Rolled Buttercream

I have a friend who is trying to get pregnant - so I figured a little "bouquet" of sperm and egg cookies was in order! Also gave me the perfect excuse to try rolled buttercream on cookies.  Was a great success, I must say!

Recipe:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup (I could only find golden syrup so I used that.  I think they recommend light so your rolled buttercream isn't tinted slightly brown.  I was dying mine so didn't really care)
about 4 cups sifted icing sugar
1 tsp extract (I used almond)
1 pkg instant pudding (I used white chocolate)

1.  Beat corn syrup and butter until combined (the picture is pre mixed)

2.  Add about 1/2 the icing sugar, pudding (not made, so you are adding the powder) and the extract.  Beat with hand mixer until it sounds like it is going to die (or use your fancy stand up mixer if you have one).  Don't worry if it seems like a crumbled mess - it will come together!

3.  Knead in the rest of the icing sugar by hand, adding a small amount at a time until at desired consistency.  (if I was using this on a cake, I would make it a bit "denser" so it would not rip)

(in this photo I had added the white food coloring which is why it is white)

4. Roll out and cut with cookie cutters...

Seems easy, right??  here's a trick I learned...

I rolled out the buttercream on parchment paper.  I then froze the cut out icing while my cookies were baking.  This made it easier to transfer them onto the cookies without losing their shape.

Once the cookies were done, I let them cool slightly (about 3 minutes) then put the buttercream on the warm cookies.  The heat from the cookies softened the icing enough I could push it into place (to the edges) of the cookie.

Then I let them cool and made into my "bouquet".  All in all, happy with the turnout! While making the buttercream was time consuming, it was way easier to decorate the cookies! I will definitely use this technique again (and again, and again, and again...)

"Skor Candy"

This is one of my favorite candy's to make.  It's not the prettiest thing to come out of my kitchen but it is easy and delicious!

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
splash of vanilla (optional)
graham crackers
bag of chocolate chips (at least 300g)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cookie try with tin foil and cover with graham crackers.

Melt the butter and brown sugar in the microwave (about 1 1/2 minutes on high).  Stir until it combines and add vanilla if desired.  It will thicken as you stir, it almost like a caramel sauce.

Pour over the graham crackers and bake for 8 minutes in oven

When done, remove from oven and cover with chocolate chips.  Return to oven for 1 minute

 Remove from the oven and spread chocolate chips with knife or spactula.

Refrigerate the pan for at least 2 hours, but I usually leave it in the fridge over night.

Once refrigerated, break like brittle.  Store in air tight container.  I personally like to freeze mine =)

YUM!!

YORKSHIRE PUDDING SUCCESS!!

I have struggled with flat, hockey puck like yorkshire pudding's for years... until today! Thanks to the advice of a local chef, I finally produced large, fluffy, perfect yorkshire puddings for tonight's roast beef dinner.  I'm so happy...

HOW I DID IT
-preheat oven to 350 degrees
-fill each cavity of a muffin tin with a tbsp of vegetable oil
-put in oven for at least 45 minutes

While pan is heating...
- crack and measure eggs into a 1 cup measuring cup (it took me about 4 large eggs then I topped it off with liquid egg whites to get exactly 1 cup).  Beat eggs until well beaten (until all yellow)
-measure exactly 1 cup of milk and pour into beaten eggs.  beat with hand mixer for 3 minutes.
-add exactly 1 cup of flour, a little salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.  Stir into egg/milk mixture with whisk until just blended.
-cover and put in refrigerator until pan is heated.

Once pan is heated, remove from oven and quickly fill each cup with batter until the oil hits the top of the cup. (the oil should sizzle when the batter hits it).  You want to do this as fast as possible and get back into oven.  Set the timer for 40 minutes and WALK AWAY.  Do not go near that oven again until the 40 minutes is up. 

After 40 minutes your puddings should be baked.  Even if you need to bake them a bit longer, they should still hold their shape and size after 40 minutes.