Chocolate Eclair Note!

I love a Chocolate Eclairs.

Soft pastry, cream bursting, and chocolate swooning bites are the perfect sweet treat. Paired with a coffee you find yourself in a magical place. 


Here is the recipe, as promised from last week. Forgive me, alas, it is a day late but you see, yesterday was my birthday and I spent the day out in the sunshine with my family being loved on by them - far from the computer and all you my lovelies.

If you dare to cook them, and they are really easy, they will be as good as a birthday for you too.
This recipe comes from the Super Food Ideas Magazine August 2011, recipe by Kim Coverdale - I so owe her my hips from these babies. 


Choux pastry:
60g chopped butter
2/3 cup plain flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup cold water


Place butter and the cold water in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until the butter has melted and just starting to boil.
Reduce heat to very low. Add the flour and cook till the mixture comes away from the sides and forms a dough-like ball. Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. 
Add in most of the lightly beaten eggs (leave a little in the bowl for brushing the dough before it goes in the oven), and mix until well combined.
Place mixture in a piping bag with a 1 - 2 cm nozzle of choice (You could use a star nozzle).


Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan forced.
Pipe 12cm long or there-ish logs onto baking trays lined with baking paper. About 6cm apart.
Brush with reserved egg.
Bake one tray at a time for 5 min then reduce heat to 180C/160C fan forced, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden and puffed. 
Next, cut them horizontally into halves and return them to the oven, cut-side up. Bake for another 5 minutes to dry out centers. Cool on tray. Cook next tray.


Choc Eclair Time:
300mls of cream
1 tsp of vanilla extract
100g dark chocolate, 70% coco, chopped
15g butter


Whip cream with vanilla until firm peaks.
Melt butter and chocolate together in microwave on Medium-High for 1 to 2 minutes stirring every 30 sec, till smooth and runny.
Spoon cream onto eclair bases (or pipe).
Spread tops with chocolate mixture.
Place top and bottoms together and refrigerate for 20min until chocolate has set.


The Best Bit:

Eat and go somewhere magical. :)

Do share what your favourite treat is, one that makes you feel magical?

xxx

Elizabeth

Sweet Treats Note!

I love a sweet treat.

Just because you can, you should,you need to. 
A sweet treat is perfect when your working hard and just need a moment of ahhhhhh.

When your working hard what is your sweet treat break? 

Script writing is my kind of hard work.

Yep I made those eclairs and I promise to share the recipe soon - so easy and so, so very yummy.

xxx

Elizabeth

Weekend Fun

I love the weekend.

Why not this weekend:

The link to cook this cake:

http://justlovetobake.blogspot.com/2011/07/bounty-cake.html

And today, I could not help add a fourth due to Miss 2 pouring these 
all over my lounge room this morning just to add to my fun:

Note to self: There is a lot of 100's and 1000's in those packets, you don't 

realize until they are all over the floor! 

What is your favorite food to eat with 100'a and 1000's: 

Chocolate freckle, cake, fairy bread, etc...?

Have a wonderful Friday, Saturday and Sunday, full of fun, love, wishes and cheer.

 - anything could happen.

xxx

Elizabeth

The Best Fried Rice

Totally beautiful, yummy food to cook:

I love fried rice.

Some days you just need comfort food in a bowl. This my lovelies does not disappoint.

The Best Fried Rice recipe:

1. Cook some rice. - I use absorption method with a good pinch of salt and jasmine rice. 1 1/2 cups feeds my family cause they love, love to gorge on this stuff. 
The secret to fried rice is to cook it in the morning/midday or an hour or two before cooking into fried rice as it will dry out giving you that fried rice texture and no glug. Just leave it uncovered in a bowl and with no water left in it.

Fried Rice Magic:

2. Wisk with fork two eggs and two tablespoons of milk in bowl. Then pour into a very lightly oiled, with peanut or vegi oil, medium heat fry pan and cook until firm and golden on one side - no need to flip. Remove from pan and when cooled cut into strips and then little rectangles etc. 

3. Chop some bacon (3 rashers), spring onions (the long narrow variety ) into pieces with scissors -in true 'Nigella' style. Dice up some mushrooms. Cook in a hot pan till the bacon is fried. Turn your pan down to medium - low.

4. Next add your rice to the pan and the fun part where the taste is up to you - sorry I have no quantities! I try and add subtle flavour not strong.

* Sprinkle some soy sauce over till the rice looks just slightly yellow - not too much though as soy is strong.

* Add some golden syrup for sweetness - again have a taste for balance. You want it slightly sweeter then soy salty, but not sickly sweet. 

* One tablespoon of oyster sauce -this adds some depth.

* A couple of splashes of lemon juice for acidity but you don't want to taste the lemon in the rice. 

* Add, a tiny drizzle of sesame oil for that nutty Asian taste. 

5. Add the diced egg back in. (you could also add peas, corn, ect...)
Place in a bowl and serve with rocket - this peppery flavour is so good against the rice - magical. 
There you have it - fried rice to gobble in comfort for one or many! 

You want this I know.

What is your ultimate comfort food?

xxx

Elizabeth