Sacha's New Friend

This is the bunny I made for Sacha for her birthday. It's quite a punky bunny (I think it's a little gender confused, but that's ok by me) and likes to get her frown on when she's thinking - which is all the time. She likes beat poetry and people watching and when no-ones around, she sings "little bunny fu fu" because it makes her happy.

I think Sacha's decided to call her Fluffy "because she is fluffy". Can't argue with that. I once had a pair of rabbits - one called Whitey, one called Brownie. Logical, but perhaps a bit off in retrospect

Peanut Butter Brownies

Makes more or less 32 little bite-size brownies

These “brownies” are more fudgey than cakey, with an excellent peanut butter-chocolate contrasts. Have a glass of milk/water handy.

Ingredients
For brownies
225 grams unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter of your favourite variety
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon salt

For ganache
250 gms chocolate. You can use whatever you like - either choc chips or broken up chocolate bar. I went with Dark Ghana stuff because that's how I roll.
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon butter

Method
BROWNIES
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C with rack in middle. Ideally, use a 30cm by 20cm baking tin with a depth of around 5cm. I used a square silicone cake tin and it came out fine. Butter your tin up, then line bottom of pan with baking paper, and then butter the baking paper.

This next bit works best with an electric beater. If you're skint, like me, you may be resistant to getting a beater claiming that you can do just as good a job with a fork. Stop kidding yourself, they're $17 at the Warehouse and they'll stop you getting RSI and in the meantime your butter and sugar will be practically creaming themselves. Double entendre intended.

Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, then add peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour and salt until just combined.

Mix in chocolate chips then spread your thick and sticky batter in baking pan, smoothing the mountain-like globs off of the top.

Bake until brownies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center come out with some crumbs adhering, around about 45 minutes.

Cool completely in pan on a rack, which'll take about 1 1/2 hours. You can choose to be impatient and try taking it out earlier, but the brownie'll fall to pieces and be really shit if you do.

GANACHE
I did this differently to the original recipe and it worked grand. Melt your chocolate using the old "put a the bowl of chocolate on top of a saucepan of boiling water until the chocolate's all melted". Pop your cream into a small saucepan and bring it to the boil, then tip it in with the melted chocolate and the butter.

Gently whisk until the butter is incorporated, the chocolate is melted, and you're left with a bowl of smooth, shiny chocolate that begs you to dip your fingers into it.

Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

Brownies keep in one layer in an airtight container three days, and apparently much longer if hidden waaay in the back of the freezer.

LINK- Smitten Kitchen

Brand New Math

I love making posters! I love D.I.C.K. parties! Party-hardy y'all.

myspace.com/indiedunedin

Excellent t-shirt

Holy Moly! Threadless just printed the most awesome tshirt. It's a vampire tee that uses UV ink so that when you go out into the sun, the vampire looks like he's buring in flames, and when it's dark, his eyes and teeth glow.

I want one so bad! Damn my credit card-less situation!

Banana Walnut Loaf

Banana Bread

5 ripe bananas
3/4 cup of honey (or maple syrup if you like)
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups wholewheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup plus of broken walnut pieces optional

Method:
Mash bananas with honey + vanilla until combined and creamy. In another bowl, sift dry ingredients (don't bother to sift wholewheat flour if you're using that) then add dry to wet - stir until just mixed and at this point add nuts if you want to.

Pour into greased tin= bake @ 160C for an hour - no matter how delicious it smells, don't take out early! check if it's baked through by running a skewer into the loaf and if it comes out clean, it should be all ready for consumption!

We like eating this while it's still warm and slathered with peanut butter. Delicious!