oldyarns. tells the bowerbird stories

story 291. our daily bread.

things are slowing

finding a new pace.

waiting

preparing

anticipating.

making it a good time

for baking.

*

here, fresh bread

warm from the oven.

lashings of butter & jam.

served on breakfast plates

(from Holland I believe.)

*

recipe from unknown source,

easy as can be.

*

450g plain flour

350ml water

1g dry yeast

6g salt

 

mix flour, water & yeast with a wooden spoon until combined. add salt & mix again (mixture should be quite sticky).

cover the bowl with plastic wrap & let it prove for 10-14 hours or until it triples in size & looks bubbly.

dust a board & hands with flour & shape the mix into a ball. let it rest for another hour. meanwhile, set oven to 220˚C & place cast iron pot (without lid) to heat up.

put the dough in the pot, cover with lid & bake for 20 mins. remove lid & bake for another 10 mins until crusty & browned.

*

lovely to prepare the night before & bake fresh in the morning.

story 246. yet more cake.

another cake,

another tiny happy recipe...

'a versatile sort of cake'.

I used frozen berries

in mine.

it was yum.

*

hmmm, there seems to be quite

a lot of cake

lately.

story 240. to pause.

to pause for morning tea

with tea & cake.

 just as it should be.

hand thrown porcelain take-away cup

by Ingrid Tufts

for Cumulus Inc.

unable to be resisted

on our recent visit.

a permanent reminder of that special day.

+

citrus cake

(last bit left after Mr grabbed a great hunk for breakfast)

 recipe by tiny happy

here.

it never lasts long.

 

story 229. channelling nigella.

for me christmas is a time to bake

sweet treats for

friends & family.

I am convinced there is a

sincerity and affection

to be found in the simple offer of

of homemade goodies.

a long time family favourite

is my rocky road.

the one and only rule is to use the best dark chocolate,

(I like the 70% cocoa solids) you can find.

all measurements are approximates and you can substitute pretty much anything as you like it,

(I suggest you try using good turkish delight.)

 

400g dark chocolate

360g soft jellies, halved

200g marshmallows, halved

80g dried cranberries

150g pistachios, roughly chopped

50g toasted shredded coconut

 

heat the dark chocolate over a double boiler until molten.

mix in the dry ingredients

and pour into a shallow tin.

layer cling film over the mixture and use the back of a spoon

(or your hands) to push it into the corners,

and level out the top.

refrigerate until set, then cut into small squares.

this year I've also tried a recipe for

chocolate truffles from the Bourke Street Bakery cookbook,

found via the Christmas issue of Inside Out magazine.

so far they're a hit too.

I've packaged the treats

in collected vintage tins.

tied up with ribbon.

*

its always a joy to indulge your inner

domestic goddess.