Emsy's posterous

Emily Payne  //  I am a wife to Mark, a mother to Joel and a child of the Living God.
Mark and I both lead worship at a small church in North Norfolk, UK.
I work as a Teaching Assistant in our local primary school, with Year two/three children - it's great fun. They certainly keep me on my toes!
We listen to a lot of Christian bands like Third Day, Sanctus Real, Need To Breathe, Switchfoot, Reliant K, The Afters.....go check them out, you won't be disappointed.

 
Nov 5 / 4:47am

Breakfast Pumpkin Pancakes

Breakfast Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/4 cups of plain flour
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
dash of ground ginger
dash of ground cloves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (steam chopped & peeled pumpkin for 15 mins then mash!)
1 large egg
1 tbsp vegetable oil 
Method:
Preheat oven to keep pancakes warm.  Set aside an oven safe plate or serving dish.  This will be used to keep the pancakes warm while cooking the entire batch. 
In large bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.  Set aside.
In mixer with whisk attachment, whisk together milk, pumpkin, egg, and oil.  Add the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Allow to stand for at least an hour, or overnight. 

Heat a crepe maker or pan/skillet.  Once hot, add 1/3 cup of batter to hot plate or pan. On my crepe maker I could make 4 pancakes at a time. Let cook until bubbles form on the top, then flip with a spatula. Cook until golden brown. Transfer cooked pancake to oven safe dish, and keep pancakes warm in oven until ready to serve.  Repeat with rest of batter until it all has been cooked.

 

Serve with cinnamon sugar, maple syrup or golden syrup and maybe a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

Enjoy!!   

 
Sep 23 / 9:24am

Emsy's Cherry and Almond Shortbread Biscuits

Ingredients

  • 200g/7oz unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 100g/4oz caster sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • Good pinch of salt
  • 260g/9.5oz all-purpose/plain flour 
  • 40g/1.5oz cornflour
  • 50g/2oz glace cherries, chopped
  • 50g/2oz sliced/flaked almonds

Directions
  1. Make the dough: In a mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, almond extract, and salt until light and fluffy. With mixer on low speed, add flour and cornflour, gradually adding  cherries and almonds.  Mix just until dough forms.
  2. Chill the dough: On a piece of clingfilm form dough into a log shape,about 20cm long. Wrap log in the clingfilm, and chill until firm - at least 30 mins.
  3. Remove dough from fridge. With a sharp knife, cut dough into 20 rounds and place onto greased baking sheet arranging slightly apart. 
  4. Bake the shortbread: Preheat oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3 degrees. 
  5. Bake until firm but not coloured, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with caster sugar, then leave on the baking sheets to firm up for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container and eat within a week.

Enjoy!!!

 
Aug 20 / 2:01pm

Sock Monkey!!!

Meet Sockette. She loves to wear her pink tutu & her 'bling tiara!!! 

This was my 'make' today. Very simple to do....but oh so lovable! 

 
May 5 / 12:34pm

Which is your favourite photograph??

 

 

Mark and I had a date day today. We challenged each other to take some photos as we travelled around the North Norfolk coast. I was to take all my pictures using my iPhone and Mark was to take his using his fancy shmancy camera.

So the question is...which is YOUR favourite picture?? We need you to vote!!!
Please take a look at the 10 photos, decide on your favourite, click on the number of your favourite below, and VOTE!! Thanks in advance.


http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/MTg1MTk4NDU1NQ


 
Apr 21 / 9:19am

Easter Rainbow Bites

Looking for an easy Easter treat I stumbled across this recipe a couple of years ago and they've become a part of our Easter tradition! I've adapted it a little here and there.

200g/8oz milk chocolate (or mixture of dark & milk if you prefer)
100g/4oz unsalted butter
100g/4oz golden syrup
100g/4oz marshmallows halved
100g/4oz pink wafer biscuits, crushed
Mini Eggs (preferably Cadbury's!!)
White chocolate to drizzle over top.

Method

Line a 20x20cm square tin with a layer of greaseproof paper.
Place butter, syrup, and chocolate in a pan. Heat gently until melted together.
Stir in marshmallows and crushed wafers.
Pour mixture into tin. Top with mini eggs and drizzle with a little melted white chocolate. Place in fridge overnight to set. Cut into squares and serve.

Enjoy!!

 

 

 
Mar 30 / 9:11am

White Chocolate & Macadamia nut cookies

P144

These are so delicious & again QUICK!!!

1 cup SR flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup melted butter
1tsp vanilla extract
4oz white chocolate bashed into chunks
4oz macadamia nuts

Pre-heat oven to 180°c

This really is *so* simple!!!

Put the flour, sugar, white choc, macadamia nuts in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in egg, melted butter and vanilla. Mix everything together. Wrap cookie paste in cling film and pop into the fridge for an hour or so.
Remove from fridge and break golf ball sized pieces off, rolling them into balls & pressing them down slightly onto a greased tray and into a pre-heated oven for approximately 15 minutes.
Leave on the tray to cool slightly and then transfer onto a cooling rack.

Enjoy!!!

 
Mar 13 / 1:46pm

Rocky Road Cupcakes

P134

A twist on the usual rocky road recipe.
Makes 12

Ingredients:

225g/8oz butter, melted
3 1/2oz SR flour
5oz caster sugar
3tbsp cocoa
2 eggs beaten
1tsp vanilla extract
70g/2 1/2oz glacé cherries quartered
70g/2 1/2oz blanched almonds chopped (or any nut you fancy - I used a mixture of pistachios & almonds)
70g/2 1/2oz raisins
100g/3 1/2oz marshmallows chopped (I used scissors!!)

Fudge Frosting
200g/7oz icing sugar
2tbsp cocoa
3tbsp evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 160°c/325°f/Gas mark 3. Put cupcake cases into tray.

Sift together flour, sugar and cocoa and make a well in the centre.
Stir in the melted butter, eggs and vanilla extract.
Stir in cherries, raisins and nuts. Pour into cupcake cases and bake for 25mins, until just firm to the touch. Leave to cool slightly then place on wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat well to mix to a smooth, just spreadable consistency.

Spread on the cooled cupcakes swirling lightly, and sprinkle with marshmallows.

 

Enjoy!!!

 

 

 
Mar 12 / 12:46am

Black Forest Brownies

Ingredients:

115g/4oz unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
85g/3oz plain flour
1/2tsp baking powder
55g/2oz cocoa powder
2 eggs beaten
175g/6oz caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2tsp almond extract
140g/5oz pitted dark cherries quartered (I used frozen ones - available from Sainsbury's)

Preheat oven to 180°c/350°f/Gas mark 4. Grease a 28 x 18-cm/11 x 7-inch shallow rectangular baking tin.

Sift together the flour & baking powder

Place butter in a large pan over a medium heat and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add the cocoa, stirring until smooth. Beat in the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract.

Fold in the flour mixture & cherries. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 mins or until firm to the touch. Cool slightly in the tin.

Cut into squares and remove from the tin. Serve warm with creamy ice-cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Enjoy!!!

 

(Recipe courtesy of Blissful Brownies)