Christmas Baking...and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Wow, Christmas 2009 over...but still a little baking was done...

which I would like to show you!!!

In my Christmas Stocking this year from Santa's Helper (read DD) was tucked this neat and oh so useful pot holder...covering the wrist!!! I often seem to get burns on my wrist when getting things out of the oven so this was very welcome..

Also this cool zester was tucked into the pot holder...

Awesome...thank you so much Jacqueline!!!

The biggest surprise of all was this very smart Kitchen Aid...after having admired it for sooo long and not having a mixer that I can leave while mixing I received this you-beaut gorgeous red one from my Darling One...he knows me so well!!!

Thank you so much...this will inspire me to get baking biscuits...cakes...meringue and all sorts of goodies!!!


The book that came with it...containing many European recipes...just perfect for us!!!

So...one of my favourites and one that I have not baked for a while is Lebkuchen!!!
This recipe is many years old now...coming from The Australian Womens Weekly...

This beautifully spiced little biscuit is of German origin...traditionally served at Christmas time...as is done in the Latvian tradition (my heritage)...we call them Piparkuks (straight translation would be pepper cake)...

But I reckon good to eat year round!!!
It has been many years since I have had this spicy little biscuit...so with my whizz-bang Kitchen Aid I thought I would try them using gluten free flour...


First pounding cloves in the mortar and pestle...

and look at these beauties...they turned out just fine!!!
So far all the recipes I have substituted with gluten free plain flour have worked!!!

From the new book I thought I would make Spekulatius...
Spicy Austrian biscuits, flavoured with cinnamon and almonds and cut into star shapes for Christmas...dusted with icing sugar before serving...

Here they are all ready to go...
Boy...how yummy were these...and oh sooo mooorish!!!

This pic from the book...

Christmas afternoon saw us head off into the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales where we thought we would make some pasta!!!
One of the party thought they would bring some cornflour over (no gluten) to see if it would knead up into pasta...No Way!!!
Nevertheless beautiful pasta was made from this machine pictured under...

While the dough was in the fridge setting I thought I would take a little pre-dinner walk...and wow, look at these dramatic sunset scenes...I will post more scenes on my other blog Queen of the Armchair after New Year...Just an absolutely stunning sunset view!!!

Living on the coast we have temperate weather...but not in the Snowies...it must've been about 8c...very nearly time to put gloves on...but the stillness and the beauty of the area takes my breath away every time!!!

Coming back we had Martinis...shaken not stirred!!!

Just perfect!!!

I would like to raise my glass now to all my blogging friends, followers and readers...

May your glass overflow in the New Year...

Wishing you much joy and happiness throughout the year...

May there be much Peace and Joy throughout our beautiful world!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR...Dzintra

Christmas Cake For JoJo...and some new kitchen utensils!!!

Here we are...3 more sleeps until the big day...Christmas Day...

a time to be with Family...

a time of laughter and joy...

friendship and love...

and time to do a little baking...

I have made a simple Fruit Cake this year...

not normally part of our (European) heritage but a very Australian tradition...

This year JoJo requested a Fruit Cake...

How could I say no!!!

Yummy fruit...Glace Cherries...Almonds...Walnuts...Brazil Nuts...Dried Apricots...Dried Pineapple...Sultanas just to name some of the goodies in this mix...

I substituted Gluten Free Plain Flour for the Plain Flour...

the recipe was on the back of the pack of fruit...

oops...the cake pic should be here!!!

FESTIVE FRUIT CAKE

1kg Soland Festive Fruit Mix

125g plain flour
1/2t baking powder

pinch of salt

200g caster sugar

3 eggs

1/2 c brandy

1t vanilla essence

METHOD

Place fruit into large bowl

Sift in flour, baking powder and salt

Mix in the sugar

Combine the eggs, brandy and vanilla together in a separate bowl

Add egg mixture to cake and mix thoroughly

Grease and line 20cm (8") round baking tin and bake at 150 c for 2 hours

Cool in the tin for 10m before turning onto a wire rack

I cooled my cake completely...and poured brandy over it whilst hot!!!

I haven't tried it yet...but it looks good and smells great!!!

When I go up to the 'big smoke' I can't help but frequent kitchen shops...

And look at these goodies I have found...
Gorgeous patty cases above...

Can one get excited about a Bundform pan/moule a Kougelhof...I certainly did...along with

this icing decorator kit...and cutters that can be used as baubles!!!

More cutters and little bowls that I will use for Creme Brulee!!!

This was enough for me to admire the following day and have a cup of coffee...

and start a new little stitchery from Carol that I received in the Advent Swap...which I participated in...in my other blog Queen of the Armchair!!!

I started this blog earlier this year to document my TAFE course...I have a few more posts that I am behind in that I will gradually post...

I'll see then where My Dolce Vita takes me...

A little quote here that I think is oh so meaningful for this time of year...

If, as Herod, we fill our lives with things,

and again with things;

if we consider ourselves so unimportant that we must fill every moment of our lives with action,

when will we have the time to make the long, slow journey across the desert as did the Magi?

Or sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds?

Or brood over the coming of the child as did Mary

For each one of us,

there is a desert to travel.

A star to discover.

And a being within ourselves to bring to life

~Author, unknown~

May you all have a blessed Christmas/Yule

and a Safe, Healthy and Prosperous New Year...

Merry Chiristmas...

And, Bon Appetit...Dzintra

A Very Special Christmas Lunch...

Last week at TAFE there was a very special Luncheon for our elderly...complete with Scottish Dancing...a visit from Santa...and little gifts...and it was our job to feed 90 of these people along with their Carers...

The Board with the Menu...

Sliced ham portioned...waiting to be topped with Roast Turkey and Jus...

Au jus is French for 'with [its own] juice'; jus is the juice itself. In American cuisine, the term is mostly used to refer to a light sauce for beef recipes, which may be served with the food or placed on the side for dipping. In French cuisine, jus is a natural way to enhance the flavour of dishes, mainly chicken, veal and lamb.

Jus means the natural juices given off by the food. To prepare a natural jus, the cook may simply skim off the fat from the juices left after cooking and bring the remaining meat stock and water to a boil. Jus can be frozen for six months or longer, but the flavor may suffer after this time. For more information on Jus go here

Meanwhile...just after preparing the meat the Fire Alarm rang throughout the College...and this time it turned out for real...this is where we were evacuated to...

Fire truck arriving...we weren't allowed to go back into the Kitchen until okayed by the Fire Department...just as well the Tarts weren't in the oven yet!!!

And it was all because of the Kitchen that it went off...something to do with the steam oven being opened and all the hot air rushed into the alarm and set it off!!!

Quote spotted on the Library door as we were walking past...

And here's Daniel...one of the Apprentices...wanting to be photographed...onya Daniel!!!

Strawberries all lined up waiting to arorn the Plum Pudding...

The table set ready and waiting...

Ham and Roast Turkey with Jus
Baton Carrots...Broccoli
Roast Pumpkin and Potato
We had one Vegetarian who had a Frittata and Salad...

Plum Pudding and Brandy Custard with Strawberry Chantilly Cream...

Fruit Mince Tarts

There were 2 Gluten Free people who had an Ice Cream Bomb...

A great lunch for all even though we had all that drama in between!!!

Bon Appetit everyone...Dzintra

Anniversary Lemon Cheesecake!!!

Wow...how long has it been since I've had a slice of cheesecake...especially with a gluten free base!!!

This week saw our Wedding Anniversary so I did a Cook Up with Vicki...to see the meal we had go over here...to my other blog Queen of the Armchair...

Vicki and I have started to do Cook Ups together with the latest issue of Donna Hay magazine and then blog about it...I thought I would put the recipe for the Cheesecake here on My Dolce Vita...

We started off with some Maggie Beer delicious Pheasant Farm Pate...

This pate began as the simple use of our own ingredients from the Pheasant Farm...as the package begins to say...and concludes with...it makes indulgence a daily option!!!

A really smooth consistency...atop with jelly and juniper berries...a lovely tasty Pate to have on hand!!!

Started off with Rice Cookies (no gluten) for the base...


whizzed them up with some almond meal (1/2 cup) and then added some melted butter (about 5 Tablespoons)...


Beating egg white...

Adding it to beaten egg yolk and sugar...

And now I've just realized I haven't put in the pic of pouring the filling onto the base!!!

After several hours turn out...

and serve...yummy!!!

LEMON CHEESECAKE (serves 12)

• 1/2 vanilla bean



• 100g sugar



• 2 eggs



• 250g quark (cream cheese)



• 1/2 lemon, juice and zest



• 4 gelatine leaves



• 250ml cream, whipped



• 75g almond flakes, toasted

METHOD

• Scrape out the bean and mix with half the sugar and the yolks. Whip until white



• Whip the whites with the remaining sugar



• Blend the quark (or other fresh cheese) with the lemon juice and zest and add to the egg yolk mixture



• Fold in the soaked and dissolved gelatine, then fold under the whites and whipped cream



• Pour mixture onto base and refrigerate several hours (I made it after lunch and it was ready after dinner)



• Finish with the toasted almonds

(Recipe adapted from TAFE Training book)

I'd love to know how you go with this if you try it...Bon Appetit, Dzintra

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US

Rich is not how much you have

or who you are

Nor even where you are going

Rich is who yhou have beside you

(From Dave Wood Calligraphy Art Gallery)

Lunch at The Mantle Restaurant at TAFE...20 October 2009

The weeks...hours...in this case are flying by so quickly and I will have completed them within a month...which means the end of the course, nearly two years worth!!!

Here Chef has prepared the whiteboard with the menus and allocated each student a meal to prepare ready for service...

My one was Mussels Sailor Style with French Bread Stick!!!

I prepared the Chicken for...Tandoori Chicken with Fried Chapattis...

Anna proudly displaying tomatoes for roasting...

for Roasted Tomato Soup...
No pic here for the Soup...I was probably too busy dealing with the Mussels as both these dishes were part of Entree!!!

Thai Coconut and Green Bean Fish Curry...

Osso Bucco...

Roasted Lamb Loin with Beetroot Confit...

Raspberry Souffle...

Iced Orange Parfait Grand Marnier...

And to finish off Dessert...Apricot and Almond Cream Flan...

Back soon...
Bon Appetit...Dzintra