Vanilla, mmmmm!

Quite some time ago, in fact when Chicky was a very tiny tot Pam @ Grow Bake Run was telling me about how she had made her own vanilla essence.  She'd taken the initiative after reading all about it from Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial.  Ever since our discussion (about 3 years) i've been meaning to give it a go!  Today i finally did, but i will have to wait until Christmas to see if it's any good.

To make your own vanilla essence you will need ~

a 700ml bottle of Vodka, it must be 40% alcohol or more, i chose Absolut Vodka
8 vanilla beans

Take a sharp knife and slice through the vanilla beans leaving about 2cm joined at the end.

Decant 2-3 tablespoons of Vodka from the bottle.
Add the vanilla beans to the bottle.
Add back as much of the Vodka you decanted as you can, i was left with about 1 tablespoon over (do what you like with that)

Put the lid back on and put it in a cool dark place for the next 6-9 months.
Every month or so give the bottle a shake.

Can not wait to see how it turns out!

'Knock em Out!' Smoothies

When i first got my Thermomix i was making quite a few smoothies, it was summer and it was a great thirst quencher.  As i got busy i stopped making them so much and left it for weekends or once in a while treats.  As Possum has struggled with his weight gain quite a few people had mentioned to me about making smoothies to help him along.  That was all well and good but the little lad had only just worked out how to drink water from a cup and i didn't want to mess with that.  So i was patiently waiting until he worked out one of the other cups.  It wasn't happening, then to my surprise one afternoon he picked up one of the kids Thermos water bottles which have a flip top lid and straw and he drank from the straw!  Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather!  He sat and drank and spat water out and had a great time until the water bottle was empty.

Next time i was at the shops i was on the hunt for a toddler friendly drinking cup with a silicone straw, BPA free, with no fancy stop leak valve or anything.  Do you know how hard it was to find?  I went to 5 different shops before finding the perfect cup in Woolworths.  Home i went to make smoothies :-)

Possum loved his smoothie!  As did the other kids.  They will now be a regular feature on our menu.  Most likely for afternoon tea.

When asking the kids for a name for these smoothies they came up with 'Knock em Out!' Smoothies which is really cute :-)  They know the smoothies are packed full of goodies to help their 'good bugs' fight off the 'bad bugs'.  Love that they are so keen to take good care of their bodies!

Here is what we had ~

Knock em Out Version 1

2 bananas

1 heaped tablespoon raw cocoa powder

1 heaped tablespoon coconut oil

large handful almonds

large handful baby spinach

large handful frozen blueberries

1/2 small tub vanilla soy yogurt

sugar to taste

soy milk

Knock em Out Version 2

1 heaped tablespoon coconut oil

1 heaped tablespoon raw cocoa powder

2 bananas

large handful frozen blueberries

4 broccoli florets

1/2 small tub vanilla soy yogurt

large handful almonds

1 tablespoon linseeds

large handful baby spinach

raw sugar to taste

coconut water

My method is simple and you could use any variety of ingredients to suit yourself.

First mill all of the seeds, nuts, grains on 10 for about 45sec.

Add all of the fruit and other ingredients except your thinner (soy milk, coconut water etc)

Mix on 10 until smooth and pasty, about 30 seconds.

Add your thinner and mix on 10 for a few seconds then re-evaluate and continue to add and mix until it reaches the consistency you desire.

Taste test and add sweetener to taste.

Serve in a large glass with a straw.

My receipts above made enough for 4 serves.

There is no end to what you can put in these smoothies.  Enjoy!

Things have been a little quite around here ...

I can assure you that is because we have been BUSY!  That and my internet connection dies in the evening :(  Thought a change in service provider would solve all my problems, sadly, they have returned! Looks like i will have to change my blogging habits.

So what have we been up to?

I've been busy in the kitchen mostly.  Some of the recipes have made their way onto the blog some more need refining and then i will post them too.  At the moment i am working on chickpea chocolate biscuits, or maybe that should be chocolate chickpea biscuits.  I'm using some 'different' ingredients as I am trying to fill up Possum (he eats like a bird) and also put some weight on him so we are going for high energy foods.  If he had a full tummy he might actually sleep, that would be bliss!

We ended up taking some time off school over Anzac Day and the following week as my niece came to stay then we had a bunch of appointments both in the city and at home.  We are back to regular programming this week although we are heading to the city Wednesday as i am talking the kids to the symphony cushion concert.  Should be loads of fun!

Anzac Day was great.  The kids enjoyed the march followed by wreath laying.  Then everyone went into the town hall for an hour long presentation.  There were various speakers speaking about their experience at war, playing the last post, hymns, prayers, songs, poems etc.  It was a really lovely way to honour those who fought for us and one of the best services i've been to.  Afterwards everyone had a sausage sizzle for breakfast before heading home.

It's never too early to buy books for next year, right?  Here are some new Anzac books that have arrived.  Many thanks to Jeanne @ A Peaceful Day for recommending these new titles.

Flossy has been busy reading.  No surprises there it's her favourite pastime.  She's recently found the author Michael Morpurgo and is really loving his books.

Bugsy has been busy riding his bike!

Chicky has been busy with her reading and maths.  She read her first I See Sam reader this week!  She's been working more in Miquon too.  Mini Math Monday should be back next week if i can tare Chicky away from Miquon long enough to fit in some living maths!

Possum has been playing and trying to take a few more steps.

Rusty has finished up his local work and has now gone to the city.  It will be hard with him working away but we have been there before.  Hopefully this time it won't be for very long.  We have plans afoot for our move back to the city later in the year.

Sadly our much loved Jasper was hit by a car last night.  He is in surgery as i type having his shattered pelvis and fractured hip repaired.  I'm busying myself waiting for the vet surgeon to call and let me know how it went.

Well, back to the books with the kiddies before packing to go to the city for the concert.

GF & DF Protein Packed Choc Cupcakes

In a word, yum! and no one even knew they were packed with goodies :-)  I normally make my own GF flour mix but had ran out of tapioca starch so this time i went with a commercial flour mix, White Wings Gluten Free Self Raising Flour, i was suitably impressed.

Ingredients ~

10g linseed

10g quinoa

20g dried chickpeas

20 g raw almonds

60g virgin coconut oil

60g Nuttalex

120g raw sugar

60g White Wings GF SR flour

2 eggs

100g soy milk

30g raw cocoa

2t GF baking powder

1/2t Xanthan gum

1t vanilla bean paste

Method ~

Preheat oven to 180C.

Set out muffin cases on baking tray.

Put linseed, quinoa, dried chickpeas and almonds into TMX bowl and mill for 45 sec, speed 10.

Set aside milled seeds & nuts.

Put coconut oil and Nuttelex into TMX bowl and melt 2 mins, 60C, speed 4.

Add all other ingredients including milled seeds & nuts and mix 20 sec, speed 5.

Scrape down sides and repeat.

Portion out into muffin cases, approx 2T per case.

Bake for approx 25 mins until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Cool on a cooling rack.

Ice if you wish or enjoy plain.

Makes approx 12 muffin sizes cupcakes.

Anzac Biscuits

Today I've made two batches of much loved Anzac Biscuits.  Here is my families favourite recipe.

Ingredients ~
2 cups traditional rolled oats
2 cups plain flour
2 cups raw sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
250g butter, chopped
4 large tablespoons golden syrup
2 teaspoons bicarb soda
2 tablespoons boiling water

Method ~
Pre-heat oven to 130C fan forced.
Put chopped butter, golden syrup and sugar into a microwave safe bowl and microwave stirring occasionally until the butter is melted and the sugar dissolved approx 1-2 mins.
Add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
With damp hands roll tablespoon sized amounts into balls and flatten slightly with your hand.
Allow room for expansion between biscuits on the tray.
Bake until golden brown, approx 20 mins.
Allow to cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack.

Makes approx 48 biscuits.

GF & DF Oat Sultana Biscuits

OK, before you all torch me, i know that regular oats are not safe for coeliacs.  I purchased Bob's Red Mill rolled oats,  certified wheat free and gluten free for this recipe.  The packaging clearly states that some very sensitive coeliacs may not be able to tolerate these oats.  As we are still unsure of Possum's coeliac status i thought it would be safe enough to try.  People, you know your own limits if you can't have oats don't make these biscuits :-)

Inspiration for these biscuits was found here.

Oat Sultana Biscuits

Ingredients ~
60g raw coconut oil
90g Nuttelex
150g raw sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
25g tapioca starch
50g sorghum flour
50g buckwheat flour
1 tsp Xantham gum
200g Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats (wheat & gluten free)
160g sultanas

Method ~
Preheat over to 160C.
Melt coconut oil & Nuttelex in TMX bowl, 2min, 37C, speed 2.
Add sugar mix 20 sec, speed 4.
Add egg & vanilla mix 5 sec, speed 4.
Add everything else except sultanas mix 5 sec, rev, speed 4.
Add sultanas mix 20 sec, rev, speed 4, use spatula through hole to make sure the sultanas are dispersed evenly.
With damp hands roll tablespoon size amounts into balls, flatten slightly on the tray.
Bake for approx 20 minutes until golden.
Allow to cool slightly on the tray before removing to a cooling rack.

Makes approx 30 biscuits.

Bolognese

This recipe makes enough for 4 family meals.

Ingredients ~
2 brown onions
4 cloves garlic
1 large carrot
1/2 large sweet potato or 1 small sweet potato
6 medium mushrooms
1kg beef mince
2 jars Dolmio Classic tomato sauce (could use any pasta sauce you like)
1 jar Val Verde tomato sauce
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano

Method ~
Peel & quarter onions then chop 3 sec speed 5 in TMX, empty into slow cooker.
Peel garlic then chop 3 sec, speed 6 in TMX, empty into slow cooker.
Quarter carrot & sweet potato then chop, 3 sec, speed 6, empty into slow cooker.
Chop mushrooms 2 sec, speed 5, empty into slow cooker.
Place all other ingredients into slow cooker and stir well.
Cook on low 6-8 hours stirring occasionally.
Serve over your favourite pasta, we like spirals, GF for Possum :-)

If you don't have a Thermomix you can grate all of the veggies or use a food processor to chop, or dice very finely yourself.

Eat for dinner tonight then divide up the remainder and freeze for another time.

GF & DF Morning Glory Muffins

Inspiration is taken from this recipe.

Ingredients ~
240g GF flour (I used buckwheat, sorghum, quinoa, tapioca starch & Xanthum gum mix)
160g raw sugar
2 teaspoons GF baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 carrots
50g sultanas
2 handfuls of almonds
1 apple
1 pear
3 eggs
20g coconut oil (liquid)
60g olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste

Method ~
Mill any grains for your flour on 10 for 1 minute and set aside.
Cut carrots into 3, apple into 4, pear into 4.
Put cut fruit and veg into bowl along with almonds.
Chop for 3 seconds on speed 8.
Add all other ingredients to bowl.
Mix for 25 sec on speed 4 using the spatula through the top to make sure everything incorporates properly.
Spoon into muffin trays and cook for 20 mins at 180C or until lightly golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Makes 12 large muffins & 24 mini muffins.

YUM!

The other day i started my morning routine like usual.  Had breakfast whilst checking my e-mail, Facebook, blogs, forums etc and on my travels i stopped by at Grow, Bake, Run.  My good friend Pam had posted a recipe for Quick Chocolate Pudding.  Well, you know when you can't get a song out of your head, ALL day i was thinking about this recipe.  Just waiting for my little people to go to bed so i could give it a whirl.

Eventually all was quiet and i set to work.  It was very quick to make indeed and very yummy!  It's gone to the top of my list of yummy snacks :)  I could not possibly keep this gem to myself, enjoy.

Oreo Ice-cream Cake

I created an Oreo ice-cream cake.  I've never made an ice-cream cake before and had a brainwave whilst chatting to Bugsy about what kind of cake he might like.  He loved my suggestion so we went with that.  I've never seen this done before, but I've seen similar concepts, I just winged it :-)

First thing your going to need is a pudding bowl, or a similar plastic bowl.

Now depending on the size of your bowl and the number of people your planning to serve depends on the quantity of ingredients.

2-4 packets of classic Oreo biscuits (I used 2 packets)

2-4L vanilla ice-cream (I used 2L) either make your own or buy a nice creamy one

1 jumbo packet of Maltesers

First off you will need to line the bowl your going to use with glad wrap.  You need to do that do you can get your cake out later.

Put your ice-cream on the bench to soften.

Whilst the ice-cream is softening line the inside of your glad wrapped bowl with Oreo biscuits.

Tip the softened ice-cream into a large mixing bowl and add the jumbo pack of Maltesers.  Mix them through so they are dispersed somewhat evenly.  You don't want the ice-cream to be runny, just soft.

Now carefully put the ice-cream mix into the Oreo lined bowl.  Put a little in at a time and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to squash it down and smooth it off.

Fill the bowl up to the top of the Oreo lining then fold over the glad wrap overhang to completely cover the top and put the entire thing into the freezer.

I recommend leaving the cake to firm up overnight.

When your ready open the glad wrap covering the top, which is going to become the base.  Carefully tip it out onto a plate and remove the rest of the glad wrap.  Leave it to soften  on the bench for a few minutes, probably 20 mins depending how hot the room is. 

Enjoy :-)

Menu Plan 9 Jan

We had a few hits and misses last week with the new recipes.

The GF & DF pancakes we tried were, um, unpleasant, texture was fine but they were completely overpowered by the almond extract.  The only person to finish their serve was Rusty and that isn't saying much, he will eat anything!

The Indulgent Granola was a hit!  It was YUM, YUM, YUM!!  Not only did it feature for breakfast with yogurt but Rusty and I snuck some with homemade ice-cream for dessert one night :-)

The GF & DF Blueberry Muffins received mixed reviews.  Flossy, Bugsy & Chicky decided they didn't much care for blueberries after all.  Rusty, Possum and I thoroughly enjoyed them.  I did change the recipe a little to suit us and what i had on hand, switched almond meal for buckwheat flour, backed the sugar off, used rice milk instead of water.

A few of the evening meals got bumped again as we had things come up.

This week is Bugsy's Birthday!  So he will be choosing what we eat that day.  I'm not going to bother listing what we are eating for lunch, it isn't very exciting, sandwiches, scrolls, leftovers, fruit or some combination of those.  Here is what's cooking this week.

Monday

Breakfast - Fruit toast (EDC hot cross buns, but as a loaf) with TMX smoothies

Dinner - GF sausages with roast potatoes and steamed veggies

Tuesday - Bugsy's 6th Birthday

Breakfast - TMX rice porridge

Dinner - Homemade Pizza with homemade garlic bread (TMX pizza dough & bread dough) & Birthday cake

Wednesday

Breakfast - Cold cereal

Dinner - TMX spaghetti & meatballs

Thursday

Breakfast - TMX porridge

Dinner - GF rissoles with TMX GF & DF green potato rosti and steamed veggies
Pantry - Indulgent granola

Friday

Breakfast - Cold cereal, heading to the city.

Dinner - Pick something up in the city.

Saturday

Breakfast - Granola & yogurt

Dinner - Vegetable cous-cous with cabbage noodles

Sunday

Hitting the road and heading away for a holiday.  Wont be posting a menu plan next week, see you when we get back :)

Amber xxx

TMX Green Potato Rosti (GF & DF)

Adapted from EDC.

500g potatoes peeled and cut into quarters, nadine & sweet potato
1/2 onion peeled & quartered
1 clove garlic
Large handful of baby spinach leaves
200g GF flour
1 egg

Place all ingredients into TMX bowl and mix on 6 for 10 sec, scrape down edges, mix on 6 for 15 sec.
Fry tablespoon amounts in hot oil on the stove top.
They are ready when they are golden brown.

Menu Plan 2 Jan

We had a very busy week last week catching up with friends impromptu so i didn't get to cook much of what was on my list.  Not to worry it will feature on the menu this week :)

If you didn't see the update on Possum his poor tummy is struggling so he is going wheat and dairy free, again.  I will be trying out a bunch of recipes for him and use my TMX where possible.

Monday

Breakfast - GF & DF Pancakes - new recipe

Lunch - Pizza scrolls (TMX white bread recipe)

Dinner - BBQ rissoles with TMX mashed potatoes & steamed veggies
Pantry/fridge/freezer - TMX Fruit loaf

Tuesday

Breakfast - Fruit toast with TMX smoothies
Dinner Prep - TMX rice

Lunch - Pick n Mix

Dinner - Chinese style fried rice with spring rolls and sweet & sour sauce
Pantry/fridge/freezer - Indulgent granola - didn't get to try it out last week & TMX GF & DF green potato rosti (recipe to come)

Wednesday

Breakfast - Granola & yogurt
Dinner prep - TMX potatoes & eggs for salad

Lunch - Ham & cheese scrolls (TMX white bread recipe)

Dinner - Home made chicken nuggets with potato salad and GF & DF zucchini fritters
Pantry/fridge/freezer - GF & DF vanilla cupcakes probably do choc icing instead - new recipe

Thursday

Breakfast - TMX rice porridge

Lunch - Pick n Mix

Dinner - TMX spaghetti & meatballs
Pantry/fridge/freezer - TMX white bread

Friday

Breakfast - Cold cereal

Lunch - Sandwiches

Dinner - Home made sausage rolls (TMX filling)
Pantry/fridge/freezer - TMX sorbet

Saturday

Breakfast - GF & DF Blueberry Muffins - new recipe

Lunch - Pick n Mix

Dinner - Tacos

Sunday

Breakfast - TMX porridge

Lunch - Pizza scrolls (TMX white bread recipe)

Dinner - BBQ GF sausages & salad

Menu Plan 26 Dec

I'm keen to try out a few new things whilst hubby is home this week.

Sunday (Boxing Day)

No cooking for me, still visiting family.

Monday

Breakfast - TMX crumpets, a new recipe for us

Lunch - TMX Ham & Cheese scrolls

Dinner - Sausage sizzle
Pantry/fridge/freezer - TMX Vanilla custard (EDC)

Tuesday

Breakfast - TMX rice porridge
Dinner prep - TMX pie filling

Lunch - 'Pick n Mix' crackers, dip, fruit, left overs TMX Hummas (EDC)

Dinner - TMX Chicken & vegetable pie, kids loved this one!  This time going to make them as pot pies and skim some of the liquid as it was a bit too wet last time.
Pantry/fridge/freezer - TMX Vanilla ice-cream (EDC), TMX white bread

Wednesday

Breakfast - TMX pancakes

Dinner prep - TMX rice and sweet & sour sauce, going to try this recipe (sauce only) and use the TMX
Lunch - Sandwiches

Dinner - Chinese style fried rice with spring rolls and sweet & sour sauce
Pantry/fridge/freezer - TMX fruit loaf

Thursday

Breakfast - TMX Smoothies & fruit toast

Lunch - 'Pick n Mix' crackers, dip, fruit, left overs TMX Hummas (EDC)
Dinner - Home made pizzas (TMX pizza base EDC)

Pantry/fridge/freezer - This indulgent granola, new recipe

Friday (New Years Eve)

Breakfast - Granola
Dinner prep - TMX apple crumble

Lunch - Left over pizza

Dinner - BBQ Rissoles with TMX mashed potatoes & steamed veggies and for desert apple crumble and ice-cream
Pantry/fridge/freezer - TMX white bread

Saturday (New Years Day)

Breakfast - BBQ Bacon & eggs with toast

Lunch - Sandwiches

Dinner - Tacos

Sunday

Breakfast - Fruit scones (TMX butter & flour)

Lunch - 'Pick n Mix' crackers, dip, fruit, left overs TMX Hummas (EDC)
Dinner - TMX Baf's chicken & veg, new recipe

TMX white bread, yummy!

This makes a very yummy, light, versatile loaf.  I use this as a base recipe for all the lunch scrolls i make.  It is so good my children like to eat it as just bread and butter, they don't want to spoil the flavour by adding a spread!

1 egg
20g olive oil
Approx 220g luke warm water
3 tsp instant dried yeast
500g white bread flour
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt

Zero scales.  Put olive oil and egg into TMX bowl then add enough lukewarm water to make the liquid up to 300g.  It will be around 220g depending on the size of your egg.

Add yeast.  Mix on 3 for 30 seconds.

Add flour, sugar and salt.  Slowly turn dial from closed lid position to 7 and mix just long enough for dough to begin to form.

Mix 2 mins on interval.  Rest for 1 minute.  Mix a further 2 mins on interval.

Shape into a ball, put in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with gladwrap and allow to rise for about 1 hour.  I normally sit my bowl in the oven unless i'm cooking something else at the time.

Turn out onto a floured surface and shape your loaf.  I normally make two balls and pop them into my loaf dish.

Allow to rise a further 30 mins then place into a cold oven.  Set the oven to 220C and cook until golden and when tapped the base sounds hollow.  Approx 40 mins.

If your children are anything like mine this loaf will be gone in the blink of an eye, yum!

Menu Plan 18 Dec

Inspired by Jo at Quirky Cooking I'm sharing my menu plans too.  Not nearly as creative or inspirational, but helps me keep my week on track and shop for what we need so it limits wastage!


Sunday
Breakfast - Fruit scones with jam (TMX butter & flour for mix)
Lunch - Crumbed fish & fruit platter
Dinner - Sausage sizzle

Monday
Breakfast - Cereal quick easy, another trip to the city
Lunch & Dinner - will pick up something in the city

Tuesday
Breakfast - TMX porridge & make TMX fruit loaf (EDC Hot Cross Bun recipe) to take on a playdate for afternoon tea
Lunch - Sandwiches
Dinner - Rissoles & TMX steamed veggies

Wednesday
Breakfast - TMX smoothies & toast
Lunch - Corn chips, salsa & fruit platter
Dinner - TMX spaghetti & meatballs AIO meal (new recipe for us)

Thursday
Breakfast - Cereal
Lunch - Sandwiches
Dinner - Tacos

Friday
Breakfast - Cereal, quick & easy, heading to my parents place for Christmas!  Won't be cooking until we get home.

Saturday

Christmas Day!

Sunday

Boxing Day!

Menu Plan 10 Dec

We've got a VERY busy week ahead of us with several trips to the city scheduled along with several other appointments in town.

Saturday
Breakfast - TMX pancakes
Lunch - Cold meat & salad sandwiches
Dinner - Kebabs with TMX rice & steamed vegies
Pantry/Fridge/Freezer - TMX Beef and vegetable puree for Possum

Sunday
Breakfast - TMX rice porridge
Lunch - Sandwiches (heading to the city)
Dinner - BBQ with the inlaws at their retirement village kids Christmas party in the city

Monday
Breakfast - Fruit salad & yogurt
Lunch - Sandwiches
Dinner - Tacos
Pantry/Fridge/Freezer - TMX choc custard

Tuesday
Breakfast - Cereal (quick & easy, heading to the city)
Lunch & Dinner out in the city

Wednesday
Breakfast - Cereal (quick & easy, heading to swimming), dinner prep cook rice (TMX) and refrigerate
Lunch - Fruit plate & crumbed fish
Dinner - Chinese style fried rice with spring rolls and sweet & sour sauce

Thursday
Breakfast - Fruit smoothies (TMX) with toast, dinner prep cook potatoes (TMX) and refrigerate
Lunch - Sandwiches
Dinner - Tuna patties & steamed veggies

Friday
Breakfast - Cereal (quick & easy, heading to the city)
Lunch & Dinner out in the city

Saturday
Breakfast - TMX Pancakes
Lunch - crackers, dip (TMX hummus), fruit
Dinner - TMX Chicken & vegetable pie (new recipe)

TMX Pancakes/Pikelets

We like to call them pancakes, but really they are pikelets :D  Here is my TMX recipe adapted from the Golden Wattle Cook Book.

420g plain flour
5 teaspoons of baking powder (TMX home made)
55g sugar
4 eggs
430g milk

Put everything in the TMX bowl.
Mix on 5 for 10 seconds, scrape down sides, repeat, repeat again.
Cook in a greased pan on the stove top.
More than enough for a family of 6, yum!

Rusty, chief Saturday morning pancake cook, 2 pans on the go so we all get to eat sooner :D

Pancakes cut and served with real maple syrup for dipping.

Gingerbread for the Gingerbread House

Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Kids Cooking Book.  We love the AWW Cookbooks, lots of tried and true, yummy recipes :)

This recipe will make MORE than enough for the Gingerbread House we made, if you use the same template we did.  I put the link in the Gingerbread House post.  If you just wanted to make cookies or gingerbread men you could halve the recipe.

250g butter
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup golden syrup
6 cups plain flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground clove
4 teaspoons bicarb soda
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Before you do anything make sure you have enough spices on hand.  Don't assume you do because you have a bottle in the cupboard.  I JUST had enough when i made mine and they are now on the shopping list!

Preheat your oven to 180C.

Make sure you have enough baking trays and that they are big enough to fit on your house pieces so they are flat.  You don't want a wall with a kink in it :)

Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup in the microwave and 'nuke' them in small increments stirring in between until the butter is melted and everything is combined.  You don't want it bubbling madly, you just want it melted and combined.  SMALL increments!

Put it aside for a few minutes to cool.  You don't want to add the egg to it straight away or you will cook it.

Once slightly cooled add all the other ingredients putting the egg in last.  Stir with a spoon to combine.  If it's very crumbly here you can add a little more beaten egg.  You want it to feel like playdough.

Turn it out onto a floured bench or cheat like it do and put it on some baking paper.  Knead the dough lightly until it has all come together into a large blob.  Now separate it into 6 portions.

Roll each portion out until it is even and around 5mm thick.  Then use your template and cut the piece out making sure you cut the doors or windows where appropriate.  I do all of this on baking paper so i don't have to move the piece, i just slide the baking paper off the bench onto the baking tray and pop it into the oven.  Sound like a pro don't I, i've only done it once :P

You'll have plenty of dough, so once the house pieces are all done grab the cookie cutters as set to work.

Cook each piece until golden brown then cool on a cake rack.

Now your ready to make your royal icing and put it all together.  Have fun!

Gingerbread House

I've never made a Gingerbread House before.  I've seen the kits you can get at the shop and thought about it, but never given it a go.  There is something about prepackaged that i don't love LOL.  This year Masterchef had an episode where they made the most magic Gingerbread Houses and i saw what they did from start to finish, and i thought, hey, that wasn't too bad.  I think i can do that!  Well, not quite so grande, but i could do a small one.  So i decided that we would give it a go this Christmas.

I already have a gingerbread recipe that i love so i didn't have to hunt one down which made life a little easier.  I just had to find a template.  Google to the rescue :)  This is the site i found, we used the first pattern, the house template.

I doubled my regular recipe and it was MORE than enough.  We made some biscuits with the balance.

I left it all to cool and waited for peace and quiet before attempting to put it together.  I made up the royal icing by hand.  Oh, my!  Never going to make it by hand again, my arm almost dropped off from so much whipping!  I don't know how chefs manage it.  Ofcourse it would have helped if i actually had a whisk and wasn't using a fork!  In the end i was using 2 forks and yes, it was more effective than 1.  You think i would have learnt when i doubled the gingerbread recipe that i didn't need to also double the royal icing recipe, slow learner here.  I doubled that recipe too and had MORE than enough!  At the suggestion of a friend i made the icing VERY stiff.  It set very quickly which was just what i needed.  I loaded it in a snap lock bag, snipped off a corner and set to work.

With the assistance of some tinned beans and fruit the house went together quite smoothly.

Once all the walls were up i let them set before putting on the roof panels, door and window shutters.

I put the icing in the fridge overnight so that it was ready to go for decorating in the morning.  The kids had a wonderful time discussing and deciding on decorations.  Next year i know we need a few different supplies to what we had this year, but i guess that is all part of the learning process.

We were all VERY HAPPY with the final result.  We wont be waiting until Christmas to eat it.  I'm sure it will be all gone by the end of the week!

I think we just started a new Christmas Tradition :)