Chocolate and Guinness Cakelets

So, as you all know, last Monday, 17th March, was St Patrick's Day. How did everyone celebrate this event this year? For me, I usually end up making the chocolate and Guinness cake from Nigella Lawson's Feast; but this time round, I decided I'd make them into mini cakes - or as I like to call them, cakelets - instead, so that it's more portable and practical for giving to others.  

Guinness! $5/can at BWS

I used the same recipe quantity and divided the batter into 2 x 6-hole texas muffin pans. I had thought about baking them in regular muffin pans, but decided that the resulting product would not be able to showcase the moist, melt-in-your-mouth, crumb very well, due to the higher crust-to-interior ratio. On the other hand, the giant muffin size seemed to be the perfect one-person portion; so that was that. I checked for doneness with a cake tester at 20 minutes, then at 25, by which time it was cooked to perfection. If you had read my previous post about this recipe in one of the previous years, you would know that my last attempt resulted in the sides of the cake being a bit on the dry side from overcooking, due to my oven's uneven heating, causing the middle of the cake to take longer to cook through. This problem was not apparent at all with these miniature cakes; even the tops did not become firm at all on cooling. 

The topping I chose to make for these cakelets was a blonde mocha sauce. I poured the almost-cooled sauce directly over the cakelets while they were still in the pan, drizzled over some melted chocolate, and studded the top of each with some walnuts, which, I'm sure all will agree, is a match made in heaven for anything coffee-flavoured. If you're serving it straight away, carefully removing the paper wrapper will allow the fabulous, gooey sauce to flow down the sides of the cake, drowning it in its deliciousness. I find that pre-dressing the cakes in this way provides just the right amount of sauce for the given cake proportion.

I should mention that these cakelets also smelt amazing, even after fully cooling. I put 2 of these cakelets in an airtight container to give to a friend, on the same day they were made, and when she cracked the lid open just very slightly, someone in our company, who was having a conversation with someone else at the time, turned her head towards the chocolatey smell straight away. I am a firm believer that you really have to use the best cocoa powder you can find when making chocolate baked goods, in order to make it taste and smell truly chocolatey. My favourite at the moment remains Henry Langdon's 100% dutch-processed Pure Cocoa. It makes me happy that this is also an Australian company that I am supporting.

Obviously, the cakes will need to be kept under refrigeration, if you don't finish them all on the first day. What this will do is firm up the sauce, such that it becomes ganache-like, and look something like this:

Some others who have made this cake before have mentioned that they love eating the cake straight from the fridge the next day, and actually find it to taste better than when freshly baked. That's great; you'll get a fully-frosted chocolate cakelet, ready to have on-the-go. If your fridge is as cold as mine, however, you will not find this to be the case at all. Thankfully, a quick 10-second whizz in the microwave is sufficient to bring the cake back to life, and regain the gooey texture of the sauce, albeit still thicker than originally, unless you don't mind heating it a bit longer and having a warm cake. I personally don't enjoy warmed-through cakes though. 

Serving it up for afternoon tea the next day, after a quick whirl in the microwave

Well, I hope that gives you some baking inspiration for today! I'd love to try using Guinness in other types of baked goods, so please do share if you have any recipe ideas. :)


Happy baking! x

Mrs Greenleaf

As promised, here are some photos of the completed project that I mentioned in my last post. If you hadn't guessed what it was, hopefully you can now tell that it's a triangular-ish shawlette :) The original name of this fab pattern by Åsa Tricosa is Semele, but I have named mine Mrs Greenleaf. The reason why would be obvious to all The Lord of the Rings fans out there ;)

Before:

I actually thought that it looked quite pleasing even before blocking.

Before blocking

I soaked it for about 15 minutes in a no-rinse fibre wash, Soak, in Unleash, which was a special edition inspired by Ravelry. I can't say that the scent of pomegranate is absolutely detectable, but the crisp green apple component is definitely there, which I love, love, LOVE. I always end up standing over the basin of Soak-ed water, inhaling in the sweet, juicy scent. I then blocked the piece using T-pins and blocking wires through the points, which I wanted to emphasise.

Wet blocking

After:

I don't enjoy the blocking process at all, because I never seem to have enough T-pins when I need them, and I am quite impatient. I find myself checking the blocked item for dryness very frequently. With this one, I actually put a sheet of cotton over the top, in an attempt to help soak up any excess water, and waved a hairdryer, on the cool air setting, over it. Several times over the course of the day. However, despite disliking this process, it is a step I would never dream of skipping, especially for lace items. Blocking works like magic on lace. I was so impressed by how it transformed my shawlette. Looking back at pictures of the unblocked form, which I had initially thought was attractive enough, it actually just looked like a fancy dishrag, compared to this beauty that lay before me.    

...et Voilà! (after blocking)

Photo-shooting time!

Blocking not only opened up the lacework, but also relaxed the fibre and improved the overall drape and feel of the fabric. 

Wing span

This shawlette version of the pattern, which was knitted in sock-weight yarn, is still large enough to wrap around the shoulders once. You could also wear it like a scarf, but I don't really like scrunching it together too much, lest I should have to block it again soon to get the creases out or to regain the proper shape. 

Alternatively, you could just drape it casually over your shoulders, which is my favourite way of wearing it. It shows off the lace best, and adds a nice, romantic touch to any outfit. Well, I think so, anyway. 

This is definitely the start of shawl-knitting obsession for me. In fact, I have already bought the yarn to knit another one of this clever designer's shawl patterns. Now all I have to do is finish winding the skeins of lace-weight yarn into balls…… (I dislike this more than blocking, which is why the first skein has been sitting in my knitting bag, part-wound to my nostepinne, for a couple of months already. Having a yarn swift doesn't help. I really need to invest in a yarn winder.)

About the Semele knitting pattern itself, it's really well- and clearly written, and teaches an ingenious cast-on method. It took me a few goes to get my head - and hands - around it, but once I got it, I realised it was actually quite straight-forward. Speaking of which, it's probably time that I revisited it, lest I should forget such a useful technique. I can definitely see myself knitting more variations of this shawlette through my knitting life.

Here's the link to the pattern on Ravelry, if you're interested in knitting this gorgeous shawlette yourself:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/semele-2


Knit on! x

Filling in the gaps!

So, I was scrolling through my list of blog posts, in an attempt to find certain knitting notes I might have made previously, and had quite the shock when I saw I had, let's just say, a lot of 'drafts', i.e. unpublished posts. From as far back as 2012. If there are any regular visitors of my humble little blog out there, please forgive me for sometimes posting the start of a project but not showing the final products. I've had so many technical issues in the past 12 months, from running out of picture upload/storage quota on my Google account (integrated with this blogging platform), as well as my Drop Box, to not yet figuring out how to transfer photos from my new, fancy-pants Sony NEX-5T compact system digital camera to my laptop.

It's probably a bit silly to publish the posts from 2 years ago, which are no longer relevant, but I thought it would be nice to 'fill in the (time) gaps' with some of the draft posts I had intended to publish last year. Since it is Autumn here in Australia (according to our calendar at least), today I shall publish my unfinished post from June 2013, as a means to encourage fellow Aussie knitters to take out their ol' click-clacks, even though just thinking about woollens being anywhere near us, in this horrible heat, is probably enough to make us perspire through our forever-summer outfits. Well, in my neck of the woods, anyway.

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Original blog post title: Winter Kn-kni-kni-knitting. Brrr! (dated 7/6/13)

Okay, maybe I'm slightly exaggerating. I'm in Australia, so Winter here is nothing compared with the chilly, snowy Winters in the UK. Still, I do feel that our winters are becoming progressively colder each year. Thankfully, it has been warming up a bit over the last few days though.

With so many yarn fibre options these days, knitted garments can be created and worn all year round. I still find, however, that traditionally being a cold-weather activity, knitting feels most 'right' during the Autumn/Winter months. Besides, I like the warmth that the yarn provides my cold fingers as I work with it. Thus, I find myself most active in this hobby of mine during this season. I finished this year's mini batch of preemie beanies to donate to one of the local hospitals last week, and I've received an email confirmation that they've been passed on to the Neonatal Intensive Care Centre. I love that I can use my hobby to do good and benefit others in society!

[Ah, you see the pretty pink wax seal in the picture below? I think there is probably also a draft post somewhere in my list, all about my venture into the Regency letter-writing world. Stay tuned. (But don't hold your breath.)

Now that that's all done, it's time to turn the focus back to my other knitting projects. As a birthday present to myself this year, I decided to invest in the special edition Symfonie Rose interchangeable needle set by KnitPro, my favourite knitting needle brand. It contains the same set of sizes as my Symfonie Wood Interchangeable Circular Needles Deluxe set, but the birch wood laminate is fashioned to have a rosewood-like finish. Being a special edition, the gorgeous needles come housed in a matching bronze-coloured leatherette box, secured with a latch on one side.

Symfonie Rose Interchangeable Special Edition Needle Set (£70.83 from Deramores)

(Pictured are some other items I got in the same order, from Deramores. I ordered the yarn to top up my preemie hat-making yarn stash.)

New needle set + more of my favourite Clover stitch holders + Deramores Baby DK yarn (in denim blue and blossom pink) + Jesse byLouisa Harding

The needle-holding tray lifts to reveal the interchangeable cables and cable end caps, which are also brown to match the rosewood colour theme. Copper-tinted connectors facilitate a smooth connection between the needles and cables. I don't know if it's just me, but the tinted metal connectors feel somewhat less 'slippery' than the standard metal connectors. 

Also included in the box is a complimentary shawl pin, also with a rosewood-look finish, of course, and adorned with a clear Swarovski(?) crystal at the top end. 

I do still prefer the good mood-inducing bright colours of the original Symfonie wood needles, but there is no denying that this special edition rosewood set is an absolute stunner, especially in its elegant little presentation box. It makes me want to put it on display for everyone to see! And there's no such thing as having too many pairs of knitting needles, right? ;)

After finishing up on the preemies beanies, I started working on a new lace project for myself - Semele by Åsa Tricosa. I am using a fingering-weight, merino 80%/bamboo 20% blend yarn called Drift, by evoke designer yarn and fabric, which I bought once upon a time, at one of those big arts and crafts conventions. This lovely 'raspberry' coloured yarn was hand-dyed by the fibre artist, and then-owner of the Lismore-based shop, Elissa.

Can you guess what kind of item this will become? :)

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….and that's it from that June post! I will follow up soon with a post all about the Semele, which, by the way, I actually did finish knitting last year as well. Meanwhile, in case there are knitter-readers who want to know how I found the Symfonie Rose needles, and if they're exactly like the original Symfonie wood ones, this is what I wrote in my Ravelry Semele project notes last year:

"....I have changed to the Symfonie rose interchangeables that I just received in the mail the other day, because I was having problems with the yarn catching in the needle/cable joins of my usual KnitPro Symfonie ones. However, I am experiencing the same thing with the new ones. It seems to be only the 4mm ones that I’ve had this problem with though - is this perhaps the case with all the larger-sized interchangeables?"

So now I put it back out to you guys - what do you think? Have you encountered similar problems using these needles? 



Sweet yarn dreams x 

A peachy distraction

It's the first week of Summer, and I almost forgot that this means the arrival of stone fruit season! I was reminded of this when I had, not one, but TWO consecutive ripe, juicy, honey-sweet white peaches, with just the right amount of give, from the fruit drawer of the fridge. It was so juicy that juice literally flowed down my arms to my elbows as I was devouring them, one delicious bite at a time. The skin could even be peeled off quite easily, without prior poaching of the fruit. Amazing. I don't know about where you are, but here in Australia, I find that even when fruits are 'in season', they are not always perfect, like you'd imagine in-season fruit to be. It is nigh on impossible to find the perfect peach, which is pretty much of the description given above.

And yes; that is why I've decided to jump online to blog about it. I get excited like that when I come across these rare occurrences. What's more, these peaches were purchased from my local Woolies (!). Forget all the talk about mass-consumerism and big-chain supermarket monopoly; if supermarkets can provide me with a steady supply of the Perfect Peach, I will haunt their fruit and veg section. Heck, I will even buy their overpriced-with-sometimes-only-little-usable-portion leeks and defrosted potatoes.

Happy Active Nation Day, everyone!

I hope everyone made an effort to be active today :)

Lovely lace

You will not believe how many 'draft' posts I have sitting in my blogger account, waiting to be finished and published since... well, let's just say a very long time. I have completed another project during this time, but since I have yet to block it and take pretty pictures of it, I shall leave that for another day -  I will definitely publish that post and soon! - and report instead on the project I currently have at hand: I am working on my first knitting project design! yay!

Okay, so it's only going to be a small, rectangular scarf, but still! One has to start from somewhere, right? I've knitted my own scarves before, but this is different; this will be my first grown-up, elegant scarf that can (hopefully) complement a polished, dressy outfit, rather than just being a chunky winter scarf, with little technique and noteworthy detail. For this project, I will be using the 100% pure superfine alpaca yarn by Artesano, which is a lovely, 4ply fingering weight yarn. The main feature of the scarf will be a simultaneously knitted lace edging. That's the plan so far, anyway.

I am still trying to decide on whether or not to add beads to the scarf edging. I found some new packets of seed beads in my stash, 2 of which I thought might work with the red: silver-lined glass beads and crystal AB ones. My sister, who the scarf is for, can't decide either, so I guess I might resort to just trial and error-ing to see which look is best. 

I think I've overcome my fear of lace knitting, after having done a few lace projects and becoming comfortable enough with lace techniques; hence my newfound love of lace knitting. I think after I complete this knitting project, I will be ready to take on more advanced lacework, using lace-weight yarn. Bring it! 

Sweet yarn dreams x

Dudley Street Espresso & Collectables: the best caramel latte ever?

Dudley St Espresso and Collectables
494 Ipswich Rd, Annerley QLD 4103
Opening hours: 8am - 3pm weekdays

I have a bit of a weakness for caramel. Especially when it's paired with chocolate or coffee. If you've been reading my blog regularly, you'd know that I'm a relatively recent coffee convert. But even 4 years ago, I was positively addicted to the Creamy Caramel Crunch Chiller (minus the 'crunch' part) at Gloria Jean's Coffees. It didn't help that there was a shop in the food court (edit: of the shopping centre -) where I worked full-time for a year, and that there was the added incentive of a 10% centre staff discount. I would get one almost every lunch break, topped with whipped cream and drizzled with extra caramel sauce. I couldn't even keep track of the number of free ones I scored with the loyalty card, after buying x number of drinks. I'm not sure if it's the sugar or the caffeine I was addicted to, but there is no doubt that it is a dangerous combination. It's amazing I didn't, and still haven't (touch wood), developed diabetes. I've since learned the unhealthy evil of my ways and have slowly cut this beverage out of my diet.

Crème Brûlée Chiller @ Gloria Jean's Coffees

(Okay, maybe not completely. I'll admit that sometimes I am a bit naughty and still get the very occasional one; although they have since discontinued the Creamy Caramel Crunch Chiller. The closest thing to it is the Crème Brûlée one, but this has a marginally stronger coffee taste.)

I have since curbed my sugar intake, and have developed a habit of not adding any sugar, or adding very little sugar, to my tea and coffee. (Yes, it is do-able, people. No matter how sweet you like your food, if you try to abstain from it for a while, you will eventually become accustomed to the less-sweet taste, and may even prefer it. Try snacking on something healthy, like grapes or carrot sticks, to put your mind off the cravings/withdrawal effects.) It is not easy to cut out sugar entirely from our diet, and I do believe that the key to healthy, happy living is eating everything in moderation; that is to say, I think it is perfectly okay to give in to not-so-healthy indulgences every now and then. After all, we do have to look after our emotional health as well as our physical health.

Even superheroes have their weaknesses, and I think I have met my new match in the Caramel Latte at Dudley St Espresso & Collectables. The other coffee variations they make are not bad, but this is by far my favourite, and the one I keep going back for. The latte is wonderfully smooth on the palate and the caramel adds the perfect amount of sweetness to this dreamy elixir. On a reality note though, they do add a whole shot of caramel syrup to the small size, so if you're going to order a large, you may want to kindly ask the barista not to add any more than this amount (as I'm not sure if they do or not).

(Edit: 24/09/13: Of late, after having ordered the large with half a shot, I have decided that it tastes better with the full lot - and no, they don't add anymore than 1 shot of caramel syrup, and hence, the large actually tastes slightly less sweet than the small. On another note, the guys who currently own the place (one of them being the barista) have sold it and will officially stop working there at the end of this month. As such, I don't know if the caramel lattes there will ever be the same again :( But I will keep you posted.)

Caramel latte

The coffee that they use at Dudley is Grinder's Giancarlo coffee blend. While I'm not a huge fan of Grinder's coffee (I'm usually more of a Campos girl), it just seems to work so well for this caramel latte. Or maybe the barista there is just great at producing the perfect cup. I went around to a few different coffee shops to try their caramel lattes recently to see how they compare, but, thus far, I've been unable to find one almost as good. So, I guess I'll be regularly haunting Dudley for a while.

Luckily for me, and everyone who lives/works in this under-developed suburb of Annerley, where the café is located and which usually brings to mind unattractive strip malls filled with second-hand and bric-a-brac stores, rather than a place to head for lunch with friends, this funky little corner café offers good food as well as good coffee. They don't make food to order, but there is a glass cabinet filled daily with freshly-made sandwiches with delicious fillings, and a mouth-watering selection of sweet offerings (mini Baci chocolate mousse cake, anyone?). The ready-made options make it extremely convenient for those wanting to quickly buy food takeaway on the way to work, or during short lunch-breaks. Most of the sandwiches use herbed bread, which makes the sandwich all the more aromatic and scrumptious, and the sandwiches are lightly toasted, at time of ordering, to crispy-crusted perfection. My favourite is the turkey with cranberry sauce and Maleny Brie - who, indeed, could ever resist warmed, oozing, soft white cheese? No, not I. In fact, I could do with one right now.

A delicious sandwich with dill mayo in it

Quiche of the day with basil pesto
(I love the addition of the pesto, as it provides another flavour dimension)

Various sandwiches (+ caramel latte)

Besides sandwiches, hot soup is also currently available, and comes with a ciabatta roll and butter. Last week, I had their soup of the day, which happened to be mushroom soup. The seasoning was spot on, and the soup was nothing short of delicious. I love the nubbly texture of the soup, which assures one that it is full of the natural goodness of real mushrooms.

Mushroom soup with a ciabatta roll + butter
(and yes, that is a caramel latte in the background!)

Prices are quite standard at around $9 for the sandwiches and $10.50 for the soup. A small caramel latte is $4.

As its name suggests, the café also sells collectables, which form part of the shop's décor, adding a quirky charm to it, and helping it to 'fit in' with the theme of its surroundings. There are a few small tables and a bench, but these usually fill up fast at lunchtime. As such, the food in the cabinet also goes pretty quickly, so I would advise dropping in earlier rather than later for lunch, to avoid disappointment. I have read some reviews, in which there are complaints about the busy, noisy street that the café faces, but I personally haven't found the street noise to be a problem at all, in terms of affecting my dining experience or appetite. There is always the takeaway option for those who might prefer to eat in the perfect silence of their car or home. The staff at the café also seem to be lovely people.

I'm not sure how I have only just started going there in recent months, as it first opened its doors back in 2008. I would hate for others to have to wait 5 years to discover this place. In truth, I do have an ever-so-slight ulterior motive for posting this review: as much as I'd like to keep this little niche to myself, and reduce competition for sandwiches (the selfish little thing that I am), I know that the only way to ensure the never-ending availability of said sandwiches and the best caramel latte in town, in the years to come, is to promote (even) more foot traffic.

With the new, expensive housing units and property developments in the area, as well as the popping up of a few quality cafés, like Dudley St Espresso, I am sure that this long-neglected suburb will get a total facelift some time in the future, in order to meet the demands of a more becoming locale.