I returned to Durham almost three weeks ago, all alone, to a freezing house and a pile of work. Term didn't start until two days ago but, hey, I'm dedicated. Living alone is not an experience I ever wish to repeat in my life. Aside from scaring myself silly watching news segments about deranged criminals escaping secure hospitals in Newcastle and breaking into student houses (second part possibly fabricated) I was mainly just a bit... bored. Though I did discover that the experience of going to the cinema alone is in fact exactly the same as going with someone, and now that I have learnt this liberating fact never again shall I fail to see a film because no one else wants to see it! A tip for you all there.
Read on after the jump!
Now that term has started, everyone is back and to celebrate this I made vienesse biscuits. Because, after all, you really can't bake when you're alone in the house, unless you want to eat two dozen biscuits by yourself. Now, as I have previously mentioned, I am somewhat lacking in kitchen equipment here in my student house. Christmas did its bit and I now have a plethora of cookie cutters to experiment with, but I am still without piping bag. Even worse, after a brief and wonderful period, I am now once again without a mixing bowl following a rather unfortunate incident involving a drunk friend in need of a vomit receptacle. So, back to the old saucepan, and Viennese whirls are reinvented as Viennese drops. When made with just a hint of vanilla and cooked to crumbly perfection, these are my undoubtedly my favourite biscuits and can never really hit the spot when shop-bought.
Determined that my recalcitrant oven would not stand in the way of the perfect biscuit, I cooked three stupidly small batches and let each cool before sampling it and adjusting the cooking time until perfect before baking the rest of the dough. This is the reason I waited until AFTER my deadline to bake.
The perfect crumb achieved, two layers of melted chocolate slathered on top of each biscuit, and I am far more satisfied with these little delights than with my lab report but I think it was clear long ago that I am better with food than physics.
Viennese Drops
250 g butter, very soft and cut into small cubes
50 g icing sugar
250 g plain flour
50 g cornflour
half a teaspoon vanilla essence
100 g milk chocolate and 10 g butter for the topping.
Pre-heat oven to gas mark 5/ 190° and line two baking trays with baking paper. Beat together the butter, sugar, both flours and vanilla essence. Add a little boiling water, no more than a teaspoon, to bring the dough together. Keep beating until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. If you're lucky enough to own a piping bag, use a large star nozzle and pipe into swirls onto baking paper. Otherwise shape into balls and flatten onto the paper.
Bake for around 12 minutes if you have a proper oven, or 18 minutes if you've got a woeful excuse like mine. Let the biscuits cool completely on a wire rack*.
Heat the chocolate and butter in a bain-marie and stir until melted and glossy, then dip in the chocolate or spread over the biscuits. Let the chocolate harden and spread another layer on top.
* No of course I don't have a wire rack, I have to scrub an oven shelf before I bake...
Read on after the jump!
Now that term has started, everyone is back and to celebrate this I made vienesse biscuits. Because, after all, you really can't bake when you're alone in the house, unless you want to eat two dozen biscuits by yourself. Now, as I have previously mentioned, I am somewhat lacking in kitchen equipment here in my student house. Christmas did its bit and I now have a plethora of cookie cutters to experiment with, but I am still without piping bag. Even worse, after a brief and wonderful period, I am now once again without a mixing bowl following a rather unfortunate incident involving a drunk friend in need of a vomit receptacle. So, back to the old saucepan, and Viennese whirls are reinvented as Viennese drops. When made with just a hint of vanilla and cooked to crumbly perfection, these are my undoubtedly my favourite biscuits and can never really hit the spot when shop-bought.
Determined that my recalcitrant oven would not stand in the way of the perfect biscuit, I cooked three stupidly small batches and let each cool before sampling it and adjusting the cooking time until perfect before baking the rest of the dough. This is the reason I waited until AFTER my deadline to bake.
The perfect crumb achieved, two layers of melted chocolate slathered on top of each biscuit, and I am far more satisfied with these little delights than with my lab report but I think it was clear long ago that I am better with food than physics.
Viennese Drops
250 g butter, very soft and cut into small cubes
50 g icing sugar
250 g plain flour
50 g cornflour
half a teaspoon vanilla essence
100 g milk chocolate and 10 g butter for the topping.
Pre-heat oven to gas mark 5/ 190° and line two baking trays with baking paper. Beat together the butter, sugar, both flours and vanilla essence. Add a little boiling water, no more than a teaspoon, to bring the dough together. Keep beating until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. If you're lucky enough to own a piping bag, use a large star nozzle and pipe into swirls onto baking paper. Otherwise shape into balls and flatten onto the paper.
Bake for around 12 minutes if you have a proper oven, or 18 minutes if you've got a woeful excuse like mine. Let the biscuits cool completely on a wire rack*.
Heat the chocolate and butter in a bain-marie and stir until melted and glossy, then dip in the chocolate or spread over the biscuits. Let the chocolate harden and spread another layer on top.
* No of course I don't have a wire rack, I have to scrub an oven shelf before I bake...
frank remarks about being better at food than physics, and talk of piping bags and vomit receptacles - a brilliant post!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteI second Maddy's comment! I love this post and I KNOW how good those biscuits are! definitely the best kind of biscuits - whack them out for the tea party..?? also - you're crazy - why don't you just buy a mixing bowl?? surely they'd be about 10p in the indoor market!
ReplyDeleteLove you xxx
Thanks Maddy and Charlie!
ReplyDeleteCharlie - good Durham bargain knowledge! I would have done this, the truth is that I had forgotten about the vomit incident until I came to bake and could not find the mixing bowl. They are definitely on the list of tea party possibilities, providing I have invested in a piping bag by this point.
Genevieve I want to come and hang out in your kitchen while you cook up a storm!
ReplyDeleteThese look utterly gorgeous.
I had a good chuckle at the post too, take care love! X
Glad you enjoyed reading :)
Delete