Blondies

A month has slipped by since my last post - something I didn't realize until I saw the date. I'm not complaining - seriously I'm not - but, as fellow food bloggers will know, writing a blog takes some time.  Typing the recipe is the easy part then you've got to be a food stylist, photographer and writer all in one. Sometimes it falls together easily. Mostly it doesn't. It takes dozens of different props, styles, layouts until I'm happy with the result. I take my own photos. This may involve several rounds of shoots. If all else fails, I go out shopping and instruct the amateur photographer to have a go whilst I'm out!  Writing either comes easy or it's a struggle - 99% of the time it's the latter. Some days I write an entire post and wipe it completely the next day, wondering how I ever thought it good enough.  Then on rare occasions I'll write something totally off the cuff and it works. Go figure.

I baked blondies this weekend for the first time. These were from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook but I used pistachios instead of pecan nuts. Blondies are the paler version of brownies (in more ways than one, I think) made with white chocolate. The end result was very tasty but  more "cakey" than fudgy brownie. I may have over-beaten the mixture or overcooked them (though I took them out a good 15 minutes before the recommended time) but I did note later that some other bloggers had the same result. They're still worth doing, just don't over-mix and keep an eye on them cooking. They need to be a bit soft in the middle when you remove them from the oven. I would definitely do them again as, apart from shelling the pistachios, they were quick and easy. Would they win over dark chocolate brownies?  I don't think so.

Thanks to my friend for gifting me the lovely little plate in the photo. And whilst I'm crediting the props, my sister hand-knitted the lovely little potholder underneath. It has a pretty floral fabric on the reverse.

Blondies

150g white chocolate, roughly chopped (I used Whittaker's white chocolate)
125g butter
150g caster sugar
2 eggs
1½ tsp vanilla extract or essence
200g plain flour
a pinch of salt
120g shelled pistachios, chopped


Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F).

Line a 33 x 23 x 5cm baking tray with baking paper.

Place the white chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Don’t let the water touch the base of the bowl. Leave until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

Add the sugar and stir until well incorporated.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract or essence, stirring briskly (but not over-mixing) as you don’t want the eggs to scramble. The mixture may look like it is starting to split but it will be fine.

Add the flour, salt and pistachios and stir until well incorporated.

Spoon the mixture into the lined baking tray and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and the centre is still soft.

Leave to cool completely.

Makes about 12-14 squares.

Sweet New Zealand

This month, it's my turn to host Sweet New Zealand. So, I am on the lookout for sweet recipes from our NZ food blogging community. You can be a New Zealander living here or overseas. You can be from overseas and living in New Zealand. Just give me something sweet, please. Take it away - I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Rules

Sweet New Zealand is open to all food bloggers living in New Zealand (even if you are not a New Zealander), as well as all Kiwi food bloggers who live overseas.

You can enter with anything sweet - cakes, cookies, desserts, or even drinks. 

You can submit as many entries as you like and they don't have to be new blog posts. 

Your entry must contain the phrase Sweet New Zealand and have the Sweet New Zealand badge (you can copy and save the one on this page).

Your entry must link to the host (me!) and to this post. If you're submitting an old post remember to update it with the phrase, badge and links.

Enter now

Email your entries to me at flatwhite233(at)xtra(dot)co(dot)nz by 30 October, with the following:

Your name

Your blog name

A link to your blog

A link to the blog post you're entering

A photo from the post

The name of the recipe and a brief description

Sweet New Zealand - September

Here's a link to last month's Sweet New Zealand round up at Mummy Do It

Etcetera ... Afternoon Tea in the Country

Excuse me while I just ease or squeeze myself into the comfy trackpants and settle on the couch for a rest. I've just had afternoon tea with some food bloggers here at my home and there was so much good food that I am fit to burst. I didn't quite manage to taste everything but I have a little stash to try at work tomorrow. Well, there's got to be some good bits about a Monday back at work, isn't there?

I've "known" (in the blogging sense) Arfi since I first starting reading food blogs a few years ago and I finally got to meet her today.  Arfi blogs at HomeMadeS and arrived not only with some unusual little treats but a box of her homegrown limes and cartons of eggs for the rest of us to make use of.  Thank you Arfi, it was a pleasure to have you here.

Arfi didn't have too far to come as she lives nearby.  The others, making the road trip from Auckland, were:

Mairi, fellow Scot and author of Toast.

Alli of Pease Pudding and busy baker at her Pop Up Patisserie in Waimauku, as well as blogging and cookery classes when she has time!

Carmella at Easy Food Hacks.

Gillian from So So Simple.

Thanks for your lovely contributions and company.

The air was afresh with citrus notes. Mairi had delved into Ottolenghi's Jerusalem and baked a loaf bursting with flavours of orange marmalade and coconut.  In a similar, yet different, vein, Carmella produced a moist orange almond cake.  Alli had little iced lemon polenta cakes, luscious little lemon tarts and chocolate raspberry tarts. Gillian brought a crunchy chocolate slice and Arfi tempted us with some exotic looking delights.

In a state of doubt as to whether anything I made would succeed, I attempted two recipes, the star of which were some mini chocolate banoffee tarts.  Next up on my list were vanilla cupcakes with an apricot cream cheese icing.  The swirls on the cupcakes were thanks to this tutorial on Lydia Bakes - by far the quickest, simplest, easiest and most successful icing tutorial I have ever watched.  I was pleased with the results.

Alli was bemused with me for using recipes to make sandwiches but I swear these are the best cucumber sandwiches I have ever made and the salmon and herb cream cheese ones came a close second.

Most of us drank tea and I picked Twining's New Zealand Earl Grey which is a fragrant bergamot tea with orange blossom.  So refreshing, I managed four cups served in Bill's grandmother's tea set making its first official outing here. I think the plates matched the salmon very well.

Watch out for upcoming posts on those banoffee tarts and cupcakes (the sandwiches might get a look in too).