Doctoral study and Snacks

I have been completely snowed under lately. I mentioned during the year last year that if it doesn't have to do with my doctorate then I struggled to think about it but I didn't realise how bad that was going to get. Now, one month out from my hand-in I am completely under-water. I'm working on this thing 7 days a week and the fact that I could work this weekend while watching television because the work I was doing was mindless admin type of stuff. It was a huge treat! So that gives you a flavour of where things are.

                                                                 Video property of Sigur Ros

I'm not complaining however as I am feeling increasingly excited to see an end to all this and as I've been reminded several times - if getting a doctorate was easy, it wouldn't mean as much. So if and when I get this it will mean a helluva lot to me.

So I thought that I would bring you some of the interesting or delicious snacks that I have been enjoying. There are two options - the first is a bit more involved but can be put together in an hour and the second is super simple and can be completed within a 15 minute study break.

On Sunday night I burned out at 6pm and called it a night on the study. All day I had been craving tortilla chips but by 6pm the local shop was closed, because Britain, but my craving had to be satiated and I decided to make my own. This was no small undertaking as we didn't even have any tortillas. So these are completely made from scratch. The dough comes together in a few minutes and then needs to be rested. You may want to rush this but I would highly recommend it because once I rested the dough I choose to fold it over a few times and although this does not make for very soft tortillas it made for fantastic chips.

Handmade tortilla Chips

150g plain flour
180g strong wholemeal flour
3 tbsp golden flax seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp olive oil and more for frying/baking + coconut oil
230ml water

1. Mix together the flours, salt, baking powder and flax seeds

2. Add the olive oil and half the water and mix to cobine

3. Slowly add more water bit by bit until the dough is fully combined but not excessively wet.

4. Knead the dough for 5 minutes

5. Divide into 8 balls and allow to sit for 15 minutes

6. Fold in on itself a few times and then roll as flat as possible between two sheets of parchment.

7. Heat a frying pan or griddle with a very small amount of coconut or another high smoke point oil and then fry the tortillas for a few minutes on each side until browned in spots.

8. Allow to cool on a wire rack

9. Once cool, spray the tortillas with a drop of coconut or olive oil and spread it around so that each side has a very very small amount of oil on it. Then sprinkle with salt before slicing into triangles.

10. Bake on 180' for about 10 minutes until crisp.

11. Serve with vegetables and hummus

These tortilla chips were so so delicious. They are quite filling and so much better than any commercial brands I have had.

So the second snack is much easier and all you need is

200g nuts
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp agave nectar

1 - Preheat your oven to 180'

2 - Line a baking tray with tin foil

3 - Pour out the nuts and roast for 10 minutes

4 - As the nuts are baking mix together the agave nectar and spices in a large glass or metal bowl

5 - Pour the warm nuts into the bowl and mix until all the nuts are covered in a tiny amount of the mixture

6 - Pour back out onto the tin foil and allow to cool

These are so simple and so so delicious! Even if you don't make the tortilla chips, if you like nuts and you like spice then these are a must.

Now....back to the writing. Talk to you soon

Fast and easy Christmas cake

Tis the season, or at least the season is very fast approaching. This weekend we put up our Christmas tree and it's starting to feel quite cheery and seasonal around here. So I reflected on what I should put here on the blog. Every year I imply that I will be doing loads of baking and posting and, all to frequentl, I get overwhelmed with just doing all the baking and then forget to actually blog. So this year, despite (maybe because of) the fact that I am under more pressure than every before, I have decided to start early and get some Christmas posts up this year!!

So I shall start with the Christmas cake, now before you run for fear of fruit cake, let me assure you that this is a lighter cake! It has lots of delicious flavour but it's not dense or overwhelmingly fruity. Even if you have disliked Christmas cake in the past, I implore you to give this a try. If you love Christmas cake, well this has it all, so do try this!

As a bit of a baker, there are certain..........erm..............expectations! I will acknowledge that a great many of these expectations are self-imposed! However once you start a tradition people get used to it and making Christmas cake for my bf's family is one of those traditions. Anything that makes this a little easier is a blessing and this year I think I have it twigged!! The secret = mince meat (the fruit) and with this recipe you can go from start to finish in one hour!!!

You see mince meat has been stewing for months and all that delicious fruit has been soaking up the delicious spice and juices that make it appear that you put hours of work prepping your fruit and maybe even feeding the cake for a while. So you take this wonderful mixture (preferably one without lard) and put it into a saucepan, add water, whiskey, and extra fruit of your choice, I added sultanas and cherries and then heat this gently for about 10 minutes.

Quick and easy Christmas Cake (makes 2 trays or 10" loaf tin)

800g Minced meat
100ml water
40ml whiskey
300g sultanas
300g chopped cherries
225g Butter
75g white sugar (there is a lot of sugar in the mince meat)
500g Plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp each of cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg
1 pinch salt
300ml Milk
3 whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla

(I know it's a lot of ingredients but it really is simple, I promise!)

1- Preheat oven to 180'C. Put your minced meat, water, whiskey, sultanas and cherries into a big, thick bottomed saucepan. Heat gently for 10 mins.

2- Once it's been heated through, remove from heat, add your butter and sugar and mix thoroughly.

3- In separate bowls, beat together the flour, baking powder/soda and spices and in the other bowl the eggs and milk.

4- Now alternate in the flour and milk mixture until everything in incorporated!

5- Pour into baking trays and bake for 20 minutes for a shallow baking tray or 45 minutes for a loaf tin.

This sight just says Christmas to me!!

To decorate:
I blitzed together almonds, hazelnuts and some icing sugar and then sprinkled on top before nnaking but this is naturally optional!

Getting into the Holiday spirit

I think I've made it abundantly clear how much I love Christmas but there are aspects to this time of year that can be difficult and I understand that too. Two years ago I even wrote about how I was struggling to get into the holiday spirit and with everyone around shopping like lunatics and going to Christmas work-dos left and right, sometimes one can feel all alone and miserable. So I decided to compile a list of ways that I like to get into the holiday spirit and maybe they will help you or someone you know to feel good.

Fifth - Seasonal Drinks

We've all seen the holiday drinks in Starbucks and Costa and the like but these are expensive and filled with extra sugars and artificial flavours that are wonderful for a treat but are not my idea of an everyday drink (if it's yours then let me not offend, you do you as they say). So let me show you some of the drinks I enjoy to get into the spirit that are inexpensive and full of delicious seasonal flavours

Spiced coffee is amazing. I always add flavour to my coffee, usually just a splash of vanilla extract but for this time of year I like to add a pinch, more or less to taste, of cinnamon and all spice to my coffee. You can top off your delicious coffee with a mixture of raw cocoa and cinnamon to give even more flavour.

Also while I'm on the subject of coffee and starbucks, you can feel like every drink is a Christmas drink if you invest in a take-away Christmas mug. This one is from about 4 years ago and it serves me well every season.

Ok in non-coffee holiday drinks. I have previously written about my love for rooibos and apple tea when it is cold. Apple tea is absolutely delicious and can be customized with any amount of spices. My personal favourites are ginger, cloves and cinnamon.

Also pictured here is star anise, delicious

Fourth - Eating seasonally

I cannot over-emphasize eating seasonally. I have friends and family that think I'm odd because I will not eat sweet potatoes in summer but for me they are an exclusively autumn and winter affair. So why eat seasonally, well if you can eat locally seasonal produce then it's extremely eco-friendly. Thing is, I would be lying if I told you that was why I do it. I eat seasonally because it helps me to feel like there's a change happening from month to month and that I can have something to look forward to.

Holiday time is one of my favourite food times so there are so many examples of holiday foods. I'll tell you about one of mine. Marzipan is one of my absolute favourite holiday treats and it has so many different manifestations to enjoy. Just a tiny little bit of marzipan is enough to bring a smile to my face and one of the best ways to enjoy it is Stollen. Stollen is an amazing German Christmas treat of a fruited sweet bread with a center of delicious marzipan. Since first tasting this in about 2004 I have been obsessed and this obsession gets more intense year on year. This year I took it to new levels by sampling the stollen from every major shop in the UK, what's the verdict? Lidls is the best, a mon avie. Lidl make tiny little stollens that are not too sweet, have just the right amount of marzipan and box loads of Christmas flavour.

 

The ONLY issue with these delicious treats is how addictive they are. A point which is highlighted by the hilarious advertisements put out by lidl, which are well worth a look.

Third - Christmas Candles

Picture this. You're sitting in your favourite chair, with a good book and a cup of apple and cinnamon tea. What could possibly make this scene more seasonally appropriate??! Cinnamon spice scents filling the room. I usually buy my first seasonal candle in October and burn them throughout November and December. It can add a little bit of holiday joy into any activity. I know this to be true since most of the time in November and December I am studying for some big assignment or another. So if I can feel seasonal doing that then you know the candles are working. Some of my favourites are yankee candle in Christmas cookie or cinnamon spice, IKEA candles, Air wick candles in essential pearls cinnamon or the vanilla and caramel candle.

Second - (Controversially) Christmas music

I know you get battered with endless rounds of cheesy holiday music in every store from about October 1st and therefore this may not be your cup of tea but if you choose the music you might find that it can help. There are plenty of different varieties of Christmas music to choose from. I love classical and orchestral versions, jazz versions and choral music. My personal favourite is Anuna and the album 'Carols by Candlelight' says Christmas to me. Alternatively if you want to listen to Christmas music and would like to also give to charity can I suggest ChristmasFM. This awesome radio station based in my country of origin plays from the end of November until christmas eve in an effort to raise money for charity partners and I am a huge fan. You can listen online from anywhere in the world and donate online. 

Property of www.christmasfm.com

First - Most Important - treat yourself well

This time of year can be tough even for the most foolhardy of Christmas lovers; between the shopping, planning, family visits or lack thereof, and memories of previous Christmases good and bad. It's no wonder then that some people dislike it. So my number one way to get into a 'holiday spirit' is to treat yourself well. Schedule time for yourself to relax and enjoy any of the above, or alternatively one of your own favourite treats. Don't forget to look after yourself while you run around looking after others. In all that planning for parties and visits maybe you can pen in some you time; get a manicure; read a new book (that's just for fun not for work); listen to your favourite music (Christmas or otherwise); have a bath; or just sit and meditate. My favourite thing to do is to sit and bask in the light of the Christmas lights in a darkened room. That's it, that's heaven for me. So my number one way to get into the spirit is to find your little slice of heaven and make sure that you get lots of it this December.

 

I hope you can find an idea here to warm up your seasonally good feelings and I'll have some delicious advent cookies up next week =)

Homemade Christmas presents: Vanilla Extract

Two years ago a good friend of mine gave me the best present; it was useful and thoughtful; beautiful and perfect for me. The best part of this present was that it is consumable but can be remade to last forever. Perfect for every baker! So what did she give me?

So this summer, after 18 good months of use, my huge bottle of vanilla extract finally ran out. Aw such a shame, but hold on... this present is renewable. So I decided to show you how to refresh your own vanilla extract, or make it for your own baking buddy.

Here's what you will need:

A bottle to present your gift.
Vodka
4 Vanilla Pods
Time: 3-6 months

This is remarkably simple to do and I hear you saying that we do not have 3-6 months until Christmas but if you wanted to give this as a gift this Christmas you could prepare it now and suggest not to use for a few months. Honestly the extract has flavour from about a month in but the colour and flavour develops best in the 6 month period.

Anyway here we go:

Roll your vanilla pods and then slice them in half

Scrap out the seeds and add to the bottle, then add your sliced pods.

Now simply fill up with the vodka and shake. Then store and shake periodically and after just 3 months - voila -

Final note:
Ok I'll be honest - this post is a bit phoned in and after missing a week, last week, one might have hoped for something a little more exciting. The truth is that college has gotten crazy hectic and my energy for blogging has suffered. So you have my official apologies for the lack luster blogging but feel assured that soon Christmas baking will get underway and posts will return to normal. In the mean time I really recommend trying this, it's so handy having this much vanilla essence.