The Lovely Drawer: Gingerbread Blondies

I love brownies like every other person,

but a blondie has certain mystical appeal to me.

I'm not sure why, 

but if I have the choice-

I almost always will defect from the chocolatey hero

and cling starry-eyed to it's paler counterpart.

You can imagine my wonderment 

when Teri whipped up these 

gingerbread blondies

in her kitchen

for this month's recipe.

Gingerbread yumminess

combined with a blondie

drizzled with white chocolate?

My mind was as blown 

as the first time I encountered

Slutty Brownies...

which my sister hilariously refers to as

"the Tur-Duck-En of desserts."

It's just one of those creations

you encounter that has 

so much goodness 

wrapped up in one tiny thing.

It's like, as the Brits say,

all my Christmases have come at once.

Here's Teri to walk you through

this lovely creation.

(Don't forget to read it to yourself

in a sweet English accent... it makes it so much better.)

*    *    *

These yummies may look like brownies but they are in fact gingerbread blondies and each gooey bite is worth every calorie. These are really straightforward to whip up and make a nice change to a standard brownie. They work well as a dessert with some vanilla ice cream or as an afternoon treat with a cup of tea or coffee, yum!

225g dark brown soft sugar

150g butter

4 tbsp black treacle

2 tsp ground ginger

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

125g plain flour

125g wholemeal flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

100g gingernut biscuits

150g white chocolate

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 and line or grease a 20x 20 baking tin.

2. Mash the dark brown soft sugar, butter and treacle together in a bowl with a spoon until the mixture is totally combined. Mix in the ginger, eggs and vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the plain flour, wholemeal flour, baking flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the flour gradually, incorporating between each addition.

4. Break the gingernut biscuits and 100g of the white chocolate into small chunks and stir into the blondie mixture.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Leave to cool. 

6. Melt the remaining white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a simmering saucepan of water, stirring constantly.

7. Pour the chocolate into a bottle with a small nozzle or wrap a sheet of greaseproof paper into a cone shape and snip the end off to drizzle the white chocolate over the blondies. Leave the chocolate to set a little and then cut into squares.

*    *    *

Yum.

Teri is off to Brussels for a week,

and I'm hoping the sticky and sugar waffles 

provide some inspiration for her next recipe!

Check out her (amazing) blog,

The Lovely Drawer.

The Lovely Drawer: Pad Thai

When we moved to Oxford,

I fell in love with Thai food.

I'll be honest:

before we moved over,

I don't think I have ever had it.

Why? What? 

Why was I wasting so much of my life?

These are all valid questions.

And to be honest:

I can't give you a good reason. 

I guess it just hadn't made it to Tejas yet.

But oh me-oh-my... 

I fell hard for some Pad Kee Mao

(from Oxford's Old Tom Thai),

and now Thai takeout

(from Walmer Castle or The Churchill Arms)

is a weekly happening in our home.

The great news is-

there is an Asian supermarket

about 100 yards from our flat.

So now, I just need to put this recipe into use

and save the cash from our takeout bill

for something special.

Who knows...

it could be save up for a vacation to Thailand

when I can go to town on some authentic deliciousness.

Welcome back, Teri,

and thanks for bringing this amazing dish our way.

Yum.

*        *        *

Surely everyone likes Pad Thai? Well perhaps if you have a peanut allergy it's not top of your 'to make' list but it's a winner none the less. This recipe is a mixture of handy tips from my neighbour who recently cooked us this yummy dinner and a bit of good old experimentation. Now it's something I'll cook time and time again. 

You can equally enjoy this meal with chicken instead. I know some people get creeped out by seafood. (Personally, I could eat my body weight in the stuff!)

HOMEMADE ZINGY PAD THAI 

(serves four)

1. Make a marinade for the prawns using the chilli flakes, one garlic clove (minced) and half the coriander (read: cilantro). Marinade for at least an hour but ideally over night.

2. Thinly slice your onion and fry on a medium heat with some vegetable oil in a pan. Mince the other two garlic cloves into the plan and then add the bean sprouts.

3. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to the boil and add your noodles to cook. 

4. Mix the juice of 2 and half of the limes, sugar and fish sauce and chilli sauce in a bowl or jug. Mix well and add to the frying pan.

5. Turn down to a low heat and add your peanut butter, stirring to combine. Then add your prawns and marinade and cook.

6. Once your noodles are cooked, before draining, transfer a ladle's worth into the pad thai pan to give the sauce creaminess. You can add more depending on the consistency you like.

7. Add the noodles to the pad thai pan as well and combine on a low heat. 

8. Pour your peanuts into a blender and pulse until they become small pieces. When your prawns are pink, serve your pad thai with the peanuts sprinkled on top, the rest of your coriander (chopped) and a wedge of lime to squeeze on each.

9. Now you can devour it all! 

*      *     * 

Oh my yum.

Who's having me over for Pad Thai?

Please?

. . .

Get a bigger dose of Teri's creativity & aesthetic at The Lovely Drawer.

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

The Lovely Drawer: Spiced Pear Cheesecakes

So the holidays are over.

Womp. Womp.

Unless you are planning (re: neglecting) your Christmas tree

until it's a dry skeleton of what it once was

and hanging Valentines Day cards from it

like we run a high risk of doing...

January is a bit of dry spell of celebrating.

So... 

here's a little party you can throw for yourself:

these cheesecakes.

We went to dinner at Teri & Nick's the other week

and she made these for us as "pudding" (re: dessert).

With it's pretty figs setting on top for decoration,
I jokingly referred to is as a Figgy Pudding...

and I, of course, also flipped out

because it was delicious.

* * *

Any cheesecakes is usually a winner but I have to say I spend a lot more time making baked cheesecakes than set ones. In my head I'd somehow resolved that they were far superior. But then again the appeal of a dessert that doesn't actually even need cooking is quite tempting, especially when it involves mascarpone! 


I adapted this cheesecake recipe to form a spiced, winter version which would almost be warming...if it was so...chilled. I used a 3x1.75 inch mini cheesecake pan with removable bases. You could even smaller versions and make more or use 9 inch springform/ loose-bottomed tin for a standard cheesecake. My tin equated to 7 mini cheesecakes. Mini desserts are my fave! 




Cheesecake

1 C crumbled spiced biscuits, like Lotus (read: Speculoos) biscuits or similar.
1 oz walnuts 5 tablespoons unsalted butter2 pearsfigs for decoration2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmegtbsp firmly packed brown sugar14 oz full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature11 oz mascarpone, at room temperature3/4 C icing sugar, sifted1 tsp vanilla extract2 1/4 C water

1. Put the biscuits and walnuts in a bag and crush with a rolling pin until fine or blend in a food processor. Add 1 tsp of the cinnamon.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and then take off the heat stir in the biscuit and nut mix.

3. Press the mixture into each mini cheesecake tin. Compact well with your fingers or the bottom of a spoon and leave in the fridge while you prepare the rest. 

4. Peel and cut the pears into small chunks. Heat the water in a saucepan and add the sugar and the other tsp of cinnamon. Stir in and allow to dissolve. Add the pears and cook covered for about 15 mins. Allow to cool.

5. Combine the cream cheese and mascarpone in a mixing bowl and use handheld electric mixer to blend the cheeses together until light and fluffy.

6. Add the icing sugar a little at a time to incorporate and then add the vanilla to the mixture.

7. Make sure the pear mixture is cool and then squeeze the excess liquid out, gently through a sieve. Stir into the cheese mixture.

8. Spread this over your biscuit bases. Fill each mini tin and smooth over the top with a knife or spatula. 

9.Chill in the fridge for at least a few hours, ideally over night. The cheesecake firms up best when you remover them from their tins a few hours before serving and leave them in the fridge until you are ready to eat. Cut your figs into quarters and place on the top of each cheesecake.


Caramel sauce1 1/4 C powdered sugar
5 ounces double cream (or heavy whipping cream)
3.5 tablespoons butter

1. Transfer the sugar into a heavy based frying pan, stir in 4tbsp water and then place over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Turn up the heat and bubble for 4-5 mins until it forms caramel.
3. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the cream and butter. Leave the sauce to cool and then transfer into a squeezy bottle.
4. Drizzle over your cheesecakes.

* * *

So, there you have it.

2014 just got a lot more awesome.


Check out more of Teri's cool creations
on her prettier-than-mine blog, The Lovely Drawer.

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

The Lovely Drawer: Maple Carrot, Apple & Bacon Soup

In the spirit of holiday fun,

I ate at least half of a pie over the weekend.

Maybe more, if I think about it,

but I don't really want to.

It's not like I regret it,

but... okay, fine,

I kinda do.

Woof.

I'm trying to do some meal planning 

for the week ahead

and making it a bit.... lighter.

I'm envisioning making a slew of salads

and meals involving ingredients 

that would make my Southern mom say, "Ew."

(Hey, Quinoa & Flax!)

And also, this:

Maple Carrot, Apple & Bacon Soup.

Yum.

Doesn't that sound

perfectly cozy and perfect

for a December night in.

Plus, soups are typically pretty economical

which means a few more greenbacks can go 

towards the Christmas shopping.

On to Teri for the recipe...

best read in a British accent.

*    *    *

I don't deal too well with the cold. 

Winter is in many ways lovely 

but I pretty much cart a hot water bottle around with me 

and gravitate towards radiators where possible...

Oh yes and I will probably have soup on the brain! 

If you share this feeling then here's a winter warmer 

to melt away the chills in your boots. 

It was a little bit of an experiment but it worked out well. 

I really enjoyed the sweetness of the maple syrup and apple 

against the saltiness of the bacon. 

It's like a hug in a bowl and is very straightforward. 

That's the great thing about soup! 

You'll need:

1.2kg/2.5lb carrots

3 apples (Braeburn, if available)

2 small sweet potatoes

1 large onion

Handful of rosemary

90ml/3.5oz maple syrup

drizzle olive oil

250g/9oz smoked bacon

3 large garlic cloves

vegetable stock

1 tbsp mixed herbs

1 tbsp paprika

drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Makes 6-8 portions

How to:

1) Preheat the oven to 200 C

2) Peel and chop the carrots,apples and sweet potatoes. Cut and chop the onion.

3) Line a baking tray. Spread the veg out over the tray. Crush the two of the garlic on top, season and sprinkle a bit of the rosemary over the top. Drizzle the syrup and the olive oil over the top and rub it in with your fingers, mixing the garlic in too. 

4) Cook for about an hour or until everything is well roasted, stirring every now and again to cook evenly.

5) Then transfer to a large saucepan and then pour in vegetable stock, season and add the rest of the rosemary. Add the vegetable stock until all the veg is well covered and bring to the boil. Then put a lid on the saucepan simmer for about 20 mins. Add extra stock or water if you want a thinner consistency.

6) Meanwhile heat a drizzle of oil in a pan and fry the bacon, along with the remaining garlic clove (crushed). Drizzle balsamic over the bacon halfway through frying. Once cooked add to the soup, saving a little for garnish.

7) Then blend the whole lot with a hand blender until smooth. Once again if it looks too thick you can always add some water. 

8) Serve hot with a sprinkling of bacon, a sprig of rosemary and your favourite winter blanket.

*     *    *

You can get a full helping

of Teri's cuteness & unstoppable creativity

over on her blog, The Lovely Drawer.

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

The Lovely Drawer: Peach & Lavender Cobbler

Before moving to Oxford,
my job in Dallas was selling paper.

Really nice, fancy letterpress paper.

We had pretty books of invitations 

to lavish weddings & bar mitzvahs 

that stores could use to show their customers

what our work looked like

and what options they had to customize these 

to make them perfect for this event.

In the back of the book,

clients could sift through envelope liner options,

row after row of different typefaces,

and of course- ink colors!

We had all of our ink colors 

lined up and, there, where the soft purple sat,

was a small swatch labeled "lavendar."

"Lavendar," in case you aren't familiar,

is a mispelling of the gorgeous provencal flower, "lavender."

I still cringe thinking about that typo...

and the return address that was from "Greenwitch, Connecticut."

My spelling & grammar needs had to eventually deal with it

and wait for the book to be corrected at the next reprinting...

but fortunately,

I can eat one of these YUMMY peach & lavender cobblers immediately.

Welcome back, Teri of The Lovely Drawer
(and my in-real-life friend)
for her monthly recipe of British goodness. 

We are always glad to have you here at AK!

*    *   *

Hello again and here is something sweet and yummy to get your taste buds excited. 

I always use this cobbler topping recipe as it's definitely my favourite. 
Perhaps it's the buttermilk that makes it taste so delicious and cakey! 

You may notice in this recipe the topping serves 6. 
Call me greedy but I like a generous hat on my fruit and so I've used it for 4. 

I decided to try making a peach version but adding a twist to the flavour.

 Enter lavender.

 I wasn't entirely sure these two flavours would go together
 but it was definitely worth the risk.

 You can use tinned or fresh peaches.
 I'm of the opinion that peaches are one of the few foods
 that are totally acceptable from a tin so go for it!

Peach & Lavender Cobbler

Here's what you'll need:

For the topping...

140g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

25g butter

25g caster sugar

150ml buttermilk

1 tbsp demerara sugar

A sprinkling of cinnamon 

For the filling:

2 410g cans of tinned peaches (sieved) or 800g fresh (stoned and cut into slices if fresh)

25g caster sugar

1 tbsp of honey

1 tsp dried lavender (de-stemmed)

Serves 4. 

Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. 

1) Firstly simmer the peaches in a pan with 25g of the caster sugar, the honey and the lavender for about 5 mins, until all the ingredients combine. Set aside to cool.

2) Then sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl.

3) Then rub in the butter with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs and stir in the caster sugar.

4) Mix in the buttermilk to give a soft, sticky mixture.

5) Spoon the cooled peaches into the 4 ramekins, distributing evenly and then spoon on the cobbler. 

6) Sprinkle with demerara sugar and cinnamon and cook for 25 mins or until golden brown.

7) Serve warm with a scoop of  ice-cream and a sprinkle of icing sugar on each.

 *   *   *

So... who's having me over tonight
so that I can eat some of this gorgeous, yummy goodness?

Any takers? :)

*images original to Aspiring Kennedy

The Lovely Drawer: Broad Bean Bruschetta

Wait.

What is that noise?

Is that...

yup, I thought so.

It's the faint sound

of people around the world

reading this blog

clapping in delight

that Teri from The Lovely Drawer

is back with another recipe?

I'm joining in with you

and singing the praises 

of all of her gorgeous food creations.

(Remember that gorgeous Victoria Sponge? Oh mama.)

I'll let her introduce this tasty new dish

that she's whipped up for us.

Don't forget to read this in your mind

with a British accent (like Teri has)...

it's so much more fun that way.

*  *  *

These bruschetta's are a yummy snack or an easy way to add colour to your party food. Broad beans may not instantly fill you with mouth watering excitement, but stick with me. The combination of flavours is so fresh and zesty that you may well be singing this humble little bean's praises. 

How to:

1) First cook your broad beans. In the name of speed I fried mine in a pan with the garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and a teeny bit of water.

2) Once cooked allow them to cool. Meanwhile heat up the grill.

3) Rub the slices of bread with a little olive oil 

and then toast lightly under the grill.

4) Meanwhile blitz the broad beans, mint, Parmesan, lemon, rock salt and a few glugs of olive oil. Blend until it becomes a paste. I left mine a little chunky for texture.

5) Spoon the broad bean mixture on top of your toasted sour dough slices and then sprinkle over your feta. Garnish with a mint leaf and some black pepper. 

*  *  * 

See?

What did I tell you?

This girl is good.

And the good news for us

is that she's going to be sending us these

little nuggets of love

every month

from now on.

I don't typically do outside contributors,

but since she's a good friend

and she makes AMAZING food...

I just had to beg ask her to do this on the regular.

The Lovely Drawer: Chorizo & Butter Bean Stew

Sometimes it can be scary when people offer to cook for you.

You just don't know if what tastes good to someone else

will taste as good to you.

But with a newborn baby,

you kinda don't really care.

You just relish the idea that you won't have to think through what to make,

bother with running to the store 

or have to spend any time in the kitchen...

other than the few seconds it takes to slide something into the oven 

& pour yourself a drink.

Luckily for us,

our friends all have really good taste

and we had zero disastrous meals.

{I attribute this to the fact that most people here don't cook dishes

that are structured around cans of "Cream of Mushroom/Chicken Soup,"

which as a southerner, I can admit comprises approximately 85% of most home-cooked meals.}

Everything our friends made for us was really delicious.

Especially, this stew that our friend Teri cooked for us.

It was so good that I asked her to share the recipe with me...

and with you, too!

You'll love it.

It's simple, it's filling, it's packed with flavor,

and, well, it's just an all-together good recipe 

that you need to add to your collection.

PS. You've got to check out Teri's gorgeous blog, The Lovely Drawer. 

It's crazy-cakes cute, 

just like you'll see she is in the pictures below.

* * * * *

CHORIZO & BUTTER BEAN STEW

{with lemon couscous}

Here's what you do:

1) Chop the red onion, chorizo, orange peppers and sun dried tomatoes.

2) Heat a little olive oil in a pan on a medium heat. Then fry the onions with the garlic salt & paprika.

3) Add the chorizo and orange pepper. Season and stir.

4) When the pepper is cooked, add the sun dried tomatoes, beans, mixed herbs & half the thyme- after you've pulled the leaves from the stalks.

5) Turn the heat down. Slowly add your stock, in turn with the chopped tomatoes. Stir as you go.

6) After everything is added, let it simmer for 10-15 mins, until the flavours have infused and the sauce has thickened a bit.

7) Meanwhile pour your couscous into a bowl and add boiling water. Let sit for about 5 minutes and then use a fork to separate the grains. Add the lemon juice & zest and combine with the fork.

8) Sprinkle the remaining thyme over the stew and serve with the couscous.

* * * * *

Did you make sure to bookmark this recipe?

Pin it?

Print it out and tape it your fridge?

Okay. Thanks.

Because it really is that good

and I really want you to love it, too.

*photos by The Lovely Drawer.