Cooking and Caring
I can always make an iffy cookie-eater a “Belgians believer” with one taste of this recipe.
Mom would make these at Christmas time every year. Between working full time, keeping the house running fairly smoothly and almost effortlessly (it seemed), keeping us healthy and happy. The 60’s/70’s wife was a well- oiled homemaking machine.
Back to the Empire Biscuit.
I try to set aside a whole morning to bake these and spend that time perfecting the width, depth, shape and bake time to within an inch of that cookies’ life.
Have I mentioned I’m a bit of a perfectionist with my cookies?…….
Ultimately, I have only one chance to get it right.
You look at a plate of assorted cookies. You decide which one is worthy of the calories they contain and you put the morsal into your mouth, bite off a piece and then the real test begins.
Empire biscuits will provide you with a slightly crisp, buttery outer cookie, nestling a sweet, slightly sticky, jam centre and a very sweet milky white icing topping. To finish off the bliss of butter, jam and icing melting together with each chew, eventually, you’ll encounter the glace cherry….sigh.
I also try different shapes for these as well. I’ve made mini ones with little piped holly on top, larger ones with a whole cherry on top, square ones, teardrop ones, crinkled edges ones and triangles. Endless possibilities.
Who would have thought a newspaper article cut out so many years ago would provide such a treat that has been enjoyed so very much year after year.
Get out the rolling pin!
Pe-di-at-rics
NOUN: a branch of medicine dealing with the development, care and diseases of infants, children and adolescents.
“How could you do Pediatric Emerg?? It must be so sad!” All those sick kids!!!”
My first love has always been Pediatrics. I chose nursing because of it, chose a hospital far from my hometown to experience it, and always felt the need to take special care of those who are our most vulnerable. I spent some time in hospital as a young child and those memories have stayed with me.
Nursing children is so very rewarding.It can be, in turn, devastating, but it gives you a sense of great accomplishment when a task is completed, or a treatment works, or you can avoid a traumatic experience by using your experience and patience.
We can learn so much from these little ones. They are truthful, exuberant, playful and heal quickly. They can also go into a downward spiral just as quickly, so your observation and assessment skills have to be on high alert at all times.
Pediatrics. A branch of Medicine that combines knowledge with play, excellence with silliness and requires a special desire to help those who in most cases can’t help themselves.
I’m still in love….after more than 30 years.
On to larger volume baked goods! One of my earliest baking memories is trying to copy the coffee cakes my Mum made for special occasions (outside of the regular birthdays and calendar holidays). The smell of this cake baking…..heavenly! Having German and British backgrounds lends …
My favourite way to give the house that ‘baked’ smell is to throw together a batch of muffins. The possibilities are endless and with a 20 minute baking time…they are a godsend when you’re in a rush.
They can be a sweet, savoury, healthy, vegetarian, main course (stay tuned for April Fool’s post) and a snack staple. They are very portable, dress up a breakfast for company as well as hide a protein, fibre and fruit inside their moist cake-like interior. I know some who individually freeze them for lunches, personally, they never last long enough here for that to occur.
Perhaps the best part of making muffins is that they are mixed in one bowl (clean-up is minimal!!) You can also use those “annoying-to-get-apart” little muffin tin liners so your pan doesn’t get too messy.
Early on in my marriage (20 yrs ago now), we had a meeting for all the soccer executive at our place. I asked what I could make to go with the coffee/tea.
“Just a couple of muffins should be o.k”.
Music to my ears! 4 kinds, a groaning 2 platters later and I was forever labelled not Mrs. C but… “The Muffin Lady”.
I’ll share some of my favourites here, so get your bowls ready and put the kettle on! Let me know what kind you like best!
