All Good Things Issue 24
Homemade Chewy Caramels + German Spice Cookies + Virgin Gingerbread Martini
Issue 24 : Dec 12, 2021
Hello friends!
It's good to be back here sharing all good things with you today after a little hiatus. The end of the year always tends to get a little out of hand as there are many many balls up in the air that need to be juggled and brought down safely and quickly before the working world goes into hibernation for Christmas. These past few weeks, I took some time off from the newsletter/blog to try and finish most of my projects/client work for the year.Â
Today, we finally put up our Christmas tree while munching on homemade chewy caramels, spice cookies and Greek almond cookies. After a lot of research, I ordered some lovely Kraft cookie boxes with a clear window in the lid to pack my homemade cookies and caramels in for Christmas presents. They arrived within a day from Sydney (express shipping) and look really good. I'll share some finished shots of my cookie boxes once I have packed them. To wrap my caramels into toffees, I also bought this conveniently smaller sized roll of parchment paper. It is perfect for wrapping 1-inch squares or slightly larger rectangle shaped caramels.
This year Elfie (our Elf On The Shelf) arrived with Jovie (his girlfriend) and Nick and I take turns every night creating a fun tableau for the boys to discover the following morning. Here on Instagram, I have shared all the Elf On The Shelf fun from last year and this year (in case you are looking for ideas for your own kids). We only started doing this two years ago for our older boys because they get such a kick from this activity clearly meant for younger kids. They absolutely love it and get into the magical spirit of Christmas and play along with us! It's so much fun!Â
The Jacarandas are ablaze in their purple glory, the cockatoos are out in droves, the La Nina means another customary wet Christmas day forecast here in Sydney and I am incredibly eager to hang up my apron for the year and get into the festivities. But first, I'd like to share some really good things - recipes, gift ideas, cookbooks - along with three new Christmas recipes on the blog!
Your search for the easiest, multiple-tested, foolproof buttery homemade caramels ends here! Try my recipe for the most delicious Homemade Chewy Caramels today. I guarantee you will love it. It is the most delightful treat for the whole family. And perfect for gifting over Christmas!
This recipe has just 5 ingredients and you can dump everything in a pan, cook to the right temperature, pour in a tin and set overnight. It takes a total of 11-14 minutes and it couldn't be easier! I also show you how you can rescue a batch of failed caramel and how to cook the caramel to different temperatures for different "chewiness" levels.
FESTIVE SPICE COOKIES (GERMAN PFEFFERNUSSE)
The perfect Christmas Spice Cookie is one packed with warming, delicious spices. These delicious Festive Spice Cookies are crumbly and coated with icing sugar. Inspired by the famous German Pfeffernusse, these cookies make a great gourmet gift.
Perhaps, my most favourite thing about the holiday season is bringing out all my baking books and Christmas specials that I have collected over the years and shortlisting a dozen cookie recipes to bake and pack in beautiful boxes to give away friends and family. Today, I am baking multiple batches of these deliciously fragrant spice cookies to pack in cookie boxes. The secret to their beautiful taste is a homemade German Gingerbread Spice Mix which I share in the recipe.
SICILIAN CHILLI GARLIC BRUSSELS SPROUTS
A ten-minute, quick, pan-roasted brussels sprouts recipe with big payback. This Christmas, look no further than my delicious Sicilian Chilli Garlic Brussels Sprouts. Super easy to scale up and an absolute crowd-pleaser!
My Cookbook
I have very limited signed copies (Australia Only) of my cookbook Tasty Express - a labour of love filled with over 100 of our family's most tried and tested and exciting 30-minute recipes inspired by street foods of the world.
Mostly Vegetarian recipes that go from breakfast to quick dinners in a heartbeat. They make great gifts for you or a friend!Â
Food For Thought »
"Â This holiday season, set aside 25 minutes on some days to do something simple and feel-good that will make you feel revitalized and pampered.
How »Â
Bags For Your Eyes – Brew two green tea bags in boiling hot water for 3 minutes. Remove them from the tea, squeeze extra water and place tea bags in the fridge to chill for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy your hot tea while you wait. When chilled, place the teabags over your eyes and relax for the next 10 minutes. (Don't have green tea? Use black tea bags. Or just chill cucumber slices and use those)
Warm Compress For Your Face – Fill a large bowl/basin with hot water. Add some cold water till it feels tolerable (but still hot) when you dip your fingers. Dip a small washcloth/face towel in the hot water, squeeze completely, open up the towel and place gently over your face. Using your fingertips press your eyes, cheeks, chin and neck over the towel and breathe in deeply. Repeat 3-4 more times until you feel the worries of the world melt away. (Optional - add drops of lavender or blended essential oils to the hot water for a heightened experience)
My Cooking (Wish)List This Week
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Merry Christmas Tiki Cocktail
Honey & Almond Hasselback Pumpkin
Poached Eggs With Onion, Tomato, Cumin & Chilli Oil
Smashed & Crispy Buffalo Potatoes
Zuppa Di Pesce - Italian Seafood Soup
How To Make A Boiled Christmas Pudding Â
Sticky Morning BunsÂ
Thandai Shortbread Cookies
A slight departure from my usual cookbook recommendations this week with a beautiful tome of elegance, space, organization and structure from Shira Gill - Minimalista. I bought this as a little present for myself ahead of Christmas. I have read rave reviews about the book. And if you are anything like me - has to constantly work amidst clutter and chaos (pitfall of being a food photographer, stylist and recipe developer), this might be the soothing salve to your busy mind.
Last week, we watched Dune. A strong awards-season contender for 2021, this modern remake of the 1984 David Lynch movie was a revelation to me. I went in not knowing what to expect and was instantly drawn to the beautiful film-making and story-telling. In an era of fast Netflix fads and an overabundance of superhero offerings, Dune felt grand, cinematic, intelligent and unapologetic.
Based on David Herbert's best-selling science fiction novel of our times, Dune explores political upheaval, spice trade, space travel and the ramifications of abolishing computers and instead relying on developing our higher sensory powers, tens of thousands of years into the future from our present day.
I wanted to share a favourite mocktail for the festive season. A decadent, creamy concoction that also happens to be vegan. (If you don't prefer coconut milk and don't mind it not being vegan, substitute with half-half milk and pure cream (or light cream). In this recipe, that will amount to 1/4cup milk and 1/4 cup pure cream)
VIRGIN GINGERBREAD MARTINI
Serves 1
1/2 cup (125ml) light coconut milk
1/4 cup (60ml) ginger beer
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons maple syrup + extra for the rim
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 gingernut biscuit, crushed
ice, to shake
gold leaf, sprinkle of allspice/mixed spice - to serve
Add half a cup of ice, coconut milk, ginger beer, salt, maple syrup, cinnamon, mixed spice, ginger, allspice and vanilla to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for a minute.
Lightly brush the rim of a 220ml (7.4oz) coupe glass with maple syrup. Place crushed gingernut biscuit in a wide shallow bowl and roll and coat the rim of the glass in the crushed biscuit.
Strain the cocktail in the glass. Garnish with gold leaf and sprinkle with spice. Serve immediately.