Mary Berry's Jaffa Cakes

It is so annoying when you can't find out for certain how some of the recipes are actually done.  Yes, you can always find out some of it...but, the fine details....not always.

Like, ..... how on earth do you get the chocolate on the top to look like Mary's?  It doesn't tell you other than to say you can spoon it on if you don't want to go to the trouble of getting it perfect.  Huh? Why the heck doesn't she say how she does it and let me make up my mind later as to whether I will do it her way or not?

Here is a pic of hers.... from the Great British Bake Off show... see how lovely the chocolate line is all around the little cake.  Note the great criss cross pattern they say should be there ... I've never seen a store bought version so don't really know what one should look like.    

To me, they almost look like they have been dipped in the chocolate...but, it hardly seems possible as the cake is quite flat and how would you grab the bottom and keep your fingers out of the chocolate? ..maybe a couple of skewers through the bottom of the cake? .. some other method? .. who knows?......  ...... anybody got any suggestions?                                                                  

Then, there are dozens of folks who have made them and put them out there ... and, most of them look like this.  I would probably be too embarrassed to show mine if they looked like this... but, I might.... just to let you know how difficult they were to get right.  There has to be a better way to get the chocolate on there and make it look tidy at the very least. 

I want to try Jaffa cakes some day soon... and want them to look nice.  

here's what I'm doing today...

baking some of these.  Double Chocolate Chunk cookies...with cherries.... mmm... and with the link....reprising an old post from 2009 on my other blog.. Tea and Scones .... and.... figuring out how to make some photos smaller so that I can continue loading them ..even though I am nearly at 98% as far as blogger is concerned ( and, thank you to Catherine for helping me figure that one out)! I guess other people probably figured all of this out long before I did.  I AM a bit slow.
And...perhaps my way is still a bit convoluted... I am now exporting them to my documents..in smaller size and then uploading them from there to blogger... but, it does make them much smaller files to upload so perhaps I will have to go back through many postings.......and reload the pics.... smaller.....oh, dear...... I see a lot of work ahead of me......sigh...... or...I could just pay a few bucks and add more space to my blog....
Anybody have a better solution?  If so, please let me know.....

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back to Portugal...... Peniche and Obidos ..

... after spending plenty of time at the beach at Peniche ..wandering all over and taking lots of pics and enjoying all the views... the day was still young enough to hop into the car and drive on...

But, everywhere I looked there was more to see;  ... more to photograph.  Turn your head to the side while waiting for a green light...and hey!  look at that beautiful window!  stop ... look at that neat door! ..wow.... look at that.... whoa... just a minute........ I was worse than a little kid.

All of a sudden ... we were at Obidos....  a medieval town with castle...

And.... there just happened to be ....a chocolate festival going on!

All along the cobbled street, vendors and the tiny regular shops had chocolate goodies to delight vistors.  I can't believe we didn't take a picture of the tiny chocolate cups containing our strong sweet alcoholic beverage!  Maria.... what was it called again ?? UPDATE:: it is called Ginja or Ginjinha... and is made from cherries... thanks Maria.

Like I said...keep looking ...sideways... behind..UP..... definitely up... and see it all...... or miss plenty!  How would you like this for your little morning coffee balcony.  People lived in these quaint places.

It was becoming afternoon....and the light from the sun.....wow.....

I think this is Wisteria (although I first thought Laburnum, but have only seen that in yellow)  from having seen some on Lines from Linderhof ... and also on Sylvia's blog Cosiness.

Just heading into the castle itself after wandering through the cobbled streets of the little medieval town..

.... hurry....sun going down soon........

... ahhhhh....this little guy has the right idea.  Last rays of the day's warm sunshine..... his own private bench.  Cats have it all figured out.

Hahahhaha...how incongruous.  All part of the candy and chocolate theme of the festival... but, still..... made you laugh out loud really.

Looking out from the parapet .... those serfs are a long way dowwwwnnn.........

... out the other side and back into the little town within the castle walls.... such steep pathways and roads.

Yes.... the cars were driving up from somewhere and popping out of these little things!  One guy totally burned out a clutch...we could smell it for quite a while after walking past his car.



















Goodbye Obidos.... whoooooo...and goodbye plenty of chocolate goodies.  By then we were wired and could have gone on all night I think....But... it was time to head for home.  M & J's place in Portugal that is..... our beautiful home away from home.

Ooooh.... and it was tasty!

We never did get quite as tidy a slice as they did for the photo in the book....but.... it was very tasty anyway.  Ours seemed to have a few more crumbs stuck to the pink filling.... ah, well.... 

Recipe on my other blog if you'd like to have a go at making one some day.   It's called Black Forest Decadence.

Sunny Sunday....

Here's a quick little fun thing for you to whip up at a moment's notice .... when you crave some chocolate.... or want to nibble something sweet and don't have any other goodies on hand.  Simple, quick and very effective....

It is actually called 5 Minute Chocolate Cake in a Mug...and, sure, you can do it that way...but, a few extra minutes and it is so much better than the rubbery, mediocre, microwave version.

I love little ramekins.... as a matter fact...I have a "thing" about them.  I have a whole drawer full of them...and hardly ever use them.  But, I see some I think are cute...and have to buy them.  These are my latest ... chocolate coloured outside and creamy white on the inside.  Too deep for this tiny amount of cake-y stuff....but... I wanted to see how they looked.  I'm thinking they may even take the full amount in one ramekin seeing as they are larger than most of the others.  Next time I'll double the recipe...and make us a full one each!  But... really... I only need a few mouthfuls to satisfy the chocolate craving.  Well... I do when I remember that it takes about 6 hours on the treadmill to burn it off.. hahahhahha.....

three sixes and a four....

I keep threatening to buy my next pair of black slacks at a men's wear store.... at least the men have a size system that works. They buy clothes that say... 32 waist... if your waist is 32...wow...what a concept! Why can't women's clothing be so simple?

And...in men's wear... if an article of clothing does't quite fit .. according to a knowledgeable salesperson.. because that's who they hire for staff.... it is altered... FREE of charge! HUH? Mr. BV bought a shirt last year... too large for him.. and baggy almost everywhere... but, he liked the fabric... their tailor totally remade the shirt into a slim fitting beautiful shirt. We actually felt guilty picking it up and almost wanted to pay the tailor something extra... almost...

In a women's shop? ... nada..zippo..nothing. It is $12 to $17 to have slacks hemmed... and they don't even offer..you have to ask. They look shocked if you wonder if they could take in the hips a bit or let out the waist...etc... and...the answer is ... Would you like to see this in another size ma'am? or... we have nothing in the store to fit you...or last year's fav.... you should buy some padded panties or pantyhose and buy a larger size pair of slacks.... what? .... and the sizes... well, I have no idea what size I am anymore and even if I did... none of them fit the same anyway so how to choose which fifty pairs to gather from the racks. Forget about a salesperson or "assistant", as they like to call themselves, helping you. They are hopeless... lazy,.... tell you they look great even if they hike up the crevices... ridiculous... who hired these people anyway? oh, yeh..I remember now ..nobody really wants to work anymore... most of the girls work in clothing shops so they get a few things for themselves 40% off.... At 40% off I don't even want to buy the stuff. I've worked in clothing stores too..and know the markup..

Each year I am a different size...not my actual body you understand; that has pretty much been the same for too many years to mention...with the exception of a few pounds or inches here and there depending on what time of year it is and how much I have (or haven't been) working out. As a matter of fact... I'm sure I'm the same size I used to be years ago, when I was buying 10's or 12's .. but, a different size in somebody's crazed measuring mind....where 4 is now the new 6 ...6 is the new 8...just a minute...is it the other way 'round? .... yep, that's it... 8 is the new 6 .... I'm so confused! My size 4, which were the most expensive pair I have ever bought ... hence the right to put a smaller size on it. .. or so it seems to me ... is closest to fitting if none of the others did. A bit tight... but could do in a pinch. I could wear my Bridget Jones panties to hold things in a bit.

The cheapest pair .. which were Bianca Nygaard.. on sale for $38 last year ... a six... well, a 10 to look at from my point of view... they fit beautifully everywhere... no hiking, puckering or riding up where they shouldn't... but, a size 6.. and a lovely pair of pants. I'm even going to wear sexy panties under them... They are still a perfect fit this year even if I have been up and down like a yo yo in weight and measurements... the other two 6's...?? hmmmm don't fit this year.... I wonder what size they really are? .... I'll keep 'em all ...who knows what next year will bring?

Of course, if I keep up this festive baking ... and the more than occasional taste testing .... I could be looking at a different size altogether next Christmas....