February 2011 – A True Love of Mine

What do you love more than a cup of hot tea and a jammy biscuit?

Nothing?

Thats as it should be.

Well… not strictly true but we do all love a hot beverage and a tasty cookie don’t we? So what better to make your Valentine than these cute jammy shortbread cookies? They’re red and heart shaped and oh so tasty!

See?

Another recipe from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros, these cookies are deceptively easy to make and are great for using up any extra jam you may have lying around say if you recently made a batch of Strawberry and Vanilla Conserve… It’s basically two layers of delicious shortbread sandwiched with strawberry jam and baked until golden and crumbly.

All you need to do is whip up the dough, spread some jam, cover it with another piece of dough and slip that sucker in the oven

Bam! Warm, delicious shortbread.

I thought I would be tricky and cut some shapes into the top piece of dough before putting it on top of the jam. Then I cut rounds out with my circular cookie cutter. You can cut any shapes you like and you could probably cook it pre-cut if you wanted as well. It’s quite a versatile recipe so have a play around with it if you like. I love the fact that they are very similar to Arnotts Raspberry Shortcake cookies and Jammy Dodgers. Make them at home from your left overs and you may just have a double win on your hands.

Yummo!

So if you’re not quite sure what to get your valentine, or if you *gulp* forgot… have a crack at these. Definitely a heart melter. I definitely love myself more after giving them to myself for valentines day…

So, lovelies and lovers, what are you up to this valentines day?

Jam Shortbread – From Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

Ingredients

100g butter

100g caster sugar

200g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

a few drops vanilla extract

approx 200g strawberry jam

Method

1. Work the butter and sugar together with your hands until combined

2. Add flour and baking powder and work them in

3. Knead egg and vanilla into the mix and keep working until smooth and well combined

4. Cover with plastic wrap and place the dough into the fridge for 30 mins

5. Divide the dough in half and roll out to a thickness of 2-3 mm

6. Spread the jam over the dough

7. Roll out the second piece of dough and place over the jam (you may want to cut some shapes into this dough before placing on top of the jam, or you may not!)

8. Place into an oven preheated to 170 degrees celsius and bake for 15 mins or until lightly golden

9. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes. Cut into desired shapes and leave to cool completely (or eat warm with some tea!)

So far this year has been gooooood. I feel more like a proper grown up every day. Ha ha. Only joking! But I have been having a bit of a run of good luck and am also reaping the rewards of a bit of hard work. A few major goals have been ticked off so lets have a tally of where things stand in Katieland

Tally of Amazingness

Full time job – Yes!

New car – Yes!

Green P License – Yes!

General feeling of good health and wellbeing – Yes!

And what better way to celebrate all this newfound goodness but with cake. As if that was a surprise to you! But first we need to narrow our focus. The subject of this cake was always going to by the acquisition of my new car and green Ps. Why? Because it was only a few years ago that I was adamant that I was never going to get my license. Ask the boy. Ask anyone! I had no need for one, and certainly had no need for a car. I have the luxury of living on two very well serviced public transport routes as well as having an army of very obliging friends and family who all drive. Somehow, the prospect of having a lower license than the students im teaching scared me deeply. Hence, the green ps, and…

This baby! And yes, that is me at the wheel.

I’ve been working on my fondant skills and I have to say that working with a different type of fondant really helped the process here. I bought some fondant from Cake Decorating Central in Castle Hill where the sales assistants were super helpful.

Not a bad price either (I think?) The brand was Bakels and it was much smoother than the Orchard white fondant that I have used previously. The fondant didn’t stick to the mat or the pin when I rolled it out and it was just generally much much nicer to work with.

But first things first. I started with the standard Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Layer Cake and used chocolate buttercream to fill and dirty ice it. I thought I would be sneaky and try to get three layers out of the cake.

*cough* yes, I cut the layers too thin. Yes, it broke.