Family Times

  • Christening Cake
    Chocolate Cake for a Party Chocolate Cake for a Party

    Chocolate Cake for a Party

Chocolate Cake for a Party

LittleButton had her first big party: her christening. Everyone helped out to make it a spectacular day. We feasted on Mum’s turkey and ham, potato salad, coleslaw, mother-in-law’s bread, relishes, greens and reds. For teatime, we dined on fruit and chocolate cake. Why have one cake when you can have two?!

Anyway, to the chocolate part of the day! Two chocolate recipes combined to make a rich indulgent chocolate cake. And I thought since Himself was going to break his Lenten fast from chocolate it had better be good.

The cake itself is the trusty Naughty Chocolate Fudge Cake and the icing from Lorraine Pascale’s ‘I can’t believe you made that’ cake.

It took 2 and 1/2 packets of Cadbury’s chocolate fingers  to cover the sides. The remaining 1/2 packet will disappear in jig time if you dunk them in tea:
- Bite off both ends of the chocolate finger
- Dip it into tea and suck until the tea comes thru the chocolate finger. Then pop the whole biscuit into your mouth!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By |March 21st, 2012|Cakes, Family Times, Featured|3 Comments
Read More
  • Big Sisterly Love
  • The biggest balloon in the shop!

It’s A

It’s a GIRL. A fabulously beautiful baby girl, healthy, happy and already ready to take on the world. It’s amazing that at only 4 days old one can have learnt so much.

Her hair is light brown, she is way longer than either Himself or I can take credit for, 7lb 14oz, long fingers that will be perfect for chunky jewellery, doe eyes that would melt the coldest heart, and a cry that no-one will ignore ;-)

The day before she arrived HoneyB had said ‘I think it’s a boy’ and had to do some quick modifications to her welcome-baby card. ‘Mom Mom don’t bring the baby in yet, I have to draw a dress’.

She also could not see the point in the ‘Its a girl’ balloons opting instead for a birthday balloon … the biggest one in the shop. Oh, what fun they will have  … oh how empty Daddy’s pockets are going to be!

 

 

By |January 12th, 2012|Family, Family Times|11 Comments
Read More
  • Chocolate Bump

Just taking a break baby!

Chocolate Here is taking a little teeny tiny break and with good reason! Our little person is due any day in January and everyone is excited in some shape or form: excited-anxious; excited-giddy; excited-fearful.

As a final post for 2011, with 2012 and new beginnings around the corner, I want to share this wonderful Poem for Expectant Moms and wish everyone a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

These Last Few Hours

(Author: Unknown)

It is important to me 
that I spend a part 
of the next few hours here 
alone with you in the darkness.

You and I will never be 
this close again. 
By morning you will be 
a tiny person 
all on your own. 
No longer the kicking, 
demanding bulge in my body 
that I have grown to love so well.

I pray that God will safely guide you 
on your journey tonight, 
and I ask Him for the strength 
to help you all that I can.

Again you signal, 
your impatience 
to be free…….

Time to wake your Daddy

By |December 30th, 2011|Family, Family Times|11 Comments
Read More
  • Sachertorte ... or Sixertorte
    Happy Anniversary with Sachertorte Happy Anniversary with Sachertorte

    Happy Anniversary with Sachertorte

  • Giant blackboards make super Welcome boards!
  • A slightly demolished Sachertorte
  • IMG_6115_blog

Happy Anniversary with Sachertorte

Our wedding anniversary was celebrated in great style with a Sachertorte fit for a King and Queen … and, of course, a Princess. I’ve had Sachertorte on my mind some the Great British Bake Off Final.

The Sachertorte recipe comes from the trusty Green & Black’s Unwrapped. A few changes were made; some obvious, some necessary. The original cake has the word ‘Sachertorte’ written in milk chocolate; ours has a ’6′ fashioned from Smarties. The necessary change was the apricot jam; we used lemon jam because I detest apricots (and asparagus and celery … and I wonder where HoneyB gets her finicky food habits!).

The verdict on the cake: HoneyB did not like it – shock horror. It’s a bit of a grown-up cake and finger thin slices are sufficient. 

By |October 19th, 2011|Cafe, Family Times, Featured, Recipe|2 Comments
Read More
  • Cocoa Nib Cream
    Valentine’s Day Cocoa Nib Cream Valentine’s Day Cocoa Nib Cream

    Valentine’s Day Cocoa Nib Cream

  • Coffee, Cocoa Nib and Cream
  • Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day Cocoa Nib Cream

Valentine’s Day is here and it’s time to get out the heart shaped cookie cutters. Good for make-and-do as well as baking, you know!

Most desserts come with a dollop of cream or a scoop of ice-cream. In our house, back in the day, cream came with tinned pears, on trifle, spread between light fluffy sponge, and, in my Dad’s case, cream was drunk straight from the carton.

Now if we take that base ingredient and add some nibs, leave to infuse, then what would we have?? Hmmm Cocoa Nib Cream, sweeten to taste and serve as a dip! Thanks to Alice Medrich and Bittersweet.

Cocoa Nib Cream
200ml single cream
2 tbsp cocoa nibs
Sugar to taste

1. Bring the cream and nibs to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to stand for 20 mins.
2. Strain the cream, pressing all that cocoa goodness out. Chill the cream making sure it’s cold before whipping.
3. Whip the cream adding sugar to taste.

By |February 14th, 2011|Family Times, Featured, Recipe|10 Comments
Read More
  • img_3977_blog
    Claire’s Tearooms, Clarinbridge Claire’s Tearooms, Clarinbridge

    Claire’s Tearooms, Clarinbridge

  • img_3981_blog
  • img_3979_blog

Claire’s Tearooms, Clarinbridge

Dear HoneyB,

Time goes by so fast and although you are only 31/2 years old, the time will come when you will be off to university. Maybe you will choose to follow in your father’s footsteps and head up to Galway. If you do then you have to know about Claire’s Tearooms in Clarinbridge. This is where we will be stopping for tea when I am dropping or collecting you.

Claire’s Tearooms is set in a beautiful stone house, rich red on the walls, cosy welcoming atmosphere, large fireplace, subtle lighting. The kind of place where real china teacups and saucers are not out of place.


A perfect stop on the road for a Mom and daughter. I’m guessing you will have tea and chocolate cake; and I will have coffee and a brown fruit scone. If your Dad is along for the spin, which of course he will be poppet, he will join in the old world charm and secretly enjoy the cup and saucer clink clicking.

We might talk about subject choices, lecturers, grades or maybe, I hope, about the upcoming gigs, friends and parties. I’ll do my fair share of reminiscing – sorry in advance. I will fear for your safety but trust your judgement, but I will still worry. I have it on good authority that the worrying never ever stops. Sur’ all you have to do is listen to your nannies to know that.

Then we’ll hit the road again, full and happy, having already flipped a coin to see who will be DJ.

Love always,

Mom

By |January 21st, 2011|Cafe, Family Times, Featured|5 Comments
Read More
  • img_3880_blog
    Peanut Butter and Chocolate Buns with Smarties Peanut Butter and Chocolate Buns with Smarties

    Peanut Butter and Chocolate Buns with Smarties

  • img_3896_blog

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Buns with Smarties

HoneyB has a penchant for Smarties. Maybe it’s the bright colors, maybe it’s the candy shell, maybe it’s because she knows I am not keen on her eating them! Whatever the reason, she asked Santa for some and Santa obliged rather generously with two tubes, one regular, one with all pink Smarties.

With such a Smarties glut in the house, she decided to make cupcakes and decorate them. Any baking is OK by me so we made Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcakes ala Rachel Allen’s Home Cooking.

These cupcakes are moist, dense chocolatey bordering on heavy. But I suppose what do you expect with butter and peanut butter. I prefer the plain old vanilla cupcake, small, light, fluffy suitable with tea, not for tea!!

One of the many things I love about Christmas is tins. Great when full of chocolates, great for storage later on.

By |January 3rd, 2011|Books, Child Friendly, Cooking, Family Times, Featured, Rachel Allen|7 Comments
Read More
  • img_3397_blog
  • img_3382_blog

Happy Anniversary

Today is our 5th Wedding Anniversary. We don’t really do big pressies … small and thoughtful I say.

He loves his coffee so what better to enjoy it in but a Bodum mug. And what better to enjoy it with but chocolate. I thought to make brownies but instead I put my 9″ cake tin to good use by making his favourite chocolate bar.

A slab made with rich 33% cs milk chocolate, roasted whole hazelnuts, raisins and crushed caramelised hazelnuts.

By |October 16th, 2010|Bars, Family Times|8 Comments
Read More
  • img_3099_blog
  • pointvillagemarket_pan
  • img_3116_blog_lunch
  • img_3094_blog

The Point Village Market

We were on holidays last weekend, a city break, did I mention? We’d a long weekend in Dublin courtesy of my sis who provided our accommodation. Perfect.

So for Sunday lunch we headed to The Point Village Market. A market for foodies, crafties, locals and tourists alike. Can I mention that the Mossfield cheese goes so gorgeously well with the sourdough from the Bretzel Bakery?

For the chocolate lover, there’s Wilde Irish Chocolates and lots of chocolatey bakes including Sweet Things. This stall is actually a bakery on North Kings Street and sell brownie slabs. A great idea for dessert, eh?

And if that is not enough, check out the 60ft big wheel – gives amazing views of market stalls, the river Liffey and it’s bridges.

Our lunch included a giant Gingerbread man from Sweet Things, a steak burger and a superb pizza from Dick and Dave’s. Yom!

I particularly loved the kids area – fantastic idea! Surrounded by picket fence, there are outdoor toys, chalk, skittles and music just in case anyone wants to dance :-)

By |August 14th, 2010|Child Friendly, Days Out, Family Times, Market|8 Comments
Read More