Comfort food...

So, I'm still editing wedding photos....but had to share what I just made for dinner!

It's a wet wet wet old night in Brissie tonight so here's my made-up-out-of-the-leftovers soup.

1 sweet potato

2 white potatoes

2 onions

2 large heads of garlic cut in half

3 large carrots

2 beetroot

1/4 pumpkin

Peel and quarter all and roast in some olive oil for about an hour at 180.

Pop all into food processor with 1/2 bottle of cream and a little milk, salt and pepper.

Blend until smooth and serve with  some sourdough and fresh chives.

Super nice xx

Food glorious food

Today I was out location-scouting again and this time I took a friend along and of course we had to break for lunch and coffee....I was joking that lately I been so obsessed with taking pictures of food and drinks that all my followers on instagram must think all I do everyday is eat and go out for coffee!  Honest, I do lots of other stuff too  :)

Dessert time

After a delicious dessert that easy too?

Last week I made these yummy pears on puff pastry...

but apples, peaches or apricots work just as well!

In a bowl combine  2 peeled and sliced pears.  

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, a sprinkle of ground cloves, 

1 teaspoon of castor sugar and a dash of lemon juice.  

Line a baking tray with baking paper and using a saucer or small plate as a guide, 

cut 2 rounds of puff pastry out and place on the tray.  

Place the pears in a circle and brush with egg wash or melted butter, 

then bake in a 200 degree oven until the edges puff up and go slightly golden in colour.  

Perfect served hot with icecream or at room temperature 

with some double cream and a cup of tea!

Easter!

How sweet are these iced and decorated arrowroots!!!

I'm SO going to make some for the non-ceoliacs of the family...

and I might even get organised enough to bake some gluten-free oval biccies for the boy too xx

Just the two of us...

All I can say is...it lived up to the hype and was very special!

Food glorious food

My sister and I took our Mum out for lunch this week for her birthday...

Gusto da Gianni at Portside....

pizza bread, stuffed zucchini flowers, potato pizza, and a lovely salad of rocket, pear and parmesan with chardonnay dressing....

yum!!

Mmmmmmmmmmm

The chocolate Madelines were a big hit for Dave's birthday last night...even for Dan as they were gluten free! Thanks to the clever Sandrine for the inspiration...I know they will be a favourite with the kids now!! I had to use a different recipie as I forgot to buy chocolate....so next time I'll try using real chocolate instead of cocoa but these were gorgeous anyway....

Ingredients
3/4 cup plain GF flour
1/2 cup cocoa
Pinch salt
4 large eggs
1 cup caster sugar
185g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Butter for buttering the madeleine tins

Method

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa and the salt.
2. Place the eggs and the sugar in a large bowl and whisk until thick and lemon-colored. Fold in the flour, then melted butter.
3. Butter the madeleine pans, then spoon in the batter, filling each about three fourths full. Refrigerate the filled madeleine pans and the remaining batter for one hour.
4. Heat the oven to 220°C.
5. Bake the madeleines just until they are firm and puffed, about 7 minutes. Turn them immediately from the molds, wipe out the molds, let cool and continue baking the madeleines until all of the batter is used. The madeleines are best when eaten slightly warm or at room temperature the same day they are made.

Let them eat cake....

Morning!! These are a few more lovely baked goods I photographed this week....can't say I made these too....the lovely Helen is the baker.

This week, when I photographed a range of baked goods to make into greeting cards for our school fete, I made our family's special Hazelnut Spice Cake.

SO if you're after a super-yummy little-bit-different treat for the weekend...here you go!

Hazel Nut Spice Cake

6 oz butter
8 oz castor sugar
3 eggs - separated
pinch salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 1/2 cups SR flour
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons boiling water

Spice Layers

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 dessertspoon cocoa
2 tablespoons sugar

Method

Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg yolks. Add salt, lemon rind and juice. Gradually add SR flour alternately with milk, blend well. Lightly stir in boiling water then fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Mix spice layer ingredients together. Spread 1/3 cake batter in greased 8" or 9" cake tin, sprinkle over 1/2 spice mixture add another 1/3 cake batter, then sprinkly over the other half spice mixture. Cover with remaining cake batter. Bake in very moderate oven approx 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through. stand 5 mins before turning out. Cool.
Spread over the top and sides with hazel nut cream. Decorate with whole hazelnuts on top.

Hazel Nut Cream

4 oz butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups sifted icing sugar
1/4 cup ground hazel nuts

Cream butter and cinnamon, add lemon juice alternately with icing sugar, blend well. Fold in ground hazel nuts.
Enjoy!

Thanks Sandrine!

Today's post is all about food!!! Warm, hearty, winter food and for this one I have the lovely Sandrine to thank....her recipie for 'La Daube aux Olives' was divine last night.

The smell of it cooking all day when I walked in was almost as good as eating it!

So thank you!

Taryn x