Rachel Allen's Chocolate Melting Moments

Another cookie recipe from Friday's #twookieparty.  I found this recipe a couple of years ago in a Rachel Allen diary I bought.  I made these once and always remember the rather unusual texture and their complete deliciousness.  They literally melt on your tongue and sometimes in between your fingers when you pick them up.  I made these as a dessert for a romantic meal and they are pefect little morsels to share following a candle lit dinner.  As they can be prepared in advance they leave plenty of time to whisper sweet nothings across the table at your loved one.  They were equally delicious the second time round and the strange melting sensation was just as I remembered.  Let me know what you think.

Rachel Allen's Chocolate Melting Moments

(Makes 24 halves, 12 when sandwiched together)

125g/4&1/2oz Unsalted Butter, softened
50g/2oz Icing Sugar
50g/2oz Cornflour
25g/1oz Cocoa Powder
100g/4oz Plain Flour
Approx. 2tbsp Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 3 and lightly grease or line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2.  Beat the butter, then add the icing sugar and beat until soft and light.  Sift the cornflour, cocoa powder and plain flour into the butter and sugar and mix until the dough comes together.

3.  Divide the dough into 24 equal parts (about the size of a walnut in its shell).  Roll into balls, place slightly apart on the prepared tray and then flatten each biscuit lightly with a fork.  Cook in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until firm.  Remove from the oven and let the biscuits sit on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.  Then sandwich the biscuits together with a nice thick layer of chocolate hazelnut spread.

Lemon Sugar Cookies & Chocolate Orange Cookies

Last Friday I participated in a #twookieparty (a cookie bake off on Twitter) with some other Irish foodies.  I promised recipes would follow so here are the first two.  I am lumping these two together as I used the same basic dough recipe for both.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Yields approx 36
(I divided the dough in 3, baked 1 dozen and froze 2 rolls of dough for later use)

450g/15oz Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Soda
1/4tsp Salt
395g/14oz granulated sugar
44g/1.5oz packed light-brown sugar
Grated Zest of 1 Lemon
1tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
220g/8oz Unsalted Butter, softened
2 Large Eggs
Granulated Sugar, for sprinkling

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.   Line a baking sheet with grease proof paper. (if you are baking the full quantity of dough you will need 3 lined baking sheets or you will have to bake in 3 seperate batches)
2.  Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
3.  Put the sugars and lemon zest in a seperate bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.
4.  Mix in the eggs, 1 at a time, and then the lemon juice.
5.  Reduce the speed and gradually add the flour mixture; mix until just combined.
6.  Using a tablespoon sized measuring spoon or a regular tablespoon place dough 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet.
7.  Flatten the cookies slightly with a fork and sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar, then lightly brush with a wet pastry brush and sprinkle with more granulated sugar.
8.  Bake the cookies until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
9.  Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Orange Cookies

Yields approx 36

(I divided the dough in 3, baked 1 dozen and froze 2 rolls of dough for later use)

450g/15oz Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Soda
1/4tsp Salt
395g/14oz granulated sugar
44g/1.5oz packed light-brown sugar
Grated Zest of 1 Orange
2tbsp Fresh Orange Juice
220g/8oz Unsalted Butter, softened
2 Large Eggs
100g Plain Chocolate, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking sheet with grease proof paper. (if you are baking the full quantity of dough you will need 3 lined baking sheets or you will have to bake in 3 seperate batches)
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
3. Put the sugars and orange zest in a seperate bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.
4. Mix in the eggs, 1 at a time, and then the orange juice.
5. Reduce the speed and gradually add the flour mixture; mix until just combined.

6. Using a tablespoon sized measuring spoon or a regular tablespoon place dough 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet.

7. Flatten the cookies slightly with a fork.
8. Bake the cookies until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
9.  Once they are cool melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave (if you do not bake all af the cookie dough simply reduce the amount of chocolate accordingly ie. if you bake 1/3 of the cookie dough melt 1/3 f the chocolate)
10. Using a teaspoon drizzle lines of chocolate across the cookies to form a pattern.  I drizzled in different directions but you can do it which ever way you prefer.

11.Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Twookieparty

Evening all,

Well the time has rolled around for the Irish food bloggers Twookieparty (Twitter cookie bake up).  Below I have posted photos of the various cookies that I baked for the event and I will post recipes for them all next week.  Looking forward to seeing all that is on offer from everyone that is participating.  I will also update this post with a link to all participating bloggers over the weekend.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

(delicious with a generous dollop of Lemon Curd or just on their own)

Peanut Butter Button Cookies

(these have created a cookie monster in our house & very nearly led to divorce the other night)

Chocolate Orange Cookies

(a delicate orange undertone with a rich dark chocolate topping)

Chocolate Surprise Cookies

(Heaven on a plate. The dollop of Nutella hides a lovely soft marshmallow surprise.

These bad boys stick to your teeth and are like dense mini cakes. NOM!)

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

(light and buttery and dotted with chopped fresh strawberries)

Rachel Allen's Chocolate Melting Moments

(these literally melt in your mouth.  A funny sensation at first but oh so delicious.

The Nutella centre adds some extra depth to these rich morsels)

All wrapped up, ready to be gifted out to happy homes.

Extra dough wrapped and labelled for the freezer

(almost all of the above recipes yielded 36 cookies.  I divided each dough mixture in 3.

I baked 1 batch of 12 from each and will freeze the other 2 batches for a later date.

I had to do it or I would probably be dead right now, seriously!)

Full recipes for all will follow next week.  For now you will just have to drool over the pictures.  I'm off to eat some more cookies.  Enjoy the weekend, and if we all pray hard enough the sun might just come back out to play. : )

Cookie Anyone?

Morning all,

It is a fabulous sunny day here in Dublin today.  Just a teeny tiny post this morning.  This evening I will be participating in a twookieparty (a cookie bake up posted at the same time by a few Irish food bloggers on Twitter) as suggested by Kristin of Dinner du Jour and Sarah of Musings of a Med Student.  I will publish a post later with pictures and then next week I will follow up with recipes.  Beware though, some have proven rather addictive in this house with a certain Mr Boo hovering over my shoulder as I opened the cookie jar and again last night as I baked a second batch of his new favourites.

Happy Friday.

x

Yes, I am still alive

I know, I know I should have called or sent a text or let someone know where I was.  I'm sorry.  I know the cost of a phonecall is a small price to pay for your peace of mind.  I won't do it again.  I wasn't in a ditch somewhere, or in the hospital.  I hadn't been kidnapped, nor had I run away to join the circus.  No, honest to God.  I just had a few lazy days.  Shocking, isn't it.  Ah don't be like that now, come on.  It was nothing to do with you, I swear.  I was a bit tired and then there was the heat and sure you know yourself, I'm no good to anyone in that heat, so I had a bit of the old foggy brain syndrome and nothing was computing in there.  I thought about baking.  I willed myself to bake.  I flicked through various books and drooled over the scrummy pictures.  I lay like a star fish on my bed staring at the ceiling thinking of all sorts of gorgeous concoctions, real and imagined.  I even stood in the kitchen, poised and ready to start, but alas my brain would not allow it.  It wanted time to do nothing, sit and ponder, look at the pretty flowers, eat chocolate and drink ice cold drinks.  It wanted to lie in bed and dream wondrous dreams full of far off destinations, dazzling jewels, luxurious clothes, lotions and potions that hold the key to eternal youth, and a kitchen with all the storage and work top space it's buddy the heart desires.  I had no choice but to indulge it and without instruction my limbs were unable to move in such a way that would produce a cake of scrumptious proportions. 

I am back now and am ready to bake once more.  I have a teeny problem though, I have so many cakes I want to bake and devour I don't quite know where to start.  I will come to a decision soon, and you lovely people will be the very first to know.  I promise.

x

My Dad

As it is Father's Day today I thought it appropriate to dedicate a post to my dad.  Daddy's are great, aren't they?  Mine is no exception to the rule.  In fact, I think he is the best in the business. 

He is a quiet man, who loves the comfort of his own home.  He meets his brother and friends on a Sunday afternoon for a drink, his tipple of choice is a pint of Smithwicks with a Guiness head and after a few of them he loves a Gin and Tonic with lots of ice and a slice.  The rest of the week he can be found at home, sitting in his back garden on a sunny day developing a tan to rival George Hamilton, and in his living room in the evening watching movies with his surround sound at full blast so that the whole house rocks. 

He has the sharpest sense of humour and also the filthiest, a trait I am ashamed to say I have inherited from him (I am a lady the majority of the time).  He knows lots about lots so is a great go to guy when you need an answer or an explantion for something.  He is the worlds biggest Frank Sinatra fan and has a voice to rival him, he used to sing in a band when he was younger you know.  He is the vainest 71 year old I know, he insists on dieting so as not to put on weight, he lashes the Nuxe oil in his hair when he is going out and is always a dapper little fecker in his suit and matching shirt, tie, handkerchief and cufflinks.

When we were younger he was the only man when you had an ouwie, he would sort it out in an instant.  If we happened to be in trouble for what ever reason and doing some 'time out' in our bedroom he would come home from work give us some money and send us off to the shop for a treat.  This did not go down well with my mam.  He lived qietly in a house with 4 women and didn't complain much (note the use of the word much, he can be a moany old shite when he wants to be), but he loves all of his girls relentlessly and since he lost his best pal he took on the role of both mother and father and has excelled. 

He is always there for us three, quietly in the background ready to step up when we need it.  He does all of the little jobs we ask him to and never complains that they are an inconvenience to him.  He buys us little treats on his trips to town and on a Saturday when we descend on his house we go to the shop and as he picks up sweets for his grandchildren he also pops something onto the counter for his three grown up girls.  He throws us a few bob every now and then for a nice lunch or to treat ourselves to something and when we go on holiday we get some money for a few drinks while we are away.  You see no matter what he is doing his grilies three are always in his thoughts.

In recent years he has been blessed with three grandchildren by my two sisters and while his love for his daughters overflows, the love and pride he has for his grandaughter and his two grandsons is a whole other story.  You can see it oozing from him when he is in their company.  They are like the elixir of life for him.  He might moan about the standard aches and pains of any 71 year old when we talk to him on the phone, but put him in a room with these three little people and he has the energy and agility of a 21 year old.  He rolls around on the floor, runs, jumps up and down and throws them around as if they were light as feather rag dolls laughing and roaring with fun.

So there you have it, a glimpse of the man I call dad.  He is truly wonderful and we are all blessed that he is ours.  Happy Father's Day dad, you are most definitely the best in the business, your the boss!

As I have said, my dad goes out for a little drink on a Sunday afternoon, and has done so since forever.  When we were little we would enjoy our Sunday roast and then dad would make us up a delicious dessert.  I haven't had it for years but can still taste it.  It was the simplest thing in the world but was a firm favourite on a Sunday in our house, so in honour of my dad I am going to treat myself to a coke float.  What treats did your dad make for you when you were little?

Coke Float

1 tall glass
1 generous scoop of vanilla or raspberry ripple ice cream
Coca Cola

1.  Place the ice cream in the bottom of the glass.
2.  Pour the coca cola over to fill the glass.
3.  Enjoy!

Apologies for the photo quality that follows but the blazing afternoon sun does not make for clear close up photos and the shade of my parasol wasn't much better.

Lemon Curd (GF)

The weather has been glorious this week in Dublin and so I have been pushing heavy chocolatey recipes to the back of my mind in favour of zesty, fruity flavours perfect for the sun.  (Although I might sneak in a light chocolate something or other at the end of the week.)  Anyhoo, having enjoyed the delicious pineapple and mint concotion I made the other day I decided something similarly fresh and zesty would be very welcome while temperatures remain in the high teens.  I wanted something quick and easy to make that I can keep in the fridge to whip up simple desserts while the sun keeps us company.  This hit the spot perfectly, it was made in 15 mins and only required one pot so there was minimal washing up required.  Serve with scones, pancakes, ginger cake, meringue, mix into some icecream, smear on some brioche or biccies.  The possibilities are endless. Enjoy.

Lemon Curd
Makes 3 x 1lb/350ml Capacity Jars

Grated Zest & Juice of 4 large, juicy Lemons
4 Large Eggs
12oz/350g Caster Sugar
8oz/225g Unsalted Butter, at room temp and cut into small pieces
1 Heaped tbsp Cornflour

1.  In a medium sized saucepan whisk the eggs with a balloon whisk.
2.  Add the rest of the ingredients and place over a medium heat.
3.  Use the balloon whisk to whisk continuosly until the mixture thickens.
4.  Turn the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for a further minute, continue to whisk.
5.  Remove from the heat and immediately pour into the hot sterilised jars.*
6.  Cover with waxed discs (you can buy these in baking supply stores but if you don't have any use some greaseproof paper), seal while still hot and allow to cool before labelling.

7.  Store in a cool place and this will keep for weeks.

* Wash the jars in hot water and then dry out in an oven at 100°C/212°F/Gas Mark 1/4 for 15 mins, fill and seal while hot to create a sterile vacuum seal.  Alternatively wash on a hot cycle in the dishwasher without detergent.

I halved the above recipe without a problem and used 1 jar, I did mean to fill the jar with water and measure it's capacity but forgot in my excitement and only remembered after I had sterilised it.  I was too lazy and impatient to sterilize the far again so didn't take the measurement, sorry.  I am going to give this jar to my dad as part of his Fathers day presents as I know he will love it, so I will make another half quantity of the above recipe to live in my fridge for a few weeks.

Mint Pineapple (GF)

I paid a visit to my local supermarket yesterday afternoon to pick up some ingredients for dinner.  When I walked in the door a gaggle of pineapples all bunched together on display caught my attention, so I decided to give one of them a home.  Donal Skehan had put thoughts of a scrummy chicken and broccoli pasta dish with creamy sauce into my head for dinner and I thought a nice light sweet treat would be perfect afterwards.  I had spotted a recipe for pineapple with mint a while back and as the weather was so fabulously sunny I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try it out.

Mint Pineapple
Serves 4

1 Ripe Pineapple
4 Heaped tbsp Caster Sugar
1 Handful Fresh Mint

1.  Cut the pineapple into rounds. 
2.  Take each slice and trim off the skin. 
3.  Cut into halves and then quarters. 
4.  Remove the harder core area from each quarter piece. 
5.  Cut each quarter in half again.  Arrange the pieces on one large serving dish or individual plates.
6.  Place the caster sugar into a pestle and mortar.
7.  Roughly chop the mint and add to the pestle and mortar.
8.  Pound the sugar and mint in the pestle and mortar for approximately 1 minute, the sugar will change colour and a delicious aroma will be released.
9.  Sprinkle the mint sugar over the pineapple and enjoy.

This is really delicious, light and refreshing.  It would make an ideal dessert to round off a heavy or a spicy meal and would be perfect on hot summer days or nights.  This would also be a lovely day time snack as it would feel like a treat without any of the guilt of being calorie laden (imagine how lovely it would be to open your lunch box in work and find this inside).  It could also be served with natural yoghurt, greek yoghurt or creme fraiche.

Jamie Oliver's Party Cake

When I met Mr Boo the only reason for him to enter a kitchen was in order for someone else to hand him a lovingly cooked meal. Now I love to cook and deem great pleasure from cooking for those that I love but didn’t exactly want to spend everyday for the rest of my life cooking for someone who would not be able to return the favour every now and then. Mr Boo occasionally made murmurings along the lines that he wouldn’t mind possessing the skills to enable him to knock together a tasty dish from time to time. Then Jamie Oliver broke onto the scene and all of my prayers were answered. This little Cockney sparrow with all of his ‘pukka’ food only served to heighten Mr Boos eagerness to learn.

I could have kissed him, but there was a plane journey involved and I was spoken for, as was he so I didn’t. Anyhoo, when Mr Boo’s birthday rolled around I decided to get him Mr Oliver’s book as one of his little presents. He was delighted and wasted no time in getting himself into the kitchen and knocking out some very tasty dishes. Now, we didn’t have instant success, not by any means. I do remember one very bad night when I took a forkful of something WAY to salty but politely smiled and continued eating so as not to offend his efforts. Approximately 4 forkfuls later I had to make a mad dash for the loo where I was violently ill. I apologised, he apologised. “It was just a little to salty”, says I. “That’ll most probably be the anchovies”, says he. “How many did you put in”, I enquired. “Just the one jar” he replied. Yep that’ll do it I thought to myself before suggesting next time he trust the recipe and just put in the two fillets as specified.

Once we got that initial teething period out of the way we were flying and it became quite the tradition that of a Friday if his mam and dad popped out in the evening that he would cook a lovely romantic 3-course meal for me, complete with candles and soppy music. I loved those evenings. Something else he would do regularly but has not done in the last few years was to make me Jamie Oliver’s Party Cake and arrive at my door with it. It didn’t have to be a special occasion, just any random Friday or Saturday he might turn up outside my house in his bottle green Punto and produce this delicious chocolate concoction from his backseat all for me, because he loved me and because I love chocolate. That remains for me one of my favourite things he has ever done for me. All of that time, and love baked into a cake for me to eat and carry inside me. I don’t think a chocolate cake ever tasted so good.

As I have said he hasn’t made that cake for me for as long as I can remember. We are married and live together now so he shows his love in different ways. He might occasionally clean the kitchen, he buys pretty plants and plants them in the back garden for me to find when I have time to stop and smell the roses, he paints that room that I have been hinting about decorating and when I come home and decide I don’t like the colour he paints it a second time and only complains a little, when I hear a noise in the middle of the night he gets up from his sleep to investigate and returns with the news that all is well with the world and I can return to slumber. He does these ordinary mundane things and many more that show me he loves me every day, but he doesn’t bake me chocolate cakes that ooze cream and strawberries as you bite into them anymore. So, I have decided that I will bake him a chocolate cake that oozes cream and strawberries as you bite into it, because you know, I love him to, and I want to bake that into a cake for him to eat and carry around inside of him.

Party Cake

I have made a couple of alterations to the original recipe.  I omitted some flaked almonds and doubled the quantity of strawberries in favour of half strawberries and half raspberries, well it is National Strawberry Week after all.

3-rounded tbsp Cocoa Powder
200g/7oz Caster Sugar
200g/7oz Butter
3 Large Eggs, preferably free-range
200g/7oz Self-Raising Flour, sifted
1 rounded tsp Baking Powder
200ml/7floz Double Cream
2 large handfuls Strawberries, hulled and chopped

Chocolate Topping:
100g/3 ¾ oz Butter
100g/3 ¾ oz best quality Plain Chocolate
100g/3 ¾ oz Icing Sugar
3tbsp Milk

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.

2. Line the bases of 2 x 20cm/8” cake tins with greased greaseproof paper.

3. Mix the cocoa powder with 4tbsp of boiling water until smooth.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, add the cocoa mixture, eggs, flour and baking powder.

5. Mix well and divide between the baking tins.

6. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes (a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean when cooked).

7. Allow to cool then remove from the tins.

8. Melt the chocolate topping ingredients in a bowl over some lightly simmering water. Stir until blended well and allow to cool.

9. Whip the double cream to soft peaks and sweeten with a little sugar to taste.

10. To assemble the cake, remove the greaseproof paper from both sponges.

11. Spread the cream over one of the sponges, and then sprinkle the strawberries on top.

12. Sandwich the second sponge on top and press down.

13. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to smooth if off and drizzle over your chocolate topping.

14. Allow the chocolate topping to firm up slightly before getting stuck in.

Flora Womens Mini Marathon 2010

A few weeks ago I thought it would a good 'get fit' incentive to sign up for this years Flora Women's Mini Marathon.  All well and good until my asthmatic lungs thought they would do all in their power to thwart any such plans.  Did I let them, did I heck!  So on Monday, with the rain pouring from the heavens (seriously God, would you not just give us a little break here) I jostled for position with 39,999 other ladies and waited to embark on the 10k trek that lay ahead.  OK, OK so it wasn't exactly a trek but it is a fair distance to jolk (I did a little walking and a little jogging so am trying a new word out, roll with me) as I have already said in the pissings of rain, sans rain coat, with approx 10,000 aul wans in front of you enjoying a little stroll and a good aul natter.

But jolk I did, all the way to the finish line.  A little sore, completely drenched, but with a wonderful sense of achievement.  The marathon route was a sea of charity t-shirts.  Every lady wore her heart on her chest, back, sleeve and ass.  You name it; it was emblazoned with a charities name or a loved ones photo.  It was a little emotional at times to pass someone with a photo of the loved one no longer with them printed on their attire.  More than that though it was wonderful to see such joy and enthusiasm at the opportunity to do something positive from something devastating.  I didn't just jolk 10k on Monday, I became part of a wonderful sisterhood of inspiring and wonderful ladies, all laughing into the face of negative experiences and raising money in the hopes of saving others from them in the future.

I jolked in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation as did many others on the day, and there were far too many charities represented on the day for me to even begin to mention all of them here.  If you participated on the day congratulations, you have made a difference to someone else's life.  If you sponsored a mini marathoner, thank you, you have made a difference to someone else's life.  If you stood along the course route and filled paper cups with water, stood near a barrier to ensure no one went the wrong way, were on stand by to give first aid, clapped as weary people walked or jogged by, thank you, you have made a difference to someone else's life.  If you were one of the firemen who stood outside Donnybrook fire station with a rather large hose and soaked me, thank you, you made my day.

Here's my medal and race number, just in case there are any doubters out there.

Also, a big thank you to my gorgeous husband, my dad, my two sisters, their hubands and their children, all of who stood in the rain until well and truly soaked to give me a big cheer as I whizzed (I did, honest) past them just before the finish line.  Mwah!