Chai concentrate

Tea with milk is one of those things that usually make me shudder. I like my tea as I like my coffee - clean and simple, no milk or sweetener of any kind. But then this chai recipe came along... I can't remember who sent me in the direction of this recipe, but thank you, whoever you are. I love it.
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Basically, you make a cup of black tea, making sure it's very hot and pretty strong. Add two or three teaspoons of this concentrate (to taste), and enjoy! It tastes comforting, familiar and exotic all at once. It's almost closer to hot chocolate than tea... The advantage of using this concentrate over the usual spice mixes is that there's no need to heat milk separately, it's already right there - and as it's condensed, you need such a small amount that it doesn't have to be heated first. And it stores well, apparently. Not that I need it to - I'm already on my second batch. :P
- Chai concentrate, adapted from OregonLive.com:
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1 can of sweetened, condensed milk (14 oz = 497g)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
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Mix all ingredients well.
Add 2-4 teaspoons of concentrate to one cup of strong, black tea and stir.
Store concentrate in glass container with tight-fitting lid for up to 6 months.

Homemade Bounty

Having made our traditional peppermint pralines last week, there was lots of the shredded coconut stuff left. This happens every year. I once found a bag of coconut I had first used three years before. Honestly! Then and there I vowed to find a recipe that would help me get rid of these leftovers.
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Last year I made some Bounty chocolates using this Cut Out + Keep recipe, but the amounts were totally off, and you'll see in the comments that many had the same opinion. Way too much butter, not enough powdered sugar. Luckily I had tasted as I went along (well, that's half the joy of baking, right??) and added what I needed to make them taste good. And trust me, they were very good. :P This year I thought I'd go about it a little more carefully and write up a better recipe. I measured and added ingredients until the texture and taste felt right and added it all up in the end. There are other variations out there, but most require double cream or condensed milk, and I like the simplicity of this recipe.
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The amounts have been rounded off, and adjusted so you can use a whole bag of shredded coconut (250g). I had about half that left this year, and I still got about 40 bite-sized pieces, so this recipe is quite large. I think I'll stick to half amounts of everything in the future too. The picture above is from last year, when I made them in a size more similar to the original Bounty chocolate. If you do them that big, I think you'll get about 25 bars from this recipe. That's a lot of Bounty! (I'm trying very hard to avvoid the cheezy bounty-ful jokes here folks. Help me out.)
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Quick, before I say something too stupid: Let's get right down to the (huge) recipe!
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250g shredded coconut (the dry, unsweetned stuff, sometimes called dessicated coconut)
170g butter (at room tempererature)
400g powdered sugar
500g chocolate
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Mix together coconut, butter and powdered sugar well using a fork. This takes a bit of effort, and the mixture will seem way too dry at first. Keep working on it for a couple of minutes and it should suddenly come together to a firm, but sticky mass. Press toghether to form a sheet about a cm in thickness - I just do this by hand on a piece of parchment paper on my kitchen counter. Place in fridge for an hour or so, until completely firm. Cut into pieces of desired size - a sharp, hot knife will make this easy. Melt chocolate (temper if you like), cover coconut pieces. Place on plate covered with non-stick paper and let cool completely. Store in fridge.

Christmas traditions: peppermint pralines

There are a few traditions that never change, this is one of ours. There is no christmas without these peppermint pralines! I have to be careful not to make them too early or they will mysteriously disappear long before the big day. They look a little like snowballs, don't you think, even if the dark chocolate shines through?
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I distinctly remember stiff shoulders and aching arm muscles after stirring this mixture, and complaining to my mother that these took ages to get done. I must have been very young then, because although you have to expect to spend some time with these because of the several steps involved, it's a breeze compared to my childhood memories. Thankfully. ;)
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1 dl milk
1 large teaspoon flour
500 g powdered sugar
6-8 drops of peppermint oil (food grade)
300 g dark chocolate
ca 150 g shredded coconut
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Combine milk and flour and bring to a boil. Let cool. Stir in powdered sugar, a little at the time. Add the peppermint oil somewhere on the way - it's easier to stir it in before the mixture becomes too thick. Add more powdered sugar if needed. The consistency should be such that you can roll little balls of it with your hands. Do so, and let them cool in the fridge for a few hours until properly stiff. Melt chocolate and pour shredded coconut in separate bowls. Using forks or other suitable tools, dip each praline first in chocolate, then roll in coconut and let cool completely in fridge. Store in fridge.
I have no idea how long these can keep - because they never last very long in my fridge anyway... ;)

Autumn cooking: Banana muffins

Like so many others of you out there, I crave comfort food these chilly days. When I found two bananas I had all but forgotten in my cupboard, I got the excuse to make something I've been thinking about for a while now: banana muffins!

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Amazing how something so ugly can be made into something so tasty... Overripe bananas are perfect for baking.-

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Living dangerously perhaps? Or are you all fully able to keep flour and melted butter away from your precious electronics without problems? I managed to stay clean this time, but usually prefer to keep my computer a safe distance away. A quick Google search for "banana muffins recipe" yielded 313 000 hits - maybe I don't really need to make this post after all... *lol*
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Anyway, I started with a recipe from Cat Can Cook that's supposedly 100% fool-proof, and then proceeded to make a total mess of it. And the muffins still tasted great! I added an element from a recipe at Allrecipes - a yummy brown sugar crumb. Oh MY. It was sooo good! Crisp, crunchy, rich, sweet... Absolute bliss. Because of the sugar crumb there's no need for any frosting on these, so they can go swiftly from the freezer to the microwave to the table if you have unexpected guests. Or a sudden, irresistible craving for a snack, which happens much more frequently in my world.
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So here's my take on the good old-fashioned banana muffins, adapted from Cat Can Cook and Allrecipes:

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Batter:

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup melted butter

3 ts vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 ts salt

1 ts baking soda

1 ts baking powder

1 ts cinnamon

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Mix together mashed bananas, sugar, egg, butter and vanilla in one bowl and set aside. Mix remaining ingredients in separate bowl. Combine wet and dry ingredients and pour into silicone muffin tins with paper liner (or greased muffin tin if you prefer). This recipe made 16 small muffins.

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Crumb:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 ts flour

1/4 ts cinnamon

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Mix together all ingredients and distribute over muffins.

Bake at 175 degrees Celcius in ca 20 minutes.
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They taste amazing straight out of the oven... Just as good the next day (except for the lack of crunch), and freezes well for future muffin cravings. Lessons learned: One, next time I'll try piling the brown sugar crumb in the middle instead of spreading it evenly over the top, to see if that's more visually appealing. Two, that crumb is going on every single batch of muffins from now on! YUM. Muffin heaven.

(ETA: I tried the sugar crumb in a pile thing, and it didn't quite work out. The moisture of the melting sugar made the muffin soggy in the middle and it didn't rise well there, but rather ballooned out near the edges, overrunning into the muffin tins. An even spread is definitely the way to go.)

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Meet Arnold Palmer

Hello blogworld, meet Arnold Palmer. Or, to be exact, Arnold Palmer Tee! So named because it was the favourite drink of an American golfer by that name, apparently. It is made from half iced tea, half lemonade, and it is delicious. :)

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I first met this Arnold Palmer at a blog called Framed following a Google search for minted lemonade. Her recipe was my starting point, but since frozen lemonade concentrate is something I've never seen or heard of, I had to improvise a bit.

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I started by making tea as specified in the Framed recipe. While it was cooling I made a simple syrup and mixed together a strong lemonade following this recipe at Food Network (but skipped the mint, as I already had it in the tea). Then it was all a matter of adjusting the proportions . The amounts in the recipes must be considered only a guideline - the amount of simple syrup, for example, will have to be adjusted to suit the acidity of your lemons and to your own taste. Either I had very acidic lemons or a serious sweet tooth... I wonder which, haha. :P
This drink tastes wonderful and intense when made of equal parts iced tea and lemonade, but if you're looking for a real thirst quencher, I'd water it down a little first. Serve over lots and lots of ice on a hot day. Oh, and you can always spike it with a splash of Limoncello if you like. Yum.
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The two vintage milk bottles with tea and lemonade (and a small bottle of simple syrup for extra sweetening) are now sitting in my fridge, ready to be made into an Arnold Palmer Tee or other summery drinks whenever I desire. Enjoy!

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PS: Totally unrelated: I just noticed that my previous post was my post number 300! I've only been blogging for a year and a half, so that seems like a pretty decent number to me. Here's to another 300! *raising my glass of Arnold Palmer Tee*

Limoncello experiment part two

What's that? You want a card post, you say? Well, okay then. Check back on Wednesday. ;) Until then you'll have to endure even more yellow photos! *moahahahah*
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The alcohol and lemon peels have been steeping for just over three weeks, and my limoncello experiment has now entered its second stage. I had a tiny little taste, just to get a feel for how it's developing, and YOWZA! 60% alcohol and a bunch of lemon peels made for a seriously tounge-searing combination! Phew, I think I'll have to treat this stuff with care. Assuming, of course, that it becomes at all drinkable in the end. ;) I removed and filtered (using this technique again) 2 x 50 ml of the mixture before adding a simple syrup to the rest. So cool - it turned cloudy and opaque immediately! Just look at the difference from the unsweetned stuff. :) Now alcohol, peels and syrup need at least another week to rest before the third and final stage.
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Seriously, I think I'll have to make a "yellow" label category soon. It's just such a bright, happy colour - I feel better every time I look at my yellow photos! Everything looks better when photographed against a yellow polkadot tablecloth. ;)

Soundtrack: Gwyneth Herbert: Annie's Yellow Bag. (of course. ;) )

When life gives you lemons...

...make lemonade!

Serve with ice cubes and mint leaves, preferably on a yellow polkadot tablecloth.

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After my little limoncello experiment got started I was left with a few zest-less lemons.

Ane let me tell you, these last weeks they've snuck into almost every drink and meal!

- In the evening,

use them to spruce up some "grown-up lemonade"... ;)
- Make a classic oven-baked lemon chicken...
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...with oven-baked tomatoes on the side.
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Lemon-infused rice with spring onions

was a fresh and zingy partner to a stir-fry pork dish.

-This one made me feel like a real kitchen wiz:
carrot soup with lemon and mint! Lots and lots of mint.
Homemade crispbread on the side.
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If you don't feel like cooking, lemons make refreshing ice cubes!

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And so, there's only half a lemon left.

I think I have to go lemon shopping...

You know you're getting old...

...when the candles on your cake represent decades rather than years.

;)

Friday photo feature

I don't seem to be able to produce more than two cards a week these days.

Here are some of the reasons why:

- Blue skies, nothing but blue skies all day long.

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Wild strawberries growing in my parents' garden.

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Lunches like these.

Orange, sweet sweet pineapple, kiwi and watermelon.

And a fistful of gorgeous, rich, dark cherries...

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I also have some WIPs in the works.

Quite a few, actually.

I'll be sharing them later on, so stick around!

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Soundtrack: "Strawberry Swing" - Coldplay

Sunny friday

Limoncello in the making.

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My card making duties have been badly neglected lately.

There's just too much work and too much nice weather these days.

Summer vacation is still weeks away for my part,

but the bright sun is trying hard to remind me

that summer should be enjoyed even when there's no vacation.

Thank heavens for weekends.

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Wishing you all a warm, sunny, bright yellow weekend!

Soundtrack: "A little love" by Meaghan Smith
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Vanilla extract gift set

I'm already on my second batch of vanilla extract, believe it or not. I've kind of made it this year's birthday gift theme! The recipe booklet is an important part of the gift, so I've made a few of those too. ;) The look of baker's twine against kraft paper is so classic. This bottle's style also suits it so well. It all feels really old-fashioned and homemade, like something from many years ago.
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You're probably sick and tired of hearing about my vanilla extract by now. ;) I just figured I could show you how I strain it! After a few months of vanilla pods steeping in vodka, there are the inevitable inpurities such as vanilla seeds and vanilla pod fibres floating around in there. While this is neither dangerous nor imparing the taste (rather the opposite in fact), it doesn't exactly look very delicate. This is what I came up with - a really simple DIY solution using stuff already in my cupboard. The coffee filter is the perfect strainer! Just force the dripstop valve open with tape or elastic (see my brown hair band in the picture?) and let the extract drip into a clean bottle.

A little taste of heaven

There's no better reason to have a go at a delightful butterscotch recipe than finding a carton of double cream about to expire in your fridge... :) That sort of removed any guilt that might have arisen when dishing out lots of cream, butter and sugar. It had to be used, right? It's not my fault that it just begged to be used on something so amazingly tasty as butterscotch sause? Right? Anyone? *grinning wildly*
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You can find the original recipe on Smitten Kitchen, but I've rewritten it for you using metric measurements. I always find it a little tricky to measure butter by the cup... Be aware that my recipe is also about double the size. I find it more convenient to not have half a carton of double cream left over, but it also makes for a whooole lot of butterscotch... :P
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You need:
150 g unsalted butter
3,3 dl (= ca 280 g) packed brown sugar
3,3 dl double cream
ca 1 ts flaky salt (or 1/2 ts of regular salt), or to taste
ca 4 ts vanilla extract, or to taste
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Melt the butter on medium heat. Add sugar, cream and salt. Stir while it all melts and blends together. Resist the urge to pour it in a cup and drink it right away.
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Let simmer carefully for about five minutes while stirring now and then. That's right, there's no need for a sugar thermometer or a cold water test to get it right. Just let it bubble away for those five minutes and rest assured that it will all be ok.

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Remove from heat, add vanilla extract and stir well. And this is where the magic happens. The strength of your salt and vanilla extract may differ from others, so don't skip this part. Fill a teaspoon with butterscotch and taste it - very carefully, as it's still very hot! Then add more salt or vanilla extract, or both, depending on taste and preference. Stir well and taste again. I usually end up adding a little bit of salt and a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract. The salt gives the butterscotch that unique zingy taste, and the vanilla is, well, pure vanilla heaven.

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I recommend letting the butterscotch cool to room temperature before serving. It's not really a must, but when hot it is very runny! If it is allowed too cool it becomes more viscous - in fact, if you leave it in the fridge for storage (and it must definitely be kept in the fridge for the week or two you can store it) it can become semi-solid. Just leave it on the counter for a while before serving, or heat it very slightly if you're the impatient type.
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When I read this post at Smitten Kitchen I knew I just had to try this. Anything that inspires such vivid and passionate writing has to be good, right? And let me tell you, she was not kidding. This sauce is amazing. Nothing I can write can do it justice, it's just that good. I want to sip it straight from the bottle. Not to mention how it tastes on ice cream! Yum. Or try it on fresh or baked fruit. Don't take my word for it, give it a try for yourself, it's incredibly simple. Now there's a new addiction for you (I mean me). :P And if you think you have more than enough, how about making it a gift? Just be sure to tell the recipients to consume it within a week or so. Enjoy!

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House warming present (and sneak peek)

I suppose it's more traditional to bring flowers as a house warming present, but I just have to be weird I guess. ;) This is a little jar that used to hold a delicious spicy red pesto, now filled with my homemade butterscotch sauce. Made with my homemade vanilla extract. Ah, the joy of putting my crafting to good use. :)
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The decoration is super simple this time - just a circle of pink and white fabric tied with ribbon. The little crown charm is the finishing touch, and it is simply suspended from the ribbon in a jump ring right next to the tied bow. I've upcycled a couple of jars with paper embellishments before, but much prefer this. Using fabric makes me think of grandmothers and old strawberry jam jars and warm summer days...
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I know I promised a butterscotch sauce post. I will write one. It takes all my strength of will to not devour the jar I have in my fridge right now, like a five-year-old on a serious sugar high, but I will manage to photograph it first. There - I've written it and now I have no choice but to do it. ;)

Congratulations!

To all Norwegians everywhere: Happy National Day!

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Eat lots of ice cream -

with a ton of bananas, peanuts and chocolate sauce poured over.

I know I will. ;)

Watch the parades, the children and the fireworks.

And, most importantly,

enjoy your day!

For Kari

Hello there, remember me? It's been a while, at least according to the date on my last post. Sure doesn't feel like it though. It's been an eventful two weeks for me, some nice events and some not so nice. But it feels good to be back, and I even have something to show you!
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Don't you just love the golden glow of the home made vanilla extract? I know I do! I could just stare at those bottles for ages. And trust me, it has taste to go with its good looks as well. ;) This bottle goes to my lovely sister in law - hope she can put it to good use.
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And as a help, I made her a little booklet containing recipes using vanilla extract. I kept it plain and simple, just kraft cardstock, white Bazzill and red baker's twine. The border punch is the MS doily lace of course! I made a slightly fancier one for my mom a while back.
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A quick look at one of the inside page spreads. The text was just printed directly on the Bazzill cardstock and cut to equal size pieces before being glued to the kraft cardstock. Unlike the Bazzill, the kraft cardstock has the advantage of looking the same on both sides and therefore makes a nice base for these kind of projects.

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Oh, and that butterscotch sauce recipe you see there deserves a whole blog post for itself! I'll get around to that some time this spring/summer - if I manage to shoot some pictures of it before it mysteriously disappears. Oh MY... I could drink it straight from the bottle!

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I'm adding this post to the Mother's Day Ideas party at Somewhat Simple, even if this particular bottle went to my sister in law. It was, after all, my vanilla loving mother who was the reason I got this thing started!

Happy easter!

Happy easter everyone! Hopefully you're all away with your families enjoying yourselves. That's what I'm doing right now! :) At least, let's hope we're enjoying ourselves and not struggling with the effects of cabin fever. ;) This is a sceduled post, as our cabin doesn't have an internet connection (yet?) and we're relying on other ways to have fun. Personally, I think it's a good thing - I could probably use a little internet detox time... :P
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I fully intend to make a batch of these yellow crackled eggs this year too, but you'll have to settle for last year's pictures I'm afraid, as I don't have enough food colouring for an extra batch (for shooting). I'm thinking they'll look great served whole in a bowl on the easter table!

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If your're curious on how to make these eggs for yourself, the process is deceptivly simple: Hard boil your eggs, roll gently on hard surface to crack shell (do not remove shell), let sit in bowl of water with (lots of) yellow food colouring in fridge overnight, carefully peel away shell next morning to reveal beautiful surface. Or check out this tutorial, which is where I got the idea.

Easel card and vanilla extract for Celina

I've been dying to have a go at an easel card for months now, but somehow I always end up doing the same thing every time. Good thing I have lots of friends turning 30 this year - I'm finally getting that little kick in the rear I need to move out of my comfort zone. It's so much fun to do something extra for their big day!
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Ok, so I might have gone a little over the top with the flowers and Stickles here... :) It's a reaction to the two very masculine cards I just did. It just becomes instantly nescessary to jump to the exact opposite!

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A very simple layout on the reverse side of the card using scraps and my personal stamp. On the last side, which is now resting on the table, I used the MS punches to make a simple mat for writing.
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For the actual gift, I filled a small bottle with my homemade vanilla extract. I hope she can put it to good use!