Food

Nanaimo Bars

1/2 cup butter
5 Tbsp cocoa
1 egg
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups graham crumbs
1/2 cup chopped nuts

* tsp = teaspoon, Tbsp = tablespoon

Combine butter, sugar, cocoa, vanilla and egg in pyrex bowl. Mix well and set bowl in boiling water. Cook, stirring constantly until the butter has melted and the mixture resembles thin custard. In separate bowl combine graham crumbs, coconut and nuts (I prefer not to use walnuts as they are often rancid tasting). Add the cooked mixture and blend thoroughly. Pack evenly into a 9" square pan. Spread with the following icing.

Icing:
Cream 1/4 cup butter, add 3 Tbsp milk which has been combined with 2 Tbsp vanilla custard powder (I use Bird's). Then blend in 1 cup sifted icing sugar adding more if necessary to make good spreading consistency. Spread over bars and let stand at least 15 min, to harden and set. Melt 3 squares semi-sweet chocolate with 1 Tbsp butter and spread over above icing. Cut into bars & enjoy.

Reverse Nanaimo Bars:

Bottom Layer:
1 oz white chocolate
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup finely chopped almonds
1 egg beaten
1 1/2 cups graham crumbs

Middle Layer:
1/3 cup butter
3 Tbsp milk
2/3 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp custard powder
1 1/3 cups sifted icing sugar
1tsp vanilla

Top Layer:
4 tsp vegetable oil
4 oz white chocolate coarsely chopped

Prepare exactly as the regular nanaimo bars. May be drizzled with 1 oz bittersweet chocolate melted with 1/4 tsp oil for decoration.

Cheese Scones aka Cheesy Buns

Ingredients
225g self raising flour
pinch of salt
55g butter
25g mature cheddar cheese, grated - really really strong is much better also extra cheese for topping
pinch of mustard powder
pinch bicarbonate soda
150ml oz milk

Method
1. Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Mix together the flour and salt and rub in the butter to form fine breadcrumb like texture add the mustard powder and the bicarbonate soda
3. Stir in the cheese and then the milk to get a soft dough.
4. Turn on to a floured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat out to a round 2cm thick. Use a 5cm cutter to stamp out rounds and place on the baking sheet. Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up.
5. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk. sprinkle tops of buns/scones with the extra cheese and Bake for 12-15 minutes or until well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack. If you feeling really down spread with butter and eat warm mmmmmmmmmmmm

Tweak's Wine Advice

For a while my humans have not been doing well financally which has really put a damper on my wine drinking. For months the quality was shameful until recently when I discovered four reasonably priced reds that could give any $16 bottle a run for its money.

TRAPICHE RESERVE MALBEC
DON DAVID MALBEC
CASA DE CAMPO TORRONTES RES
PASCUAL TOSO MALBEC

Now for the white wine drinkers, I have an even better find. NAKED GRAPE has a fantasic Savignon Blanc that cannot be beat. It is about $11 and worth every penny.

Please share your wine finds with me.

Teddy Bear Picnic - the Essentials

Picnics are great if you bring all the right stuff.
Supplies needed:

Wine
Tea
Honey
Salmon
Chairs
Blankets
Canoe and fishing rods for the ones who love to catch their own food
Picnic table
Fire making supplies
Most important - good friends