Snickerdoodle Whoopie Pies

250g Plain Flour

1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

2 tsp ground Cinnamon

115g softened Butter

150g Caster Sugar Plus 2 tbspn extra

1 large Egg

1 tsp Vanilla (paste or extract)

150ml Buttermilk

Pre Heat oven to 180C.  Line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper. 

Sift together plain flour, bi carb and 1 tspn of cinnamon.

In an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg and vanilla paste/extract until combined.

Mix in half the dry ingredients and then half the buttermilk. 

Add the rest of the dry and wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Using either a cookie scoop as seen here or a teaspoon, spoon mixture onto baking sheets well spaced apart to allow for a little spreading.

Mix together the rest of the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the mixture.  Bake in a pre heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until firm to the touch.  I set for 10 and check my oven takes 10 minutes but every oven is different.  

Remove and place on cooling rack straight away or they will continue to cook on the cookie tray.

For the Filling place 115g softened butter, 80g philly cream cheese and 1 tbspn strong coffee into mixing bowl and beat until smooth.  Gradually beat in 250g icing sugar until smooth.

When the cakes are completely cool spread filling on and sandwich together.

Enjoy

Vanilla.

Most baking recipes call for Vanilla.  Most use Vanilla extract or Vanilla essence, some call for a Vanilla pod/seeds.  I myself prefer the pod/seeds, some may call me pedantic well most would and The Mister would call me other things as well but I won't go there...

I personally don't like Vanilla essence! The only place it has in my house is to clean the fridge.  When baking or cooking I much prefer the pod/seeds.  I found in the supermarket a couple of years ago a little jar of the glorious black specks, Queen's Organic Vanilla bean paste.  I use it in place of the old Vanilla essence in cooking and baking.  I always have a jar in the cupboard and unlike real Vanilla bean pods it doesn't dry out and get nasty if you don't use it quickly.

I still use the beans but only buy them if I am making something like a Vanilla bean ice cream or a custard.

I recommend trying the paste and if you are doing whipped cream seeing the little black specks makes it all the nicer.

Coq Au Vin

This is a family favorite from my childhood Mum's Coq au Vin.  This remind's me of cold Sundays with this wonderful smell permeating the house.

2 kg Chicken either on or off the bone which ever you prefer.
125 g Butter
125 g Bacon Lardons
4 small or 1 large Onion
250 g Button Mushrooms
1 Clove Garlic
1/2 half cup Plain Flour
750 ml Chicken Stock
1/4 cup Brandy (optional)
2 to 3 cups Red Wine
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 teaspoon Thyme (dried is fine)
1/4 teaspoon Mixed Herbs

Cut bacon into lardons or one cm pieces if using strip bacon.  Half small onions or cut large into 8 wedges.  Leave small mushrooms whole or slice if larger.  Crush garlic.

Cube boneless chicken or portion boned chicken. 

Add 25 g of butter to a hot pan allow to melt,  add chicken allow to brown, you may need to do this in batches.  Remove and set aside.

Add onions and bacon to the pan and brown, removed and place with chicken when cooked.

Add mushrooms and garlic, saute until mushrooms are wilted.

Add the rest of the butter, when melted add flour, stir and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove pan from the heat and add the stock, wine and brandy to the pot stirring until smooth, add salt, pepper, herbs and bay leaf.  Add the chicken, bacon and onions back to the pot and stir until the sauce thickens.  At this stage you can place in an oven proof dish or if using a casserole pot to prepare just place directly in the oven covered.

Bake in Moderate oven, 180 C for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken is tender.

Served in our house with baby new potatoes, green vegetables of choice and warm slices of home made bread.

Lala the supervisor.

Welcome, stay awhile ...

Welcome to my blog.  Forgive me in advance for any mistakes I make, hey I'm new to this!

With this page I will be posting about life, food and fun.  The family will get a mention once in a while, much
to their possible dislike.

The family include...

The Mister aka Scott,  The Boy, also known at the 16 year old aka Jonathan and The cat aka Darla, LaLa or The Evil Kitty.

The family is the food crash test dummies of my world.  Most of the time they love what I make, but sometimes we have a fail and I get asked not to make THAT again.

We have a Boyless weekend and Scott has gone to the Rodeo locally to take photos, so I am left to potter around the house.  I have changed up the weekly Menu Plan when I went to the green grocers, not a lot of change but enough to suit the great Veg that happened to find their way into the basket.

There will be many recipes tested over the Summer and some will be posted here (the successful ones of course) hopefully you will enjoy my offerings and try some of the recipes yourself.  Let me know how you go, if you like it or even if you changed it up successfully.  I love feedback and comments so feel free to let me know your thoughts.

Kate