Royal portrait made of jelly beans, Cambridge
Showing posts with label sweet treats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sweet treats. Show all posts
Wednesday, 27 August 2014
Friday, 20 June 2014
Calisson: Provence Sweet
As you might have already guessed, I do enjoy food, and I do enjoy trying new food especially if it is a local specialty. While traveling around our small bit of Provence we kept hearing about these sweets that are known from this area called, Calisson.
When I came across this sweets shop in Aix en Provence I thought here was my chance to try this treat I had heard so much about. And as it was described to me, it sounded delicious. A candied fruit bottom, usually melon or orange, topped with ground almonds and royal icing (not unlike marzipan). However, once I got a taste I remembered I don't like marzipan so why would I think I would like this? They were very pretty and I was still tempted to buy them as a present for someone.
Missed it? Here are the links to my other posts about this trip.
Friday, 18 April 2014
Long days
Very early start to an 11h work day can only be made better with free food, petting Buster the dog, lunch with a friend, chocolate frozen yogurt, and seeing a grown, sane woman make peepholes in her metro paper on the tube and staring at people until they smiled.
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
Holiday Treats: 2013
I enjoy cooking and creating treats in the kitchen and I just don't feel like I have the same creativity and freedom to do so while living in London, for one reason or another. So while I'm home for the holidays and as my annual Christmas presents to friends and family I am baking up a storm in my parents kitchen. There are challenges with this as they are in the midts of kitchen renos and still it's only a half functional room on it's way to fabulous.
Last Christmas I baked some great treats, most of which I tried to recreate this year with a few new things I came across over the year.
I started with Peanut Butter Fudge, last year I had my Grandma's recipe which worked out perfectly, however, that recipe card is safely tucked away in my room in England so to the Google machine I went and found something that sounded similar. Two attempts were made at this. Last years was better.
I felt like I might have been off my game a bit. I shook it off and attempted treat #2.
I was looking forward to making again the salted toffee. My first try this year was a failure as i second guessed the timing and burnt the first batch along with my finger. It eventually turned out great despite what my mother says about chocolate ruining everything.
It would seem that the secret to my cooking was that if I had never made the recipe before, it would turn out perfectly as it should, however, 2nd time around everything has been going pear-shaped. With this in mind, I pulled the ingredients together for a new treat for #3.
Chocolate Caramel Brownies. I had similar ones at the Bloggers Afternoon Tea and when I found this recipe I had to try it. The caramel has saved this one. It tastes very chocolaty but don't expect it to melt in your mouth like a good brownie should. Next time I think I'll just try using a brownie mix for the base to make things easier.
Crestfallen but with the encouragement of my mother, I attempted my last treat the Cranberry Shortbread. Thankfully this worked. Perfectly. And on the first try...for the 2nd time.
Last Christmas I baked some great treats, most of which I tried to recreate this year with a few new things I came across over the year.
I started with Peanut Butter Fudge, last year I had my Grandma's recipe which worked out perfectly, however, that recipe card is safely tucked away in my room in England so to the Google machine I went and found something that sounded similar. Two attempts were made at this. Last years was better.
I felt like I might have been off my game a bit. I shook it off and attempted treat #2.
I was looking forward to making again the salted toffee. My first try this year was a failure as i second guessed the timing and burnt the first batch along with my finger. It eventually turned out great despite what my mother says about chocolate ruining everything.
It would seem that the secret to my cooking was that if I had never made the recipe before, it would turn out perfectly as it should, however, 2nd time around everything has been going pear-shaped. With this in mind, I pulled the ingredients together for a new treat for #3.
Chocolate Caramel Brownies. I had similar ones at the Bloggers Afternoon Tea and when I found this recipe I had to try it. The caramel has saved this one. It tastes very chocolaty but don't expect it to melt in your mouth like a good brownie should. Next time I think I'll just try using a brownie mix for the base to make things easier.
Crestfallen but with the encouragement of my mother, I attempted my last treat the Cranberry Shortbread. Thankfully this worked. Perfectly. And on the first try...for the 2nd time.
All in all, my Christmas baking was a struggle this year. Good thing there is enough holiday treats floating about at this time of year that I can console my misery with sugar.
Need any ideas for holiday cooking? Here are 27 cookies to bake.
Did you try any holiday baking this year?
Fun travels!
Saturday, 22 December 2012
Christmas Treats: 2012
Today I'm talking about food. Since I've been travelling aka living out of a suitcase, I've mentioned before that I miss cooking. As I'm home for the Christmas holidays (yay! 3 weeks home with my puppy) I decided that I wanted to make a special Christmas treat a day until Christmas day.
(click through some to see the original recipe).
1. I started off simply and I made holiday Rice Krispy Treats. Seeing the red and green made me nostalgic and craving these tasty treats.
2. Oyster Crackers, my grandma used to make these for me when I visited and I could never get enough! I attempted these in the summer, but got distracted and burned them all. similar recipe
3. Peanut Butter Fudge. Again a recipe from my grandmother. She passed away late last month and it's nice to still have her part of this Christmas.
4. Cranberry Shortbread my mum insisted they should be in squares, but I like to go outside the box...or rather follow the recipe exactly.
5. Chewy Molasses Cookies this was a big hit with my family. They were sorry to have to share them.
7. Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies to be completed....
8. ??? Any holiday treat suggestions?
If you do try making any of these holiday treats yourself do leave me a comment below and tell me how it went! I'd love to hear.
(click through some to see the original recipe).
1. I started off simply and I made holiday Rice Krispy Treats. Seeing the red and green made me nostalgic and craving these tasty treats.
3. Peanut Butter Fudge. Again a recipe from my grandmother. She passed away late last month and it's nice to still have her part of this Christmas.
4. Cranberry Shortbread my mum insisted they should be in squares, but I like to go outside the box...or rather follow the recipe exactly.
5. Chewy Molasses Cookies this was a big hit with my family. They were sorry to have to share them.
6. Homemade Toffee, like a Skor bar. Can't stop eating this.
7. Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies to be completed....
8. ??? Any holiday treat suggestions?
If you do try making any of these holiday treats yourself do leave me a comment below and tell me how it went! I'd love to hear.
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