Cherry Almond Ricotta Hotcakes

So, if you don't like cherries then you're life pretty much sucks right now since here we have another post dedicated to the beautes. This recipe was obviously borne from the tartes in the previous post. I LOVE to spin-off my own recipes and recreate them into an entirely different meal or idea.

And I've so been loving on these sprite little bebes... With no oil or butter added to the batter, they are deceptively decadent. Seriously, with the fruit, protein, and whole grain {and cream!} they make a pretty well-balanced brekky, no? And some citrus in there would be hot.

I like to make a big batch and keep it in the batter bowl and use it over a couple of days. It makes having a fancy breakfast like this possible more days than just Saturday.

Almond Pancake Batter

3 eggs

2 t. vanilla

1 t. pure almond essense/extract

3/4 t. butter essesce / butter sweet dough emulsion / flavoring

good 1/2 cup ricotta cheese {I use light, and 'good' means probably a bit more than 1/2 cup}

2 cups milk

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 heaping T. baking powder

2 cups whole wheat flour {break it up or just use white if you're a baby like that. I kid}

1/2 -1 cup slivered almonds

Combine eggs, flavorings, ricotta, and milk; whisk to combine

Add in salt, baking powder, and flour. Add more milk if too thick, more flour if too thin.

Heat griddle on medium heat. Spray non-stick spray or add a tiny bit of butter to the pan.

Place almonds onto the griddle in small mounds. Pour batter over each mound, then top with more almonds. Flip when cakes show bubbles and are golden on bottom side. Cook through on the other side.

Serve with warm cherry syrup and cream if desired

Vanilla Cherry Syrup

1/2 cup cherries, pitted {fresh or frozen}

1 1/2-2 cups juice

1/3 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean pod

Heat juice, sugar, and vanilla pod in a saucepan over high heat. Thicken and reduce until nearly syrupy. {5-10 minutes} Add cherries and continue cooking / boiling for another 3-4 minutes until syrupy.

*note, syrup will be quite thin until it cools for a few minutes

good sans almonds too

Thanks so much for all of your sincere comments {and questions}. I really won't be doing as much individual responding {-though I will some}. I just need to take the pressure off of myself since I, like many bloggers, don't much enjoy replying for the mere sake of replying.

I do however love the connection I feel to something real, whether it is a sincere, honest, even earnest question or thought. Or an old or new friend saying hello. I will often respond to these types of comments.

However, I do appreciate each and every comment left, and love to read through the comments fresh or old, relevant or otherwise {minus spam}. And I always appreciate the time it took to stop by and leave each comment {minus spam}. I am especially grateful to those who leave comments with no way to respond to you, let me thank you now! {minus rude people}

Cherry Walnut Tartes

So if you haven't noticed I quit this blog. The decision was made the same day I realized it was finally my scheduled week to have my blog redesigned...and I'd already paid for it. Awesome.

It had just become too much! And since quitting life has been so full-on that I wonder how I managed to find the time to put into this thing for the last two years!

I thought I would be able to find the time to atleast 'esplain where I was coming from before now, but even tonite I've really had to force-make the time because it is really, really time.

I will never fully quit this blog. I learned that last year when I tried. But you may have noticed I removed everything on my sidebar, and any trace of knowing who is looking at the blog or anything related to stats. I just don't think of this as a blog anymore. It is once again returning to what it started out in the beginning as: a journal, for me. And removing the shackles was wonderfully painful, yet so free-ing. And in nearly 3 months I haven't looked back. I made the right choice.

Long story short, I'd love people to check what I post, when I post -if they like. But if not, that's cool too. It's not a competition anymore. It is just for me and close friends and anyone who enjoys it and wants to be here. It will be honest, and I won't feel the pressure for it or myself to be anything other than what we are.

And I'm really excited about it.

A huge thanks to everyone for your support, comments, questions, and enthusiasm. If your questions have not been answered recently, they will soon. And thanks, seriously, for being there for me and encouraging me with this little project of mine that has taken, yet given so much.

The next few months will be busier than ever. My husband accepted another position with a different company last month, and as a result we are moving from Sydney to Melbourne. He started his job around a month ago and is loving it, which nothing else makes me happier. He has been commuting from here to Melb until we find a house. And we're kinda half-heartedly finishing out the school year up here for Laine, which ends middle of next month.

My parents came for a visit also and just left last week. After nearly two years of being here, it was GREAT to finally have our first visitors. We're expecting some more next week, Ben's brother and his wife are coming and we lovelovelove them and are so excited to get them one-on-one. It is thrilling to see the people close to you enjoy the things you experience daily!

Onto the food -explainations on that below the recipe...

Walnut Tarts with a Sweet Cherry Reduction

Pastry:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeded {do this by splitting it open length-wise and then running the knife down it, collecting all of the tiny seeds}

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup butter {just a little less actually}

Mix flour, sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and salt.

Cut in butter, knead for 5-7 minutes, add in walnuts

Then Roll into one in balls

Use fingers to make wells, making small, nearly bite-sized tarts

Should look about like this. This buttery, mildly sweet dough turns nutty as the walnuts bake inside it.

Bake in a 325 / 170 degree preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown

These ones I dusted in sugar before baking, it's an option ya'll

Cherry Reduction Filling {topping}

About 1 cup juice -any sweet flavor works, but I like using something with cherries or berries in it or mixing different juices together

1 vanilla bean pod {use the one used for the pastry}

1/4-1/3 cup sugar

Cherries -about 1 cup, fresh or frozen pitted


Heat juice and vanilla bean over high heat, add sugar.

Reduce until nearly syrupy. Add cherries and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes

Cherry topping should be thick and syrupy so that it can cleanly top the tarts.

This is the point I added the cherries. Thick and syrupy, but still needs to reduce

To assemble, place the cooled tart pastry on a serving platter. Top with Cherries, then with whipped cream. Garnish with mint or other leaves/flowers.

You can not mess this up, people will be amazed because they are so tiny and cute -but they taste as good as they look!

I made created this recipe in the last weeks of the US cherry harvest, they were being shipped down here. Since then I have made it several times with frozen cherries and it is every bit as grand. It think it could be an adorable little holiday recipe with the red and green, but also spring and summery just as easily.

You will love it, I promise!

This particular recipe is one of my all-time favorites that I have created to date, a real stand-out for me.

Red Wine Braised Leg of Lamb with Carrot & Sweet Potato Mash

This pretentious sounding supper {ps does anyone hate the word 'supper' as much as me?...} is the epitome of food from my culinary perspective. Start to finish this dinner was little to no more effort or time than some down-home, comfort-food-type casseroles I've produced. Honestly. Only it was far more posh and opulent, not to mention infinitely more toothsome. But seriously, please hear me when I say, this was really relatively easy to make, and actually quite fool proof as well!

I made this for my deserving husband for Father's Day, which was celebrated today. He has been so patient and supportive of all of my kitchen escapades, especially the blog -this very blog of which ensures the majority of his meals are served cold succeeding them being photographed

Anyway, in addition to my 'lil leg of lamb {I was actually after Shanks but didn't get to the butcher in time, so this replicated with shanks would be great too!} I made a Carrot and Sweet Potato Mash since my Honey loves Sweet Potatoes. And since I kinda hate them and never make them, I thought that was a pretty nice gift to incorporate them into the meal. And I was in desperate need of gifts since all I had wrapped up for him for his special day were 'coupons'... again. Imagine, another year has rolled by and he still hasn't redeemed his voucher for golf lessons! This year, to make him happy with yet another year of coupons, I threw some in for more pg-13 favors, {ok R -are there any squeamish readers or any kids? Actually I know my parents read this blog too, and my in-laws... should I erase this??}.

Enough about me...{nervous laughter...} So it is rare that I make mashed potatoes, but when I do, I now always incorporate onion and carrot. And I never boil them anymore. I know, crazy right?, but you have GOT to try roasted mash if you never have. It is incredible the flavor that is retained instead of being boiled and then drained out. The carrots and onions give it a sweetness that is incredible. The added Sweet Potatoes in this version were so good too I almost liked them. Freaky.

Please give it a try, even if you are just going to roast potatoes alone rather than boiling, you will be amazed I double-your-money-back-guarantee it!

Red Wine Braised Leg of Lamb

1 Lamb Leg or equivalent shanks

4-ish carrots

1-2 onions

4 + cloves garlic

olive oil

salt

fresh herbs -assorted* {see below}



Heat Dutch Oven to searing, high heat

Meanwhile, pat leg of lamb dry with paper towels and season all sides with plenty of sea salt {like tons, like maybe 2-3 t.?}

Place Lamb into pre-heated Dutch Oven, like so


And sear on all sides until golden brown


Meanwhile trim ends of carrots and slice onions into rings. Crush and peel garlic, and add all into pot with herbs and red wine.

Cover with lid and roast in in a preheated 150 c /300 f degree oven for several hours {I braised for roughly 6-7 hours}

Run juices through a fat separator {LOVE this gadget and use it constantly. It's a must have!} and then reduce over high heat until thickened and serve over lamb and roast mash.

Roasted Mashed Potatoes with Carrot and Sweet Potatoes



1 onion

2-3 cloves garlic

2-3 carrots

4-ish potatoes

2 small sweet potatoes

1/8 -1/4 c. butter

2-4 T. cream

salt

-If you are short on time, cube the vegetables. However, I was making this and leaving it for several hours, so I left the potatoes whole, halved the carrots, and halved the sweet potatoes lengthwise. The onions were cut into quarters, and the garlic left whole and added in the last 1/2 hour of cooking since I was worried it would burn.

I left this in the oven below the braising lamb for 4 hours, to which upon returning home to my delight and surprise it was not burned, but all vegetables were perfectly tender and ready to be mashed.

To prep, drizzle with olive oil and salt and place in oven for desired amount of time. Once roasted, they make look like this



Once tender, take from the pan and place into a mixer. Whip together with butter and cream until fluffy and delicious -testing and making sure they are seasoned well, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

**If cubing and cooking at higher heat, you could have them roasted and ready in under an hour. Try cubing, roasting at 375 / 190 for 45 minutes or until tender.

The thing I love most about roasting the Mashed Potatoes, is that they are so flavorful that you will be able to resist dripping these in gravy. Of course there will still be gravy or jus, just a little less of it! Besides that though, they are seriously EASIER to make than boiling them. Just cut them up, throw them in, and forget it. No boiling over mess, no burning yourself draining them, making for one less dish to wash. So great. You will love them, I promise!

And the lamb, what can I say. It is fabulous and you will love it too. Go ahead and serve with mint jelly, it's just not my favorite so I don't. *I did cook it with some mint though! I cooked it with a variety of herbs from my garden. I was talking on the phone at the time and got carried away, I think I added something of everything I had except cilantro. It made for a beautiful flavor. Just pick one you like and go for it if you don't have an herb garden. It gets expensive if you don't though, so just go for it and plant one!

Laine's Sweet Shoppe and Soda Fountain Birthday

My daughter's 5th birthday party was in June, and my friend Sals, who is a photographer, took some great shots and just passed them on to me. So I thought I'd share them to get some ideas flowing if anyone is having a birthday party for a little girl anytime in the near future.


I bought this cupcake stand on ebay because I wanted something different, and gender-neutral {thinking I could switch out the color of the ribbon}. I even drove all the way to the city the night before to pick it up. Ohhh, it such a piece. The first thought I had when seeing it was that I could have made that... if I'd wanted something crafty and homemade looking.

It broke within the first hour of us having it when my husband overestimated it's sturdiness and picked it up by the top layer to carry it in, immediately snapping it off.

Besides the cupcake stand, I put the tables together with fruits and goodies in old-timey jars that were then ready to dip in chocolate ganache

Fruits, Biscuit, and Marshmallows with Chocolate Ganache

1 tsp vanilla {optional

1/2 cup cream

2/3 cup chocolate -I used a mix of milk and dark

Melt together over stove on low heat and serve with an assortment of fruits, cookies, biscuits, lollies, etc. If being extra fancy, have toasted coconut or sprinkles to dip in and decorate with.

We also made Italian Sodas to sip on

Italian Sodas

Flavored Syrup -Raspberry, Vanilla, or Ameretto are my favorite*

Half and Half**

Soda Water / Club Soda

To make each Italian Soda, place 1-2 tsp Syrup and then fill the glass half full with soda water / club soda. Top that off with half and half.

*You can find syrups in the grocery store or I purchased mine at a wholesale coffee-house shop

**Half and Half is purchased in the dairy section. If they don't have it, make your own by mixing equal parts of whipping cream and milk

We also decorated cupcakes. I used my Sugar Cookie Cake recipe once more, because it is my favorite. Then I used scrapbook paper to cut out individual cupcake wrappers that were glued on after baking and frosting them.



After blowing out the candles, the girls all decorated their cupcakes with sprinkles and candies, and then we put them into plastic pink Chinese take-out containers lined with glossy tissue paper, pictured above. Then, we tied them each with their own ribbon to tell who's was who's, since the markers were not working to write names!

More pics from the party. It was so fun, but I was not sad to kiss the stress of it goodbye!

Cornflake, Walnut, and Coconut Encrusted French Toast

I was just going to add this on as an update to the last post, but one bite of it yesterday and I realized it deserved it's own post.

I added the coconut, as promised, but added a special, saucy, secret ingredient that probably shouldn't be added for something served before 5 pm, let alone breakfast... RUM!

I had the thought to do this a few times ago, but was a little scared. I knew it would either be a disaster or monumental success, and I wasn't ready to deal with the disappointment if it was the former. But I braved it, and success it was! If you don't have a big old jug of rum like me, go get some of those little rum flavorings on the spice aisle and put a capful in instead.

I actually made one version without rum and it was great, but I vastly preferred the rum version and would make it with or without coconut, every time I make this. I also paired this with bananas, which I have on every other version as I just didn't have any for the picture the other day {or so I though, I did find some special bananas later that day that Gabe had cleverly hidden. I was a little irked I didn't have them for the photo, but relieved I found them before they turned black!} I know from the comments on the last post that many of you felt they were missing!

Anyway, here it is in all it's glory. And I'm even including a pic of the crumbing mixture because it looks good enough to eat on it's own. {It is good enough to eat on it's own}

Recipe is the same as Cornflake and Almond Encrusted French Toast with the exception of adding 2-3 T. rum to egg mixture, switching walnuts for almonds {macadamias would be good but they're not my favorite, sorry! but you do it, DO it!} and adding 1/4 c. + coconut to cornflake blend.