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First Communion Cookies

Continuing on with the sacrament cookie motif ;)... (Remember the confirmation cookies earlier this week?  These are for the same sweet family.)

I was really looking forward to making these cookies again.  The last time I made them was for kiddo's First Communion....FOUR years ago.
{That picture on the left is one of my favorites ever.  Rockin' the powder blue suit, yo. Maybe we can find a blue tux for prom in a few years.}

OK...thanks for letting me reminisce.
These cookies start out with the perfect cutter I love this cutter...it's pricey because it's copper, but so worth it.


For the cookies, you'll need:
  • chalice and host cookies
  • royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Gold, Bright White, Regal Purple and Leaf Green
  • disposable icing bags
  • squeeze bottles
  • decorating tips (#1 & #2) and couplers
  • gold luster dust
  • vodka (yep.)
  • small paintbrush
With a #2 tip, outline the chalice.

With another #2 tip, outline the host.

Thin the white & gold icings (reserve a bit for later) with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.

Fill in the chalice with the thinned gold icing.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners.

Fill in the host with the thinned  white icing.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners.

Let dry at least one hour.

Add the detail with the reserved white and gold piping icing.

Let dry overnight, or at least 6 hours.

Get out your luster dust supplies:  Luster dust, small ramekin, small paintbrush and vodka (a good excuse to always have vodka in the house).
This is "Golden Charm" luster dust.  I LOVE it and bought it at a little shop in Houston.  Can't seem to find it online, but any gold luster dust will do.

Mix up your luster dust with a few drops of the vodka and brush it on. (The alcohol will evaporate, leaving just the gold sheen.)  Add a few drops of vodka to the ramekin as you're working if it starts to get clumpy on you.  A little goes a long way, so don't worry about using all of the container in one shot.  (Here's a video about applying luster dust...)

Then, with #1 tips, add the grapes and leaf/stem detail.



All ready for First Communion!
Continuing on with the sacrament cookie motif ;)... (Remember the confirmation cookies earlier this week?  These are for the same sweet family.)

I was really looking forward to making these cookies again.  The last time I made them was for kiddo's First Communion....FOUR years ago.
{That picture on the left is one of my favorites ever.  Rockin' the powder blue suit, yo. Maybe we can find a blue tux for prom in a few years.}

OK...thanks for letting me reminisce.
These cookies start out with the perfect cutter I love this cutter...it's pricey because it's copper, but so worth it.


For the cookies, you'll need:
  • chalice and host cookies
  • royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Gold, Bright White, Regal Purple and Leaf Green
  • disposable icing bags
  • squeeze bottles
  • decorating tips (#1 & #2) and couplers
  • gold luster dust
  • vodka (yep.)
  • small paintbrush
With a #2 tip, outline the chalice.

With another #2 tip, outline the host.

Thin the white & gold icings (reserve a bit for later) with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.

Fill in the chalice with the thinned gold icing.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners.

Fill in the host with the thinned  white icing.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners.

Let dry at least one hour.

Add the detail with the reserved white and gold piping icing.

Let dry overnight, or at least 6 hours.

Get out your luster dust supplies:  Luster dust, small ramekin, small paintbrush and vodka (a good excuse to always have vodka in the house).
This is "Golden Charm" luster dust.  I LOVE it and bought it at a little shop in Houston.  Can't seem to find it online, but any gold luster dust will do.

Mix up your luster dust with a few drops of the vodka and brush it on. (The alcohol will evaporate, leaving just the gold sheen.)  Add a few drops of vodka to the ramekin as you're working if it starts to get clumpy on you.  A little goes a long way, so don't worry about using all of the container in one shot.  (Here's a video about applying luster dust...)

Then, with #1 tips, add the grapes and leaf/stem detail.



All ready for First Communion!
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Tonight it's party time...

Remember how I posted about my upcoming Mad-Men Themed birthday party?  Well, today is the big day!!!

The drinks station is set up...



The menus are printed...
Cocktail menu

Food menu

My hair is up...


The shrimps have been cocktailed...


The pie has been grasshoppered...

The eggs have been devilled...


And the fridge is stocked!

Includes a hangover-salving strata for tomorrow!

It's party time tonight!
Remember how I posted about my upcoming Mad-Men Themed birthday party?  Well, today is the big day!!!

The drinks station is set up...



The menus are printed...
Cocktail menu

Food menu

My hair is up...


The shrimps have been cocktailed...


The pie has been grasshoppered...

The eggs have been devilled...


And the fridge is stocked!

Includes a hangover-salving strata for tomorrow!

It's party time tonight!
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Good, The Bad and The WTF...

It's been one of those weeks.  I can't form coherent sentences...so I'm hauling out the bullet points.  You've been warned.  :-)

The Good
  • Wills and Kate.  So sweet!  Did anyone see him whisper "you look beautiful" when she walked down the aisle and finally reached him?  Where any of you up!?!?
  • I'm having another giveaway.  Hurry on over and enter HERE!
  • In Plain Sight comes back this weekend.  HURRAY! Is anyone else going to watch?
  • This little face.  How can this not make life better? :-)



The Bad
  • Weather has been devastating for the South this week.  I'm so thankful that all my family and friends are safe.
  • I misplaced my rings after surgery in February.  Two months later...I still can't find them.  I'm so upset.
  • Work has been utter chaos.  I'm not particularly a fan of leaving my house at 6:45 each morning and then not arriving back home until 8 o'clock, 8:30, 9 o'clock each night.
  • Only two of you noticed my absence this week. Really?  *sniffle* (To the two of you who did each email asking where in the world I was - I LOVE YOU!)

The WTF



Seriously, Princess Beatrice?!?!


It's been one of those weeks.  I can't form coherent sentences...so I'm hauling out the bullet points.  You've been warned.  :-)

The Good
  • Wills and Kate.  So sweet!  Did anyone see him whisper "you look beautiful" when she walked down the aisle and finally reached him?  Where any of you up!?!?
  • I'm having another giveaway.  Hurry on over and enter HERE!
  • In Plain Sight comes back this weekend.  HURRAY! Is anyone else going to watch?
  • This little face.  How can this not make life better? :-)



The Bad
  • Weather has been devastating for the South this week.  I'm so thankful that all my family and friends are safe.
  • I misplaced my rings after surgery in February.  Two months later...I still can't find them.  I'm so upset.
  • Work has been utter chaos.  I'm not particularly a fan of leaving my house at 6:45 each morning and then not arriving back home until 8 o'clock, 8:30, 9 o'clock each night.
  • Only two of you noticed my absence this week. Really?  *sniffle* (To the two of you who did each email asking where in the world I was - I LOVE YOU!)

The WTF



Seriously, Princess Beatrice?!?!


reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Confirmation Cookies . . .


There is something so sweet about a dove cookie.  Maybe it's the occasions they represent?  I've made them before for a baptism.  A friend's son is getting confirmed this week and these are for his confirmation class.


I really love the way the personalized ones came out. I think everyone likes to see their name on a cookie, don't you?


Wanna make 'em for a special occasion of your own?

Here's what you need:
 
Using a  #2 tip, outline the cookie in white royal icing. 

Thin the white icing (reserve a bit for later) with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Fill in the outlined cookie with the flood icing.  Use a toothpick to spread into sides and corners.

Let sit 1 hour.

 
With the reserved white icing and #1 tip, add detail on wings, tail and add an eye.   Personalize, if you want.


Using another #2 tip, pipe the branch in leaf green.


With a #1 or 2 tip, pipe yellow flowers on the branches.

Let dry overnight before packaging.


Happy Confirmation, Matthew. :)

There is something so sweet about a dove cookie.  Maybe it's the occasions they represent?  I've made them before for a baptism.  A friend's son is getting confirmed this week and these are for his confirmation class.


I really love the way the personalized ones came out. I think everyone likes to see their name on a cookie, don't you?


Wanna make 'em for a special occasion of your own?

Here's what you need:
 
Using a  #2 tip, outline the cookie in white royal icing. 

Thin the white icing (reserve a bit for later) with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Fill in the outlined cookie with the flood icing.  Use a toothpick to spread into sides and corners.

Let sit 1 hour.

 
With the reserved white icing and #1 tip, add detail on wings, tail and add an eye.   Personalize, if you want.


Using another #2 tip, pipe the branch in leaf green.


With a #1 or 2 tip, pipe yellow flowers on the branches.

Let dry overnight before packaging.


Happy Confirmation, Matthew. :)
reade more... Résuméabuiyad

A Relaxing Homemade Indian Meal


It's been a while since I blogged a home-cooked meal, hasn't it?  In fact, I think the last meal I blogged was my entry for the Barossa's Table competition, almost three months ago!  Since we came home I've been so busy with work, social engagements and other projects that we've been dining out most nights and have barely cooked at all.  (Nothing noteworthy anyway).  And on the nights we have been at home, we've been so knackered that we've been getting takeaway and/or home delivery in. Eep!

But finally, the Easter weekend came - five whole days of relaxing, five days to sleep in, five days to catch up on my blog, five days to get back into the kitchen! 

I spent most of Friday happily pottering about the kitchen, putting together this yummy Indian meal.  I do enjoy Indian curries, but don't often cook them as they can be quite time consuming.

A Relaxing Homemade Indian Meal
Mughlai Chicken
Navratan Korma
Pilaf
Homestyle Garlic Naan

The chicken recipe comes from Nigella's Feast (recipe here!), I found the korma recipe on the internet, the pilaf was just basmati rice with onions and a few spices, and I adapted Jamie Oliver's recipe for Favourite Anytime Flatbreads to make the Naan.  (I've posted the recipe at the bottom of this post!).

I also got to break in my new Magimix Compact 3200, which was super-exciting!  I got it as a belated housewarming gift from my family friends Uncle Mike and Aunty Helen.  I love it! It's got 3 bowls of different sizes, and a whole range of super-sharp attachments.  I  used it to mince up the spice pastes for both curries, to chop up onions, to grate up paneer, and to knead the dough for the naan.

This is the spice-paste for Nigella's Mughlai chicken - loads of spices, garlic, ginger, water and almond meal.

As I mentioned, I simply googled the recipe for the navratan korma (one of my favourites for when I go to Indian restaurants), and was really happy with how it turned out.  The first step was to fry cashews in ghee, and it was so incredibly fragrant!  Love.  I was also happy to make something with a big vegetable contingent - something that's easy to miss when you're eating out a lot.

Here's the spice paste for the navratan korma -  I love the deep ochre tones of the paste.

It was only at the last minute that I decided to make naan to accompany the meal.  I love, love, love naan, but it's never worth ordering it take-away, as it always gets soggy by the time you bring it home.  This recipe is at the bottom of the post.  It's not exactly the same as a proper naan, cooked in a tandoor by an expert who makes naan day-in, day-out, but it's so tasty and easy - I'd highly recommend it!

You just mix everything in a food processor (check out the Magimix plastic dough attachment)...


... form a dough...

... roll it into portions, and fry on a griddle!  Look how much it puffs up.  It really smells like proper naan too.

Ta-dah!  I was so impressed with how they turned out.  I totally want to try making other naans now: kashmiri naan, cheese naan, plain naan... yum!


And here are the finished products...
Mughlai Chicken

Pilaf

Navratan Korma


Homestyle Garlic Naan
(adapted from Jamie Oliver's "Favourite Anytime Flatbreads")
Makes 6

Dough:
250g plain flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
250g Greek-style yoghurt

Topping:
75g melted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

For the topping, simply stir all the ingredients together.
For the dough, place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and mix to form a dough.  Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead lightly until smooth.   Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.  Heat a griddle pan to medium-high heat.  Divide the dough into 6 even(ish) pieces, and roll out thinly.  Brush a piece of dough lightly with vegetable oil, and cook for 1-2 minutes on the first side, until puffed up and stripily charred.  Flip over, brush with some of the garlic-butter mixture and cook for a further minute, until cooked through.
Repeat with the remaining dough pieces, and eat immediately.

Enjoy!  Did everyone else enjoy their long weekend? What did y'all get up to?

It's been a while since I blogged a home-cooked meal, hasn't it?  In fact, I think the last meal I blogged was my entry for the Barossa's Table competition, almost three months ago!  Since we came home I've been so busy with work, social engagements and other projects that we've been dining out most nights and have barely cooked at all.  (Nothing noteworthy anyway).  And on the nights we have been at home, we've been so knackered that we've been getting takeaway and/or home delivery in. Eep!

But finally, the Easter weekend came - five whole days of relaxing, five days to sleep in, five days to catch up on my blog, five days to get back into the kitchen! 

I spent most of Friday happily pottering about the kitchen, putting together this yummy Indian meal.  I do enjoy Indian curries, but don't often cook them as they can be quite time consuming.

A Relaxing Homemade Indian Meal
Mughlai Chicken
Navratan Korma
Pilaf
Homestyle Garlic Naan

The chicken recipe comes from Nigella's Feast (recipe here!), I found the korma recipe on the internet, the pilaf was just basmati rice with onions and a few spices, and I adapted Jamie Oliver's recipe for Favourite Anytime Flatbreads to make the Naan.  (I've posted the recipe at the bottom of this post!).

I also got to break in my new Magimix Compact 3200, which was super-exciting!  I got it as a belated housewarming gift from my family friends Uncle Mike and Aunty Helen.  I love it! It's got 3 bowls of different sizes, and a whole range of super-sharp attachments.  I  used it to mince up the spice pastes for both curries, to chop up onions, to grate up paneer, and to knead the dough for the naan.

This is the spice-paste for Nigella's Mughlai chicken - loads of spices, garlic, ginger, water and almond meal.

As I mentioned, I simply googled the recipe for the navratan korma (one of my favourites for when I go to Indian restaurants), and was really happy with how it turned out.  The first step was to fry cashews in ghee, and it was so incredibly fragrant!  Love.  I was also happy to make something with a big vegetable contingent - something that's easy to miss when you're eating out a lot.

Here's the spice paste for the navratan korma -  I love the deep ochre tones of the paste.

It was only at the last minute that I decided to make naan to accompany the meal.  I love, love, love naan, but it's never worth ordering it take-away, as it always gets soggy by the time you bring it home.  This recipe is at the bottom of the post.  It's not exactly the same as a proper naan, cooked in a tandoor by an expert who makes naan day-in, day-out, but it's so tasty and easy - I'd highly recommend it!

You just mix everything in a food processor (check out the Magimix plastic dough attachment)...


... form a dough...

... roll it into portions, and fry on a griddle!  Look how much it puffs up.  It really smells like proper naan too.

Ta-dah!  I was so impressed with how they turned out.  I totally want to try making other naans now: kashmiri naan, cheese naan, plain naan... yum!


And here are the finished products...
Mughlai Chicken

Pilaf

Navratan Korma


Homestyle Garlic Naan
(adapted from Jamie Oliver's "Favourite Anytime Flatbreads")
Makes 6

Dough:
250g plain flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
250g Greek-style yoghurt

Topping:
75g melted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

For the topping, simply stir all the ingredients together.
For the dough, place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and mix to form a dough.  Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead lightly until smooth.   Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.  Heat a griddle pan to medium-high heat.  Divide the dough into 6 even(ish) pieces, and roll out thinly.  Brush a piece of dough lightly with vegetable oil, and cook for 1-2 minutes on the first side, until puffed up and stripily charred.  Flip over, brush with some of the garlic-butter mixture and cook for a further minute, until cooked through.
Repeat with the remaining dough pieces, and eat immediately.

Enjoy!  Did everyone else enjoy their long weekend? What did y'all get up to?
reade more... Résuméabuiyad