Going full British

It is not that often we have a brunch / big breakfast.
The only time we have them, is once in a while on a saturday. As on weekdays typical breakfast for us is slice of home made bread, butter/jam/nutella/chocolate.cheese etc..............and to the horror of my hubby, daughter and I go always for Nutella or chocolate :-)

And on sunday there is a tradition here in Belgium , most of them go to the bakers in the morning and buy pistolets, Croissant, Croissant filled with chocolate, raisin etc.....and here it is hubby who goes in the morning to buy them, our baker is really close by, just around the corner.....

only time I go is when it is hubbs birthday and fathers day and when it is Spring/summer, my excuse who wants to get up and go out so early in the cold weather :-)

So on sautuday as we all got up late I thought why not make the famoust full English breakfast. My daughter and hubyy just loves it,

When I Saw Meeta's theme for this months MM I knew exaclty what I was going to send her. A fully English Breakfast.

I don't think there is a recipe, just make scrambled aggs, fry bacon, sausages, mushroom and tomato, open up a tin beans and heat up , serve with toast and enjoy.

Mini blueberry budnt cake

The days are just flying by, before I can say it is weekend the weekend is gone.............well that really suits me days flying by than dragging on :-)

I had some bluberies left after the pannacotta I made and I thought why not make mini budn't cakes with them.
They are easy to make and so so moist and delicous. Ofcourse you can make these in a large budnt too, but i bought these mini ones in summer and have been wanting to try them.
There is this cookery/Baking utensil shop near to my home, near means it is really near, it is in the shopping street, which is less than 5 minutes by walking distance..........i go there so much that the people in that shop say hello to me even while passing the shop :-)

Few days ago i went to the shop and bought , mini muffin pan, and then while i was looking aorund I saw a pean to write names etc..........it is like a refill pen you can fill them with chocolate and decorate the cake, then there was this syringe, it is the same method when yo get a injection, but this you use for filling up your cake with alcohol etc................ ofcourse the pen is in my next to buy list :-)
Now i will stop blabbing and go to the recipe

Click the picture for a enlarged view

Ingredients .
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
LEMON ICING:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons 2% milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Additional blueberries, optional

In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in blueberries.
Pour into three 4-in. fluted tube pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For icing, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and lemon juice; drizzle over cakes. Garnish with additional berries if desired.

Soft buns with seeds

I have been out of blogging for the last week. Have my reasons, nothing to do with blog or bloggers. Just something personal.

For the next 6 months, it will be like this.
I won't be able to come to all your posts , read and comment. I will try to visit you all when ever i can.
Here I will try to post a recipe once a week. And I am sure six months will just fly and then I can return to my normal space of blog hopping which I love.

Zorra at the great “Kochtopf” is organizing the 4th World Bread Day,the theme is the original recipe is from the Italian blog Peccatid gi gola di.... here

Ingridients.

150 ml of milk
100 of water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
30 g of butter
1 / 2 cube of yeast ( iused 2 tsp dry yeast)
1 teaspoon of sugar
500 grams of flour
200 g of boiled potatoes
1 egg
nutmeg
2tsp salt
Extra milk for brushing
sunflower seeds or varitety of seeds.

In a large bowl of the water and milk , and then mix in the remainder of the ingredients except the sunflower seeds.
Stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and knead until it becomes smooth and supple, around 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and allow the dough to rise till approximately doubled, about 1 hour.

Divide into 12 equal portions.
Shape each small portion into a ball and cover lightly with plastic wrap.
Let the buns rise until puffy, around 30 minutes.

Brush the top with milk and spread the seed on top.

Bake the buns in a preheated 350°F oven for about 20 minutes, until they’re light golden brown. Remove the buns from the oven, and cool on a wire rack before enjoying them.
These are really soft buns, and I am sure gonna make this again and again.

Vanilla Pannacotta with bluberry compote

One of my favourite dessert is Pannacotta; I am just more than love with any taste. I see in a blog a pannacotta i bookmark them.

So when I saw this in Arfi's Place HomaMadeS for her it was summer then and for us here it was winter. I remember bookmarking them and telling her I am sure gonna try this when there is blueberry here. Actually they are almost over hee too, you see in thse shops now smaller packs than last month.

So if you want to enjoy this delcious pannacotta you can head over to her place here
The only thing i did was I added few bluberries into the glass so that there will be blue spots :-)

Sachertorte

Sachertorte is a Chocolat cakechocolate, invented by Franz Sacher in 1832 in Vienna, Austria.
It is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties.

The Original Sachertorte is only made in Vienna and Salzburg.

The cake consists of two layers of dense, not overly sweet chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam in the middle and dark chocolate icing on the top and sides.

It is traditionally served with whipped cream without any sugar in it, as most Viennese consider the Sachertorte too "dry" to be eaten on its own.

You should visit this original Sachertorte site, I am sure gonna try to make them again and again untillmine is looking as/almost good as the one i see in their place.

Some Two weeks back I read a riview in Deeba's blog about the book 'INDULGE - 100 Perfect Desserts' by Claire Clark, it was such a good read that i fell in love with the book and seconds after reading it I ordered the book :-)

And this sachertorte is the first cake I made from that book.

When Deeba got the book her her son 'Now you have 100 more desserts to try Mama'!! her daughter stopped & stared at every page, falling at her feet begging me to bake stuff out of it.

Deepa I am borrowing your kids to my place.

Ingridients:
125 gm/4 1/2 oz unsalted butter at room temperature
125 gm / 4 1/2 oz caster sugar
6 Medium eggs seperated
125 gm/ 4 1/2 oz dark chocolate ( 70% cocoa solids) melted
125 gm / 4 1/2 oz plain flour
a pinch of salt
200 gm apricot preserve ( I used double as hubby likes a lot of preserve in between this particular cake than a very thin layer)

For the glaze

115 gm / 2 oz caster sugar
6 tbsp of water (Next time I might use 4 tbsp of water)
115 gm / 4 oz dark chocolate ( 70% Cacoa solids) finley chopped/

Preheat the oven to 180°c/ 350°F / Gas mark 4. Butter a deep 20 cm/8 inch cake tin and line the base with baking pardchment. Butter the paper , then dust the paper and the sides of the tin with flour.

Cream the butter and three guaters of the sugar together untill light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then stir in the melted chocolate. Sift the flour and gentley fold it in, using a large metal spoon.

In a seperate bowl whisk the eggwhites with the remaining sugar and the salt untill they form a stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter 2 tbsp at a time. Be carfeull not to over mix, as this will make the cake heavy.

Trabsfer the cake mix into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour., intill a skewer is inserted in the center comes out clean.
Leave the cake in the tin for 15 minutes before turning it upside down on to a wire rack to cool completley.
Leave the cake overnight if is is possible so that the cake is easier to handle.
I didn't do it, i made the cake in the morning and kept made the ganache in the evening and spread it over the cake and then left the cake the whole night to harden it up.

Cut then cake in half horizontally and place the bottom on a half . Bring the apricot preserve to the boil in a small pan and strain it through a fine sieve. Brush a layer of preserve over the bottom half of the cake. Sandwitch the top and bottom half together and preserve down gentley to level the top.
Place the cake on a wire rack and brush the sides and the top with the remaining strained preserve.

To make the glaze.
Put the sugar and the water in a pan and stir well to dissolve the sugar, then bring to boil iver a medium heat. Remove from the heat and immediately add the chocolate. Stri gentley to form a smooth, bubble free glaze.
Fast or heavy mixing will create too many air bubbles and give an unpleseant finish to your torte.
Immediatelt pour the glaze from the cake abnd working quickly, use a paletter knife to push the glaze from the center of the cake over the sides.
To give a smooth finishe try to do this with as few movements of the palette knife as possible.
Leave the glaze to set ( i did overnight) before cutting and serving the cake.
To give a smooth finish
Sending this to Meeta's MM which is hosted at Aparna's , the theme is High Tea this month

Scampi with Linguini

I had plans to post a wonderful yummy cake today, but I have not even starterd writting the post, so I thought why not do this delicous pasta dish which I don't need too much writting.

This is one of thsoe recipe I saw while looking through yummy dishes on the net.
Looks really simple and easy to make but so so falvourful and delicious.
I was not wrong at all, I woudn't mind eating this yummy dish anyday.
The original recipe you can find here

Sending this to Presto Pasta Nights

1 pound linguini ( i used normal pasta)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large shallot, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, sliced
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional ( i used atleast a tsp, we love the heat)
20 large shrimp, about 1 pound, peeled and deveined, tail on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions
For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of water.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta and reserved pasta water. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.