Roasting Coffee

There is nothing in all the world like freshly home-roasted coffee. There is also no way to describe the smell involved in roasting coffee unless you have been involved in the process before. It is not that wonderful coffee smell you think it will be. That comes later. Roasting coffee beans produces pungent "burnt toast" fumes best confined to the garage or other out- house...definitely not for the regular urban kitchen setting. 

Otherwise know as the "C lab": 

Simple process really, refined from information found via ineedcoffee.com. Begin with a good supply of green coffee beans, like these:

I use a popcorn maker and heat them til they look like this.

Quite a lot of husk will come off the beans as they heat up.

While they are still warm, pan roast the beans over high heat, keeping the lid on most of the time, shaking around frequently & spraying with a fine mist of water from time to time so that the beans don't become too dry.

 (this photo was taken before my 'C' lab was exiled to the garage)

Here are the 3 stages.

Roast til they look like this.

 Nice!

Now it starts to smell good. Just like coffee should!

Cool and store in a fabulous coffee jar for 24 hours before making the first brew.

Grind fairly finely.
Expresso style!

Cheers Rob

Quark Stollen for Christmas ♛

This is a wonderfully easy way to make stollen without yeast, yet it is still utterly delicious & keeps very well.

Soften 125g chopped butter
Add 350 g quark- a smooth, low fat soft white cheese. Ricotta would be a good substitute.
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
Freshly grated nutmeg
Beat together till smooth
Add 2 eggs
Zest of an orange or lemon
then, 500g mixed fruit...or any combination of dried fruit, peel, almonds etc that takes your fancy
3 cups flour & 3 tsps baking powder. Or- 1 cup ground almonds, 1 cup coconut flour & 1 cup of spelt flour (or whatever you like to use) & the baking powder.
Mix it all in to a softish dough & using wet hands shape in to oblongs on a greased baking tray (or line with baking paper)

 Bake for 55- 60 mins at 180 degrees C & when partly cooled brush with a little melted butter & drench with icing sugar.

It's soo easy to make some smaller ones to give away out of this recipe too which is nice : )

If you'd like to have a go at making stollen using yeast then pop in here to David Lebovitz living the sweet life in Paris.

  much

for a wonderful Christmas ♥

Apricot & Honey Balls

These are so quick & easy to make, full of flavour & really healthy too!
Soak 2 cups of dried apricots in 1/2 c of orange juice for at least a couple of hours or overnight until the fruit has plumped up & the liquid has been absorbed. I have used 1/2 c of organic dried mango in this batch.
Tip in to a food processor & add 1/2 to 1 cup of ground almonds
1/2 cup of nice honey & a dsp of rosewater
pulse until it all comes together in to a ball

make in to balls with wet hands, 

rolling in coconut as you go

in warmer weather keep in the fridge

they are not too rich or sweet & have a lovely tang to them

 Feel free to adjust the recipe to suit your own taste.

Caramel Square

Caramel Square is a perennial family favourite so here it is so that we know where to find the recipe : )

Cream 300 grams of butter with a cup of brown sugar

add 1 tsp vanilla essence

mix in 3 cups of flour (1/2 wholemeal eg. zentrofen 5 grain is good)

Press half in to a decent size greased tin.

Caramel: melt 150g butter with 6 tbsps golden syrup & 2 tins of sweetened condensed milk

stir over low heat until melted & well combined

spread over the base

I know this is not in focus..I'll take another photo NEXT time I make this ; )

 Add 1 cup of walnuts to the remaining mixture & crumble over the caramel.

 Press down lightly.

 Bake for 30 mins at 180 degrees C

 Cut when cold.

Hide it..well, ok not from yourself!