Power baking (PM)

I think what I said to K about post-baby baking is that you just get really efficient. The days of Baby's babyhood were actually the most bake-productive of my life. I used to make biscuits all the time and boy was I efficient at it. I particularly loved these triple ginger biscuits. But I haven't made them in years. Because the thing about having a small baby is that although they are tiring and require a lot of looking after, they do sleep a fair bit and their inability to move means you don't have to clean up constantly after them. Also, you can usually have a cup of tea while you stick them under a mobile or something. I guess what I'm saying is that when have one small baby their nap time is really an enjoyable time in which you could do a number of things. Sometimes boring, sometimes enjoyable, who knows what will happen. Nap times aren't really like that for me now.

Mainly nap times for me now are about combating our ant problem actually. Those little fuckers have totally infiltrated our house. They are everywhere. EVERYWHERE! Clearly I am quite shit at lifing, as if I'd have time for baking. I can barely keep my house in respectable.

PS. Those melting moments look great. I wish I could make biscuits.

Power baking (AM)

When Appleheart returned home from Preston market yesterday with gozleme for lunch, I knew I had to bake something to ensure afternoon tea would be equally delicious. Also, my mum was coming over to look after KB for us while we went to see picnic at hanging rock. So I thought I had better be a swell daughter and bake something for her. Also, KB was asleep. J once told me that when the babies come along, the days of leisurely baking are over, and a new era of frantic baking while the wee ones are asleep dawns. I wanted to see whether I could do a full bake and dishes in the time KB has his afternoon nap, which could equally be called the time KB lies down with his eyes closed for about 35 seconds. 

It was quite exciting! 

I decided on melting moments because they are utterly delicious and have this much butter in them. 

It's a basic recipe. Cream together 250g of butter and 1/3 cup icing sugar. Add one and a half cups of sifted plain flour, and half a  cup of sifted cornflour (which I didn't have, so just used all plain flour). Mix well, then put into a piping bag and pipe little rosettes onto baking trays with baking paper. As if I was going to pipe rosettes. I just rolled them into little balls and pressed them down with the tines of a fork. They bake in the over for 12 mins. 

Things went pretty well. KB had a little cry just as I was getting started. I bolted upstairs, put the dummy back in and looked at him lovingly for long enough to feel like I'm not neglecting him (20 secs?) then ran back downstairs to cream he butter and sugar. It all came together super fast, and as the last of the biccies went in the oven I turned to the sink to do the dishes. Then, an obstacle presented itself. 

Ants! The little fuckers were congregating under the chux, threatening my timely progress and making me feel, as ant infestations always do, like I'm not very good at lifing. I saw to them as quickly as possible, did the dishes then got onto the lemon cream for sandwiching the biscuits together. 60g of softened butter, half a cup of icing sugar, the rind of one lemon and three teaspoons of lemon juice. I measured, I mixed, I tasted a little bit. Just as I was finishing, the timer on the oven went off and pow! The biccies were done. 

KB slept on as the bickies cooled and he even slept on as I sandwiched them together. What a little champ! A full bake, dishes and ant infestation removal all in the time it takes to have a nap. I felt very pleased with myself. Sadly for my Mum, KB was less pleased and apparently cried whole time we were out, poor little tacker. But you've gotta give these things a shot, right?