Chocolate Brownies...and it's blowing a gale!

Wow...we're certainly having a bit of a storm across Britain at the mo. Days of relentless rain and gales is causing damage and havoc for some. We've had a few trees downed in the nature reserve...thankfully not falling near the road, paths or onto cars and last night was a restless one with howls of wind that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and gales tore down the sides of the houses and threw debris up onto our windows and roof....not a peaceful quiet time at all! Thankfully no serious damage done and we do hope we've seen the last of the worst of it and calmer times are on the horizon. It's certainly been a time for staying indoors...well...certainly for me...but if you're venturing out, hang onto that hat, batten down the hatches and stay safe!

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Last week I made some Chocolate Brownies and must say I was pretty pleased with the outcome...because to be honest I've always been rubish at baking them, always overcooking and never achieving that perfect balance of scrummy gooey inner and crispy crust outer. This might actually surprise you as I do a fair bit of baking and spent many years creating celebration cakes. It's not for the want of trying...that actual making cannot be any simpler..it's the baking bit that evades me...so I guess brownies have just always been my nemesis.

Maybe it's because I have gone through three different ovens (both gas and electric) in my house over the years so have never managed to settle and get used to a particular way of baking...maybe it's because I have a particular standard of how I like them to be...maybe it's because I'm Virgo and can be a tad obsessive over perfection...but I have a standard - THE most perfect brownie I ever ate was at the Victoria pub in Beeston, Nottingham during an annual CAMRA General Meeting...heavenly sticky chocolate devine creation that I haven't found equal to since (bought or baked)...so those have always been the standard (sadly their recipe is a secret one and refused to be parted with) and I've struggled to meet it..

...but this I'm happy to say is the closest I've got to it so far - one kindly given to me by my lovely friend Sarah.

NOTE - please note that oven makes/temps can vary and the times and temp stated in the recipe are standard and may have to be tweaked to suit yours. I used the exact temp but in a small half sized oven (electric but non fan) and had found I had to increase the cooking time by and extra 10 minutes.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

• 250g  Butter
• 200g  good quality milk chocolate (roughly chopped up)
• 80g    Cocoa powder (unsweetened variety - NOT drinking chocolate powder)
• 65g    Plain flour
• 1tsp   Baking powder
• 360g  Caster sugar (I used unrefined golden caster sugar)
• 4 eggs

Preheat oven to 180oC, grease and line a 20x20cm (8x8inch) square cake tin.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and sugar into a bowl and set aside. Gently melt butter and chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (double boiler technique) and allow to cool slightly before mixing in the dry ingredients. Then beat in the eggs until you get a smooth glossy runny batter. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake 25 mins. Check after this time. The cake will have risen slightly and be crusty on the edges but slightly underdone in the centre. A skewer inserted into the centre WILL NOT come out clean (if it does, the cake is overcooked). If you feel that the cake is still too underdone....return to the oven and bake for a further 5 mins, checking and continuing on in increments of 5 mins until you reach your desired consistency. Taking into account my oven, my brownies took an added 10 mins. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then remove from tin and cut into 16 squares. Dredge the top with icing sugar. Best served warm.

NOTE - Everyone has their own ideas of a perfect brownie...mine has to be crispy crusty on the outside but dense, slightly undercooked and fudgy looking inside. The cake will rise, then sink back down after taking out of the oven and will probably crack on the surface too....this I find very acceptable and adds to the rustic look and crunchy texture. These brownies are delicious eaten still warm, just baked, but I find they improve and become even more dense and fudgy the following day...and warm up a treat in the microwave. They are wonderful eaten as is, with a cuppa, or served warm with cream...or custard.

VARIATIONS - for extra richness you could substitute some of the milk chocolate for plain but I do find the dark cocoa powder more than does for this in the original recipe. I'd suggest you cook it in it's original form first then decide if you wish to tweak the mix to meet your own tastes. For extra crunch, stir some nuts into the mix prior to baking. I have used hazlenuts and pecans and can say both are delicious additions. If you up for a real chocolate hit, you could also throw in some added chocolate drops/chunks (white chocolate works very well)....or cover the baked top with a ganache or fudge frosting.

WARNING - contains many many calories...best not to think about it...eat just one square, give the rest away to your family who will love you forever...then go for a jog!

...and don't worry, you're not missing out as you'll be asked to make more, very soon after...so not long to wait until your next brownie treat!

Enjoy

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My last post for the year for 2011 and it is to Wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Many thanks to you all for taking the time to pop by this Blog, read up and comment...it is all very much appreciated....by both myself and my little Tatty Button and her friends.

...and so, to end this post....I give you a little bit of general knowledge. Did you know that apparently most British Robins migrate to southern warmer climes at this time of year? they leave our Isles to escape what they believe is cold weather!...and the birds we see during winter and the Festive period are more than likely Robins that have migrated in from the Far Eastern countries such as Russia...to escape their very hostile cold temperatures....they must feel they are on a sunny holiday! So, if you see a little RedBreast on Christmas day, bid him a Merry Christmas in Russian lol! BTW - the photo I took of this little Robin above, was in the summer of 2009...so a very British little chap.

Takes cares and enjoy your holidays where ever you go, what ever you do!

xxx

Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge and Christmas favor name tags

Well, that certain festive day is drawing close. Have you got your presents all wrapped, sent your cards and iced that cake yet?

I have to admit I'm pretty organized this year...which is pretty scary for me! probably due to the fact that Christmas is being spent with my family, at home in Birmingham this year....no panic packing of bags and trying to get things done a week or so in advance in order to head off to Worcester to spend the holidays with Clives mom. The meal this year is being held at my sisters and so I'm not having to cook much so it's a pretty laid back affair for me. We do share the cooking responsibilities though and this year I've been given the task of providing the sweet course so that's all fine and prepared in advance. I also make a Christmas cake for them every year. In the past these have been unusual, unique and highly decorative but this year it's simple but classy.

So, Christmas day will be a lazy morning for Clive and I, smoked salmon and scrambled egg breakfast with Bucks Fizz, open our presents to each other then tootle off to sisters place early afternoon (thankfully she only lives around the corner) for the traditional mahoosive feast of turkey and beef.

There are eight of us sharing Christmas this year and my sister is really doing a grand job of a table setting so she asked if I could make some name tags for each place setting...

...and seeings as I am in charge of sweets I decided to incorporate some chocolate truffles as Xmas favors - Irish Cream flavoured for the adults, milk choc for the youngsters. All bagged up in silver and black to co-ordinate with her choice of colour scheme, tags formed using Spellbinders dies and each name cut out in fancy font in card using my good old Cricut Create and Gypsy. Pretty silver cord and a tiny silver bauble finished off each package. She's indicated a few things she's got planned for the design....so can't wait to see the table in all it's glory on the day!

Anyways...onto the main reason for my blog post. A few weeks ago I was given a recipe for easy cook fudge...one made with chocolate and marshmallow, that I was assured is yummy and takes minutes to make and no faffing about with sugar thermometers...so how could I not want to try that!

So today I did just that. Very sorry but I can't credit who's recipe this is...it was passed on from a friend...from her friend and we think it might be something off a tv cooking programme but can't be sure. I did a bit of googling to see if I could work out who...but no joy...so if anyone knows the answer, please let me know.

INGREDIENTS

70g   Butter

300g Soft Brown Sugar

125g Evaporated Milk

225g Marshmallows

300g Milk Chocolate (cut into small pieces)

75g   Dark Chocolate (cut into small pieces)

Prepare an 8inch cake tin by lining with greaseproof paper.

Place butter, sugar and evaporated milk into a large pan and melt gently over a low heat. When all has dissolved, stir in the Marshmallows. Boil for 5 mins, making sure the marshmallow has dissolved. Working quickly, take immediately off the heat and stir in the chocolate. Leave 1 minute then stir to completely combine and ensure the chocolate has melted (please note this mixture, at this moment is VERY hot so yes the gooey choccy mass looks so tempting that you want to stick your finger in to try some...PLEASE don't you'll burn yourself very badly).

Quickly pour into the prepared tin and allow to set for approximately 3 hours. Then remove from tin and paper, cut into approx 2cm squares and box/bag up as required.

And there you have it....soooo simple to make and I can honestly tell you it is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS....smooth, velvety and squidgy (because I have relented and munched on some...but then I have to do this and taste it otherwise I wouldn't be able to give you the recipe if it was all horrible and nasty tasting lol!). A dusting of icing sugar was all that was left to make them a little festive.

 

Enjoy......now go finish that present wrapping!

TATTY TUESDAY No3...PART 2!

A TATTY TUESDAY TO YOU!

Todays I'm posting a follow on from TT No3s post about Altered Stamp Elements (see HERE )

As I promised , I have completed a piece using this technique, and have made a rosette xmas hanging ornament using the closed umbrella stamp.

ALTERED STAMP ELEMENTS - ROSETTE XMAS ORNAMENT

TOOLS REQUIRED - (to make a double sided ornament)

• STAMP - closed umbrella image from TB14 plate Tatty Button Bits and Pieces
• Black Stazon ink
• Acrylic block for applying stamp image
• Red Cardstock (I used textured card)
• Green Cardstock (I used textured card)
• Gold Mirri cardstock
• Spellbinders Nestabilities die S4293 Lacey Circles
• Spellbinders Shapeabilities die S4340 Create-a-Flake Three
• 2 wooden buttons
• Red Grosgrain ribbon 1.5cm wide and 36cm long
• Red&White Bakers Twine
• Old coarse bristled artists paintbrush or blending tool
• Glue (Glue gel and tape works best)
• Die cutting machine
• Scissors

Following the tutorial set out for the Altered Stamp Elements I stamped out 16 umbrella images onto red card, and 16 umbrella images onto green card (remembering to leave out the handle part) then cut out the images and curved all the pieces to create dimemsion. These were then set aside.

Using my Cuttlebug die cutting machine and the Gold mirri card, I cut out two each of the listed dies - using the second largest lacy circle (9cm approx diameter) and the mid sized snowflake. The two largest circles were glued back to back and the edges slightly aged using black Stazon ink and the brush. The two snowflakes were also inked but not glued together.   



The red grosgrain ribbon was folded in half and glued across the large die cut circle so that it lay each side...forming a loop at the top and the two ends at the bottom. A length of bakers twine was then layed across the ribbon in the same fashion, and secured in place. Black Stazon ink was brushed gently across the ribbon to age it.

The stamped and cut out pieces were then sorted out into two equal piles, each containing 8 red and 8 green parts and assembled and glued into full circle rosettes of alternating colours - one each side of the gold circle.

The small die cut snowflakes were then glued to the centre of each rosette, topped off with a wooden button tied with extra offcuts of the bakers twine.

So, there you go! This piece was constructed double sided so that it can be hung up...as both sides will be seen but you could easily make just one side...and perhaps use it for a card topper...or even an embellishment/tag on a present.

TATTY TUESDAY - No 3

A TATTY TUESDAY TO YOU!

Have you ever wanted to buy a particular rubber stamp...but hesitated because you don't think you'll ever use it enough to justify it's purchase price?...and that it may be only fit for one particular purpose?

Well, todays Tatty Tuesday might help you to reconsider the designs and look beyond what the eye initially sees. Sometimes that stamp can offer you a little more scope and versatility than you first realise and enable you to use it in projects and designs beyond what the original design intended.

As someone interested in altered art, I always try to keep an open mind about materials and items that can be reused in ways other than their original purpose and I also try to look at rubber stamp designs in that same way too. I like to take elements from designs and stamp them out to see what else I can do with them and increase their potential (and so make them more cost effective). Although I know other crafters do this...I don't really think there is a particular term for this technique...

...so I have decided to call it ALTERED STAMP ELEMENTS.

I'm using three Tatty Button designs to prove the point and using them in the form of paper piecing (ie cutting out the stamped images and piecing them together to form other shapes. Some stamp designs might allow you to stamp and group the elements directly together without the need for cutting out and layering up....but it really depends on what you have available and how easy it is to ink up and isolate the various sections.....clear stamps are best for this as you can see where to position the stamp.

I'd also like to point out that the fist two designs were initially discovered and used by Karen Lines and Sue Wilson for Creative Expressions.

TUTORIAL No3 - ALTERED STAMP ELEMENTS (using paper piecing)

TOOLS REQUIRED -

I'm not completing a full project piece in this tutorial...rather I'm just showing you how to reuse elements from stamps and using three Tatty Button designs as examples in basic forms...therefore basic tools required. It will then hopefully help you look at all the stamp designs YOU own and see what you can take elements from and incorporate into your own artwork.

For my examples I used

• 
   
• Main stamp images - for this tutorial I used TB14 (Tatty Button Bits and Pieces),  TB3 (Rainy Days), and TB8 (Pip)
• Paper and/or cardstock - coloured and patterned
• Ink (in this case Ranger Distress Ink - Black Soot)
• Acrylic blocks for applying the stamps
• Scissors

TUTORIAL -

First, stamp out your full image, in black ink, onto a spare piece of white paper...so that you can see all the details clearly. Then look carefully to see if there are any areas that could be isolated to be used to create a different design. The closed umberella design above has potential with the main triangular shaped section to be used in multiples and pieced togther to form shapes. The handle section is not required.

Ink up the stamp and multiple stamp out onto your chosen paper. I am using a simple plain coloured piece so that you can see the designs more clearly as we progress with the tutorial. If you can avoid inking up the areas that are not required, all the better, but because in this particular technique we are cutting out the shapes, it is not so important - the unwanted sections will be cut away.

Cut out all the pieces...depending on your design and size of and personal preference, use the cutting tool of your choice.

Now the fun begins as you start piecing the seperate cut out shapes together. I always stamp and cut out more pieces than I think I will need....in order to allow extra to experiment with - further cutting up, or bending, folding and reshaping.

This particular piece can be placed side by side to start forming a fan shape.

7 pieces will allow you to create a half circle - or fully opened out fan.

14 pieces creates a full circle which has the potential to be made into a flower - just add a decorative centre. Each individual piece can act as a petal and you could use as many or as few as you want....and even layer up on top of each other to create a decoupaged flower effect!

Further dimension can be created by gently curving the pieces....or scoring and folding along the lines.

A mixture of flat and shaped pieces can be used with interesting effect...such as laying out alternatively...or even layering a curved piece ontop of a flat piece.

They can be used to form wings or tails....

...such as for this simple butterfly.

 

So now you can see how an umbrella shape can be recreated into a flower, a butterfly or fan....start looking at what can YOUR stamps can do for you.

 

Talking of butterflys...here's another...using a section from another Tatty Button Stamp....

...using the open umbrella section from this full Tatty Button figure!

This simple little fantasy flower....

....is actually an ear from this Pip image...stamped and cut out to form seperate petals.

Not all pieces will require cutting out and reforming. You might have stamps with areas that could be used to create patterns and texture...and used like a background stamp.

I hope this has given you food for thought.

...oh, and I will be creating a project using this technique in the coming weeks...so stay tuned.

Tatty Ta Ta for now!