Happy 2017 everyone!  I think we can all agree that the year we have just ushered out was rather bruising, whether you’re talking politically, artistically, or for many of us, personally.  So, what we really need to ring in the New Year is not cucumber sticks, …
Pork and porridge. Â It’s not too often you get these two together, but they are both delicious with a little applesauce, no? Admittedly, my first thought on arriving at Apple Sauce in the Edmonds Cookbook (apart from no, not more apples) was ho-hum. Â Apple sauce …
If you fancy a sugar hangover, look no further. Â This fudge is mouth-suckingly sweet and all the better for it. Â A firm Kiwi favourite, it is dense and rich, comprised largely of sugar, sweetened condensed milk and golden syrup.
I can’t get to the bottom of its name.  In my travels through the internet, I was delighted to find Nigella acknowledges we call Russian Fudge in our little country, although she calls her version Vanilla Fudge.
This lovely Polish-authored food blog includes a recipe for Polish krówki, which translates as ‘little cows’ (how I love that!).  Krówki is a sweet fudge very similar to our Russian fudge, and apparently Russia have a version too.  New Zealand has a strong Polish connection, most famously through our post-World War II Polish refugee children.  Could this explain it?
I won’t keep you all waiting while I trawl through the history of New Zealand confectionary in hope of an answer. Â Here is my preferred recipe for Russian fudge. Â The best tip I can give you is beat the fudge for as long as it takes in the final stage – it really is important for making it set.
Ingredients:
Method:
Place everything except for the vanilla essence into a pot and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Â Once it is boiling, keep stirring and let it boil for about 20 minutes, until a blob of fudge dropped in cold water can be formed into a squishy little ball.
Take off the heat, add the vanilla essence, and beat the fudge until it starts to thicken (I’m always into doing things by hand but I can really recommend an electric beater for this bit if you have one!)
Spread into a baking tin and leave to set for at least two hours.
I’m finding myself with a lot of tinned goods recently, not unlike many people in our little shaky isles in the wake of our 7.8 earthquake. Â It pays to be prepared. I’ve heard the comment more than once that tinned pears are the least exciting …
Toddlers and sugar, a match made in heaven? Â Probably not for their parents, but when it’s your niece’s third birthday party and you said you’d make biscuits, it’s hardly time to skimp on the sugar. I was inspired to make these little numbers by one …
Catching up is an excellent excuse for eating.
I’ve been away having numerous catch-ups and visiting some favourite old haunts. London is a favourite old haunt and feels a little like a second home, in no small part because of the many fabulous people living there who I am lucky enough to call my friends.
Some of my happiest London memories involve long afternoons with our friends Patricia and Omer, eating delicious home-cooked Mediterranean food and perfecting cidra-pouring as afternoon slipped into evening.  So of course I jumped at the chance for a catch-up over a home-cooked meal at theirs.
Patricia, Omer and their gorgeous children live in Bromley, South London. Â I have a special little spot in my heart for this part of London as my grandparents lived there with my Mum when she was small. There is a treasured 1950’s clock from Locksbottom which still hangs on their wall, albeit in their rest home unit. Â So you will understand I couldn’t resist taking this photo of a Locksbottom bus as we walked back to Bromley station.
This post is inspired by the delicious couscous salad Patricia and Omer served with lamb and slices of avocado.  I’ve based it on a Turkish kisir but I can’t promise it’s as good as Omer’s.  It’s a pretty good lunch though, and a recommend serving it with sliced avocado.
Ingredients:
Place your couscous in a large salad bowl.  Pour over the olive oil and mix thoroughly; some kisir recipes even recommend mixing with your hands. Next, add the red pepper paste, again mixing in very thoroughly.
I made my own paste by whizzing up a jar of roasted peppers.  For the more dedicated, there are some amazing-sounding recipes for making red pepper paste, or biber salçası, from scratch.  I loved reading this one with its beautiful, mouth-watering photography.
The vegetables, lemon juice, herbs and seasonings go in last. Â Keep mixing until everything is evenly spread and combined. Â I recommend popping this in the fridge for an hour or two before serving to let the flavours mingle.
I was greatly assisted in making my own kisir by this and this recipe.
Steamed pudding is like a sweet, jammy hug in a bowl.  I love it.  It’s a special favourite in our little country.  I was recently introduced to a New Zealand specialty steamed pudding which is the queen of both steamed puddings and now of my heart…burnt …
Oh, my mouth waters at the merest mention of potstickers! Â Delicious, plump little morsels, steaming hot and so satisfying. Â Their real name is Jiaozi, particularly popular during Chinese New Year. Â In my house, we don’t wait for New Year. Â They are popular year-round. I’ve been …
I was the happy competitor in a baking competition recently.  I say ‘happy’ because how could you ever not be happy when you have a genuine excuse to make sweet delicious treats several times over?  And the competition was for a great cause too…Good Bitches Baking  and their inaugural Mystery Box Challenge.
I was delighted to find coffee and dark chocolate in the mystery box. I would be delighted to happen upon this combination anywhere, granted, but having the opportunity to make two of my favourite things into something even better?  Yippee is all I can say.
When in need of something sweet and decadent, shortbread is never too far from my thoughts.  I’m a self-confessed butter-lover (yes, I did eat it in slabs straight from the block as a child). Shortbread  may as well be a slab of butter that has been baked in an oven.
You might think shortbread couldn’t be any better and perhaps, even, should not be messed with.  I’m sympathetic to this. There are few pleasures in life as scrumptious as a some buttery sweet shortbread and a hot drink, or during Christmas, a nip of single malt.
But do give this a go if you enjoy dark chocolate and coffee as much as I do…shortbread provides the perfect backdrop, and this can be whipped up without much bother. Â The ground coffee beans add a lovely coffee punch, but leave out or reduce if you want a hint of coffee rather than a cup.
For 10-15 pieces, you will need:
Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees celsius.
Beat the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and cornflour together into the bowl with the butter and icing sugar mix.  Stir lightly until just combined.
Add the coffee, chocolate and coffee grounds. Use a spoon to combine into the other ingredients until the mixture starts to form a dough.
Turn out onto a floured baking tray and knead lightly.  Spread out into a circle or rectangle (up to you!) – it should be a lovely tan colour, like below.  Cut into bars and prick with a fork.
Bake until slightly golden – about twenty minutes.
Savoury cheesy beery sauce on toast, that is my delicious experience with Welsh Rarebit to date. And my, this lovely little cheese-on-toast treat is scrumptious.