Crater cookies

Earlier this year I briefly wrote about the crater cookies I made for husband’s birthday. I’ve made these seriously simple delights several times since, so I thought it was about time they get their own blog post.  I’ve even made and brought these to parties so one does not attend empty handed, and they’ve gone down a treat every time. Prepare to salivate from the facial region …

I spotted this recipe online earlier this year, to which I can thank and am forever in debt to the Pinterest gods for sending it my way. Originally titled cookies and cream Oreo bark, this recipe could not be simpler. Two ingredients. See?
Ingredients
3 x 100g white chocolate bars, I used Milkybars {or 4 packs, using one to drizzle over the top at the end}
4 x 150g packs of Oreo’s 
Method
Gently melt your white chocolate in a pot on the lowest setting on your stove, stirring occasionally. While the chocolate is melting, chop your Oreo’s into quarters – you don’t want to chop them too small otherwise when added to the chocolate, it turns into a heaping mess of grey. 
When the white chocolate has fully melted, stir in 3/4 of the chopped Oreo’s, saving some to decorate the top. Line a tray with grease proof paper and tumble the contents of the pot onto it. Mush it down a bit so it isn’t one big lump, and add the remaining pieces of chopped Oreo’s to your liking. Should you like to get in touch with your inner Pollock, melt a 4th bar of white chocolate and drizzle over the top for extra hysteria. 
Place the tray into your fridge and allow to cool for roughly one hour. Once cool, chop and pile haphazardly onto a decorative plate, and place at either child level or within reach of someone you don’t particularly like. 

The above is a perfect amount for entertaining, as it is an incredibly rich treat and one would only handle a few nuggets per sitting. For a more personalized stash, halve the quantities shown above. Keep any leftovers in an air tight container in your fridge, where they will eagerly await to be picked at any hour of the day or night. xx A

Happy Canada Day!

I miss Canada on a moment-to-moment basis. Every year when the 1st of July rolls around, my level of missing gets real. Today is Canada Day, and already I’ve witnessed my Twitter and Facebook feeds explode with Canadian long weekend celebrations, and it got me craving all things Canadian. So, I thought to share with you some of my favourite delights from back home. And more importantly, to tempt you into the dark side … 

Naniamo bars. It’s like shoving a piece of heaven in your mouth. Coconut, biscuit and dark chocolate base, followed by a smooth and delicate custard centre, topped off with a crisp layer of dark chocolate. When you bite into it, the custard goes everywhere and you will loose the plot completely. It’s that good.  
POUTINE. Oh my god. If there is only one Canadian delight you try, make it this one. Even better reason to try it – it’s oh so simple. Chips {or fries – depending on what continent you’re on}, grated cheese {lather it on good and thick}, topped with home made gravy. I will be personally offended if you do not try this. 
Pecan pie. I know. Pecan pie is American and not Canadian. BUT, it is gorgeous treat of the senses and reminds me of home. Does that count? The Canadian version of this dish would be butter tarts. Which are insane. And I want one now. 
Tourtiere. I will be the first to admit this dish tastes a hundred times better that it looks. Husband pure demanded this for dinner tonight, but as he’s up to his gills in man flu and I’m not far off, I think poutine will be our choice of dinner tonight.

Happy Canada Day to you and yours 🙂

xx A

p.s. I’ve been a bit MIA on the blog front this week. I’ve been channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw by writing away and spending a lot of quality time with my laptop. Except, nowhere as fashionable. 

Out of this world


For husband’s birthday, I surprised him with an astronomical themed overhaul. I’ve never written about it here, but we’re massive nerds when it comes to astronomy {not to be confused with astrology}. We will sit for hours discussing, watching documentaries and debating infinity and beyond. Influenced by our most recent television obsession – the Stargazing Live series, I thought how better to celebrate than a space themed setting.

Above – I gave him the moon, or as best as I could draw it on our chalkboard wall …

Bacon sandwiches for breakfast with some added jazz. p.s. Spot the curious cat.

I should say, of what you see regarding decor, the only things I had to purchase for the day were edible items {that’s how much nerdy stuff we have}. I do find the best themed decor can be found within your own home. You just have to invest in some serious brainstorming, allow yourself to get carried away, and some hardcore rooting around cupboards.

In stead of a traditional iced birthday cake, I fancied up some crater cookies for hubby. This is where I can thank the Pinterest gods. I stumbled upon a painfully simple recipe – cookies and cream oreo bark. With its delightfully grey flecked white chocolate with Oreo chunks, it was a perfect fit and became ‘crater cookies’. Not to mention it took about 10 minutes to make. Sweet.

Leftover surplus of Oreos as well as some chocolate stars adorned the coffee table. I pimped out some vases with Mars and Milky Way bars, and finished it off with some of our Star Wars memorabilia. We went to Tunisia a couple of years ago and traveled to far-away abandoned Star Wars sets. The pink ticket you see framed is what I got for my use of the toilet facilities, which I had to pay for merely because I wasn’t a man.

So there you have it! Husband was very impressed and has stated a number of times that I can’t erase the moon for a good while. I’m okay with that. For now.

Happy Monday folks! I hope the weekend treated you well 🙂 xx A