100 Happy Days, Day 5

Today whilst shopping in the city, I was happily perusing unaffordable items along King Street, when I heard a guy happily laugh into the phone and respond to his friend, "Well what would your Drag Queen name be then?"

I actually laughed out loud. 

I enjoyed that so much. Even more than my 7pm glass of red. And my dear friends, THAT is saying something!!

I would really like to go back to that moment and tell that guy my name is apparently Dallas Glitter-Tush. According to the Drag Queen Name Generator anyway!

What's yours??

xx

ps, if I chose it myself I think it would be Bambi Cherry-Lips...

100 Happy Days, Day 4

So, being down south this weekend threw my blogging plans out the window.. And while I found many moments throughout the days to be grateful for.. (Spending time with family always make me happy!) I think this just about sums up the last four days. Can I claim Day 4 as a four day period....? Well, I'm going too anyway! 

We all need a little more kindness in our lives!

100 Happy Days, Day 3

There have been so many happy moments in today that I absolutely could not pick just one.  

Coffee dates with my bestie, Pilates giggles with my new friends, Valentines Day wine from my handsome fiancé, making dough for our Valentines pie while my baby giggles at me...

But, the best part of a very happy day though, has been all the reactions I've received from sending out James's first Valentine's Day cards.  We sent out 8 special cards on Tuesday.  Eight cards foot printed by my little man, and love noted inside.  And in some special circumstances, mate noted!

The Thank You texts and pictures I've received today, have sent an enormous happy grin across my face.  I love that sometimes you feel happiest when you've made others happy.

What a wonderful day..

Happy Valentines Day!!

xx

100 Happy Days, Day 2

There isn't much in the world that makes me feel happier than spending time with family. I feel so lucky to have such a large and loving family as I do. Especially this lady. I would be lost without her.

And my little man. Doesn't he just make the world a happier place with that smile? 

So so lucky.

xx

100 Happy Days, Day 1

Discovering old family photos.. Like this one of my Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather's wedding. I love how most of their guests look so typically subdued in the photo, as was the fashion at the time.. Except my Great Grandmother, who has a gorgeous happy smile across her face. What a sweet start to my 100 Happy Days.

xx

100 Happy Days

It's inevitable that currently over social media, you're bound to run into the term '100 Happy Days'. 

To be honest, I don't really know the main concept behind it. I don't know who invented it.. Was it the lady off that Sunrise interview I caught a couple of weeks ago..? I'm not sure. But I quite like the idea of it.

Anything that encourages searching for the Joy in life.. The Happy Days in life! Seems like a great idea to me.

Instead of joining the hoards flooding Instagram and Facebook, I decided to re ignite my enthusiasm for all things blog related, and post my happy days here instead.

Because lets me honest. Happy Days are the best kind! 

I hope your day was Happy too.



xx

The 36 Hour Biscuit

I love chocolate.

This is no secret. I also love biscuits.  

But the secret here, is that I can't bake them. Not at all.
Like, desperately wish I could but they always come out flat, overcooked, too soft, can't bake them..

I have to admit. I gave up attempting biscuits a long time ago, and focused more on cakes and brownies!

I'm definitely a creature of habit.

Until.. Until I discovered these..

Miss Penny that's MY biscuit.. Back off.

Ohhh the 36 hour biscuit.

It sounds like a long time. And I agree, the wait is a killer, but oh so worth it.. Because after you get the most amazing, moist, crunchy biscuit.. That even I can master!

Describing them on paper is pointless. Just bake them.  Take the time to let them rest. Trust me.


The 36 Hour Biscuit.

2 cups (minus 2 tablespoons) Cake Flour

1 2/3 cups Bread Flour

1 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda (bi carb)

1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (I used Maldon, no biggie)

1 1/4 cups Butter (unsalted) (283.5gm)

1 1/4 cups Light Brown Sugar

1 cup (plus 2 tablespoons) Caster Sugar

2 Free Range Eggs (never buy caged!)

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

600gms dark chocolate chips (the better the quality, the yummier the biscuit)   

• Combine the flours, baking soda and powder plus salt into a big bowl.  Mix together and move aside.

• Set your mix master with the paddle attachment, cream butter and both sugars until light, fluffy and pretty.

• Add eggs one at a time, mix well. 

• Mix in Vanilla.

• (Remember to keep scraping down the sides of the bowl, (and not with your fingers!!!)

• Reduce the mixer speed to low!! Then add your flour mix slowly!! Unless you want a flour explosion.

• Add the chocolate chips, and mix together carefully. Not for too long, just enough to combine evenly.

• Transfer mixture over to your glad wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours, maximum of 42 hours. By my experience.

• I keep the dough in the fridge for 36 hours.  This is the recommended about of time by Kate.

• After your chosen chilling time, preheat the oven to 180 degrees.  Use the preheating time to allow your biscuit dough to soften slightly before cooking.

• Use baking paper on a non stick tray, and scoop on fairly large sized balls of dough.  Larger sized dough balls make better biscuits, small dough balls make crunchy biscuits. We want gooey inside crunchy outside!

• Use an ice cream scoop for even sized biccies!

• Sprinkle balls of dough lightly with sea salt.

• Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes (depending on your oven) until soft but golden brown.

• Once baked leave on the tray for 10 minutes to cool (and so you don't break them when you transfer them to the cooling rack!)

• Then transfer over and allow to cool. Oh the goodness. The goodness!

Enjoy!!! Worth the wait huh..??!

ps, Because every oven is different, I always put a small tray of water on the bottom shelf because my oven likes to burn things. 
This means I add an extra two minutes or so to baking time..
The whole cake flour vs plain flour debate.  The cake flour and bread flour mixture is used as it's lighter. Therefore producing lighter biscuits.
I have baked this recipe so many times now, that I have more bags than I'd like to admit, full of cookie dough frozen in my freezer! I generally bake half a mixture, and freeze the other half.. These are so worth the effort and ingredients. They are way too good not to be shared!

Xx