Inspiration: Romantic Breakfast

Bacon & Egg Pie

 
This is a favourite in our household at anytime of the year. It is super easy to make and sure to please!

All you need is:
2 sheets of rolled out flaky puff pastry
8 eggs
200g of bacon, chopped into small pieces
3 tablespoons of milk
A small handful of tasty cheese
salt and pepper to season
flour

1. Dust your pastry sheets with flour, roll out and place in a pie dish.
2. Break 8 eggs into a large bowl, add milk, cheese, salt and pepper, and mix.
3. Add bacon to egg mix and stir.
4. Pour bacon and egg mixture into the pastry lined pie dish and put it into the oven for 35-45 minutes at 180˚C.

Stevens Sale

The Stevens Home and Giving stores are having a sale.  I got sent this in an email from them:

The special terms and conditions are as follows: * 30% offer only valid on Thursday 24 June 2010.  Excludes already reduced items, online orders, special orders and the purchase of gift cards. Not available at Stevens outlet store and not available in conjunction with any other offer.

So yeah, if you’ve been meaning to buy something for your kitchen or home its probably a good idea to pop into Stevens this Thursday.

Diary Date: The Auckland Food Show

 
There is just over a month now until The Food Show comes to Auckland.  I’m definitely going – I love trying all the new products on display.  There are hundreds of exhibitor stalls, many boasting free samples, to go and visit.  I also try to stop in and watch one of the celebrity chef demonstrations.  The picture above is of Donna Hay at the 2009 food show, making what was a very delicious looking ‘flourless chocolate cake’.  I love her.  I can’t wait to see the celebrity chef line-up for this years event.

The Auckland food show this year is running at the ASB showgrounds from Friday 30 July to Sunday 1 August, with Thursday 29 July as a special pre-view day.  Last year they reckon they had 41,548 people come along, so it is a very popular weekend activity!

For more info visit the food show website.

Shopping Successes

These delightful little things are Pain au Chocolate pastries.  I didn’t make them, they are produced by ‘The Pastryhouse’.  They come pre-made in a box, so all you have to do is heat and eat!  Easy peasy.
Another quick and easy, heat then eat treat that I have had recently is the ‘Apple Pie with Macadamia Nut Crumble’ by ‘I love Pies’.  It was soooo yummy!  They make meat pies too.  Check out their website – it’s quite cute.

Now, back to apples.  My most recent find (just got it to try today!) is ‘Apple Crumble gourmet probiotic yoghurt’ made by ‘The Collective Dairy’.  It is delicious and really does taste just like apple crumble.  Mmmmm mmmm.
Their website is also very cute, showcases their product range (they make cheeses too) and is very informative.

For stockists or more information on these products, click on the links above.  Also, you know what else?  All of this gorgeous food is made right here in New Zealand.  LOVE.

Chicken and Corn Soup

  
OMG!  A recipe without sugar! And… it isn’t baking!
However, my last post wasn’t about baking either; essentially it was me whinging that it is winter.  So, to put a little positive spin on things I thought I would post one of my favourite quick and easy winter recipes.

 
Serves 6.

3 teaspoons chicken stock powder
3 ½ cups boiling water
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 x 410g can cream-style sweet corn
2 teaspoons corn flour
¾ cup chickpeas (optional)

¾ lentils (optional)
a little cold water
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
sprinkle of salt and pepper

Put stock powder and boiling water in a big microwave safe bowl.
Add the chicken and the cream-style corn.  Stir well.
Cover with a paper towel and cook on high in the microwave for 6 to 6½ minutes until boiling, stirring once.
Mix corn flour and cold water in a cup until smooth.  Stir in to the soup.  Add in the chickpeas and lentils.
Re-cover with the paper towel and microwave on high for 1½ to 2 minutes.
Stir in parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Inspiration: Ice cream

I know it isn't baking, but I desperately want it to be summer again in Auckland.  Hence the inspiration collage this week is of ice cream so I can stare at it longingly whilst dreaming of days filled with sand and salt air.  I hate that it is dark and cold when I wake up, that my car is covered in a layer of ice when I need to leave for work, and I hate that I wore my coat (although my coat is quite awesome) all day.  Bring back the beach going heat please.

White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Muffins

 
Makes about 12.

50g butter, softened
½ cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
180g white chocolate, chopped (I just used Nestle chocolate bits)
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. 
Stir in the eggs and milk.
Mix in flour, baking powder, chocolate and nuts until just combined.
Fill well-greased muffin pans and bake at 190˚C for 20 minutes.

 

Rocky Road Muffins

I made these last Thursday (treats for the long weekend) along with White chocolate macadamia nut muffins (which I will also write a post about) and some more pecan shortbread (yep, I was a busy little baker).

I found these to taste more like massive lollies than muffins – they aren't very light and fluffy.  Still yum though.

Makes about 12.

¼ cup milk
1 egg
1 cup natural yoghurt
50g butter, melted (I put this in softened, not melted because I wasn’t paying attention, so perhaps this is why muffins were more lolly-like than cake-like)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup sugar
½ cup small marshmallows
½ cup roughly chopped chocolate (I used Nestlé bits)
½ cup peanuts
½ cup jubes (I used a pack of The Natural Confectionary company’s snake lollies, and cut up the pink and purple ones for the muffins)

Mix milk, yoghurt, egg and butter together.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined.
Spoon into well-greased muffin pans or cases and bake at 180˚C for 12-15 minutes.


For icing: Heat 1 tablespoon of cocoa, butter and milk together with icing sugar to form a paste.

The cases I used came from the ‘1,2,3 + GST’ shop in Auckland City, next to Borders.  While I don’t think they are that pretty from the outside, they are kinda cool because the inside is shiny so the muffins don’t stick to the casing.