Tatiana's Best Corn Bread

This has again been a first for me.  I have never had corn bread before, let alone baked it so was enquisitive to see what it would taste like with chili.  The recipe is easy to understand and through trauling over the internet finally managed to find a supermarket that sold cornmeal (also known as maize flour or polenta flour), not an easy thing to get hold of over here in the UK, and buttermilk isnt sold widely either but luckily I have that also.

The instructions were easy to follow and everything was easy to do, right down to the cooking time was spot on.  I can see why they are called Tatiana's Best Corn Bread, quite simply because they are.  They are delicious and perfectly cooked.  I will never have Chili with anything else now I have tasted these!  I wasnt sure how I was going to feel eating something that is quite sweet with chili but it compliments the dish perfectly and is very filling.  How anyone (including Alexander) can eat these with Chili AND rice is beyond me as they are extremely filling with the chili alone.

The children really enjoyed these too so I will definatley be making these regularly from now on!

"Creature" Cookies

These are incredibly quick and easy to make and went down really well with the children.  The are very sweet and my first attempt at these came out very sticky even once cooled down.

On my second attempt I used oats that were quicker to cook, they were a little less chewy, but still quite sticky/gooey.  These are great to make if you are restricted for time as it takes no more than 10 minutes from weighing the ingredients to placing them on a baking sheet, and because the kids love them.  I didn't add any of the optional extras to this recipe as everyone likes and dislikes different things so it was just easier to stick to the basis of this recipe.

I love the story behind these cookies, and the little bit of history behind them being called preacher cookies.

Banana Bread

This was the first time I ever made or tasted banana bread, so was suprised at how nice it was, however the majority of the children I let have some didn't seem to think so!  I made this with just the chocolate chips, as I knew the walnuts would be a hit and miss with the kids.  Just too bad the whole thing was a miss.

The recipe was straight forward and easy to follow.  I was suprised at how dark the sponge went, as having looked at other peoples banana bread, they look alot lighter.


 I was going to cook it in a bread loaf tin, but the instructions direct you to put in a cake tin, which in my books are round.  I thought it was tasty, but as no one in my family was really taken with it I don't think I will be making it again :-(

Fudgy Chewy Brownies (served with cream cheese icing)

There were a few things missing from this recipe, the first no oven temperature, and second no clue as to what size pan to put the mixture in.  I used 20 cm x 15cm tin lined with butter, and had the oven on at about 200 degrees centigrade for about 30 mins.  I left them a little too long and the edges were a little to hard.  I would advise to just keep testing with a tooth pick until its cooked.

Despite this, I have to say they were delicious (I opted for Alexanders favourite version of these) and the cream cheese icing complimented them perfectly. 

They didn't last very long, so a big thumbs up!

Cardamon Shortbread Cookies

The recipe and instructions for making these cookies were easy and clear to follow, and will give you 32 cookies if following the portion size which is perfect.  I ground my own cardamon seeds as I couldnt get hold of ground cardamon.  These cookies are very aromatic, and I chose to be cautious by only using 2 teaspoons of cardamon, which was a wise choice as I could really taste the cardomon in these cookies with just 2 tsps.  I would recommend using the lemon drizzle icing to sweeten them up and complements the cookie well. 


I didn't have any lemon essence so used lemon juice instead.  I think that these would have tasted better if I had some lemon essence, and the cardamon may not have been so overpowering, and better balanced in flavour.

My kids like these biscuits, and the majority of other kids I let try loved them too.  I will try making these again once I have some lemon essence.  What is great about these is that you can leave out the cardamon if you dont like it, and just have them plain.

This is a fabulous shorbread recipe all in all.

These are Anthony's favourite cookie.  What I love about this recipe book is that there is a scene to go with every recipe.

Beef Barley Soup (Alexanders favourite soup)

This was very straight forward and easy to make.  I didnt have any sirloin steak available so used rump steak instead.  I would recommend a good cut of meat as there is nothing worse than a chewy meat.  There was an error in that oregano wasnt listed as an ingredient, but was mentioned in the passage before the recipe. So I just added a bit to give it a bit more flavour which worked a treat. 

This is a very robust rustic soup, that is full of flavour, and perfect for a cold winters day.  It will give you 4 good portions and is very filling, and goes perfect with a slice of homemade bread and butter.  I can see why it is Alexanders favourite soup, as it is meaty, hot and filling (a bit like Alexander lol).

I will definatley make this again, it was a big hit with my husband, and it was so simple to make.  A big thumbs up Tatiana.

Chili

This was very easy to make and was ready, and makes enough for a small army! This will feed between 4-5 people. With the 4 tablespoons of chili powder used, it makes for quite a spicey chili, so if you dont like too much heat add a little less.  I am going to make some cornbread to go with this later. 

All in all this was a great success, but if you want to make this a little healthier, you could substitue the butter for low fat cooking spray.  Its perfect with a dolop of sour cream on the side and cilantro.