nom nom nom Merry Xmas!

I usually bake Xmas cookies for my colleagues at work in December using the frozen Ikea cookie dough.   Unfortunately Ikea no longer sell this dough, but I found this recipe on Taste.com.au and it worked brilliantly!

I used spring-loaded cookie stamps to shape them. Snagged them at Matchbox in last year's post Xmas sales.  I had intentions to decorate them with icing pens and cachous (shiny edible ball things). But I got a bit lazy towards the end,

Gingerbread cookies

125g butter, softened
130g brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
375g plain flour
1/2 tsp sodium bicarbonate
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp of ground cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in syrup and egg. Sift flour, bicarb, ginger and cinnamon over mixture and mix manually to combine.  Knead until smooth and cover in clingfilm and refrigerate for an hour.  Preheat oven to 180 Degrees Celsius (160 if fan forced).  Roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper until 5 mm thick and cut your shapes out.  Bake on baking paper for 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes on the tray then transfer to a wire rack to cool before decorating (or devouring).

Cherry Ripe Slice

Dear Nestle, thanks for this brilliant recipe in your promotional cook book.  <3 Suebie

Chop up 150g of glace cherries in a food processor and mix with 200g of dessicated coconut and 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.  Set aside.  Blitz 200g of Scotch Finger biscuits with 25g of cocoa powder in a food processor and add 90g of melted butter.  Press biscuit mix into the bottom of a prepared 20x20cm square tin with the back of a spoon.  Add the coconut layer, press and refrigerate.  Melt 200g of dark chocolate with 1 tbsp of oil and pour over the top. Refrigerate until firm.

World's Best Caramel Slice

I got the recipe for this Aussie classic from a Nestle promotional cook book from the local supermarket.  It lived up to it's name so I thought I'd share.

Mix 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup dessicated coconut with 125g of melted butter.  Press into a 20x20 prepared square cake tin and bake at 160 C fan forced for 15-20 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt 100g of butter 1/3rd cup golden syrup and 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk over low heat.  When the biscuit base is cool, tip the mixture in and bake for another 20-25 minutes.  Cool and top with melted chocolate.  Refrigerate until set and slice.

Tiramisu

The recipe from Savoiardi biscuit packaging.

Pasta Carbonara

Pan fry some bacon pieces and put 80g of pasta onto the boil.  Whisk up a mixture of 1 egg, a splash of cream, cracked black pepper and grated parmesan/pecorino.  When pasta is ready, turn the bacon down to low heat and add 2 tablespoon of pasta water to the bacon.  Add the hot drained pasta and egg mixture and stir for no more than 30 seconds.  Pour into bowl and add more grated cheese and serve immediately.

Long time no post......

Sorry long time no post.... been busy eating my way across the USA.  Here's a sample of the things I managed to chow down that you can't get in Lil Ole Perth.

Frozen bananas from Balboa Island, CA. 

Tea and Mochi from the Japanese Tea Gardens, San Francisco, CA. 

Lamb Sultani Chelow Kabab from Shamshiri Grill, LA. 

American Breakfast, with waffles a deli in LA. 

 Sliders, Johnny Rockets, LA

Bacon and Eggs with Breakfast potatoes and a side of sausage 

Fish Taco, Cannery Restaurant, Costa Mesa, CA. 

  Lamb shank with ratatouille and potato cake, A Little Next Door, LA.

 Crab cakes with poached eggs and chipotle hollandaise on croissant,

 Kings Road Cafe, West Hollywood, CA

Pulled pork on croissant with a side of chickpeas, Boulette's Larder,

Ferry Building, San Francisco. 

Crab Chowder, Crab House,  Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco.

 Cheesy garlic bread, Crab House, San Francisco.

 Amazing Garlic Fries, Crab House, San Francisco.

Cheesecake display, Cheesecake Factory, Top of Macy's, San Francisco, CA.

 I forget which flavour, Cheesecake, Cheesecake Factory.

Hershey's Chocolate Cheesecake, Cheesecake Factory. 

"The Matrix" Zog's Dogs, San Francisco. 

Note the extra slit for bacon...

"Shooters" at 5A5 Steak Lounge, San Francisco. 

Waygu Tartare on left, Hamachi on right. 

 Dry Aged T bone steak with Bone Marrow sauce and Bone Marrow Fritters,

5A5 Steak Lounge, San Francisco.

 Dry Aged sirloin with Taragon Bearnaise, 

5A5 Steak Lounge, San Francisco.

 7 degrees of chocolate, 

5A5 Steak Lounge, San Francisco.

 Carrot Cake,

5A5 Steak Lounge, San Francisco.

 Deep Fried Cheesecake, 

5A5 Steak Lounge, San Francisco.

 Artichoke and Spinach Cheese Dip, World's Biggest Applebee's,

Times Square, New York, NY.

Reuben Sandwich (salty++)

Applebee's, New York. 

Prawn pasta, Little Italy, New York 

Pizza, Little Italy, New York. 

Chocolate goodies including delicious chocolate dipped cannoli, 

Ferrara Bakery and Cafe, Little Italy, New York 

 New York Egg Cream. Weird. Junior's Grand Central Station, New York.

Matzo Ball Soup, Junior's, Grand Central Station, New York. 

 Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 Bacon Burger

 New York Cheesecake (sorry a bit mangled as we had it to go)

Junior's, New York.

 Steak from Smith and Wollensky's, New York.

Amuse bouche, Daniel, New York.

 Duo of Beef, Daniel, New York

 Suckling Pig, Daniel, New York.

 Chocolate Dessert, Daniel, New York.

 Pineapple and fancy meringue dessert, Daniel, New York.

 Petit Four, Daniel, New York.

 Hello Deli Club, Hello Deli, New York.

 Cinnamon bagel with bacon and cream cheese, Hello Deli, New York.

 Chilli Fries, probably off the side of the road, New York.

Lobster Roll and Matchstick Fries, Pearl Oyster Bar, New York. 

Farewell meal at In and Out Burger, LAX.

Top: Double Double and Fries

Bottom: Number 2, Animal Style (drool) 

Cheeseburger Animal Style (mustard grilled patty with extra spread, pickles, grilled onion)

In and Out Burger, LAX. 

Animal Style Fries, Spread, Cheese and Grilled onions on fries 

Amazingly I didn't gain weight on this trip. One of life's great mysteries......