Christmas Tree Biscuits

125g Butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup golden syrup
1 egg
2 1/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g milk choc, melted

1. Preheat oven to 180 line tray with baking paper.
Place butter, sugar and syrup into a bowl and beat until the mixture is light and creamy.  Add the egg and beat well.
2. Add sifted flour, spice and soda and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.  Bring it together with your hand to form a dough.  Knead the dough gently on a lightly floured surface until dough is no longer sticky.
3. Wrap the dough in baking paper and refrigerate for 20minutes.  Roll out on a floured surface to 4mm thickness.  Cut out shapes and place on trays, cook for 12-15min. Transfer biscuits to a wire rack to cool.  Decorate the biscuits with strands of melted choc.

Variation : for choc spice cookies use 2 cups of plain flour and 1/4 cup cocoa.  These ones I used melted white choc to decorate.

These biscuits are best made on a cool day or in the evening.

Potato & Red Lentil Soup With Cheese & Onion Croutons Review

As I love to cook and try new recipes I thought I would do a regular recipe review. 


Yesterday I was watching "Alive and Cooking" and James Reeson made Potato and Red Lentil Soup with Cheese and Onion Croutons.  I thought I would give it a go, the 3 main reasons I thought I would try it was :
1. knowing that I should be increasing my protein with this stage of pregnancy and James kept going on an on about how high protein it was.
2. Having thrown up nearly every form of protein in the last 18 weeks I was getting desperate for food that did not carry bad memories.
3.  It looked nice.


The soup was easy and quick to make, James made it on water and I though it would be a bit bland so I used vegetable stock. 

The soup was very bland in taste I can see why the croutons were such a vital part of the dish.  If I was to make it again I would use chicken or veg stock and maybe add some herbs or chili.  It does need something extra.  The croutons were very yummy and I added the left over sliced green onion to the soup when I served it which helped a lot.  The recipe said it made enough for 6 people, it makes heaps more I now have 3 liters of left over soup in my freezer. 

Changers I made
I recipe said to use 4 liters of water I used 3 of stock as that seemed enough and that is how much James used in the demonstration.
I used stock instead of water.

 

Click on the photo to take you to the recipe.

Roasted Leek, Garlic and Bacon Soup

This is one of my favourite soups I have used it both as a main meal and an entree.  It works well served with fresh crusty bread or toasting sliced loaf like a french stick sprayed or coated lightly with olive oil and then rub garlic on the toasted bread.

This soup can be made ahead of time and heated with guest arrive.  I have found making it a few hours before I need it makes it taste soooo much better.

1 table sp olive oil
20g butter
2 rashes bacon roughly chopped
1 stick celery coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped into quarters
2 zucchini, coarsely chopped
3 small leeks, chopped
2 bay leaves,
6 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup cream
1/4 finely chopped parsley (optional)
2 rashers of bacon, extra to serve.

1.  Preheat oven to 160 deg C (315 deg F or gas 2-3)
Heat oil and butter in a large roasting tin, Add the bacon, and stir over med hear for 1-2 min.  Add the leek, garlic, celery, zucchini and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for 2-3 min without it browning.

2.  Transfer the roasting tin to the oven and roast the vegetables and bacon until 40 minutes, turning a few times.  Cover with foil if it starts to brown.

Transfer to a large pan, pour on the stock and bring to the boil.  Lower the hear and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. 

The recipe said to cool slightly and strain and return the liquid to the pan, remove the bay leaves.  Put the vegetables and bacon in a food processor with a ladleful of the cooking liquid and process until smooth then return to that pan. 

What I do is leave it all in the pan, remove the bay leaves and blend it all with a stick blender.  (saves washing up and you get the same results.)  If you use a large pan like I have try tilting it slightly when blending that will stop the soup splatting and making mess in your kitchen.

3.  Add the cream and parsley if you are using it.  Reheat gently or if you are going it use it later place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

4.  To make the bacon garnish, trim off the rind and excess fat from the bacon, grill until crisp.  Drain on paper towels, then crumble with your fingers and serve on top of the soup.