sugar high

Just yesterday, I had a 'bake off' of sorts with my friend, Kitty. The challenge was to create a goody of any kind based loosely on the theme of Christmas. Kitty went all out with a fabulously fun adaptation of the rainbow cake.

I opted for date 'truffles', a buttery concoction that combines dates, coconut and other glorious goodness. They are a family favourite; ridiculously more-ish with the illusion of healthfulness as they contain cereal and dates. Just in case you are interested...

1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup well-chopped dates
2 1/2 cups rice crispies or cornflakes
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans work particularly well)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dessicated coconut and icing sugar

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Throw in sugar and beaten eggs, whisking furiously all the while so the eggs have no opportunity to scramble.
2. Once well combined, add the dates. Keep stirring over a low flame for about 5 minutes until the concoction turns chocolate brown.
3. Take it off the heat, and add the vanilla. Then mix in the cereal and nuts.
4. On a large plate, mix enough coconut (about a cup) and icing sugar (3 or so tbsps)to coat the date truffles.
5. When your date mixture is still warm but cool enough to handle, shape into small balls and roll in the coconut/sugar mixture. Theoretically, you should store in an airtight container in a cool place, ideally the refrigerator, but they never last long enough to warrant storage in our home. :)

It was a great afternoon/evening, and I'm toying with the idea of making this a semi-regular event amongst those inclined in my circle of friends. All part of my effort to live creatively... I'm well aware that I also need to step up my exercise regime to compensate. :/

In other news, I joined Pinterest last week. This was a very bad move indeed. Addictive does not even begin to cover it. On the one hand, gorgeous inspiration, on the other hand my supposed 10 minute forays turn into 4 hour trawlings. Oh vell...

winter treat

original photo by stephbond, processed by me.

People, I have become my mother. It is a fact. Every time I take my first sip of coffee from a well-known global coffee outlet, I think to myself not only is this ridiculously overpriced, but I could so easily make this at home. Which of course is exactly what my mother would say.

Imagine my delight when I came across the following recipe...

Chai Hot Chocolate (from Epicurious)

* 4 cups low-fat milk
* 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
* 10 cardamom pods, coarsely cracked (alternatively, use a little cardamom powder, or extra allspice)
* 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice, cracked
* 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 5 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar, divided
* 6 quarter-size slices fresh ginger plus 1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
* 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream

Combine first 6 ingredients, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, and ginger slices in medium saucepan. Bring almost to simmer, whisking frequently. Remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Meanwhile, whisk cream, remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar, grated ginger, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in medium bowl to peaks. Add more sugar to taste if not sweet enough for your taste.

Strain hot chocolate. Ladle into 6 mugs. Top each with dollop of ginger cream.

pie

At once impressive and unremarkable, pie can be complicated and challenging or simple and homey. Whether ordinary or elegant, though, a pie is not something to eat by yourself. It should be made to share, preferably while fresh and warm.

—Lisa Chernasky, 'The Artful Pie'

{cake on friday} roses at teatime

Came across these photos taken on my birthday a few years back. The roses were a gift from a dear friend no longer here. Tea, muffins, and a sedate morning with a good book sounds lovely, but not today! I'm off to a field in Bromley, to sing loudly & off-key, do all the actions, and play a bunch of games with a bunch of primary schoolers. What time is it? ADVENTURE TIME!!!

{cake on friday} dessert

Because it's been a while... and you're worth it.

We had our annual office barbecue earlier this week, which was where I partook of this excessive dessert. Imagine the weight of the decision before me - cherry pie or cheese cake! What's a girl to do? The only sensible thing... have both.

{cake on friday} almost...

lemon cake, originally uploaded by sheelajoy.

Truth be told, I've been really rubbish with the no-carbs things since Christmas. I blame the cold weather combined with birthdays and other cake-related events. Excuses over. I'm turning a new leaf as of now. Really. Anyways, you're not interested in my dietary woes...

Enjoy a picture of cake. I can confirm the real thing was rather lovely. The sort of cake you enjoy on a rainy Sunday afternoon with an enormous mug of tea and a gently humorous novel about the inhabitants of an English village.

{cake on friday} on monday...

... because you're worth it.

No, really. You are.

So, my lovely friend Helen came to spend this Saturday with me. We share many things in common - a similar sense of humour, a love of reading, a similar taste in films, low energy...the list goes on and on. One of our main shared passions though - good cake!

We are swimming in blackberries over here, so I was determined to use as many as possible, but didn't didn't want to go down the traditional crumble/cobbler route. Enter the genius that is the Pioneer Woman. She's devised a dessert that is part cake, part cobbler - scrumptious. Let's put it this way - I made this on Saturday, and today (Monday) it is no longer with us. Don't look at me like that- it wasn't just me that ate it...

Pioneer Woman's Blackberry Cobbler
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup milk
2 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen)

1) Mix sugar, flour and milk together thoroughly. Whisk in the butter. Pour into a well-buttered baking dish.
2) Rinse and drain blackberries. Sprinkle evenly onto the batter. Here, Ree sprinkles another 1/4 cup sugar evenly over the top, but I omitted this and didn't feel the dish suffered. If anything, it was still a tad sweeter than I'd have liked. When making this again, I might reduce the amount of sugar down to 3/4 cups, but that's just me.
3) Bake at 180 degrees C for an hour. Serve as it is, or with cream, ice cream or custard.

I apologise for that pitiful photo. Treat yourself to Ree's photos and instructions here.

{cake on friday} lemon layer cake

Montbretia, originally uploaded by sheelajoy.

It being Cake Day, I thought I'd share with you the recipe I used for my dad's birthday cake. I'm sorry that I have no photos of said cake. In fact I have no photos at all of that event, as a) I'd forgotten to bring my camera and b) I'm a deeply neglectful daughter.

The room was beautiful though. We went with a maroon and white theme. My mother had made two lovely floral arrangements from white hydrangeas and an assortmert of deep maroon foliage. The tables had maroon cloths, white tealights in glass holders, and small twigs of the maroon foliage. Hmm, not a very evocative description, so you're going to have to trust me - it was pretty.

On to the cake...

Lemon Layer Cake
(from Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)

Makes three 9-inch layers (and yes, it is an adaptation of the 1-2-3-4 cake)

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, lemon juice and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans, or if you have just the one pan like me, roughly estimate a third of the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

I'd adapted the recipe to make one 10 inch and one 9 inch cake. When the cakes cooled, I spread lemon curd on top of each layer, and then stacked the layers on top of each other. Now, you can make your own lemon curd, but I was trying to reduce labour at this point so I used a nice shop-bought variety.

I then made up an enormous batch of the seven-minute frosting, which was marshmallowy, and fluffy and delectable. I frosted the bigger cake with it, and set the remainder aside as I wasn't sure if we'd need the second cake after all. It turned out we didn't, which is just as well as a dear family friend with a devastatingly sweet tooth found the remainder of the frosting in the kitchen and attacked it with a spoon. In next to no time, it was half gone so he got to take what was left home, while I got to take the unfrosted cake home. Yay!

Fear not, it was shared with a great many people.

for today...

poppy, originally uploaded by sheelajoy.

Outside my window… children trotting two by two, shepherded by their teachers to their bus for a school trip to the swimming pool. Gleeful doesn’t even begin to cover their mood.

I am thinking… about a podcast I recently listened to which talked about the need to live lives that demand an explanation. Thinking through what that looks like for me in my current circumstances. I spend so much effort praying and wishing for a change in situation, that I often miss out on a) living a life that points to Christ, and b) reflecting on the change that the Spirit is working out in me.

I am watching… Not so much watching. More looking at… these! It is Friday after all, and I do like my cake. The point is make a cake based on your favourite Threadless t-shirt. Some of them are ridiculously good.

I am thankful for… My semi-Pootle Day today.. (What is ‘pootling’? See here and here). The last few days have been very low on energy (yes, sorry, this again!) so I’m taking it easy. It isn’t a day of utter rest like a real Pootle Day would be; I’m up and sort of about, just doing significantly less than I would on a regular workday.

From the kitchen… Hmmm, breakfast was a bowl of muesli with soya milk, and an enormous mug of tea. I’m so healthy. Or boring. One of the two. There is a tub of non-dairy {shakes fist at dairy allergy} chocolate ice cream nestled in the freezer, which is calling my name.

I am wearing… My usual summer uniform – jeans and a (dark pink) t-shirt, brown flats, silver hoop earrings, etc. This is the first summer in a long time that I do not own a pair of flip-flops. Yes, this fact distresses me, but not enough to haul myself to purchase a pair.

I am reading… I’ve been really bad with reading lately. The continuing inability to concentrate still horrifies me, as reading is so much a part of my personality. Nevertheless, we soldier on.

I am praying… for more energy (I'm so full of surprises). This weekend is going to be kind of full, what with shopping for next weekend’s party etc. Going through it achy and exhausted wouldn't not be my favourite thing. And ok, I'm going to sound like a complete lunatic saying the following, but heyho... A few days ago, in a quiet time where I was being anything but quiet, crying out about how wretched I felt, I sensed the Lord telling me that this chronic fatigue was a gift. 'Do you jest?' I exclaimed, but I sensed he was in earnest. {Insert dramatic sigh here} And so, while I'm praying for healing, I am also praying that I will be aware of how God is using this in my life to shape my character and perhaps bless others (that latter part feels like a stretch at the moment, but...) .

I am looking forward to… Ummm, bedtime? :)

A picture for today – See above. This one is straight out of the camera. It just feels like summer, and it makes me happy. I recently reconfigured my camera settings as per Ken Rockwell's suggestions, and I really like what that’s doing to my pictures. This summer we have about 6 or 7 poppy varieties in our garden ranging from enormous bright orange ones to small pale pink ones. So yummy, you could eat them. You shouldn’t, but you could.

(HT: Owlhaven, who got it from Simple Woman’s Daybook)

battle of the cakes

Berry Cake, originally uploaded by Kitsch-en.

Yoohoo! Yes, you there, hello! Can you help me? Just need a quick opinion…

So my father’s 60th birthday is coming up, and my mother and I are throwing him a party. A select gathering of his chums, about 35 people altogether.

Obviously, my mother will be making an Indian meal, and obviously it will be delicious. I, however, am in charge of dessert. Bearing in mind that people will be having their fill at the main course, I thought I’d keep it simple – the birthday cake and a fruit salad for those who don’t eat cake (I know. It amazes me too, but those people do exist. The mind boggles).

I’ve been poring over my many recipes, and have whittled the possibilities down to two – both from the delectable Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. In the left corner, we have a lemon cake, three-tiered (I’m deeply ambitious, and equally delusional), with a lemon-(or perhaps lime) curd filling and the seven-minute frosting. In the right corner, we have the old-fashioned vanilla cake, again three-tiered, with a mango or berry filling and the seven-minute frosting.

This, my little sweetlings, is where you come in. What cake do I make?

Help me.

{cake on friday} for the love of cake

aaron and angels wedding cake, spring cupcakes!, originally uploaded by hello naomi.

Happy Cake Day, one and all! For your viewing pleasure...

1) Mini Strawberry Soap Cupcakes by LoveLeeSoaps on Etsy.

2) A friendly reminder, via Cake Wrecks

3) Where can you find desserts performing Verdi's La Traviata, you ask? Why, over here my dear.

I'm so helpful.

{cake on friday} naan

My bible study group is coming to the end of our Patriarchs study. This coming Monday will be our final session. To celebrate/drown our sorrows, we are having a meal together, and everyone is to bring a dish. I was asked to bring bread.

'This I can do', I thought to myself.

I haven't made naan in a long while, and thought this would be a perfect opportunity to pull that recipe out of hibernation. It's a truly therapeutic experience - from the pummeling and kneading of the dough, to the comforting aroma of both the dough and the finished product.

I thought I'd do a practice run this past weekend, just to make sure I knew what I was doing. Also, my cousin was visiting, and it never hurts to have one more guinea pig...

Traditionally, naan is made in a tandoor, and a more resourceful person than I would have whipped up a clay oven in the backyard. I, however, have embraced my lack of resourcefulness.

I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo above, but I tried two methods of cooking the naan: the oven and the tava. The naan I made stuck under the grill turned a lovely golden brown colour, but was slight drier and denser in texture. I preferred the tava-made naan. It was soft, light and had the dappled colouring that I associate with traditional naan. Not that I know anything about anything...


Naan Bread

2 tsp dried yeast & 1 tsp sugar OR 15 g fresh yeast
200 ml warm milk (I used soya, which works fine)
450 g self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 beaten egg
2 tbsp oil
4 tbsp natural yogurt

1) Sprinkle the dried yeast and sugar onto milk, stirring well, and then leave for 15 minutes. Alternatively, if using fresh yeast, just blend with milk.

2) Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl (the larger the better, as the plan is for much uprising!) Add the egg, oil, yogurt and yeast mixture, and mix into a dough.

3) Turn out the onto a floured surface. (You'll want a healthy amount of flour on hand, as this gets sticky.) Knead until the dough is firm, then lightly oil the surface of the dough, plop it back in the bowl, cover and leave it in a warm place for at least an hour.

4) Knock back the dough, kneading till firm again. Divide it into equal portions - I tend to go for 10 smaller naans, but you could do 6 'normal' sized ones. Roll each piece out into ovals or circles, depending on how you feel led. Sorry, I don't have a specific measurement for thickness - Not too thick or it won't cook; not too thin or it will burn - let's say about a centimeter...

5) If cooking under a grill - Preheat grill until hot. Place naan on a greased baking tray and grill on each side for 2-3 minutes.
If cooking on a tava - Heat a smidgeon of oil on the tava on high heat. Cook naan one at a time, for about a minute per side.

6) I tried a variation too! Yes, I did my own version of a peshwari naan. I chopped a handful of raisins up fine, mixed that in with a few tablespoons of desiccated coconut, a few tablespoons of chopped nuts, and a tablespoon of sugar. I threw in a gloop of milk (precision is my forte), stirred it around so the milk was absorbed, and then scooped a dollop onto a rolled out naan, folded it over, and rolled it out again slightly. And then cooked as above. Does this make sense? Probably not. Such is life.

{cake on friday} cupcake card

cupcake card, originally uploaded by sheelajoy.

It has been such a long time since I've baked anything, let alone blogged cake, and believe me, I have felt the deprivation. Also, I realise I've not blogged my progress on the cross stitch project I've been working on. I use the term working on loosely - I've really not picked it up since I got back from Singapore. Instead, I've been working on a gift for a newborn, and this...

Behold, a card I made recently, a birthday card for a cake-loving friend. You like?

{cake on friday} portly prunes

I'm guessing you aren't particularly impressed by this week's topic. I must admit I was slightly crestfallen when I heard that this was what a friend was bringing over for dessert the other day.

All misgivings evaporated at the first bite. Plummy goodness in a citrusy, port syrup. Her recipe, which I entrust to you...

HELEN'S PORTLY PRUNES
(She didn't actually call it that. I believe the technical term is 'stewed prunes', which sets off my gagging reflex...)

1) Soak 500g of ready-to-eat prunes in the juice and zest of 1 orange, 2 teaspoons of sugar and some water for 2 hours or more. The mixture should just cover the prunes.
2) Simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes.
3) Remove from heat, and add about 50ml (more or less, depending on taste) of port into mixture. Leave to cool.

She recommends serving this with ginger ice cream, but I have yet to find a dairy-free ginger ice cream, so vanilla with a sprinkling of finely chopped candied ginger will do.

These old-fashioned desserts are making a comeback, and deservedly so. The New York Times featured poached dried fruit as its Recipe of the Day a few days ago. Plus, this is magnificent (not to mention healthy) comfort food for these chilly January/February days.

Don't knock it till you've tried it...

{cake on friday} Patriarch's Week One

Crumb Cake, originally uploaded by teenytinyturkey.

My Bible study group group met for the first session of our Patriarchs study this Monday. Ooh - it looks like this is going to be a good one! I love these times of fellowship and feasting on the Word. Of course, that's not all we feast on... Every week, we have some scrumptiousness that our hostess has baked. This week, we had a crumb cake. Oh. So. Good.

Crumb Cake
2 cup light brown sugar
2 cup flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sour cream or buttermilk
1 beaten egg
1 cup raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 scant tsp. baking soda

Mix together to crumb texture first 3 ingredients, saving about 1/3 for topping. Add baking soda to sour cream or buttermilk and combine with rest of ingredients. Add these to the above crumb mixture. Pour into greased, floured 7 x 9-inch cake pan. Spread over it the 1/3 amount of crumb mixture set aside for topping. Bake at 180° C for 45 to 55 minutes.

{cake on friday} frozen lemon cream

frozen lemon cream, originally uploaded by sheelajoy.

I made this last night for a potluck dinner tonight. It really is so simple, only calls for four ingredients, and is quite delicious. The recipe is from More-With-Less, a collection of 500 Mennonite concoctions. I improvised a bit...

Frozen Lemon Cream

1) Thoroughly chill one can of evaporated milk. (I left it in the fridge overnight)
2) Beat till stiff, slowly adding 3/4 cup sugar.
3) Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice and the grated rind of a lemon.
4) Make crumbs from 12 graham crackers. (I used Butter Crinkles instead) Pat 1/2 into the bottom of your pan (I used a flan dish, and used all the crumbs on the base rather than have a sandwich).
5) Spoon 'cream' mixture on top of crumb base. Cover with remaining crumbs.
6) Cover tightly (hah - as you can see, I messed up with the clingfilm, and so got those {ahem} interesting features on the surface) and freeze till ready to serve. Voila!

happiness...

muffins, originally uploaded by sheelajoy.

...is a warm muffin.

toys tea party

toys tea party, originally uploaded by sheelajoy.

Yesterday, I came home from jury service tired but in that restless, unfocused, frenzied sort of way. After a walk to the high street for eatables and readables, I had the bright idea to organise a birthday tea party for Annie, which of course she can't attend, being thousands of miles away...

Mrs. Quack (who was given to me by a close family friend called Mrs. Quek when I was 7 years old. I was leaving Singapore for the Doulos again, and she gave it to me to remember her by), Raggedy Anjali (Raggedy Ann's Indian cousin, handmade for me when I was a child by another friend of the family) and Matthew (given to me by my brother, who named him after Matthew Cuthbert from 'Anne of Green Gables') enjoyed nibbling oatmeal-raisin cookies and sipping tea on your behalf, Annie. :)

Happy Birthday, Annie!

{cake on friday} marbled banana loaf

marbled banana loaf, originally uploaded by sheelajoy.

My friend Debbie had a special birthday this week. We went out for lunch yesterday to celebrate this (it was supposed to be a surprise. i forgot. i blabbed. i am a twerp. she said she had guessed, but i can't tell if she was graciously rescuing me from all those glaring at me with murderous intent).

However, a birthday is not a birthday unless a movie-fest ensues. Therefore, a group of us are getting together for just that purpose tonight. For this occasion, a marbled banana loaf has been created. Now, I recognise that banana bread is not your standard movie fare, but I put it to you that there is no occasion, none at all, where cake is unsuitable. Furthermore, the banana in said bread makes it a nutritious contrast to the chips etc, that will also feature in our repast. Have I convinced you? Oh well.

I used my trusty banana bread recipe (minus the pecans), which has never failed me yet. I melted 6 squares of dark chocolate (more discerning palates may disagree, but I believe that chocolate improves most foods...), and mixed that in with about a third of the batter, and then {ahem} attempted a marbling technique. On hindsight, I should have used more chocolate, as my marbling looks a little gormless and ineffectual. Nevertheless, we soldier on...

{cake on friday} cupcake fabric

cupcake fabric, originally uploaded by sheelajoy.

Love, love, love this...