Cookery Monday - Viennese Biscuits

I know it's not Monday, although we did actually bake yesterday... just no chance to blog.  I have a good excuse though!  :O)

I had my sister over for dinner and a chat yesterday evening and well... you know what it's like when you get 2 sisters together - we talked and talked and talked.... until 2am!  hah!  oops!  'yawn'

Was a lovely evening.

So.... this weeks 'new to us' recipe baking session began after a busy morning (and afternoon) of - shopping for black trousers for Caden's Boy's Brigade uniform (unsuccessful) and a trip to library (successful), going home to study book on butterflies, making paper butterflies, having pop quiz on butterflies, eating a quick lunch, making a loaf for dinner, and then out for more shopping for required trousers (much to my relief - successful this time).  We decided to have a go at cooking some Viennese biscuits with some gorgeous chocolate ganache sandwiched in the middle.  Mmmm

Here's how we got on:

The boys measured out

In goes the icing sugar.

The boys LOVE baking

Time to spoon out on to the tray.

Cook

Making the ganache

Put together and VIOLA!

Uniformity doesn't tend to exist when kids bake - but who cares about that ay?
It's the having fun making and eating that matters... and we certainly had that!  :O)

In Caden's words - "These are GORGEOUS!"  :O)

Come back next time to see how we get on with 

trying our hands at making a tropical fruit loaf!

The recipe for those that would like to make:

To make 24

Ingredients:

For the biscuits:

175g (6oz) unsalted butter, softened (i used salted)

40g (1.5oz) icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

175g (6oz) plain flour

40g (1.5oz) cornflour

For the ganache filling:

75g (3oz) plain or milk choc drops (we used plain choc)

4 tablespoons double cream

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 190 degrees C (375F, gas mark 5). Line two trays with grease proof paper.
2. Beat together the butter and icing sugar, then stir in vanilla essence.
3. Sift in the flour and cornflour and mix together.
4. Put the mixture onto the tray in small teaspoon amounts.  Leave spaces between each dollop. Flatten each dollop with the back of a spoon.  (we found it best to roll the teaspoon amount in our hands and then flatten as described.)
5. Bake the biscuits for 12-14 minutes.  Leave for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
6. To make the ganache, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Add the cream. Then place some water in the bottom of a saucepan and put the bowl on top to create a double boiler. 
7. Place on the stove and melt the chocolate on a low heat.
8. Take the ganache off the pan and leave to cool for a few minutes and then place in the fridge for an hour.  (an hour was too long for us 30-40 mins is probably enough) making sure to stir the ganache occasionally.
9. Remove from fridge when the ganache is soft like butter.  Use a knife to spread the ganache on half of the biscuits and then assemble into 'sandwiches' with the plain biscuit sides.

ENJOY!

Kidz KamKorder Korner #1

Can we make you laugh?  Bet we can!!  I hope you enjoy this...  we enjoyed making it. 

Cookery Monday - Charlie's Apple Flapjacks

Today chef Charlie helped mummy to make our 

first ever attempt at Apple Flapjacks

First we cooked 2 cooking apples in about 1oz of butter for 10 minutes. Then we added 5 more oz of butter, 6oz of sugar, 1/2 tsp mixed spice, 1tbsp golden syrup. 

When the butter and sugar melted we poured in the 8oz of oats, 2oz of raisins and 2 tbls of linseeds. (recipe called for sunflower seeds, but we didn't have any so substituted.) 

Gave it a good old stir!

 Then we poured the scrumy smelling, finger licking good mixture into

a 6x12 pan which we'd lined earlier.

Then it was time to let it fill the oven with it's gorgeous aroma for

25 minutes at 160 degrees F

 After 10 minutes cooling time it was ready for cutting

and the much longed for tasting test!

And the verdict??

Thumbs Up!!

To make 12 flapjacks you will need:

2 cooking apples
175g (6oz) butter
175g (6oz) demerara sugar (I used a combination of demerara & light muscavado)
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I used mixed spice instead)
50g (2oz) sultanas (we used raisins)
225g (8oz) porridge oats
2 tbls sunflower seeds - optional (we used linseeds)

an 18 x 27 cm (7x11 in) - we used a 7x12


These were the best tasting flapjacks I've ever had!  Thanks Charlie!

A bit more life

I have decided it is time to breath a bit more life into this blog.

Charlie and I were discussing this afternoon, while baking something yummy for our guests tonight, that it would be a good idea to have a day of the week dedicated to our baking.  So we concurred that 'Cookery Mondays' shall become a new part of our family blogging life.  Please check back later to see what yummy treat we cooked up today.  :)

I have also been pondering the idea of  'Vlog Thursdays' (to replace the story telling Thursdays which petered out when I became pregnant with Eman) where I will record the children telling a story of theirs, a joke and or an interesting fact or two.  Let me know what u think

Charlie learns a new trick!

A 'Short' Movie!

Home-made Jammy Dodgers Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

100g (4oz) butter, softened

50g (2oz) caster sugar

1 orange

1 medium egg

2 tbsp ground almonds (optional)

200g (7oz) plain flour

1 tbsp cornflour

8 tbsp seedless raspberry jam

A 5cm (2 in) round cutter

small shaped cutters

METHOD:

1) Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl, until they are creamy.

2) Grate the orange rind on the medium holes of a grater. Try not to grate the pith (white part). Add the rind to the bowl and stir it in.

3) Break the egg into a cup and beat it with a fork, then add gradually to the butter and sugar mixture.

4) Add the ground almonds if you are going to use them. Sift in the flour and cornflour.

5) use your hands to draw the ingredients into a dough.  Knead it briefly into nice ball.  Wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge for 30 mins to chill.

6) Heat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ Gas mark 4. Line 2 baking trays with grease proof paper.                                        7) Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and a rolling pin.  Roll out the dough until it is about 3mm (1/8 in) thick.

8)Using the round cutter, cut out lots of circles.  Use the shaped cutters to cut holes in the middle of half the circles.

9) Place the circles on the trays. Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes.

10) Leave the biscuits for two minutes, then lift them onto a wire rack.  Spread the jam on the whole biscuits, then put a cut-out biscuit on top.

ENJOY!