Waffles, Cookies, Porridge and Toy Rotation

We've had cherries so big that Tabby needs to eat them in bites, like an apple.  She is very good at spitting out the pip.

Eating cherries and having a cuddle with Daddy:

Believe it or not (and if you live in Melbourne or Sydney, you will certainly believe it), amongst these hot days, we've had a fair number of cold, rainy days too.  I don't mind - I use it as an excuse to cook my cool-weather favourites such as paprika chicken with buttered spaetzle:

And enormous platters of schnitzel with fresh parsley and lemon juice:

I can eat my own weight in schnitzel, no lie.

Cooler days mean porridge - I've been experimenting with Steel Cut Oats.  These have a superior taste, texture and nutritional value to classic rolled oats (I'm leaving out 'instant oats' as I don't consider them worthy of the name porridge).  The problem is, steel cut oats take forever to cook.  I've been told to soak them overnight and then cook for around 30 minutes, stirring semi-regularly, over low heat.  I have not yet managed to have them cooked to my liking in less than an HOUR!

Standing and stirring for a full hour, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, is not fun.  To say the least.  I am keen to keep trying though - I might try cooking them in a low oven, or soaking for longer.   At any rate, I am perfectly happy with my Carmen's Classic Oats (rolled oats) which take around ten minutes on the stovetop.  So I may well give up on the steel cut oats soon - but they do have a fabulous chewy texture, and they are one of the most filling foods I've ever eaten.

If you're interested in giving them a go, there is loads of information online - I use around 2 parts water to 1 part milk.

Porridge is one of Tabitha's favourite foods - she loves the steel cut version too.

Her cutlery skills are going brilliantly - she can easily manage a bowl of porridge on her own, with no spills.  Even, as below, if I give her a full size spoon (all the small ones were in the dishwasher):

 

I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies for Tabitha's godmother Sophie's birthday.  These are the recipe from the Milk and Cookies Bakery in NYC.  You might remember that I've posted about them before?  They contain oats, blitzed in the food processor to become a coarse flour.  They are brilliant.  Last time I posted the recipe, I mentioned that I was going to try them again with less butter (see post HERE).  I did, and I now bake these with 2/3 of the original butter, or 8 ounces, which is (conveniently) just a fraction under a 250g block of butter.

I've posted the revised recipe below, in more useful metric measurements.

Here is a big pudding basin full of the dough - this cookie dough benefits immensely from a couple of days in the fridge, wrapped well with cling film.  I'd recommend 48 hours, and no less than 24 hours, in the fridge before cooking.  You can also roll balls of this (after the resting period) and freeze them in snap lock bags - you can bake them straight from frozen!

Here is the revised metric recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

220g old-fashioned rolled oats

220g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

225g unsalted butter, at room temperature

200g white sugar

200g brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.

In a food processor, blitz the oats until they are finely ground.  Transfer to a mixing bowl, and stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Put the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer, and mix on medium speed for a couple of minutes, until light and creamy (do NOT beat on high speed - the friction generated begins to melt the butter slightly, which affects the absorption of the liquid into the flour.  It's a minor, fussy thing, but trust me)

With the motor running, gradually add the sugars, beating on medium until light and creamy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat to incorporate, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition with a spatula.

Beat in the vanilla, and then slowly beat in the dry mixture and the chocolate chips.

When the mixture is still streaky, remove the mixture and very lightly knead together on a well-floured board (sometimes I do this, sometimes I don't).

Wrap the mixture in clingfilm, or in a bowl with clingfilm pressed over, and keep in the fridge for 24 - 48 hours.

Form the dough into tablespoonful sized balls, and place (5cm or so apart) on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper.

Bake for around 12 minutes, or until lightly browned in the middle.  When you take them from the oven, use the baking paper to immediately remove the cookies onto a wire rack - otherwise they will keep cooking on the hot tray.

Cookies are always a good birthday present.  For Sophie, we added a cute knitting book:

Tabitha was very excited to have a visit from Sophie! 

More cherry eating in the back yard:

Vampire baby, dripping with crimson cherry juice:

I've chatted to lots of people about toy rotation lately.  I think it's an excellent idea, however, in practice, I tend to keep a small collection of 'favourite' toys out, and rotate the books and smaller toys weekly.  Below is the group of favourite toys, which get tucked neatly into the corner of the living room, beside the bookshelf.  This group includes:  the ride-on Wheely Bug pig, a tea set, a set of 100 wooden blocks, a set of alphabet plastic 'Peek-a-Blocks', a spinning top, a pull-along cat, a box of cardboard Maisy Mouse stacking blocks, and a hammer-ball wooden toy (which I enjoy nearly as much as Tabby for some reason!)

Next to this collection, in the bookshelf, I keep a pull-out basket full of smaller toys, which I do rotate (I keep the others in a large drawer elsewhere).  For example, this week, there is felt playfood, finger puppets, some felt animals and a fun 'bullfrog book' which is part book, part hand-puppet.

I rotate the picture books every few days - partially for my own sanity.  Tabitha has around 80 picture books and board books (we are lucky to get lots of great hand-me-ons from my sister and cousins), but there are around a dozen favourites, and there is only so many times I can read 'I Went Walking' without getting bored!

Here is today's collection of books - each will be read several times before the day is through:

One area where I cannot, and would not, rotate toys is in Tabitha's cot.  She is quite attached to her collection of 'sleep toys', which includes a soft lambswool 'Flat Out Bear', an organic wool lamb, a Steiner baby doll, and two plastic soft-body babies:

I've had a waffle iron for over 6 years, but in all that time, have never managed to cook a waffle I was really thrilled with.  After much reading and experimenting, I have come up with the Ultimate Waffle Recipe!

It's crispy, full of flavour and, to my tastes, the best home waffle I've had.  If you have a waffle iron (I recommend - you can pick up my great Breville one for less than $40 I think), I recommend giving this recipe a go.

Crisp Buttermilk Waffles

200g plain flour

60g cornflour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1.5 cups buttermilk

½ cup milk

180ml canola oil

2 large eggs, separated

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 100 degrees Celsius.

Mix the flour, cornflour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

Combine the buttermilk, milk, and oil in a measuring jug, then lightly whisk in the egg yolks.  Set aside.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.

Fold through the whipped egg whites, gently with a large metal spoon or spatula, until just combined.

Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron (around half a cup per waffle) and cook until the waffle is crisp and golden - with this recipe, if you try and lift the lid before it's cooked, it will pull apart.  So if the lid doesn't lift easily, the waffle probably isn't done yet.  You might need to experiment with the heat dial on your iron - I set mine to a little hotter than medium.

As you cook the waffles, sit them on the oven rack, in a single layer, to keep them warm and crisp (do not stack).  Once they are cooked, serve straight away!

You can freeze extra cooked waffles, and re-heat them in the toaster for a quick morning waffle hit.

We like to serve these with plenty of maple syrup, and either double cream or ice cream.