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You have no idea what you are talking about......

Dear Mr Woog,

Now that we have got all of that Mother's Day palava out of the way, it is time to discuss an issue that you have successfully ducked and weaved for 5 years.

You talk of the pain involved and that seems to be the one and only deterrent that is stopping you. Pain? Think about this.....

Pain is going through 24 hours of labour and then having a baby cut out of your tummy.

Pain is doing that again 2 years later.

Pain is laughing or coughing with a cesarean scar

Pain is mastitis in both boobs

Pain is cracked nipples

Pain is no sleep for a few days on end

Pain is pouring hot was onto your nether regions and then ripping hair out from it's root.

Pain is a P & C meeting.

I know all about pain Mr Woog. So if you think that taking half a day off work for a pissy bit of day surgery then sitting on the couch later that night with a beer and a bag of frozen peas on your nuts, Think again.

No Nookie for You!

Your wife,

Mrs Woog

· nuts, peas, the v word. pain

Banana Bread Donuts

Move over Royal Wedding desserts here come the donuts! I have some exciting donut fun coming up next week (stay tuned for that) but in the meantime I decided to make some! The last donuts I made were Pumpkin Cake Donuts for Thanksgiving.

These are the best donuts I have ever made! The recipe only made about 6 donuts so I took the photos really quickly so I could eat them!

It's a basic cake donut with mushed banana, pecans and cardamom added to the batter.

*This recipe uses very hot oil. Make sure you have the proper equipment*

Banana Bread Donuts

adapted from Doughnuts: Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home (makes 6-12 donuts)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups plain flour, sifted

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup caster/superfine sugar
1 tsp nutmeg

2 tbs unsalted butter

1 egg

1/3 cup scalded milk (I used soy)

2 tbs plain yogurt (I used soy)

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 mashed bananas

1/4 cup chopped pecans

pinch of cardamom
Rapeseed oil for frying

Glaze
1 1/2 cups (150g) icing sugar, sifted
2 tbs maple syrup
2 tbs milk

1. Scald the milk by bringing it to a near boil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Set it aside to cool down. Scalding the milk keeps the donuts fluffy.

2. In a small bowl mash the bananas. Mix in the chopped pecans and cardamom. Set aside for later.

3. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and sugar. Add the butter and blend together with a hand pastry blender. The mixture will be like crumbs.

4. In the cooled saucepan with the scalded milk mix in the yogurt, egg and vanilla. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon. Add in the banana mixture and fold until the batter is thick, similar to cookie dough. Don't over mix or the donuts will be like rubber.

5. Cover the mixture with cling film and set aside for 20 minutes. While that sits get your frying station and glaze ready.

6. Make the glaze by whisking together the icing sugar, maple syrup and milk. Pour 2 inches of oil into a big pan and clip a candy thermometer on.

7. Heat the oil to 360 F. Cut out squares of parchment and grease them lightly. Fill a piping bag with a round tip (big enough to allow the pecans through) with the batter. Pipe rounds on each square.

8. When the oil reaches 360 F put 2 donuts parchment side up in the oil. Using a pair of tongs lift the parchment paper off. Fry on each side for 1-2 minutes (do a test donut first).

9. When done lift the donuts out and place on a paper towel lined plate. Once slightly cooled glaze (I did 2 coats).

These are best enjoyed on the same day they are made (they will go soggy quickly)!

· donuts, fruit, nuts

Brownie Crisps

I was really excited when I got my Green & Blacks Ultimate Chocolate Recipes. I started bookmarking all the things I wanted to make and had to stop because I was putting a sticky note on every other page!

I wanted to make something quickly on a weeknight and I think these are one of the easiest things I've ever made! They took less than 10 minutes to mix up using just a wooden spoon and one saucepan.

They have the chocolate taste of a brownie but the crunch of a good cookie! They're seriously addictive and can I even had them for breakfast one day.

-

Maida Heatter's Brownie Crisps

Ingredients

110g unsalted butter

50g 85% dark chocolate, chopped

1 tsp instant coffee granules

100g granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

30g plain flour

75g chopped walnuts

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 C and grease 9 x 9 brownie pan.

2. Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until butter is melted and sizzling (don't let it burn). Remove from heat and stir in chocolate.

3. Stir in the coffee granules. Stir in the sugar, followed by egg and vanilla and then salt and flour.

4. Pour the batter into the greased pan and then top with the chopped walnuts (I mixed mine in with the batter).

5. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into squares right away. Leave to cool completely and then lift from pan.

· brownies, chocolate, nuts

Chocolate Mulled Wine Cupcakes

I wanted to make two Christmas flavor cupcakes for cupcake club. Mulled wine is pretty much as Christmas as it gets. The spices in the wine are very subtle but you can really taste the red wine in the chocolate. It would be a good idea to add a few teaspoons to the ganache as well (I unfortunately ran out).

If you want a chance to taste these make sure to come to Cupcake Club tomorrow (Monday November 29).

Mulled Red Wine Cupcakes

adapted from Life in a Peanut Shell (makes about 18)

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup self rising flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

2/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup + 3 tbs mulled red wine (1 packet of mulled wine spice meant for 2 bottles of wine, 2-3 cups of red wine and 100g of sugar)

Gancahe

200g dark chocolate (I used Green & Black's 85% I think ended up being a little too rich though)

1 cup whipping cream

2 tsp mulled wine

dash of salt
chopped pecans for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C and line muffin tray with paper liners. Make the mulled wine first by mixing the spices, wine and 100g of sugar in a small sauce pan and simmer for 20-30 minutes. It should reduce a lot and you will be left with just over half a cup. Strain out the spices and set the wine aside to cool.

2. Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.

3. Cream the egg, sour cream, oil and wine together on medium speed for 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the flour mixture until well combined. Fill each cup about 2/3 full and immediately put in the oven and bake for 17-20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

5. To make the ganache pour the whipping cream in a saucepan and heat until boiling. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts. Add the mulled wine and salt and stir to combine. Spoon over top of each cupcake and decorate with chopped pecans.

UPDATE: At Cupcake Club we discussed baking with alcohol and most of the time the flavor tends to bake out. Anne suggested that brushing the cakes with some mulled wine would also be a good idea.

· Christmas, cupcake club, cupcakes, holidays, nuts

Shortbread Brownies

I bought the Fat Witch Brownies cookbook which consists of 160 pages of recipes for only brownies! I wasn't expecting too much as I didn't think there were that many ways to make a brownie, but I was really surprised. All the recipes look really great!

These shortbread brownies came out so perfect! This book would make a really nice Christmas gift for someone. The book fits perfectly in a 9 x 9 inch pan.

Shortbread Brownies

adapted from Fat Witch Brownies

Ingredients

Crust

7 tbs (100g) unsalted butter at room temperature

2 tbs granulated sugar

1 tbs packed light brown sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 cup plain flour

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (I couldn't find any and used hazelnuts)

Brownie Batter

12 tbs (168g) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup bittersweet (70%) chocolate

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

1. Grease a 9 inch x 9 inch baking pan with butter. Dust with flour and tap out the excess. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.

2. To make the crust, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until combined but still crumbly. Add the egg yolk and beat until smooth.

3. Measure the flour and then sift it directly into the batter. Mix gently until well combined and no trace of the dry ingredients remains. Add the nuts and mix by hand. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside on a rack to cool.

4. To make the brownie batter, place the butter in a small bowl and melt in the microwave (heat for 30 seconds at a time until gently melted). Do the same for the chocolate but don't overheat and burn. Pour the butter into the melted chocolate, stir to combine, and set aside to cool.

If you're not confident using the microwave, melt the butter and the chocolate on the stove using a double boiler (I'm lazy and like to use the microwave).

5. In another bowl beat the egg yolks, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate and butter. Measure the flour, baking powder and salt and then sift directly into the batter. Mix gently until well combined. Stir the nuts in.

6. Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly on the top of the cooled crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 1 hour (very important to let it cool for the full hour).

· brownies, nuts

Honey and Nut Greek Yogurt Cupcakes

The first thing that came to mind when I said yes to blogging about Greek yogurt was that I have to try and make TOTAL Greek yogurt cupcakes!

I was very impressed with the first recipe that I adapted. It's incredibly light and instead of a traditional sweet frosting I decided to make a Greek yogurt glaze which I think is a nice alternative to a cream cheese frosting. It's not a sweet cupcake it's a nutty, moist cupcake with a refreshing zing.

Using Greek yogurt also makes it lower in fat. I didn't use any butter because I didn't want the cake to be too heavy but I did use some vegetable oil to keep it moist.

Greek Yogurt Honey Nut Cupcakes

adapted from Martha Stewart Red Velvet Cupcakes

makes 12

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

2 tbs ground almonds

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup + 2 tbs vegetable oil

1 large egg

1/2 tsp almond extract (or vanilla extract)

1/2 cup TOTAL Greek yogurt 0%

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp distilled white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. Line muffin tray with cases. Whisk together flour, ground almonds, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together the sugar and oil until combined. Add the egg beating until incorporated. Mix in almond extract.

3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with 2 additions of the yogurt, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will be foamy); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed for 10 seconds.

4. Fill each lined cup three quarters full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before placing glaze on top.

Greek Yogurt Glaze

1/2 cup TOTAL Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup honey

chopped nuts

1. Combine yogurt and honey in a small bowl and stir gently with a spoon until combined. Gently spread a spoonful on top of a cooled cupcake. Squirt one drop of honey in the center and sprinkle chopped nuts on top.

· cupcakes, nuts, yogurt

Baklava

I made baklava for the first time today. This is the fist time I've baked with filo pastry and I think my first attempt was admirable. I learned a lot and know what to do for round 2 to make a superb batch! I've adjusted the recipe below so should you decide to make it your first batch should turn out excellent!

Baklava Tips

Chop the nuts finely - Using a food processor is the easiest way but don't over process the nuts to dust
Grease the bottom of the pan you are using
Butter every layer of filo
Cut before baking
Remove from pan after baking so pieces don't become soggy
Don't cover with a lid

Baklava
adapted from McCalls Cooking School

Ingredients

Syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup honey
2 cinnamon sticks
4 lemon slices
4 orange slices

18 sheets filo pastry
2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1 cup finely chopped almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups melted butter

1. To make the syrup, in a medium saucepan combine the sugar and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Add the honey, cinnamon stick and lemon and orange slices. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered. Strain and set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 325 F/160 C. Remove pastry sheets from package and place a damp cloth over them to keep them from drying out.

I bought 3 packages

3. In a small bowl mix almonds, walnuts, 3/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

I could have processed my nuts a bit more

4. Grease a medium sized roasting pan and place one filo sheet down. Using a pastry brush butter the top. Place down another sheet and butter the top. Continue until there are 8-10 sheets then spread the nut mixture evenly across the pan.

The alternative is to spread 1/3 of the mixture, place 2 sheets, 1/3 of the nuts, 2 more sheets and then the remaining nuts. I did this and I found it too messy and hard to handle when cut.

5. Place a sheet on top of the nuts, brush with melted butter and place another sheet on top. Continue layering until there are 8-10 layers on top.

6. With a sharp knife cut through all the layers making diagonal cuts about 1 1/2 inches apart. Cut going the other way to make diamond sized pieces. With a knife trim pastry from around the sides.

7. Bake for 60 minutes, turn off the oven and leave tray in for another 60 minutes. Pastry should be golden and puffy.

8. Pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava. Let cool and absorb the syrup. Remove from pan before pieces become soggy. Place in a container but don't snap on a tight lid.

Options

Baklava can be made using any kind of nut should you not fancy walnuts and almond. You could try pistachios or Cashews. If you don't care for citrus try adding orange blossom or rose water instead!

Enjoy!

· misc, nuts

Archive HOT

You have no idea what you are talking about......

Banana Bread Donuts

Brownie Crisps

Chocolate Mulled Wine Cupcakes

Shortbread Brownies

Honey and Nut Greek Yogurt Cupcakes

Baklava

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