Favourite Things: Red Cappucino

Red Cappucino

I love it when I have a favourite thing, and the company that makes it decides to make it even better without my asking!! Like when Kit Kat added peanut butter?! Best day EVER!!! The other best day ever? When they decided to make Rooibos tea into a cappuccino!

I've never been a big fan of coffee except for strictly practical purposes (staying awake!), so I play around with teas at lot. The flavoured varieties tend to be a little too artificial, so I rather switch between Ceylon, Rooibos, Green and Earl Grey. 

Rooibos strikes such a great balance between good-for-you and delicious. The issue I used to have is that, when it's made as a tea it just doesn't have all the flavour I crave. That problem is solved in this cappuccino!! Thank you Red Espresso people! Yay big evil corporate!

I think this might be the last time I post before the wedding. There's so much going on at the moment, suppers and visits and fittings that there's just no time or inclination to cook. I'm just going to settle into this blissful haze for the next month, and I'll see you when I get back!

Love by Chocolate

Silky, Soft, Smooth and Spectacular Chocolate Cake

I wanted to write a love letter to women in the form of a cake. I don't know how I would go through my life without every single woman in it! There's this amazing supportive relationship that seems to just happen between women- and I'm super super SUPER grateful for it. Of course, by the look of the cake, you'd think I wasn't.. But if only you'd tasted it!

It was the weekend after Valentines Day, and the perfect time. I invited my gorgeous dancing girls to a picnic, and set about looking for something super decadent- completely over the top and just for girls! I found my answer on Foodie Bride.

 The cake was oh-my-goodness-perfect. The brownie base was chewy and crunchy, the chocolate mouse was oh-so-smooth, the cake was soft and moist and the ganache was just so silky.

Everyone that tried this cake absolutely raved about it, and not sharing it was harshly punishable, as poor Brandon found out when Ane found the tell-tale dirty lunchbox in his bag. Poor poor Ane- I mean Brandon!

Silky, Soft, Smooth and Spectacular Chocolate Cake
From Confessions of a Foodie Bride

78 g flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
85 g dark chocolate (I used Bournville)
85 g unsalted butter
280 g sugar
2 extra-large eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence

65 g  dark chocolate (I used Bournville)
1/8 cup cocoa
1/4 cup hot water
63 g sugar
110 g flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 extra-large eggs
1 extra-large egg-yolk
156 g sugar

85 g unsalted butter, soft

1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla essence

170 dark chocolate (I used Bournville)
1 7/8 cup cream
1 tblsp sugar

 1.5 cups cream
30 g unsalted butter
510 g dark chocolate (I used Bournville)

Brownie:
1) Preheat oven to 160 C. Grease and line a 9 inch springform pan.
2) Whisk dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder) in a bowl and set aside.
3) Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
4) Add sugar a bit at a time, whisking thoroughly.
5) Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
6) Add vanilla essence.
7) Add half of the dry mixture, and fold in gently, then add the other half.
8) Pour into pan, and bake for about 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out almost clean.
9) Take out of the oven and allow to cool in the pan.

Cake:
1) Keep oven at 160 C. Grease and line a 9 inch cake pan.
2) Put chocolate, cocoa and hot water in a double boiler, stir until all melted. Add sugar and whisk thoroughly, then set aside to cool.

3) Whisk dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) in a bowl and set aside.
4) Beat eggs thoroughly, then add sugar and beat thoroughly again, until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
5) Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg mixture and mix thoroughly.
6) Add butter bit by bit and mix thoroughly.
7) Add the flour and buttermilk alternately, starting and ending with the flour (3 additions of flour, and 2 of buttermilk).
8) Pour into pan, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in pan until settled (about 15 minutes), then carefully turn out onto a wire rack.

Chocolate Mousse:
1) Put a bowl and beaters in the fridge or the freezer.
2) Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, and set aside.
3) Take bowl and beaters out of the fridge, and beat cream to stiff peak stage.
4) Add about a cup of the cream to the chocolate mixture and whisk in thoroughly.
5) Add the chocolate mixture to the rest of the cream, and fold in gently.
6) Place in the fridge until needed.

Chocolate Ganache:
1) Place chocolate in a stainless steel bowl.
2) Bring cream and butter to the boil in a small saucepan, and pour over the chocolate.
3) Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.
4) Take 1 cup out and put in the fridge, and let the rest cool to room temperature.

Getting it all together:
1) Spread chocolate mousse on the brownie bottom.
2) Place chocolate cake on top of the mousse. Place whole stack in the fridge for an hour.
3) Remove springform tin, lining and bottom.
4) Spread room temperature ganache all arounf the cake.
5) Use the cooled ganache to pipe swirls onto the cake, and decorate the bottom.

The picnic was just wonderful.. I love it when other people cook and feed me delicious things- makes me feel all warm inside :-).

A Reminder of my Grandma

Cooked Buckwheat

In Ukraine, we would probably eat buckwheat at least once a week. It was a standard side for Beef Stroganoff and Schnitzels and even often served as a sort of porridge for grumpy children like myself.

This porridge is soft and has a flavour that some might describe as slightly nutty. With butter it's just so comforting and delicious. From what I understand it's lighter than starch sides, so it's just a little bit better for that Friday night when I just want some comfort.

When I eat food that reminds me of my childhood, I feel so so close to my gran. I can almost see what her tiny hands would look like dishing up my meal. She would always sit and watch me eat, like it was her favourite show ever.

Cooked Buckwheat
My wonderful mom

1 cup buckwheat
2 cups water  

1) First, wash the buckwheat with tap water.
2) Tip it out onto a pan, put on a medium heat, and dry it out and brown it a little bit.
3) Now put the water in a pot and bring it to the boil, add the buckwheat and put on a low heat.
4) Cover and let boil for 20 minutes. Don't lift the lid!
5) Add butter, serve immediately.

For grumpy children, add some milk instead of butter. I think I also convinced my parents to add some sugar?