Baked

Hello Monday! Still lounging around for the long weekend. Love it.

I made some olive biscuits, as a snack to go with cocktails,  and they're both salty and sweet. I found this recipe via the internet a few years ago (I believe it was created by Jean-Pierre Autrand). Must admit, they are a bit different so I think it may be either a love or hate thing for most people. I happen to love them. If you try them out, let me know what you think!

Sweet & Salty Olive Biscuits - makes about 36 tiny biscuits/cookies

9 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup icing sugar (I used only 1/2 cup to make them a little more salty than sweet!)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cured olives pitted and coarsely chopped (I used Kalamata olives, though the original recipe called for olives from Nyons. Didn't have those.)

With an electric mixer, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Mix in the sugar until blended, then drizzle in the olive oil and mix until combined. Add the flour and stir through until the dough is smooth. Add the olives and stir in until completely incorporated into the dough.

Place the dough on a piece of waxed or parchment paper, in the centre. Cover with another piece and then roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick.  The dough is very sticky, so using paper will make it possible to roll out. Refrigerate dough for at least 3o minutes up to over night.

You can use what ever biscuit/cookie cutter you like, but I used a tiny, round, crimped cutter. Cut out shapes and place on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle a little course sea salt on tops. If you have dough left, roll flat again and place in refrigerator until ready to bake.

Bake in a 350F/180c oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

These mini, paper thin, wood boats make a perfect size serving dish for these biscuits.  I picked up mine at Vancouver Special.

Again, if you make these let me know what you thought of them. I'd love to know!

Have a great day. Back soon.
janis

Sunday Observations

How are you all doing? Hope you're enjoying your weekend, where ever you are. I just watched the Canucks win game 4 in the Western Conference final. 5 more wins to go!

Besides watching hockey, I got up to a few other things today....

That was my Sunday. What did you do? Anyone out there watching hockey these days? ;)

Back soon!
janis

Hello Long Weekend

Have a good weekend! Back soon.
janis

HGTV.ca Original Home Tour

Hi everyone! Hope you're having a great week. If you're in Vancouver, are you thoroughly enjoying the sunshine and the Canucks? I am. ;)

I wanted to share a few images of a pretty home with you, that I shot for HGTV.ca for their "Original Home Tour" series.

For the whole story, and many more images, please check out HGTV.ca!

Have a great day! Back soon.
janis

Baked

Oh Monday, you always arrive so fast. Hope you all had a good weekend!

I picked up some fresh, local rhubarb on the weekend, so I could make this recipe. It's from a 2006 Donna Hay magazine. I did make a couple of changes...just needed to tone down the sweet factor. ;)

Rhubarb & Dumplings - makes about 6 (or 3 large ones, in my case!)

500g* (about 1 lb) rhubarb, trimmed and chopped
*(I used about 800g, as I found it to be too watery with just 500g)
2* cups berry/caster sugar
*(2 cups of sugar is too much for my taste, so I used just one cup.) ;)
2 cups water
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted
150g unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup berry/caster sugar, extra
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
icing sugar for dusting

Place the rhubarb, sugar and water in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until rhubarb is tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 355f/180c. Place the flour, extra sugar, baking powder and butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Gradually add the milk and vanilla and continue mixing until a smooth dough forms.

Turn dough out onto work surface and break up into 6 equal portions. Divide the rhubarb mixture into 6 1 1/2 cup ovenproof dishes.

Carefully place the dumplings on top and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a skewer, inserted into centre of dumpling, comes out clean. Allow to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

I didn't have 6 "ovenproof dishes" or ramekins, I just had 3 little cake pans, which worked out just fine.
Very quick to make, and easy too. Give it a whirl!

Have a great day. Back on Wednesday.
janis

Sunday Observations

Hello everyone! Here are a few things I've taken notice of today....

I hope I haven't jinxed this series now. Gulp. Go Canucks! Click here, for the pretzel recipe. Bags were just printed on my home printer. Easy.

I also checked out Marisa Seguin's Print Shop on Etsy. This girl is good. I love her city posters.

Click here, to check out her beautiful shop. 

Those are a few of the things I observed today. Oh, and Blogger still hasn't restored my missing comments. ;) What did you get up to? Let me know!

Back soon!

janis

Hello Friday!

Have a lovely, and trouble-free, weekend! Back soon!
janis