(no subject)
In tonight's news, roommate J has not made it home yet, and I am half-convinced she is still in her office working, half-convinced that she is out driving around the neighbourhood in a rage because new upstairs neighbours have blocked the driveway again, and half-convinced she is off having a really good time with what I suspect to be a mystery person of interest whose existence she has not yet decided to fully reveal. And okay, that adds up to way more than one, but I'm a little worried...
Except that I think she just got home. And I think the new upstairs neighbours have, in fact, blocked the driveway for reals. She is going to be pissed. I would not want to be them right now, if only because they are now going out and moving their car, and it is cold out.
Anyway, as for me, I am now priming myself for J's ranting, but in other news, today I've been fairly productive. To wit:
• I've finished Trégor, Goëlo, Penthièvre: Le pouvoir des Comtes de Bretagne etc.
• I've transcribed another folium and a half of the Liber Albus Sancti Florentii.
• I've ordered myself a deeply-discounted pair of black Dr Martens flats.
• I've gone for my first sub-zero (celsius) run and discovered it wasn't too bad!
• I've made a delicous stirfry and consumed it.
• I've done a much-needed load of laundry and will have clean pyjamas tonight!
Finally, I meant to post this before, so now, while J is out arguing with the boyfriend of one of the neighbours, whose car is in her spot in the driveway, here's the recipe for the cranberry and white chocolate shortbread I made over the weekend for the denizens of the history department. It was a big hit, and it was delicious, and the last two pieces are still in my office and ALL MINE.
Anyway, Cranberry and White Chocolate Shortbread:
Makes 48 bars.
Ingredients:(1)
1 3/4 cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) corn starch
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature (2)
3/4 cup (175 mL) icing sugar (3)
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
1/2 cup (125 mL) white chocolate chips
My notes on ingredients:
(1) In Canada, we generally cook in Imperial measurements, except for large volumes of liquid which we usually think of in litres. Metric measurements have to be included in recipes, though, I think by law. This, by the way, is your Canadian recipe warning.
(2) If "room temperature" in your house is as cold as it is in my house, you might want to supplement it with a little warming up in the microwave, although not enough to melt the butter.
(3) In the rest of the world including the US, I think this is more commonly known as confectioner's sugar.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300ºF (150ºC). Line a 9"x 13" (3L) baking pan with parchment paper so that it overhangs ends for easy removal. [Note: this is important because I think it would also be difficult to get the shortbread smoothed out in the pan without the parchment paper.]
2. In a large bowl, combine flour with corn starch and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, beat butter with icing sugar and vanilla until very creamy. Stir in flour mixture, then cranberries and chocolate chips. Using floured fingers, pat evenly into prepared pan. Using a fork, prick surface all over. [Note the second: it is more important that the second bowl is large than that the first one is, unless you want flour and sugar all over your kitchen. I also highly recommend using an electric mixer of some kind for all the mixing steps up to the cranberries and chocolate chips, but I think those need to be mixed in by hand, after which according to the wisdom of the baking guru from whom my mom learned many of her skills, you should continue to moosh the dough around for a while. It will be very stiff, but the more you work it, the smoother she says the shortbread will end up being. Also, do not give into any urge you might feel to add liquid. The butter is the only thing holding it together. Really. Also, make sure to prick the surface thoroughly, and small intervals - otherwise you'll get air bubbles inside it as it bakes, which will make it crumbly when you try and cut it up.]
4. Bake in preheated oven 40-50 minutes or until deep golden around edges. Let stand in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Using parchment paper, lift out of pan. Slice into bars while still warm. Cool completely. Dust with icing sugar if desired. [Note the third:] Mine took 55 minutes to bake.]
5. NOM. Do not play the "how many teaspoons of butter in each piece" game.
And, now J explains to me that first of all, she has been at a concert, which leads me to favor option mystery person as far as what she's been doing, and that second, she's been forced to explain to douchebag boyfriend of upstairs neighbour that the driveway is not "first come, first served," but "one parking spot per apartment so where you're going to park your car is not my problem." I am not sure how well we're going to get along with these new neighbours. They also have a large and noisy dog, some sort of pitbull/lab mix, that barks whenever anyone enters the front or back porch or their apartment.
Except that I think she just got home. And I think the new upstairs neighbours have, in fact, blocked the driveway for reals. She is going to be pissed. I would not want to be them right now, if only because they are now going out and moving their car, and it is cold out.
Anyway, as for me, I am now priming myself for J's ranting, but in other news, today I've been fairly productive. To wit:
• I've finished Trégor, Goëlo, Penthièvre: Le pouvoir des Comtes de Bretagne etc.
• I've transcribed another folium and a half of the Liber Albus Sancti Florentii.
• I've ordered myself a deeply-discounted pair of black Dr Martens flats.
• I've gone for my first sub-zero (celsius) run and discovered it wasn't too bad!
• I've made a delicous stirfry and consumed it.
• I've done a much-needed load of laundry and will have clean pyjamas tonight!
Finally, I meant to post this before, so now, while J is out arguing with the boyfriend of one of the neighbours, whose car is in her spot in the driveway, here's the recipe for the cranberry and white chocolate shortbread I made over the weekend for the denizens of the history department. It was a big hit, and it was delicious, and the last two pieces are still in my office and ALL MINE.
Anyway, Cranberry and White Chocolate Shortbread:
Makes 48 bars.
Ingredients:(1)
1 3/4 cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) corn starch
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature (2)
3/4 cup (175 mL) icing sugar (3)
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
1/2 cup (125 mL) white chocolate chips
My notes on ingredients:
(1) In Canada, we generally cook in Imperial measurements, except for large volumes of liquid which we usually think of in litres. Metric measurements have to be included in recipes, though, I think by law. This, by the way, is your Canadian recipe warning.
(2) If "room temperature" in your house is as cold as it is in my house, you might want to supplement it with a little warming up in the microwave, although not enough to melt the butter.
(3) In the rest of the world including the US, I think this is more commonly known as confectioner's sugar.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300ºF (150ºC). Line a 9"x 13" (3L) baking pan with parchment paper so that it overhangs ends for easy removal. [Note: this is important because I think it would also be difficult to get the shortbread smoothed out in the pan without the parchment paper.]
2. In a large bowl, combine flour with corn starch and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, beat butter with icing sugar and vanilla until very creamy. Stir in flour mixture, then cranberries and chocolate chips. Using floured fingers, pat evenly into prepared pan. Using a fork, prick surface all over. [Note the second: it is more important that the second bowl is large than that the first one is, unless you want flour and sugar all over your kitchen. I also highly recommend using an electric mixer of some kind for all the mixing steps up to the cranberries and chocolate chips, but I think those need to be mixed in by hand, after which according to the wisdom of the baking guru from whom my mom learned many of her skills, you should continue to moosh the dough around for a while. It will be very stiff, but the more you work it, the smoother she says the shortbread will end up being. Also, do not give into any urge you might feel to add liquid. The butter is the only thing holding it together. Really. Also, make sure to prick the surface thoroughly, and small intervals - otherwise you'll get air bubbles inside it as it bakes, which will make it crumbly when you try and cut it up.]
4. Bake in preheated oven 40-50 minutes or until deep golden around edges. Let stand in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Using parchment paper, lift out of pan. Slice into bars while still warm. Cool completely. Dust with icing sugar if desired. [Note the third:] Mine took 55 minutes to bake.]
5. NOM. Do not play the "how many teaspoons of butter in each piece" game.
And, now J explains to me that first of all, she has been at a concert, which leads me to favor option mystery person as far as what she's been doing, and that second, she's been forced to explain to douchebag boyfriend of upstairs neighbour that the driveway is not "first come, first served," but "one parking spot per apartment so where you're going to park your car is not my problem." I am not sure how well we're going to get along with these new neighbours. They also have a large and noisy dog, some sort of pitbull/lab mix, that barks whenever anyone enters the front or back porch or their apartment.