ANZAC biscuits & a happy birthday to moi

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

I've always felt fortunate to have been born on this date.

In honor of the fallen, Lest We Forget... 

Chocolate brownie cookies

Not more than a few days ago I had my Mother's Blessing.

The women in my life gathered to share their stories of motherhood and to give me strength (and many freezer meals) when the time comes that I too will experience the journey of birth. We talked and laughed over mugs of hot chocolate and bowls of plump, cerise strawberries. We each decorated our own gingerbread men with a rainbow of lollies and added our artistic touches to tiny white jumpsuits for the baby (thanks to Claudia for the wonderful idea). The end of the day was marked with a bead ceremony, where each woman gave a bead that represented them, along with their own blessing for the baby. Those beads now lie together in a bracelet, for my child to wrap their fingers around whenever they feel the need to be comforted by the love of all the women in its life.

My husband and I also gave a bead and the following blessing to our unborn child;

I wish for you to find strength when days seem dark. To draw upon all those who came before you, who may no longer be here but whose blood runs through your veins. Remember that our strength is your strength and that you are never alone.

I wish for you to be warmed by happiness as the Earth is warmed by the sun. To remember that happiness is a choice, not a set of circumstances. So dear child, choose to be happy and allow yourself to be filled with positive light even when shadows seek to smother it.

And lastly, I wish for you to find love as your father and I did. A love that makes you want to live an eternity with them so as never to be apart. A love that allows your soul to reach its highest form of being and your heart to burst with joy. A love of a best friend and a true beloved. Those are our wishes for you my sweet.

After a day filled with sweetness, it ended with a glass of milk and the most delicious morsel of a cookie.

ease: 4/5.

prep time: 25mins.

cooking time: 8mins.

total: 33mins.

taste: 4/5. My go-to chocolate cookie.

I first made these beauties almost 3 years ago and yet I never forgot them, and am quite uncertain as to why I waited so long to make them again! I prefer to make larger cookies which yield a chewier, fudgy center that compliments the crunchy meringue shell beautifully. These cookies are dark and sweet and completely addictive. With the larger cookie size I ended up with 24 cookies.

would I make it again: Yes, this is now the second time and only the beginning.

recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Brownie-Cookies-105884

Soft ginger & molasses cookie with white chocolate

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there

from Clement C Moore, A Visit from St Nicholas

Merry Christmas!

Between the hanging wreaths upon the door, the ribbons strewn along the floor and coloured ornaments galore, I have forgotten to stop, take a breath and enjoy the Christmas spirit. All whom I have spoken to lately seem to have gotten caught up in the panic and rush for presents and preparation, forgetting to relax and enjoy this festive time of year with loved ones. So today, with the presents wrapped, tree adorned and food prepped, I am lounging with my feet up, thoroughly enjoying a cookie from the batch I made 'for Santa'.

Are you relaxed and enjoying the break, or still running around like a madman?

ease: 5/5.

prep time: 15mins.

cooking time: 30mins for three lots.

total: 45mins.

taste: 4/5. Full of ginger and spice and all things naughty...

I adore ginger cookies made with molasses and these are no exception. Incredibly soft with a slight 'chew' these cookies are packed with heady spices that would warm the cockles of even the coldest heart, sprinkled with caramel hinted sugar and creamy pearls of white chocolate, Santa would certainly be happy to find these waiting for him on Christmas Eve. 

Whilst I found these rather addictive, they were a bit sweet for me with the addition of white chocolate and sugar dusting. I guess I am a ginger/molasses cookie purist, only spices for me please.

would I make them again: No - only because I like my ginger cookies less sweet.

recipe:  http://twopeasandtheirpod.com/soft-gingersnap-cookies-with-white-chocolate-chunks/#more-8396

Browned butter pizookie

My eyes slowly fluttered open, casting a hazy glance towards the clock. Upon seeing a 5 I allowed my lids to close and drifted off into a dreamless, heavy sleep. A little too heavy. The next time I glanced at my clock it read eleven. ELEVEN. I jumped out of bed faster than Superman and managed to get ready, vacuum the house AND make two dozen cookies in less than an hour. Pretty decent indeed.

The first stop was a friend's house where I spent hours laughing with them and smiling incessantly at their 8month old son (it amazes me how genuine and pure babie's smiles are) whilst sipping Chamomile tea and munching on said-24-chocolate chip cookies.

The second stop was a quick visit to my mother-in-law for a chat, a few games of Angry Birds and a another cup of tea.

Then it was a pit-stop at home for a dress change before heading out to meet my family at a local Thai restaurant for my Grandmother's 73rd birthday where we chowed down on Sweet & Sour Pork, Pad Pak and super delicious banana fritters and sticky black rice puddings.

Despite our super packed day, once we changed into our tracksuit pants and put our feet up I felt like a supper cookie snack, but more than a just cookie. And that's where this recipe came in and more than satisfied that craving. What are some of your post dinner cravings?

ease: 4.5/5.
prep time: 25mins.
cooking time: 15mins for three ramekins.
total: 40mins.

taste: 4/5. For lovers of cookie-dough deliciousness.

This was sweet and salty with oozy chocolate and fluffy cookie-ness - a ramekin full of soft, fudgy, crumbly, crunchy and oh so very yummy goodness.

Needless to say everyone enjoyed these, though be warned, a small serving still satisfies whilst a larger serving may cause a tummy ache.

would I make it again: Yes.


recipe: Browned butter pizookie

Chocolate chip cookies

I had to guard the dough as if it was the Queen's jewels.

My husband was drawn to the dough as if it were quietly whispering his name, begging him to come closer and taste a piece - it was his precious.
It was a strenuous task leaving the dough to sit in the fridge for more than 24 hours without it slowly being whitled away by my stealthy spouse - I believe it was around the 48th hour that I finally caved and rolled the dough between my palms to be baked in the oven. And oh my, the smell was gloriously wonderful.

These cookies were destined for bookclub and the new neighbours. The first batch welcomed in a new family, and the second were to be nibbled on whilst watching The Time Traveler's Wife and then comparing the film to the book. Every two months or so, the three women (or sometimes girls) with whom I have been friends for the better part of two decades make the trip down to my house for snacks, films, books and lengthy chatter. I always smile when I watch them take their respective places in my lounge room. I always choose the corner closest to the kitchen, enabling me to jump up and hastily refill drinks or restock snacks as any good host should. My girlfriend S, chooses the middle of the L shaped couch closest to the window, often placing her glass or phone upon the window sill as she sinks back into the sofa, her feet outstretched with an apple in hand. K1 sits beside me, smack bang in the middle, bowls of chips, lollies, chocolates and everything a 8 year old dreams of beside her, she never comes without her junk food bounty. And last, but not least, K2 most often chooses the floor, belly to carpet with her notebook open as she draws and scribbles whilst we talk. I always look forward to these catch ups that often stretch from mid morning to early evening, like a ribbon unravelling down a hillside; time always flies so fast when we are together.

Despite the cookies being ready in wait for their taste-testing, they never made it to the bookclub. S had an unexpected work shift and had to cancel, so instead the cookies were split in two, half for my husband and I, and half for my father and grandmother who spontaneously stopped by. Although this batch didn't fulfil their book club destiny, I shall be making another for our rescheduled date two weeks from now. I feel as though I have found the perfect chocolate chip cookie, so it's only fair my friends get to taste them too, as perhaps their searches will also end with his little gem.

ease: 4/5.
prep time: 10mins plus 24-72hours chilling time.
cooking time: 12mins per batch, I made around 30 cookies.
total: 40mins plus chilling time.

taste: 4.5/5. I think I've found THE ONE.

I had a good feeling about these cookies from the start - my patience in letting them wait was well rewarded. The texture was perfect for me, crisp outer shell with a soft, chewy centre that was a perfect backdrop for the soft, bitter-sweet chocolate discs all topped off with a sprinkle of salt - the perfect sweet and salty combination. The only thing I would change would be to reduce the chocolate amount. I already reduced it to 500g but I think it was still too much chocolate-to-cookie, perhaps 400g would be the perfect amount.

would I make them again: Yes.

recipe:  Chocolate chip cookies

Baileys pudding parfaits with oatmeal-walnut crunch

Sometimes I feel as if the wind blows only for me.

I love a good breeze; it stirs things around and feels wonderful on the skin. There are exceptions thouhgh; hair down and sticky lip gloss, that's when a breeze can drive a girl crazy. Despite being well into Winter we have had some dry and sunny interludes entice us out from our brick caves.
Thanks to the decent weather, this weekend was filled with a glamorous, late evening birthday, a morning spent with flying orange discs and an afternoon at the gallery accompanied by lunch with new friends - it was a weekend well spent.

As we ate out I hadn't cooked anything except breakfast for the past two days, and it was only after cleaning out the fridge this morning that I noticed one, lone glass goblet lurking forgotten in the back.
With some desserts I am often left with extra servings that I consume the next day, or even later that same night.  This time around I left the extras for my husband, but it seems he forgot about the last one. Although I feel sad that it remained uneaten before heading for its rubbish-bin demise, if I hadn't found it today I would have forgotten to post it as 6 days have passed since it's creation and other dishes photographed since.

After some searching I found the photographs and notes, although one glass remained full it will live on through this post to be reborn in someone else's kitchen.

ease: 3.5/5.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 35mins.
total: 45mins plus 4 hours chilling time.

taste: 3.5/5. Packs a punch.

I'm not sure what to say as I only had one spoonful - as a non-drinker I found it a little too alcoholic, but those who do drink thought it was perfectly balanced and delicious.

I had an issue with the custard, it took around 30mins to get to a decent thickness and even then it wasn't very thick - it was wonderfully smooth though and everyone else thought it tasted great with a noticeable Baileys flavour. The cookies were a little gritty, perhaps less flour and more oats would remedy that whilst the raisins added nice pockets or chewy sweetness.

would I make it again: No - others enjoyed it but I just couldn't eat much due to the alcoholic taste.

recipe: Baileys pudding parfaits with oatmeal-walnut crunch

Chocolate & hazelnut meringue kisses

Time is like a butterfly; chase it and it eludes you, sit still and rest and it will flutter and linger on your skin.
When we need more time there is never enough. On the other hand, on idle days spent sitting in each moment without haste, time slows to the flow of glue rather than sand and you find you have more time than you could possibly use. Some weeks speed past in the space of one yawn whilst others seem to drag behind you, slow to catch up.

This week is the former. I feel as though Friday has been sprung on me like a distant relative knocking on your door, unannounced, and in need of accommodation - I am not quite prepared and a little put out. I suddenly found myself with too many balls to juggle and simply not enough limbs.With May's leftover birthdays spilling into June I find my weekends are gone before they even come and am left trying to find a midweek moment to catch up on weekend rest.

So that is what I did yesterday - relaxed, read and baked to my heart's content like I would on a Sunday. And that is how Thursday became Thunday.

ease: 4.5/5.
prep time: 18mins.
cooking time: 50mins.
total: 1hour & 8mins.

taste: 4/5. We stand divided.

Whilst these reminded me of the bliss that is Nutella, all chocolate and hazelnuts, I didn't think they were anything special, ok and a little addictive, but nothing that had me moaning mmmmm.
R on the other hand could not get enough. He devoured almost 50 of these little bites within three days and then demanded I make more. I think he has found his crack... As he rated these 5/5 and I 3/5 I settled on 4. I should point out that others also liked them, L though not as much as R.

The first batch I made were similar to the originals, but the second batch (the ones you see above) I added a little more cocoa to get a bigger chocolate flavour, they also were a little chewier which I liked.


would I make it again: Yes - I already made them twice in one week due to spousal peer pressure...

recipe: Chocolate & hazelnut meringue kisses

Coconut & lime macaroons

Another glorious sun-drenched morning - Autumn is being very generous indeed.

It seems the warmer the weather, the longer my husband takes to get ready in the morning; he just can't seem to leave for work. This particular morning, abetted by the warm winds, we went off in search of water pistols (or rather SuperSoakers) - toy store after toy store later, we remained empty handed as no one sells water guns in Autumn :(. Despite the disappointment we were still in good spirits and sat and chatted outside before he managed to tear himself away from the sunshine and head to his gloomy office.

What I love most about sunny days is the sunlight - nothing beats pitter-pattering around the kitchen whilst beams of light dance across the benchtops. The longer the light lingers, the longer I keep cooking.
I may have chosen this recipe purely to use up left-over egg whites, but after tasting them, I think I will have to search for recipes to use left-over egg yolks instead, as I don't think I could wait for excess whites to make these again.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 10mins to get them all on the pans ready to go.
cooking time: 12mins.
total: 22mins.

taste: 4/5 - like an island holiday for your tongue.

The smell - my goodness the smell - it was sublime. The sweet, tropical coconut dances with the fresh bitter tang of the lime and creates a delicious breeze transporting me away to the Caribbean and other foreign islands. The aroma alone is worth the baking.

Now, as for the taste, well, let's start with the texture. These little marhmallow-shaped mounds had a wonderful sticky outer crust, tanned around the edges, and with a subtle firmness that only gave my teeth a slight resistance before letting them sink into the spongy, soft inner-belly. The coconut fills your mouth with its tropical sweetness, but before it becomes too much the citrus lime cuts through, it's fragrance stops the macaroon from becoming too sweet and monotonous - they are the perfect pairing.

I ate four of these straight from the oven, I won't lie...well, perhaps five but who's counting. Don't be fooled by their diminutive size and neutral shade, these little monsters are addictive.

I made some small and a few slightly bigger - I preferred the extra sponginess of the larger sized macaroons - I'd guess the recipe would probably make around 15 larger ones, and 24 smaller ones.

would I make it again: Yes.

recipe: Coconut & lime macaroons

Sofia's Kitchen - Coconut petit fours

Apologies for the lack of posts, but trying to organise an overseas holiday in a few days is tough stuff.
But no fear, I will be back next Thursday, and until then, here is the latest installment of Sofia's Kitchen.

Akin to a coconut macaroon, but with a touch more flair.

Coconut Petit Fours
makes 30+

ingredients:

500G  castor sugar

500G  shredded coconut

9 TBLS melted unsalted butter

9 TBLS  self raising flour

9  eggs (small)

1 packet vanilla sugar

glazed cherries, halved

method:

Pre heat oven to 170C

Place sugar in a bowl and add the eggs one at a time beating well.  Beat mixture until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla sugar and melted butter to mixture and beat until combined.  Now put the mixer down and get ready to use your hands!

Add the shredded coconut, and flour and mix well with your hand making sure all ingredients are well combined.  Let mixture sit a little bit for the dry ingredients to absorb the wet.  The mixture should stick to a spoon.  If too watery you can a little more flour and coconut.

Place baking paper down on flat trays and scoop tablespoons of the mixture onto the trays allowing enough room for some spreading.  Place a glazed cherry on top and place into oven until they turn a light golden brown.

Petifours should have a crisp outside with a chewy moist centre.

Molasses cookies

Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom - if I could create a royal family of spices these lucky five would reign supreme, with cinnamon as King and cardamom as Queen - the other three; their loving, complimentary children.

What I love most about this brood is not only their talent to turn every sweet into something beyond comforting, exciting, enticing and drool-worthy, but their ability to do the same to the savoury side. Now, I don't eat meat any more (not since my Play School watching days, and right before my X-files ones started), but my husband does, and whenever I cook him up some ginger chicken, or pork with cloves, even cinnamon dusted lamb, it more than often results in two thumbs up and a very, very dirty face (fingers often included). Plus, their heady, fragrant aromas and pretty neutral shades also score points (as well as their eligibility as possible alternative children's names - Ginger was my favourite cast-away). The gathering of one or more of these spices are found very frequently in Christmas cooking, after all, it's only right the the Royal Spice family be the stars of that wonderful time of year.

Whenever I strike gold with a recipe that involves more than two of these tasty family members, it goes straight into my recipe pile, nudged towards the top. I am oh so glad freakishly happy I found this recipe as it means my search for a soft, crispy, gingery, Christmas-y spice cookie is finally over. Now, onto my next cookie hunt; the notoriously hard-to-get-right Chocolate Chip Cookie.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 14mins.
cooking time: 23mins for 3 rounds of baking.
total: 37mins.

taste: 4.5/5. Thanks to these bad boys I now have a cookie-addiction. My husband had to stage an intervention last night as I ate my fourth consecutive cookie in 3minutes flat.
They are my dream texture - a slightly crispy outer layer revealing cakey crumbs leading to a glorious, dense, chewy, moist centre. The spices give it a Christmas feel making it the perfect night-cap cookie. Everything is perfectly balanced - no spice tries to best another and although the molasses is the leader, it is clearly a team effort with no one taking the praise alone. It is a sweet cookie but not enough to warrant washing it down with water straight away.
I used a touch less brown sugar and they were still sweet (I also skipped the icing).
I'm not sure what 3/8 of a cup looks like so I used 1/3 cup - and it was just right, any more and it would have been too strong a molasses flavour for me.
I experimented a little with cooking times and I found 5mins50seconds yielded my favourite cookie - firmer than the 5minute and moister than the 6min05seconds.

would I make it again: Yes - when I am clean-and-cookie-free for at least two weeks.

recipe: Molasses Cookies

Vanilla cookies

Somehow I must have sent out a telepathic invitation to the only two insects I don't mind, as the last time I posted, two white butterflies came to cheer me up, and today, hidden underneath my kettle of all places was perhaps the only insect that everyone likes, the shiny scarlet ladybug/ladybird.

I was a little perplexed as to how a ladybird came to be crawling along my kettle; carefully I offered my finger and as it crawled along, tickling me, I took it outside and placed it on my bonsai. After I came inside I thought I'd look up what a visit from a ladybird might mean, the most common folklore was that if a ladybird visited you at home, you should count the number of spots on its shell as that would be the amount of money you would unexpectedly receive. Immediately after reading that good omen I raced outside to count spots, but it had already flown off, perhaps to some better-informed person's house. Even though it's just a goodluck superstition thought I'd buy a lottery ticket anyway, who knows, maybe I'll have some ladybird-luck.

I have been busy working and trying to fit as many things in before Christmas and therefore haven't baked much. But today I was really craving something warm from the oven. This recipe was quick, easy and simple - and it filled the house with that wonderful hug of a cookie smell.

Vanilla Snap Biscuits
from Marie Claire Flavours by Donna Hay

185g butter, chopped
1 cup caster sugar
2 1/2cups plain flour
2tsp vanilla extract (or use vanilla seed paste)
1 egg

Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the flour and egg and process until combined. Remove mixture and wrap in cling-wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 30mins. Preheat the oven to 180C. Roll out the dough on baking paper or lightly floured surface until 5mm thick. Cut the dough, using  7cm round cookie cutter and place the biscuits on the trays lined with baking paper. Bake for 10-13mins until the cookies are golden on the bases. Cool on trays. Makes 24.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 38mins.
cooking time: 10 mins per tray - I had to do two lots.
total: 58mins to make 32 cookies.

taste: 4/5. This is like a shortbread with it's butteryness, however it is moister with a finer crumb and a softness of fragrant vanilla. I added a touch of vanilla seed paste, I would recommend using that rather than extract so that you get the wonderful flecks of black seeds. Also, a light dusting of sugar before going into the oven would make them prettier also.

would I make it again: No - but that's because I'm not really a fan of shortbread.

Halfway cookies

The wind softly moved through the house like the soft hushing shake of a maraca. The rhythmic noise began to lull me into a calm trance as I sat in my sarong, beneath the cool licks of the air conditioner.

There is a new play in town, a one man show, with the Sun as it's star. It will be playing all week, from 6am til the moon closes it down at 9pm each night. Even while the Sun rests up for tomorrow's show, everyone will be talking about it all night long as they kick off the sheets in their sweat coated sleep.

During the day as I pick individual cherries from a box of cerise jewels I am asked my opinion on this show, 'Man, that sun is strong ain't it?' or 'How about that heat?'. It seems the Sun, who has played its role harsh and fierce, doesn't have many fans. Most are looking forward to the plays end on Sunday night, when we have been told to expect another crowd dividing show, The Thunderstorm Time, this is a cast ensemble with lightening as the lead and thunder as the supporting role - the ominous clouds provide the scenery with some fleeing birds singing the chorus. I don't mind the play, as long as I can watch mostly from my air conditioned home, with front row viewing only occasionally.

With the Sun playing loudly every day, I decided to watch from the shade of my kitchen, as I baked something sweet to nibble on during intermission. I should note that I waited two days to photograph these as I was too busy eating them. The photos don't do them justice as the ones shot were cold from the fridge, turning their fudgy, moistness dry and firm. But believe me, these are anything but dry and firm.


ease: 4.5/5.
prep time: 18mins to oven stage.
cooking time: 20mins (I cooked them for 25 which was a touch too long).
total: 38mins.

taste: 4.5/5. Straight from the oven your nostrils are showered with the milk drinking sweetness that only a cookie can bring. The base is chewy but soft, with a lovely doughy centre, a hybrid between cookie and cake. The next layer is indulgent and all semi-melted chocolate, soft and tongue coating. Lastly, there's the sweet, caramel meringue topping that covers the slice like a low flying cloud, occasionally allowing a brief glimpse of coffee coloured chocolate peaks or even cakie (cookie/cake) valleys.
It is sweet without being overwhelmingly so. Even after two days they are still good. Although take them out of the fridge a good 30mins before you want to eat them as the cold turns them hard and dry (like you see in the pictures). Note: you may need to add extra liquid to the cookie base, and perhaps a lighter hand with the chocolate.

would I make them again: Yes.

recipe: Halfway cookies

Chewy ginger cookies

Strange things were happenin' last week down under.

Firstly we had the September equinox and I was inundated with girlfriends telling me they all had a 'weird feeling' and were afraid to trust their own judgments.

The next morning people in Sydney (and then Queensland) woke up to eerie vermilion skies, unable to see anything, locked indoors fearing it was 'Judgement Day'. The Bureau of Meterology claimed, "An event like this is extremely rare," Mr Hanstrum said. "It's one of the worst, if not the worst." Comforting stuff...

Ont he other hand in Melbourne, our weather has been quite tame, we may have had more rain this past week than we did most of Winter, but nothing out of the ordinary really.

My phone has gone back to hibernating, common sense has returned to my girlfriends and the red dust storm has cleared to glorious blue skies that bring a sense of safety and familiarity. All of this normalcy gets my fingers twitching for a nice cookie dough.

Cookies, as you may already know, wouldn't make the 'favourites' list on my mobile phone. Their number is rarely dialed, but once in a while, I will think of them and pick up the phone. The family member I call most would be ginger - my favourite type of cookie is laden with ginger, warm spices and more often chewy than crumbly. I am still on the search for the 'perfect' ginger cookie and this family recipe looks promising.


ease: 5/5.
prep time: 15mins for two trays.
cooking time: 8mins.
total: 23mins for 24 cookies - additional 8mins per two trays.

taste: 4/5. This batter made over 100 cookies for me - huge amount!
These are really buttery and chewy with a hint of spice. For some reason I had two jars of golden syrup when I thought I had one jar of molasses and one of syrup,so I had to use golden syrup instead - my cookies were lighter and probably didn't have that depth that molasses has.
I would have definitely loved these spicier and would double the amount of spice for next time.

would I make it again: Yes - with more spices and molasses, but I would halve the recipe.

recipe: Chewy ginger molasses cookies

Chocolate chip cookies

"Me not take cookies, me eat cookies."
Cookie Monster

Out of all the colourful, fuzzy creatures who live on Sesame St, the big electric blue fur ball covered in chocolate chip cookie crumbs was always my favourite. Although he is practically a garbage disposal unit, devouring everything from sweets to picture frames, chocolate chip cookies were his favourite.

I must admit that cookies are not high on my list of sweet treats, I would always opt for fudgy chocolate brownies or donuts, but cookies always got their turn if I was having a tall glass of cold soy milk or a warm milky tea, perfect for dunking. Whilst Oreos and squiggly tops (before I realised they contain gelatin) are my favourites, chocolate chip cookies sit nicely in the 3rd position. My favourite kind are the over sized, Soft King/Mrs Field's-esque chewy ones with large chocolate chunks.

I was hoping these would end up being a close imitation.


ease: 5/5.
prep time: 15mins to get two batches into the oven.
cooking time: 11mins - I did three double trays with 8 cookies.
total: 48mins to make 40 cookies.

taste: 3/5. The heavily sweet molasses sugar was too overpowering, I could barely taste the chocolate in them. The cookies were also cakey rather than chewy and very crispy on the edges. They are OK, but not the best. The also spread like wildfire, so make 2tsp size balls and spread them far apart.

would I make it again: No.

recipe: Chocolate chip cookies

Cinnamon & banana cookies

A radiant cerulean blue sky peeking through sauntering watercolour grey clouds drapes a cool calmness around me.

If I had to chose one thing about my new home that I am most grateful for, it would be the windows. In my lounge room there are seven large windows that overlook my dew-ladden green garden, a bounty of large trees with a plethora of leaves, and the beautiful sky. I am closet to tranquility when I am sitting comfortably on my couch, cuddling a cushion, whilst I gaze through glass and watch clouds drift across the 'wild blue yonder'.

In Winter I like to substitute the pillow for a mug of hot tea and a cookie...or three.


ease: 5/5.
prep time: 15mins.
cooking time: 18mins.
total: 33mins.

taste: 3/5. I felt as though these cookies were aspiring to be cakes, but with little hope of doing so. The fresh banana became mushy and tasted out of place against the crumbly oat and crunchy banana chip. Perhaps baked into mini cakes these would have been nicer, but as a cookie they just didn't cut it. The cinnamon is also barely noticeable. I made 24 small cookies.

would I make it again: No. Everyone thought they were average - 'nothing special'.

recipe: cinnamon and banana cookies

Double delight peanut butter-honey cookies

Work started as usual, albeit a little late due to my freakish sleep patterns of the past three days. There weren't many orders today, which is both great (more free time) and not so great (less profit). I was finished by 12:30, so I threw a load of towels into the wash and hung them out to dry in the lovely much-more-efficient-than-a-dryer sunshine. I didn't feel like vacuuming, or cleaning for that matter, so I thought, why not bake something seeing as though the apricot cake is down to the last piece.

Shopping day for me is Saturday morning, so come Friday my shelves are looking pretty bare as I only buy what I need for each week. I have the bare essentials such as flour, sugar, eggs etc and I had a more than normal supply of peanut butter as my dog is currently taking some antibiotics and I find the best way to get them down whole is in a teaspoon of peanut butter.
Side note: I decided to try Dick Smith's PB this week rather than Kraft as it has 3% more peanuts and it actually tastes a whole lot better to me, so from now on, all PB dishes will be made using Dick Smith's PB.


This is a recipe I had been postponing as it is a little time intensive for a cookie recipe.

ease: 4.5/5. Takes time but isn't difficult.
prep time: 45mins to get to the cookies on a tray stage.
cooking time: 26mins for two trays.
total: 1hour & 11mins.

taste: 4/5. Ryan rated these an extra .5%, but I think 4 is enough. Surprisingly they weren't super peanut buttery. The soft center was lovely, the honey roasted peanuts on the top didn't mesh well, normal salted peanuts would have been nicer. Also a little more cinnamon perhaps.

would I make it again: No. They were lovely, but not so super duper that I would want to make them again.

recipe: http://www.visionsofsugarplum.com/2008/04/double-delight-peanut-butter-honey.html

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Man cannot live on chocolate alone; but woman sure can.
-- Author Unknown

Chocolate - no other food gives me more pleasure or tastes quite as intoxicating. In the beginning I loved white chocolate, in my teens I loved milk, now, as a woman, I love dark chocolate. Throughout the years I have loved it in its various forms and will take either in a heartbeat.

I have not made anything with chocolate for far too long; my jars of callebaut pieces of heaven have gathered dust; truly a sacrilege. This recipe has been on my to do list for some time, so I thought now or never, dusted off my lovely jars and whipped up some glorious cookies.

ease: 5/5. prep time: 20mins.
cooking time: 8mins per tray - I used 4 trays worth so it took me 36mins to make 32 cookies.
total: 28-52mins.

taste: 4.5/5. These were a big hit. They were crackly on the outside and moist and fudgy within. They weren't super chocolaty either, so even if you think dark chocolate is too strong use it as it isn't super rich.

would I make it again: Yes - everyone loved these.

recipe: http://blog.lemonpi.net/?p=1651

Chocolate-filled oat crunch

Right now I am almost a prisoner in my own home as it has been raining non-stop since I woke at 7am. I braved the weather to do my weekly shop (wish I had gone yesterday) and got completely drenched; even our doggie Yoshi has only gone out once to pee, he's slept the entire day to conserve his energy and wait out the rain. A lot of errands have been sidelined (like laundry, our laundry is only accessible by going outside) and a trip to the movies to see Twilight, but one positive has been that I have had time to check out some more food blogs.

As you can see, my food blog list has grown exponentially, I will probably whittle it down once I know which blogs aren't updated regularly, as I like blogs that post at least a few recipes each month.

180g butter
120g demerara sugar
90gm golden syrup
150g plain flour
1tsp bicarb soda
60gm dessicated coconut
60gm rolled oats
150g milk chocolate

Preheat oven to 160C. Using an electric mixer, cream butte, sugar and golden syrup until fluffy, then add flour, bicarb soda, coconut and rolled oats, and beat on slow until just combined.
Spoon teaspoonfuls of mixture onto baking paper lined trays. Bake for 15mins or until golden then cool on racks.
Melt chocolate in heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cool to thick consistency, then spread over the base of half the biscuit and sandwich with remaining biscuits. Makes 18.
ease: 5/5.
prep time: 10mins - 5mins of this was scooping them out to place on trays.
cooking time: 40mins to make three batches - around 12mins per batch.
total: 5omins to make 20 cookies.

taste: 3.5/5. Everyone else really liked them though but I found them a little oily and sharply sweet, had to drink some water after eating one. Make sure you use 1tsp measures as I made mine a little bigger and they really expanded in the oven.

would I make it again: No. Although everyone else enjoyed them I didn't like them enough to make them again.

Squashed ginger biscuits

Spare time: very rare, extremely difficult to find. I luckily happened to stumble upon a small piece today and used it to bake cookies of course.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 8mins to make batter and place on tray.
cooking time: 8mins - watch carefully as mine were even a little overdone.
total: 16mins.

taste: 3.5/5. The flavour was nice, but they were a little dry.

would I make it again: No. The texture didn't appeal to me.

Cracked Pepper, Mint And Strawberry Macaron

Itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout, down came the rain and washed the spider out....

Even with the numerous sprinkles of rain, the 25 cobwebs along the railings on our patio are still there, very much intact. I wonder if they are all the work of one ambitious spider trying to be a property developer, or whether we have a village complex outside full of spiders of all shapes and sizes? Spiders are definitely the insect of this property. I have noticed during all of my house there would be a majority of one insect over others at each house. So far I do prefer spiders to ants or cockroaches or silverfish...just not when they go creeping into our bedroom or clothes.

Today my partner and I spent some time looking up the true origins of nursery rhymes, Three Blind Mice was one of the most interesting, as was Ring a Rosie, which I already knew the origin of. After we satiated our curiosity I went to check on my ripening strawberries; I have never grown strawberries before and had heard they are difficult to grow. Seeing my little ruby jewels grow plumper makes me all the more happy.


So in honor of my soon-to-be-plucked strawberries, I scrolled through one of my favourite blogs, Tartlette, and found a recipe that would use up my few store bought small strawberries. I have never made macarons before, so I am not expecting them to turn out well. It doesn't help that I noticed, after making a batch, that I do not have one piping tip that is just an open hole, if I get one circular shape I shall be happy :). Special thanks go out to my gorgeous fiance Ryan, who helped to shape the macarons on the baking paper.

ease: 1.5/5. So many ways to screw up and have not-so-perfect macarons.
prep time: 1 hour 10mins. 10mins to make mixture, then you have to let it sit for 1hour.
cooking time: 10mins per tray. I had three trays worth so it took 30mins to make 30sides.
total: 1hour 20mins. Additional 10mins per tray. I set up everything I needed to make the filling while they were resting, then made it while they were cooking.

taste: 3/5. My macarons were not a great success, as I was expecting. Maybe if I had a piping bag they would have come out a little neater. There were some decent frilly feet and they weren't grainy as I sifted my almond meal and sugar twice. I was dissappointed in the filling though as mine turned out quite runny. I forgot to add the pepper and mint to the shell so I added it to the filling instead. Didn't really like the taste combo that much, but hard to tell becuase it didn't turn out perfectly.

would I make it again: Yes/No. I will definitely try macarons again once I get a proper tip, but I will try a different flavour next time.

recipe: http://tartelette.blogspot.com/2008/07/cracked-pepper-mint-and-strawberry.html