OXO Good Grips Cookie Press

We all love freshly baked cookies in our family. The smell of baking wafting from the kitchen brings everyone downstairs, and we all cannot wait to tuck in. I was thrilled to have a chance to test an OXO Good Grips Cookie Press, as I have read good reviews online and fancied trying it myself.

The cookie press has a large lever handle, which is comfortable and easy to use. It won't strain your hand, even after making several dozen of cookies. The base is non-slip, so gadget doesn't move when you keep dispensing the dough into the cookie shapes. The dough barrel is see-through so you know exactly how much of cookie dough is left inside.
Very easy to assemble and disassemble.

How does it work? You prepare the dough, fill in the barrel, close the lid with the lever tightly. Place the cookie press on the surface with the parchment paper, lower the lever and a cookie shape should appear on the paper. The cookies are supposed to be consistent in size and shape.

The cookie press comes with a selection of stainless steel disks which include a daisy, flower, sunflower, fleur-de-lis, butterfly, bear, heart, leaf, shell, snowflake, tree and wreath. Quite a choice, and would suit a seasonal baking session. I have tried most of the disks and found the heart and flower-shaped ones the easiest to work with.

OXO Good Grips Cookie Press disks

The cookie press comes with an instructions booklet which also features 3 starter recipes. I have chosen a recipe for Cream cheese spritz cookies, and followed the recipe exactly as it is.
I have encountered some difficulties with the cookie dough sticking to the disc and not to the parchment paper, as it is supposed to. The first batch was all the same, I had to gently prize off each cookie shape from the disk, which is not as it should have been.
While the cookies themselves were very tasty (as confirmed not just by my family but by friends too), they didn't quite look the part. They have baked into shapes which were not much recognisable as flowers.

I have tested several disks, the heart-shaped one was the easiest to use, but even heart-shapes dough was sticking to the disk. Once baked, the heart might have looked like hearts, but the butterfly and the sunflower changed into some amorphic shapes, as you can see from the photos below.

And though the cookies were delicious, I was not very happy with the aesthetic side. They were a far cry from the crisp-edged cookies I envisaged them to be. It is also quite possible that I have chosen a really hot day to do my baking, but perhaps the recipe for cream cheese spritz cookies was not the best one to use in a cookie press. Saying that, all the cookies - and there was a whole lot of them - were gone in a few days.

cream cheese spritz cookies

I don't easily give up. A couple of weeks later on a much cooler day, I decided to have another go with the cookies press, this time trying a different recipe. I started with a basic recipe for thumbprint cookies as appearing in Sweet Treats book (Williams-Sonoma) but ended up changing it quite a bit, adding some ingredients (skipping the jam) and adapting it to use with the cookie press.

Butter almond cookies before baking

Butter almond cookies
Ingredients:
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
285g plain flour
1/2tsp baking powder
230g butter, melted
120g caster sugar
3tbsp ground almonds
1tbsp golden syrup
1 egg yolk
1tsp vanilla essence
Grate the zest of 1 lemon. In a medium bowl mix all the ingredients: lemon zest, flour, baking powder, melted butter, caster sugar, ground almonds, golden syrup, egg yolk and vanilla essence. You will get a pliable soft cookie dough.
Fill in the cookie press and press out all the cookies on the trays, covered with the parchment paper. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Don't overcook. The cookies will be still soft when you take the trays out, on cooling peel them off the paper. They will turn crispy and crumbly, and perfectly buttery.

Butter almond cookies

I found this cookie dough easier to use with the cookie press, which worked much better this time.
So, my advice would be: experiment and find which cookie recipe works for you.
I definitely want to try more recipes, and will let you know how it goes.

Camilla from Fab Food 4 All has also tested OXO Good Grips Cookie press and posted a delicious recipe for Danish Vanilla cookies (Vanille Cranse) on her blog. Her Danish cookies look splendid.


Disclosure: I received an OXO Good Grips Cookie Press for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Coconut sugar cookies

It's always tea time in our house. A cup of tea is a solution to many a problem. And if there are cookies, it's even better. I knew I wanted something spicy and oaty, and thankfully had a bag of  Coconom Coconut sugar with turmeric and tamarind from the latest Degustabox to play with. This is a new brand for me, and as I love trying new foods, I was very curious to find out how it works in baking.

Coconut sugar cookies (makes about 20 cookies)
Ingredients:
150g coconut sugar
50g oats for porridge
185g butter, melted
1tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
375g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
1 egg, medium

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl, roll in a big ball and put the bowl in the fridge for half an hour. Divide in halves to make it easier to work with. Squash it in a flat shape, then roll with a rolling pin to about 1cm thickness, cut out the shapes with a cookie cutter. Make a pattern on top of each cookie with a fork (totally optional).
Bake in batches at 180C for about 15 minutes, until the cookies turn golden brown. They will still be soft when you take them out.

They taste a bit like a mix between spicy Hobnobs and shortbread. These thick crumbly cookies are lovely with either tea or coffee, or even a glass of cold milk.
Coconut sugar from Coconom doesn't taste of coconut. The sweet and sour aroma reminded me of molasses. The balance of turmeric and tamarind is just right. I haven't tried tamarind in baking before, but the flavours work well.

When making cookies, a good rolling pin makes all the difference. How many times did I swear under my breath when the pastry or dough was sticking to the wooden rolling pin?! Too many. That's why I was happy to test an OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Rolling Pin. I am very fond of OXO Good Grips as a brand, and have reviewed quite a few of products from their extensive range.

This is quite a mighty rolling pin, it is 30cm long. Its non-stick surface was a doddle to clean (not much of cleaning, just wipe off the buttery residue). It is comfortable to handle. As you can see from the photos below, the actual handles are sligthly raised so when you work, your knuckles don't hit the working surface of the counter top. There is a hole on one handle, so after you finished rolling, just hang it from a hook in the kitchen, out of the way.
And it is non-stick, just as it promises.

If you are looking for ideas what to give your kids' teachers as a Thank you gift, homebaked cookies is one of the possible gift ideas.

Disclosure: I received an OXO Good Grips product for the purposes of testing and reviewing. The Coconom sugar comes from the latest Degustabox selection which I also received for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Open sandwiches for tea

Cucumber sandwiches

Warmer weather just invites us to have tea outdoors. We're lucky to have an enclosed garden. It is so quiet and peaceful in our garden, pretty amazing if you think that the front of the house is facing a busy road. The old trees and greenery make our garden a perfect spot for a leisurely tea. Tea and cakes go well, but so do sandwiches. When I was asked to create freestyle sandwiches with Lurpak, my first thought was those quaint classic cucumber sandwiches.
Of course, there are cucumber sandwiches and there are cucumber sandwiches. They could be soggy little horrors, which are sometimes served at parties. But if you prepare them the right way, they are truly one of the simplest yet elegant and tasty British classic dishes. A national institution. And they're perfect for an afternoon tea, delicate and delicious yet not too filling so you have some space left for dinner later. They might quaint and Victorian, but don't discard them as an old-fashioned trend.

Choose a good sliced bread. My guys prefer Warburtons sliced bread for sandwiches. Sasha with his autism won't eat any other bread, which makes it tricky when we have to travel. Imagine how odd it might look to the airport check-in people, if they decide to open my suitcase. Probably nobody else takes sliced bread to Italy. Italians make all sorts of wonderful tasty breads, but their sliced bread is really not good at all. But going back to our cucumber sandwiches.

First prepare the cucumber. Peel it or leave the skin on. I actually prefer the skin on, especially with young cucumbers. Slice the cucumber thinly. It's up to you, whether you prefer it sliced in circles or thin ribbons. Or even cut into flower shapes with a cookie cutter, I have seen these sandwiches on Pinterest, they look cute, but of course, you waste some of the food by cutting it into fancy shapes.

I used an OXO Good Grips simple mandoline slicer (which I reviewed back in February, see my blog post Valentine's day menu) to slice the cucumber into thin strips. Arrange the slices on a big plate and sprinkle with salt. Leave it for 15 minutes, then pat dry the ribbons with a paper kitchen towel on both sides. The mandoline makes a fiddly job of even slicing very easy and quick.
Take the bread slices and remove the crusts. Butter each slice well.
We have tried many brands of butter spreads, and it's Lurpak that we go back to again and again. I believe it's one of the tastiest butter spreads.
Arrange the cucumber ribbons over the buttered bread, then cut the sandwiches into neat triangles.
If you have access to fresh flowers like primroses and violets, you might like to prettify your sandwiches with a few flowers. I have plenty of them in the garden, all organic and untreated by any chemicals, so they are safe to eat.

For a more substantial sandwich spread, go Scandi and prepare a platter of sandwiches with a herring butter. You will need some pickled herring either from the deli or get a variety in a jar. I like Elsinore Herrings in sweet & spicy marinade (found in Waitrose, but might be available in the other supermarkets or delis).

Rye bread & herring butter sandwiches

You will need rye bread for this simple Scandi-Russian fusion sandwiches. Both Russian and Scandinavian cuisine favour salted & pickled herring, and of course, a good rye bread is a must.
Finely chop the pickled herring and mix with soft butter spread and chopped fresh dill. Spread the herring butter over the sliced rye bread and decorate with more dill or lemon slices.
Tuck in at once!

In both recipes I used Lurpak spreadable Lighter slightly salted. It is a blend of Lurpak butter and vegetable oil. It is easily spreadable even straight from the fridge; contains no palm oil, hydrogenated fats, artificial colourings or preservatives.

What are your favourite open sandwiches?

Disclosure: I received a £5 supermarket voucher to cover the cost of products. All opinions are mine.

Valentine's day menu

How do you woo your amour on Valentine's day? Do you keep things simple and sweet with a box of chocolates, or do you go for a full Monty and cook a 3-course dinner? Or do you fancy recreating that famous food scene from Nine and a Half Weeks? You know, I have just watched it again on Youtube and enjoyed it as much as I did the first time. Oldies are always goldies.
While I might be showing my age by reference to 9 and 1/2 weeks, I like to make an effort and cook a special meal on Valentine's day.

Valentine's day menu

If you are looking for a menu which is easy and romantic, the Italian cuisine might be a source of inspiration. The Italians certainly know how to woo their loved ones with the most tantalising recipes. Take Caprese salad, what could be simpler than slicing tomatoes, mozzarella and tearing some basil leaves? Yet it's one of the most satisfying salads.
For my starter I prepared a light Caprese with a twist, as I also added a sliced blood orange to the classic ingredients. Don't knock it off before you tried it.

Caprese salad with blood orange

For a Caprese salad, slice the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, as well as a blood orange. Arrange the slices so that overlap each other. Drizzle some olive oil, tear fresh basil leaves, season with a bit of pepper if you fancy.

Strawberry Spumante cocktail:

To put you in the romantic mood, how about a cocktail with fresh strawberries?

Whizz 4-5 big strawberries into a thick puree, pour 5tbsp of puree in each glass and top up with a sparkling wine. I used Rosamore Vino Spumante Rosato Brut, an Italian fresh pink sparkling wine. It is a lovely aperitif, fresh and fruity.

For a main course impress your love with a dish of duck breast served with a strawberry and blood orange salsa.
Duck with sweet and sour salsa is a winning combination.
Duck with strawberry and orange blood salsa
Ingredients:
2 duck breasts, skin remove
1tsp grated ginger
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 garlic clove
sea salt
2tbsp olive oil

For the salsa:
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1tbsp maple syrup
a small punnet of strawberries
1 blood orange
a handful of pomegranates
1tbsp fresh thyme

First marinade two duck breasts in a mix of grated ginger (1tsp), juice and zest of 1 lime and 1 garlic clove, grated or pressed through the garlic press. Leave them in the marinade for an hour and a half or more.
Cook the breasts in the frying pan with the olive oil. I like my meat well done, so I don't give any suggestions on the time, it depends on how you like your meat.

Mix the balsamic vinegar with the maple syrup, zest and lime juice. Chop the strawberries and put in the bowl with the marinade. Remove the skin from the blood orange, slice it and put together with the berries. Add the pomegranate seeds and chopped thyme. Ideally the salsa should be left to infuse for a couple of hours. Give it an occasional stir.
Serve the duck breasts with the salsa spooned over.

Chocolate for me is a final indulgence. This Nutella and whisky cake tastes divine and finishes the Valentine's day nicely.

Nutella cake

Nutella cake
Ingredients:
4 medium eggs
100g Nutella+ more for decorating
150g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
3tbsp whisky
200g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
40g ground almonds
zest of 1 blood orange (optional)
100g butter, melted
Dr Oetker Shimmer spray gold and gold pearls (optional)
30+ minutes

Beat the eggs with Nutella and caster sugar. Add the vanilla essence, whisky, flour, baking powder, ground almonds, orange zest and melted butter, mix well. Pour in a heart-shaped cake tin. Bake at 180C for 30+ minutes.
Once cool to touch, spread some Nutella with a knife and smooth the surface. If you like, add a touch of glamour with Dr Oetker shimmer spray gold and gold pears, but this is optional.

If you are full, and feel a bit of slumber, perk up yourself with a nice cup of latte or cappuccino, sprinkled with cocoa.

To help me cook my Valentine's day dinner, OXO sent three kitchen gadgets of my choice to play with. I love OXO Good Grips, and use all my products from the range regularly. If you visit my kitchen, you'll see that I constantly use OXO Good Grips herb mincer, measuring cup and juicer to name but a few.

My first choice was an OXO Good Grips 3-piece Berry Bowl and Colander set. This jolly colourful set is just the right size for rinsing berries, beans and more. The set comes as a nest for compact storage, it has a non-slip bottom. The set is very easy to clean. The colander has an elevated ring along its bottom, so it also stays stable on the working surface or in the sink when you wash the berris. The holes are elongated for efficient draining. There is a lid with seals the bowl for storing the food in the fridge.

I used the set for washing the strawberries for both the salsa and cocktail and used the bowl for preparing the salsa.

OXO Good Grips Simple Mandoline Slicer is an easy-to-use kitchen gadget. I have fancied a mandoline for a long time. You choose a thickness you need for the food you selected: three slice thickness setting, julienne setting and storage setting. The stainless steel blade is angled and cuts the foods into slices with ease. You hold your piece of fruit or vegetable with a spring-loaded food holder which has a big rim to protect fingers. Textured runway prevents food from sticking.
A soft handle is comfy and soft, plus the mandoline comes with non-slip feet which keep it stable.
Once you finished the job and cleaned the mandoline, its leg folds for compact storage.
I used the mandoline for preparing the salad.

Tomatoes sliced with a mandoline

And finally OXO Good Grips Baker's Dusting Wand is a cute little kitchen gadget. It is useful for flouring the cake tin evenly, for sprinkling surfaces for rolling the dough, and of course, for adding icing sugar to your baked goodies or sprinkling cinnamon or cocoa over cappuccino. It is very light. Twist the wand open, scoop some icing sugar or cinnamon, twist to close and dust whatever you fancy.

Disclosure: I received a selection of OXO Good Grips to prepare a menu for Valentine's day.

OXO Good Grips Herb Mincer and Little Salad Shaker giveaway (c/d 20 September 2014)

In the last couple of weeks, I have been playing with a couple of new gadgets from OXO Good Grips. It is a well known and much loved range of kitchen tools, I have a few in my collection, and find them all very useful.

OXO Good Grips Herb Mincer is a handy little gadget made of stainless steel. As its name suggests, it is used for chopping herbs. Herb Mincer has a non-slip soft grip. It is easy to use, four circle blades chop the herbs effortlessly.
I have also been testing a new Little Salad Shaker, which is a cute little kitchen gadget. It allows you to make a dressing in a flash, just add your favourite ingredients, shake the bottle and pour the dressing. The top is easily removed to accommodate a range of ingredients. Made from Tritan, this dressing shaker is dishwasher safe and BPA-free. At 1 cup (250ml) capacity, you can make as much or as little of the dressing as you need. The seal is airtight and leakproof, so shake to your heart's content, then flip the tip, and pour.

Kind people at OXO have offered this handy duo as a giveaway prize for my blog readers. One lucky winner will receive an OXO Good Grips Herb Mincer and Little Salad Shaker.

To be in with a chance of winning this lovely prize, all you need to do is enter, using a Rafflecopter form below. As usual, you have a choice of options to enter: by leaving a comment (this is the only mandatory step), following the brand on Twitter etc.

T&Cs:
Only the first step is mandatory: all you need to do is answer my question by leaving a comment 
(if you login as Anonymous, please leave you Twitter name or FB name, so that I could identify you, I do not suggest leaving the email address in the comment)

All the other steps are optional, you don't have to do them all. All it takes to win is just one entry.
Only one entry per person is allowed (however, you can tweet daily to increase your chances).
The giveaway is open to the UK residents only.
Once the Rafflecopter picks the winner, I will check if the winner has done what was requested. I will contact the winner, if they do not reply within 28 days, the prize will be allocated to another person.
Please don't forget to leave a comment, as it is the only mandatory step, I will make sure the winner selected by Rafflecopter has complied with T&Cs. 

The giveaway will close on 20 September 2014 (at midnight, the night from the 19th to the 20th)

Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Parsnip and wild mushrooms salad

Summer is almost over. The harvest is upon us. I love the local fruit and vegetable markets at this time of the year, with the luxurious displays of colourful produce. I have never grown my own parsnips but really love this humble vegetable for the sweetness and aroma. You can eat it raw, when it's young and not too woody, it's perfect in stews, but also lovely cooked in warm salads.

Parsnip and mushroom salad (serves 2)
Ingredients:
2 parsnips (150g)
100g wild mushrooms (chanterelle and other)
1tsp dried herbs
2tbsp olive oil
1tbsp fresh lemon juice
mini mozzarella (about 10 mini balls)
a handful of green olives (about 10)
2tbsp olive oil + 1tbsp balsamic vinegar (for dressing)
sea salt, pepper
Cut the skinned parsnips into batons and cook until al dente in slightly salted water. Drain once cooked. While the parsnips are cooking, tear the bigger mushrooms into pieces, leaving the small mushrooms intact. Give them a quick fry in a frying pan with the olive oil, dried herbs and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Assemble your salad on a big plate, first place the parsnips, ten scatter the fried mushrooms on top, add the mozzarella and green olives. Mix olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a simple dressing, and pour over your salad. Scatter the chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper.

I know that technically mozzarella is not a vegetarian cheese, but you can find some vegetarian versions of it.

I used Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar in this recipe. My favourite brand for olive oil, it never disappoints and works as a great ingredient for dressings, marinades and glazes.

I have already mentioned Finest Wild mushrooms from Tesco on my blog. Tesco is the only supermarket which sells wild mushrooms on a regular basis. I usually order a pack or two in my weekly grocery shopping, and you never know which variety of mushrooms will arrive. Sometimes there are only chanterelles, sometimes they are mixed with girolles or other mushrooms). Fab for risottos, pasta dishes and with fried potatoes. For £1.50 a box it's a steal, as some of the online grocery companies sell their wild mushrooms at exorbitant prices.

In the last couple of weeks, I have been using a new herb mincer for chopping herbs.
OXO Good Grips Herb Mincer is a handy little gadget made of stainless steel. I love OXO Good Grips range, and have mentioned it several times on my blog. Herb Mincer has a non-slip soft grip. It is easy to use, four circle blades chop the herbs effortlessly.

 You can use the front edge to move the herbs together in a neat pile. To clean the blades, you open the gadget, it separates for easy cleaning. And to store it, just pop in a plastic top back for safety.

Disclosure: I received an OXO Good Grips Herb Mincer for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

If you liked this recipe, you might be interested in the following recipe:
Endive boats with candied walnuts

I'm entering this salad into Simple and in Season, created by Ren and hosted this month by Elizabeth.

Also linking with Extra Veg hosted by Sarah this month for Helen and Michelle. 

Endive boats with candied walnuts, Wensleydale and cranberries

Though the summer is on the wane now, and the school is just a few weeks away, we are enjoying a plethora of salads and light appetizers as nobody fancies anything too heavy. Endive boats are among my favourite appetizers for the ease of assembling and possible variations of ingredients, just add your preferred cubed cheese and nuts, drizzle with an olive oil & balsamic vinegar dressing, and enjoy.

Endive boats with candied walnuts, Wensleydale cheese and cranberries
Ingredients:
9 endive leaves
for candied walnuts (there will be plenty left):
150g walnuts
1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
1tsp golden syrup
1tbsp maple syrup
100g Wensleydale cheese with cranberries
a handful of dried sweetened cranberries like Craisins

Start by soaking the separated endive leaves in cold water, for at least an hour, to remove the bitterness and make them more crispy.
Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, golden syrup and maple syrup, and coat the walnuts well. Fry in a small pan for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Then spread the walnuts on a tray, covered with the foil, and put in the oven preheated to 180C for 10 minutes, until dry.

Remove the endive leaves from the water and pat dry them. Place a few candied walnut pieces in each endive boat, add the cubed cheese and dried cranberries.
Drizzle over with the dressing made of the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey.
Serve as an appetizer.

You can substitute the Wensleydale cheese with a blue cheese like Dolcelatte or Gorgonzola, or feta. Use different nuts too. I like to add toasted pine nuts to this dish.

In this recipe I used Filippo Berio olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Filippo Berio is one of my favourite brands, and I have written about their products in the past already. I love the history behind the range. The founder of the famous olive oil company was born in 1829 in Tuscany. The name of Berio is a gaurantee of the high quality. It is well known and much loved throughout the world, as well as in its native Italy.

Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil is available in all major supermarkets. It has a unique rich and fruity flavour, and is an excellent ingredient for many dishes from salads to baking.
It is perfect for all kinds of dressings and marinades. And of course, it is just lovely for dipping a chunk of bread in. If you've been to the Italian restaurants and cafes, you were most likely indulging in a plain but oh-so-delicious starter of breads offered with a dish of olive oil with a good balsamic vinegar. If you loved it, what stops you from recreating the experience at home?

Filippo Berio Balsamic Vinegar is an affordable yet tasty balsamic vinegar from Modena, it is tangy and sweet, quite smooth. It is made from specially selected Modena grapes and is aged in oak barrels.
This is another versatile ingredient for cooking, from marinades to dressings, from rich stews to roasts.

I have also been testing a new Little Salad Shaker from OXO (available from Lakeland). It is a cute little kitchen gadget, which allows you to make a dressing in a flash, just add your favourite ingredients, shake the bottle and pour the dressing. The top is easily removed to accommodate a range of ingredients. Made from Tritan, this dressing shaker is dishwasher safe and BPA-free. At 1 cup (250ml) capacity, you can make as much or as little of the dressing as you need. The seal is airtight and leakproof, so shake to your heart's content, then flip the tip, and pour.

Endive boats all disappeared very fast, and we all agreed that they were delicious.

Disclosure: I received two OXO products and two bottles of Filippo Berio products.