This is the first thing that I baked in our new house. The oven is older than the one in our little shoe box, so I must admit, I was worried. But after a slight hiccup (couldn't work out how to turn it on! Thanks Mum for working it out!) it is an oldy but a goody.
I bake it on a pre-heated pizza stone for best results, but a preheated oven tray works too.
I love the way the house smells when this is in the oven - the mixture of baking bread and buttery garlic is amazing.
Ingredients:
1 baguette / french stick
1/2 cup butter, softened (but not melted)
2 cloves of garlic, minced or 2 tsp jarred crushed garlic
1 tsp (or more, to taste) of herbs (either fresh or dried, I used oregano but parsley is traditional of garlic bread)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Mix together the butter, garlic and herbs. Make thick slices in the top of the baguette, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Cut a large rectangle of aluminium foil and place the baguette in the centre and using a spoon or knife, fill each slice with the garlic butter mixture. I use about 1/2 tbs in each.
Wrap and bake for 9 minutes. At this stage, I open the foil slightly and bake for another 2 minutes. I find this gives the bread a lovely slight browning on the top. Alternatively bake for a total of 13 minutes with the baguette fully enclosed in aluminium foil.
So... it is already February and I am doing a Christmas post? It is waaaaaay too late. But I have an excuse.... we have been very busy. We have bought sold a unit and bought a house. We have packed up 5 years worth of stuff and moved it. And that isn't even taking into account the usual things in life that keep us busy... such as our jobs.
Christmas pudding brownie bites
Ingredients:
1/2 quantity of brownies
1/4 quantity of chocolate ganache
Melted dark chocolate
Melted white chocolate
Red and green candy decorations
Method:
Make brownies according to the recipe and allow to cool before crumbling into a bowl and mixing in the ganache. Use your hands - it is much easier that using a spoon! You want to achieve a texture similar to the centre of a truffle. Put mixture in fridge to cool for an hour.
Roll into small balls (e.g. about a tablespoon size - they may look small, but they are rich). Pop them in the freezer for an hour or so...this makes them easier to handle for the following steps.
Melt dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Dip balls into chocolate. This is the hardest part. After doing a few you will get into a rhythm though. I found it easiest to use a couple of spoons. Be sure to shake of the excess melted chocolate otherwise you will really just end up with messy brownie bites with chocolate drips.
Leave to set, either at room temperature or in the fridge. Melt white chocolate and use approx 1/2-3/4 tbs to drizzle over each of the brownie bites. Work quickly to add the "holly" garnish, by simply sticking them on while the white chocoloate is still soft.
