recipe: cayenne pepper and cheese biscuits

I've been dying to show off this cute cookie stamp that was a gift from my best friend Catrina. It's a subtle way of telling people, "Yes indeed, I made these amazeballs biscuits myself!" 

The great thing about this savoury biscuit recipe is that you are bound to have all the ingredients in your kitchen already - I mean, you must be weird if you have no cheese in the fridge, or no cumin powder or cayenne pepper at hand. (Essentials, hello!)

So go ahead, make these - I can guarantee they're fail-proof.

Cayenne pepper and cheese biscuits

Ingredients:

250g butter or margarine

500ml (2 cups) grated mature cheddar cheese

500ml (2 cups) cake flour

2ml cayenne pepper (adjust according to personal taste)

2ml salt

2ml cumin powder

2ml dried thyme or rosemary

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Combine butter and cheese, mixing well.

2. Add sifted flour, cayenne pepper, salt, cumin powder and thyme/rosemary.

3. Roll dough into balls the size of a walnut.

4. Press down gently (flattening the balls) onto a baking sheet.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light brown.

6. Cool before removing from the baking sheet with an egg lifter. 

To serve: Eat as is or sandwich two biscuits together with cream cheese or pate. 

So-En editorial

Can't take my eyes off this editorial in Japanese magazine So-En (May 2012 issue). Whoa. The detail! Imagination is more important than knowledge...


Images via hakanai.

bambi in 'wildflower'.

Yes I know, it's winter! With the icy weather finally starting to settle in, now is not the time to get nostalgic over summer days. But how could I not post this shoot of the beautifully youthful-looking Bambi Northwood-Blyth? The editorial 'Wildflower' was photographed by Tim Barber (of Urban Outfitters fame) for Muse magazine. The rest of his portfolio is just as impressive - see it here.

recipe: custard cookies

I have wanted to share this recipe on my blog ever since I baked these on the weekend. Unfortunately my internet/ADSL line at home has been down for the last few days so I am only able to post this up now. If you're a fan of custard, you will love these... obvs! Once you've had the first bite of a custard cookie you will find it extremely difficult not to come back for seconds. Or thirds. Or fourths. (True story)


Custard cookies


Ingredients:
180g butter
125ml icing sugar
250ml flour
5ml baking powder
130ml custard powder


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Cream the butter and icing sugar in a mixing bowl.
3. Sift in dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
5. Place on a baking tray for 15 minutes.
6. Bake until golden brown. 


For the royal icing 


Ingredients:
1 and a half cups icing sugar
1 egg white
4 drops lemon juice
food colouring

Directions:

1. Sift icing sugar. Beat egg lightly and then add icing sugar gradually, beating well, until the icing reaches piping consistency. Beat in lemon juice.

2. Colour small quantities of icing according to personal taste. Spoon each colour of icing into a small plastic bag and snip off one corner to make a piping bag. Pipe detail onto the cookies.

easter

Had the most relaxed Easter down the coast at my family's beach cottage this weekend. Time spent with family is really the most valuable thing to me!

i like.

The internet has been a real visual treat for me lately. So many things I covet. (Click on image for link)