Pie for Nan

My Nan has been in and out of hospital for months.

It is incredibly sad to watch her suffer from one ailment to the next. 

It is equally as difficult to watch her attempt to eat the disgraceful excuse for food that some hospital kitchens serve to their patients.

When I visit I always take a treat - If I'm short on time it might be a vanilla slice from my bakery of choice, or perhaps a fruit tart from my favourite stall in the Central Markets. If I've got time to prepare something at home it's often melting moments or a cake made with love.

Yesterday I made a Lemon Meringue Pie to take with me on my visit.

Rustic Lemon Meringue Pie

Before you get started - 

Grease pie tin;

Preheat oven to 240 degrees

For the Pastry

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tbsp icing sugar

140g butter

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp water

Combine flour and icing sugar; Using fingers - rub in butter until crumbly;

Add yolk and water;

Knead until smooth dough forms

Cover and place in fridge for 30 minutes

then...

Roll pastry into tin;

Blind bake in oven for 15 minutes;

Then bake for a further 10 minutes;

And cool.

For the Lemon Curd

1/2 cup cornflour

1 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 1/4 cup water

60g butter

3 egg yolks

To make the filling -

Combine cornflour and sugar in saucepan;

Add juice and water and stir until smooth;

Cook stirring over high heat until mixture boils and thickens;

Remove from heat and stir in butter and yolks;

Return to heat and cook for further 10 minutes.

For the Meringue

1/2 cup caster sugar

4 egg whites

To make meringue - 

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form;

Gradually add sugar;

Beat until sugar dissolves.

Then assemble - 

Spread lemon curd over base;

Cover with meringue;

Bake for 2-5 minutes until top begins to brown.

Cool.

Serve.

Nan loved it. And so did the nurses on duty who also indulged in a slice.

xx

Smells Like Pancakes

It was Miss Morgan's Birthday last weekend.

I made cupcakes.

It's what I do.

These were vanilla with a butterscotch frosting topped with a malteser.

They smelt like pancakes. Warm pancakes drenched in maple syrup. It made my mouth water.

They tasted pretty good too.. In fact, it was suggested that these were "the best cupcakes ever". 

That's a pretty big statement.

I think the frosting was the winner. Make some and tell me it's not delicious.

How ?

100g butter

3 cups icing sugar

1/4 cup butterscotch liquor

YUM

Happy Birthday for last weekend Miss Morgan

 xx

There's No Safety Net

Carrie Bradshaw : Sex and the City

I'm still trying to figure out what I'm most afraid of -
Jumping ...
Or
Falling ?


Being a grown up sucks sometimes.

That is all.

xx

Image pinned here

Chocolate Heaven in a Patty Pan

This may seem somewhat contradictory, given my "I go to the gym now" post last week..

But what I'm about to share with you is a huge contributing factor in why I need to go to the gym.

I ate more than my fair share. Then I took the rest to work - so everyone else could experience the chocolate coma that these deliver.

Rocky Road Brownies

Chocolate Heaven in a Patty Pan

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter, chopped 

125g dark cooking chocolate, chopped 

2 eggs 

2 Tbsp light olive or vegetable oil 

1 cup brown sugar 

1 cup plain flour 

1/3 cup dark cocoa

200g milk cooking chocolate, chopped 

30g copha

1 cup chopped marshmallows

5 pieces Turkish delight, chopped 

Method

1. Preheat oven to moderate 180C. Melt butter and chocolate - pick your method (over simmering water on the stove; or in the microwave - I don't mind). Remove and stand to cool until lukewarm.

2. Beat eggs, oil and brown sugar until the mixture increases in volume and becomes thicker and paler in colour.

3. Sift the flour and cocoa into the egg mixture. Add melted chocolate and butter. Fold until combined. Divide amongst patty pans. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stand on a wire rack to cool. 

4. To make rocky road topping - Melt chocolate and copha. Divide chopped marshmallows and turkish delight amongst each brownie - top with melted chocolate.

Note: You can also add other fun things to the 'rocky road' part of these brownies.. like crushed clinkers or jelly beans. Or you can add lame stuff like nuts and glazed cherries.. I'll let you choose the level of awesomeness that these brownies can achieve.

These are sure to cure the worst case of Monday-itis.

And probably Tuesday-itis.. And again on Wednesday.. And Thursday! 

Not Friday though. On Friday, you should make the tequila cupcakes. Much more appropriate!

xx

Choosing a Path

Bare with me while I get a little introspective about life today, because I am at a cross roads.

I used to be convinced that I hate change.

I'd tell anyone who suggested a new job or opportunity to me that I couldn't possibly consider change because I.  just.  don't.  do.  change.

But I've had a lightbulb moment in the past week.

It's not change to which I am averse.

It's decisions.

I fear making the decisions that instigate the change.

I'm scared to make a choice.

Allow me to provide you with some insight -
As a kid, I hated 'choose your own adventure' books because I didn't want to make the wrong choice. What if I chose wrong?

Life is much more serious than a children's book and I still fear making the wrong decision.

You rarely (if ever) get the opportunity to make a choice twice; and sadly, I don't have access to a crystal ball to guide me.

So how do I know that I'm choosing the 'right' path?


xx


Image here

Run Florence Run

Project Healthy House is a constant battle for me, as I attempt to juggle my love for baking (and eating) delicious sweets and living a healthy lifestyle.

It's easy to tell myself that I will only eat one cupcake from the batch.

The challenge is in keeping that promise to myself.

Which is near impossible.

And I must admit - The odds that I will break this commitment to myself are extremely high.

So I've been hitting the gym.

Yes.. Let's all take a moment to digest this information.

And then I'll shock you even more by admitting that when I'm there, I run. RUN!

Not fast I must confess. But 'running' nonetheless.

And I've discovered the best running track.

Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine.

I know I'm late to get on the Florence bandwagon.. but I love it.

And, hey, whatever works right?!

xx

Image here

One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila Cupcakes

M A R G A R I T A   C U P C A K E S

The perfect dessert for a Mexican Fiesta.

1.. 2.. 3.. Tequila & Lime Cupcakes

It's true that we shouldn't need a reason to spend time with friends and eat a ridiculous amount of delicious food, but on Saturday night we gathered to do exactly that AND it coincided with the Mexican holiday 'Cinco de Mayo' - A celebration of Mexican heritage and pride observed on May 5. 

My cupcakes were merely the supporting cast compared to the award-winning fiesta KB and Miss Pip whipped up - delicious nachos, salsa and burritos - We barely had room left for dessert.. 

Ingredients:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

Zest and juice of 1½ limes

2 tablespoons tequila

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk

Plus an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons tequila

Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2¾ cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 tablespoons tequila

Pinch of coarse salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes).

Add the eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract and tequila. 
Mix until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk; alternately until combined.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. 
Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until just slightly golden.

Cool cupcakes for 5 to 10 minutes. 
Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the 1 to 2 tablespoons of tequila. 
Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.

Frosting :

Using an electric mixer whip the butter for 5 minutes. 

Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated.

Add the lime juice, tequila and salt mix until incorporated and fluffy. 

Tequila & Lime Cupcakes

Bottoms up!!



xx

[Original Recipe from Here]

Team Gale

Just to be clear - I was on Team Gale before I saw the movie

(The Hunger Games for those of you who've been living under a rock..)

Team Gale

Seriously... How is there any other option?!

He's so manly. And he hunts. And he takes care of Prim

And he says things to Katniss that just break my heart.

Gale to Katniss

Urghh.. I die.

Is it too much to make some cookies that show my alliance?

Team Gale Cookies

OK. I'll admit it.
I think I'm suffering from Hunger Games withdrawal symptoms...

xx

From here, here and here