That's what I've been putting here. Sweet nothing(s). Sweet FA, as they say. I even surprised myself when I saw that it had been 6 months. I have been adding things to my writey blog though and so it hasn't been a time of complete indolence.
I have been baking though - quite interesting thingies and so I'd like to share that with you whilst I wait for another boring IT process to finish running in the BG. That's Background for you non-IT types - you lucky things.
Let me digress delightfully for a moment and say that the number of C&W tunes playing on my Pandora station are disproportionately high given that I only said yes to Carrie Underwood. Right now I am listening to a guy talk about how rain is a good thing because it makes whiskey. Honestly how can anyone listen to this without laughing? I am seriously asking that question.
I'm not apologising for the kitten picture either. Until someone apologises to me for the C&W music.
Christmas came and went, so that's news. With it the treat making that characterizes that time of year. My lucky old book club were furnished once again with some edible whimsy. Michelle, Sue and I got our act together remarkably quickly, and since we've stopped making toffee the more terrifying aspect of the treats has disappeared.
It was actually pretty civilised. We agreed to make a few things the night before so that we might sit an gossip and decorate gingerbread trees. And eat.
Menu: Neapolitan fudge, gingerbread trees and some nut and dark chocolate brittle or bark if you prefer.
This is how you make Neapolitan fudge
That goopy stuff stage left is sugar syrup. It is super super goopy. It is the stickiest thing I have ever encountered. That is not a photo, it is a video. That is how goopy and slow moving this stuff is. Apparently along with a sea of condensed milk, butter and sugar you need this in fudge - to, I don't know, make all your teeth voluntarily fall out.
Neapolitan fudge consists of a chocolate layer.
A strawberry layer.
And white chocolate on the top - which is a cheats way of getting that third "flavour". After making two other lots of fudge though I was kind of grateful that all I had to do was put white chocolate on it. It was a labour intensive process, only helped by spoonfuls of condensed milk, which I adore.
I did have a final picture of the fudge but I lost it, or ate it. I forget. The web just failed me big time. I went to find a pic of the one that I made and it's NOT THERE. I am scanning down that big page of images and by the time I got to this:
I knew that I wasn't going to find my Neapolitan fudge pic. Anyway I want to get off the topic because I mis-type Neapolitan every time and spellchecker offers me something like neophile - which I don't want to know about.
In the last 6 months I also made a bunch of other stuff - but most noticeably (preens slightly) I have been working with shortcrust pastry and making tarts. Yes, she says airily, I'm quite clever.
So to celebrate Carolyn's spanking new house I made lemon tarts - or Tartes Citron - if you'd like to be all frenchy. They were super lemony and came from a recipe in Little and Friday - given to me by super cooking friend, Stacey. It's called Little and Friday - because the baker used to open a tiny venue on a Friday only. The title has all but lost it's meaning since she has now opened her second bakery that runs all week long. P'raps they should call it "Quite large and Seven Days" - which doesn't have the same ring.
These little guys were the business mate. It was worth all the rolling and making and overnight infusing. They were delicious.
Also on the lemony vein - I also made some bickies that you can freeze part way along! Wooo! I *think that I might be coming to the dessert freezing party a bit late as this was a revelation to me, but on further careful review of the entire web it looks like others do it regularly.
Anyway they had poppyseeds and lemon and I'm a fool for that combination. You make them and then can freeze them half way through the process. Also you do do that with pastry with no seeming ill effect, except perhaps some passive aggressive ill will at being rolled out.
No recipes here today - if you really want them I'll get them to you - I am just happy to have a post in 2015.
I have been baking though - quite interesting thingies and so I'd like to share that with you whilst I wait for another boring IT process to finish running in the BG. That's Background for you non-IT types - you lucky things.
 |
| Dat kitten bored... |
I'm not apologising for the kitten picture either. Until someone apologises to me for the C&W music.
Christmas came and went, so that's news. With it the treat making that characterizes that time of year. My lucky old book club were furnished once again with some edible whimsy. Michelle, Sue and I got our act together remarkably quickly, and since we've stopped making toffee the more terrifying aspect of the treats has disappeared.
It was actually pretty civilised. We agreed to make a few things the night before so that we might sit an gossip and decorate gingerbread trees. And eat.
Menu: Neapolitan fudge, gingerbread trees and some nut and dark chocolate brittle or bark if you prefer.
This is how you make Neapolitan fudge
That goopy stuff stage left is sugar syrup. It is super super goopy. It is the stickiest thing I have ever encountered. That is not a photo, it is a video. That is how goopy and slow moving this stuff is. Apparently along with a sea of condensed milk, butter and sugar you need this in fudge - to, I don't know, make all your teeth voluntarily fall out.
Neapolitan fudge consists of a chocolate layer.
A strawberry layer.
And white chocolate on the top - which is a cheats way of getting that third "flavour". After making two other lots of fudge though I was kind of grateful that all I had to do was put white chocolate on it. It was a labour intensive process, only helped by spoonfuls of condensed milk, which I adore.
I did have a final picture of the fudge but I lost it, or ate it. I forget. The web just failed me big time. I went to find a pic of the one that I made and it's NOT THERE. I am scanning down that big page of images and by the time I got to this:
 |
| Whaaaaaaaa? |
In the last 6 months I also made a bunch of other stuff - but most noticeably (preens slightly) I have been working with shortcrust pastry and making tarts. Yes, she says airily, I'm quite clever.
So to celebrate Carolyn's spanking new house I made lemon tarts - or Tartes Citron - if you'd like to be all frenchy. They were super lemony and came from a recipe in Little and Friday - given to me by super cooking friend, Stacey. It's called Little and Friday - because the baker used to open a tiny venue on a Friday only. The title has all but lost it's meaning since she has now opened her second bakery that runs all week long. P'raps they should call it "Quite large and Seven Days" - which doesn't have the same ring.
 |
| I make your mouth purse with tartness! |
Also on the lemony vein - I also made some bickies that you can freeze part way along! Wooo! I *think that I might be coming to the dessert freezing party a bit late as this was a revelation to me, but on further careful review of the entire web it looks like others do it regularly.
 |
| I added the lemon icing. I add it to everything. I'd add it to the cat if he'd let me. |
Anyway they had poppyseeds and lemon and I'm a fool for that combination. You make them and then can freeze them half way through the process. Also you do do that with pastry with no seeming ill effect, except perhaps some passive aggressive ill will at being rolled out.
No recipes here today - if you really want them I'll get them to you - I am just happy to have a post in 2015.
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