Forgive me THIGHS for i have sinned....

See her.... that woman there.... the one stuffing her face with freshly baked Brioche and homemade chocolate spread.....? That's me that is.
Forgive me Thighs, Stomach, Bottom = for today i ate like a King! In terms of food, i have a great deal to talk about. Mainly in conjunction with my new love of Molly *swoon* (see previous post) but rather than overwhelm with you my full days menu - i'll spoon feed you the MACAROONS for now and spare you the gluttony i indulged in.
These babies:::::::>>>> are Coconut Macaroons! Baking in the oven. Oh yum.... And i don't even 'like' coconut. Well, i didn't until today.

I was up early today and had a Brioche loaf baking by 6am - (ready in 3 hours or so) so i started my day with Tea and Fresh Pineapple whilst standing idle over the stove and the beginnings of the Macaroons.

By fortuity (or great sense of smell) by parents happend to be passing my home at 8.30am and wanted breakfast! luckily there were 5 egg yolks looking for a home as i had just used the 5 egg whites in my Macaroons. So they were treated to Scrambled Egg on toast. (i am slowly feeling smug and self satisfied at my domestic economics)

By 10am, my parents long gone, the Brioche was ready. And, like the pig that i am, i ate great slabs of it smothered in Chocolate Ganache that was left over from covering the Macaroons. Honestly, i almost turned into a French Native, it was such an extravagant breakfast.

Then i needed to taste the amazing Macaroons. They were a joy! and i love a recipe that i can adapt. As i was making these this morning i had a few different variations forming in my head. They didn't need the chocolate in my opinion. So my next batch will omit the Ganache topping and i am going to add finely chopped dried Cranberries or dried Sour Cherries.... great for kids snack packs.... the ideas are endless.....

Later, i ate "Bouchons au Thon" also courtesy of Molly Wizenberg with a salad of toasted Brioche croutons, blue cheese and masses of chopped tomatos, all on a bed of Rocket leaves.

Forgive me nothing my friends - who wants to be skinny when you can eat like this!?

And, if you are nice to me, i will share the recipe for the Bouchons x

Read your own Blog....

... i mean it, go back through your own blog and read it!
I popped into this blog this morning - i wanted to bake a batch of wholemeal scones and i thought i should check MrsB's previous post when she made them.... I had a recipe but wanted to compare if MrsB's seemed better / any tips she had etc...
Well, i got carried away reading all our posts. We are brilliant! (tongue in cheek) and i really enjoyed some of the great food, all over again. I reminded myself about Cous-Cous and there were a few of MrsB's i had earmarked 'to try' but forgotten about.

That's all i wanted to say really. Go through your own blog - it's good fun... like finding a book that you really liked and takes you back to forgotten moments...

Cheers to us x

Emergency Chocolate Cake

MMMmmm, cake.....
MMMmmm, chocolate... So: in just over one hours time, your house will be entertaining 6 children and 4 adults.... i have held birthday parties with fewer guests than this.
But the weather is poor, kids need to play and you can't 'not invite' so and so...
you'll have to invite them all to yours.

Believe me, this is quick and easy. Providing you have a stock cupboard with Cake ingredients.
7oz plain flour
2 tble spoons cocoa powder
1 t'spoon bicarb soda
1 t'spoon baking powder
4oz caster sugar
2 tblespoons Golden Syrup
2 eggs (i only had ONE EGG left!! so i just put one in, and it was fine)
1/4 pint corn oil (i keep a bottle in the cupboard especially for this emergency cake)
just under 1/4 pint milk

Topping / Filling: Some Icing Sugar... a tub of emergency frosting if you have any... good quality chocolate to melt... cream to whip...any combinations of whatever you have really!


Bung all the ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand or machine - it will be pretty runny.
I greased and lined two 8inch sandwich tins. Fill half each with the mixture.
Cook for about 30mins on 160 / 325 (check at 25mins, my oven is pretty rapid)
TThhhhheee lightest sponge ever! and no butter, and ONE egg! surely it shouldn't work? but it does....

The icing was all experimental with what i had left in my kitchen. half a tub of shop bought frosting in the middle - but you could whip up some cream or make some butter icing? it doesn't need much as the sponge is so good alone :)

For the top, i melted a small bit of butter with 2/3rds of a half eaten bar of dark 70% chocolate and literally the dregs of a packet of icing sugar - whisked by hand... And poured it over the cake, allowing it to drip in abandon. I even put this cake in the fridge for 20mins so the guests didn't think it was 'still warm' and 'just made'.

I am a little house proud and did wash the bowl before they arrived (you could hide the dirty utensils in a cupboard if you're in a hurry)

I was just sweeping the floor as they arrived....

Emergency! and oh sooooo good x

(a recipe given to me as a teenager the Mum of a good friend, an adapted for circumstances)

The bigger questions of existence and chocolate....

Spoon? or finger?