Moving south - and BBQ -o - rama

So we have finally made the "big move" and spent most of this week packing/moving/cleaning/driving/looking for a new place to call home and I can finally look forward to starting my new job on Monday. We are both so exhausted, and I'm looking forward to sleeping in a bit tomorrow.

We are staying in lovely accomodation which has BBQ facilities so we will be BBQ-ing up a storm in the next couple of weeks, until the place have applied to rent is available and we have been approved (though, we are thoroughly respectable so I'm sure that we'll be fine).

In the meantime sadly I will be missing my oven! I miss baking already, and *sigh* my beautiful espresso machine which is sitting in storage somewhere. So please bear with me good readers till repertoire food is back up and running at full steam ahead!!

Last days in Sydney..and Norwegian cinnamon buns

So Food Critic Andrew and I are moving down south - I got the job and am starting in a couple of weeks. So I'm sorry I've been a bit slow on the blogging, but I've had my mind on other things - gosh it's stressful moving house! You forget....I think. I can't wait to move to the country and have loads more room - and access to the freshest seafood around, as well as some fabulous produce!

I've also been working a fair bit of overtime to finish up some projects at my current job, so on Sundays I've been pretty much curled up on the couch attempting (and failing!) the Samurai Sudoku. I'm great at the regular Sudoku but these Samurai things vex me entirely. The worst thing is that it's not until I'm about halfway through that I realise my mistake! oh well. Anyway, I have actually been cooking away with various bits and pieces - though when you're on the verge of moving, you try not to buy too many perishable good since you'll essentially lose them all (we have a few days without a refrigerator).

I made these yummy Norwegian Cinnamon buns from Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess" over the weekend. I have been experimenting with half batches to try and cut down on waste, and I've made these many years ago, so thought this might be a good recipe to try and halve. It worked; in fact, Food Critic Andrew commented that he loved it when I cook in half batches because I over estimate the spices/flavouring and things taste so much nicer....

On a side note, I can't wait to move partly because I promised myself I will make my Christmas pudding when we are settled in. Yum! I stare longingly at them in the shops, but I secretly know that store bought is never, ever as good.

Ingredients:

Dough:

300g flour
50g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp dried yeast
50g butter
200ml milk
1 egg

Filling:

80g butter (softened)
80g sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg, beaten to glaze

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl
3. Melt butter, whisk in milk and egg
4. Combine with flour mixture and knead until it is smooth and springy (I had to add a little more flour here...)
5. Form into a ball, and leave in an oiled bowl, covered for half and hour.
6. Take 1 third of the dough and roll and stretch it to fit over a brownie tin that has baking paper over it.
7. Roll out the rest of the dough (to a rectangle approx. 25 x 10 cm)
8. Mix the filling ingredients together and brush the mix over the base, as well as over your rolled dough
9. Roll the dough up, on the long side, so it makes a Swiss Roll type thing
10. Cut this into about 10 pieces, and arrange on top of your dough that is already on the brownie tin. (Yes, it may not look like it fits, but believe me, it will work!
11. Bake for 25 minutes and cool slightly on a rack.

makes about 10..Yes - mine are slightly burnt on top - certainly didn't affect the taste much!