PORTUGUESE TARTS

4 egg yolks
115 grams caster sugar
2 level tablespoons cornflour
400 mls milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

in a medium sized saucepan, whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornflour until combined.

whisk in milk  in 2 batches till smooth.

cook, stirring over medium heat until thickened and comes to boil.

remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

transfer custard to a bowl, cover with cling wrap and let cool.

preheat oven to 180 c

cut sheet of pastry in half and place one piece on top of other.  repeat with other sheet.

starting at the short end, roll up pastry.

cut each roll into 6 pieces.

place each piece of pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll each piece  into a 10 cm. circle.

lightly grease a 12 hole muffin tin.

press a piece of pastry into each hole and evenly fill with custard.

cook for approx. 20 - 25 mins until golden.

COCONUT MACAROONS


4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
4 cups dessicated coconut

preheat oven to 175 c
line baking trays with baking paper.

makes 36

with an electric mixer, beat egg whites till peaks begin to form.

add sugar in 3 batches, beating well after each.

stir in coconut.

place large heaped teaspoon fulls on trays.

cook until just lightly brown.

cool on trays.

SPICY PUMPKIN APPLE PIE CAKE
with brown sugar icing

113 grams butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1/2 cup vanilla yoghurt
3/4 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 large can (770 grams) pie apples, drained

preheat oven to 180c. grease and line bottom of 22 cm springform tin.

with an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and eggs till well combined.

beat in yoghurt and pumpkin.

fold in flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, salt and bicarb soda.

place 2/3 of mix in bottom of tin.

spread pie apples evenly across mix.

cover apple with rest of mix.

cook for approx. 45 - 50 mins until a skewer comes out clean.

cool for 1/2 hour then ice.

eat while warm with cream, if desired.

ICING

70 grams butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups icing sugar.

in a small pot, melt butter.

add brown sugar, stirring till dissolved.

add milk, bring to boil stirring.

remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl.

let cool for 10 minutes.

stir in icing sugar.

quickly ice cake before icing sets.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CHOC CHIP MUFFINS 
with orange choc flecked icing

113 grams butter softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup thickened cream
2 eggs
grated zest 1 orange
2 cups plain flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup dark choc bits

preheat oven to 180 c. fill muffin trays with patty pans.

with an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, cream and eggs.

add cocoa and orange zest.

add flour, bicarb and salt.

add orange juice . mix well.

stir in chocolate chips.

3/4 fill each patty pan.

bake 15 -20 mins for small patty pans. 20 - 25 mins for larger patty pans. ready when skewer comes out clean.

cool.

ICING

125 grams butter softened
grated zest 1 orange
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk
3 squares dark cooking chocolate grated

with an electric mixer, beat the butter and zest.

add 1/2 the icing sugar. beat well.

add the rest of the icing sugar, grated chocolate and the milk. beat well.

pipe or spoon icing onto muffins

EASY THAI GREEN CURRY WITH CHICKEN.

1 kilo chicken breast fillets, sliced
6 medium potatoes, quartered
6 carrots sliced
2 x 400 ml cans coconut cream
1 jar valcom green curry paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons oil
3 - 4 kaffir lime leaves

in a large pot, boil the potatoes and carrots till almost cooked. drain and set aside.

using same pot, saute chicken until just cooked. drain and set aside.

using same pot, add the oil and jar of green curry paste. stir till fragrant.

add 1 can of coconut cream and stir for a couple of minutes.

add fish sauce, sugar, chicken and vegetables, other can of coconut cream and bring to the boil.

simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the kaffir lime leaves.

simmer for another 5 mins, making sure vegetable are cooked.

serve with boiled rice.

BANANA CHOC CHIP MUFFINS

3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar packed
1 cup thickened cream
113 grams butter softened
2 eggs
4 very ripe bananas mashed
1 cup milk chocoloate bits
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

preheat oven to 180 c

makes approx. 14 extra large muffins Pictured) or about 24 large.

fill muffin trays with patty pans

with an electric mixer, beat the sugars, butter, eggs and cream together.

add the bananas and vanilla.

add the flour, salt and bicarb soda. mix well.

stir in chocolate bits.

3/4 fill each patty pan.

bake 15 - 20 mins until nicely brown and a skewer comes out clean.

ICING

125 grams butter softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa sifted
1 tablespoon milk

with an electric mixer, beat butter till pale and fluffy.

add cocoa to icing sugar.

add half icing sugar mix to butter and beat till combined.

add milk and rest of icing mix and beat till combined.

pipe or spoon icing onto muffins.

decorate.

Hello again Saturday.

My Saturday cooking started Friday because it's another birthday.
Happy birthday my chunky chicken.

So, as I said, my cooking started Friday but my fondant making started Thursday.The time for chicken cake has arrived.  After much thought and with fingers crossed, I drew a picture of the chicken for the cake that miss Tash had requested and proceeded to cut out the pieces of fondant.  Was pretty happy with it because I am in no way a cake decorator.  I glued it all together with a sugar and water syrup that I had made previously, and put it aside to dry.  I then made some flowers and butterflies and a couple of small chickens to use as decorations. I had bought some alphabet cutters as well, so I cut out some names too.  Fondant cutters are a great invention.Even though it was easy to do, it took quite a few hours to make them all.  But I got them made and out to dry as well, and that was that part finished.

Then comes Friday. I go shopping with my friend in the morning, have coffee, spend some money, put tattslotto on because I intend to win it one day, so can't forget that,  buy food because you can't cook with out it and cut the day short so I can go home and cook.

I had planned the dessert menu with miss Tash earlier in the week, nothing that I haven't made before so no new recipes to post.

So I started with the easier bits. First off the rank was banana bread brownies.  These are quite quick, made in one bowl and cooked for 20 mins or so.  They need icing when they cool down.
Next I made my ferrero slice. Lots of chocolate, hazelnuts, hazelnut wafers and nutella.  No cooking.
I'm also making caramel meringue tarts, so I press the biscuits for them as well.
By now its getting close to tea time, so I throw some chicken wings with tandoori sauce into the oven to cook and continue on with the dessert menu.  I'm making matches, so I thaw some sheets of puff pastry, cut them into small squares and cook them on a tray with another tray on top to stop them from puffing.  I repeat this process five times and call it done.  I'm now eating chicken wings as I go.  All this time the man has been at miss Tashes house helping her.  He arrives home .  By now its like 7.30 pm. I sit down for an hour and have a coffee with him.  I don't want to get up again but I still have to make whoopie pies with orange cream cheese filling.  I only have one tray for these, so I have to wash it after each use and repeat that four times.
While these are cooking, I make the brown butter icing for the banana bread brownies and ice that.(and forget to take a pic.).
I also melt some white chocolate, cool, spread and roll it and put it in the fridge to set for the birthday cake.
I then make the filling for the whoopie pies, and sandwich them together.  Now for the ganache.  I make that, it looks weird, I'm tired, I put it on a couple of pies, it's all wrong.  I scrape it off.  I'm done tonight, never cook when you're knackered, tomorrows another day.  Bed is calling.

My alarm goes off.  8.00 am. Saturday morning.  Party starts at 12.30. I haven't made the birthday cake yet. Best hurry. First things first.  Coffee of course. I don't think I have enough food, so I make some cupcakes. I cheat. I open a packet of Duncan Hines french vanilla cake mix. Two dozen cupcakes coming up. With them done, I make the meringue for the caramel tarts and get them piped and cooked.  One thing complete.

I then make the icing for the cupcakes and the birthday cake. Strawberry for one lot of cupcakes and the birthday cake and chocolate for the other lot of cupcakes.  Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes, add some flowers and butterflies.  A bit rough but finished.

Next I make the ganache for the whoopie pie, turns out fine this time, thank god, don't have time to make it again.  Ice them. Finished. 

Oops, almost forgot the cream.  Whip it, that's for the birthday cake and the matches.
I have to now pack the car and go  to miss Tashes to put the birthday cake together. Yelling at the kids to shower and dress, the man and I load and depart.
We arrive at Miss Tashes, unload, get all the bits I need together and head for the kitchen. I'm actually using a store bought sponge for the birthday cake, so firstly I slice it in half and fill it with jam and cream.  Sandwich it together, place it on the cake board and cover it with icing.   Next I unroll the chocolate and place it all around the outside of the cake.  Now for the chicken.  It's been drying for 2 days but when I go to remove it form the container, it's still not quite dry enough.  Miss Tash and I both put it on the cake. It fits.
All good.   Now for the letters and small chickens.  I brought the sugar syrup with me and used that to attach everything.  I think it looks good.  Miss Tash thinks it looks good and that's all that matters. 

  It's midday and people will be arriving. I look like the cook lol. I don't want to be seen at the moment . I'm heading home to get showered and dressed.  

Kids are ready. I'm going to swallow down a quick coffee and dive into the shower.  Clean and dressed and everyone into the car and head off again
Mmmm can smell the barbecue cooking.  Yumm.  All the guest are here, We are eating and drinking.       Cakes up. 
We set up the table with the cakes.   Everyone's   standing around the table waiting.  We are all sweet tooths apparently.

We bring out the birthday cake.   Chunky gets a chicken for the bottom and starts gnawing on that.  Not so good. 

But she didn't mind the cupcakes.  Neither did the mini food critic. 

   
Everyone else appears to be happy as well. 

So it's all over bar the shouting.  Everyone leaves, we tidy up a bit and sit down and relax. Isabella's had it, she goes to bed for a while.  I'd like to go with her.

We are staying here for tea.  Lots of food left over. Let's eat it.
The kids are getting cranky, they are tired, the men are getting cranky because of the kids, I'm getting cranky because of the men.  It's time to go home .

It's only 8.30 pm when we walk in the front door.  Feels like midnight.  Kids go to bed. The man and I have coffee and here I am.

So that was my few days.  Everything back to normal next week.  The usual Saturday night.

See you then.