I’ve been busy with my books as of late. I have been getting them into stores across Melbourne and I am pleased to say they are doing very well. I have even had some repeat orders from different store, which is so incredibly exciting.h…
Recipe
Ginger Loaf
Hello My dear loyal readers, sorry I have been so slack in posting anything, I hope you are still out there and haven’t lost interest in my little blog.
I thought it was about time I pulled my head out of the sand and put something up. So today I give you a ginger loaf, which is so comforting as winter has approached and you want something filling and satisfying. Its pouring with rain at the moment in Melbourne and doesn’t show any signs of stopping, good for the garden, but not good for the washing. The type of weather its best to stay in bed and keep the blankets firmly pulled over your head, which is exactly what I did….
Basil and Lemon Cookies
These little cookies are sunshine on a plate. I have to say I love the flavor combo. I thought I would end up with some pretty average, weird tasting cookies however they are so refreshing and delightful. They have inspired me to begin experimenting with other flavor combos in my baking. You never know what you will end up with, but if there all this good I’m very keen.
I had some basil that was slowly wilting and instead of making a big spaghetti bolognese, I started to think what else I could do with the basil. Basil has such an amazing and homely aroma, its sweet and inviting, I could just dive my face into a bunch of basil, its just that good, don’t you think so?
I started to think how would it go in something sweet, I had some lemons and thought I might make a bit of a short bread and incorporate the two, well lemon and basil go so well together in savory dishes, whats to stop them working in something sweet. Well let me tell you…. NOTHING. Its divine and I think you should give it a go. Do you know of any other flavor combos that work well in sweet dishes, I would love to hear about any of your own experimentation.
Basil and Lemon Cookies
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Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: Makes 15
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 75 g butter
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- zest of a lemon
- 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh basil
- TOFFEE
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 150C
- Place the flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and pulse until the mixture forms fine bread crumbs. Then add the lemon juice and zest along with the basil and pulse to form a dough.
- Place the dough on a floured bench and roll it out with a rolling pin, until about 5mm thick. Use a 5cm cookie cutter to cut the cookies out and place on a lined baking tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Place on a cooling tray to cool.
- To make the topping place the sugar and honey into a saucepan, then swirl as the sugar starts to melt. Let the mixture boil until a beautiful amber colour forms, then remove form the heat. Use a fork to drizzle the toffee over the cookies on a flat surface. Let cool before eating so the toffee hardens.
Happy Easter
Happy Easter dear readers, I hope you all have a safe and relaxed holiday, filled with lots of sweet treats.
Firstly can I ask you all a very huge favour? Would you be able to take 2 minutes out of your busy days and vote for my blog on Australia Best Blog? It closes at the end of the month so please don’t put it off and forget, please click the link and vote for Little Box Brownie, I would be so grateful. You can vote from anywhere in the world you don’t have to be in Australia. Please, Please, Please vote, and spread the word, I don’t have much chance of winning I don’t think, so I need every vote I can get, if you can pass the link on to your family and friends. 🙂 Little Box Brownie is on page three.
Thank you soooooo much!
www.surveymonkey.com/s/BAB2014
Now on to sweet things, you all know what a chocoholic I am, and if you don’t you just have to look through my posts and discover all the chocolate recipes. However with all the chocolate that is consumed at this time of year, I thought you could all do with a recipe that wasn’t a chocoholics delight, but a little healthier. So I have come up with a recipe the easter bunny would love and delight in, filled with lots of plump, juicy carrots……
Carrot Cake Muffins, covered in piles of cream cheese icing. Yum, these little babies are soft and moist and so delicious, you won’t even think about chocolate as you are eating them.
Carrot Cake Muffins
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Serves: 15
Ingredients
- MUFFINS
- 4 medium carrots
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 brown sugar
- 1 cup oil
- 3/4 cup milk
- 4 eggs
- ICING
- Packet of cream cheese (250g)
- 2 cups of icing sugar
- Juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 150C
- Grate the carrots into a bowl and place aside.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl then stir through the sugars.
- Add the oil, milk and eggs and stir until well combined. Pour in the carrots and fold through.
- Spoon the mixture into a greased muffin tray, about 2/3 full, as they will rise. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked.
- To make the icing, place the cream cheese and icing sugar into a bowl and stir until combined. Squeeze in the lemon juice and combine. Ice the muffins once completely cooled.
