SHORTBREAD COOKIE SHELLS

When a gurl gets going the going gets gurrrly. I was in the mood for something purrrrty so I made some 'oysters', filled it with nutella, inserted a silver dragee inside, pulled out my string of pearls, did everything up, around it, in pink and snapped a picture. It looked purrrty guurrrrly. When a gurl gets going the going gets purrrrty gurrrrly.

Shells are so pretty. So when I came across a cookie mould that would yield pretty dainty shell shaped cookies I did not overwork my brain. I bought it and these are what came out of it. Shortbread shells with a drop of silver in each purrrty purse. Precious!

They are made from Mary Berry's shortbread recipe. They are quite delicious although  I do think it could do with an ounce more of butter. As with a typical shortbread recipe this had a little rice flour in it which provided  those teeny bits of crunch as you bite into it. And it held its shape quite well as it baked. Unless you're moulding them into a fancy shape like I did an ounce more of butter could only make it better ~ that much more buttery with a more melt-in-the-mouth sensation as it hits your tongue.

Now to the cookie mould. This little charming mould stamped out perfect shells. It is one of the different kinds of moulds that I had made the pineapple jam tarts with. I now have a precious collection of all the different shapes available. These cookie presses are very commonly found here in Malaysia and I think in Singapore too. As the years go by more and more patterns are added. I think these are one of the newer shapes available. They would make lovely gifts for passionate bakers. They're very inexpensive too. Isn't it sweet?

The recipe ~ by Mary Berry ~

4 oz plain flour
2 oz rice flour
4 oz butter, extra for greasing
2 oz castor sugar, extra for sprinkling


Sift flour and rice flour into a medium bowl. Rub in butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Pour in the sugar and stir. Then bring the mixture together kneading a little until it forms a soft ball.


Roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper and cut out with a cookie mould, or cut into fingers (and prick surface with a fork to form little holes) or form into large circle (bake whole and cut into wedges 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven).


Place on a baking tray and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes depending on the design and size of the biscuits.  Allow to cool before storing. Or.......I sandwiched mine with Nutella.  I would have much preferred a rich smooth chocolate ganache instead. But I didn't have that.

It's just being cute ~

Them too ~

JAMIE OLIVER'S BOTHAM BURGER

I made and ate such a beefy Jamie Oliver burger that I was cleaning the house the whole afternoon. Upstairs and downstairs and in my master's chamber.

I dusted, I swept, I mopped and I sweat. I must remember never to have Jamie's burger for lunch ever again. It just gave me too much enthusiasm, excitement and passion ~ for all the wrong things. I need rest. Rest is what I need. Rest is best.


Being petite I struggled to eat this big fat thick dolloped-with-curry-mayonnaise-and-piled-high-with-caramelized-onions burger. Heck, I even struggled to clamp it between my two little paws. I had mayonnaise and crumbs smeared within a 2 inch perimeter of my mouth and yet I missed biting down on the beef patty. I must remember that I am not a troll. 

I made these burger buns yesterday and 'painted' them with flour. I thought they looked pretty neat. I cut out a small piece of plastic grid that my super duper DIY husband has around the house amoungst a host of other puzzling things, placed it closely over the risen bun dough and sifted flecks of flour over them. Even after baking and throwing them into a plastic bag the pattern stayed...I was Jamie Oliverishly thrilled and excited that I went around cutely reminding everyone that Bob's their uncle.

Jamie Oliver's burger recipe was very good. I cannot comprehend why anyone would ever want to eat a MacDonald's when it is so easy and healthy AND TASTY to make your own. I used very lean meat, chopped it up in my food processor to the texture that pleased me, mixed them up with the other ingredients and had fun compacting them into a lid that was slightly larger then the buns. I saw this tip just a couple of days ago but unfortunately I cannot remember where. If it's you please do let me know so that I can link. It was a brilliant idea. Pure genius.

Jamie Oliver's Botham Burger Recipe ~

1 kg lean meat
2 medium red onions, finely chopped (I omitted this)
2 eggs
1 -2 handfuls of fresh breadcrumbs
1 T coriander seeds, crushed
1 small pinch of cumin seeds, crushed
1 heaped tsp of Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper


Preheat the oven to 230 C. Mix and scrunch all the ingredients together. Divide into 4 (I made 7 and they were big, about 150 gm each). Pat into a lid or just use your hands to shape.


Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes if very thick like Jamie's or less if not too fat and thick. Jamie Oliver's timing will leave the burger slightly pink in the centre and the outside nice and crispy.


Build a burger with what you have.


NOTE : Because I did not read the instructions for this recipe I didn't realize that these burgers were roasted in the oven. I had pan fried them..*smiling like a dope and scratching the back of my calf with my big right toe*

Curry Mayonnaise ~


A slap of bottled mayonnaise
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp mustard


Mix them all well. Slap on burger.

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Come on Brain ......work....think?..... Nope. It's as empty as a gaping sea shell on the sea shore.  Brain says .."Dumm dee dummmm......."

Please Brain..... don't go on vacation. I've just yanked the refrigerator door open. Tell me.... what is it that I need. Quick. The stove's on fire. Look I promise not to have too many passwords. Now help me. Shoot.

This also happens when I have just taken the last step down the stairs or the last step up the stairs only to stand there, brainless, with wondering eyeballs. Brains take a complete vacation at the most crucial of moments.

What has all this got to do with caramelized onions? Nothing. It's not a brain food but apparently there is great hope that onions may be key in producing long term health benefits. The sulphur and quecertin in onions have been known to neutralize the free radicals in the body. It helps prevent thrombosis and reduce hypertension, prevent cancer and infections. And the juice of one white or yellow onion a day can raise HDL cholesterol ( the good stuff)......etc etc etc.

And once past the stinkiness, and tears, caramelized onions have the most marvelous aroma, are sweetly delicious and are the perfect condiment piled inside a burger sandwich amongst other things.Three cheers for onions.

I spent a good hour caramelizing these onions but I know I'm going to have a good burger sandwich soon. Tomorrow to be exact. I have these limp strands of gold stored in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator. Six large yellow onions, sliced and sauteed made one heaped bowl of limp and sweet, golden ones. And if you promise to be good I'll share the burger with you.


The recipe is a no-brainer ~

6 large yellow/brown onions, sliced finely

4-5 T vegetable oil/grapeseed oil/olive oil I used grapeseed)

4 T balsamic vinegar

2-3 T brown sugar

2 knobs of butter

salt to taste

Heat up the oil in a heavy based pan or pot. A wok is not ideal as the onions can't be spread out evenly in the oil and will not cook at the same time unless you're stirring the whole time.

Once hot throw in the sliced onions and toss it about a little until each slice is coated with the oil. Put the flame on small and let the onions cook slowly. Stir once in a while to make sure the onions brown evenly. This will take a while. I spent a little over an hour. 

When the onions just begin to turn pale gold pour in the balsamic vinegar, butter and sugar and a good pinch of salt. Mix well and let the onions brown further. The sugar, butter and vinegar will help darken and caramelize the onions. As it begins to get darker make sure you stir more often to prevent burning and even browning. When a dark golden brown the onions are done and ready.

Store in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator.

ROSEMARY 'N SUNDRIED TOMATO BREAD

This baby made it to the TOP 9 on Foodbuzz today, 31st May 2010. Happy Buzz Day ! Thank You to the Foodbuzz community :)

A thunderstorm lashed the sky, dense, grey sheets of rain pummelled the ground, the television went blank, the house morphed into dark, gloomy and small, the wind swept through gaping windows and quivering doors and a fine spray of rain caressed an arm with chilled drops......... a cold quiver settled inside of me and I could think of little else but Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, Heathcliff's unresolved passions and Mr. Rochester's brooding misery.... what did I do? I made bread. I should have made "lunatic mugs with smiling faces" ...but I made bread. Had it been a little colder I would have lit the fireplace, if I had one, or a wood oven if I had one too. Black thunderstorms are a haunting pleasure. I love them. When I'm happy.


I was.... so I made a rosemary infused bread embedded with flecks of sundried tomatoes baked to a crust on the outside, tender on the inside and entrenched with flavour all over. And I caught them all in the amber eye of a candle lit. Thunderstorms sometimes make my day.

The recipe ~

Based loosely on a baking book 'Home Baking' by Martha Day given to me as a birthday present by my children.

4 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
1 T honey
 1 - 1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
1-2 T oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes 
6-7 pieces of sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 T chopped fresh rosemary

Sift flour into a large bowl. Add yeast and mix. Add the chopped rosemary and sundried tomatoes. Mix. Add salt and add 1 cup of lukewarm water and the rest of the liquid ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon or on the electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on slow and if necessary add more water. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Change the paddle attachment to the hook attachment and mix further OR turn out onto lightly floured board and knead by hand for at least 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Flour your hands if the dough gets too sticky. Do not over flour.....it's always better to err on the sticky side. After kneading the dough should be smooth and much less sticky.


Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow to rest for an hour or until it doubles in bulk. Test with a poke of your finger and if the depression stays like a belly button without bouncing back its ready for the second kneading. 

Knead for another 5 minutes and let rise again until double in bulk. When risen shape into an 8 inch flattish round, score the top with a blade and let rise until double in bulk. 


Bake at 220 C for 10 minutes, take out, lightly dust some flour over and bake for another 20 minutes on 200 C. Take out from oven and test for doneness by tapping the underpart and it should sound hollow. 


Enjoy.....warm or with a bowl of creamy soup. 

Note : This bread can be made with only one rising. 

I am submitting this to Yeast Spotting.