Swirl Cookies

While I committed to making Isabella's birthday this year reasonably simple I did want to try a couple of new things. These were one of them. I'd seen them come up on Pintrest from time to time and the seemed straightforward to make...although I had also seen disasters where the colours mixed and the shape distorted.
My 'research' informed me cooling the mixture between stages in the fridge was the answer.
I made the mix days in advance and rolled it up and covered in cling film. I needed to buy more sprinkles because this uses up a lot!
On the day I was ready to bake them, I sliced them and put them on the tray, then put the tray in the fridge for another hour.
All that cooling seems to work as the result was good. Not perfect, but home made never is!



Swirl Cookies

2 cups cake flour

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp raspberry extract 
1/2 tsp turquoise food colour
2 tbsp cake flour
Rainbow jumbo sprinkles

In a food processor combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and icing sugar, pulse to mix. Add the butter slowly, pulsing until combined. Add in the vanilla and process until the mixture forms a ball.

Divide the dough into 2, put one half back into the processor, add the raspberry flavouring and the turquoise food colour and the 2 tablespoons of flour and mix until combined.

Roll out the vanilla dough and the flavoured dough between wax paper, to form a rectangle around 11 x 8. Place the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Place the sprinkles into a large dish.  Remove the top sheet of wax paper from both doughs, carefully flip the coloured dough onto the vanilla dough, press together and remove the wax paper from the top.  Trim the edges and roll the dough starting with the long side, once rolled into a log place in the dish containing the sprinkles, roll in the sprinkles until completely covered. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 4 hours. 

When ready to bake, heat oven to 190 degrees C.  Slice into 1/4 inch rounds and bake on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes.

Ettamogah Pub Sydney

Yes, I know it is an awfully touristy thing to do, today we had lunch at the Ettamogah Pub in Sydney. You will probably know the Australian cartoon that appeared in lots of publications...I remember it from about 20 years ago from a magazine I read regularly.

We had a good look at their website which gives lots of info about the pub...which didn't actually exist...it was just a place in a cartoon.

Salt and Pepper Calamari and Prawns

Ettamogah caters exceptionally well for children. There is a good children's menu and we were pleased to find that children under 9 years ate free Monday - Friday. On Sunday they have all sorts of kids entertainment. Isabella (4 years) loved the playground despite the heat but was disappointed her mean parents wouldn't let her on the bouncy castle (after yesterday's trauma and trip to an after hours medical centre).

The adults meals were pretty good too. There was lots of shade to get out the scorching Australian sun.

A great relaxed lunch for all.

Soljarns Winery - A great place for children!

We shared a 70th birthday lunch today at Soljarns Winery in Kumeu just out of Auckland.

This is a good spot for a large group gathering and best of all they had one of the best and most appropriate children's menus I've seen. There were also colouring pictures and crayons waiting at the

table that kept the little people busy for quite a while.

Looking at a map it seems like a long drive but we got there really quickly as most of the trip was along motorways.

While I had great intentions of getting pictures of the main meals, once again I got carried away talking and then eating! We had a set menu that offered a salmon dish, lamb shanks and a vegetarian dish. All of the options were really well presented and came to the table at pretty much the same time.