I have a fabulous  recipe for Double Chocolate Chunk Blondies that I just love. They always turn out rich, moist and perfectly scrummy.  Moreish even . . . In fact I'd go so far as to even call them dangerous.



Yesterday I decided to shake things up a bit and switch a few things around . . . using the same batter, so that they would keep that moist and fudgy texture . . .

 

But substituting the vanilla flavor with ginger . . . in four delicious forms.  Some in the form of the syrup from a jar of Preserved Ginger-root, some as finely grated fresh ginger, some as dried ground ginger and finally some as chopped preserved ginger-root.  Oh I do so love preserved ginger-root.



I could just pick knobs of it from the jar and eat them like candy.  They're just lovely.  You might be tempted to think that with four kinds of ginger, it would be too much, but you would be completely wrong.  It was just the right amount, giving lots of flavour and just a touch of heat, but in a very good way.



I offset it with white chocolate.  Ginger and white chocolate are a marriage made in heaven.  Oh my . . . they are perfect together . . .  You get the crisp sweetness of the preserved ginger, and then that creamy sweetness which provides an equal amount of balance in the opposite direction . . .



And then I added the crunch of Macadamia Nuts . . . just love Macadamia Nuts, don't you???
A friend once sent me a tin of honey roasted ones from Hawaii and they were sooooo good.  Almost the best nut temptations that I have ever eaten . . . and I have dreamt about them since . . . hopefully one day I will be able to taste them again.

 

Maybe I will be able to figure out a way to make them myself.  Now that is a challenge . . . I just may try.
In the meantime, these squares are so deliciously good.  Every bite brings you fabulous textures . . . fudgy cake, creamy chocolate, snappy ginger, and crunchy nuts.  T'was a splendid idea I think.



Oh, all of this experimentation and taste testing is a tough job . . . but somebody has to do it . . .



 *Ginger, White Chocolate Chunk and Macadamia Nut Blondies*
Makes 48
Printable Recipe

Deliciously moreish blonde brownies, moist and  stogged full of four kinds of ginger, white chocolate chunks and scrummy macadamia nuts! What's not to like?

140g of butter, melted (1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 TBS)
400g soft light brown muscovado sugar (3/4 cup plus 1 TBS, lightly packed)
1 TBS ginger syrup from a jar of preserved ginger in syrup
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger-root
1 tsp ground ginger
2 knobs of preserved ginger in syrup, coarsely chopped
3 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
300g of plain flour (2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
50g of macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
100g of coarsely chopped good quality white chocolate (1 medium size bar.  I use Green & Blacks)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Line a 9 inch square pan with baking paper, leaving an overhang.  Lightly spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Place the butter into a large saucepan and melt over low heat.  Stir in the muscovado sugar, ginger syrup, grated ginger-root, ground ginger and preserved ginger.  Mix well.  Allow to cool until lukewarm.  Beat in the eggs.  Sift together the salt, baking powder and flour.  Fold this into the wet ingredients, just to mix and blend.  Don't overmix.  Stir in the nuts and chocolate.  Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 25 minutes, until just firm.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before lifting out onto a rack, using the overhang.  Allow to cool completely before removing the paper and cutting into squares.  Store in a tightly covered container for up to 4 days.

 

Did you know that this is National Chocolate Week?  I didn't until yesterday and I can't think of a more delicious week to celebrate!  As you know I LOVE CHOCOLATE, but the Toddster doesn't.  Meh . . . what do men know about such things . . .

 

I have had a cookbook entitled "Bake Me I'm Yours . . . Chocolate" in my bookcase for a while now.  It's a part of the Bake Me I'm Yours series put out  by D&C publishing.

It's a cute little book, which contains over 25 beautiful Chocolate Creations.   Written and put together by Tracey Mann, it consists of over 123 pages, and is fully illustrated with color photos throughout.  It's not a large book in size, and would easily fit inside a handbag.  Printed on quality paper and soft covered.



It's set up in convenient sections and includes all the basics you need to know about baking and decorating with chocolate as it's main theme.

 

Included are an extensive tool list so that you need never be in the dark as far as knowing what to use and when to use it.  Basic techniques are covered such as tempering chocolate and using chocolate paste.  Basic recipes are  also included for things such as chocolate sponge cake, brownies, ganache, chocolate cupcakes, amongst others.



Each recipe and technique is beautifully photographed and illustrated.



You can learn now to make perfect chocolate curls . . .

 

Be able to create fantastic Celebratory Creations!



From beautiful and simple every day cupcakes . . .



To fabulously decorated Christmas Cakes!!

If Chocolate is your thing . . . and you like to decorate and create beautiful baked goods, then this is the book for you!

Right now you can purchase it at RUCrafts for the low price of £2.99   I don't know about you, but that is pretty affordable in my opinion, not much more than the price of a hot drink in a cafe and you'll have it with you for a whole lot longer too!

bake me I'm yours . . . Chocolate
by Tracey Mann
Published by D&C (David and Charles) publishing
ISBN - 13: 978-0-7153-3764-6
ISBN - 10: 0-7153-3764-5
UK £6.99

In honor of National Chocolate week I am offering the chance for two of you to win a copy of this lovely cookery book!!  All you have to do is leave a comment in the comment section of this post and on Monday next I will use an independent number picker to pick two entries from all of the comments to receive a copy of this book, and it doesn't matter where you live.  They will ship it anywhere!  So . . . what are you waiting for?  Get commenting!!

Giveaway now closed.  Thanks for playing!

I was recently sent a selection of Cookery books to review.  As you know I just love cookbooks and have a vast collection . . . Todd moans whenever a new one comes through the letter box . . . but, alas that is just something he has to live with.  I am of the opinion that one can never have too many cookbooks . . . Marriage is a give and take, besides . . . he reaps the rewards of my fetish every night when he sits down to tea.

 

The first one is a bit of a novelty book, entitled "Beer, a cookbook."  Recipes by Kimberley Willis.  It's a fun little book, not too large or hefty, but there's a lot packed into it's pages.  There are 40+ recipes in this book, which is roughly about the size of a clutch handbag, each of them accompanied by a tasty looking photo.



There are recipes for starters, mains, sides and amazingly even desserts, each one containing detailed instructions and a tasty looking photo, not to mention some bartenders advice near the bottom and a heads-up rating . . . easy, medium or hard . . . so that you can pick according to your skills or desire.

It's a very sturdy book, each page being composed of heavy card, which has a glossy wipe proof surface.  (I guess that's in case you sample too much of the beer while you are cooking and get sloppy??)

Interspersed between the recipes are fun quotes like this one from Frank Zappa:

"You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline . . . it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least, you need a beer."

It's a cute little book, and would make the perfect Birthday Gift, or even Christmas Gift, for the beer connoisseur on your gift list.  I haven't actually cooked anything from the book, so can't really say how good the recipes are, but purely from a novelty point of view, this book gets an "7" from me.  It's colourful, sturdy and there were a few things in it that I have bookmarked for a later date to try.



The first one probably being these really delicious looking Chocolate Stout Lava Cakes !  There's also a pot roast that looks really tasty and tender as well.

Beer, a cookbook
Published by Adams Media
ISBN 10: 1-4405-3370-9
ISBN 13:  978-1-4405-3370-9
copyright 2012 by F+W Media, inc.



The second book is also a bit of a Novelty book, based loosely on the popular Hunger Games novels and film.  I was a great fan of the books and loved the movie, so I was quite interested in this book.  From the back cover:

When it comes to the Hunger Games, staying alive means finding food any way possible. Katniss and Gale hunt live game, Peeta's family survives on the bread they make, and the inhabitants of the Seam work twelve-hour days for a few handfuls of grain . . . all while the residents of the Capitol gorge themselves on delicacies and desserts to the heart's desire.

For the first time, you will be able to create delicious recipes from the humble District 12 to the extravagant Capitol, including:

• French bread from the Mellark Family Bakery
• Katniss's favourite Lamb Stew with Dried Plums
• Rue's Roasted Parsnips
• Gale's Bone-Picking Big Game Soup
• Capital Grade Dark Chocolate Cake

There are nine tasty chapters . . . Breakfast, Breads, Soups Stews and Salads, Humble Beginnings (starters), Seafood, Poultry Dishes for the Brave, Meat, Wild Game,  and Just Desserts.  There is also an Appendix containing Katniss's Family Book of Herbs, Acknowledgments and a full Index.

Hard covered and 241 pages containing more than 150 recipes inspired by the Hunger Games Trilogy and written by Emily Ansara Baines.  (It is unofficial and unauthorized, approved, liscensed, or endorsed by Susanne Collins, her publishes, or lionsgate entertainment corp.)  Emily Ansara Baines is a writer who has worked as a professional baker and caterer throughout the East Coast of American, most recently New York City.



Each recipe seems to be well written, with great instructions and tips included from your "Sponsor."  The downside is that there are no photographs at all, and I do love my cookbooks to have at least a few scrummy pictures.  But, aside from a few recipes I would probably never cook, like "Fightin' Fried Squirrel . . . there are also a great number of really delicious sounding ones like Mixed Messages Mixed Berry Jam, Apocalyptic Eggs Benedict, Katniss's Craved Cheese Buns, Harvest Heirloom Apple Cake and Thick and Gooey Double Chocolate Banquet Brownies.  Again, I haven't cooked anything from this book . . . but I probably will.  It's been hard these past three weeks getting in any cooking time with all the renovations going on.  I am giving this one an "8".    Pictures would be nice, but most of the recipes sound quite delicious and it has great novelty factor. It would make a perfect gift for the Hunger Games fan!

The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook, by Emily Ansara Baines
Published by  Adams Media
ISBN-13: 978-1-4405-2658-9
ISBN-10: 1-4405-2658-3
$19.95 (CAN $20.99)

Here in the UK you can get it from Amazon for £14.44



The final book, and my favourite of the three, was Not-So-Humble Pies by Kelly Jaggers, also published by Adams Media.   150 delicious, decadent and savory recipes for one of my favourite foods of all . . . Pie!

The book is split into three parts.

Part 1 - Not so Humble beginnings
Chapter 1 Pastry and cookie crusts
The first chapter, pie crusts, offers tons of options. Pastry type crusts like the perfect flaky crust, butter crusts and options like a buttery, spicy cheese crust. Cookie type crusts include gingersnaps, pretzels. There are also shortbread type crusts which fall right between the two using a cookie type recipe to make a crust for a pie.

Chapter 2 - Toppings
The second chapter covers toppings, classic crumb toppings, meringue, stabilized whipped cream, and sauces.

Part 2 - Sweet as Can Be
Chapter 3 Creams, Custards, and Chiffons
Creams, Custards and Chiffons.-Nothing as simple as a chocolate cream pie, these are things like cantaloupe cream, vanilla rum meringue and for people who prefer a more traditional flavor profile, white chocolate chiffon.

Chapter 4  Fruits, Nuts and Berries
 Based on classic recipes, these up the gourmet and wow factor, an apple pie gets a savory cheddar crust to contrast the sweetness of the apples, peach and ginger combine in a hand pie perfect for picnics.

Chapter 5  Tarts, Tartlets, and Rustic Pies
 These are the "dressed up for guests" dessert pies. Fine ingredients, flavors and textures like apple rose, white chocolate ganache and praline cream.

Part 3 - Savory Situations
Chapter 6  Dinner Pies
 The savory flavors that make a main course. There are lots of tarts in this chapter as well that would work well as a side dish like the spinach and artichoke tart. Lots of cheese based tarts and pies as well.

Chapter 7  Spicy, Salty, and Exotic Pies
All of the recipes in this book put some pretty unusual twists on the family classics, but this chapter really pulls out all the stops  by adding chilis, spice and salt to classics.



Each part is beautifully photographed as are a lot of the recipes . . .

 

Lavender Infused Lemon Pie

The recipes all appear to be very well written, although having said that, the crust recipe that I chose to bake did have an inconsistency in it.  It called for 1 egg, not specifying the size, or the fact that you only need the yolk, at least I could not find anyplace where the white was called for.  I used a large egg and had thrown in the whole egg before I realized that in the directions it said the yolk.  It turned out fine though, so no worries.

 

I chose to bake the Fresh Blackberry Tart with Spiked Creme Anglaise recipe from chapter 5, Tarts, Tartlets and Rustic Pies.  This is blackberry season here in the UK at the moment and they are something that I have a lot of and that I love to use in the autumn.

 

The crust was quite forgiving . . . and not all that different from a short bread cookie.  Nom! Nom!  It was very rustic and not too frou frou . . . this was a plus for me last week with all of the construction work going on.



The filling was very easy to throw together, although I did find that the cornflour didn't dissolve in the alloted standing time so if I make it again, I will add a touch of lemon juice.  It will not only help to preserve the colour, but also add a nice little hint of sharpness that I think will go well with both the berries, the sweet crust and that scrummy Creme Anglaise.

 

*Fresh Blackberry Tart with Spiked Creme Anglaise*
makes 8 servings

Creme Anglaise is a slightly thickened custard sauce that is used as a garnish on all sorts of desserts.  Here the sauce is spiked with a touch of bourbon and drizzled over slices of warm blackberry tart.  If you don't care for bourbon, you can use rum or creme de cassis, or omit altogether.

2 cups fresh blackberries
2 TBS cornstarch
2 TBS sugar
1 short crust for tarts, rolled into a 12 inch circle
1 TBS butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 TBS bourbon
2 egg yolks
3 TBS sugar

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the berries, cornstarch and sugar until well combined.  Let stand for 5 minutes.

Place the pastry onto the prepared baking sheet.  Spread with the blackberry mixture, leaving a 1/2 inch border.  Fold the pastry just over the edge of the berries, then dot the top with butter.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the pastry is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, add the cream and vanilla.  Bring just to a simmer.  In a large bowl, whisk together the bourbon, egg yolks, and sugar until smooth.  Whisking constantly, gradually add 1/2 cup of the cream into the egg yolks.  Immediately add the egg yolk mixture back into the pot and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 6 minutes. 

Serve the tart slightly warm with the creme anglaise drizzled over the top.



We quite enjoyed this lovely tart and I have no less than 15 other recipes flagged to try out over the next few weeks/months.  If they are all as nice as this one . . . well, we have a real winner here!

Not-So-Humble Pies, by Kelly Jaggers
Published by Adams Media
ISBN 10: 1-440503291-5
ISBN 13L 978-1-4405-3291-7
$17.95 (Can $18.99)
Available here in the UK from Amazon for £12.74

I give this book a "9."  It lost a point for the inconsistency I found in the crust recipe.

Disclaimer - Please note that although I am given these books free of charge for review, I am under no obligation to give positive reviews.  My opinions are honest and  my own.

As you know I occasionally get sent a cookbook to test out and review . . . I know . . . it's a hard job but somebody's got to do it!! I'm always more than happy to help out in that way!

This week I was sent the Cookie Doug Lover's Cookbook, by Lindsay Landis. You may already be familiar with her blog, Love and Olive Oil. (Lucky girl to have a publishing deal! Buck up Britain, there's lots of fab food bloggers over here who should have cookbooks published!)

Lindsay has invented the perfect cookie dough. It tastes great. It's egg free and perfectly safe to eat raw. it mixes up quick and easily, and, best of all, you can use it to make dozens of delicious cookie dough creations, from cakes, custards, and pies to candies, brownies, and even granola bars.



Included are recipes for indulgent breakfasts (cookie dough doughnuts!), frozen treats (cookie dough Popsicles!), and outrageous snacks (cookie dough eggrolls! cookie dough fudge! cookie dough pizza!). If your mom ever caught you with your finger in the cookie dough bowl and if raw cookie dough is your secret indulgence . . . then this book is for you!



It's a beautifully laid out book with clear instructions, beautiful full colour photographs to accompany each recipe . . . I love that it is coil bound, so that the pages stay open with no problem at all. It's a great size, not too big, not too small . . . just perfect for having on the countertop next to you while you cook, but it also stands up really well on it's own, which is also a bonus! There are also lots of nice tips on ingredients, equipment, packaging ideas, etc.



As you know I would never review a cookery book without trying out some of the recipes and I have done just that, with fab results! Today I made the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bread Pudding. We are bread pudding nuts in this house!



It was so easy to put together. All of the instructions were clear and easy to understand. Even though there were three separate components of the recipe . . . it was neither long, nor hard to execute, nor really long winded. It went together lickety split really.



Oh my but it smelled gorgeous when it was cooking . . . I could hardly wait to get it out of the oven. It was just beautiful when it was done.



I did make a few modifications. Because there are only two of us, I cut the recipe down by a third and baked it in two individual pie dishes . . . with each dish being cut in half to serve two people . . . but let me tell you, this was soooo good I could easily have eaten one all by myself. Dangerous stuff indeed!



The only thing that could have made it any better would have been a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream crowning it. I didn't have any. Boo Hoo!! Anyways, if this recipe is any indication of the ease and perfection of the rest of the recipes in this delightful little book, it's a winner winner chicken dinner!!



Buy it NOW! You won't regret it. It has a wonderful variety of recipes to please just about anyone, and would make a nice addition to anyone's collection! I am so glad I didn't make the full recipe . . . this one is pretty hard to resist and reduced my will power to just about N-I-L!!



*Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bread Pudding*
Serves 12 (I have successfully cut this down to a third of a recipe)
Printable Recipe

Three little words . . . deliciously decadently MOREISH! May I add Nom Nom!!

For the Bread:
1 (1 pound) loaf of brioche or French bread cut into 3/4 inch cubes
(About 7 cups, or 455g)
1/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted (57g)

For the Custard:
3 large free range eggs
3 cups of half and half (675ml of a mixture of half cream and half milk)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar (95g)
1/2 cup soft light brown sugar, packed (100g)
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Cookie Dough:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (57g)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (48g)
1/2 cup soft light brown sugar, packed (100g)
1 TBS half and half or cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour (99g)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (180g, I used Green & Blacks milk chocolate, chopped)

Pre-heat your oven to 200*C./400*F/ gas mark 6. Toss the bread cubes with the melted butter and spread them out onto a couple of large rimmed baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Place the bread cubes into a 13 by 9 inch baking pan. Whisk together all of the custard ingredients. Pour this over the bread. Let stand for 30 minutes, giving it a turn every so often so that the bread absorbs the custard evenly.

Cream together the butter and sugars for the cookie dough until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and cream. Mix in the flour and salt until incorporated. The dough should come together in large clumps. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Crumble half of the cookie dough over the bread in the dish and gently fold together until the dough is covered with custard and evenly distributed. Crumble the remaining dough over top.

Bake the pudding for 1 hour, or until the top is puffed and golden brown and a silver knife inserted near the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Adapted from the Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook by Lindsay Landis





The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook, ritten by Lindsay Landis and published by Quirk Publishing
ISBN 978-1-59474-564-5

US $18.95/$19.95 Canada/£11.69 UK

Many thanks to Matt and Quirk Publishing for sending me this lovely book to review. I give it 10 out of 10!

I looooooove to bake!! (No surprise there!) And if there's anything I like more than baking it's watching a program on the telly about baking. I'm very excited to let you know that on the 5th of March, 2012 on Channel 4 at 12:05 pm the second Series of "Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard" begins!

This new series runs for four weeks, every week day and sees Eric . . . the guru of all things sweet, beautiful and baked . . . at home in his own kitchen creating quick baking recipes along side of his signature glamorous desserts. I think the new series will easily appeal to bakers of every kind from the novice to the expert.



Each episode is 30 minutes in length and will also feature three members of the public who will come to his cooker school, Cake Boy, to demonstrate their baking skills and take part in a "Bake Off!" (I cannot imagine the pressure they must be under!) It promises to be a beautifully produced series which balances inspiration with information, engaging the viewer to try new things to add to their baking repertoire.

This show is sponsored by Bakingmad.com, a wonderful online baking community of over 100,000 members sharing a wealth of information, recipes, hints, tips and advice on everything to do with baking!



I was asked ahead of time to take part in a special challenge. I was given the choice of one of the full collection of recipes that Eric will be making in the 20 episodes to bake at home myself! I did not need to think twice about accepting the challenge. I already own Eric's first book and know first hand how scrummy his recipes are.



I chose to bake the Peanut Butter Blondies recipe, which I baked today and boy oh boy, are they ever moreishly scrummy indeed! Just imagine it . . .



Moist blonde brownies . . . flavoured with chunky peanut butter . . . stogged full of white chocolate bits and toasted walnuts (my idea to toast them, coz well . . . toasted nuts just taste better in my opinion!) . . . and topped with more white chocolate bits, some more toasted walnuts and a drizzle of dark chocolate!



A delicious concoction that smells absolutely fabulous when baking . . . and is oh-so-difficult to resist sinking your teeth into once they come out of the oven . . . but do be patient . . . you will want to wait until you have dressed them with all of the extras!



I dare say I wouldn't have to ask one of you twice if you'd like one would I??? I thought not!!!



*Peanut Butter Blondies*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Adapted from a recipe from Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard.

100g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the tray (7 TBS)
150g crunchy peanut butter (3/4 cup plus 1 TBS)
1 tsp vanilla extract
175g golden caster sugar (15 tBS)
1 free range egg
75g white chocolate, plus extra to decorate (1/2 cup chopped)
75g toasted walnut halves, chopped plus extra to decorate (2/3 cup)
125g plain flour (1 1/4 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
dark chocolate melted, to decorate
white chocolate chips to decorate



Preheat the oven to 170*C/ 325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter an 8 inch square tin with butter and line the base with baking paper.

Cream together the butter and peanut butter until creamy, using an electric hand whisk at medium speed. Beat in the vanilla, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Chop the white chocolate and stir into the mixture along with the chopped walnuts.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and fold in using a large metal spoon. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin, smoothing over the top.

Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until it has a nice golden crust but is still fudgy in the middle.

Allow to cool in the tin. Decorate with white chocolate chunks and walnut pieces and drizzle over some dark chococolate. Cut into squares to serve. Store in an airtight container.



If this fab recipe is any indication of the quality of baking which will be showcased during the airing of this series, I, for one, will be following along with great anticipation each week day for the duration of the series!



Here's a teaser! Some of the recipes that will be presented during this series are such delicious sounding concoctions as Blueberry Bakewell Tart and Key Lime Pie to name but two.

Don't forget to tune in on Monday, March the 5th at 12:05 PM on Channel 4 here in the UK. In the meantime why not check out Baking Mad.com.

You can also follow them on Facebook Twitter and YouTube.

Many thanks to Nancy and Baking Mad.com for affording me with this delicious opportunity!