Monday, December 19, 2016

Noodle Accident, Stolen Paintings, Scrooge,

Once in a while I enjoy spicy Noodle soups for lunch - the oriental ones are the best. So Friday was one of the days I decided on the noodles for lunch. Having made the noodles with hot water I sat down to eat them and somehow, not sure how, I knocked the whole lot over me and mostly on the floor. It was pretty hot too. What a mess. Picking up the noodles wasn't too bad, but cleaning up all the liquid was a pain in the butt. I worked on it a lot that afternoon, but decided to let it all dry and see what I had achieved. Not too bad, it will have to be done again, but I think I can leave it til after Christmas.

I also made my rum butter for the Christmas Pudding - I figured I hadn't got enough butter so had to defrost some which meant I had to wait a while before I could finish making it. I did though and it is now frozen.

Just seen an FB post from my sinlaw (the artist) about valuable paintings worth ­£160,000 having been stolen from a zoo. He wants to spread it around to make the pictures "too hot to handle". Good idea. This is a picture of one of the paintings, which I think is fabulous.


There are pictures on the BBC site of some of the other paintings, do have a look, they are wonderful.

Sunday night I watched the musical version of Scrooge with Albert Finney. Hadn't seen it before, I enjoyed it. Pretty well done. Nice to see familiar English actors too.

Denise from My Life in Retirement enquired about the Reindeer Cake shown in my Saturday blog. Here is the recipe. Hmm, they said it was easy!

Chocolate Peppermint Reindeer Cake

CAKE
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tso baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
6 candy canes, crushed in a food processor
FROSTING
2 cups unsalted butter
1 tsp peppermint extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tsp clear vanilla
2 Tbs heavy whipping cream
1 tsp salt
ANTLERS
2 large candy canes
12 small candy canes
ADDITIONAL ITEMS
white pearl food spray to cover cake
wooden cake dowel rods to hold up the cake
white chocolate candy melts
red edible glitter

1. For the reindeer, make this cake recipe twice back to back.

2. FOR THE CAKE:.

3. Heat oven to 350. Place 3 cups of water in a saucepan and set on the stove with a high heat.

4. In a stand mixer, blend sugar, milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients. Slowly mix into wet and when just incorporated pour in one cup of boiling water. Pulse until thoroughly mixed and pour into two parchment lined Loaf tins. Bake 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Wrap and chill well before cutting and assembling cake.

5. TO ASSEMBLE:.

6. Slice your loaves into two layers. Mix buttercream frosting and spread generously between each layer. Sprinkle with chopped candy cane before stacking each new layer. Chill continuously to ensure cake keeps a firm shape. Once stacked, using a serrated blade, carve out general reindeer shape. Once desired form is taken do a smooth crumb coat using additional frosting. Do final coat using clean fresh frosting. Chill when it looks how you want it and use a fork to create added grooves and dimension.

7. FOR THE ANTLERS:.

8. Slightly melt candy canes in a 300 degree oven and bend into desire shapes (Watch your fingers, it's hot!). Adhere to one another by placing an end under a flame for a moment and sticking to a larger piece (They burn very quickly so be stealthy and don't be devastated if any are ruined). Once done pierce the top of you cake with a pointed end and coast delicately with white candy melts.

9. FINISHING TOUCHES:.

10. Finish by spraying with edible pearl spray and placing a bed of coconut around your reindeer. (If you're a terrible person and don't like coconut, you can also use powdered sugar or crushed candy canes instead. Paint on a glittery red nose for an extra festive touch!

Servings: 10

Author: ChristineMcConnell


Have a great day
 

21 comments:

  1. That cake looks incredible but WAY beyond my capabilities. Sorry to ear about PotNoodleGate and hope you're weren't hurt!
    That's Purrfect

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    1. Mine too Patricia. I thought I was scalded, but just wet. The carpet took the most damage.

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  2. Pity about the noodle mess but at least you weren't badly burnt. That cake looks amazing but it certainly doesn't fit my idea of easy to make.

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    1. Luckily. But the carpet was hard work and still needs more attention.

      It's so pretty though.

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  3. LOL. Easy? A general reindeer shape? They are kidding, right? You make it and let me know how it turns out.
    Thanks for putting a smile on my face with this recipe.

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    1. I was hoping you would make it and let me know Denise.

      You're welcome LOL

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  4. That tiger painting is incredible. I thought it was real.
    My reindeer would look like a lump with thorns.

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    1. It is incredible, you should check the other paintings, if you have time, Alex.

      Mine too.

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  5. That version of Scrooge is the only one I watch. It's been a fave since I first saw it when I was in high school. I don't like musicals but those songs are catchy and I thought Albert Finney did an amazing job. The only part that kind of drags is his memory of the picnic w/ Fezziwig's daughter and she sings 'Happiness is whatever you want it to be'. But I know they needed that flashback for the story.

    I thought the tiger painting was a photograph!

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    1. I haven't watched a Scrooge movie in years JoJo, but I did enjoy that one. I like Albert Finney too, we have a DVD of him playing Churchill and he is excellent. I know what you mean about the picnic scene.

      It does look like a photograph doesn't it?

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    2. I usually fast forward through the picnic. And my ex HATED Tiny Tim's song so he'd fast forward through that one.

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    3. Not having seen it before JoJo, obviously I watched it all.

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  6. I love Albert Finney. Have you seen Big Fish? He is excellent in it and it's one of my top five movies.

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    1. No I haven't Pinky. I must look around for it. We have a copy of Gathering Storm - a story of just before WWII when Churchill was one of the few who believed Hitler was a baddy and Germany was re-arming.

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  7. Ok..that reindeer cake is amazing! It's horrible when such beautiful paintings are stolen...I hope they can be found. I think I saw this version of Scrooge....I'm going to look and see how many film versions of this famous book is around. Did you ever see the one with Henry Winkler? Surprisingly, it isn't bad.

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    1. Isn't it, Birgit, wish I was clever enough to make something like that. I also hope the paintings can be found. Only ever saw the Alistair Simms one before as far as I remember.

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  8. Crazy price for a picture. Never, not ever will the price of art or photos make sense to me. Sorry about the noodles.

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    1. That price was for a bunch of pictures Ivy, not just one. I find the price for sportsmen more incomprehensible.

      So was I, you can see the stain in daylight but not in the evening so I am not bothering with it again til after Christmas.

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    2. Even before I took on decluttering, the price of some items, made my head scratch. These days, I feel even stronger about it.

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  9. You know what else, I cannot watch some of the HGTV shows that I used to watch now either. Like the Property Brothers. I used to love the show but now, it's all so much money and for what? No.

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