Pfeffernusse – German spiced gingerbread cookies

Traditionally a Christmas cookie, Pfeffernusse are fun fun fun – to say, to bake, to eat.

Heading to an Oktoberfest recently – I decided to tackle making these. After much googling I happened across a surprisingly simple recipe. In fact – everything I needed was already in my pantry! Well pretty much …. I changed the spices around to accommodate what I had but was a fan of the outcome. You could add in nutmeg, clove or anise if you want. Before you jump in you will note in the “what to do” that these cookies work best when the dough is left to sit for 2 – 3 days. You can crack out after 2 – 3 hours but if you can have the forethought – I recommend letting the dough sit.

The result is puffy clouds full of spice.

Spicey clouds

I put aside a few to share with workmates/flatmates (anyone who hears me jabber on about food so much deserves to try some) and took around 35 cookies to the party. All were snapped up in a few hours – the greatest compliment of all.

What you need:

•  1/2 cup golden syrup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom (I only hd pods so cracked them open and ground up the seeds)
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 2 teaspoons powdered ginger
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons bi-carb soda
• 1 cup icing sugar for dusting

Yields: 48

What to do:

1. On your stove top melt golden syrup, honey and butter. Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, bi-carb soda and all spices.
3. Add eggs to syrup/butter mix and lightly combine.
   NB: This recipe will make you feel paranoid. I thought TOO MUCH LIQUID!! Then … NOT ENOUGH LIQUID!! But it works
4. Stir liquid into flour and combine, this may take a while but stick with it.
5. Wrap up the dough and place in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you don’t have the time – let it sit at least 2 hours.
6. After refrigeration – let the dough cool down to room temperature.
7. Preheat oven to 170C. Line a tray (or two) with baking paper.
8. Roll into cherry tomato size and place on tray 3 cm apart. You should fit 12 on a tray.
9. Bake for 15 minutes (keep an eye on after 10 minutes and turn/change trays depending on your oven).
10. Set aside to cool.
11. Place icing sugar in a large bag and 4 – 5 at a time, place cookies in the bag and shake to coat.

Not many left!

The love affair with brownies continues

I find it very hard to go past a good brownie. Gooey chocolate with melty chocolate inside it is pretty much my happy place. These brownies are very simple, most of the ingredients would be in your cupboard (or is that just me ….).

Side note – the last 5 months have been an intense no-time-for-cooking-no-time-for-much kind of season. Completely loving my new job but I am adjusting to a new schedule so for anyone out there still interested in my cooking adventures, I apologise for radio silence. Aaaaand yes I am aware my last 4 posts have had this disclaimer in it somewhere. I’m human! The love for food hasn’t faded.

Brownies are a fabulous peace-offering no?

Gooey

What you’ll need:

• 200g chocolate – you choose dark/milk brand/cooking, whatever goes!
• 150g v=butter
• 100g flour
• 75g cocoa
• 150g caster sugar
• 150g brown of muscovado sugar
• 4 eggs
• 100g white chocolate chips (or milk, or dark!)
• 100g chopped nuts
  NB: I just attacked a packet of mixed salted nuts I had on hand – you can use any you like. Or omit and fold in dried fruit, more chocolate, marshmallows, crushed pretzels … whatever will sate your craving.

What to do

1. Preheat an over to 180C and line a pan with baking paper.I used approximately a 20×25 pan. Any thicker and you may need to cook for a while longer.
2. Using a double boiler or a small saucepan and heatproof bowl, melt your chocolate and butter.
   

   If “chocolate butter” was a thing … I’d probably buy it

3. Meanwhile in a bowl, place all the dry ingredients – flour, cocoa, sugars, choc chips and nuts.
4. Once chocolate butter has cooled slightly, pour over flour/sugar mixture.
5. Break eggs into this bowl and mix together. No need to beat, whisk or mix terribly well. As long as there are no eggy clumps you are good to go!
   

   So close but so far

6. Bake for 40 minutes.
7. MOST IMPORTANT STEP – Let them sit for at least 10 minutes before you cut them or otherwise …..
   

   ….. this happens

8. Eat plain, with ice cream or cream – just try not to eat the whole batch in one go!

My only tip would be the cooking time, and this may vary with different ovens. A skewer should come out flaky, not coated. Go crazy with flavours too …. grated ginger, cranberries, flavoured chocolates. Mmmmmmm may need to make another batch SOON!

Quick Chicken Pot Pie

With the cold months coming on it is time for warm and filing pies.

Actually, even when its hot sometimes I want pie.

OK honestly, there aren’t many occasions when I’m not totally up for pie. And while on weekends lovingly slow cooking pie filling can make me weak at the knees, sometimes I’m after quick satisfaction.

Such as Mondays. Monday nights I need a great dinner to think about to get me through the day. This pie can be cracked out in 40 minutes, start to finish. 30 minutes if you omit the leeks (just skip steps 2 and 3). Don’t get overwhelmed by the steps, it comes together pretty quickly and if it takes you 45 minutes, I don’t tell anyone.

Fresh from the oven, ready for my tummy

What you need:

500g chicken, breast or thigh
1 leek
1 cup mushrooms
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1 cup hot chicken stock (instant stock is fine)
1 tsp tarragon
2 tbsp thickened cream
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg or a small amount of milk for brushing on pastry at the end

A large glass or ceramic dish for baking the pie
Two frypans, one of which has a lid (a saucepan can be used as long as it has a lid)

What to do:

1. Preheat an oven to 220C, turn your kettle on to boil (if you are using instant stock) and get your pie dish out.
2. Prep your leek by washing thoroughly, you may need to re-wash sections as you cut. Slice the whites finely, you can get a bit rougher as the leek gets greener.
   

   Thicker pieces are OK once the leek gets greener

3. Place the leek and 2 tbsps of butter into the pan that has a lid. Cover and let them sweat, checking regularly. Keep working while this happens and take off once all of the leek is soft.
   

   Softened leeks should resemble this

4. While the leeks are sweating, dice up your chicken and mushrooms into rough bite size pieces.
5. Place chicken in a bag or bowl and cover with flour and tarragon. Salt to taste. Shake around to coat the chicken in the mixture.
   

   Chicken floured and tarragon-ed

6.  In a hot frypan, place rest of the butter and let it melt add mushrooms and cook for 1 minute.
7. Keep the pan hot and add the chicken stirring frequently. Let any excess flour fall into the pan also as this will help it thicken up later on.
8. Once chicken is browned, add the chicken stock. As your pan should be pretty hot, it will steam and bubble a bit. Don’t turn the pan down! All of this will help the thickening.
   

   Chicken and mushrooms in their hot stock bath

9. Add the softened leeks and stir well. Let the mixture simmer for 3 – 5 minutes.
10. Stir in the thickened cream, the whole mixture should be quite thick but not like holding together. In my opinion, a pot pie should have a lot of sauce!
11. Pour the filling into your pie pan, smoothing out so it is fairly even height in the pan.
12. With a little water on them, run your finger around the rim of the pan to ease the pastry sticking.
13. Lay your pastry over the pie. As the filling is so hot, you won’t get a chance to reposition much so try to be accurate with your pastry placement. Any overlap, you can cut off and place on top or bunch up into areas of the side for tasty crunchy parts.
14. Run a knife diagonally across the pie. The pastry will have softened greatly so don’t be concerned about doing exact lines. This is just some breathing space for the pie.
    

    Covered, breathing room cut and ready for the oven!

15. Brush lightly with a little milk or egg and bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is crispy on top.

I have to apologise there is no picture of the inside cooked and ready to eat, I was somewhat too excited when this came out of the oven to take further pictures!

Suggestions:

I’m trying a new section of suggestions. If I wish I did something different or have variations, this is where to find them.

This truly is a throw together pie that is satisfying and easy so I wouldn’t change this recipe but I have made variations if you omit leeks or just feel like more veg inside the pie. You could add a cup of peas or carrots or even dice bacon and add when you are cooking the mushrooms. All these flavours love each other so be confident and go for it.