Food Photo of the Day ~ Halloween Hearts

Halloween is a few days away and creating spooky and scary treats is a must. These heart shaped cookies were a snap to make plus I really wanted to use my copper heart shaped cookie cutter. Make whatever sugar cookie recipe you prefer, cutting the dough into heart shapes; when ready icing with different colours such as violet, black, and red then further decorate making ribs, stitches and bone motifs. It takes a steady hand however imperfections are fine besides it adds to the appeal. Make a more runnier icing to re-create the look of blood splatters and droplets. 

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the Halloween festivities! - JD

   

Food Photo of the Day ~ Violet Rice Krispie Treats

Roses are red, and violets are the colour of our rice krispie treats! Today the kidlets created this Easter inspired treat. They worked together with such organization I was only on hand to supervise and do the clean up. Just by adding a bit of food colouring and some candy sprinkles it completely turned this popular cereal treat around. The colour is a bit more vibrant than the photo shows. Still, they had fun and it is a great way to start off their Spring Break! 

 

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Squares

Adding peanut butter instantly revives the traditional rice krispie treats. Adding a drizzle of chocolate on top finishes the accomplished culinary resurrection and brings it to chocolate peanut butter heaven. My mum would make these quite often and they were devoured quickly. Not always with chocolate on top because these are quite enjoyable when plain too. There are plenty of ways one can add different flavours or ingredients to this meek sweet treat. You just have to let your culinary creativity decide.  

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Squares

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1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup smooth no salt natural peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 package (400g) of mini marshmallows

6 cups Rice Krispie cereal

Optional: Melted dark or milk chocolate for drizzling on top. 

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside. 

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low to medium heat. Once melted stir in the marshmallows. Stir until melted.

Add the peanut butter and vanilla and stir until combined, remove from heat.

Stir in the rice krispies. When everything is coated nicely press into the prepared pan. Cool completely then cut into squares. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if you like. Allow to set. 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Fortnum and Mason ~ 2014

I know Christmas is on it's way when the Fortnum and Mason order arrives. Nothing beats carefully opening and rummaging through the packing peanuts and guessing through the bubble wrap at the glorious culinary treasures inside. As usual we get a selection of our favourites like Smoky Earl Grey tea, Horseradish, Charcoal biscuits, a range of English mustards and King George cake. There are more festive delights like Christmas tea, Christmas coffee, Christmas Glitter Shortbread, Frost Fayre Christmas Spiced biscuits, Christmas Spiced Marmalade, and Boxing Day Chutney. Other items... which usually change from year to year, as we try new and different things, are: French Lavender Honey, a selection of other teas, Fig Cheese (a spread for cheese and biscuits/crackers), Devil Gamekeeper Relish, Damson & Claret (spread), Spice Tins: No.119 Dukka and No.49 Nigella Seeds, Ginger Turkish Delight and the exclusive Sweet Theatre Chocolate in Chili Dark (Katherine) and Orange Dark (Lady Macbeth). 

All products will slowly be enjoyed over the days and months however all Christmasy treats will not be opened until December 24th and that includes the King George cake. How we... I mean... I, will manage until then I do not know.  

Hope everyone had a good weekend! - JW  

The Ice Cream Book

I have an ice cream maker and as much as I do appreciate having ice cream at the turn of a dial, I do have this feeling of incompleteness. I suppose I feel one can truly live in the kitchen when they experience making ice cream by hand. The thought of whipping ice cream by hand is intriguing and intimidating. A full effort met with many rewards.  

Many cookbooks I have will have a recipe or two on making ice cream however I believe this is the only cookbook I have that is completely dedicated to ice cream. Even though this book was written in 1980 still the basics in ice cream making haven't changed. Recipes range from simple vanilla to the extravagant pistachio kulfi. There are 8 chapters dedicated to everyone's palette and preference for ice cream. One chapter I really enjoy is the Sauces and Wafers. Those are nice little touches that add to the experience. The photos in the book are "staged" full page colour, certainly a reflection of that period. Black and white illustrations appear here and there throughout the chapters. Making it's 92 pages a fun one. 

Summer is just about on it's way and on that note I will share the Lemon Ice Cream recipe, from the book, with you. Enjoy! - JW 

Lemon Ice Cream

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3 lemons

3/4 cup (175g or 6 oz) superfine sugar

2 cups (450ml or 3/4 pint double cream) heavy cream

3 tablespoons iced water

Finely grate the rind from 2 of the lemons and reserve it. Squeeze the juice from the fruit and combine it with the sugar. Stir from time to time until the sugar has dissolved completely.

Whip the cream with the iced water until it forms soft peaks. Beat in the sweetened lemon juice and rind. Pour into freezer trays or a container and still-freeze, whisking the mixture once during freezing, if necessary.

Variations: Substitute limes for lemons. 

*Note: "Ripening times vary from ten minutes to over an hour depending on the quantity, the shape of the container, the temperature of the freezer it has been stored in, and the ingredients in the ice. An average time is 30 to 40 minutes for a plastic container holding 1 litre/1 and 3/4 pints/4 and 1/2 cups, and 10 to 15 minutes for ices frozen in individual servings. Unless otherwise stated, all recipes in the book make approximately 1 litre/1 and 3/4 pints/4 and 1/2 cups." - The Ice Cream Book

* Helpful Hint: "The best time to beat most ices is when the mixture at all sides and bottom of the container is quite firm and the centre is still very soft. The important thing is to beat the ice cream very thoroughly." - The Ice Cream Book

Rainy Day Treat

This afternoon I was in the mood to make a quick treat. Taking a break from the routinely Rice Krispie squares... I decided to make these Golden Graham cereal treats. Think of a squashed down jumbled s'more. They are very sweet! Too sweet for my liking but I think I know some mouths who will jump for joy when they see these. I followed the recipe to the T and found that letting them set in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, as suggested, wasn't enough. I had to put my pan in the freezer. Regardless I am sure they won't be around for too long to worry about. - jw