Walnut Cookies

I have a confession, I have an obsession with molds and shaped cake tins. My house is full of them, cute bear cake tins, rose bundt tins, cameo molds...... The list is endless, and even though I only use some of them once I just can not stop myself.

So this here story is about some walnut cookie molds I bought. How cute is it, really I had no choice I had to get it. They are from house on the hill who make the most amazing Springerle and Speculaas Cookie Molds as well as stacks of other baking tools. I go into the online store and I'm lost for hours, sigh.......

So anyway, when I bought the mold it came with some recipes including edible peanut and chocolate playdoh, yum. But today I am sharing a recipe inspired by Martha Stewart Living whom actually introduced me to house on the hill. Note the cookie is very dense as it has to be to hold the shape during baking, so I find it is best to pull the 2 halves apart when eating.
 


The molds are a bit fiddly and until you work out the technique to gently pull the dough out you will be cursing.


Walnut cookies (makes around 25 sandwich cookies)

Cookie dough
2 1/2 cups plain (all purpose) flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
170 gram (6 ounces or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
85 gram (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla

For mold - Icing (confectioners) sugar for dusting

1. Sift flour, salt and cinnamon into a bowl.

2. Beat butter, cream cheese and both sugars on medium until fluffy, about 2 mins. Beat in yolk and vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Form dough into disk (about 3cm / 1 inch thick) wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

3 Dust walnut mold generously with icing (confectioners) sugar. Cut a piece of dough about the size of the mold and press in carefully with fingers working from center.

Gently pull the dough out of the mold with your fingertips and pop onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.



Trim the edges of the walnut cookie with a knife if required. Repeat with remaining dough spacing cookies approx 3cm (i inch) apart. Clean mold as required during this process and add dust with more sugar. Freeze cookies at least 1 hour until very firm.


4. preheat over to 160 C (325 F) and bake until set around 25 - 30 mins. Cool on wire racks and sandwich together 2 cookies with approx 1 tsp filling.

Chocolate filling
180 gram dark chocolate (6 oz. bittersweet chocolate), coarsely chopped
60 gram (2 ounce - 1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave on medium low for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in bursts of 30 seconds, stirring in between till chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside and cool, stirring occasionally, until cool and slightly thickened.

Goldilocks porridge - vegetable porridge that's just right

Please don't stop reading my blog after you see these pictures....
 

In winter we have this Goldilocks vegetable porridge at least once a week if not more and I start those days with the satisfaction of knowing that I don't really care who eats all their vegetables at dinner that night.

I came up with this idea one day while looking at a carrot cake recipe and it's been a hit in our household ever since.

Pretty much it's porridge made on skim milk with some carrot, zucchini and blueberries added. Nearly every food group covered all in one go. I let the kids add some maple syrup and cinnamon sugar (obviously we are not adverse to a bit of sugar in this household), but I still figure it's less than they are getting in the commercial cereals.

If you have super fussy children who won't eat green vegetables peel the green skin of the zucchini before grating so they cant see the green bits and probably hold the carrot and blueberries. 

Vegetable Porridge (Serves 2 or served me, a 5 year old, 3 year old and nearly 2 year old)

2/3 cup oats (not instant)

1 1/2 cups skim milk (can use water if you have allergies)
1/2 carrot finely grated
1/2 zucchini grated
1/2 cup approx frozen or fresh blueberries

In medium saucepan stir oats, milk, carrot and zucchini over medium heat until simmering and mixture is the consistency you require, generally should be quite thick. If using frozen blueberries add and stir for a minute until thawed, remove from heat and serve. If using fresh blueberries, remove from heat, ladle into dishes and sprinkle over blueberries.

Serve with maple syrup and cinnamon sugar.

If you mix in frozen blueberries it'll look like the blue string goo from Bridgette Jones diary but it will still taste good

If your serious about cupcakes you should seriously check this out

I heart my cupcake courier. Well I should say couriers plural because I have a few now, and have just added to my collection, couldn't help myself when my friend emailed me about the Modern Mum gift pack.

As you can see I use my couriers all the time. Best way ever to cart cupcakes around without squishing all your decorations. The couriers hold 36 cupcakes and have a handle at the top to make carrying easier.Also if you take out the inserts you can use it to easily and safely store or transport a decorated cake.

 

At the moment The Cupcake Courier's Modern Mum gift pack has a yellow courier plus 2 packs of cupcake wrappers and 2 packs of Marie Shion sugars for $40, plus postage.

I know....that's pretty great value, just had to share it with everyone.

Click here for the link   Cupcake Courier Modern Mum

While you are there you should check out the other stuff available, they have a great range of Jessie Steele Designer Aprons which come in adult and kids sizes.

and I couldn't help but pick myself up some Happeez Clipper Princess Trio reduced from $24.95 to $12.95. Huge range of designs to choose from.

 Seriously you should check it out while the sale lasts.