Friday's Fancies: Things that make me smile

Happy friday, I hope your first full week of the year has been off to a great start. The girls and I are settling nicely back home in Tennessee. While I don't have as many beautiful scenic snaps like what I had in Australia, here's a look at a few things that are making me smile this friday.

New take on old nursery rhymes. This book exposes toddlers and the like to the wonders of Louboutins, Nobu, Bolly, Krug and Premier Cru. Pretty sure this book is going to come back and bite me in the butt. My favourite rhyme from the book- 'Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been? I've been to London to visit McQueen. Pussycat, pussycat, what did you there? I bought the collection and kissed lots of air.' 

A whimsical neon bow bracelet I chanced upon at a boutique store by the sea. It's finding little gems like this in unexpected places that brighten my day.  

While Pockys (those Japanese choc dipped cookies on a stick) and I go way back, I've only recently discovered how even more delicious they become when dipped in milk. The only downside is wrestling over them with the kids.

Subdued with a tinge of colour, this winter I'm all about nails that look polished and refined. I recently picked up these Essie colours for my sister. The dark wine is a nice departure from your usual bold red lacquers. 

Imagine my delight when I came across these ready made box mix macarons at the supermarket!  For anyone who has ever attempted to bake these tiny delights from scratch, you'll know how difficult and frustrating they can be. The evil genius of Adriano Zumbo has taken all the guess work out of macaron making so you can spend less time worrying baking and more time eating. See what I mean about evil?

Almond Crescent Cookies with Italian Hot Chocolate

'It's the most wonderful time of the year...'. Okay maybe not yet, but hey November is almost over which means we are officially in holiday season right? Gauging from that last sentence you can probably tell my level of excitement about the upcoming holidays. Christmas really is the best time of the year. What's not to love about a season that's associated with family, festivities, singing and general jolliness?

Today I thought I'd share one of my favourite holiday recipes with you. Note, the term 'holiday' is applied very loosely here given that I consume these cookies all throughout the year and rarely ever on the holidays. Vanillekipferi (or crescent/horseshoe as they are more widely known) is a traditional Austrian sugar cookie made with nut flour. These cookies have such an impressive history that they are even accredited to being the fore-bearer of the popular French croissant. The cookie was first introduced to Paris in 1839 when an Austrian Army officer founded a Viennese Bakery. It is said, the french chefs were so inspired by his Austrian fare that they re-created the cookie in a flakier form, creating the croissant.

Now, no cookie is complete without a piping hot beverage alongside. And what better to pair these almond crescents with than a decadent mug of Italian hot chocolate. Picture your regular hot chocolate but in a rich, thick, silky texture. It's such a luxurious drink, I'm not sure if I'd even still classify it as a beverage. Actually, Italian hot chocolate and I go way back. I always associate it with cold winters spent in University cafes agonising over design dilemmas (ah the glamourous life of a starving student). It's amazing how food conjures up some of our fondest memories. What will you be eating these holidays?

 

 

Traditional Almond Crescents

250g unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 cups almond meal
2 cups plain flour sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
icing sugar to dust cookies

1. Preheat oven to 180C degrees, line tray with baking paper.
2. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla till you get a smooth consistency.
3. Add the dry ingredients and fold till combined. This step can be done by hand with a spatula.
4. Let dough sit in a cool unrefrigerated place for 30 minutes. Cover with tea towel.
5. Shape cookies by rolling mixture into 1 inch balls, then slightly flatten. Holding dough between your index and thumb lightly squeeze until it takes on a crescent shape. Place on baking sheet and smooth over with fingers for an even finish.
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
7. Once cooled, sift icing sugar over each cookie. Coat liberally.


Italian Hot Chocolate

120g bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp corn flour
dollop of cream

1. In a saucepan over low heat, add chocolate and a tiny bit of milk. Stir with wooden spoon till melted.
2. Dissolve corn flour in milk, then slowly add to chocolate and mix to combine.
3. Continue simmering over low heat until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon.
4. Add sugar to taste. Serve with a dollop of thick cream.

Passionfruit Yoyos

Ahhh yoyos, you never cease to fail me. These are my go-to treats for when I need a little sugar hit. They are small enough so you don't feel guilty, and big enough to leave you feeling satisfied. Did I mention how delicious they were? The only thing better than having a yoyo with a nice cuppa, is having a passionfruit flavoured one. 

This recipe creates the perfect crumbly, melts-in-your-mouth biscuit texture while the addition of passionfruit gives the otherwise ordinary yoyo an unexpected twist.

xx Jenee C. 

Passionfruit yoyos perfect for morning tea. 

Ingredients

Make sure you sifting the sugar and flour to create an airy melt-in-mouth texture.

Biscuit dough ready to be rolled into balls

Roll dough into teaspoon size ball.

Flatten with a fork dipped in flour to 1cm thickness

Finished yoyos with passionfruit icing. Serve with icing sugar sprinkled over.

Enjoy! 

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sifted icing sugar

2 cup sifted plain flour

1/3 cup sifted corn starch

Passionfruit filling

6og butter, softened

1tbsp passionfruit pulp

1 cup sifted icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celcius and line cookie trays with parchment paper.

2. With a mixer on medium-high, cream butter, vanilla and sugar till light and fluffy.

3. Sift flour into mixture, beat on low speed till dough is formed. 

4. Roll a teaspoon of mixture into small ball. Place on tray. Using a clean fork dipped in flour, flatten each ball to 1cm thickness. 

5. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm. Cool completely before use. 

6. Prepare passionfruit icing: with a mixer, cream butter, sugar and passionfruit pulp till mixture is light and fluffy.

7. Spread one side of one biscuit with 1 teaspoon of filling. Top with another biscuit and repeat. Dust with icing sugar to serve. 

Recipe adapted from taste.com.au