Puff Pastry Swirls

I have been very busy this week but as all mums would know I don't seem to have got much done.  But what I do have is a surprisingly tasty fingerfood for you to try.  They are so easy and can be made the day before and reheated.  These yummy little goodies are what I like to call a puff pastry swirl (it is probably not the best name for them but they were invented when I had hungry boys wanting lunch and no bread) so here goes:

Puff Pastry swirls:

As these are the sort of thing you just throw together there aren't really measurements so I won't tell you off for putting whatever you have on hand in them.  I used:

• Three defrosted sheets of puff pastry
• Around fourish tablespoons of pesto dip
• hot sopressa salami cut into tiny squares
• fetta cheese cut into tiny dice
• a 1/4 red capsicum cut into tiny dice.
• a couple of fists full of baking cheese
• a beaten egg
• pepper

Get your sheets of pastry and spread with the pesto leaving an inch on one edge free.  Scatter with all the other stuff except the egg.  Brush the inch you left un covered with the egg then roll up.  Brush the outside with egg then slice into 1cm discs.  Place on a tray covered with baking paper and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.
Cool slightly then try not to eat them all in one go.

I also made an apple and saltana version by coating the pastry with butter cinamon and suger then slushing it around to mix it together.  I sperad this around again leaving the 1 inch gap and topped with stewed apple and saltanas.  Roll this up and brush with egg and bake as above.  YUM!!!

The Boston Boatneck Dress and Top has also been released at Peek-a-Boo Patterns.  I was lucky enough to test this for them and I am very glad that the warm weather is on the way so I can live in mine soon.  It is so comfortable and was a very quick sew.  Here are a few pictures of the final results.

Did I put a few too many pictures of the pockets up? Oh well they are my favourite feature.
Check it out over here at the Peek-A-Boo website
http://www.peekaboopatternshop.com/boston-boatneck-tee-and-dress/
it is currently on sale but I cannpt promise for how long.


And here is a little sneak peak of what I will be doing on the weekend.

The LLMPG will be hosting their annual photography exhibition and I will be baking a grand total of 300+ scones for them to sell at the door, am I crazy or what?  So after the event you can look forward to a post containing the images I entered into the competition as well as the recipe for the fluffiest scones ever and some images from the big day.

Sticky Date Pudding

Welcome

Thank you for joining me on my attempt to blog regularly.  I hope you enjoy reading what I have to share.

At the moment I am working on pattern testing for Peek-A-Boo Patterns but I can't reveal any photographs of that until the release date so you will have that to look forward to shortly.  I am also making a quilt for a very special friends first baby and have many other projects underway.  Tomorrow I will be escaping to the sewing centre to look at getting a new overlocker which is very exciting!

I haven't decided on this one yet.  Everyone seems to love it but I'm thinking maybe a second hand industrial, just for kicks.
 
I will have to put up a gallery for my projects I complete so there will be a page where you can see what I'm up to but won't have to read about it.

Tonight (or should I say this morning) I will be sharing with you my husband's favourite cake I have ever made, sticky date pudding with caramel sauce.
I first made this for a christmas dinner on boxing day where it just didn't seem right to eat gingerbread and fruit cake again.  The recipe hails from a very trusted women's weekly publication that covers almost anything you could want to cook.  It is super quick to throw together which is handly on nights like this one where I'm busy with roast prep and yorkshire puddings.  Everything basically just gets thrown in to a food processor (or in my case into a tupperware jug with a a stick blender at the ready).  You are going to want to try this one and then make it over and over again.  It is especially handy for large groups as I have cooked double quantities in a rectangle tin with much success.  Best served with vanilla ice-cream.

So here goes:

Sticky Date Pudding

• 1 1/4 cups (275g) seeded dried dates
• 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1 tsp bicarb soda
• 50 grams unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup (150 grams) self raising flour

Preheat you oven to 180 degrees celcius.  Place the dates and water in your bowl or processor add Bicarbonate and stir, sit for five minutes.  While you wait line a 20cm round tin with baking paper.
Process the date mix with the butter and sugar until pureed.  Add eggs and flour process until just combined, don't over mix.  Pour into your tin and bake for one hour.  Once cooked stand for ten minutes before turning out and serving warm.

Butterscotch Sauce

• 3/4 cup (165 grams) brown sugar
• 300 ml cream
• 80 grams unsalted butter

While the cake cools cook the sauce.  Stir all ingredients in a small pot over a low heat until sauce is thickened and smooth remove from heat and allow to cool a little before serving.

The cake apparently freezes really well for 3 months (make sure to double wrap so you dont get freezer burn) make the sauce fresh while the pudding reheats in the microwave.  Can you just imagine any of this being left over and needing to be frozen?  I certainly can't.

I also had a little delivery arrive today, and for a change the postman actually left it in the box rather than a fourty minute round trip to the postoffice to collect.  Kam snaps in many beautiful colours and bias tape makers.  Hooray new toys!