Introduction: Cake in a Jar. <PIC> These tiny delights make the perfect gifts for any occasion.  Make up a batch to keep on hand for sudden cravings, give as favors for your next party, or send to loved ones overseas.  The cakes will remain moist and delicious for up to 6 months!  What better way to show someone you care than a personalized cake in a jar!Check out this amazing story about a 36-year-old government issue cake, and soldier who ate it!For more info on cute jarred treats (and how I prepared the jars), see Pie in a Jar! Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> To speed things along, I used a boxed cake mix.  Everyone agreed it tasted like a boxed cake mix.  I was ok with that for the purpose of illustrating the technique (no need to make this two instructables worth of instructions!) but will definitely go from scratch next time.So find your favorite cake mix and supporting ingredients, or make it from scratch.  The best part about making your own is that you can make half of one kind and half of another!You'll also need a bunch of canning jars - straight sides, wide mouthed.  I got the wee-est ones I could find for cuteness' sake.  You can definitely make them in bigger jars.Boil or wash the jars to sterilize them.  You'll want brand-spanking-new lids to make a tight seal when you're done.The box mix made enough batter to fill 16-20 jars! Step 2: Make Cake Batter. <PIC> Make the batter according to the directions on the box.Or look here for some inspiration to make your own!Fill the jars about half-way with batter.  If you fill them too full, you can always squish them down, or cut the tops off.  But too much batter will result in them flowing over the sides of the jars.Place in a baking dish for ease of handling. Step 3: Bake Tiny Cakes. <PIC> Bake according to directions for cupcakes, and check for doneness.  These are about cupcake size, but your jars may  be larger and need more time.When they're done, close the lids on 'em.  They're self-sealing, and you'll be able to see the seal forming!Alternatively, you can add a chocolate ganache* to the top before sealing.  Make sure to screw those caps on while the cakes are still hot though, to get that all-important seal.* To make ganache: Heat 1 cup cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over 9oz chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over cake.  Step 4: Store or Enjoy. Do Both!. <PIC> This is one little beauty I popped onto a plate - but no need, they're easy to eat right out of the jar!Once you've sealed these little treats, lable and date them.  Then you're ready to serve, ship, or store.Enjoy!UPDATE:According to user precision: "We've been doing these for years, they are great! I've got some right now that are over 6 months old, and I wouldn't hesitate to eat them."


Introduction: Homemade Coconut Rum. <PIC> Do you like flavored spirits? Are you the sort of person who likes to make their own things from scratch (If you're reading this, you might be!)?   Do you want coconut rum, but are pretty sure you won't want it for about ten days, give or take?  Then this Instructable is for you!  We'll walk you through the vaguely frustrating but rewarding process of making your own coconut rum.Theory:The idea behind all flavored spirits is infusing.  You take something tasty, make a sugar syrup flavored with it,  let it steep in something alcoholic (but relatively tasteless) for a while, and when you're done you've got a flavored alcohol.   We're doing coconut today, but this procedure can be applied to pretty much anything you'll want to make.  It's really quite simple, sort of fun, and impresses the heck out of people! So let's gather our mise and get started!Mise en Place for Coconut Rum:Software:1 ea Coconut1 750 mL bottle of decent but not amazing white rum1.5 cups water12 oz. by weight white sugarHardware:1 screwdriver1 Vegetable peeler1 Hammer (May or may not need)1 Drill and drill bit (May or may not need)1 Colander or large strainer to wash the peeled coconut meat1 medium pot1 Rubber spatula for stirring1 food processor with shredder disc (or box grater)2 1L glass jars or one 2L glass jar.  Wide mouth will really help. Mason jars work great(Hardware needed at the end for finishing)1 Strainer1 Coffee Filter1 Large mixing bowl to strain into (Might not need depending on how you decide to strain)1 Funnel 1 Nice container for your finished product, 750-1000 mLInitial steps:1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F2.  Combine sugar and water in the saucepan on the stove, but don't turn on yet Step 1: Cracking the Coconut. <PIC> The first thing you need to do is open up the coconut.  Some coconuts out there (like mine) are 'easy open', meaning they have been scored around in a circle with a saw to help get them open.  1.  Get your drill (CLEAN the bit!)  and drill through two of the eyes and drain the coconut water into a container.  I know what you're thinking: It's so SO tempting to save the water and put it into the rum.  It doesn't work!  It's not going to blend it and you'll wind up with a fatty layer on the top of your rum.  It's possible you might be able to use it as part of the liquid in the sugar syrup and it'll mix that way, but I haven't tried that yet.  2.  Put the coconut in the oven for about 15 minutes.  This will dry the shell out and make it easier to pull away from the skin and the meat.  3.  Remove from oven and let sit for a minute or two (it'll be HOT) and remove the hard outer shell with whatever tools you require: mostly a whack or two with a hammer and pry with the screwdriver. Step 2: Peeling. <PIC> Once you have the shell off, you need to peel the skin.  Break the coconut into manageable chunks (if the shelling process didn't), and peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler.  As you clean each chunk, put it into a strainer in the sink.When everything is peeled, give the chunks a good rinse to get any stray particles off. Step 3: Shredding. <PIC> Shred the coconut.  A food processor with shredder disc makes this simple and fast, but if you don't have one, use a box grater and the largest holes.   Step 4: Making the Coconut Syrup. <PIC> Now you're going to make the sugar syrup.  If you really don't want to add sugar to the recipe, you don't have to (but you'll be missing out on some flavor, it won't be particularly sweet, and it might take a little longer), simply divide the coconut into the two jars (might even fit into one) and pour on the rum.  Sugar syrup, I've found though, is the way to go with these for 'sweet' infused spirits (fruit spirits, not so much pepper or chile vodka).1.  Combine the sugar and water in the medium saucepot if you haven't already2.  Put on stove over medium high heat.  You're going to want to stay put and watch, as it'll go fast.  You want to completely dissolve the sugar into the water, then simmer away some of the water.  It will get cloudy then go clear.  3.  Let simmer about two minutes.  You do NOT want it to start turning brown (making sugar syrup, not caramel) a little color won't hurt it, but that's not what we're going for.4.  Add the coconut and stir to combine.  It's going to look pretty 'dry' since there's more coconut than syrup, but it will cook down a little.  I had a particularly high yielding coconut so it almost didn't look like enough, but your mileage may vary.  5.  Let simmer another couple minutes then remove from heat.6.  Let cool a bit before proceeding...sugar is VERY hot.   Step 5: Dividing Into Jars. <PIC> Carefully divide the sugar and coconut mixture into the two 1 liter jars (or your one big jar).  You want approximately the same amount of both syrup and coconut in each jar, but you're going to combine them in finishing so it's really not that critical.  Add the rum, again as near to even in both jars as you can.  Use the spatula to push any coconut around the inside of the jar into the rum.   Step 6: Infusing and Finishing. <PIC> Close your jars and put them somewhere they won't be in the way.  I'm using the 'mason jar, squeeze bottle, spare silverware, and Cognac' cabinet found in most households, but anywhere clean and out of the way (cool, dry, out of the light) will do.  This is where the waiting starts.  Let it sit, giving a light shake every other day, for one week.  At the end of a week, give it a taste to see how it's going.  Odds are it won't be ready, but you'll get an idea.  The main thing you're looking for right now is sweetness.  The coconut flavor will continue to develop (and I guess you can add more coconut at this point, and it's alright if you want to use a little bagged and not bust out a whole new coconut), but it's as sweet as it's going to get.  If it's not sweet enough, make a note to make a little more sugar syrup when you go to bottle to adjust the sweetness with.  At the end of the second week, give it another taste and decide if you want to bottle it or wait a bit more.  At this point, you won't get that much more flavor out of it by letting it sit more, but do so if it needs.  To finish the rum, put a coffee filter inside your strainer and place over a mixing bowl, and pour the rum through.  Note it's never going to be perfectly crystal clear, since we're not filtering it as much as a commercial operation does.  Cautionary Note: The leftover coconut or fruit isn't nearly as delicious as it seems like it'll be.  Remember: All the flavor went into the alcohol.  Cherries from a batch of cherry bourbon tasted like cardboard soaked in kerosene.  Funnel into your bottle, and you're done!  Congratulations, you've made your own coconut rum!  Now that you have the basic technique, you can make all sorts of good stuff!  Cranberry vodka for the holidays, chile or black pepper vodka for cocktails (no sugar syrup step for 'savory' infusions), delicious cherry whiskey.


Introduction: Potato Mushroom Vegetarian Burgers. <PIC> Every summer, my family and friends get together for a cookout and to watch fireworks. There are burgers on the grill, sodas on ice, and tons of chips.
The trouble is, I don't eat meat, and I get stuck trying to microwave something. I like Gardenburgers, but they are expensive, and the ones I find in the grocery store are tiny, so they don't fit well on a bun. I find soy burgers, like the ones from Boca, completely unpalatable.
I decided to make my own vegetarian burgers. I had some specific criteria. The burgers need to have as few ingredients as possible, I must be able to make a bunch and freeze them, and they have to taste good with pickles. I do not want a meat-like burger, just something that can be thrown on the grill.Ingredients:
2 medium red potatoes
6 large crimini mushrooms
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of flax seed meal
2 tablespoons of steak sauce
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
vegetable oilTools:
food processor or grater and knife
measuring cups and spoons
mixing bowl
mixing spoon/spatula
cheese cloth
skillet
grill
parchment or freezer paper
zippered plastic bag or freezer safe storage container
This makes about four burgers. Step 1: Potatoes and Mushrooms. <PIC> Wash the potatoes and mushrooms thoroughly. Scrub the potatoes with a stiff-bristle vegetable brush. Clean the mushrooms with a wet soft cloth or a wet paper towel.
Shred one potato and three mushrooms. Mince the remaining potato and mushrooms.
Using the cheese cloth, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Both potatoes and mushrooms have a lot of natural moisture, and this can make the burgers fall apart.
Put the shredded and minced potatoes and mushrooms in a large mixing bowl and mix them until they are evenly distributed. Step 2: . <PIC> Add the egg, steak sauce, liquid smoke, and flax seed meal to the mixture, and mix together.
The egg and flax meal are to help bind the potatoes and mushrooms together. Vegans can increase the amount of flax and leave out the egg, but you will need to experiment with ratios a bit.
Liquid smoke and steak sauce are for flavor. Burgers often have Worcestershire sauce, but this has anchovies in it. Steak sauce is very similar to Worcestershire sauce in make-up, but it contains no animal products. Step 3: Forming Patties. <PIC> To get consistent patty size, use a scale to measure weight or a measuring cup for volume. I found that a 1/3 cup of the mixture made for a perfect burger for me.
Form the mixture into a ball and then mash it down on some parchment or freezer paper.
Cook they patty in a skillet with a small amount of vegetable oil for about a minute on each side. This is just to get the outer bits to bond well enough to stay together when you put it on a grill. Step 4: Cooking. <PIC> You can either grill the burger now, or put it back on the parchment or freezer paper, let it cool some, then seal it in a plastic bag or box and freeze it.
When you want a burger, just pull the patty out of the freezer ans slap it on the grill. I found that it took about the same time to cook this as it did to cook a frozen beef patty (about 10 minutes), but it didn't get grill lines the same way.
Throw a slice of cheese on the patty , let the cheese melt, then add a bun and pickles. Yum!


Introduction: Sweet Potato Candy. <PIC> Got some pile of sweet potatoes?
Those piles of potatoes could be turned into a delicious form of treat: caramelized sweet potatoes!
Candy is a delicious treat and makes people happy!
Every-time I eat these delicious pieces of candy I grin and smile~
These non-fried potato treat is very easy to make and the short effort will be worth it after you eat these!
Ingredients: 1 Sweet potato
                    1 table spoon of sesame oil
                    2 table spoons of sugar
                    1 table spoon of soy sauce (this little bit of salt makes these very tasty.....  good soy sauce that is not reduced salt is preferred )
                    1 tablespoon of vinegar (optional)
                     a few sprinkles if sesame seeds (optional)  Step 1: Cut Up the Potatoes!. <PIC> Cut up the potatoes in bite size!  Step 2: Put Every Ingredient Except for the Sesame Seeds. <PIC> Put every ingredient except for the sesame seeds.
Leave the ingredients on the pan on low heat for about 2 minutes.
After about 2 minutes, get ready to flip the potatoes! Step 3: Finish the Potatoes!The Potatoes Will Be. <PIC> After the potatoes are fully cooked, let it cool down a while.
The coating on the potatoes will harden up a little, and then its ready for eating!
If you want to, add some sesame seeds for seasoning! Step 4: Enjoy!. <PIC> Eat the potatoes!
Of course, it is very high in calories, so don't eat too much!
Enjoy!


Introduction: ★HOMEBREW HONEY BEER★. <PIC> IF YOU LIKE THIS INSTRUCTABLE VOTE FOR ME IN THE HOMEBREW CONTEST (top right button) ! This is a really good beer, and is super cheap and easy to do. It is really hoppy, if you don't like that you can use less hops. It is not sweet at all, it just have a mild honey aroma, that is really pleasant with the bitter hops taste. (I don't like sweet beers). It have more or less 4,7 alcohol percentage. Here is the recipe for 23 liters of honey beer. It is delicious for cooking too, I use it in risotto (especially good in leeks risotto!), bread, soups, meet, river fish... I spent an average of 50￠for a 75 cl bottle: malt→2,50 € for kilo, honey→5 € for kilo, plus few cents for the sugar and the bisulfite). I used wild hops that my mom picked and dry, and purchased the malt from a local bakery (they use it to make bread). This kind of malt is not the actual right beer kind, but it still work pretty well, and is way cheaper; it just leave a little bit of deposit on the bottom of each bottle. I bought this two beer fermenters for 35 €.Is really important to disinfect with the sodium bisulfite (read direction on package) every things you are going to use to make the beer. ☛You can also use your usual beer recipe and substitute part of the malt with honey (keeping sum of the different water percentage of them). Step 1: WHAT YOU NEED. <PIC> Ingredients: - 2kg malt; - 1kg honey; - 100g to 135g dry (wild or purchased) hops, depending on how hoppy you want the beer; - sugar (for sparkling); - 7g yeast (1 sachet) or brewing yeast; - water. Tools (look at drawing): 1- 25liter bucket for brewing beer with a bubbler, 25 liter bucket wit a tap; 2- a big pan (at least 15 liter capacity), a small pan (at least 7 liter capacity); 3- a big stainer (fine) or https://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Filter-for-Brewing/; 4- a food safe hose; 5- funnel; 6- teaspoon; 7- sodium bisulfite (for disinfect); 8- beer densimeter; 9- beer bottles (I used 75cl bottles). Step 2: HOPS INFUSION. <PIC> Boil the hops in a big pan with 10/15 liter of water for 20 or 30 minutes, than allowed to cool down to 22° C, with a top on. Step 3: THE MUST. <PIC> Heat up a little bit the honey and the malt (''bain marie'' or microwave), for an easier pouring and mixing. Slowly add them to 3 liter of hot water. Boil really slowly for 5 to 10 minutes, always stirring. Allowed to cool down to 22°C. Step 4: MAKE THE BEER. <PIC> Put some water at 22°C in the fermenter, add the must and the hops infusion (with a stainer). Add the rest of the water up to 23 liter, also at 22°C.The beer should be around 22°C, it is really important. Step 5: YEAST. <PIC> Add the yeast and stir really well for 30 seconds. Step 6: THE BUBBLER. <PIC> Put the top on the fermentator. Pure some water with bisulfite in the bubbler. Step 7: THE FERMENTATION. <PIC> Is important that the beer temperature is around 22°C, and really constant during the all fermentation. After few hours you will see the bubbler bubbling, it is the sign that the fermentation started. It can last from 5 to 10 days depending on the room temperature and the ingredients used. Step 8: END OF THE FERMENTATION. <PIC> When you noticed the bubbling stop, pour some beer in a long cylindric container and immerse the densimeter in it. Look at the level of it, it will tell you when the beer is ready to bottle (on mine is write ''bottle'' and is around 1002-1006).Do not bottle the beer before the fermentation is completely done and the level on the dendimeter is right, or the bottles of beer are going to explode! It's happened to me before, and what a mess! Step 9: POURING. <PIC> Pour the beer from a bucket to the other, with the hose (sucking the air out of it, and having one bucket hight and one down). Leave on the bottom some sediment, so the beer will become more transparent. Do it carefully, especially trough the bottom, so you won't pick up the sediment (place the hose almost horizontal, see drawing). ✱I use this sediment to flavoring bread, cakes, cookies…(Do not store it in a sealed recipient because this part have a lot of yeast in it and may fermented more and explode it). Step 10: BOTTLES PREPARATIONS. <PIC> (Follow the direction of the package of the sodium bisulfite for disinfect the bottles). This is how I do: Make a solution of sodium bisulfite (or other food proof disinfectant), with 10/15 g of bisulfite for 1l of water (or how specified). Pour the solution in a bottle, shake it, and than from a bottle to another, and so on… change the solution every 10-15 bottle. Allowed the bottle to dry for 10 minutes. I actually wash away the sodium bisulfite with boiling water because I'm really sensitive to it, but it should volatilize with air contact anyways. Step 11: BOTTLE UP. <PIC> Put a teaspoon of sugar in each bottle for the sparkling. Pour the beer in the bottle, do not make the bottle full all the way, leave at least 3 cm from the neck. Shake the bottle a bit to make the sugar melted. Sugar dosage: 330cl beer bottle→2g sugar 500cl beer bottle→3g sugar 750cl beer bottle→5g sugarDo not put too much sugar or the bottle will explode! OR: get all the priming sugar you will need, boil in a small amt. of water, and put it in your beer before you bottle (stir it in). Here's a calculator to tell you how much sugar to use: http://www.homebrewdad.com/priming_sugar_calculator.php Step 12: MATURATION. <PIC> Put the bottles for 5-7 days in a warm place, beet wen 18° and 24°, for the second fermentation.Then store them in a cold place.The beer is ready to drink in other 15 days, but an additional maturation of 1 or 2 months improve the taste.The beer should been drink in 24 months .The deposit on the bottom of the bottle is normal and natural, and for avoid that the beer become cloudy I suggest to keep the bottle in a vertical position, and pour it in a glass really slowly. Step 13: DRINK IT. <PIC> The beer is done!This is the color it will have. This is just been brewed, and that is why is so cloudy, but it will become more transparent during the maturation. Enjoy! Every suggestion or tips are welcome!


Introduction: Katniss Spicy Red Velvet Hunger Games Cupcakes. <PIC> “The Hunger Games” is a sensational trilogy about a dystopian United States that holds a gladiator-style fight to the death in a futuristic murder arena complete with hybrid creatures, force fields, and cameras to broadcast the carnage into every home with a television set. The participants in those Games? They’re children between 12 and 18. This is teen reading at its finest: think Lord of the Flies meets Twilight meets Spartacus.
The main character, Katniss Everdeen, is a headstrong, bow-hunting, coal mine girl who poaches local game and sells it to support her family.  She voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place in the Hunger Games.  She becomes known as "The Girl on Fire" after she wore a specially designed outfit that made her look like she was on fire.  She is a fearless fighter, and deserves to be honored with a cupcake.
Her cupcake is spicy and a little bit wild.  Firm, feminine, and fiery.  A dangerous cupcake. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> For the cake:
-  3 1/2 cups cake flour
-  3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
-  2 1/2 cups sugar
-  3 eggs, at room temperature
-  3 tablespoons red food coloring
-  3 tablespoons cocoa powder
-  1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-  1 1/2 teaspoon salt
-  1 1/2 cups milk
-  1 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
-  1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-  3 tablespoons cayenne pepperFor the frosting:
-  12 ounces cream cheese
-  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
-  2 cups powdered sugar
-  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-  red food coloring
-  yellow food coloringFor the chocolate mockingjay:
- chocolate chips, melted Step 2: . <PIC> -  Preheat the oven to 350°F.
-  Sift the cake flour into a bowl and set aside.
-  Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.
-  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.
-  Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
-  In a small bowl, whisk together the food coloring, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well. Step 3: . <PIC> -  In a separate bowl, stir the salt into the milk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the cake flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are well incorporated.
-  In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well.
-  Add the cayenne pepper and mix.
-  Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the ingredients are well incorporated and the batter is smooth. Step 4: . <PIC> -  Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins - about 2/3 full.
-  Bake one pan at a time on the center rack for 15 minutes.
-  Test the cupcakes with a toothpick - insert a toothpick through the center of a cupcake. If it comes out clean, the cupcakes are done! If not, leave the cupcakes in the oven for another minute and toothpick test again.
-  Cool cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes.
-  Remove cupcakes from the pan and cool completely on a rack. Step 5: Fire Frosting. <PIC> -  Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together on medium speed until smooth.
-  Add the sugar, and beat on low speed until incorporated.
-  Increase the speed to medium and mix until light and fluffy.
-  Add red and yellow food coloring a couple of drops at a time until you get the orange color you want.
-  Using a piping bag and #18 piping tip, pipe each flame - hold the pastry bag straight up, squeeze the bag while lifting up, stop, and release. Repeat until the top of the cupcake is covered in frosting "flames." Step 6: Chocolate Mockingjay. <PIC> -  Melt chocolate chips in a piping bag.  Be careful - the chocolate will be hot.
-  Pipe out the design you want onto a piece of parchment paper.
-  Cool the chocolate in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.
-  Carefully peel the chocolate off the parchment paper and place chocolate on cupcake.
*** NOTE: Make sure your chocolate design is thick.  Mine were a little too thin and collapsed after several minutes.  It also didn't help that it was a hot day.


Introduction: Sea Breeze. <PIC> The original Sea Breeze recipe is with Vodka, but changing that to Gin will improve your drink drastically. This is a simple but refreshing cocktail which you can make with normal kitchen tools.Using fresh and quality products will guarantee the best results.The idea of the recipe is taken from Lorne from Angel TV-series. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> Here is what you need:Grapefruit (white variety)Cranberry juice (good variety)Gin (excellent variety)Ice cubes (not the hip-hop artist/actor)Two long cocktail glasses (highball glasses)Citrus squeezerMeasurement glassStrawsOne grapefruit is enough for two glasses of Sea Breeze. If you have more company, just get more grapefruits. Step 2: Ice Cubes and Spirits. <PIC> First fill your glass at least half full with ice (this is the positive approach, if you are pessimistic person you can also fill it half empty).Measure 4cl (Yeah baby, metric system!) of Gin in each glasses. Step 3: Grapefruit. <PIC> Squeeze the grapefruit. You should get nice pulpy juice with a squeezer. (It is blasphemy to use bottled grapefruit juice)Pour 4cl of grapefruit juice to each glass. Step 4: Cranberry Juice. <PIC> Next fill the glass with cranberry juice. The color of the drink should be about the same as in the pictures. This is not accurate science, so you might want to experiment a bit. But you usually get the best mixture if you have filled the whole glass with ice. This way you can't add too much cranberry juice.Too much cranberry juice will make the drink too sweet and it will also hide the characteristics of Gin.Add straw and mix a bit (stirred, not shaken). Step 5: Enjoy!. <PIC> Enjoy responsibly!Be careful, the more you drink it, the more you want it.Generic recipe:Fill long glass with ice1 part of Gin1 part of Grapefruit juice2-3 parts of Cranberry juice


Introduction: Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies. <PIC> These cookies are packed with three types of chocolate, sweetened with good quality vanilla, with a touch of salt for that true addictive quality. Great with a cup of tea or coffee for a mid morning snack (or as a sugar rush when you're late first thing as I often am), it's a struggle to contain yourself to just one. Step 1: Ingredients and Equipment. <PIC>
          This recipe makes around 16-20 cookies, depending on your scoop size.Ingredients:
		170 g unsalted butter
		100 g caster sugar
		200 g light brown/light muscovado sugar
		1 egg
		1 egg yolk
		1 tsp vanilla essence
		250 g plain flour
		1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
		1 tsp salt
		100 g white chocolate
		100 g milk chocolate
		100 g dark chocolateEquipment:
		Large mixing bowl
		Wooden spoon/Spatula
		Measuring cups/scales
		Measuring spoons
		Chopping board & a sharp knife
		Baking trays and parchment
		Cookie scoop if you have one, or a couple of tablespoons
		Cooling rack
		An oven, preheated to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4
(An electric mixer will make your life easier, but if you've got a fairly strong arm a wooden spoon will do just as well)
For anyone without scales, a good weight to volume conversion guide can be found here. Step 2: Chocolate. <PIC> First, chop up all of the chocolate into small chunks. You could use chocolate chips instead to make your life easier, but I like the irregularity of hand chopped pieces, and the way the stray shavings make their way through all of the cookie dough, spreading chocolate through every bite. Step 3: Butter & Sugar. <PIC> Soften the butter in the microwave. Put both of the sugars into a large mixing bowl, then add the butter. Beat together the butter and sugar until they are well combined. Step 4: Egg & Vanilla. <PIC> Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla into the mixture and beat again until everything is well combined. Step 5: Dry Ingredients. <PIC> Now add the flour, bicarb and salt. Mix by hand until the flour is combined and a dough has formed.
Tip in the chocolate chips and mix these in well. Step 6: Baking. <PIC> Scoop the cookie dough out onto lined baking sheets, making sure to leave plenty of space between each scoop for spreading.
If you have a (handily stolen from work) cookie scoop, spoon out large dollops onto the sheet. For neater cookies you can shape these into balls with your hands, though it's a bit of a messy job.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until they are spread and golden, but not hard; you want them gooey and chewy in the middle.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool for 5 minutes, then move onto a cooling rack to cool completely, (if you can resist).
Eat! Step 7: Variations. <PIC> This cookie dough recipe can be easily adapted for any other flavour, simply replace the 300 g chocolate with any other ingredients you fancy. Some of my favourites are:Dark Chocolate & Ginger - add 2 tsp ground ginger to the dough, use 225 g chopped dark chocolate & 75 g chopped crystallised gingerMilk Chocolate & Peanut Butter - use 150 g chopped milk chocolate, 150 g crunchy peanut butterTriple Dark Chocolate Chip - substitute 75 g of the plain flour for cocoa powder, use 300 g of your favourite type of chocolate, choppedMayan Chocolate Chip- add 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cinammon, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, zest of one orange, use 300 g of spiced chocolate (such as Green & Black's Maya Gold), chopped


Introduction: Rich Fruit Celebration Cake. <PIC> Perfect for all special occasions. On its own or covered with marzipan and icing.  You can substitute some of the liquid for bandy, whisky or rum for that extra special-ness (see step)Planning note: Fruit will be soaked overnightA note about the images in this Instructable: You will note that my ingredients may look more than what is listed, this is because I have expanded the mixture to make more cakes. This project is for one cake Step 1: You Will Need. <PIC> Ingredients Part 1 aka 'Bowl 1' ★220ml of hot, strong tea or orange juice (see notes ❅)    750g or dried, mixed fruit (see notes ❅❅)Ingredients Part 2 aka 'Bowl 2' ★200g Unsalted butter       110g Glace cherries (halved)       225g Dark brown sugar       4 Medium eggs, lightly beaten       225g Plain, white flour       ¾ tsp Baking powder       1tsp Ground cinnamon   1/5tsp Ground cloves       1tsp Mixed spice       1tsp Vanilla extract       Small amount of margarine / butter for greasing tinEquipment:1 8" cake tin at least 3" deep    A saucepan 2 Mixing bowl, plus 1 bowl for eggs    Measuring spoons    Greaseproof paper       String - suitable for the oven     Mixing spoons       Tea towel or cling film    A sieve to drain fruitNotes:★ If you have two different size bowls, the largest size will be best suited as Bowl 2❅ Liquids: For more indulgence, replace half this liquid with Brandy, Rum or Whisky. If using alcohol, you will need to make this cake weeks in advance to allow maturing and feeding (see step later on)❅❅ Fruit: I purchased ready mixed fruit, if you don't want to use ready mixed, you can use any or all of the following up to 750g:Sultanas    Raisins    Craisins    Currants Step 2: Day 1 - Gather Bowl 1 Ingredients. <PIC> Weigh and wash your fruit      Drain through a sieve       Place in a large bowl   Allow your liquid to come to room temperature   Pour over the fruit and cover with a tea towel or cling film      Allow to soak overnight or a minimum of six hours Step 3: Day 2 - Add Cherries. <PIC> Cut cherries in half and mix into Bowl 1 Step 4: Melt Butter and Sugar. <PIC> ** Preheat the oven to 140℃ / Gas mark 2 ***Ensure all ingredients are at room temperatureMelt the butter and sugar together in a saucepan. stir continually until it has mixed well.Allow to cool. Whilst cooling, grease and line your tinPour into Bowl 2 Step 5: Add Eggs and Vanilla. <PIC> Lightly beat your eggs with the vanillaMix in to Bowl 2 Step 6: Sift and Mix Dry Ingredients. <PIC> Sift and mix together, into Bowl 2, the remaining dry ingredients from 'Bowl 2' list Step 7: Combine Both Bowls. <PIC> Add a spoonful of fruit at a time and fold in  Step 8: Measure Greaseproof Papers. <PIC> Measure your tin, round and height, and cut a length of greaseproof paper to fit around (plus a little more) and four times the height.Fold this in half and ensure that it comes over the rim of your tin by about 2 inches.Place to one side Step 9: Spoon Mixture Into Tin. <PIC> Spoon the mixture into the tin and flatten the top Step 10: Secure Paper to Tin. <PIC> Take your length of greaseproof paper and secure it around the tin with the stringThis is to ensure that, if it rises over the sides of your tin, it won't spill  Step 11: Cook and Cool. <PIC> Bake in centre of the oven for  4 - 4.5hrs or until a skewer, inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean.Once cooked, allow to cool in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack Step 12: Storage . <PIC> Store, wrapped  in a double layer of greaseproof paper and a layer of foil.You can leave the foil if you have a tin to keep it in.Store at room temperature or in the freezer.Can be stored for up to six - eight weeks. Step 13: Feeding and Maturing (optional). <PIC> If using alcohol, feed the cake with 1-2tbsp of Brandy every two weeks until it's decorated. Do not feed the cake for the last week. This will give the surface a chance to dry before decorating.Maturing is optional if not using alcohol.  Step 14: Decorate (optional). <PIC> Decorate your cake for whatever celebration you desire or eat as is.I've used my cakes and decorated them for Yule / Christmas, view details on my blogChristmas Cake - Holly Wreath - 2016 Christmas Cake - Snowflake - 2016Christmas Cake - Tree - 2016Snowman Decorated Cake - 2016Santa Emerging from Chimney - 2017Sculpted Santa Face - 2017Gingerbread Twins - 2017Festive Mouse and Tree - 2017You can make some of my festive fondant to decorate the cake:Snowflake Cutter Christmas Tree - 2016Daisy Cutter Christmas Tree - 2016Star Cutter Christmas Tree - 2016Fondant Poinsettia - 2016Small (75mm) Fondant Holly Wreath - 2016Fondant Gingerbread People - 2017Father Christmas Topper - 2017


Introduction: Eggplant Bacon. <PIC> Bacon is one of the most delicious foods ever, but one that vegetarians, vegans, and other folks with dietary restrictions are sure to miss it at breakfast time (and lunch, and dinner, and snacks). With a few simple ingredients, you can make a yummy bacon-proxy sure to please all your brunch guests - even pork-aholics. Step 1: You'll Need. . .. <PIC> Software: 		A few small eggplants (Japanese or Italian work best - small ones are preferred since they have fewer or no seeds)Bacon Salt (I like to use the maple or natural, but it's up to you) - if you don't have Bacon Salt or don't have access to it, you can try a mix of salt, pepper, brown sugar, and paprika (and maybe a little onion and garlic powder)
		Oil for frying (vegetable or canola work well)Hardware: 		A mandolin for slicing (if you don't have one, you can use a very sharp knife)
		A medium sized mixing bowl and a sheet pan with some type of cooling/straining rack over it (sheet pan method is not required, but is recommended)
		Large cast iron skillet
		Kitchen tongs
		Paper towels (brown paper bags can also be used) Step 2: Prep Your 'Plants. <PIC>
		Wash your eggplants well
		Peel if desired (leaving the peel on results in crisper slices later
		Using the mandolin (or knife) slice approximately 1/8" thick. Make sure to use the finger guard and be very careful so you don't cut yourself!
		Put the slices into the mixing bowl and sprinkle in Bacon Salt (you'll need a lot)
		Toss the slices around with your fingers until all slices are coated on both sides
		You can keep the slices in this bowl or transfer them to the draining rack placed over the sheet pan (if using)
		Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the bitter fluid to drain from the eggplant Step 3: Fry 'Em Up. <PIC>
		Pour approximately an inch of oil into your cast iron pan and heat over medium-high heat
		Once the oil is nice and hot, gently wipe off the extra liquid (and some of the Bacon Salt) from each eggplant slice, add slices one at a time to the oil. Be very careful! The high water content in the eggplant slices will make the oil splatter a lot!
		Fry until crispy and lightly browned all over (or more brown if you like your bacon extra crispy)
		Remove from pan using tongs and place on a layer of paper towels or brown paper bags to wick away the excess oil
		Enjoy as is, or make yourself a delicious ELT (eggplant, lettuce, and tomato) sandwich!


Introduction: Crumpets!. <PIC> You'll never enjoy nicer crumpets than home made crumpets. This recipe has a few steps but they are all relatively easy and the cooking step is a lot of fun. Step 1: Click Play.... Here are the ingredients:175g strong white flour 175g plain flour 2 tsp dried yeast 1 tsp caster sugar 350ml warm milk 200ml warm water ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp salt sunflower oil and small amount of butter for cooking----------------------------------For detailed written instructions click through the steps at the foot of this text. Below are a summary of the instructions:Add 175g of strong white flour to a bowl Add 175g of plain flour In a small saucepan add a teaspoon of caster sugar  Measure out 350ml of milk and add to the pan  Heat the pan of milk containing the sugar on a low heat until warm  Once warm add 2 teaspoons of yeast, stir and leave for 3 minutes  Add this milk and yeast mix to the flour and mix thoroughly  Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave for 1 hour  Into a new bowl add ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda  Add 1 teaspoon of salt  Add 200ml warm water to the mix and stir  Slowly add and mix the solution into the dough which will be ballooned up after sitting for 1 hour  Rub a small amount of butter around the inside of your crumpet rings  Heat a frying pan on a medium heat  Place the crumpet rings into the pan and add a teaspoon of sunflower oil between two rings  Spoon 2 tablespoons of crumpet dough into each crumpet ring   Run a knife around the ring to release the crumpet  Flip of the crumpets using a stiff spatula  Cook the crumpet tops until golden  Allow your crumpets to cool and toast to your personal preference before eating! Step 2: Measure Flours. <PIC> In a bowl measure out 175g of strong white flourAdd 175g of plain flour and mix Step 3: Adding the Yeast. <PIC> In a small saucepan add a teaspoon of caster sugarMeasure out 350ml of milk and add to the pan Heat the pan of milk containing the sugar on a low heat until warm, stirring regularly (this will warm quickly) Once warm add 2 teaspoons of yeast, stir and leave for 3 minutes Step 4: Mixing the Dough. <PIC> Add this milk and yeast mix to the flour and mix thoroughlyCover the bowl with a tea towel and leave for 1 hour Step 5: Add Bicarbonate Solution. <PIC> Into a new bowl add ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of sodaAdd 1 teaspoon of salt Add 200ml warm water to the mix and stir Slowly add and mix the solution into the dough which will be ballooned up after sitting for 1 hour Step 6: Cooking the Crumpets. <PIC> Rub a small amount of butter around the inside of your crumpet ringsHeat a frying pan on a medium heatPlace the crumpet rings into the pan and add a teaspoon of sunflower oil between two ringsSpoon 2 tablespoons of crumpet dough into each crumpet ring (the ring should be between half and two thirds full of dough as it will grow as it cooks)As the crumpets cook you'll see bubbles appear and slowly the surface of the crumpets will develop a skinRun a knife around the ring to release any crumpet dough that may be attached and remove the rings carefully with a clean tea towel (these rings will be hot)Now for the difficult bit, the flipping of the crumpets. The crumpets will still have wet dough in the middle just below the surface so flipping them needs to be done quickly and without lifting the crumpet to far away from the pan before the actual flip action. Use a stiff spatula, and cook the crumpet tops until golden. Allow your crumpets to cool and toast to your personal preference before eating!


Introduction: Laser Etched Cookies. <PIC> Everyone loves cookies and lasers, so why not combine the two? This recipe is for very basic vanilla sugar cookies that I then etched using a laser cutter, mostly to see what would happen (and how they would taste).Ingredients, in order of use:1 cup unsalted butter, soft1 cup sugar1 egg1 Tbsp milk1 tsp vanilla extract (or other flavorings/extracts - citrus zest would work well)3/4 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt3 cups flourpowdered sugar for rollingsugar for dipping Step 1: Blend Butter and Sugar. <PIC> Combine the butter and sugar in a bowl and mix until smooth. Ideally, you should use a mixer but a spoon and some elbow grease will work as well. Step 2: Add Liquids. <PIC> Mix in the egg, vanilla, and milk. Step 3: Add Powders. <PIC> Stir the salt and baking powder into the mixture and distribute evenly. Step 4: Add Flour. <PIC> Half a cup at a time, slowly mix in the flour until you get a homogeneous dough. Step 5: Chill. <PIC> Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap and chill into the fridge for about one hour, or until firm but not hard. Step 6: Roll the Dough. <PIC> Working with half of the dough at a time, roll it out to about a 1/4" thickness. I used scraps of plywood wrapped in plastic wrap to make sure my cookies were perfectly level at 1/4" (I wanted them to be as uniform as possible for laser etching). You can do something similar with cardboard or rubber bands wrapped around the rolling pin if you don't have access to plywood. Step 7: Cut the Cookies. <PIC> I cut my cookies into 2 1/4" and 3" rounds for testing. I also dipped some of them into white sugar before baking, in hopes that the sugar would caramelize from the laser (it also just happens to taste good). Step 8: Bake. <PIC> Bake the cookies at 375 deg F for about 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are just beginning to brown. Step 9: Design the Patterns. <PIC> While the cookies are cooling, create your design for the etching. I made a layout sheet of 2" circles for my smaller cookies, and made sure that the images were centered over the circles. The circles and the images were on different layers, so I could turn the guides off when etching.  Step 10: Etch. <PIC> First, clean the laser cutter. I found that it smelled a little after cutting, and that wiping down the bed, the rail that the laser slides along, and the laser housing helped reduce the smell. Put down a printout of the layout sheet you created and cover it with a layer of parchment paper (you should be able to see the layout lines through the parchment paper). Place the cookies inside the guidelines and focus the laser on a cookie. Finally, etch the design using the cutter's "raster" feature.  Step 11: Etching Results. <PIC> I tried a variety of settings and found that I could never get the etching quite as dark as I wanted. In the end, I settled on speed at 100%, power at 75%, and raster settings of 400 DPI. I also experimented a bit with sugar vs no sugar on the top of the cookies. The plain cookies had better resolution, but the sugar-coated cookies tasted significantly better. Step 12: Admire/Eat. <PIC> As a safety note, food that has been laser etched in the cutter I used is no longer considered "food safe" and probably shouldn't be eaten (hence "admire"). That being said, the cookies took on a bit of a chemical/burned taste which I found kind of awful. The sugar-dipped cookies had less of an aftertaste than the plain cookies. However, other people who tried them said that they barely noticed the taste. In any case, the non-etched cookies are pretty good too.


Introduction: Five-Minute Fruit Tarts. <PIC> I have a berry-based dessert obsession: I can't get enough fruit tarts! [insert Alice in Wonderland jokes] While these may not qualify as a proper tart, they taste nearly the same. I wanted a way to quickly (and cheaply!) enjoy a proper fruit tart taste without the time commitment, so I made a quick recipe whilst wandering through my local grocery. Let's begin! Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> (box) graham crackers(8 oz.) cream cheese spread(1/2 cup) sugar(1 cup) raspberries(1 cup) blackberries(1 cup)  blueberriesThis will yield about 10 servings. Step 2: Make Spread. <PIC> In a medium sized bowl, combine the cream cheese spread with your sugar. Continuously fold over until the blend is well mixed. I only had regular sugar, but confectioner's sugar would also work well. You may use regular cream cheese as instead of spread (it is cheaper), but it takes extra time to become easily stir-able . We don't have that kind of time!Using a butter knife, slather the sweet cheesy mix onto a graham.  Repeat for the remaining crackers. Step 3: Add Desired Fruits. <PIC> My favorite tart fruits of choice are black, blue, and rasp berries, but feel free to add your own desired sweet slices of fruit. Presentation is half the battle when it comes to tasty food, so I opted to decorate my tarts in a checkered pattern. Step 4: Eat!. <PIC> Invite some friends, or strangers (whomever you prefer really), to enjoy the tarty goodness. Share your photos in the comments if you make your own rapid desserts!


Introduction: Japanese Chicken Curry. <PIC> Hello. Chicken Curry is a very delicious dish that can be found at many restaurants in Japan. This dish is also very popular in Hawaii, California, and all over the United States as it is hot and served over White Rice, and even over noodles, or Chicken Katsu. Let's Go! Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> -5 Chicken Thighs-5 Potatoes-1/2 an Onion-3 Stalks of Celery-1 Box Japanese Style Curry Sauce Mix-3 Cups uncooked Rice-2 1/2 Cups of WaterOptional: Eggs Step 2: Cooking Rice. <PIC> Measure 3 cups of rice into the rice pot. Add water into the pot, about an inch from the rice. Wash the rice by mixing your hands in the water and rice. Dump out the floury water. Repeat this two more times. You want it so that it cleans the rice from the flour. Once you are done, make the water level reach the number three on the pot. Then place it in the cooker so that it cooks. Step 3: Pealing Potatoes and Carrots. <PIC> Peal the potatoes and carrots completely of their skin. Once you are done, immediately place the potatoes in a bowl full of water because if not, they will turn brown because of the oxygen. Next place the carrots on a plate so they won't be going anywhere. Step 4: Cutting Potatoes. <PIC> Medium dice the potatoes, making sure they are all evenly cut. If some are not evenly cut, it might take more time for them to cook, so try carefully. If this is a little confusing, follow images. Repeat on all five potatoes. After, place in a bowl of cold water. Step 5: Cutting Carrots. <PIC> The carrots are cut with a technique I call cut-roll. You cut the tip or the carrot, and rotate it a half turn. It should be about or similar to the size of the potatoes. You do not have to cut it this way, you can cut the carrot anyway you like, this is only how I do it. Step 6: Cutting Celery. <PIC> Cut off the ends of the celery. Cut a long line along the middle of the celery, about from the end to the other end. Cut it until you get to the strange looking part that looks wild and mangled. Don't cut that part, and throw it away. Step 7: Cutting Onion. <PIC> Cut the onion in half. Then cut off the ends. Cut it similarly like how you cut an apple. This is cut like this because not many people like onions, and it is easier so that I won't serve it later. Place it in the bowl of onions. Step 8: Cutting Chicken. <PIC> For the chicken, we are using boneless, skinless, chicken thighs. I am using five of the chicken thighs. First cut off all visible fat from the chicken. Repeat this for all six chicken thighs. After removing the fat, cut the chicken into cubes, slightly bigger than the potatoes. After cutting the chicken, throw away all the fat. Step 9: Frying Onions. <PIC> For this step you will need to heat the pot to about 7 1/2 heat. You will also need a spoon and a bowl to put your spoon in when not in use. Add 2 teaspoons of oil. Add in the onions, and let them fry for 1-2 minutes until light brown. Step 10: Adding in Chicken. <PIC> Add in all the cut chicken to the pot with onions. Let them cook, making sure not to move them around too much in the first couple of minutes. If the chicken is sticking to the bottom of the pot, it's because it hasn't fully cooked on its side. Once it is cooked on it's side, move it so that it is cooking on the other sides. Reduce the heat to medium low. Step 11: Adding in Vegetables. <PIC> Drain the water from the potatoes and add them in the pot. Mix it around with the chicken and the onions. Next, add the carrots and mix it in. Also mix in the celery. After you mix all the vegetables, add in 3 1/2 cups of tap room temperature water. Increase the heat, and bring to a boil. Foam will start appearing at the top of the pot, so you will want to remove, or skim the fat. Try to remove all of it, but it's impossible to remove all of it. After that, you may cover with a lid. For a thicker curry, put less water, for a more thin curry, add more water. After you cover the pot, let it simmer on low heat so that the vegetables may soften. Step 12: Adding in Curry Sauce Mix. <PIC> Open your curry mix and break it up by cutting it. Now add it in and stir until it is melted. Don't stir vigorously or the vegetables will break. Step 13: Done. <PIC> Congratulations! You have finished the Chicken Curry. Scoop hot rice into a bowl and serve the curry on top. If you like, add a fried egg on top of the rice and pour the curry on top. I usually do that for breakfast and it just tastes delicious. Thank you for cooking with us and if you'd like, request a recipe you'd like to see in the future. I'll try to make it. ITADAKIMASU!


Introduction: S'mores Bites (aka Scooby S'mores). <PIC> I love s'mores; each part of this triumvirate of deliciousness was destined for each other.  Unfortunately, it's not always convenient to combine them in the traditional campfire-side method.  I wanted to try a simple way to make s'mores more accessible without being forced to wait to go camping to make them.   Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> Graham cracker sticks (I used Scooby-Doo grahams)
Chocolate for melting
Marshmallow cream
Optional ingredients:
Mint chips
Peanut butter
Toppings such as walnuts, coconut flakes and sprinkles Step 2: Add Marshmallow to Graham Crackers. <PIC> I started out by sandwiching the marshmallow cream by two of the graham sticks.
After I finished and tried the result, I don't think that two graham sticks were necessary.  When I do this again, I'm just going to dip the graham stick into the marshmallow cream, and then use a spoon to drizzle on the chocolate. Step 3: Melt Chocolate. <PIC> Set up a double-boiler and melt the chocolate.  Either dip the marshmallowed grahams in the chocolate or use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate.  We had dark chocolate and milk chocolate, so we set up two double-boilers.  After we used up about half of the chocolate in each, we added peanut butter to the milk chocolate, and mint chips to the dark chocolate for some variety.  The mint chips aren't made to be melted like the melting chocolate, so they didn't look very pretty, but they were my favorite of the bunch by far.  Does anyone have any suggestions on how to better melt the mint chips? Step 4: Add Toppings, Allow to Cool, and Enjoy!. <PIC> After they've been dipped in chocolate, the s'mores can be dipped in or sprinkled with toppings before being place on a Silpat or piece of wax paper to cool.  The melted chocolate step isn't very kid friendly, but my girls did like helping by adding the toppings.  And of course, they loved helping by eating the s'mores after they had cooled.


Introduction: Pigs in Duvets. <PIC> Pigs in blankets are pretty special, right?  What's not to love about mini sausages wrapped in bacon, aka "pigs in blankets".  I'll tell you what - pigs in duvets.  And not just pigs in duvets, pigs in duvets snuggled up with a cranberry sauce hot water bottle. Step 1: . Here's what you need: to make 6 pigs in duvets:- 6 chipolatas - 3 strips of smoked streaky bacon - 320g puff pastry (I used 1 sheet of Jus-Rol puff pastry) - 2-3 tablespoons cranberry sauce Step 2: . Cut the bacon strips in half and wrap once around the chipolatas.  I found that part-baking the chipolatas made sure that they were fully cooked after being wrapped in pastry without the pastry over-baking so baked them for about 10 minutes in a fan oven that was preheated to 200C. Step 3: . While the piggies are baking, slice strips of the pastry (rolled to about 1 1/2mm thick) to the width of the sausages and long enough to wrap around the sausages once. Step 4: . <PIC> Spoon a little cranberry sauce in the middle of the pastry strips and once the sausages have been part baked, wrap them up in the pastry and return to the oven for around another 10 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.http://www.meandmrjones.co.uk


Introduction: Hamburger/Chicken Slider Cookies. <PIC> It's an appetizer... no it's a hamburger slider... and a chicken slider... no it's a DELICIOUS sugar cookie, dipped in chocolate and topped with coconut.  Your friends and family will love this "burger" and be in for quite the surprise when they realize it's actually a cookie.   Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> What you'll need:
3 cups flour
2 1/4 sticks of salted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract (plus some for frosting)
2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
shredded coconut
semi-sweet chocolate chips
fondant
food coloring
sesame seeds
powdered sugar
milk Step 2: Baking Sugar Cookies. <PIC> Mix the egg, vanilla extract, melted butter and sugar together in one bowl.  Then, slowly add that to another bowl with the flour.  Blend until dough is formed.  Split dough in half, to one half at 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda, and to the other add 1/2 tsp baking soda, mix well.
To form the top bun, use the dough with more baking soda so it will rise better.  Roll dough into balls, and then put some sesame seeds on top of it.
For the bottom bun roll into a ball, and then flatten a little bit.
For the burger or chicken patty, form as you would a normal burger patty.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-14 minutes.   Step 3: Prepare for Assembly. <PIC> For burger patty:
Melt 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave on high for 1 minute, stir until melted.  Then, "paint" the patty with the melted chocolate.  (For chicken sliders skip this part)
For cheese:
Dye some fondant yellow, until it achieves the proper "kraft singles" color.  Roll it out to cheesy thinness, cut into squares!
For Lettuce:
Take some shredded coconut and put into a bowl, add a few drops of green and yellow food coloring.  Stir and add dye until the desired lettuce color is achieved.
For Pickles:
Roll out some fondant, dye it green.  Form into a pickle shape, then roll the edges into a bowl of green food coloring, so you can achieve a more pickle-like appearance with darker edges.  Then using a toothpick make the ridges, add a few sesame seeds in the center for seeds, and walla! A perfect pickle.
For Frosting (ketchup and mustard):
To make the frosting mix 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 cup of powdered sugar and then add 2tsp of milk, or until desired consistency achieved.   Split frosting into two bowls, dye one red for ketchup and the other yellow for mustard.   Step 4: Assemble Your Masterpiece!. <PIC> Build your burger slider, or your chicken slider any way you would like!  Put them out for all to see, watch peoples' reactions, and enjoy!


Introduction: Low Fat Mini Quiche. <PIC> I LOVE quiche but I don't love how fatty and unhealthy they can be.  Then it dawned on me...why not make them healthier myself?  So I did!  Now these are already very tasty if you just bake them in a muffin tin but I do like a bit of a crust so instead of fatty pastry, I hollowed out a baked potato and hey presto!  A non-fat "crust"! Step 1: . <PIC> Preheat oven to 200C (or 180C if you have a fan oven).
Slice a regular baking potato in half and place on a baking tray.
Bake until soft in the middle and scoop the innards out.  Because the top of the potato had become a little crispy I cut a circle around the top leaving about 1/3 centimetre to form the "crust".  Don't scoop out too close to the skin or it won't be solid enough to hold the egg mixture. Step 2: . <PIC> Place a small amount of cheese in the bottom of the potato. Step 3: . <PIC> Mix the eggs and the milk together well and season with a little salt and pepper (to taste).
Now for the fillings.  I used smoked ham and spring onion so finely cubed the ham and sliced the spring onion then fried the onion (no oil needed if you have a good non-stick pan). Step 4: . <PIC> You could use pretty much anything you like as a filling - spinach, tomato, chicken...you could also try adding different herbs and even mix in a little pesto.
Place the ham and the onion in the bottom of the potato and fill with the egg mixture.  Leave a space at the top of the potato so the egg mixture doesn't spill over when it starts to cook.  I also tried baking the mix in a lightly greased muffin tin - also delicious!
Put some more grated cheese on top of the potato.  I also put a slice of tomato on top of some of the potatoes. Step 5: . <PIC> Bake for about 20 minutes or until the egg filling is cooked through and the cheese turns golden.  Mmmmmm....melty cheesy goodness! Step 6: . <PIC> I was worried about using skimmed milk and low fat cheese as I wasn't sure the consistency would be right but I'm so pleased with how they turned out!  You can eat them warm or cold and are perfect for picnics, party food or, in my case, dinner! Step 7: Ingredients and Nutritional Information. Ingredients (makes approx 12 mini quiches)
4 medium eggs
150 ml skimmed milk
2 cups grated low fat cheese
1 cup finely diced ham
1 cup finely sliced spring onion, lightly fried
Optional - 3 baking potatoes
Nutritional information (per quiche, with potato "crust")
Calories: 77
Total Fat: 3.3g
Sat Fat: 0.8g
Cholesterol: 70mg
Sodium: 118mg
Carbs: 4.6g
Fiber: 0.4g
Sugars: 1.2g
Protein: 7.2g


Introduction: Individual Cherry Brandy Trifles. <PIC> This is a simple easy to make sweet for a special meal.It is alcoholic, so don't eat trifle and drive! Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> 1, Swiss roll.2, Cherry brandy.3, Cherries in syrup.4, Ready made custard.5, Squirty cream.5 Cocktail or glace cherries. Step 2: Day 1 Sponge Base Preperation. <PIC> Cut a 1" slice of the Swiss roll, and push into the individual glasses. Soak the cake with the cherry brandy. Cover with cling film, (well you don't want the alcohol to evaporate do you).Place in the refrigerator over night, along with the custard. Step 3: Day 2 Assembling Your Trifle. <PIC> Remove from the refrigerator and take off the cling film.Place a layer of the cherries in syrup on top of the cake.Cover with the refrigerated custard.Apply the cream in a swirl on top.Garnish with a cocktail cherry, Serve and enjoy.


Introduction: Chocolate Cointreau Cupcakes. <PIC> Ingredients:
For the cakes (makes around 12):
6oz margarine (I use Stork)
6oz caster sugar
5oz self-raising flour, sifted
1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1oz cocoa powder (I use Green & Black's), sifted
50g dark chocolate chips
For the ganache:
100ml double cream
75g orange chocolate
25g dark chocolate
Half a capful of Cointreau
Method:
Preheat oven to Gas6/220C.  Line a cupcake tin with paper cases.
Place all cake ingredients (apart from chocolate chips) in a large bowl and mix together until just combined, using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon.
Fold in chocolate chips.  Fill paper cases about halfway with mixture.  Place in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, until cakes are risen and spring back when pressed lightly.
Let cakes cool on a wire rack, whilst you make the ganache.  To make the ganache...put double cream, Cointreau and chocolate into a saucepan and heat gently (don't boil).  The chocolate will melt in the cream and look grainy.  Don't panic!  Keep stirring and you will end up with a smooth chocolate sauce.  Let the ganache cool for a few minutes.
Spread ganache over cakes and leave for a while to set (if you can!).  Eat remaining ganache :-)  The ganache will remain quite soft.  Decorate cake with chocolate buttons if you like.  I found these orange flavoured ones :-)
Please see full blog post at http://baking-joy.com/2012/11/07/chocolate-cointreau-cupcakes/
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Twitter: @Baking_Joy


Introduction: No-Bake Power Shake. <PIC> Love the taste of no-bake cookies?  Would you like something more substantial and nutritious? How about a delicious shake, full of slow burn carbohydrates and packed with protein.  Quick and easy to get you out the door and ready for the day! • This is my first Instructable, feed-back is welcome • Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> You will need:- Chocolate Flavored Protein powder - 1 scoop*   (Optimum Nutrition- Extreme Milk Chocolate is my personal preference)- Instant Oatmeal - 1/2 Cup- Peanut Butter - 2 Tablespoons- Water- 1 Cup    (Using more or less water will give you a more thick or thin shake respectively)You will also need:- Microwave- Shaker Cup* 1 Scoop is approximately 1/4 Cup Step 2: Preparing the Oatmeal. <PIC> To cut down on dirty dishes we will prepare the oatmeal in the shaker cup. 1. Add 1 cup of water into the shaker cup.2. Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.3. Add 1/2 cup oatmeal.4. Gently swirl ingredients in cup to combine.5. Place cup into microwave without lid for 1 minute.   (Be sure your shaker cup has no metal rings or clips on it prior to microwaving) Step 3: Finishing Your Shake. <PIC> - Remove your shaker cup from the microwave.- Now add the 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder.- Assemble the lid on the shaker cup.- Shake! Shake! Shake your cup until all ingredients are well combined.- Enjoy your delicious and nutritious treat.  Step 4: Enjoy the Nutrients. <PIC> Enjoy the steady energy of the 38 grams of slow release carbohydrates, and the 36 grams of quality protein.


Introduction: Snowy Hill Display Cookies. <PIC> For our family Christmas get-together this year I decided to make some personalized image cookies. Great way to display memories and family pictures. Step 1: Cookies!!!!!!. <PIC> Making a decent tasting cookie is the most important part of this project for me.  If the cookie stinks no one wants to eat it and it ruins the gift no matter how nicely it is decorated.  Any roll out cookie recipe will work for these and I am including the basic recipe I use without any flavor embellishments.  During the holidays I will add some spices and other flavors for interesting combinations.Ingredients:1 Cup Butter softened at room temperature1 Cup Sugar 1 Large Egg2 tsp Vanilla extracta Pinch of fine Sea Salt3 Cups Flour (plus additional flour for rolling process)**A stand mixer will make the process much easier though I have done it by hand, it just takes more time and muscle. In a large bowl, or mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg, salt and vanilla (or other flavors) till thoroughly integrated. Add flour in 1/2 a cup at a time  until it is all mixed together. By the end the dough will be stiff and may need to have the last of the flour added mixing by hand. ****DO NOT CHILL**** If you need to put the dough in the fridge and come back to it later it will need to come back to room temp before it will be workable.At this point you might want to pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.Dust a level surface with a light coating of flour and roll out a portion of the dough to approx. 1/8" thick.  For this project I used round cookie cutters but I also have one that used snowflake cutters. Each display cookie will need 3 round cookies; 1 large and 2 med. Using a large circle cookie cutter with fluted edges cut your base cookie. I then used a smaller cutter to hollow the center and create a ring. Do the same for half of the medium cookies, leaving the other half full. You will see why I needed to do this when we assemble the cookies. As you can see in my pictures I also made some other shapes while making the bases for my pictures. The snowmen and trees were used in the display of the cookies and I wish I had thought to take a picture of the finished display but it was so hectic before our party that it totally slipped my mind.When all your dough has been shaped and placed on baking sheets (I like to use parchment paper but it is not a necessity) place the sheets in the oven for 12-14 min. They should just start to brown on the edges. remove the cookies and let cool on a wire rack. Step 2: Royal Icing. <PIC> While your cookies are cooling is a great time to make the icing. These cookies use royal icing so that it will dry to the touch and also hold the cookies together like glue.This you will definitely want to have a stand mixer for.1 lb. Confectioners' Sugar5-6 tablespoons Water (not cold)I do not like the flavor meringue powder gives the icing and since I did not need it to be super stiff icing, I chose to omit the meringue powder all together. In your stand mixer add the confectioners sugar and slowly add the water one tablespoon at a time till all the sugar is mixed (you might not need all the water). it should not be runny but more of a thick creamy texture. beat in mixer for about 10 min or until the icing holds its shape when the beaters are removed. Step 3: Ice the Cookies and Assemble the Bases. <PIC> At first I was going to try a wood grain pattern so I started with a brown icing, till I realized that I would never be able to finish all the cookies if I took that much time on each stand. So I went with the white snow look.Stack the large and the medium cookies with the centers cut out using some icing to "glue" them together.  Cover the stacked bases with the white icing and let is set for an hour or so. Step 4: Edible Images. <PIC> On the whole medium cookies that have been iced with a plain white background add the edible images.  I have a printer using edible ink specific to making edible images but you can order custom images from suppliers on Etsy if you only need them for a specific occasion. Water down a small amount (1 Tablespoon) of icing to use as a glue for the wafer paper images after they have been cut to the right shape. you want the cookie to be sticky to the touch but now wet. If the icing is wet the wafer paper might start to break down or it can curl up at the edges.  Once the image has been glued, using a piping bag with your choice of tip (I chose a star tip) make a shell border or other border of your choice around the edge of the image. For a shell border you want to use a light pressure at the beginning of the pipe and drag as you let off the pressure on the bag. Let the icing set till you can touch the border without the icing collapsing.  Step 5: Put It All Together.. <PIC> Using some of the remaining icing secure the image cookies to the base.  It won't take long for the icing to set secure enough that you can fill in the remaining empty space with icing creating a nice snow mound for your images.  Please ask any questions and I will try to answer them as best I can. Thank you and Enjoy!


Introduction: How to Make Copycat Cracker Barrel's Fried Apples. In this instructable, I will show you how to make a copycat recipe of Cracker Barrel's Fried Apples. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> You will need:1/2 tsp lemon juice1 tsp cinnamon1/8 tsp nutmeg1/3 c brown sugar4 tbsp butter6-8 golden delicious apples Step 2: Peel & Slice. <PIC> Peel the apples and cut them into small pieces. Step 3: Stove Time. <PIC> Melt the butter in a skillet on medium high heat.  Step 4: Add a Couple of Things... <PIC> Add the apples and lemon juice to the skillet. Step 5: Add a Couple of More Things. <PIC> Mix in the brown sugar and nutmeg. Step 6: Cook a Little Bit More... <PIC> Cook the apples for 10 minutes. Step 7: . <PIC>


Introduction: Banana Turtle Creamsicles. <PIC> Imagine silky Banana-Oatmeal Ice Cream... lurking underneath a decadent, crackling shell of rich dark chocolate and sliced almonds.
Sound complicated and expensive?  Fear not!  These luscious Creamsicles are inexpensive and super EASY to make.  No ice cream machine is needed.
lol... feel free to "love/thank" me later... ;-D  In the meantime, let's get started. Step 1: Tools and Ingredients:. <PIC> Tools:
		Popsicle Molds
		Craft Sticks
		Blender
		Double-Boiler (optional)Ingredients:
		1 packet Instant Oatmeal- any flavor
		1 ripe Banana
		1/4 cup Milk
		1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
		Mini Chocolate Chips
		Chocolate for melting
		Coconut Oil
		Sliced Almonds
This recipe makes 2-3 Jumbo (1/2 cup) creamsicles.
Feel free to use your favorite homemade Oatmeal, but it will require sweetening.  With different add-ins (like chopped raisins), you could easily convert this creamsicle (sans chocolate coating) into a healthy breakfast. Your kids will love you for it... but they might think you've gone a little cRaZy. ;-D Step 2: Easy Preparation:. <PIC> Cook the oatmeal as directed on the package. Cool to room temperature.
Put the oatmeal in a blender.  Add 1/4 cup milk, blend until smooth. Add 1 Tablespoon brown sugar and the banana. Blend until smooth.
Taste the mixture. Add more brown sugar if needed.
Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. Fold in 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Pour/spoon the mixture into the popsicle molds, leaving 1/2" at the top for expansion.
The banana-oatmeal filling will be thick enough to hold the craft sticks upright.  Insert them about 2/3 of the way down into the popsicle and freeze for at least 6 hours.
  Step 3: Dipping Time!. <PIC> Un-mold:
To remove the creamsicles from the molds, don't waste time or natural resources by using hot running water.  Just fill a glass with water and microwave it until it's very hot.  Submerge the mold inside the glass of hot water for 10 seconds (or so). Give a tiny twist on the craft stick, pull the popsicle out and return it to the freezer until you're ready to dip. Chocolate Dipping "Magic Shell":
I love Scoochmaroo's recipe for Homemade Magic Shell, but I wasn't using quality chocolate.  I needed to adjust the quantity of coconut oil accordingly.  This chocolate dipping sauce needs to be on the thin side, so remember that above all else.
Here are the measurements that worked for me: 		Just under 6 ounces (165 grams) Wiltons Dark Chocolate melting chips (approx 1/2 bag)
		2 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (30 grams) Coconut Oil
		1 pinch Sea Salt
I decided to use a makeshift bain marie as I don't have a double-boiler.  If you don't have a double-boiler or don't want to mess with a bain marie, just use a small saucepan.  Put the chocolate, coconut oil and salt inside the pan over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted.
Dip the creamsicles into the melted chocolate and immediately garnish with a sprinkle of almonds.  As soon as the chocolate sets, put the dipped creamsicle back into the freezer until serving time.
To store and serve upright as pictured: Squeeze an ample circle of Chocolate Sauce onto a frozen plate and immediately place the popsicle upside down on top of it. Hold the popsicle in place for about 10-15 seconds until the sauce hardens. Move the plate carefully back into the freezer.
Remove the creamsicles from the freezer about 3-4 minutes minutes before serving.
If you're making these a day or more in advance, gently wrap each popsicle in plastic wrap and keep frozen. They'll keep well 2-3 weeks and possibly longer.  I don't think they'll last that long. ;-)  Store any leftover "Magic shell" in a glass jar for future use.P.S.  If you love this recipe, be sure to check out my recipe for Caramel Apple Popsicles.  I'll be publishing more new and yummy popsicle recipes in the near future, so please check back with me. Thanks for stopping by!


Introduction: Tiny Rainbow Dorayaki. <PIC> Hi! Today is Sunday here. It's time for a colorful day. Now, let's make something sweet to eat. And today, we'll make the Tiny Rainbow Dorayaki. And here's how. Step 1: You Need. <PIC> 250 gr flour100 ml milk 100 ml tea Sugar (as sweet as you want) 2 eggs Food color (green, red, blue) Chocolate Jam Topping (Candy or chocolate) 1 tablespoon yeast Butter/vegetable oil Step 2: 1. <PIC> Mix egg, sugar, and yeast. Stir it well. Step 3: 2. <PIC> Add the flour. Mix it well. Step 4: 3. <PIC> Pour the tea and the milk, slowly. Make sure it's not too tick or too thin. Step 5: 4. <PIC> Cover it with wet cloth for 30 minutes. Step 6: 5. <PIC> Separate the dough into 5 parts. (plain, red, blue, green, purple)Add the color into the each of the parts. Red, blue, green, and purple. Stir it well. Step 7: 6. <PIC> Heat the pan. Add butter or vegetable oil on the pan. Pour the dough into the pan. Cooked well.Now. Add the chocolate jam and the topping between the dorayakies. Step 8: 7. <PIC> Voila!Your Tiny Rainbow Dorayaki is ready to be served.


Introduction: Mouse Garnish. <PIC> Here is a carved  version of a mouse.  This is a garnish that will definitely wow your dinner guest.  It is quick and easy to make and the bright yellow adds a splash of color to any dish.    If I can make this anyone can!  So go ahead and show off  your amazing carving techniques and make a mouse garnish!   Step 1: Supplies. <PIC>
          Here is what you will need per serving: 		 2 To 3 mouse shaped lemons.  You might need the extra lemons because of bloopers.
		1- 2  Nicely shaped cabbage leafs
		1 Small cheese wedge  (Swiss would make a splash.)
		1 Cucumber
		Several springs of parsley
		1 lemon wedge
		1 Carrot
		Pepper corns Step 2: Tools. <PIC>
          A list of tools: 		Paring knife
		Potato peeler
		Cutting board or plate
		Skewer Step 3: Cut the Bottom of the Mouse. <PIC>
          Instructions for cutting the bottom of the mouse:
		Follow the picture and cut the bottom of the lemon to form a solid place to set the body of the mouse.
		Reserve the cut off piece for the ears.
		Place the lemon cut side down. Step 4: Carving the Ears. <PIC>
          Instructions for the ears:
		Eye ball where you think the ears should be.
		Carefully carve a line all the way across the head as shown in the pictures with the knife.
		Go across it again making it slightly wider so the ears will slip in the crack.
		Carefully carve the ears into an ear shape.
		Place the ears in the crack as shown in the picture in the next step. Step 5: Carving the Eye Sections. <PIC>
          Instructions for carving around the eye:
		Using the skewer carefully mark where the eyes will be.
		Carve a small hole large enough to stick a pepper corn in so they will stay in place.
		Place a pepper corn in each eye.
		The ears should look like the picture here.
		Carve the tail as shown in the picture.
		Poke a hole in the back of the mouse with a skewer.
		Place the carved tail into the back end of the mouse so the tail is straight up and slightly curled.
I am sorry I did not get pictures of some of the steps.

         Step 6: Carving the Vegetable Garnish. <PIC>
          Instructions for carving the vegetable garnish:
		With the skin on the cucumber take the potato peeler and make a few swipes lengthwise.
		You will need several thin slices to make the garnish for the mouse.
		Carefully roll the cucumber into a roll and fan it out slightly to form a pretty shape.
		Make a few carrot slices as well.
		Roll the carrot slices loosely to add to the garnish arrangement. Step 7: Arrange the Mouse on the Plate With the Vegetables. <PIC>
          Instructions for arranging the plate garnish:
		Place a cabbage leaf in the top left corner of the plate.
		Place the mouse in the cabbage leaf as shown.
		Arrange the carrot and cucumber slices on the plate as shown.
		Cut 1 small lemon wedge.
		Cut 1 small cheese wedge.
		Using the skewer make holes in the cheese.
		Place the cheese like the picture.
		 Arrange the parsley on the plate as shown.
		Place the lemon wedge into the parsley.
		You can make a carrot flower to place there also.
Here is the link on how to make the flower:   Step 7  https://www.instructables.com/id/Bunny-Garnish/ Step 8: Sunshiine's FinalThoughts. <PIC> I am pleased with the outcome of the mouse.  It will take a couple of tries to make the mouse but if I can make this anyone can make it.  It was quick, easy, and a lot of fun.  It made the plate look very pretty.  I will be making these for my guest in the future.
Thank you for visiting and please do stop in again and have . . . . .
Sunshiine


Introduction: Sfrappole (also Known As Chiacchiere). <PIC> It's getting closer to Carnival time and the first thing that comes to my mind about it is eating sfrappole! :D Sfrappole are one of the most popular foods eaten during the Carnival period in Italy. The only problem about them is that they are called with different names depending on the region (or even the city) you are in! I think that chiacchiere and sfrappole are the most common names, but honestly I don't know all the others. We just call them sfrappole where I live so I will call them this way. Thanks to Wikipedia, I've found out that they are also known as "angel wings" in English, but I'm not sure if I should trust it or not...I bet you know it better than me! :) They are sweet, but not too much, they are crispy and although they are fried, they have a very delicate taste that everybody loves! They are also very simple and fast to make so I recommend you to try this recipe if you can. You can eat them as a dessert or as a snack...I even eat them for breakfast :D I admit it: sfrappole are my favorite thing about Carnival...I wish I could eat them all year long!! Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC>
          This is a dose for 2 eggs. I didn't count how many sfrappole turned out, but I can tell you that all the ones you see in the first two pictures of step 8 are the ones I made with this quantity:   2 eggs     2 tbsp of powdered sugar     1 tbsp of butter     2 tsp of rum     flour - as much as you need to form the dough     500gr (17.63 ounces) of lard - for frying!  Step 2: Make a Mix. <PIC> Break your 2 eggs in a bowl and mix them using a fork. Add the powdered sugar, the rum and the butter. Mix everything together. Don't worry if you see little pieces of butter that you can't break in the mix, they'll "disappear" later :) Step 3: Make the Dough. <PIC> Let's start adding the flour now. Keep mixing everything using a fork while you pour a little bit of flour at a time. Continue to mix and add more flour until your mix becomes less liquid and more solid. That mix must become solid and soft but not sticky. So start to use your hands to incorporate the flour and add as much flour as you need to obtain a good dough, just like the one you see in the picture. It looks like the dough for egg pasta, except that the smell is much better...thanks to the rum! Now that your dough is ready, let it rest for 10/15 minutes covering it with a bowl. I'm not sure of the reason why this has to be done, but this is the recipe that my mother has done since I was little so that's the way it MUST be :D Step 4: Prepare the Dough Sheet. <PIC> You need to work on a piece of dough at a time now so make sure to have a bowl or something that covers the dough while you are working. Cut a piece of dough and, using a pasta machine, flatten it starting from the thickest level to the thinnest one. Actually this depends on the pasta machine you have: my old pasta machine had 7 levels and we used to arrive till that 7th level. The new pasta machine I have has 9 levels. I thought that the 9th level was way too thin so I stopped at the 8th one. Anyway, you can decide how thin you want it to be, all you need to know is that the thinner it is, the crispier the sfrappole will be. If you feel that the dough gets sticky while you pass if through the machine, spread some flour on it. Step 5: Shape Them!. <PIC> When your sheet of pasta is finally thin enough, use a pasta cutter (or a knife) to cut it in rectangles. Their size is up to you. Even the shape can be chosen by you! I believe that the most common one is the simple rectangle with a cut in the middle but I decided to make some bow shaped sfrappole too. To make the bows, cut short rectangles and pinch them in the middle joining together 2 opposite sides with your fingers. Take a look at the pictures, it's very easy :) Do all of this using the remaining dough as well. Step 6: Prepare the Frying Pan. <PIC> Unlike most of the other fried food, it's very common to fry sfrappole using lard. Lard gives a much better taste to sfrappole. Some people even think that sfrappole that have been fried with oil instead aren't real sfrappole! We are very jealous of our recipes and traditions :D So prepare your frying pan and put all the lard in it. Turn on the stove and let the lard melt. Step 7: Fry!. <PIC> When you see that the lard is hot enough, dip the first sfrappola in it. You'll see it swelling up but don't worry, it's normal! Turn it on the other side after a while and let it cook until it becomes orange. Remove it from the pan and put it on paper to dry a little. My frist sfrappola turned out quite pale because the lard wasn't very hot yet, but the next ones cooked much faster and better! The longer you cook, the faster it will take because the lard is hotter. Make sure not to cook the sfrappole too much: they'll turn brown and won't taste very good. You must be fast at turning and removing them...they are done in a few seconds! The bow shaped ones may need to cook a little bit more because the "knot" in the middle takes longer. Note: you'll probably notice that they are still soft when you remove them from the lard. That's completely normal, they'll get crispy as soon as you lay them on paper for a few seconds. Step 8: Sprinkle Some Sugar.... <PIC> When you've finally fried all of them, sprinkle some powdered sugar on them. You can put as much as you want! :) You don't need to wait any longer...you can taste your sfrappole now!! In my family half of them end up being eaten before they all ready...this is how good they are :D


Introduction: Simple Chicken With Tomatoes. <PIC> With my daughter moving into her first apartment as a college student, I was inspired to create some instructions for a very easy meal of chicken breast with a tomato sauce. As I'll explain it's a good template for creating a range of flavor profiles.Prep Time: 10 minutesCooking Time: 15 minutes Step 1: Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients. <PIC> 1.5 - 2 lb boneless chicken breast 1 onion 2 garlic cloves 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tsp. red wine vinegar Step 2: Step 2: Prepare Ingredients. <PIC> Chop the onion. This is fairly self-explanatory, but there's a great video on how to chop an onion like a professional here. Mince the garlic. If you've never done this before, the easiest way to remove the outer skin of a garlic clove is by pressing down on the clove with the flat of the knife blade (or anything else you can smash it with).Salt and pepper the chicken. Step 3: Step 3: Cooking. <PIC> Heat the olive oil in the pan on medium-high.Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Flipping halfway through.Add the onion and garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for another two minutes.Add the remaining ingredients (tomato paste, crushed tomato, and red wine vinegar). N.b. For this recipe there will be enough sauce that you could serve this with rice or pasta. If you don't want to do that, you can add only half the can of crushed tomatoes.Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover pan and cook for 9 minutes. Step 4: Step 4: Options. <PIC> Here I've plated the chicken with a simple green salad and finished it with some shredded parmesan. As noted in step three, you could serve this with rice or pasta. In addition, you can modify the flavor profile in any number of ways, so you can think of this as a foundation for a variety of meals. When adding the onions and garlic one might add a variety of spices that would make the meal more reminiscent (though not exactly authentic) of various cuisines--Italian, Greek, Indian, Mexican, etc. Also, when adding the tomatoes one might also add whatever vegetables one has on hand: peppers, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, etc. You'll want to experiment for yourself in terms of your doneness preference. I.e., some of these vegetables don't need to cook for 9 minutes.


Introduction: Peppermint Ice Cream Clouds. <PIC>
          This easy Dessert Salad is light, refreshing and addictive.  If you think you don't like marshmallows, this treat promises change your mind.  It's yummycious served chilled or frozen in Cone cups.
 Ingredients: 		 5 cups Mini marshmallows
		1 cup Heavy whipping cream- (Not cool whip or anything pre-sweetened)
		1/2 cup Mini chocolate chips- plus 1/4 cup for Garnish
		1/3 cup Peppermint candy- crushed
		1/4 cup ground Almonds, pecans or walnuts
		1/2 cup cake or cookie crumbs- for topping- optional
Whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the chocolate chips, crushed Peppermint Candy and ground Almonds.
Small amounts at a time, fold the marshmallow in. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3-4 hours or overnight.
To Serve: 		Spoon the clouds into an Ice cream cone, dip in cake crumbs and freeze for an hour or longer... ~or~
		Spoon the chilled clouds into a dish and sprinkle with additional mini chocolate chips.
This amazingly simple, not-too-sweet Dessert will become a family favorite!


Introduction: Peanut Butter – Home Made. <PIC> For a long time I’ve dreamed to try a peanut butter recipe.It is easy, fun and delicious! Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> - 300 grams peanuts in shell;- four spoons of olive oil;- one tea spoon of salt. Step 2: The Peelling. <PIC> After a manually peeling, I obtained ~ 220 grams of peanuts. Step 3: The Butter. <PIC> I put the peanuts in a blender and ground them very well.After that, I added the oil and the salt and ground again, till the composition became creamy.At the end, I’ve put the composition in a glass jar.Easy, isn’t it?I want to add some links, related to the subject:http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/is-pe...http://www.prevention.com/food/smart-shopping/heal...http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice...


Introduction: Simple Cheese Burger. <PIC> Like....seriously simple :) Step 1: Ingredients and Method. <PIC> 500 g lean ground beef1 tbsp Italian seasoning flavored bread crumbs1 tbsp store bought fried garlic1 medium size onion, chopped 2 green onion, sliced thinly3 tbsp cooking oil1 egg, lightly beatenground black pepper, a dashHungarian Vegeta seasoning or Royco seasoning or any other powder seasoning that has mixture of dried veggies in it (available at European stores, specialty stores, and/or big grocery stores), as neededSliced of mozzarella cheese, as needed (or you can use the ready to use sliced mozzarella)Mix all ingredients but cheese, and shape into 6 ballsDivide each balls into two portion, flatten eachPlace a slice of cheese on a burger then top with another burgerCook on teflon without any fat (no butter, no oil etc) until well doneEnjoy~


Introduction: MAN BAIT- Whiskey Bacon Donuts. <PIC> We all know the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. If you want to successfully compete with steak & beer, then you need to bring out the big guns: donuts, bacon and whiskey!Ingredients:Donuts:
donut recipe adapted from secretdonutrecipe.com
2 cups flour
1/2 cup warm mashed potato
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup warm milk (not hot)
pinch of sugar
5 tsp. yeast
Canola Oil for frying + 2 tbsp
1 cup milk
pinch of sugarCandied Bacon
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp. Cayenne pepper
8-10 Bacon SlicesWhiskey Glaze
inspired by Saveur magazine's Maple glaze- I left out the maple syrup & added whiskey
To taste- 3-5 tbsp high quality whiskey
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
pinch of kosher salt
5 tbsp. WhiskeyMake the Dough:
To make the donuts, start by gathering all the ingredients. The donut recipe suggests baking the potato in the microwave, but I boiled mine. Either way will work. Clean and peel your potato. Bake in the microwave for five minutes or boil for 10-15 or until tender. Mash the potato. You will need 1/2 cup for this recipe.
Next, you need to make a milk mixture by warming 1 cup of milk in the microwave for a few seconds or on the stove. You want the milk to be slightly warm. Not hot. Once the milk mixture is warm, remove it from the heat and stir in 5 tsp. of yeast and a pinch of sugar. Stir and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until it bubbles.
Next, in a kitchen add mixer bowl,  combine the flour, sugar, salt & potato. Next, add the milk mixture and 2 tbsp. of Canola oil. Using the paddle attachment, knead the dough for three minutes. The dough was really sticky, so I added a few extra tbsp. of flour as needed.  You can also do this step by hand. Remove the paddle attachment and cover with saran wrap. Place a cool damp cloth over the top allow the dough to rise for at least an hour. Make the Candied Bacon:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine 1/2 cup of brown sugar with 1/2- to 1 tsp. pf cayenne in a large bowl. Stir the mixture until no sugar clumps remain. One bacon strip at a time, press one side of the bacon into the mixture and coat it. Place it on a  baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Repeat with the remaining bacon strips. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the bacon is crispy or done to your likeness. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Cut the bacon into bit size pieces. Back to the Donuts: Once the dough has risen, punch it down and lightly flour your work surface & rolling pin. Roll the dough out and use a donut cutter or glass to cut out the circles. Allow the dough to rise again while you heat up the oil.
In a deep cast iron skillet, pour in the canola oil. You don't need to put in too much. Just enough to cover the donuts. The oil should be about 360 degrees. You can do a test run with the donut holes.
Place the donuts in the oil, three at a time. Flip the donuts over after 8-12 seconds and allow the donut to get golden brown. Remove the donuts with a heat safe spatula and place on a rack to cool. Make the Whiskey Glaze:
Combine whiskey, confectioners sugar, heavy cream & salt in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. Glaze the donuts:
Dip the donuts face down into the glaze and using a circular motion with your wrist, coat the donut. Top immediately with the candied bacon sprinkles.
cheers!


Introduction: Dorset Blue Vinney (Blue Cheese) & Celery Soup. <PIC> Having searched the site I was surprised to find noone posting an instructable for a blue cheese soup. Granted both blue cheese and celery can be an acquired taste, but for those who are sceptical I urge you to try this out. I had a girlfriend who told me she didn't like either of these core ingredients, but when she tried this soup she loved it and it became a firm favourite.
It's a fantastic winter warmer, served topped with crispy bacon and crusty buttered bread roll.
I first encountered this style of soup in Dorset, UK, where the cheese, 'Blue Vinney', had a stirring myth of once being 'illegal'.
It's not a common cheese though, so I often use Stilton, or other crumbly textured blue cheese.
This is a simple soup to make, few ingredients to worry about and hard to get wrong. Step 1: Ingredients. <PIC> This is a guide for making enough for about 6 people, so adjust the recipe accordingly. You may want to very some of the ingredients depending on your tase and what you have available. I blend this soup so it's smooth, you may not wish to, so I'd recommend chopping the vegetables finely. Feel fre to vary the ingredients, this is just a guide, you may want more celery, leek or cheese. You may also want to leave out certain ingredients like the flour if you have allergies.
25g butter
1 tbsp vegetable or other flavourless oil
1 tbsp plain flour
1 medium leek, chopped
6-7 sticks celery chopped
250g of Blue Vinney (or other crumbly blue cheese, such as Stilton)
900ml of Vegetable stock (you can use weak chicken stock)
150-200ml single cream
Optional:
6-8 rashers of smokey bacon
1 medium potato peeled and diced
1 large onion instead of the leek
My leek looked a little ropey, so I used part of that and an onion too. Step 2: The Base. <PIC>
		Heat the oil and butter together in a good sized cooking pot.
		Add the leek, or onion and sweat relatively gently until soft, you don't want it to brown.
		Add the celery and potato if using and cook until for a few minutes. (yeah, I forgot the potato, but added it at the next step)
		Tip in the flour, stirring well to coat eveything and cook for a minute of so. This is just there to help thicken the soup, but you do want to cook the flour out or it leaves a chalky taste.
		Now add the stock and bring to the boil, make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any flour that may have stuck.
		Cover and simmer for around 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Step 3: Finishing Up. <PIC>
          If you're serving with crispy bacon get a grill preheated to high and cook the bacon until crisp, then sit to dry on some absorbent paper. You could fry it if you like, I just prefer grilling bacon.
		Now that the stock base is cooked though remove from the heat and stir in the cream. You may want to let the stock cool a little first so it doesn't split, or just stir really quickly.
		Now crumble in the cheese and stir until it melts, you can return it to a gentle heat to help it along now that the cream has been well mixed, but don't boil it again or it may split.
		I then like to blend using a hand/stick blender.
Caution: Keep your fingers away from the business end of the blender! Also try to keep it under the liquid or you'll need to clean it off the walls and will be wearing spatters of boiling cheesy soup!
         Step 4: Serve. <PIC> I like to present this with long strips of crispy bacon floating on the top with a little drizzle of extra cream and maybe a tiny drizzle of homemade truffle infused oil.
A warm crispy roll with butter is always a welcome accompaniment


Introduction: Delicious Corndog Poppers. <PIC> Do you need new recipe idea for those weekend tailgating parties?  Or how about a fun snack for the kids?  Well, I came up with a unique twist on a simple boxed cornbread mix and a couple other ingredients that just might add an audible to the game! Step 1: What You'll Need:. <PIC> Ingredients: Package of cornbread mix, 1/2C milk*, egg*, 2-3 hotdogs, small jalapeno, and cooking spray.  Utensils: Oven, mini-muffin tray, mixing bowl, measuring cup, cutting board and a fork & knife.    *(please note that these are ingredients required for the cornbread mix. Your mix may be different depending on the brand you choose) Step 2: Preparation. <PIC> Preheat your oven to the desired temperature on the box (Mine is 400).  While it is heating up, use the fork to mix the package ingredients.  Set aside and use the  knife to chop the 2-3 hotdogs in in 1/2" thick slices.  Then deseed and dice the jalapeno.  Step 3: Add the Diced Jalapeno. <PIC> Add the diced jalapeno to the cornbread mix, and give it a few good stirs.  If you're making them for the kids, the jalapenos don't have to be added, or, if you want the poppers to be spicier, you can always add more.  (I personally like a hint of taste, so I use just 1/2 of a jap) Step 4: Evenly Pour the Mix Into the Mini-muffin Tray. <PIC> Use the cooking spray to generously coat the mini-muffin pan.  Then evenly pour the mix into the mini cups about 3/4 full.  I like to pour the mix in a measuring cup 1st, so I can control the flow of mix I'm pouring.  (if your mix doesn't fill all of the muffin cups, don't worry it's ok) Step 5: Placing the Hotdog Slices in the Mix. <PIC> Place the hotdog slices into each filled cup, standing on their sides.  It's ok if they show through, the poppers will bake around them. Step 6: Time to Bake!. <PIC> Your oven should be preheated by now, and if not, something's probably wrong.  Don't Trust the Package Time!!  Because you are using mini-muffin tray, the bake time will be different.  In my experience, 11-13mins should yield the best results. Also watch the tops of the poppers for browning while baking, that's a good sign they're ready too.  After they've finished cooking, let them cool in the pan for a couple of minutes. Once they've cooled, serve and enjoy!!  You should yield 20-24 Corndog Poppers per batch.