So, today I tried to make some Scottish macaroon bars for St Andrew's day tomorrow but it has turned out to be my first failed effort at baking. I found the recipe online, followed it exactly (although it was pretty vague) and instead of a stiff fondant creation I got a sticky and unworkable blob. It's in the fridge just now, as part of a desperate attempt to get it to harden to a point where it can be salvaged, but I'm not hopefull. I wasted most of a 1kg bag of icing sugar so I'm reluctant to throw it out, but I don't see what more I can do. It tastes pretty sickly anyway. Oh well, I'll see what it ends up like but I'm not going to take it into work, as planned - I would be ashamed!
Here's where to find the recipe if you want to try it and tell me where I went wrong:
http://www.food.com/recipe/macaroon-bars-lees-version-227822
Monday, 29 November 2010
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Treats from Moomin Valley
After something of a break from baking anything new or interesting, the perfect solution to my baker's block arrived through the door yesterday morning - The Moomins Cook Book! It's filled with 150 savoury and sweet recipes and is billed as 'an introduction to Finnish cuisine', which it certainly seems to be, as it covers breakfast, lunch, evening meals, summer meals, garden party foods, picnic foods, autumn and winter meals, and birthday treats. So, expect some updates over the coming months, particularly as it includes many seasonal recipes such as 'Cold Comfort' to warm you up when suffering from winter chills, and plenty of winter soups and spiced treats that will be perfect for the Christmas period. But, what makes this book stand out from other cook books is that it is peppered with wonderful illustrations by Tove Jansson showing the Moomins and their friends enjoying various feasts, campfires, picnics and baking activities. There are also selected quotes from Moomin books that show where the inspiration for the recipes have come from and highlight just how important fresh foods and baking are to Moomin culture. As one quote suggests, "everything fun is good for the stomach" - I think that should be my new motto!
Friday, 3 September 2010
Happy birthday to me!
Sorry about the delay in updating but I've been super busy having just made the meteoric move to London (!) and it's been my birthday so I've been celebrating. So far I love London, there is so much to explore that I'll never be bored and I haven't even been inside any of the attractions on my list yet, like the Tate, the Victoria and Albert and the hundreds of hidden gems and off the beaten track spaces yet to be discovered! eeeeek!
So, my birthday was on Monday and we baked this Key Lime Cake because I wanted something a bit different than the usual birthday cake that was still a simple, yummy cake. It was really good, especially when left overnight in a tupperware. It was lovely and moist with a bitter-sweet taste due to the lime drizzle over the top. Yum!
For now, here's a photo. I'll put up the recipe later. I start work next week so things may get more hectic but I'll do my best to keep baking and cookie capering!
So, my birthday was on Monday and we baked this Key Lime Cake because I wanted something a bit different than the usual birthday cake that was still a simple, yummy cake. It was really good, especially when left overnight in a tupperware. It was lovely and moist with a bitter-sweet taste due to the lime drizzle over the top. Yum!
For now, here's a photo. I'll put up the recipe later. I start work next week so things may get more hectic but I'll do my best to keep baking and cookie capering!
Saturday, 21 August 2010
Thursday, 19 August 2010
3 Steps to Heaven
In preparation for my move to London in about ten days, I have been doing the rounds of my chums, from childhood to recent years, to say my farewells. One such stop this week included a trip to Glasgow to meet up with one of my longest friends, Zoe, and our old neighbour and buddy, Andrew. What better way to catch up with old friends, and have a swansong, than over some cakes and tea? So, we stopped at 3 Steps to Heaven in Glasgow's Byres Road, where we gobbled and chatted to our hearts' content.
It's really an ice cream parlour where they specialise in cold stone creations, which involves mixing your chosen ice cram, toppings and sauce on a frozen marble slab, which, apparently, is a work of art. But cake is my thing, so Zoe and I opted for the Afternoon Tea for 2, which was good value at £15.99. It came with a selection of sandwich slices (cheese and pickle, tuna and cucumber, ham and mustard), an ample tray of cakes, a cup of tea each, and a scoop of ice cream to follow! The sandwiches, all on white bread with the crusts cut off, were nothing special but hit the spot, as did the tea which was from a bag. The cakes we had were a slice of deliciously moist chocolate cake, a mini vanilla iced cupcake with edible sparkles, and a cherry scone each. It was more than enough to fill us up and well worth the price, especially as it was less than a lot of other places and included the ice cream, which is not common for afternoon tea. I let Andrew have my ice cream as I'm not a big fan of cold produce, and I'm reliably informed that his choice of frozen strawberry yoghurt went down a treat! However, he did notice before we left that they had Irn Bru ice cream which he would have preferred. Yum!
In total, I would say this place is the perfect stop for a slow afternoon of lounging in their comfy chairs, chatting with friends and people watching out of their large windows that look out onto the busy street. The prices were good, the atmosphere pleasant, and the food tasty - what more could you want? Well, actually, they do also sell a range of treats to take away such as children's sweets and bags of marshmallows. A lovely wee place!
It's really an ice cream parlour where they specialise in cold stone creations, which involves mixing your chosen ice cram, toppings and sauce on a frozen marble slab, which, apparently, is a work of art. But cake is my thing, so Zoe and I opted for the Afternoon Tea for 2, which was good value at £15.99. It came with a selection of sandwich slices (cheese and pickle, tuna and cucumber, ham and mustard), an ample tray of cakes, a cup of tea each, and a scoop of ice cream to follow! The sandwiches, all on white bread with the crusts cut off, were nothing special but hit the spot, as did the tea which was from a bag. The cakes we had were a slice of deliciously moist chocolate cake, a mini vanilla iced cupcake with edible sparkles, and a cherry scone each. It was more than enough to fill us up and well worth the price, especially as it was less than a lot of other places and included the ice cream, which is not common for afternoon tea. I let Andrew have my ice cream as I'm not a big fan of cold produce, and I'm reliably informed that his choice of frozen strawberry yoghurt went down a treat! However, he did notice before we left that they had Irn Bru ice cream which he would have preferred. Yum!
In total, I would say this place is the perfect stop for a slow afternoon of lounging in their comfy chairs, chatting with friends and people watching out of their large windows that look out onto the busy street. The prices were good, the atmosphere pleasant, and the food tasty - what more could you want? Well, actually, they do also sell a range of treats to take away such as children's sweets and bags of marshmallows. A lovely wee place!
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Eteaket
This morning I drowned my sorrows in the wake of Chris's departure - with some lovely Darjeeling tea at Eteaket!! As a belated Father's Day gift for my Dad, who was in town to see his friend's show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, I took him for a spot of lunch and cream tea at Edinburgh's ever popular and delightful tea cafe in Fredrick Street. I had read mixed reviews about the service but I had never read anything to suggest that the tea and cakes were anything less than scrumptiously tasty and beautifully presented.
We went at 11.45am on Saturday because I'd heard it can get very busy in the afternoon and thought we should try and beat the crowds. It was a good idea as the traditional, with a modern twist, tea room was almost full apart from one or two tables and some rain sodden outdoor seats. The very friendly, slightly flustered, waitress immediately greeted us and seated us at a table for two near the counter. The sit in menu (they also have take away options) has four pages of black, green, fruit and herbal teas to choose from as well as coffees, juices, sandwiches, cakes and afternoon and cream teas. I choose the cream tea with Darjeeling and my Dad had a roast chicken ciabatta and Darjeeling too. The cream tea came with a plain scone and a fruit scone, both of which were very fresh and light, with some strawberry jam and delicious clotted cream. My Dad also enjoyed his sandwich which came with some dressed salad and some kettle chips. The staff were very friendly and attentive and seemed to take a genuine interest in us by asking what we had planned for the rest of the day, etc.
Tables in the cafe never remained vacant for more than a couple of minutes as a constant flow of bedraggled shoppers, curious tourists and hungry locals passed through the doorway. A constant chatter of voices added to the atmosphere of the pleasant surroundings, decorated with displays of tea leaves and vintage crockery and cake stands for sale. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who enjoys cake and a refreshing cup of tea and I will definitely try and pay another visit myself before I head to London. Excellent!
We went at 11.45am on Saturday because I'd heard it can get very busy in the afternoon and thought we should try and beat the crowds. It was a good idea as the traditional, with a modern twist, tea room was almost full apart from one or two tables and some rain sodden outdoor seats. The very friendly, slightly flustered, waitress immediately greeted us and seated us at a table for two near the counter. The sit in menu (they also have take away options) has four pages of black, green, fruit and herbal teas to choose from as well as coffees, juices, sandwiches, cakes and afternoon and cream teas. I choose the cream tea with Darjeeling and my Dad had a roast chicken ciabatta and Darjeeling too. The cream tea came with a plain scone and a fruit scone, both of which were very fresh and light, with some strawberry jam and delicious clotted cream. My Dad also enjoyed his sandwich which came with some dressed salad and some kettle chips. The staff were very friendly and attentive and seemed to take a genuine interest in us by asking what we had planned for the rest of the day, etc.
Tables in the cafe never remained vacant for more than a couple of minutes as a constant flow of bedraggled shoppers, curious tourists and hungry locals passed through the doorway. A constant chatter of voices added to the atmosphere of the pleasant surroundings, decorated with displays of tea leaves and vintage crockery and cake stands for sale. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who enjoys cake and a refreshing cup of tea and I will definitely try and pay another visit myself before I head to London. Excellent!
Yee ha, Cowboy!
Today, Chris left Edinburgh's cozy surrounds for the bright lights of London. But all pioneers and fortune seekers need some tasty morsels to accompany them on their travels, so we baked up some Cowboy Cookies from our current favourite cookbook, All Cakes Considered. The quantities given in the recipe turned into around 35 cookies in all, so I had to do the decent thing and eat some of them myself before he took a batch for the car. One tip for next time would be to add more chocolate chips as there didn't seem to be enough to spread through the whole mixture. But they were deliciously soft and nutty flavoured regardless. Two days on, there is 1 left!
1 cup vegetable fat for baking (shortening/ Stork)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups of plain flour
1tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 and a half cups of almonds and chocolate chips mixed together - or any combination of nuts, chocolate, cherries etc that you like.
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups of plain flour
1tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 and a half cups of almonds and chocolate chips mixed together - or any combination of nuts, chocolate, cherries etc that you like.
- preheat the oven to 180 degrees (350F). Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Combine the sugar and vegetable fat until well blended. Add eggs and beat until blended. Add vanilla extract and beat briefly.
- In a separate bowl dry whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and beat slowly until blended.
- Add the oats, beating until they are mixed into the dough.
- Add the nuts and chocolate and mix well.
- Drop the cookies by the tablespoon onto the baking sheets (about 6 per sheet)
- Bake each sheet for around 10-12 minutes. You may need to repeat this for several batches but you can reuse the same parchment paper until it browns at the edges. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before moving the cookies onto a plate.
- Savour them with a cup of coffee, a glass of cold milk or some root beer. Yum!
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