Confessions of a food blogger……

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Sam

Well you may know that I love food. I love eating it, baking it, thinking about it.

I started writing up recipes & ramblings just over a year ago and it seems to have taken over.

If you have a similar obsession I’m sure you’ll be able to identify with one or all of the following.

Marking the end of 2012 and chomping at the bit for 2013 to start!

Your camera has attachments that are really not supposed to be there, ie. icing sugar, dough, flour etc.

My last camera has been “retired” mostly due to the on/off switch being clogged with stuff. I had to blow down it to switch it on, not good!

Food has to be photographed before being eaten, so meals can sometimes be a little on the cold side

Mostly I photograph the sweet things so it’s not so bad, see I’m looking at the positives!

If you allow something to be eaten that’s just baked it’s always the burnt/ugly/misshapen one

Well that just makes sense, right?!! At least until the photos are taken.

You dream of food and wake up buzzing with ideas or hungry or both

Sad but true. I do have great ideas while asleep or semi conscious, sadly not all remembered……

Where you sit when you eat out needs to have enough natural light to ensure a great photo for your Twitter/Facebook/blog page or you have to carry the plate to a window/outside to achieve aforementioned photo!

Don’t eat out that often, but when I do I often find I’ll be “styling” the food so it looks good!

No pieces of paper with any scrawling can be recycled until they’ve been scrutinised to ensure they don’t contain that amazing recipe or ingredient list that you can’t live without.

Just can’t risk it, recipes in chaos but I tend to have to write on what’s at hand at the time, albeit an envelope, cardboard box etc.

When asked to describe yourself it usually starts with I love food………..

Here’s to another feast & friendship filled year. Thanks for all your lovely messages and for taking the time to stop by and say “Hi” from time to time. Without you I’d just be talking to myself (actually I do that too already!) ♥

Categories: Other | 15 Comments

Dog Biscuits

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Sam

For the last few years I’ve been making these biscuits for my parents dog Charley for Christmas. He’s a fussy little beggar but he seems to really like these! I usually put them in a jar and they will last for several weeks that way.

Dog Biscuits

200ml Very hot water (not boiling or you may burn yourself)

80g soft butter or spread

65g milk powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp granulated sugar

1 beaten egg

435g wholewheat flour

Preheat your oven to 170°C (fan 150°C) GM3

Conversion chart courtesy of Delia http://www.deliaonline.com/home/conversion-tables.html

Place the butter in a large bowl pour over the water and stir briefly with a wooden spoon. Add the milk powder, salt, sugar & egg. Then add about a third of the flour mix well, then add half of the remaining flour and mix again, then the rest of the flour. Bring the mixture together with your hands and knead for 3-4 minutes on the work surface.

Shape into a ball then flour your work surface and roll out the dough until it’s 1cm-1.5cm in thickness. Cut out the shapes with cookie cutters and place on a greased/lined baking tray.

Bake for 30-40 minutes (depending on the size you cut) until they are firm to the touch and starting to turn golden.

Cool on a rack then bag up or place in a jar. The bone shaped cookie cutter I used was approx 7cm at the widest part and I made 18 biscuits with this quantity of dough. Hope your dog enjoys them! ♥

Categories: Biscuits, Christmas | 8 Comments

Christmas Tree Buns

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Sam

I had this idea a few nights ago, you know when you can’t get back to sleep and keep thinking about food, or is that just me………..

These are basically a batch of Chelsea buns made all Christmasy. I think they’d make a great centre piece for a gathering or party. Believe me they won’t last long!

Christmas Tree Buns

Ingredients for the bun bit

500g strong white flour

225ml tepid milk

1 beaten egg

1/2 tsp salt

50g soft butter cubed

75g sugar

7g dried fast action yeast

Filling bit

175g mixed dried fruit of your choice (I used sultanas, currants & peel)

25g soft brown sugar

25g melted butter

2 tsp of ground spice of your choice (I used one of cinnamon & one of mixed spice)

The decoration bit

100g icing sugar

1 handful of glace cherries

I used the Dr Oetker shimmer spray for the gold star and some tiny edible stars scattered on.

You’ll need a star cutter, greased (the one I used was 8cm width at the widest)

A large baking sheet, greased

In the bowl to your mixer or a large mixing bowl place all the bun ingredients. Mix together until all combined either using the dough hook with your mixer or with good old elbow grease.

Knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic like. Leave to rest in a bowl covered with oiled clingfilm, preferably somewhere warm, until it’s about doubled in size. This takes 40 minutes to an hour.

Knock back the dough (knocking the air out) then roll out on a floured worksurface until you have a 30 cm square.

Brush the surface with the melted butter then evenly sprinkle over the dried fruit, spices & sugar.

Roll up the dough, swiss roll style and gently but firmly press the edges together to stop it unrolling. Then you need to slice it into 12 pieces of near equal size (one being slightly smaller then the rest is helpful for the “star”). The easiest way I have found is to cut the whole thing in half then each half again leaving you with 4 pieces then slice each of those into 3.

Place the smallest inside the greased star cookie cutter, pushing the dough inside the points, then place on the baking tray then place one bun below this, 2 side by side under that, 3 under that and 4 under that. That leaves just one as the “trunk” placed at the bottom. Loosely cover with oiled clingfilm and leave somewhere warm to prove for about another 40 minutes until about doubled in size again. While this is proving preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C) GM 6

Once they’ve proved, remove the clingfilm and bake for about 20 minutes until beautifully risen and a deep golden colour. Allow to cool.

Gently ease the star bun from it’s cutter. To make the icing drizzle mix the icing sugar with a little water then either pipe over or spoon over. Dot with glacé cherries as “baubles” and add any other decorations you like. I also used a little spray of gold shimmer spray on the star bun. Will keep for a few days in a container. Enjoy ♥

Categories: Bread, Christmas, Sweet | 2 Comments

Salted Peanut Honeycomb

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Sam

I made honeycomb for the first time not too long ago, it was divine to eat and I love the chemical lava style reaction you get when you make it!

This combines sweet & salty which I think works so well. They can make a lovely present if bagged up and labelled. Lasts about a week in a container, but really best within 4 days. I had the tough job of taste testing each day, all for research purposes of course!

Be warned that this is wickedly hot and can have a tendency to splash if stirred with vigour! Don’t be tempted to lick the spoon soon after spreading it on the baking tray, it will seriously hurt.

Print the recipe here

Conversion for measurements here http://www.deliaonline.com/conversion-tables.html

Salted Peanut Honeycomb

Ingredients

100g granulated sugar

4 tbsp or 65g golden syrup

85g roasted salted peanuts

2 tsp unsalted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Grease a baking tray with oil.

In a heavy based saucepan place the sugar, syrup, peanuts & butter. Heat on a medium heat and keep stirring to mix together until the sugar has melted.

Turn up the heat to bring to a boil, keep stirring to stop it catching. Ideally you should use a sugar thermometer and when the temperature reaches 145°C remove from the heat. If you don’t have one then you’ll need to make sure it’s a deep golden colour.

Throw in the vanilla & bicarbonate. This will make it fizz up, stir through then working quickly spread it out onto the baking tray. Leave to cool completely then break into pieces. Store in a container. Enjoy ♥

Categories: Christmas, Sweet | 13 Comments

Lemony Whirls

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Sam

I love the citrus zing of lemon or lime in cakes & biscuits, so decided to use my last lemon up on something special before it got that tired look in my fruit bowl!

They kind of melt in the mouth and are rather moreish as they’re not overly sweet.

I quite like the idea of making really tiny ones to sit on the side of a cup and saucer for after a meal, think they’d go nicely with a cuppa!

Print off the recipe HERE

Lemony Whirls

Biscuit bit

125g soft butter/spread

25g icing sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

130g plain flour

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp lemon juice

Filling bit

50g soft butter/spread

125g Icing sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

Lemon curd (about 3 tbsp)

Makes 10 sandwiched whirls

Preheat oven to 170°C (fan 150°C)

Grease/line a baking sheet or 2 ready.

Biscuit bit

Beat the butter & sugar until light and fluffy. Add the rest of the biscuit ingredients and beat together well.

Fit a large rose or star piping nozzle into your piping bag and spoon in the mixture.

Pipe whirls about an inch/2.5 cm in diameter, be warned it’s a really stiff mixture so requires some muscles! Bake for about 15 minutes until they are just starting to turn a golden colour. Allow to cool completely on a rack.

Filling bit

This is a lemon butter icing. Place the butter, icing sugar and juice together and beat until light and fluffy. Either spread on one side of the whirl with a knife or pipe a lovely dollop in the middle, add a blob of lemon curd and place the top on, put in the fridge to set slightly. Will keep for a few days in a tin.

Enjoy ♥

Categories: Biscuits | 8 Comments

Trufflenutters

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Sam

I had a jar of cashew nut butter in my cupboard for ages, none of us are very keen on peanut butter and I kept meaning to use it for something and at last got round to making these little delights as I experimented with it.

I threw in some Nutella, something I usually have in the cupboard to add to cookie recipes and things but not something any of us eats on toast.

I decided not to tell Frey or Gav what was in them and let them decide without being biased whether they liked them or not. Well they both adored them, so did I by the way! They are sweet and tasty and they stick all round your mouth, fabulous!

Cashew nut butter is a fairly stiff paste so if using a runnier consistancy of peanut butter you may need to add a little more icing sugar to gain a stiff truffle mix.

The taste is really similar to a praline. These would make a lovely gift for someone. Just use some cute petit four cases & then gift wrap them real nice. You can use different things to roll them in, coconut, cocoa, sprinkes, icing sugar whatever works for you.

Trufflenutters

85g cashew nut butter (or similar like peanut butter)

85g chocolate spread (I used Nutella)

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

50g sieved icing sugar

20-30g finely grated white chocolate to decorate

Makes 16

In a bowl mix the peanut butter, chocolate spread & vanilla until well mixed. Add the icing sugar and mix to a stiff paste.

Place the grated chocolate in to a small bowl. Take teaspoons of the mix and roll into a ball ensuring the heat from your hands makes the outer surface sticky then drop into the grated chocolate and move around to coat.

Place in the fridge. They will keep for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy ♥

Categories: Christmas, Other, Sweet | 5 Comments

Sam’s kitchen Gnocchi

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Sam

Gnocchi (little potato clouds)

I made these for the first time many years ago and we all love them, they’re great with a sauce or really plain with olive oil and black pepper. Serve as a starter or main, really versatile and not hard to make. My first attempt, I remember, was all rather messy! But that has never deterred me and I have managed to gain a method that is not quite as messy (making no promises here that you won’t have clearing up to do!) & is delicious. Please note this is my interpretation of gnocchi and may differ to an authentic Italian dish.

Ingredients

Approx 600g of mashed potatoes (peeled, diced, boiled until soft and then mashed)

200g plain flour (plus some extra for dusting)

1 egg beaten

Serves 4-6

Once you have mashed the potatoes and banished the lumps, add the flour and about half of the beaten egg.

Mix really well with a wooden spoon until combined. The mixture should all come together like a dough if it looks a little dry (you don’t want it looking like it has cracks) then add a little more egg. By the same token if it’s really sticky it will be really hard to work with, so add a little more flour.

Divide into 4 pieces and roll each one out to a long sausage shape, make sure you have flour on hand to add a light dusting if things are sticky. The diameter should be about 1.5-2 cm. Then using a teaspoon as a knife (I know crazy right?!!) slice into pieces 1.5-2 cm across.

Then using a fork, gently press the prongs into the surface of one side of the gnocchi. This will give you that iconic gnocchi look and also will help the sauce adhere to the surface better, so a win, win situation.

I find it best to lay them out on a lightly floured board not touching as they will stick together otherwise.

When you are ready to cook them bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Gently drop the gnocchi in, you can cook in batches, they are cooked in just a few minutes and you know they’re done when they float to the surface. I use a slotted spoon to remove them.

You can smother them in sauce and eat them, or bake them loaded with sauce & mozzarella which is what I usually do with them. My personal favourite is with a drizzle of olive oil, a twist of black pepper and a generous grating of parmesan, perfect! ♥

Categories: I ♥ Italy, Savoury | 3 Comments

Goodwood Revival 2012

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Sam

Now, I usually enjoy my work, I am business manager for Gav’s photography business and a food writer so what not to like! Sometimes we get the opportunity to do things that we wouldn’t get the chance to do often or at all and then I LOVE my job even more!

We recently attended this amazing event at Goodwood, West Sussex with the pretext of giving some photography training. The tickets were all arranged for us we just had to be suitably attired and be up with the lark!

This event is like a magical time travel trip back to the era of the 1940’s/50’s & 60’s with all the glamour and nostalgia that conjures up.

It is the most popular historical race meeting in the world and is totally unique with a superb vintage twist. There emerges a “class system” which allows you into certain areas only with the appropriate pass/ticket, this I enjoyed enormously as I had most of the passes including being able to view up close & personal the priceless cars in the Paddock and also Grandstand seats right on the dicey chicane!

I would love one of these little Triumphs. Glamcabs straight from Carry on Cabby.

Predominantly cars but also planes and vintage goodies this was a heavenly day out. I even got to meet Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr Bean, Johnny English & Edmond Blackadder) who was racing all over the weekend (see pics below).

Kenwood were there with a fantastic kitchen layout, giving brilliant demos featuring foods & techniques from the era. I especially loved the kitchen system they used. A 1950’s kitchen which, when a switch was flicked turned around to reveal a 1970’s kitchen. I definitely think that could work for me, even better when the kitchen returns it’s all clean & tidy!

I hope the photos tell the story of the day and will just add that I felt like a “proper lady” from start to finish, really must wear red lippy more often…………….♥

Categories: Special days | Leave a comment

Sams Kitchen Bourbon Biscuits

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Sam

Bourbons Biscuits

I love biscuits, they are the perfect accompaniment with a cuppa, great for a mid afternoon pep and handy for snacks & picnics.

Here’s my take on that fab chocolatey classic, the bourbon. I hope you love it as much as we do.

Download the recipe here

Bourbons

Ingredients

Biscuit bit

125g soft butter

55g soft brown sugar

155g plain flour

25g cocoa

Filling bit

40g soft butter

80g icing sugar

15g cocoa

A little milk

For the biscuits

Cream the butter & sugar until light & fluffy, sieve in the flour & cocoa and mix well until you form a ball of dough. Place the dough in a bag in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

When you’re ready to shape the biscuits preheat your oven 190°C (fan 170°C) GM 5

Roll out the dough gently on a lightly floured work surface to about 4 mm in thickness. Press out the shapes you would like and place on a greased/lined baking tray. If you’d like to add the little holes to the top then prick these (with a skewer or fork) on half the biscuits before they are baked. I sometimes use my small letter set to add text too.

Bake for about 10 minutes so they are evenly baked top & bottom, they will be firm to the touch and a little darker at the edges. Keep a close eye on them as they can burn easily. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a minute or 2 then transfer to a cooling rack.

For the icing

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of your mixer apart from the milk(or beat by hand) and combine, then beat until light and fluffy, add a little milk to create a spreadable consistency.

Spread on one of the biscuit bottoms and sandwich together with a top. Will last several days in a tin if they don’t all get eaten straight away! Enjoy ♥

Categories: Biscuits, Sweet | Tags: afternoon tea, camera, Chocolate, coffee time, Cookies, Featured, food photo, Food Photography, food styling, Food styling props, foodie, Gifts, homemade, Lighting, photography, photography styling, props, spotlight, sugar, sweet, tea | 3 Comments

Millionaire Shortbread

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Sam

I absolutely love these, they always disappear double quick at home. They seem perfectly matched with a cuppa for me.

Out of all the photos I put on Facebook these seem to get the most positive response so here’s the recipe I use if you fancy giving them a whirl yourself.

Downloadable recipe here

Millionaires Shortbread.doc

Millionaires Shortbread (or chocolate caramel fingers)

Base

125g butter, 50g caster sugar, 175g plain flour

Caramel

125g butter, 50g caster sugar, 2tbsp golden syrup, 150ml condensed milk

Topping

150g plain choc

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan)GM4. Makes 25 bite sized pieces or 12 greedy yummy slices!

The Base Bit
Cream butter & sugar until fluffy. Add flour mix well. Knead briefly until smooth. Press evenly into a 20cm square (8”) tin, prick well with a fork. Bake for about 25mins until just light golden. Set aside on a cooling rack.

The Caramel Bit

Place all ingredients into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until all melted. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring all the time to prevent it “catching” & ending up with burnt patches. Keep on a gentle rolling boil until it starts to darken slightly & thicken usually takes about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and continue to stir until it’s cooled slightly then spread over the biscuit base.

Topping

Melt choc then spread over the cooling caramel. Leave to set, try to cut into squares before completely set so you have less chance of cracking the chocolate. Will keep in a tin for about a week (apparently!) Enjoy ♥

Millionaires Shortbread.doc

Categories: Biscuits, Cakes | 6 Comments