT ALL OF THEM AT ONCE. </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8yFNN05wgHB7TA5Hhk3Q6fyNtm1jkb0fsbX4gg1D5Mktwb4_I2uYc_K8fWJpqLD_Ow-rdg8DVpuJvF_RLgV6Q8W5U7_VhXOGhdi5Yr3IYz8hInpcbY2ZyX62m902be4KkDIRSKUfGnU/s1600/Image3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8yFNN05wgHB7TA5Hhk3Q6fyNtm1jkb0fsbX4gg1D5Mktwb4_I2uYc_K8fWJpqLD_Ow-rdg8DVpuJvF_RLgV6Q8W5U7_VhXOGhdi5Yr3IYz8hInpcbY2ZyX62m902be4KkDIRSKUfGnU/s320/Image3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes that's a steering wheel. I had a cake pop for breakfast. Don't judge me.</td></tr>
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This was all a bit of an experiment not least because I'd never used a cake pop maker before so I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Personally I think the texture of the cake was a bit close so I'll probably switch up the recipe a bit. It could also be that the PB&J center affected the bake (ooooh I sound all Mary Berry!). Regardless it'll need some refinement work which will mean a lot of tasting and then more tasting.<br />
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Damn.Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-20115453560902094782015-08-07T16:05:00.003+01:002015-08-08T21:58:17.074+01:00Fake it and bake it - Oven Baked French ToastWhen it comes to being a good mama in the kitchen (I've said it before) I live my life chasing the 1950s housewife ideal. I guess these days its more Mrs Flax in Mermaids and less Betty Draper in Mad Men...but then again maybe Betty Draper isn't someone to aspire to? I mean her relationship with her daughter was pretty shitty and she smoked a lot...her love of a good cocktail is something I can most definitely get behind though. Then again, that description would fit Mrs Flax as snug as one of her wiggle skirts so I guess this means to be a good 1950s mama you basically needed to be able to balance looking fabulous standing next to the kitchen sink, balancing a cigarette in one hand and a dirty martini in the other. As aspirations go, I got this.<br><br>When you watch 1950s era movies and tv shows (or in fact ANY American tv featuring a family) it's a given that there'll be a scene where the family are having a good ole all American Sunday brunch, be it pancakes, waffles or French toast. A fry up it ain't. When I lived in the US, Sunday's meant the Cromwell Diner and eggs benedict. These days Sunday mornings are usually about 1 of 2 things depending on if Pose is with me. If no Pose, its for chilling out and living every parent's fantasy - having a lie in (<em>sorryI'mnotsorry</em> there have to be SOME perks to divorce) - if yes Pose, then its still about chilling but also having quality time together. So when I asked her what she wanted for breakfast a few Sundays ago and she produced a cookery book I got free with my pizza stone (which she claims is hers and lives in her play kitchen) I couldn't really say no. I flicked through the book and landed on a recipe for oven baked French toast which peaked my interest, so naturally I put the cook book down, went into the kitchen and improvised.<br>
<br><em>Recipe - Oven Baked French Toast from my own head</em><br><br>
<em><u>Ingredients</u></em><br>
<em>1 egg</em><br>
<em>Good glug of milk (lets say 100ml)</em><br>
<em>1tbs caster sugar</em><br>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>½</em></span><em> tsp cinnamon</em><br>
<em>1 vanilla pod (if you have one otherwise no biggie)</em><br>
<em>Dash of vanilla essence</em><br>
<em>Sliced white bread (or whatever you have)</em><br><br>
<em><u>Method</u></em><br>
<em>1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C and grease an ovenproof dish.</em><br>
<em>2. Put all the ingredients (except the bread and the vanilla pod) in a bowl and if you are as fabulous as me and happen to have vanilla pods just lying around (I'm SO Nigella these days, just without all the coke) put a large slash lengthwise and scrape all the seeds into the bowl. Whisk vigorously.</em><br>
<em>3. When it comes to the bread prep its pretty much up to you. I used a large round cookie cutter and cut 4 circles of bread. Take the bread and dip it in the egg mixture. Arrange evenly spaced in the dish and pour over the rest of the mixture.</em><br>
<em>4. Pop in the oven and bake until golden, which is somewhere between 15-20mins.</em><br><br>
As for serving go with whatever takes your fancy. I would suggest maple syrup personally but my daughter is weird when it comes to maple syrup and refuses to eat it. Seriously, she had a melt down when we were in Canada last week because I asked her to try the local maple syrup. I'm talking FULL BLOWN TANTRUM. I'm such a horrible mother.<br><br>
Anyway, Pose opted for boltella* and strawberries, and I went with strawberries, blueberries a bit of greek yoghurt and yes, a drizzle of MAPLE SYRUP FOR ME. Because, you know, I'm not a little weirdo *eyeroll* <br>
<br>Well, most of the time.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsbpCBJQ2H_tcr901c0-O5QPUeFLiBs2tldK9qdg_p0kN_RDCh1tFFW5Xz194eUxIIZhfFtVJzw4uYpKqm1a16TraOOZgkZwCiuwy_yLRIS2mmTN0EqT87OlCAMVxwHUsJbSTFD7ndy0/s640/blogger-image-1970186926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsbpCBJQ2H_tcr901c0-O5QPUeFLiBs2tldK9qdg_p0kN_RDCh1tFFW5Xz194eUxIIZhfFtVJzw4uYpKqm1a16TraOOZgkZwCiuwy_yLRIS2mmTN0EqT87OlCAMVxwHUsJbSTFD7ndy0/s640/blogger-image-1970186926.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div>Ciao for now...where's the amaretto? I've got washing up to do!<div><br></div><div>*Nutella</div></div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-52835804711229141682015-07-12T23:23:00.000+01:002015-07-13T13:36:34.834+01:00I don't even know you anymore...So....uh.....hey there!<br />
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*she says sheepishly to the blog she's neglected for 2 years like a beautiful pair of horrendously expensive shoes because they were hidden in the back of the cupboard behind the cheap and comfy shoes*<br />
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It has been a while hasn't it? I know, I know. "Where the hell have you been???" I hear you cry!! "We thought you were DEAD!!" Or something less dramatic. Like "Oh you. Yeah, I'd totally forgotten you did this". A lot (A LOT) has changed in the last 2 years and in my defence I have been through a...er....transition period. <br />
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I got <span style="font-size: xx-small;">divorced.</span></div>
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In all seriousness, these things happen but it has meant a lot of big changes in our lives. We moved house into our little cottage on the canal with roses around the front door, little lady started school and is about to finish her first year and I changed jobs again to work closer to home. <br />
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We travelled. As a form of "I'm really sorry I'm divorcing your dad" I took the little lady to Disney World and she was treated like a princess. I went on a girls holiday back to the lovely Paris (twice) and took to the road again on a couple of business trips. Tried skiing for the first time. And, having agreed that my ex could take madam back to visit his family for 2 weeks at Christmas, instead of sitting on my arse feeling sorry for myself I decided to have an adventure taking a trip to the incredible Kerala in India for Christmas and learned how to surf. Well, learned how to stand on a board on white water 15% of the time and spend the rest of the time being put through a washing machine but loving every minute. I did catch 1 greenie though and I'm taking that for all its worth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNTrJxp_lfXjh8BdMfLtNNaRqj038EEHD8v3zvgqx_DKJomwmOXTDUIhRU5GCdft5Fopum6YKhW7vX0Og1ynC3ftA5Qfyb3PyMieU7z4UkAQifF_cCRrX_8seBwncJZi-DnQadv-9tps/s1600/IMG_5048+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNTrJxp_lfXjh8BdMfLtNNaRqj038EEHD8v3zvgqx_DKJomwmOXTDUIhRU5GCdft5Fopum6YKhW7vX0Og1ynC3ftA5Qfyb3PyMieU7z4UkAQifF_cCRrX_8seBwncJZi-DnQadv-9tps/s320/IMG_5048+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You've not had good curry until you've had it served on a banana leaf, <br />
in a little Indian lady's back garden, <br />
in front of her cows.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I have of course kept up the baking and testing and tasting and seem to have fallen into the trap of running the cake stall at the school fairs. Oh and don't think I've forgotten how to make an inappropriate cake, I made some seriously inappropriate cupcakes for another birthday...<br />
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Anyway, enough of that shizznit. My sister has encouraged me to get back to the blogging so I'm back and even if no one else likes it I know I have at least 1 fan!<br />
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Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-65118923167009366242013-05-09T11:20:00.001+01:002013-05-09T14:29:40.871+01:00I sacked the pigs in blankets and found a better dateSo I've not posted again for quite some time (again) but big news....I've quit my job and am making the move from big city firm to big city bank and going in-house. <br />
<br />
I. <br />
<br />
Can't. <br />
<br />
Wait.<br />
<br />
I'm being promised a better work-life-balance so hopefully there'll be more mummy-Pose (mummy and Rosetta that is, not that I intend to spend my spare time from now on standing in awkward poses around my house looking like I'm trying to emulate a '70s catalogue) and baking time. Don't get me wrong, I have been baking and I have more than enough things to blog about, I just haven't had the time to blog.<br />
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Anyway, so we'll see. <br />
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Right now I'm in the first of my 3 weeks off between jobs and am sat by the pool in Malta soaking up a steady 25C and aiming for a nice dark tan. That, and spending time with the fam' are my only goals this week. I have so far napped, swum (albeit briefly, the outside pool is like a glacier melted and I am not really into spending time in the indoor pool), eaten and drunk my way to a slightly rounder tummy (I have a feeling the following 2 weeks will involve trying to lose this spare tyre) and finished 1 book. I figured before I get into the next book I'd write something! Now, I'm writing this on my iPhone so bear with.....<br />
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A couple of years back I bought hubby this great tapas cookbook, it's awesome. There are so many great recipes in it. This is the simplest and greatest! <br />
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The recipe - chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
- 12 dates (pitted or not, it doesn't matter)<br />
- 1 small chorizo sausage<br />
- 6 rashers of streaky bacon<br />
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1) If you have dates with the stones in, take the stones out by cutting a long slit down 1 side (lengthways). If your dates are already pitted they should have a good cut already but if not, make the same cut.<br />
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2) Cut the chorizo into 12 fairly equal bits. Place a piece of chorizo in each of the slits in the dates and try to mould the date around the chorizo.<br />
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3) Cut the bacon in half and wrap a half around each date (you can always use 1 whole piece of bacon if you so fancy - I won't judge).<br />
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4) Put each date in a hot frying pan just to brown the bacon and finish in the oven. <br />
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EAT! These are so so good! Better than pigs in blankets or any other variation. I could (and did) happily eat a plate of them all on my lonesome.<br />
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Now I'm hungry. Guess I'll have to go survey the hotel's afternoon tea....or maybe just have another piña colada.... <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16mkIJWWTigokHmwVE_A5c075ThfYkaZ6FmaGJ_vFd3pSx0O_u9LvVDe0K96MNYYoiUfyTD_z_57WAmPV8zvMJM9Vy5V-zQgrX3UvPZJ-F4jXnrBWIa1tURZl1K8CrRvJyNCTtPVe3Jk/s640/blogger-image--714128047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16mkIJWWTigokHmwVE_A5c075ThfYkaZ6FmaGJ_vFd3pSx0O_u9LvVDe0K96MNYYoiUfyTD_z_57WAmPV8zvMJM9Vy5V-zQgrX3UvPZJ-F4jXnrBWIa1tURZl1K8CrRvJyNCTtPVe3Jk/s640/blogger-image--714128047.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMPKUgBLBzuOjHoUUtvnl1YZMAD_VM-jM7BjhRPSKT6HcV6V1KfVDhNEH7az45ONECKVGUVDSs-M06AR_44qB-MGhRHdHkhd4DZBSDe8UOO3uPwQpuhgdX-tRHFC1R9dksrCEQewspQM/s640/blogger-image-431989086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMPKUgBLBzuOjHoUUtvnl1YZMAD_VM-jM7BjhRPSKT6HcV6V1KfVDhNEH7az45ONECKVGUVDSs-M06AR_44qB-MGhRHdHkhd4DZBSDe8UOO3uPwQpuhgdX-tRHFC1R9dksrCEQewspQM/s640/blogger-image-431989086.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGf3htmiCDBB0zpuJMvKnPESJPQyRCxLz-VcPZYFNIS7uh6PUwOAsxuR5KnVQvFDU2JfIdiAv1iW7vXZIpJk2MHCKOsYA0G8Ow84u7E9xH8abbRIBWvnCCtdwLWAlv4AmkUCuthWZJpE/s640/blogger-image--269790165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGf3htmiCDBB0zpuJMvKnPESJPQyRCxLz-VcPZYFNIS7uh6PUwOAsxuR5KnVQvFDU2JfIdiAv1iW7vXZIpJk2MHCKOsYA0G8Ow84u7E9xH8abbRIBWvnCCtdwLWAlv4AmkUCuthWZJpE/s640/blogger-image--269790165.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppu3RAXG4rL4q3jLJJWGane2HmLVZ4U-GbviPZvZFC1n9-jTNZ6l-PeeieFMNAh1_ea9F00sOdD9OwrXheiZC1bdZ1ZH84po_DsW38A_uXRVfQouQOsX_-wmS1BJrDfb04ms60Z7Fqhg/s640/blogger-image-1440137169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppu3RAXG4rL4q3jLJJWGane2HmLVZ4U-GbviPZvZFC1n9-jTNZ6l-PeeieFMNAh1_ea9F00sOdD9OwrXheiZC1bdZ1ZH84po_DsW38A_uXRVfQouQOsX_-wmS1BJrDfb04ms60Z7Fqhg/s640/blogger-image-1440137169.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNmiVgB7bj472CVcU3CwMg0tWurjxW7lA_MmKazMITXvKnoua9-0nDrcr-huNwNwQ6uVn-arcDTLKve7zSV0h-nO0lfqy8_dS4c7D2bxE2pSuHB5VUUkzbWnl7I6s6cG4sHUVhiFB15g/s640/blogger-image--781123656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNmiVgB7bj472CVcU3CwMg0tWurjxW7lA_MmKazMITXvKnoua9-0nDrcr-huNwNwQ6uVn-arcDTLKve7zSV0h-nO0lfqy8_dS4c7D2bxE2pSuHB5VUUkzbWnl7I6s6cG4sHUVhiFB15g/s640/blogger-image--781123656.jpg" /></a></div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-21965650093684303852013-01-26T23:16:00.003+00:002013-01-26T23:16:57.684+00:00Oooh, a snowy cookie!<div style="text-align: justify;">
The snow has finally begun to disappear (for us at least, and for now...?) and unfortunately no snow day for me. For a train service that runs shockingly badly a vast proportion of the time, First Capital Connect actually managed to run services in and out of London with a decent amount of frequency. </div>
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Damn. I really wanted a snow day.<br />
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Anyway, talking of snow that seems like a great segue to another one of the Christmas recipes, Pfeffernusse, more German spiced cookies except these ones look like they've been dusted with snow! </div>
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<em>The recipe - Pfeffernuse (slightly adapted from <a href="http://www.chow.com/recipes/29086-pfeffernusse-german-spice-cookies" target="_blank">Chow.com</a>)</em></div>
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<em>For the spiced sugar:</em></div>
<em>1 cup icing sugar</em><br />
<em>1 tsp ground cinnamon</em><br />
<em>1 tsp ground ginger</em><br />
<em>1/2 tsp ground nutmeg</em><br />
<em>1/4 tsp ground mixed spice </em>(I used my own mix which you can find <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/hot-cross-buns-hot-cross-buns-one-penny.html" target="_blank">here</a>)<br />
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<em>For the cookies:</em><br />
<em>3 cups all-purpose flour</em><br />
<em>1 tsp ground cinnamon</em><br />
<em>1/2 tsp baking soda</em><br />
<em>1/2 tsp baking powder</em><br />
<em>1/2 tsp ground ginger</em><br />
<em>1/2 tsp ground nutmeg</em><br />
<em>1/2 tsp fine salt</em><br />
<em>1/4 tsp ground mixed spice </em>(again, my own mix)<br />
<em>1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper</em><br />
<em>1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted </em>(I used pre-toasted almonds)<br />
<em>8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature</em><br />
<em>2 tsp packed finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 medium lemons)*</em><br />
<em>2 tsp packed finely grated orange zest (from 1 medium orange)*</em><br />
<em>1 cup packed dark brown sugar</em><br />
<em>1 large egg</em><br />
<em>3/4 cup honey </em>(I used runny honey)<br />
<em>1/4 cup finely chopped candied lemon or orange peel (or a combination) </em>(I couldn't find any...)<br />
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<em>1. </em>Start by making the spiced sugar (although you could equally do this while the cookie dough is is the fridge). <em>Sift all ingredients together into a large bowl; set aside.</em><br />
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<em>2. </em>Then move onto the cookies themselves....<em>Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, salt, mixed spice, and pepper into a large bowl; set aside.</em><br />
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<em>3. Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and process until finely ground, about 25 to 30 seconds. Add the almonds to the flour mixture and stir to combine; set aside </em>(to be honest, I see no reason why you wouldn't just buy ready ground almonds to save a bit of time!).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDB3YOTpP9ztdPAC_8FAbrEEunJRrgYOVAuiBNP9o7uWWsvOAG44ebR5RQ-LzBsXwe2bbBKswAgiard2cGM8Ru9BeG1gO_JavlngZdN7bx48y4BVNyZX6DtcZr3roDb5L1AdEgGAgMSw/s1600/IMG_1832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDB3YOTpP9ztdPAC_8FAbrEEunJRrgYOVAuiBNP9o7uWWsvOAG44ebR5RQ-LzBsXwe2bbBKswAgiard2cGM8Ru9BeG1gO_JavlngZdN7bx48y4BVNyZX6DtcZr3roDb5L1AdEgGAgMSw/s320/IMG_1832.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<em><br /></em>
<em>4. Place the butter, lemon zest, and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until fluffy and combined, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat until incorporated and lightened in colour, about 1 minute. Add the egg and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds more. Add the honey and candied lemon or orange peel (or mixture thereof) and beat until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Stop the</em> <em>mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula.</em></div>
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<em>5. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing until just combined, about 1 1/2 minutes total. (Do not over mix.) Cover and refrigerate the dough until firm, at least 1 hour </em>(go wrap some presents, watch some tv, have a glass of wine...make more <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/zimsterne-german-cinnamon-star-cookies.html" target="_blank">German cookies</a>...)<em>.</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpxrMBu7YH999WmDsy6EqU53dP_P9ML3eeTe3ntSR6z1ntO14tDdQKFwJyr_Hj_Fgq6jTS6H_xJ1fPn7_TIzPp2Iar4zeyF5k6NsiDalZxUJE_wn1BpMlJjGD6u0OO1tZ099_tPQsVYU/s1600/Pfeffernuse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpxrMBu7YH999WmDsy6EqU53dP_P9ML3eeTe3ntSR6z1ntO14tDdQKFwJyr_Hj_Fgq6jTS6H_xJ1fPn7_TIzPp2Iar4zeyF5k6NsiDalZxUJE_wn1BpMlJjGD6u0OO1tZ099_tPQsVYU/s320/Pfeffernuse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>6. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.</em></div>
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<em>7. Roll the chilled dough into 24 (3/4-inch) balls and space them 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, then rotate the sheets from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until the cookies are very lightly browned around the edges, about 5 to 6 minutes more. (The tops will be soft, but they will firm up as the cookies stand.) Transfer the baking sheets to 2 wire racks and let the cookies sit until cool enough to handle but still warm, about 3 minutes.</em></div>
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<em>8. Drop the warm cookies into the spiced sugar, making sure to coat them all over, then shake off any excess sugar and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.</em></div>
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<em>9. Repeat baking and sugarcoating with the remaining dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container, layered between pieces of waxed paper, for up to 3 weeks </em>(if they last that long!)<em>.</em><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;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJdoLMqIxKp3M1Uli7FEvq3BPalKhX-fLGdwa1Ve0wRQdybbETk1JKXfD_NBIPep2czcIXV4jL4giqKvn1GWNsIJOTlNsNrKi7mckuSAhmeX4vOr2krY5WkZrxCEUI7Rc7eW8KWbX4G0/s1600/IMG_1872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJdoLMqIxKp3M1Uli7FEvq3BPalKhX-fLGdwa1Ve0wRQdybbETk1JKXfD_NBIPep2czcIXV4jL4giqKvn1GWNsIJOTlNsNrKi7mckuSAhmeX4vOr2krY5WkZrxCEUI7Rc7eW8KWbX4G0/s320/IMG_1872.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I know this pic looks familiar...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So yes, another batch of yummy <span style="font-family: inherit;">cookies. Bueno.</span></span></div>
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Right, now I need to go and amend my profile because sadly our lovely cat Maverick is no longer with us. RIP Mav :(<br />
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* Not sure what to do with the now naked orange and lemons and the bells of St Clements are nowhere nearby? Why not make <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/citrus-night-holy-fizz.html" target="_blank">this</a> little aperitif to go with your cookies??</div>
Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-5047103113400497072013-01-15T00:16:00.004+00:002013-01-15T00:16:51.947+00:00Zimsterne (German Cinnamon Star Cookies)Its Christmas!<br />
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Ok so its not. In fact it was about 3 weeks ago now (3 weeks?? How depressing). Its snowing outside though and Le Pose announced this morning that snow meant it was Christmas, basically because every Christmas song talks about it snowing... She now believes that they are linked and I can't bring myself to burst her little bubble. Its meant to snow again tonight and I'm praying it does. Snow. Day. Please.</div>
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What does this all mean? Well, in a convoluted way it means I can still post about my Christmas baking. </div>
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I've said it before and I'll say it again. Whilst I love the idea of giving homemade goods for Christmas (I once spent a week making truffles for all my co-workers) I still don't really get the whole cookie plate thing. I do get cookies though. I bloody love cookies. My longest running cookie memories are the German spiced Christmas cookies which mum used to always buy from Waitrose, every single year, the minute they hit the shelves. My family go through bags of them. It seems though that we were the sole consumer of the cookies and they stopped selling them. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Bastards</span>. This year I decided that they couldn't be that hard so I figured I'd make some for Christmas Day. So I did.<br />
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I did my usual research on the t'interweb and settled on this recipe because of the great reviews. <br />
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<em>The recipe - Zimsterne (slightly adapted from <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/zimtsterne-cinnamon-star-cookies-262925" target="_blank">Food.com</a>)</em><br />
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<em>For the dough:</em></div>
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<em>300g ground almonds</em></div>
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<em>100g caster sugar, sifted</em></div>
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<em>50g plain flour</em></div>
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<em>2tsp cinnamon</em></div>
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<em>2 egg whites</em></div>
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<em>For the icing:</em></div>
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<em>Icing Sugar</em></div>
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<em>Water</em><br />
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<em>1. In a bowl mix dry ingredients for dough. </em><br />
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<em>2. Add egg whites and knead until a still sticky dough is formed. </em><br />
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<em>3. Wrap in cling film and put into the fridge for at least one hour.</em> I left it in the fridge a good 3hrs mainly because I was trying to get other Christmas bits done!<br />
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<em>4. Near the end of cooling time preaheat oven (170 C).</em><br />
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<em>5. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.</em> <br />
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<em>6. Get the dough out of the fridge and roll it out between two layers of parchment paper or cling film. The dough should be a bout 1 cm thick. </em><br />
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<em>7. Using a star cutter</em> (mine was inherited from my ma!) <em>cut out the stars and place them on the baking tray.</em> <br />
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<em>8. Bake the cookies for about 10 - 12 minutes until they go golden brown </em>(but not texture like sun -ha!).</div>
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<em>9. Take them out and let cool completely.</em><br />
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<em>10. While they are cooling mix up the icing as instructed on the packet. Holding the star by the edge, dip the star flat side down into the icing and give it a wiggle</em> (yes, that's a technical term in Kitchen Lucy). <em>Repeat for each cookie and allow to dry on a wire rack.</em><br />
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How easy is that?? They keep for a while in an airtight container apparently (and actually taste better and better the more they "age" - aged cookies, now there's a gimmick!), not that Pose let them last that long. Even when I was making them I kept going into the kitchen to find cookies missing from the cooling rack. To say she loved these cookies would be a gross understatement. She's been begging me to make more since! My little sister took one bite and said they tasted like the cookies mum used to buy. I hadn't discussed the background to making the cookies so I took that as an almighty thumbs up.<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Just one point to note - The actual recipe provides for a meringue glaze instead of the icing but I'm not going to lie, the-OCD-hate-to-throw-anything-away-nutjob-in-me couldn't bear to waste 3 egg yolks. Plus the reviews generally criticised the meringue glaze so I figured I could do without. I may try it next time though.</span></div>
Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-23405186006285973982012-12-25T00:01:00.001+00:002013-01-26T23:20:11.084+00:00Citrus Night, Holy Fizz<div style="text-align: center;">
IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!</div>
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I love Christmas. It really is my favourite time of the year. I love the Christmas tree (I strung popcorn this year, it looks pretty cool), I love the giving and everyone's friendly to one another (unless you're reaching for the last "Princess Charm School" Barbie in Toys R Us that I happen to also be reaching for at exactly the same time then I'm sorry, its handbags at dawn, shoulders down, get out of my way, you are not my friend b***h. Hell, I promised!). Most importantly, Le Pose is now 3 and is at the age where she is able to enjoy the innocence and magic of Christmas. Tonight, for example, is Christmas Eve so we happily sprinkled magic reindeer dust on the patio (I've no idea what that is or how it ended up in my house), put the "Welcome Santa" sign out in the garden and then wrote Santa a welcome note and put the special Christmas Cookies (I have been baking 3 days straight....), milk and carrot out for Santa and his reindeer*. She is so excited she wouldn't sleep and finally fell asleep somewhere around 10pm. I remember that excitement and I love seeing her begin to experience it.</div>
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Of course as soon as she was in bed we began our own Christmas cheer.</div>
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Of course I mean booze.</div>
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One of the cookie recipe's (this <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/oooh-snowy-cookie.html" target="_blank">one</a>) required the zest of 2 lemons and an orange and so I had 3 naked citrus fruits being offensive in the kitchen. Something had to be done....</div>
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So I made a cocktail.</div>
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<em>The recipe - Citrus Night, Holy Fizz (by ME!)</em></div>
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<em>Juice of 2 medium sized lemons</em></div>
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<em>Juice of 1 medium sized orange</em></div>
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<em>3/4 cup caster sugar</em></div>
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<em>1 tsp mixed spice (I use my own mix which you can find the recipe for </em><a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/hot-cross-buns-hot-cross-buns-one-penny.html" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>)</em></div>
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<em>Sparkling wine (prosecco or cava is fine)</em></div>
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<em>1. Put everything (not the fizz) into a sauce pan and place over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves (keep stirring). Keep the mixture bubbling (simmering) for between 5-10 minutes. Pour into a heatproof dish to cool.</em></div>
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<em>2. Once cool, put about a teaspoon of the syrup (which should have thickened nicely by now) into the bottom of a wine glass/champagne flute (I didn't want to use my crystal champagne flutes - I randomly don't have any others! - so used a wine glass) and top up with fizz. Give it a bit of a stir and drink!</em></div>
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Nicely aromatic and fizzy, its a great little change to our usual Christmas Mimosa and yes, this one's all out of my own little head.<br />
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xx Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night! xx</div>
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*<span style="font-size: xx-small;">She has also learned all about the nativity at nursery and we have also been talking about the important baby born at Christmas.</span>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-60827039689312603962012-12-15T21:57:00.001+00:002012-12-15T22:08:46.173+00:00A birthday cake fit for a Princess!So yes...it's been a while...<br />
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A thousand apologies and I really have no better excuse than simply life got in the way. When I started this blog I was embarking on my client secondment to work with a great bunch of people. This year has simply flown by - I guess time really does fly when you're having fun. Work got really busy, home life seemed to all be piling on top of us and I kept downloading damn viruses on my laptop so couldn't write the posts (I am attempting to write this post on the Blogger app on my iPad....). Plus on top of that, my secondment has finished and I am back into the thick of it with work and 2am finishes are all too frequent. I guess I should be relieved that they aren't all nighters! So again, I apologise...<br />
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I NEVER APOLOGISE.<br />
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Ask my husband.<br />
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So moving very swiftly on. My little one turned 3 on Tuesday!! It's all going so fast - how can she be 3 already?! She really wanted a party so we thought we'd oblige, plus she also recently started nursery 2 mornings a week and has a couple of little friends now. We asked her what kind of a party she wanted and despite our attempts to steer it in certain directions, she was adamant she wanted a princess party (we are currently Disney princess obsessed). So...challenge for me then was a princess themed cake. I eventually settled on a castle cake. Cos that's easy right?!<br />
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Having discussed it in depth with my Ma and having looked on the Internet for ideas I knew what I wanted to do and what it would entail....and so instantly started panicking. On top of that, I was then told that I had to go to Prague on business the 3 days immediately before her party. Great. Nothing was going to plan. Eventually I ended up baking 3 square 8x8in cakes the weekend before and stored them in my parents freezer....<br />
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Fast forward to Friday and T-1 to party day I arrived back from Prague and, once travel presents were doled out, cuddles were given and Pose's were in bed I set about constructing the cake. Unfortunately I was so pushed for time I didn't take any photos of the actual process however it involved:<br />
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>> covering the base cake in white rolled icing (I'm sorry to admit I cheated and bought ready rolled sheets of white icing, I just couldn't afford mistakes and so far I have a meh track record with rolled icing) and inserting lollipop sticks into the centre to provide support for the next layer;<br />
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>> cutting the next cake to 4x4in square and covering that with more icing (my corners were sooooo clean!! Well chuffed!!) then butchering a plastic cutting board to sit the little cake on to then put on top of the base cake;<br />
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>> taking a small tin can that contained coconut cream, dumping that out, washing and thoroughly drying it and cutting the rim off with a can opener, then using that to cut 4 cakes out of the last big square cake and covering those in rolled icing and attaching them to the base cake;<br />
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>> with the assistance of the husband, trimming down 4 wafer ice cream cones, covering one with rolled icing then spraying them with edible blue glittery spray paint (I don't know if paint is the right word but...) and once dried attached to the top of the "turrets";<br />
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>> brushing edible gold glitter all over the cake;<br />
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>> putting mini-marshmallows all around for ramparts;<br />
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>> adding mini-bunting (my mum's contribution) to the top and some other flags, gold balls....<br />
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I was really proud of it, especially given how little time I had to get it all done. Pose seemed to really like it and the actual cake tasted pretty good - light and moist (yes, moist, I hate that word). <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJUlQIhqTrTXKD7H2Z5x9nlaln7LG-lhAETMI7PCKeghvw9UTTc0CGALhaP-1fLd4MY1-yoCX0JeOTygpEj9nMWsniEf6z6Xe9RPWc9Jibtx5tHLQ9rXWqvn_FUlmLFXHxbnxqtxpxBc/s640/blogger-image--376694063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJUlQIhqTrTXKD7H2Z5x9nlaln7LG-lhAETMI7PCKeghvw9UTTc0CGALhaP-1fLd4MY1-yoCX0JeOTygpEj9nMWsniEf6z6Xe9RPWc9Jibtx5tHLQ9rXWqvn_FUlmLFXHxbnxqtxpxBc/s640/blogger-image--376694063.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaP5EFaxNOP3w8qyPBjoGTNgcbjsrzyb1tGTZpQUAsrU-SBbSIo9sukKyqpdhWRNuAVbszDANSMYu0Jv9yk_1Y5fJmvLp2_xHgF02SSDL0-jsTFh0tcNUStd7HBrAwIaEAGX1gvapoJE/s640/blogger-image--816168527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaP5EFaxNOP3w8qyPBjoGTNgcbjsrzyb1tGTZpQUAsrU-SBbSIo9sukKyqpdhWRNuAVbszDANSMYu0Jv9yk_1Y5fJmvLp2_xHgF02SSDL0-jsTFh0tcNUStd7HBrAwIaEAGX1gvapoJE/s640/blogger-image--816168527.jpg" /></a></div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-31912955776832274562012-07-16T21:58:00.000+01:002012-07-16T22:00:11.621+01:00The wait is over!! Cupcake-Vicki-JackiesNot sure what's happened the past couple of weeks. My blog-tivation has nosedived. I blame the weather (and the diet, who wants to bake when they can't stuff their face with the results??). Utter utter shite. We weren't going to take a sun holiday this year but I've got to the point where I can't bear the rain and the cold and the distinct lack of sun anymore! I mean, its July and I'm wearing a scarf, going to bed in winter PJs and contemplating putting the heating back on. My mother had the fire on on Sunday FFS!!! Needless to say I have announced we WILL be having a holiday and no one can sway me on that.<br />
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Grr.<br />
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Anyway, so yes, rant over. So all those weeks ago I blogged about the uber cute <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/mini-vicki-union-jackies.html">Mini-Vicki-Union-Jackies</a> and left y'all on tenterhooks* about what I did with the cupcake sized version....<br />
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We were going to my neighbours** for BBQ, Booze and Baked Goods (ok, that wasn't an actual theme but well I always bring baked goods whenever possible!). It was still the Jubilee weekend and it still seemed appropriate to be all patriotic so I decided to bring the Cupcake-Vicki-Jackies. Equally cute but a LOT less time consuming than their miniature counterparts, without further ado, I present to you, Cupcake-Vicki-Jackies:<br />
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<i> 6. So taking the larger cupcake sized sponges and starting at (and replacing) step 6 of the <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/mini-vicki-union-jackies.html">Mini-Vicki-Union-Jackies</a>, spoon the whipped cream into a piping bag (or plastic sandwich bag with the corner cut) and squeeze blobs of cream all over the top (or swirls or spread it, your call).</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtAtO06ZQoTX71LmLJc8LBgjC6cEIv1Y-Bq-64bIq8z3KQrDhAwrYbqB_bUJPDYhD9lwEXVXz2dVNdCOUFBXwJFnJbGrq3h4-7Ay0EilcTHsKhqs7WWNng4Rjp2fEr3tW3eepn2uJmxU/s1600/IMG_1221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtAtO06ZQoTX71LmLJc8LBgjC6cEIv1Y-Bq-64bIq8z3KQrDhAwrYbqB_bUJPDYhD9lwEXVXz2dVNdCOUFBXwJFnJbGrq3h4-7Ay0EilcTHsKhqs7WWNng4Rjp2fEr3tW3eepn2uJmxU/s1600/IMG_1221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtAtO06ZQoTX71LmLJc8LBgjC6cEIv1Y-Bq-64bIq8z3KQrDhAwrYbqB_bUJPDYhD9lwEXVXz2dVNdCOUFBXwJFnJbGrq3h4-7Ay0EilcTHsKhqs7WWNng4Rjp2fEr3tW3eepn2uJmxU/s400/IMG_1221.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>7. Take a whole strawberry, cut lengthwise into quarters then finely slice each quarter. Decorate the cakes with four strawberry slices (fat end in the centre at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions), a blob of cream in the centre and finish with a blueberry.</i></div>
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DONE! Seriously, that's it! Super simple and pretty tasty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcy6Wk518Hh9N3X1yeaGpmKQsumU9kpwRz0B5d55XwffE0R-IMSEs1A9tCVkvm3yXeV__Is1gnqf7RbAExbjJLfMUi_DeD4nUPahqrtzybgeOuya0fQLXt-jnU-2mSqNm_7IDuRuGfyc/s1600/IMG_1226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcy6Wk518Hh9N3X1yeaGpmKQsumU9kpwRz0B5d55XwffE0R-IMSEs1A9tCVkvm3yXeV__Is1gnqf7RbAExbjJLfMUi_DeD4nUPahqrtzybgeOuya0fQLXt-jnU-2mSqNm_7IDuRuGfyc/s1600/IMG_1226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcy6Wk518Hh9N3X1yeaGpmKQsumU9kpwRz0B5d55XwffE0R-IMSEs1A9tCVkvm3yXeV__Is1gnqf7RbAExbjJLfMUi_DeD4nUPahqrtzybgeOuya0fQLXt-jnU-2mSqNm_7IDuRuGfyc/s400/IMG_1226.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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*<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>FYI, having read the blog my father then sent me an email to explain what "tenterhooks" are....W.O.W. thanks Dad.....</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>**Read "very bad influence on me"</i></span>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-73740573543719332602012-06-17T23:14:00.002+01:002012-06-17T23:14:23.973+01:00Happy Father's Day!<div style="text-align: justify;">
With my job I eat out all the time. I've eaten in expensive places and cheap places and been both underwhelmed and overwhelmed at both extremes. I guess I could review all these places and who knows, maybe I will but only when it is worth mentioning. This father's day weekend, 2 restaurants deserve a mention.</div>
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<u>Father's Day Meal #1</u></div>
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Since hubby's football coaching takes over our lives every Sunday, hubby wasn't around today (although that makes it much easier for me as I can take my daddy out and just look after him). So on Saturday, after he played his present of a round of golf at <a href="http://www.lutonhoo.co.uk/golf-course-hertfordshire" target="_blank">Luton Hoo</a>, we grabbed our coats and headed out to the Chinese restaurant in town, <a href="http://chefpekingharpenden.co.uk/" target="_blank">Chef Peking</a>. What a brilliant idea. The food was good, but its not the food I'd go back for, its the staff. Having an extremely inquisitive toddler I usually find restaurant experiences daunting, overwhelming and a fast-track pass to indigestion. Pose is usually quite good (and I admit I use my iPad/iPhone as necessary....) but when she's naughty I feel like public enemy no. 1. You know the look, it screams <i>"why can't you control your child"</i>. Such fun!</div>
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Le Pose lived up to my expectations (although she really was not that bad) but the staff were fantastic. They were all super friendly to us but most importantly, my girl. Even though it was a busy Saturday night, there was endless patience, smiles and attempts to make her giggle. Our night was completed with a lollipop for each hand. Its also worth mentioning the fish tank that helped hold her attention between courses. There are 2 tables right next to the tank and the next time we go (and there will be a next time with service like this) we intend to call ahead to try to get one of the fish tank tables.</div>
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Pose passed out on the way home, a happy little monkey.</div>
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<u>Father's Day Meal #2</u></div>
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So on to today and since my mother was away (who can make choosing a restaurant slightly...ahem...tricky) we decided to take father dearest somewhere different. We all like a good curry in our family so having done a little research into restaurants near(ish) by I booked <a href="http://www.chezmumtaj.com/" target="_blank">Chez Mumtaj</a>, an upmarket French/Asian restaurant. This is also a great restaurant. The food is super yummy and again, we had great service. Our waiter made helpful suggestions for Pose and they were fine with our endless trips to see the bubble tank that changes colour. At one point, in an attempt to let me eat, the same waiter came back having set up a chair for her to sit on next to the bubbles and took her off to enjoy the bubble colours. She came back after a little while announcing he was her best friend. When it was time to leave she sobbed. </div>
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They also have a great private dining room which I am eager to try for the next party we do (in fact Rosetta has requested we do that....).</div>
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So a Pose seal of approval to each of Chef Peking and Chez Mumtaj. We'll be back! </div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-87442126084600762192012-06-14T23:27:00.001+01:002012-07-16T22:01:26.620+01:00Mini-Vicki-Union-Jackies<div style="text-align: justify;">
I wouldn't say I'm usually a massive monarchist but the Diamond Jubilee unearthed my patriotic side. I think its got something to do with Pose - I want her to understand and be proud of her heritage so I was trying to explain to her about her country and our Queen. I think she understood and by the end of the Jubilee weekend she was chanting God Save the Queen and asking me to sing the national anthem on repeat. It was super cute.</div>
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Anyway, on the Friday before the big Jubilee weekend my team and I decided to have a little Jubilee afternoon tea and of course I wanted to make cakes of some description. Now what cake to make? What cake indeed?! It would have to be a traditional Victoria sponge, and who better to look to for a recipe fit for a queen? The queen of cakes of course, Mary Berry! I have to say I was dubious about how good she is until I tried this cake and W-O-W. That woman seriously knows her stuff. Of course I had to put my own stamp on it...</div>
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<em>The recipe - Mini-Vicki-Union-Jackies (adapted from the great Mary Berry's <a href="http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/495936/mary-berry-s-victoria-sandwich" target="_blank">recipe</a>)</em><br />
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<i>For the sponge:</i><br />
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<i>225 g (8 oz) softened butter</i></div>
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<i>225 g (8 oz) caster sugar<br />4 large eggs<br />225 g (8 oz) self-raising flour<br />2 level tsp baking powder</i><br />
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<i>For the filling:</i></div>
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<i>300ml whipping cream</i></div>
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<i>200g fresh strawberries</i></div>
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<i>For the decoration:</i></div>
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<i>Ready-to-roll white icing</i></div>
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<i>Red food colouring</i></div>
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<i>Blue food colouring</i></div>
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<i>Strawberry jam for "glue" </i></div>
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<i>Icing sugar for dusting</i><br />
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<i>Makes 9 Mini-Vicki-Sponges and 12 <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/wait-is-over-cupcake-vicki-sponges.html" target="_blank">Cupcake-Vicki-Sponges</a> (see next post)</i></div>
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<i>1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease the tins. </i><i><br /></i><br />
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A baking shop has opened near my office (a baking shop? huzzah! yet more ways to spend when I should be saving....), I bought this little muffin pan especially for this recipe. Its a silicon tray. My first. That's right, I just popped my silicon cherry for the queen.</div>
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Anyway, I love it and its perfect for little bite-size cakes!<br />
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<i>2. Measure the butter, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and beat until thoroughly blended. Fill the mini-muffin tray about 2/3 full and then divide the remaining mixture evenly between the 12 hole cupcake tin and level out.</i></div>
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<i>3. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes or until well risen and the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed with a finger. Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes then turn out </i><i>and finish cooling on a wire rack.</i></div>
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<i>4. While the cakes are cooling (they're little so this is pretty quick) make the filling. Take the strawberries and roughly cut them up, then mash them with a fork. You are not aiming for mush though, you are aiming for a crush! Whip the cream till thick and holds its shape.</i></div>
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<i>When the cakes are completely cold, you can start decorating.</i><br />
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<i>5. Cut the cakes in half horizontally; dollop some crushed strawberries onto the bottom layer; dollop whipped cream on top of the crushed strawberries; carefully place the top layer onto the cream and press carefully down.</i><i><br /></i></div>
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<i>6. Dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out some of the ready-to-roll icing and taking a cookie cutter or anything you can find - I used a fluted cookie cutter donated by mother - and cut out a circle for each cake.</i></div>
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<i>7. Spread a thin layer of jam onto the top of the cake and carefully place an icing circle on top. Smooth over with flat fingers to ensure it is stuck down.</i><i><br /></i></div>
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<i>8. Put a couple of drops of red food colouring into a dish and add a little icing sugar to it (to thicken it). Using a CLEAN thin paintbrush, paint a cross and four diagonal lines onto the icing. Taking a separate dish, put a couple of drops of blue food colouring in and add a little icing sugar to it. Paint blue triangles in the spaces between the red diagonal lines (make sense??? Look at the pics....)</i><i><br /></i></div>
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<i>TA DAAAAAAA!</i></div>
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I really loved these little cakes. I was SO SO SOOOOO proud of them. The cake was super tasty (Mary Berry really knows her stuff), the icing wasn't overwhelming, the filling yummy and they looked freaking awesome! A perfect little cake for our little Jubilee afternoon tea.</div>
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I'll leave you on tenterhooks to see what I did with the <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/wait-is-over-cupcake-vicki-sponges.html" target="_blank">Cupcake-Vicki-Sponges</a>....in the meantime you can consider what on earth a "tenterhook" is!?</div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-3738332352151385452012-06-05T22:42:00.001+01:002012-06-05T22:42:07.349+01:00Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars (or how I broke my stick blender)<div style="text-align: center;">
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apple + cinnamon = love </div>
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FACT</div>
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I'm super serial. </div>
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I really do love apple and cinnamon in pretty much any form. Plus I can convince myself that I'm eating healthy if I opt for apple pie over chocolate cake. Its fruit right!?</div>
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We are on a bit of a family health kick right now and I am currently a huge fan of the <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/" target="_blank">Eating Well</a> website. Its a great resource and gives easy-to-follow recipes for healthy eating, like 500 calorie dinners that are actually tasty. So, I did a little searching on the website and found a recipe for Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars (at a fabulous 193 calories a bar!).</div>
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<em>The recipe - Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars adapted from the <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/apple_cinnamon_bars.html" target="_blank">Eating Well</a> website</em></div>
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<em>For the Crust:</em></div>
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<em>⅓</em> <em>cup chopped walnuts</em></div>
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<em>⅓ cup chopped pecans</em></div>
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<em>⅓ cup rolled oats</em></div>
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<em><em>1½ cup plain flour</em></em></div>
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<em><em>½ cup granulated sugar</em></em></div>
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<em><em>½ teaspoon salt</em></em></div>
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<em><em>4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces</em></em></div>
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<em><em>1 large egg</em></em></div>
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<em><em>2 tbsp sunflower oil</em></em></div>
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<em><em>1 tsp vanilla extract</em></em></div>
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<em><em>¼ tsp almond extract</em></em></div>
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<em>For the Apple Filling: </em></div>
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<em style="font-style: italic;">6 cups diced peeled apples, divided </em>(possibly extra if little fingers keep stealing it)</div>
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<em><em>½ cup apple </em><i>juice</i></em></div>
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<i><i>½ cup granulated sugar</i></i></div>
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<i><i>¼ cup cornflour</i></i></div>
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<i><i>1½ tsp ground cinnamon</i></i></div>
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<i><i>1 tsp vanilla extract</i></i></div>
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<em>1. To prepare crust: Mix together the nuts and oats. Combine ¾ cup of the nuts/oats mixture with the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor; pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add butter; pulse until well incorporated.</em></div>
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Or at least this is how it should have gone had my stick blender not made a popping noise, stopped and then emanated an unpleasant burning smell. Not to worry! We have a Cuisinart US stick blender....which hubby plugged in and blew the step-down. So now no stick blender and Berta's out of action until I replace the step-down. I was not (and am still not) a happy bunny.</div>
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I therefore took my rolling pin and did my best to beat the mixture and then mush the butter into it with a fork. For the rest of the recipe then I had to improvise:</div>
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<i><i>2. Whisk egg, oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla and almond extract in a small bowl. Add the egg mixture to the nuts/oats mixture and mash and the the mixture begins to come together. Measure out 1/2 cup of the mixture and combine in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup chopped nuts (or oats). Set aside for the topping.</i></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtyvdUgV87ZCUAhQeW5p411eQOa9m4zdrvr9_78a1sZlh9DjQHN5xSckUAeXgoNd3-7hWmpb7tVfJkKIndKZlYJISwL_iv_vLnb7UtwAB84PkrB5-opGRbs1XCvjtq_IUqwXK6k_R5tI/s1600/IMG_1001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtyvdUgV87ZCUAhQeW5p411eQOa9m4zdrvr9_78a1sZlh9DjQHN5xSckUAeXgoNd3-7hWmpb7tVfJkKIndKZlYJISwL_iv_vLnb7UtwAB84PkrB5-opGRbs1XCvjtq_IUqwXK6k_R5tI/s320/IMG_1001.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<i style="text-align: justify;">3. Preheat oven to 400°F (about 200°C). Generously coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.</i><br />
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<i>4. To prepare fruit filling & assemble bars: Combine 4 cups apples, apple juice, sugar and cornflour in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 cups apples, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdM5wGozbriuezLS5trzjdOHvK_GGYjWdaWThJqyrpmMGAlvu7K4tSk3Pn2hYWvym5yWnfGyBOseYFsKxatQ0TM9sw1kmtJZpkUXhvY4HU_Dv0MxKinmwnUHDimpR6FGgK0T6XAj3yWTQ/s1600/AB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdM5wGozbriuezLS5trzjdOHvK_GGYjWdaWThJqyrpmMGAlvu7K4tSk3Pn2hYWvym5yWnfGyBOseYFsKxatQ0TM9sw1kmtJZpkUXhvY4HU_Dv0MxKinmwnUHDimpR6FGgK0T6XAj3yWTQ/s640/AB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>5. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom to form a crust. Spread the fruit filling over the crust.. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the filling.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYP17t4WnbgufHGHCn90LVbz2KPu_wGvfOWrzcTv5T5BWMAHEpsS7rRs1DTQldDNmNxaknlQZeBUlXFS175C6uMLr6s-GC_iT2cD7KjLN_eYjuXWz-8RnpWCCliiaxbRVSBWAV_4fPv4/s1600/AB1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYP17t4WnbgufHGHCn90LVbz2KPu_wGvfOWrzcTv5T5BWMAHEpsS7rRs1DTQldDNmNxaknlQZeBUlXFS175C6uMLr6s-GC_iT2cD7KjLN_eYjuXWz-8RnpWCCliiaxbRVSBWAV_4fPv4/s400/AB1.jpg" width="357" /></a></div>
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<i style="text-align: justify;">6. Bake the bars for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (about 175</i><span style="text-align: justify;">°C)</span><i style="text-align: justify;"> and bake until the crust and topping are lightly brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Let cool completely before cutting into bars, at least 1 1/2 hours.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-WC_7QU449O_VSVyMH8qfVMisjSIeptQjHMWWwF559Z6Fuq1zHTR_YRcjAgCfC-xyxWTXGTrm2P1cL2bhKoaD8KrIRJOAa9_knxIHqu3qQveWUDhP_vv9NWA3Et4xlIgUYVZGyhyg8Q/s1600/AB2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-WC_7QU449O_VSVyMH8qfVMisjSIeptQjHMWWwF559Z6Fuq1zHTR_YRcjAgCfC-xyxWTXGTrm2P1cL2bhKoaD8KrIRJOAa9_knxIHqu3qQveWUDhP_vv9NWA3Et4xlIgUYVZGyhyg8Q/s640/AB2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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These were pretty yummy and totally more-ish. On the one hand you have a "healthy" sweet snack (starts well) and then on the other hand you kinda can't stop eating it (ends badly). So as with most things it starts with good intentions and then...well you find you've eaten the entire tray...</div>
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Ooops</div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-48190515918899639212012-05-22T23:20:00.000+01:002012-05-22T23:22:53.262+01:00The Inappropriate Muffins<div style="text-align: justify;">
"<i>Mummy lets make butterfly cookies</i>" the Pose asked one Sunday while we were eating lunch.</div>
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"<i>Ok Pose, if you are a good girl and eat all your sandwich we can make cookies</i>" I lovingly replied.</div>
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"<i>Ok mummy</i>"</div>
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That's a verbal contract in my book. </div>
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She didn't eat her sandwich.</div>
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Not the end of the world I grant you but with the current battle-of-wills-Mexican-style-stand-offs we have begun enduring as our little person demonstrates she has indeed inherited both her father's AND mother's stubborn-must-always-get-my-own-way-nature, I was determined to stick to my guns (ah the sweet sweet irony).</div>
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Within an hour I was feeling bad about it. I had been away on the Thursday night for a biz trip and was departing for another 4 days on the Monday and wanted to have a nice Sunday with Posie. I had also decided that it would be nice to leave something baked for them to eat while I was gone. Plus muffins aren't cookies right, so I technically still won this battle (at least I'll keep telling myself that).</div>
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We all love blueberry muffins so it seemed logical that I'd make those to leave as a token of my love for my little family (ahhhhhhh). Now here's where I admit that I've never made blueberry muffins from scratch. Don't get me wrong, I've made them before but with a little help from Betty Crocker! We have a little shop at the end of our road and they always have blueberries so we popped down to pick up a punnet. Except they didn't have any today. Le Pose spotted strawberries and bright little thing she is, suggested strawberry muffins.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After </span>a little peruse on the t'interweb I found this recipe which seemed like good brekkie fodder...</div>
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<i>The recipe - Strawberry Oatmeal Muffins courtesy of the <a href="http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Strawberry-Cinnamon-Oatmeal-Muffins-Allrecipes?servings=12" target="_blank">Yummly </a>website</i></div>
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<i>1 cup all-purpose flour<br />1 cup rolled oats<br />2 tsps baking powder<br />½ tsp baking soda<br />½ tsp ground cinnamon<br />½ tsp salt<br />1 beaten egg<br />½ cup milk<br />¼ cup olive oil (light)<br />½ cup sugar </i>(I used caster)<br /><i>½ pt strawberries (chopped fresh)</i><br />
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<i style="font-style: italic;">1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups</i> (I just put muffin/cupcake cases into muffin tins, I didn't bother with the oil)<i style="font-style: italic;">. </i></div>
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<i><i>2. In a large bowl, mix flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, olive oil and sugar. Mix in strawberries. Stir strawberry mixture into oat mixture just until evenly moist. Spoon into prepared muffin cups.</i></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpx-hcb4ueTVRBaeqW7N3SqMZ0Xgj_qayi7T4UaWWAI9pd9nDDE_nB8B6janI9IBbFhbN0yvIqQW7TE72oX7UWwB0uuo3j1P11ki3H5EYdBLofx2WNheT2qpdzyD2L8FPSSYH0d1y4eo/s1600/SOM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpx-hcb4ueTVRBaeqW7N3SqMZ0Xgj_qayi7T4UaWWAI9pd9nDDE_nB8B6janI9IBbFhbN0yvIqQW7TE72oX7UWwB0uuo3j1P11ki3H5EYdBLofx2WNheT2qpdzyD2L8FPSSYH0d1y4eo/s640/SOM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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3. I then thinly sliced some strawberries to use for decoration and carefully pressed a slice into the top of each muffin.</div>
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<i>4. Bake 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeC-_-kel38ZD6x6VjBFjP4CCPD1stzUH1CY8ZH8nsTOLwtz0e_ulEi8ULChGmbxsfGvdGR2D2-qgXL6wrJVZdledG2DyWgtUTcXR0CCDgNK8t3tZ7R9aHM4XkE3TWUp-Noek9mpe8X0/s1600/SOM1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeC-_-kel38ZD6x6VjBFjP4CCPD1stzUH1CY8ZH8nsTOLwtz0e_ulEi8ULChGmbxsfGvdGR2D2-qgXL6wrJVZdledG2DyWgtUTcXR0CCDgNK8t3tZ7R9aHM4XkE3TWUp-Noek9mpe8X0/s400/SOM1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ummmm...</td></tr>
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They tasted great and at only 174 calories were great for a low cal breakfast (I found dumping low fat yoghurt on top made it even yummier). The Pose and the hubster both enjoyed them so it made me very happy. Until hubster made a comment on the appearance. I was horrified. These were made with the little one's "assistance" so I felt awful that without thinking I had made "inappropriate" muffins with my toddler....ooops.*</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHO9r3kTQOdHl8aB_U3NHOI9MS_thCUYp5Z69ZT9cbFFQgKQ5y4Lgx1iKn2FRQJ3xEkRg1KqFJw5sBvlYNHVvtf-i3Ktq5ZGE6Yvm3Av3zHDVU8NXVTG0R4mFRrAbG7qDGbJqNFAuVBEM/s1600/IMG_0987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHO9r3kTQOdHl8aB_U3NHOI9MS_thCUYp5Z69ZT9cbFFQgKQ5y4Lgx1iKn2FRQJ3xEkRg1KqFJw5sBvlYNHVvtf-i3Ktq5ZGE6Yvm3Av3zHDVU8NXVTG0R4mFRrAbG7qDGbJqNFAuVBEM/s400/IMG_0987.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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* <i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">If you can't see it I'm not explaining! How embarrassing....(*hands her head in shame*)</span></i></div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-52772456724282390112012-05-15T22:36:00.001+01:002012-05-15T22:36:29.366+01:00Intermission<div style="text-align: justify;">
This week has been a poor week for blogging.</div>
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<ol>
<li style="text-align: justify;">My mother-in-law has been visiting so I do not want to be antisocial and sit blogging all night and ignoring her (its fine when its just hubster and I. Usually we happily ignore one another on our respective laptops - him breaking down film or planning football (American not UK) plays (the word "spread" has 2 very different meanings in our house) or that week's practice; me prattling away on the blog or baking).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Work has been super busy, so I've been particularly distracted and mega-S-T-R-E-S-S-E-D.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I was ever-so-slightly suffering on Saturday from a boozy late night with my neighbour (all for a good cause mind! She offered (read *bribed*) me with wine to help make posters for the local school fete).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Because of #1 I was determined to demonstrate my baking skills...</li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I went to make <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/when-moon-hits-your-eye-like-big-pizza.html" target="_blank">Pizza</a> again on Saturday night and despite it being a breeze the last time, it was a complete disaster this time. First batch (yes, that's <u>first</u>) I got all the ingredients out, followed the recipe and then couldn't understand why the dough wasn't coming together. I then looked at the bag of flour. It was rice flour. I was trying to make Pizza dough with rice flour. What was more stupid is that when I had been doing the yeast part of the recipe (at the VERY BEGINNING) I had been reading the back of the bag and finding it bizarre that the "bread" flour had recipes using rice flour. Why I hadn't looked then when it was blindingly obvious....I don't know. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">The second batch the yeast wouldn't activate so the dough wouldn't rise. On the plus side I said I wanted thin crust and I certainly got that. We cooked both up and they tasted ok, just ok though, and certainly nowhere near as good as last time.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I then went to make a cake for US Mothers Day. It was all going very well until I put the cakes in the oven. When the timer buzzed I went to take the cakes out and I clearly have a problem with my oven. The top of each was half dark half still raw. Grrrrreat!! So I had to put them back in and each cake cracked (and when we cut into them it was clear they could have both gone a bit longer).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">When I went to make the icing that all ballsed up too (it looked all curdled because it had lemon juice in and wouldn't thicken). At that point I considered my baking confidence well and truly knocked.</li>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Heard this before? Pride? Falls? Its total foobah.</span> Basically nothing went right and so here I am ranting about it.<br />
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Oh, and I've eaten my bodyweight in unhealthy food so I'm now squeezing myself into my clothes. Joy.</div>
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Think happy thoughts...think happy thoughts....think happy thoughts.....think....</div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-11238947064611475972012-05-06T23:20:00.000+01:002012-05-06T23:25:37.906+01:00Bubble and Squeak (no mice were harmed in the making of this breakfast)<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anyone would think my family subsists on mashed potato* - well not quite - although we are rather partial to it. Invariably we always have leftover mash so I am always working out ways to use the leftovers the following day as part of my OCD-can't-throw-food-away personality. We're also partial to good breakfast/brunch grub. In fact one of the big things we miss about living in the US is a good diner breakfast. Home fries, nice runny egg (sunny-side up of course!) and crispy bacon...or eggs benedict. Yum. I'm hungry just thinking about it. All in all it means that if we have time breakfast can become a big deal in our house.</div>
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Saturday I was in cleaning mode and had my eyes on the fridge that really needed a deep-clean (q-tips at the ready people!). In order to get the job done I was trying to empty the fridge as much as possible. I was looking at leftover mash, white cabbage, bacon and eggs. No thinking required, Bubble and Squeak seemed obvious.</div>
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I'm not quite sure of the origins of Bubble and Squeak but as far as I can tell its a pretty traditional British dish that involves mashing/mixing all your leftovers together and frying them up. Most people go for the mash/cabbage mix (certainly my folks do) so it seemed like a logical choice.</div>
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<i>The recipe - Bubble and Squeak</i></div>
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<i>1 cup mashed potato</i></div>
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<i>1 cup cooked cabbage, finely shredded (I used white but equally you could use spring greens etc)</i></div>
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<i>2 rashers of bacon, cooked and finely chopped</i></div>
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<i>1 tsp onion powder (alternatively use 1 small onion, I had none though - extremely unlike me!)</i></div>
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<i>4 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (I grew a ton so I've been trying to use it a lot - I feel so smug)</i></div>
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<i>salt and pepper, a good grind of each (tee hee, grind)</i></div>
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<i>1 egg</i></div>
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<i>butter for cooking</i></div>
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<i>1. Preheat the oven to 200C.</i></div>
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<i>2. If you do not already have cooked cabbage start by cooking the cabbage. In a saucepan heat a tablespoon of butter with a tablespoon of water until the butter is melted (I recently learnt this trick - it apparently emulsifies and coats the cabbage to give it tons of flavour - it does and I could happily eat just a bowl of cabbage cooked this way). Put the shredded cabbage in the pan and cook until wilted.</i></div>
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<i>3. In a large bowl, put the mashed potato, cabbage, bacon, onion powder, basil, salt and pepper and mash it all together with a fork until the ingredients are well combined.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmGgehx-WYmLIAjUr6fsSUZkfeZxjzfQVxBy67kg88GXaoQXdP-bAsbER-bdTBhVsh61ZjDDBFJC5iOkb2YONb8IEZUcgzyhVQdUMWaANxWLIXdd9LpDTBZ251phW37eUTZPb-EgTwNM/s1600/photo+1+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmGgehx-WYmLIAjUr6fsSUZkfeZxjzfQVxBy67kg88GXaoQXdP-bAsbER-bdTBhVsh61ZjDDBFJC5iOkb2YONb8IEZUcgzyhVQdUMWaANxWLIXdd9LpDTBZ251phW37eUTZPb-EgTwNM/s400/photo+1+(1).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>4. Butter a small oven-proof frying pan and warm over a medium heat. Mash the mix into the frying pan and press firmly down. Then cook over the medium heat until the edges start to brown (about 5mins). Dot butter all over the top and put the pan in the oven for 10mins.</i></div>
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<i>5. In the interim, in a separate frying pan fry the egg sunny-side up until the white is cooked. Unless you really don't like a runny egg please please please put a runny egg on top!</i></div>
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<i>6. You may want to put the Bubble and Squeak under the grill to get the top nice and brown if it hasn't browned enough. Ease the Bubble and Squeak out of the pan and serve with the egg on top!</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSRHT2DM2gE26OHKZz-t0CzNA1yxHs3C0fLujR6ZVtEoruurRhM3ZxRXCq2BbawnXYHJV7RF3f1ZmXQHfAoCXE_BH9Oc8a34nY-uqEhFRWYU54j_7tqnpt-5GOYmDkpiyluH3lgyrbg8/s1600/photo+3+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSRHT2DM2gE26OHKZz-t0CzNA1yxHs3C0fLujR6ZVtEoruurRhM3ZxRXCq2BbawnXYHJV7RF3f1ZmXQHfAoCXE_BH9Oc8a34nY-uqEhFRWYU54j_7tqnpt-5GOYmDkpiyluH3lgyrbg8/s400/photo+3+(1).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuck in!</td></tr>
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The recipe above serves 1/2 people depending on whom you're cooking for or if you do anything else with it. Hubster wanted it all for himself so this served 1...equally we could have served half each with some sausages or beans (<a href="http://www.heinz.com/our-food/products/bakedbeans.aspx" target="_blank">Heinz </a>of course!). Whatever you fancy.</div>
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*<i>For example, the uber yummy <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/pot-age-patties.html" target="_blank">sausage cakes</a>.</i>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-48990894537735905382012-05-03T23:17:00.002+01:002012-05-03T23:43:08.681+01:00Pasteis de Nata (or for those of us who don't speak Portuguese, Custard Tarts)<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1j4rlY70gvHNEEHX7ATIODzqPnQYwjY3xTg4R49gtg6hWMZ_GQn_3gy2oqBEAIVpJffTNeAQLkqL5rJJViJkv4R6TJKbEHGVg-KRWFTnTkMgiNb3Q7vAmm4Rw0P1JQMSB0C88kumz6o/s1600/IMG_0941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1j4rlY70gvHNEEHX7ATIODzqPnQYwjY3xTg4R49gtg6hWMZ_GQn_3gy2oqBEAIVpJffTNeAQLkqL5rJJViJkv4R6TJKbEHGVg-KRWFTnTkMgiNb3Q7vAmm4Rw0P1JQMSB0C88kumz6o/s320/IMG_0941.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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So it was my Mama's birthday and she had decided to have a very very little party with a buffet dinner. I of course didn't offer to bake, I simply (a) assumed that I'd be helping anyway; and (b) took it as red that I would be baking something so cut-to-the-chase and asked <em>"what" </em>she wanted me to bake and not <em>"if"</em>. She started off pretty vague so I thought "<i>ok I've not done a chocolate cake, so I'll do a chocolate cake</i>" and then she told me that her friend who makes an amazing chocolate cake was coming too. I figured that even if she wasn't bringing cake, I just couldn't put a first attempt in front of her (not yet anyway). Back to the drawing board.</div>
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My mum (as I have said before) is a pretty picky eater and I've so far nailed 2 desserts I know she loved - the <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/eating-her-curds.html" target="_blank">Lemon</a> <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/and-whey-finally.html" target="_blank">Meringue</a> <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/little-miss-muffet-sat-on-tuffet.html" target="_blank">Pie</a> and the <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/daddy-daddy-cool.html" target="_blank">Creme Caramel</a> - but felt kinda inspirationless. Not good. I said she started off vague when I first asked so I asked again but at a better creative-juices-type-moment (we were in Paris for a couple of days - me, hubster, Pose and my folks - and I was hoping Paris might give her some inspiration). This time she completely threw me. I was expecting maybe some type of cake, or little mousse-type-cakey-thing or even some sort of patisserie. But no. She turned around and said "<em>Portuguese Custard Tarts</em>". RANDOM?! </div>
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But. Her birthday. Her choice. I agreed.</div>
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Now I'm not a massive fan of regular custard tarts so I've never made them. I certainly had no idea what the difference is between regular English custard tarts and their Portuguese cousins. So I had to do some investigating. </div>
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I googled "Portuguese custard tarts" and promptly came up with a recipe on The Telegraph's <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/8438192/Portuguese-custard-tart-recipe.html" target="_blank">website</a> and figured "<em>its the Telegraph its got to have done its homework right?</em>". Well. Judging by the comments on the recipe from one particular lady, no. The suggested recipe was apparently practically blasphemous - the custard all sorts of wrong and the puff pastry a big fat NONO! I decided to leave it. I then ran through a couple of other recipes that had come up in the search and all of them used puff pastry. Bad start.</div>
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The search had however given me the actual Portuguese name for the tarts so I did another google search for "<em>Pasteis de Nata</em>". This time we had better success. I toyed with searching for Portuguese language recipes and then translating them using google translate but they just didn't translate well (and my Portuguese is right up there with my Spanish. Crap). And then suddenly a ray of sunshine hit my computer and highlighted this little gem...</div>
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<em>The recipe - Pasteis de Nata courtesy of David Leite's website </em><a href="http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html" target="_blank"><em>Leite's Culinaria</em></a><em> </em>(plus, of course, my commentary!)<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">For the dough:<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">2 cups minus 2
tablespoons all-purpose flour <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>¼</strong></span> teaspoon sea
salt <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">¾ </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">cup plus
two tablespoons water <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">16 tablespoons unsalted
butter, room temperature, stirred until smooth<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">For the custard:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">3 tablespoons all-purpose
flour <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">1 <span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong>¼</strong></span> cups milk,
divided<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">1 <span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">⅓</span> cups granulated
sugar <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">1 cinnamon
stick <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<em>⅔ cup water <o:p></o:p></em></div>
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<em><strong>½</strong> teaspoon pure
vanilla extract </em>(homemade!)<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">6 large egg
yolks, whisked<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">Powdered sugar and </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black;">Cinnamon for dusting</span></i></div>
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1. Start by making the dough. <i>In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, salt, and water until a soft, pillowy dough forms that cleans the side of the bowl, about 30 seconds.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNnWXIwyv3Krak2tuyPxKy1IYR2xLul13iAzkCTGdpen3da30uOYn5jyvCz_LFSDzBXXawYIYVX1ybnxeLI7Ny5QnB2yKTM9MYvxaT8Uc0TZjL7HgvrwGrZg5vSlB3IQQ2SR69mEhz0c/s1600/PdN.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNnWXIwyv3Krak2tuyPxKy1IYR2xLul13iAzkCTGdpen3da30uOYn5jyvCz_LFSDzBXXawYIYVX1ybnxeLI7Ny5QnB2yKTM9MYvxaT8Uc0TZjL7HgvrwGrZg5vSlB3IQQ2SR69mEhz0c/s640/PdN.png" /></a></div>
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<i>2. Generously flour a work surface and pat the dough into a 6-inch square using a pastry scraper</i> (I personally don't have a pastry scraper and coped fairly well) <i>as a guide. Flour the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 15 minutes. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoj3tAAyaebqMFDJ8yIS8PIvZyhRivJwPoS3c3F-ewtkhiwuwtZlvFQk7Hwp461-BctOjBOtDXGr9oCN4v8Z8f3JqWgqXzR3wONRayOrwivRk1KcQ-2HLCSUND9sYY_MQsk8UbvfTPK9U/s1600/IMG_0918.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoj3tAAyaebqMFDJ8yIS8PIvZyhRivJwPoS3c3F-ewtkhiwuwtZlvFQk7Hwp461-BctOjBOtDXGr9oCN4v8Z8f3JqWgqXzR3wONRayOrwivRk1KcQ-2HLCSUND9sYY_MQsk8UbvfTPK9U/s400/IMG_0918.JPG" /></a></div>
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<i>3. Roll the dough into an 18-inch square</i> (I struggled with this - I simply don't have the counterspace! - worked out ok though, nothing dramatic happened). <i>As you work, use the scraper to lift the dough to make sure the underside isn’t sticking.</i></div>
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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;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ts_xXMw4zyx7mFIPV1SFE_MyPG6RkyWQxp-KBryd9K0lKiIqNc4GyDRAZ3XyxTiI4g5tYucJLehBaxgCjOOc96T4HFHuZxglrpEJuOiQ1WPdzoMKwxpJZx4UfH7-RCsfoBWNa-pcmvc/s1600/IMG_0919.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ts_xXMw4zyx7mFIPV1SFE_MyPG6RkyWQxp-KBryd9K0lKiIqNc4GyDRAZ3XyxTiI4g5tYucJLehBaxgCjOOc96T4HFHuZxglrpEJuOiQ1WPdzoMKwxpJZx4UfH7-RCsfoBWNa-pcmvc/s400/IMG_0919.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes I mastered shapes in school, and YES I KNOW that's not a square...</td></tr>
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<i><i>4. Brush excess flour off the top, trim any uneven edges, and using a small offset spatula dot and then spread the left two-thirds of the dough with a little less than one-third of the butter to within 1 inch of the edge</i> (I started using a spatula but found it really difficult to spread the butter, so abandoned the spatula and just used a knife...worked much better).</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywi3t2nMyY9GVGxMLS9yghMM34slS5xs9XG9X0OjSIZ8z4RO1awvUwfzL84pNWxUncGwNK3ANRHtbbWC56yvO8EEMFOv6Z0GQKi_IC2RcokqXThzFDq0m20dJ_c2uef1D8Veh6Yf7-j4/s1600/PdN1.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywi3t2nMyY9GVGxMLS9yghMM34slS5xs9XG9X0OjSIZ8z4RO1awvUwfzL84pNWxUncGwNK3ANRHtbbWC56yvO8EEMFOv6Z0GQKi_IC2RcokqXThzFDq0m20dJ_c2uef1D8Veh6Yf7-j4/s640/PdN1.png" /></a></div>
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<i>5. Neatly fold over the unbuttered right third of the dough (using the pastry scraper to loosen it if it sticks), brush off any excess flour, then fold over the left third. Starting from the top, pat down the packet with your hand to release air bubbles, then pinch the edges closed. Brush off any excess flour.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FCsc1lleQVD0ctCbJu6Uy_v5HZSXDZRz5uNgcbsuP6xEk4KBUtiVLbhNbgcIASiac234DtfI6VbdtHX-grUcwdWvhyphenhyphenDOYnsg0BfZXVcBvmmcq6AgZNv5YRTg5GsoYtwgMH4zJo0m9qw/s1600/PdN2.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FCsc1lleQVD0ctCbJu6Uy_v5HZSXDZRz5uNgcbsuP6xEk4KBUtiVLbhNbgcIASiac234DtfI6VbdtHX-grUcwdWvhyphenhyphenDOYnsg0BfZXVcBvmmcq6AgZNv5YRTg5GsoYtwgMH4zJo0m9qw/s640/PdN2.png" /></a></div>
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<i>6. Turn the dough packet 90 degrees to the left so the fold is facing you. Lift the packet and flour the work surface. Once again roll out to an 18-inch square, then dot and spread the left two-thirds of the dough with one-third of the butter, and fold the dough as in steps 4 and 5.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOwJiKg6YW-W2T8UHP_FBlE9yrw-D3Zq3eQztslDSNfZWHuQKqYl2Y2MSFMPjbaqBsi6C5S2k4Lo0fRTuIuQa9a-CuAfnTIjG2_A7-2PLlRzv4gzkfeGOB5_hK-eSm_ZnWY2Xf8_Wiy4/s1600/IMG_0926.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOwJiKg6YW-W2T8UHP_FBlE9yrw-D3Zq3eQztslDSNfZWHuQKqYl2Y2MSFMPjbaqBsi6C5S2k4Lo0fRTuIuQa9a-CuAfnTIjG2_A7-2PLlRzv4gzkfeGOB5_hK-eSm_ZnWY2Xf8_Wiy4/s400/IMG_0926.JPG" /></a></div>
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<i>7. For the last rolling, turn the packet 90 degrees to the left and roll out the dough to an 18-by-21-inch rectangle</i> (again a struggle on my kitchen counter but we survived)<i>, with the shorter side facing you. Spread the remaining butter over the entire surface.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIafbd0mgS_gqx7euwrl9kOY-9wQxQZAz-dsf4urZ_ztGM2JHfrZDePfRUgckIf17NQcbInG5chmonxuzv6CT6cv3PuWj209UFiqwbimcdbOWo6_2xjT2pl73eEPS2FE5XXq7ZliVwRo/s1600/IMG_0927.JPG"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIafbd0mgS_gqx7euwrl9kOY-9wQxQZAz-dsf4urZ_ztGM2JHfrZDePfRUgckIf17NQcbInG5chmonxuzv6CT6cv3PuWj209UFiqwbimcdbOWo6_2xjT2pl73eEPS2FE5XXq7ZliVwRo/s400/IMG_0927.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>8. Using the spatula as an aid, lift the edge closest to you and roll the dough away from you into a tight log, brushing the excess flour from the underside as you go. Trim the ends and cut the log in half. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or preferably overnight.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uM4szcIcON9LcIoyCNxX7h9l2topEgbvTqNVFVCDIf1Mdei4XidHd6H0qRYNB77iBXsm6MIoNmpwjoSGY62slCo-ozg_m19R2WT45p0hwyOefBCQJjFsI4EzfQoqRDQBbtrcHoLWBUE/s1600/PdN3.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uM4szcIcON9LcIoyCNxX7h9l2topEgbvTqNVFVCDIf1Mdei4XidHd6H0qRYNB77iBXsm6MIoNmpwjoSGY62slCo-ozg_m19R2WT45p0hwyOefBCQJjFsI4EzfQoqRDQBbtrcHoLWBUE/s640/PdN3.png" /></a></div>
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<i>9. Then onto the custard. At this point I would also put the oven on, turning it up as hot as it can go. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and 1/4 cup of the milk until smooth. Set aside.</i></div>
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<i>10. Bring the sugar, cinnamon, and water to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 220°F (100°C). Do not stir</i> (I actually don't agree with this. I made a couple of batches of the custard to use up all the dough and with the second batch I went more the caramel route used in the <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/daddy-daddy-cool.html">Creme Caramel recipe</a> steps 2 and 3. This worked much better).</div>
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<i>11. Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, scald the remaining 1 cup milk. Whisk the hot milk into the flour mixture.</i></div>
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<i>12. Remove the cinnamon stick then pour the sugar syrup in a thin stream into the hot milk-and-flour mixture, whisking briskly. Add the vanilla and stir for a minute until very warm but not hot. Whisk in the yolks</i> (careful the mixture isn't too hot when you do this or the eggs will scramble. Thankfully we were fine)<i>, strain the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.</i> </div>
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<i>13. Now you can start assembling the pastries! Heat the oven to 550°F (290°C)</i> (as I said up by step 9 I would actually put the oven on earlier than this mainly because most conventional ovens are unlikely to go this high, so whack it up to the max heat early on and try to get the oven super hot). <i>Remove a pastry log from the refrigerator and roll it back and forth on a lightly floured surface until it’s about an inch in diameter and 16 inches long. Cut it into scant 3/4-inch pieces. Place a piece cut-side down in each well of a nonstick 12-cup mini-muffin pan (2-by-5/8-inch size). Allow the dough pieces to soften several minutes until pliable. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GUyhT06L_Lj8oO8S8dGVRiyt07DMmlw_ZIPMagLbcS6w9omMqVmR6-sb5nrT7PJr-yYHfHbE7p2vnGYNnSLRLgmZlNJBxkpzsGdg1jeA2ZYXRl3evlD2Lu1efN5lkzRncAQDmKrhm3c/s1600/IMG_0932.JPG"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GUyhT06L_Lj8oO8S8dGVRiyt07DMmlw_ZIPMagLbcS6w9omMqVmR6-sb5nrT7PJr-yYHfHbE7p2vnGYNnSLRLgmZlNJBxkpzsGdg1jeA2ZYXRl3evlD2Lu1efN5lkzRncAQDmKrhm3c/s400/IMG_0932.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>14. Have a small cup of water nearby. Dip your thumbs into the water, then straight down into the middle of the dough spiral. Flatten it against the bottom of the cup to a thickness of about 1/8 inch, then smooth the dough up the sides and create a raised lip about 1/8 inch above the pan. The pastry sides should be thinner than the bottom</i> (I did this for the first batch and the pastry was a little too thin I think, then for the second batch I used my pestle to start the process off - this made the process slightly easier and the pastries came out much better).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgff2e1wnCppLKLuTlTjdwtE_fFn2fMILCKqAm3PkF536b2zWWfc4hxWckSPMRjO_fvQFP06FEvEOo5fGmmeH_c2p88Xf7JM0PxEEq3mpySxo_EhGH3kwQzEcbvlHgRG3ADg21z4gyuc6Q/s1600/PdN4.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgff2e1wnCppLKLuTlTjdwtE_fFn2fMILCKqAm3PkF536b2zWWfc4hxWckSPMRjO_fvQFP06FEvEOo5fGmmeH_c2p88Xf7JM0PxEEq3mpySxo_EhGH3kwQzEcbvlHgRG3ADg21z4gyuc6Q/s640/PdN4.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our LEFT, batch no.1 and on our RIGHT, batch no.2 (much better right?)</td></tr>
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<i></i><br />
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<i><i>15. Fill each cup 3/4 full with the slightly warm custard. Bake the pasteis until the edges of the dough are frilled and brown, about 8 to 9 minutes </i>(don't expect the custard to brown much unless you have a super hot oven, apparently this is the secret to the browning).</i></div>
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<i>16. Remove from the oven and allow the pasteis to cool a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack and cool until just warm. Sprinkle the pasteis generously with powdered sugar, then cinnamon and serve. Repeat with the remaining pastry and custard. If you prefer, the components can be refrigerated up to three days. The pastry can be frozen up to three months.</i></div>
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They tasted good to me but I have no point of reference since I've never eaten Pasteis de Nata. I have eaten English custard tarts though and these were much better (well anything's better, like I said, I don't like English custard tarts - too eggy). As for the party these went down phenomenally well. I was told that they brought back memories of Lisbon! I'd say that's a pretty damn good endorsement! </div>
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My favourite endorsement though was from my little sister's boyfriend. I suddenly heard from the corner of the living room "Oh my god, this is delicious!" and looked over to see this 6ft guy perched on a toddler-sized-chair with a look of joy on his face. It was hilarious.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrovSaWcQDWmOgZS6RczVonk04eeKGPJQe2gBuOnTO7CzhufOaQf3yY-Bs1q253FK8EEy348ETfAboJKomzolUa3NmWDDkl8zj4U-2t5Rq_C7woX2gqISFE5x9ySCOCFPwCw-PmMUwdoQ/s1600/IMG_0942.JPG"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrovSaWcQDWmOgZS6RczVonk04eeKGPJQe2gBuOnTO7CzhufOaQf3yY-Bs1q253FK8EEy348ETfAboJKomzolUa3NmWDDkl8zj4U-2t5Rq_C7woX2gqISFE5x9ySCOCFPwCw-PmMUwdoQ/s400/IMG_0942.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-51291346431879049982012-04-28T23:42:00.000+01:002012-04-28T23:42:00.104+01:00Hummingbird Cake (without the feathers)<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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRJet0BrZCu_JsLQccEl6VwCVWhyhwyv8OekixPpWIb9AD0lRmEU5fjR-K5KnzVNBSRQYhyorLFYkjcACDTcf9JSXUcnbA4_3erINOTl3oDv5Dg6eoBYfdwCg1ss28oIiZf3hr4KACFc/s1600/IMG_0910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRJet0BrZCu_JsLQccEl6VwCVWhyhwyv8OekixPpWIb9AD0lRmEU5fjR-K5KnzVNBSRQYhyorLFYkjcACDTcf9JSXUcnbA4_3erINOTl3oDv5Dg6eoBYfdwCg1ss28oIiZf3hr4KACFc/s320/IMG_0910.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, I made this.</td></tr>
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I've got no idea why Hummingbird Cake is called Hummingbird Cake. I can only speculate that its because of how sweet it is. In fact, before a few weeks ago I'd never even heard of it. </div>
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When I started the blog I often debated whether or not to tell colleagues (especially colleagues on my secondment. I mean I wanted them to like me and thought that to let them see my silly little mind might not be the best idea). When I kept bringing in baked goodies to work I got questioned on why I was always baking and having got to know 1 of my colleagues well I finally let on to my dirty little baking secret and she seemed quite enthusiastic about it (well people are...to your face). I told her that I was very happy to take requests so she sent me a link to <a href="http://sweetapolita.com/2010/10/sky-high-hummingbird-cake/" target="_blank">Sweetapolita</a>'s sky-high version of the Hummingbird Cake. I was less happy about my enthusiasm about letting people put in requests.</div>
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Now I put off making this on the basis that it really looks far too fancy for just normal baking so I decided to wait until the right opportunity, a birthday preferably. April rolled around and brought 4 birthdays in my team in the space of a week. There are only 9 people in my team. Time to attempt the Hummingbird Cake I thought....</div>
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I had a look on the web and found a recipe on Joy Of Baking's <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/HummingbirdCake.html" target="_blank">website</a> and when I looked at the Sweetapolita recipe I noticed that she had also used the Joy of Baking recipe as a starting point. They both looked good so I kinda worked back and forth between the two, using the Joy of Baking recipe but the Sweetapolita method on constructing the cake. As usual, the actual recipe is in italics and my additional commentary is in normal font.</div>
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<i>The recipe from the <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/HummingbirdCake.html" target="_blank">Joy of Baking</a> and </i><a href="http://sweetapolita.com/2010/10/sky-high-hummingbird-cake/" target="_blank"><i>Sweetapolita</i></a></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>For the Cake:</i></div>
<i>1 cup (110 grams) pecans, toasted and finely chopped<br /> 3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour<br />2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar<br />1 tsp baking soda<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span> tsp salt <br />1 tsp ground cinnamon <br />3 large eggs, lightly beaten <br />3/4 cup (180 ml) sunflower oil<br />1 <span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/2</span> teaspoons vanilla extract <br />1 x 8 ounce (227 grams) can crushed pineapple, do not drain<br />2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium sized bananas)</i><br />
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<i>For the Frosting</i>:</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/4</span> cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature <br />8 oz (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature <br />1 lb (454 grams) (about 3 <span style="font-size: xx-small;">2/3</span> cups) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted <br />1 tsp (4 grams) vanilla extract</i></div>
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<i>Garnish:<br />pecan halves</i><br />
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<i style="text-align: justify;">1. </i><span style="text-align: justify;">Firstly to the cake....</span><i style="text-align: justify;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) with the rack in middle of oven. Prepare three </i><span style="text-align: justify;">(I used only <u>two</u> pans!) </span><i style="text-align: justify;">8" round cake pans with butter/oil spray and a parchment circle on bottom of pan. Set aside. </i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZ_uBUD5FBvqsMCeg_WwdjrgVx-L-VIEvboe1QQQaEfcto9bI24C4HzOWipzNANGBsgC_1Ku9RdR3SLaJ1OFMeHXZs7dzsvGoW7TULCzGiz-lITG2K-6XNyJTrDiHOtlaJ4FwikacY98/s1600/New+Pans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZ_uBUD5FBvqsMCeg_WwdjrgVx-L-VIEvboe1QQQaEfcto9bI24C4HzOWipzNANGBsgC_1Ku9RdR3SLaJ1OFMeHXZs7dzsvGoW7TULCzGiz-lITG2K-6XNyJTrDiHOtlaJ4FwikacY98/s320/New+Pans.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I even bought new pans! Exciting times...no seriously</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">2. Chop the pecans. I used one of my favourite kitchen tools - my <a href="http://www.pamperedchef.co.uk/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=1702" target="_blank">Pampered Chef Food Chopper</a>. Its great, you just put whatever you want to chop underneath and bash the top, ideally focusing on someone you really dislike or something that is pissing you off then bang, bang, BANG! All done.</span></div>
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<i style="text-align: justify;">3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEe942FqbffkgEK7amCOg_sj_kj_OUgbzfes6GtLagzEcx0I9I6iOkPZ6jOhCMHCqL-qqrgh3mFv1ZMUDQ7Y6CEU6rorIsPj_sOrc_OY0GCfBEYFqd1h9uzu_mJc0hPWRnKTTnoJMOVC0/s1600/HBC1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEe942FqbffkgEK7amCOg_sj_kj_OUgbzfes6GtLagzEcx0I9I6iOkPZ6jOhCMHCqL-qqrgh3mFv1ZMUDQ7Y6CEU6rorIsPj_sOrc_OY0GCfBEYFqd1h9uzu_mJc0hPWRnKTTnoJMOVC0/s400/HBC1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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4. I could only find pineapple rings so I simply blitzed the pineapple chunks using a stick blender. I then mashed the banana.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKZw0OsntR9UHdjeCI0wWR4GRFfDKo4hOazJ70Hepu0TLcVHd0u2RgKngwvmGO1fKMTUbNLD-FJ4RxGhTR-hTQoNt6vL6ya6MG5gpOH8pZSNcLcMioEX_O4eeF3VuqiCiUQDjFiQRcBU/s1600/HBC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKZw0OsntR9UHdjeCI0wWR4GRFfDKo4hOazJ70Hepu0TLcVHd0u2RgKngwvmGO1fKMTUbNLD-FJ4RxGhTR-hTQoNt6vL6ya6MG5gpOH8pZSNcLcMioEX_O4eeF3VuqiCiUQDjFiQRcBU/s320/HBC2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>5. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the lightly beaten eggs, vanilla, chopped pecans, oil, bananas, and pineapple. </i><i>Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. </i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks a little vomity, right? Tasty.</td></tr>
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<i>6. Divide the batter evenly into 3 </i>(remember, I only used 2) <i>prepared 8" round pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean from the centre of the cake (about 30 minutes </i>- I don't know if my oven is playing up but I definitely had to keep the cakes in for a good 50mins<i>). Don't open oven for first 20 minutes, then rotate pans, checking after 10 more minutes. Try not to over bake! Let cool on wire racks for 20 minutes </i>(in the tins)<i>, then invert onto racks, remove the parchment paper and let cool until cool to the touch.</i> Wrap the cakes in foil and put in the fridge overnight (this makes them easier to slice).<br />
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7. Remove the cakes from the fridge and unwrap from the foil. Taking a bread knife carefully and evenly cut each cake into 3 thin layers.<br />
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8. Then onto the icing...<i>Using electric mixer </i>(how generic, of course I turned to dear Berta)<i>, combine the butter and icing sugar until
just combined. </i>Now I had some problems here, possibly due to the fact that I realised I only had fondant icing sugar. The butter and icing sugar just refused to combine so I had to take some drastic measures. I needed to warm the butter enough to be able to combine it with the icing sugar. I thought that actually heating it would be a mistake so instead I took a bowl of lukewarm water and put the mixing bowl into the water - enough to warm the sides of the bowl (its metal). This definitely helped and put the icing back on track.<br />
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<i><br /></i><br />
<i>9. Add the cold cream cheese, all at once, and beat on medium speed for
about 4 minutes. Turn up to high speed for another 1 minute. It should be fluffy </i>(mine wasn't but again I believe this is all down to the fondant icing sugar)<i>.
Don't over beat, or the icing will start to lose thickness.</i><br />
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10. Onto assembling the cake! Taking one of the bottom layers spoon a big blob of icing into the centre and carefully spread the icing to evenly cover the cake. Always cut side down, place the next layer on top and repeat the process. Repeat with the remaining layers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, there is no Tabasco in the cake.</td></tr>
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11. Spoon the rest of the icing onto the top of the cake and, using a palate knife, smooth it all across the top of the cake easing it to the edge and down the sides (this was how I had to do it because of the consistency of the icing. I think it would be more spreadable and less drippy with regular icing sugar). Make sure the cake is evenly covered and decorate with a couple of pecan halves.<br />
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12. Carefully transfer to your serving dish! (I transferred it to my brand new spotty tins to take into work. I love my new spotty tins)<br />
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This cake is quite sweet but fantastic and serves plenty. It went down very well at work and every last crumb was eaten. If you want a cake to impress - this is the one. Personally I found it was best served off ducky paper plates that were left over from one of Posie's parties but obviously you do not have to recreate this ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_2nMgeOPsW32GbWj57h6z_MesjYBLS8BkiSvpExzPEn5-KkI7qwv9w1fp6x7gc9AENdoPv6OM0RMHoyjT5hNYfAiOhYrC3Ri4OVE1o3qrv6_d9uG6GQtz5yvfvfwodlUpqIYofNBVps/s1600/HBC7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_2nMgeOPsW32GbWj57h6z_MesjYBLS8BkiSvpExzPEn5-KkI7qwv9w1fp6x7gc9AENdoPv6OM0RMHoyjT5hNYfAiOhYrC3Ri4OVE1o3qrv6_d9uG6GQtz5yvfvfwodlUpqIYofNBVps/s640/HBC7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm all up for gratuitous self-promotion!</td></tr>
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</div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-36783813432849696442012-04-21T23:29:00.002+01:002012-04-21T23:45:27.398+01:00Lemon Meringue Cupcakes<div style="text-align: justify;">
My friend M is pregnant and has so far had to endure horrible extreme morning sickness and its really taken its toll on her. She arrived into the 2nd trimester and the sickness had finally subsided only for her to be diagnosed with SPD (sounds like something gross right? Wrong! Now get your mind out of the gutter). So having gotten out of the sickness woods she's now in the pond of pain instead. Being the wonderful, caring, sharing sort of gal' I am (and modest, totally totally modest) I suggested I came over to her house for our girls to have a play date and for me to let her put her feet up for a couple of hours and of course bring some baked goodies. So since I keep telling everyone that I'm more than happy to take requests, having seen the posts on making <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/eating-her-curds.html" target="_blank">Lemon</a> <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/and-whey-finally.html" target="_blank">Meringue</a> <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/little-miss-muffet-sat-on-tuffet.html" target="_blank">Pie</a> she asked if I could make her a Lemon Meringue Pie. I said I'd see what I could do.</div>
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This did not fit with my whole "new recipes" concept.</div>
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Like I've said before, I'm not a huge fan of Lemon Meringue Pie. I am, however, a fan of cupcakes and I'm aware I've not made any cupcakes yet for the blog (or even in the last few years). I got to thinking. Why not make a filled cupcake and use the meringue topping as the "icing"? Yes, I know. Not exactly controversial and certainly not new judging by my google recipe trawl, but given I haven't tried making cupcakes in a while it was certainly a bit of a gamble.</div>
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I am no good at gambling. I get too excited if I start winning and then start placing stupid bets. Like over Christmas. We rented a house in Mystic, CT (absolutely <a href="http://www.vrbo.com/360360" target="_blank">gorgeous</a> - I'd certainly recommend!) for a little reunion with a couple of my hubby's old college buddies and our respective broods and drank, gossipped and played poker once the kiddos were all tucked up in bed. The second night I, the rookie loud mouth, somehow pulled a full house out of my **** and took most of the chips. 20 mins later I had somehow lost all my chips and was peeved I hadn't pulled another amazing hand out of the ether since I was now clearly the greatest poker player on Earth.</div>
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Anyway, massive digression. Point is this time my gamble paid off.</div>
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<i>The recipe - Lemon Meringue Cupcakes (adapted from a post on the Nigella Lawson <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/lemon-meringue-muffins-2339" target="_blank">website</a>)</i></div>
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<i><i>For the cupcake: </i></i></div>
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<i>215g self-raising flour </i></div>
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<i>60g caster sugar </i></div>
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<i>1 egg </i></div>
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<i>1 egg yolk </i></div>
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<i>1 pinch of salt</i></div>
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<i>1/2 cup milk </i></div>
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<i>1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract </i></div>
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<i>90g butter, melted and cooled </i></div>
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<i>3 tablespoons <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/eating-her-curds.html">lemon curd</a> </i></div>
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<i>For the meringue topping: </i></div>
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<i>2 egg whites </i></div>
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<i>125g caster sugar </i></div>
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<i>Makes 12 cupcakes </i></div>
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<i>1. Preheat the oven to 200C or gas mark 6 and place 12 cupcake cases in the holes of a 12-hole cupcake pan.</i> </div>
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<i>2. Melt the butter.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VFoq8kLwxC3ni_QDycPe8Aisj7SKi8XvadHVY9hunBOF0e3GOMGhX7UJv3nXePPIhjKA5WeaAQBhmTjwv1io2X0AJIQr8HWF52snsiehwF1H40lfe5bh-r9OanBhCBBLYxJOzEtm5DI/s1600/IMG_0823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VFoq8kLwxC3ni_QDycPe8Aisj7SKi8XvadHVY9hunBOF0e3GOMGhX7UJv3nXePPIhjKA5WeaAQBhmTjwv1io2X0AJIQr8HWF52snsiehwF1H40lfe5bh-r9OanBhCBBLYxJOzEtm5DI/s320/IMG_0823.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oooh, melty melty</td></tr>
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<i>3. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the sugar. Make a well in the middle of the sugar/flour mix. </i></div>
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<i>4. In separate bowl add the whole egg, egg yolk and a pinch of salt and beat together. Then stir in the milk, vanilla and melted butter </i>(I note that the recipe I used as my base said "add milk" but didn't actually say how much milk to add. After having a momentary melt-down I had a quick trawl on the net and came to the conclusion of adding a 1/2 cup which I list above in the ingredients)<i>. </i></div>
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<i>5. Pour the egg mixture into the well in the flour mixture and mix on a low speed until well combined. Divide the mixture into the cases and bake for 15 minutes.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXYL3iuyoVVC1m7fRtbSg8B8RAGm7VogO5HDQDR-Qt2AD1L_vM4RZ1O4qGXXRtQiJB07udKYFIBwcBKwtK1LKollMNZFVUZmbp5uqv99i31gnhp55ojz-z9d-Bstp176skJKW4MdW1_w/s1600/LMC1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXYL3iuyoVVC1m7fRtbSg8B8RAGm7VogO5HDQDR-Qt2AD1L_vM4RZ1O4qGXXRtQiJB07udKYFIBwcBKwtK1LKollMNZFVUZmbp5uqv99i31gnhp55ojz-z9d-Bstp176skJKW4MdW1_w/s400/LMC1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes I admit it. I betrayed Berta and used Mummy-Dearest's dinosaur-yet-still-brilliant-30-year-old Kenwood.</td></tr>
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<i>6. Remove the cupcakes from the oven (but leave the oven on) and let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes. Do not take them out of the tray though! Using a small sharp knife (like a pairing knife) cut a hole out of the middle of each cupcake - about an inch deep </i>(there is no further use for the cuttings so by all means have a bit of snackage action)<i>.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlgnIBQ7M2g7mnAn3rEjBYxG1Tr41ni-3WpHUnf5NOJdH6z42LUw1kLRWMTRUHW1hu2RL_k1dw1D2A-QpWyWuE_coWG3_MymrZqOuhUgozGZlSY9yLj4-6bjv2ja5PkPI_XztGfh_NRY/s1600/LMC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlgnIBQ7M2g7mnAn3rEjBYxG1Tr41ni-3WpHUnf5NOJdH6z42LUw1kLRWMTRUHW1hu2RL_k1dw1D2A-QpWyWuE_coWG3_MymrZqOuhUgozGZlSY9yLj4-6bjv2ja5PkPI_XztGfh_NRY/s400/LMC2.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>
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<i>7. Using a teaspoon fill each hole with the lemon curd. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8pCjcWnyXtAdsky5c3JrMlvtOlLapPrYvGTte19-qY4o7fUj3dO7p_xUsJqNiwzHO_bdACByBzpc7KZnrfsDF6Wl5Z1vKvryGosZmFMdi7S4IT7HBi_IYgpmfyIoKKlJ__MchG2vcOU/s1600/LMC3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8pCjcWnyXtAdsky5c3JrMlvtOlLapPrYvGTte19-qY4o7fUj3dO7p_xUsJqNiwzHO_bdACByBzpc7KZnrfsDF6Wl5Z1vKvryGosZmFMdi7S4IT7HBi_IYgpmfyIoKKlJ__MchG2vcOU/s320/LMC3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-style: italic;">8. </i>(Having obviously washed out the mixing bowl for the mixer - be careful to make sure the soap is all washed out of the bowl and the bowl is dry as these can affect the meringue) <i style="font-style: italic;"> Using the whisk adaptor for the mixer, beat the egg whites until they are light and frothy. Gradually add the sugar, whisking well after each addition until the mixture is stiff and glossy. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50OlODB9W1vq7dttHHLWyNoZ_F-uz7WDPIJQJjStOPf5_n0FLiaWDaOCsLyVnNMc0ewzJzOAqnPRjKan4IAn7QNnMSlyy_Qc7VvRZepo1E5n_lCUccngvChMRuFJdsM2h-WPRnhK0Omw/s1600/LMC4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50OlODB9W1vq7dttHHLWyNoZ_F-uz7WDPIJQJjStOPf5_n0FLiaWDaOCsLyVnNMc0ewzJzOAqnPRjKan4IAn7QNnMSlyy_Qc7VvRZepo1E5n_lCUccngvChMRuFJdsM2h-WPRnhK0Omw/s640/LMC4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><i>9. Spoon the egg whites into a piping bag and using a fairly wide nozzle carefully pipe the egg white in a spiral, starting at the edge and ending in the centre with a nice peak. Put the cupcakes back in the oven for 5 minutes, until the meringue is golden.</i></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJGvPatAybenYgiSNuf6d0RT20C7llhsCUPhFbtOtkZ_6I_XQYxkqM23bLlRw9ay1nfyVbg6LDna9DAX8S3TCJ_BG9LbhRyfWpWF_1J8AWWzz_3JxlWupIieUOxWcFHJElFHCvkoTQtU/s1600/LMC5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJGvPatAybenYgiSNuf6d0RT20C7llhsCUPhFbtOtkZ_6I_XQYxkqM23bLlRw9ay1nfyVbg6LDna9DAX8S3TCJ_BG9LbhRyfWpWF_1J8AWWzz_3JxlWupIieUOxWcFHJElFHCvkoTQtU/s400/LMC5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, I've not used a piping bag in a couple of years so forgive me for not being "perfect"!</td></tr>
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<i>10. Serve!</i><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">These are super yummy, especially fresh from the oven. The cupcakes are really tasty and light - given Posie's usual cake-aversion she managed to get her hands on the "holes" and ate them all! As bad as it may sound I was so happy she enjoyed them I didn't mind (plus she was helped out by Grandad). They went very quickly and I only had 2 left to take into the office. I felt rather miserly but at the same time I'm always eager to get external opinions on what I've baked so figured I'd let them duke it out over the last 2. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">The only irritation is that my mother's oven doesn't work properly and bakes a little too hot so it made the peaks of my meringue slightly cajun...</span></div>
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</div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-34622737686348215142012-04-15T22:43:00.002+01:002012-04-15T22:44:20.940+01:00HOT cross buns, HOT cross buns, one a penny two a penny, HOT cross buns<div style="text-align: justify;">
So firstly, apologies galore. I've not blogged in the last 2 weeks but that does not mean I haven't been busy in the kitchen. I have. But we went away for an Easter break so I have also been enjoying the cakey-bakey goodies that Paris has to offer. In fact I rather overindulged in cheese, wine and patisserie! We stayed in an apartment right on the edge of the 1st and 2nd Arrondissement that was literally a stone's throw from a market street filled with ice cream parlours, bakeries, butchers, wine shops, flower shops, bistros....it was an amazing location. I'm hoping to take some inspiration from the trip so watch this space. </div>
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Saying that though. Easter isn't complete without Hot Cross Buns, and whilst the Parisians lulled me into a food coma they didn't do Hot Cross Buns. I however do!</div>
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I have a recipe folder filled with a ton of recipes that I have never tried. I tear them out of magazines and file them away, never to attempt. In fact one of the reasons I started writing the blog was to actually start making these recipes. With the lead up to Easter the supermarkets, bakers and my mum start stocking up on the Hot Cross Buns. I've spent a couple of weekends at the folks recently and have been loving toasted, butter smothered Hot Cross Buns for brekkie. So, given my recent bread/dough successes I felt confident enough to give the Hot Cross Bun recipes a go. </div>
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I'm pretty certain this recipe is a Delia and certainly is seems pretty similar to the one listed on her <a href="http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/hot-cross-buns.html" target="_blank">website</a>.</div>
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Now for this recipe I didn't have any mixed spice to hand but I did have a variety of spices in my spice/herb drawer so I searched around on t'net and made the mixed spice myself.<br />
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<i>To make the mixed spice:</i><br />
<i>2 tbs ground cinnamon</i><br />
<i>2 tsp ground coriander</i><br />
<i>2 tsp ground nutmeg</i><br />
<i>1/2 tsp ground cloves</i><br />
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<i>I didn't have ground cloves but had whole cloves so I started by grinding them in my trusty pestle and mortar. Then I dumped everything else in and gave it all a good grind (wow, that sounds rather sordid. Oh well).</i></div>
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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;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckHt1ldCngRx2yKL4ZNH8NgphMpkWlBUXrgd1s65zF6hkKGId3soG8yQinyzINhi2jJCrXhYLYMbI-udP3zUiz0o8uGvOjyIWJ330XD3sUHKRmXFzBKiBCI2QaUiOgIYzbslzWkAfvRQ/s1600/Mixed+Spice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckHt1ldCngRx2yKL4ZNH8NgphMpkWlBUXrgd1s65zF6hkKGId3soG8yQinyzINhi2jJCrXhYLYMbI-udP3zUiz0o8uGvOjyIWJ330XD3sUHKRmXFzBKiBCI2QaUiOgIYzbslzWkAfvRQ/s640/Mixed+Spice.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixed Spice<i> </i></td></tr>
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I made the recipe pretty much as directed except (as usual, I can't just stick to a recipe!) I didn't have any mixed peel and in all honesty I'm not a massive fan of my Hot Cross Bun being citrus-ey tasting. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSq69bxl8EbwVMvd291KyGrBnq2qtbKbp5B1d7X7VTdFEBjA7Badbh6x_MMkMim8LHqgcAkWJsKCS2u2GNPM3RBzTHbrBvhw10MYY4wBGXA3dGuzTM99cINmfAijYHWZ-6IXbJ5biqbRI/s1600/IMG_0798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSq69bxl8EbwVMvd291KyGrBnq2qtbKbp5B1d7X7VTdFEBjA7Badbh6x_MMkMim8LHqgcAkWJsKCS2u2GNPM3RBzTHbrBvhw10MYY4wBGXA3dGuzTM99cINmfAijYHWZ-6IXbJ5biqbRI/s400/IMG_0798.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ooh, frothy!</td></tr>
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Here's a handy tip for working out what "<i>hand-hot water is</i>" (I mean, its not exactly a scientific statement is it?? What is lukewarm to me is hot to my little one!) Anyway, go by this method - 1 part boiling water to 2 parts cold water. Bosh - hand-hot water.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCa4LBM3Kq3PIeYkBSf2An_sRMHJeu7gzyNbFUzTQccFqrEgcMRWMjLMb166-LiX-swUFZll2VaO8KLykPQ0Wbwmmv3H3eFfNVsvMHajjHthRnSAE-t6RWqlXxaZqirEruJ38Gvn5bz8/s1600/HCBs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCa4LBM3Kq3PIeYkBSf2An_sRMHJeu7gzyNbFUzTQccFqrEgcMRWMjLMb166-LiX-swUFZll2VaO8KLykPQ0Wbwmmv3H3eFfNVsvMHajjHthRnSAE-t6RWqlXxaZqirEruJ38Gvn5bz8/s640/HCBs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They smelled amazing when they were cooking. Filled the whole house with a bready, spicy aroma. Better than a Yankee Candle!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQohOuYstnYJCNWxqtaWlOgbUVHhcI7MoAKZg1obBkNUwqx6dax-J401TOeD7sESB6d_Exsw-l6YyzaB4AvHNf9asEGxSe8wC4y2dxlxtgnQnQc-SLIUvYdJSbqGf_NSoOPLdhgKFYzqA/s1600/IMG_0809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQohOuYstnYJCNWxqtaWlOgbUVHhcI7MoAKZg1obBkNUwqx6dax-J401TOeD7sESB6d_Exsw-l6YyzaB4AvHNf9asEGxSe8wC4y2dxlxtgnQnQc-SLIUvYdJSbqGf_NSoOPLdhgKFYzqA/s400/IMG_0809.JPG" width="297" /></a></div>
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As you can see I didn't make the white crosses - I simply didn't have time to make shortcrust pastry as the recipe suggests. However, on the Delia website she suggests making the white crosses using "<i>a flour and water paste made with 4 oz (110 g) plain flour and approximately 3 tablespoons water. Roll out thinly and divide into small strips, dampening them to seal</i>" so I'd try that next time. Much simpler!</div>
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The best BEST way to serve them is cut in half, toasted and smothered in butter. Bloody gorgeous!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadAPQGHk-WkwSCy6-sB0_ZH4z4mjtO95Szhi_lwD7YR4i38SeKAPj8PL0RZk6NoFGHkBvtKA52RVZRbxPrC2xJgJbyE6UAjgIRatSM-vGMsf_71vc1LtN9alYIW50q96UmzCovVlH2Tg/s1600/IMG_0812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadAPQGHk-WkwSCy6-sB0_ZH4z4mjtO95Szhi_lwD7YR4i38SeKAPj8PL0RZk6NoFGHkBvtKA52RVZRbxPrC2xJgJbyE6UAjgIRatSM-vGMsf_71vc1LtN9alYIW50q96UmzCovVlH2Tg/s400/IMG_0812.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I took them into work and they went down a treat. One colleague ate 2...a second ate 3...he claimed he was doing me a favour. Personally these are the best thing I've made yet. I had one for breakfast all week and every time I opened the tub I got a waft of spicy goodness. Yummers.</div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-6682878051171923802012-04-02T23:03:00.001+01:002012-04-02T23:07:35.070+01:00Pot-Age Patties<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bangers and mash. Its proper British grub and everyone in my family loves it. We've even converted the hubby.</div>
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Banger's are sausages. I don't know why we call them "bangers" but <a href="http://www.britsfood.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65&Itemid=107" target="_blank">this</a> website provides quite an amusing explanation. Strangely we also seem to call boobs bangers, in fact it was yelled at me the other day from some workmen. "<i>Oi luv! You've got some great bangers!</i>". Yes, its every girl's dream being yelled at that she's got a good rack by the "panel" at a building site. I have NO idea why boobs are also called bangers and I sincerely hope it bears no correlation with the sausage explanation. Anyway...</div>
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My father looked after le Pose on Saturday night as hubby was off on a football training weekend (American not soccer) and I had been invited to an old friend's birthday party (literally known her my entire life from bump). Just before I left he made their dinner - Bangers and mash - Posie's favourite. Why is this important? Simple, there was a ton of left over mashed potato and half a pack of uncooked sausages so I whipped up this little recipe...</div>
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<i>The recipe - Pot-Age Patties with a Honey-Mustard Dressing (get it? Pot (<u>pot</u>ato) Age (saus<u>age</u>) <span style="font-size: xx-small;">well I liked it</span>)</i></div>
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<i>The patties:</i></div>
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<i>5 medium sized potatoes, boiled and mashed with a little milk and butter</i></div>
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<i>4 large pork sausages, casings removed leaving just the meat (you could also use store-bought sausage meat)</i></div>
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<i>1 medium red onion, finely chopped</i></div>
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<i>3 baby portabella mushrooms, finely chopped</i></div>
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<i>1 egg</i></div>
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<i>plain flour for dredging</i><br />
<i>olive oil for frying</i></div>
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<i>The dressing:</i></div>
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<i>1 tbsp honey</i></div>
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<i>1 tbsp <a href="http://www.theeastindiacompanyfinefood.com/product/9/20_1_bul1/bulldog-mustard.html" target="_blank">Bulldog Mustard</a> (or other coarse grain mustard)</i></div>
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<i>1 tbsp Dijon mustard</i></div>
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<i>1 tbsp lemon juice</i><br />
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<i>A salad of some description - I used a pre-bagged mix.</i><br />
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<i>1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6.</i><br />
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<i>2. Put all the ingredients for the patties in a bowl and mash together with a fork then get it good and combined with a wooden spoon (or your mitts).</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJMPEef_QoATDaaimKggGjH7BACaHdl3jVoP3xeO2u8IaLl-4cY5osqNTaOXqE0g32BejEGeN-hCJgrDi1rU3sQ5YW3yUyLK2KgUgNkG-IUaWpEs3WbRo7bBPiKgUWcFgGj6Ex64semc/s1600/IMG_0844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJMPEef_QoATDaaimKggGjH7BACaHdl3jVoP3xeO2u8IaLl-4cY5osqNTaOXqE0g32BejEGeN-hCJgrDi1rU3sQ5YW3yUyLK2KgUgNkG-IUaWpEs3WbRo7bBPiKgUWcFgGj6Ex64semc/s400/IMG_0844.JPG" width="296" /></a></div>
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<i>3. Grab a handful of the mix and shape it into patties about an inch thick (this recipe makes about 12 patties). Dredge the patties in the plain flour.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJ0V0DPbRxIaW01aAlhf2UssHW9vlHPnuVg0xrx4dSnvAcNZaeuFVVdyIIv6dCFmRBqrADUuum8XNgd19gHocyGTK10d2AHDkMHsxhfkqFfTx9euCKec2s-Kj1V10Cvq5LhRgbQtcieY/s1600/IMG_0845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJ0V0DPbRxIaW01aAlhf2UssHW9vlHPnuVg0xrx4dSnvAcNZaeuFVVdyIIv6dCFmRBqrADUuum8XNgd19gHocyGTK10d2AHDkMHsxhfkqFfTx9euCKec2s-Kj1V10Cvq5LhRgbQtcieY/s400/IMG_0845.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>4. Heat some oil (I used olive oil - my mother's close friend lives on an olive grove in Tuscany so I have an enormous can of incredible olive oil from their <a href="http://www.piandelcolombaio.com/" target="_blank">grove</a>) in a large (preferably non-stick) frying pan or flat griddle. Cook until golden brown on each side (about 5mins) then transfer the patties onto a baking sheet and cook for another 20mins.</i><br />
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<i>5. While the patties are in the oven make the dressing. Simply put all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine.</i><br />
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<i>6. Artfully place some lettuce on a plate (artfully place lettuce on a plate? Seriously Lucy?!), put a couple of patties on top and drizzle (yes drizzle) the dressing all over.</i><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;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wCGLKkkroaKLUvogrQSG3P1I4xeohdyljsvZBUA13QcRyWeyEJIGdz94K3e02seR3eUequ2Mml6GnKJ9CYGYsDXr7MHnTkM8OymZdRFyauAsAqgCpXkV-ww9R7HVsr7DWVl3YQvqj-4/s1600/IMG_0853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wCGLKkkroaKLUvogrQSG3P1I4xeohdyljsvZBUA13QcRyWeyEJIGdz94K3e02seR3eUequ2Mml6GnKJ9CYGYsDXr7MHnTkM8OymZdRFyauAsAqgCpXkV-ww9R7HVsr7DWVl3YQvqj-4/s400/IMG_0853.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah yes, artful salad.</td></tr>
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<i>7. EAT!</i><br />
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This was really tasty for a fairly light lunch made for my dad whilst Pose was asleep. The sausage wasn't too overpowering but gave all the seasoning you needed (although I am always happy to add more sausage - British sausages were one of the biggest things I missed when I lived in the US and was the hardest thing to get a hold of. The other was strong cheddar cheese. Yes, I'm a cheese and sausage girl apparently). To make it more brunch/hangover friendly it would be great without the salad but with a 3min poached egg on top (cook it longer by all means, I just like my eggs nice and runny).<br />
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Enjoy :)</div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-23924309427931274912012-04-01T23:23:00.003+01:002012-04-02T00:11:58.779+01:00Mother's Day Afternoon Tea<div style="text-align: justify;">
I know you've just been dying to see this (yeah right! Edge of your seat sorta stuff I'm doing here!)</div>
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Whilst I finished the sweet side of the afternoon tea my sisters made the triangle sandwiches. Using thin sliced white bread they cut the crusts off, buttered the bread and filled the sandwiches with:</div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">cream cheese and cucumber</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">ham and <a href="http://www.theeastindiacompanyfinefood.com/product/9/20_1_bul1/bulldog-mustard.html" target="_blank">Bulldog Mustard</a> (a spicy wholegrain mustard made by The East India Company)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">chicken salad</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">strong cheddar cheese and <a href="http://www.bringoutthebranston.co.uk/" target="_blank">Branston Pickle</a> (uber-Bristish condiment)</li>
</ul>
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Traditional afternoon tea usually goes with cucumber finger sandwiches and cress finger sandwiches but really...cress, cucumber? Who's tastes is that going to satisfy? Ultimately its <u>your</u> afternoon tea so do what makes you happy.</div>
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Separate sandwiches were made for Nan (sans butter) and Posie (ham and cream cheese cut into shapes with cookie cutters) and the table was laid.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nAwVnjdwnGRzL1s_dbzUNxrL7SPlBn1GR4lGkDTff7goZp4DW7B1S-3LqaugmtiY4vxgM83plolbG8KFjJuUgDDG3PKzLyz133l_cOPh7ydOLoKMckf34m7tyw7aV6CaH_mLKEwzqlA/s1600/IMG_0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nAwVnjdwnGRzL1s_dbzUNxrL7SPlBn1GR4lGkDTff7goZp4DW7B1S-3LqaugmtiY4vxgM83plolbG8KFjJuUgDDG3PKzLyz133l_cOPh7ydOLoKMckf34m7tyw7aV6CaH_mLKEwzqlA/s640/IMG_0822.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't you love my mother's salt and pepper shakers in the background...</td></tr>
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My little sister also made some banana bread to finish the spread and we gorged on sweet goodies.</div>
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Not quite up to the <a href="http://www.theritzlondon.com/tea/" target="_blank">Ritz </a>standard but hey, not a bad effort on my part given everything else I was doing!! Everybody loved the Lemon Meringue Pie's best but the <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/im-giant.html" target="_blank">Scones</a> and the <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/oh-whats-occurring.html" target="_blank">Welsh Cakes</a> went down well too (of course with lashings of clotted cream).</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just to complete the saga though...you might notice that there are only 4 <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/im-giant.html" target="_blank">Scones</a> and 5 <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/oh-whats-occurring.html" target="_blank">Welsh Cakes</a> and that I had originally contemplated making 8. Well I had. I arrived home from a hen party on the Saturday night at 12.30am. I was staying at the 'rents as they were babysitting for me and I needed to be up early to get the food all prepped for the Mother's Day feast. My bro' had waited up to let me in and upon my arrival informed me that my scones were really good. It took me a few moments to register what he had just said and then I put my head in my hands.</div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-5837939306899568832012-04-01T22:28:00.000+01:002012-04-01T23:29:00.787+01:00...and whey (finally)<div style="text-align: justify;">
And so, the final piece of the LMP puzzle....the meringue!*</div>
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<i>The recipe - LMP courtesy of the New York Times Cook Book (1961 edition!)</i></div>
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<i>Part 2, the meringue</i></div>
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<i>3 egg whites</i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/4 </span>tsp cream of tartar</i></div>
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<i>6 tbsp sugar </i>(I used caster sugar)</div>
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<i>1. Beat the egg whites until light and frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until the whites are stiff enough to hold a peak </i>(I used my mother's Kenwood to bear the brunt of this work. I have made meringue before whisking by hand but its pretty bloody knackering!).</div>
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<i>2. Gradually beat in the sugar and beat until the meringue is stiff and glossy </i>(yes, I did the holding-the-bowl-upside-down-over-my-head test. I always do. It makes me feel like a superior baker <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(and no the whites did not fall on my head or out of the bowl although I'm sure that I will one of these days my cockiness will leave me literally with egg on my face</span>).</div>
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<i>3. Pile the meringue lightly on cooled pie filling, spreading it until it touches the edges of the pastry to prevent the meringue shrinking.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuSsvriUveQCKdeyHl8gJnv9Ph0gKge60ic5LraFjrghlPRQYybeagFRFHX8-3Ciqz4s6j7BmupEhZTnXPZ34KV455AdKf0ZLdlwnZFp-3-97v8fkSLWIQKhFPLAg0IjdZds584hKRUM/s1600/IMG_0820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbuSsvriUveQCKdeyHl8gJnv9Ph0gKge60ic5LraFjrghlPRQYybeagFRFHX8-3Ciqz4s6j7BmupEhZTnXPZ34KV455AdKf0ZLdlwnZFp-3-97v8fkSLWIQKhFPLAg0IjdZds584hKRUM/s400/IMG_0820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, the iPhone was resurrected. Huzzah!</td></tr>
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<i>4. Bake in a preheated hot oven (425F) until the top is brown, five to six minutes.</i><br />
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You might notice there is one meringue-free tart on the bottom right of the first picture. While I was finishing off the LMPs, Nan cruised into the kitchen to watch me bake (and comment) and requested that I leave one of the tarts without any meringue. I dutifully agreed as any good granddaughter should and continued to finish off the LMPs. When we sat down to eat Nan then took one of the regular LMPs and claimed she had never put in such a request...</div>
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<i>* I do apologise for the delay, it was not intended. I had to go to a client event one night, overdid it that night so had to put myself to bed early the following night then had a friend's birthday party (which also involved me having to scale an iron poker fence....in heels....because I couldn't get out of the station. In my mind walking the 10 minutes it would have taken to get to my car seemed too much like hard work but shimmying over the fence was fine?!?) and so finally here we are. You really wanted to know that didn't you?</i></div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-66382367245559287272012-03-28T23:15:00.003+01:002012-04-01T22:31:44.414+01:00...eating her curds...Was the wait just too hard to bear? Did you cope? I know, I know...not quite a <a href="http://www.hbo.com/true-blood/index.html" target="_blank">True Blood</a>-holding-your-breath style cliffhanger but you never know. Maybe a broken tart crust leaves your heart pounding?<br />
<br />
So where were we? <br />
<br />
I went to bed that night happy with my 6 <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/little-miss-muffet-sat-on-tuffet.html" target="_blank">pie crusts</a> and awoke thinking that the pie crusts seemed incredibly fragile. I therefore decided to leave them out to harden up a little (i.e. go a little stale). It just seemed like the right thing to do. <br />
<br />
As I was getting ready to leave for work I was enjoying listening to the conversation between hubby and Pose. They were discussing the pie crusts and being very cute. And then I heard the words that never precede good news..."oops". I peaked my head around the corner to be greeted with pie crust carnage. ANOTHER TART WAS BROKEN. I asked why and was given my husband's cute-I'm-trying-to-get-out-of-jail-free-smile (I got no answer to the "why?" but have assumed he was trying to break a little bit off just to get a taste and well, you know the rest). I just put my face in my hands and explained that I was already down 2 and this now put me in negative equity. He offered to make more and I really had no choice so let him get on with it, grudgingly thanking him.<br />
<br />
Evidently, he is not a pastry chef (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">but I love that he offered to try to fix it</span>).<br />
<br />
Sunday morning rolled around and I was at my mother's bright and early preparing the Mothering Sunday lunch of Coq au Vin (containing 1 entire bottle of very nice red plonk - my father (who does a great hangover fry-up but isn't exactly renowned for his culinary skills) tried to stop me putting in the 725ml called for by the recipe and claimed my mother only puts about a cup in. I said the recipe I was using was HER recipe given to me about 9yrs ago. He said ok, but that a bottle is 750mls so I should just pour the lot in...um, ok dad...). Once that was all settled into the slow cooker I set my mind to completing the LMP (remember <u>L</u>emon <u>M</u>eringue <u>P</u>ie*). So next step, lemon curd (see what I did there? Little Miss Muffet, sat on her tuffet eating her curds...? No...? Killjoy).<br />
<br />
<em>The recipe - LMP courtesy of the New York Times Cook Book (1961 edition!)</em><br />
<br />
<em>Part 2, the lemon curd</em><br />
<br />
<em>1 cup granulated sugar</em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1/4 </span><span style="font-size: small;">tsp salt</span></em><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em>1/4 </em></span><span style="font-size: small;"><em>cup flour </em>(I used plain)</span><br />
<em>3 tbsp cornstarch </em>(I used cornflour - I'm not sure if there's a difference?)<br />
<em>2 cups water</em><br />
<em>3 eggs, separated </em>(save the whites for the <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/and-whey-finally.html" target="_blank">meringue topping</a>)<br />
<em>1 tbsp butter</em><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em>1/4 </em></span><span style="font-size: small;"><em>cup lemon juice </em>(this is roughly the juice of 1 lemon)</span><br />
<em>grated rind of 1 lemon</em><br />
<br />
<em>1. Combine the sugar, salt, flour and cornstarch and gradually stir in the water. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. </em><br />
<br />
I should point out here that the recipe isn't particularly detailed on how to "cook" so I basically put the ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and stirred using a whisk. You need to be patient though, it takes its time thickening.<br />
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<em>2. Gradually stir hot mixture into beaten egg yolks, return to low heat and cook, stirring, two minutes. Stir in butter, lemon juice and rind and cool slightly. Pour into baked pastry shell and cool.</em><br />
<br />
Again, not much detail. Personally after step 1 I put the pan to one side to cool (away from the heat) and then set to beating the yolks, zesting and juicing the lemon. By the time you are finished (unless you are "Supercook" - <em>faster than a speeding Kitchenaid!!</em>) the hot mixture should be about cool enough to mix in the cold mixture. Just be wary. I remember an episode of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mx9xb" target="_blank">Masterchef The Professionals</a> where they set the "professionals" the task of making lemon curd and the majority of them created lemony scrambled eggs. I succeeded where they failed - hurrah!!<br />
<br />
Once the mixture begins to cool it goes quite gloopy so you will need to give it a quick whisk. I then spooned the curd into the pie crusts (and some additional crusts I had quickly made with some ready-to-roll pastry my mum had in the fridge) and returned to the Coq au Vin whilst the pie's cooled.<br />
<br />
Of course you could stop here and let them set to have lemon tart instead. My family took some of the pastry off-cuts and dipped it into the remaining lemon curd as a sort of appetiser (I guess?) and seemed very taken with the curd. It even got my Nan's seal of approval. Although it didn't help with her regular afternoon bout of heartburn...<br />
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You might notice this post's distinctive lack of pictures. I take all my baking pictures on my iPhone (its just more handy than my good camera to be honest) and it just so happened that this particular Sunday my mother, my brother and I all had dead iPhones. It being Mother's Day (i) I had to wait for my mother to get up to find the charger, and (ii) ranking in order of seniority (read "age" but shhh don't tell her I said that), I had to wait for my mother to charge her iPhone. You'll have to wait for the next post to see pictures. <br />
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...to be continued**...</div>
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*<em> My nurse friend advises me that LMP stands for something entirely different and not dinner-time-talk. Oops.</em><br />
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<em>** Oooh another cliffhanger!! Well I did say it would be a saga.</em>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-78738502552929066962012-03-27T23:17:00.001+01:002012-03-27T23:17:25.106+01:00Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYUKJrS13quhZpdJJirXwgU-HhqpdjqALY-EmAvhyphenhyphendO2yW7ZZNR1y8dse2eAVx_Avdk44nJpyN_y5UUUkvxJChlMAUTYhXqGJ3bzelOSg05KQXyrhAhvT4HIw0-ufb0oaZSlFj92J85c/s1600/Little+Miss+Muffet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYUKJrS13quhZpdJJirXwgU-HhqpdjqALY-EmAvhyphenhyphendO2yW7ZZNR1y8dse2eAVx_Avdk44nJpyN_y5UUUkvxJChlMAUTYhXqGJ3bzelOSg05KQXyrhAhvT4HIw0-ufb0oaZSlFj92J85c/s320/Little+Miss+Muffet.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />I'm pretty sure that the curds and whey Little Miss Muffet was eating had something to do with cheese and not lemon curd but hey...lets talk tuffets.</div>
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<br />
Finally I got around to blogging about the last piece of the Mother's Day afternoon tea puzzle*. What has this got to do with Little Miss Muffet or curds and whey? Well, my mother's favourite dessert is Lemon Meringue Pie (at least I think it is, she always seems to have a Sara Lee one in the freezer) so I decided to attempt a Lemon Meringue Pie, well not one, 8 Lemon Meringue Pies....in miniature of course! I have never made a Lemon Meringue Pie (seriously I can't be bothered to type that each time so lets go with "LMP" from now on) before as I'm not a massive fan of it, or meringue (I really don't - its like the hubby's weird cake-phobia - well not that weird, that really is bizarre. Worst of all it seems to be genetic and my daughter has also started rejecting cake! What is the world coming to when a 2yr old doesn't like cake!?!?).</div>
<br />Anyway, moving swiftly on...<br />
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSXpzozrb6XfaHATPDm4-r-jW0rhLbFxNDBcWRNrosSiNDYJj5W-tAfX4g7qDD2YPx9z2SSTuMnwkB7BLfi3M-XhVm_8y97JF5_K5A4XctxcWvTUsspHcvZqJAOS2tqYxTf70rb1mu8o/s1600/IMG_0815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSXpzozrb6XfaHATPDm4-r-jW0rhLbFxNDBcWRNrosSiNDYJj5W-tAfX4g7qDD2YPx9z2SSTuMnwkB7BLfi3M-XhVm_8y97JF5_K5A4XctxcWvTUsspHcvZqJAOS2tqYxTf70rb1mu8o/s200/IMG_0815.JPG" width="149" /></a>So yes, I had never made an LMP before. I figured that with a classic recipe like this you really need to go back to an old recipe. Now my mother was friends with a lovely loud Southern gal' who had a great passion for cookery and had amassed a large collection of cook books. Sadly she passed away and the cook books needed a new home. A large number of her books were American cuisine and given that at this point in time I was dating hubby my mother thought the best home for these books would be with me. One of my favourite of these books is a real tome and according to the inside covers was published back in 1961. I went straight to this book to find an LMP recipe and there it was. Oh, and its The New York Times Cook Book so I figured it must be a decent recipe. I wasn't wrong.</div>
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<br /><em>The recipe - LMP courtesy of the New York Times Cook Book (1961 edition!)</em></div>
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<br /><em>Part 1, the crust</em><br />
I decided to go with a sweet pie pastry recipe (the book also gives other crust recipes) as follows:<br />
<br /><em>2 cups sifted all-purpose flour </em>(I used plain)<br />
<em>2 egg yolks</em><br />
<em>2 tablespoons sugar </em>(I used caster)<br />
<em>1 cup butter (at room temperature)</em><br />
<em>Grated rind of 1 lemon</em><br />
<em>Pinch of salt</em><br />
<br /><em>1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the remaining ingredients.</em><br />
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<br /><em>2. Mix the centre ingredients with the fingers of one hand or a pastry blender until blended. Quickly work in the flour. Add a small amount of ice water if necessary to moisten the dough so it can be gathered into a ball.</em><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0sh28MiDazDHzBbK0SF-QiPqhWnmvEnrVrQgVvHbuSEr9Khr5METFdJmRhgycdBxOC8O-o0NuzV7YUinUhy7W7_0Xv3aivqJj4L-OUcr-SSi4qBQE-s1hduHovKDHWjmSOlxkWvs9Ws/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0sh28MiDazDHzBbK0SF-QiPqhWnmvEnrVrQgVvHbuSEr9Khr5METFdJmRhgycdBxOC8O-o0NuzV7YUinUhy7W7_0Xv3aivqJj4L-OUcr-SSi4qBQE-s1hduHovKDHWjmSOlxkWvs9Ws/s320/IMG_0743.JPG" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFTwfXN93GHZOoXuwjIBN11dOvutrea_p1LdkzEUHfvaK_JOs9_V8OZxacvgkmp-O45eEW8VDQFoIadviPrqEX0QrsOWKmGEOPptrX2G6WgfMgCTd166J8P47g6Qzs9hN4u-BdL4Vu7o/s1600/IMG_0744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFTwfXN93GHZOoXuwjIBN11dOvutrea_p1LdkzEUHfvaK_JOs9_V8OZxacvgkmp-O45eEW8VDQFoIadviPrqEX0QrsOWKmGEOPptrX2G6WgfMgCTd166J8P47g6Qzs9hN4u-BdL4Vu7o/s320/IMG_0744.JPG" width="239" /></a><br />
<br /><em>3. Wrap the dough in waxed paper </em>(I'll admit it, I'm lazy and just put it in the fridge in the mixing bowl) <em>and chill one hour. Roll out the pastry, fit it into the pans </em>(the recipe makes either 6 tart shells or 2 9-inch pie shells, I made slightly smaller ones to fit in a cupcake tray) <em>and bake on the bottom shelf of a preheated hot oven (450F) until brown, about 15mins </em>(just watch them!!)<em>.</em><br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrIzCoV7ldZh8-BBZT4MF0Q0FAyD4q74Y0bngeEDIBSyk1rYWr1ba_rajCUitnS9z-_3yK1etKWzwbP_PrjRb7SgfABlQOZn0iCYhi9HHsssCL0wHTFv7CLejbI1DMkiQkMqGtHHkbvY/s1600/IMG_0754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrIzCoV7ldZh8-BBZT4MF0Q0FAyD4q74Y0bngeEDIBSyk1rYWr1ba_rajCUitnS9z-_3yK1etKWzwbP_PrjRb7SgfABlQOZn0iCYhi9HHsssCL0wHTFv7CLejbI1DMkiQkMqGtHHkbvY/s320/IMG_0754.JPG" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyF26rVzarm9HZ-_X53SyaLaa04QyhZ-1oFo5WLRXmjCLagLwrmh674FLxSNY6lCUitxGH29_pQq08uMDV-_syE44k7XZXJsJgHzB6MC9FLxpxHNWeRUaEkz2DP93ZoTzWB1TtBnedgr0/s1600/IMG_0757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyF26rVzarm9HZ-_X53SyaLaa04QyhZ-1oFo5WLRXmjCLagLwrmh674FLxSNY6lCUitxGH29_pQq08uMDV-_syE44k7XZXJsJgHzB6MC9FLxpxHNWeRUaEkz2DP93ZoTzWB1TtBnedgr0/s320/IMG_0757.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Now you might notice that there are 8 crusts in the first picture and only 6 in the second picture. Well it seems that the crusts had their own opinion on LMPs (or perhaps just shared mine) and took it all a bit personally. They couldn't quite bear it anymore and took dramatic action:</div>
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I may have lost 2 of my "tuffets" (I seriously don't know what a tuffet is but it works so lets just go with it) but figured that although there were 8 people eating (i) I'm not a fan so could go without; and (ii) my 2 year old really doesn't NEED dessert. I was still in the game...<br />
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...to be continued**.....</div>
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*<em> I was baking on Sunday (Hot Cross Buns! Post coming soon...) so fully intended to sit down last night and write this up. Alas, my laptop seemed to be hating on me (I'm so down with the kids) and then I got side tracked by the brand spanking new episode of Mad Men (hurrah!!). </em><br />
<em></em> <br />
<em>** Oooh baking cliffhanger, exciting times....I was recounting the tale of the LMP to a friend the other night and she described it as a saga, so lets just go with that too. A lickle experiment.</em></div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5649266224547601181.post-44353639546896908352012-03-20T22:20:00.000+00:002012-03-23T22:22:59.354+00:00Oh, what's occurring??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, I had made little <a href="http://putitintheovenforbabyandme.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/im-giant.html" target="_blank">scones</a> for the afternoon tea. What next? Well, my mother loves Welsh Cakes and my nan is Welsh (shhhhh, don't tell anyone....)* so I decided to make Welsh Cakes...bitesize of course.<br />
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I looked in my recipe books and didn't have any recipes for Welsh Cakes so I went online. I found a couple of recipes but a lot were from US websites and were far too OTT (spices, zests...wooah there Nelly! This is meant to be a simple recipe!). I got caught between a James Martin recipe on the BBC Food website and the recipe I went with below (I figured it was from the people who make the flour to go into the cakes so they should know what they're doing!). The recipe is in italics.</div>
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<em>The recipe - Welsh Cakes courtesy of <a href="http://www.bakinginspiration.com/recipe/24/welsh-cakes" target="_blank">McDougalls</a></em><br />
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<em>225g McDougalls Self Raising Flour</em> (I did not use McDougalls, I used whatever was in my flour jar)</div>
<em>
</em><em>Pinch salt</em><br />
<em>
</em><em>100g unsalted butter </em><br />
<em>
</em><em>50g caster sugar</em><br />
<em>
</em><em>50g currants</em><br />
<em>
</em><em>1 medium egg</em><br />
<em>
</em><em>2 tbsp milk</em><br />
<br />
<em>Like the scones, I made these by hand as they mixed better than with Berta.</em><br />
<br />
<em>1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.</em><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>2. Rub in the butter</em> (now I may have run out of butter so I may have substituted 20g of butter with 20g shortening, but I couldn't possibly say)<em> until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs</em> (literally pick the mix up in between your hands and rub your hands together)<em>.</em></div>
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<em>3. Stir in the sugar and currants.</em><br />
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<em>4. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add egg and milk.</em><br />
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<em>5. Using a palette knife, bring ingredients together to form a stiff dough.</em><br />
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<em>6. Flour work surface and roll dough out to about 5mm in thickness. Using a fluted cutter, cut into rounds, re-rolling the trimmings </em>(again, I don't have any cutters - actually NOW I do since my MiL sent us some Easter cutters, but I didn't on Monday - so out came my trusty shot glass).<br />
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<em>7. Cook on a moderately hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy, flat bottomed frying pan for about 3-4 minutes each side until golden </em>(I baked mine on a tray at 200C for about 5 mins as I had further plans for my little Welsh Cakes)<em>.
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8. Once ready I took 8 of the Welsh Cakes, sprinkled them with caster sugar, put them in an airtight container and then put them in the freezer. As with the scones, I decided to freeze them in advance of the weekend to keep them fresh. I let the remaining Welsh Cakes cool a little but whilst still warm, I sprinkled them with caster sugar (I figured the heat would help the sugar stick to them) and popped them in an airtight container.</div>
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9. What about the other 8 then? Well I let them defrost overnight again and then right before serving on Mother's Day I spread butter all over a frying pan and cooked them for a couple of minutes on either side. I then sprinkled MORE sugar all over them and served. <br />
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Both hubster and my little one enjoyed the Welsh Cakes - she announced "mmm tastes good" and renamed them "sparkly cookies". I also took quite a few into the office, together with a tub of clotted cream. Given there are only 7 people in my team, 1 was out and another is on a diet, the Welsh Cakes (with assistance from the cream) disappeared pretty quickly. Much to my personal satisfaction!</div>
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Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the individual finished Welsh Cakes but you will see a picture soon...</div>
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*<em> My nan is Welsh but moved to England with her family when she was around 10yrs old. She doesn't have an accent but you can tell she's Welsh - she's always singing or crying (or both). Strangely enough though, her older brother (who moved to England at the same time) maintained a Welsh accent until he passed away. I never understood that.</em>
</div>Posies Mahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17999559138522592622noreply@blogger.com3